Dr. Kim Kimberling – Marriage, Relationships and Premarital Counseling.

Activity: Visit a cozy coffee shop or smoothie bar. Bring a journal or notebook with the conversation prompts printed on it. *If you cannot get out of the house make a winter drink like hot chocolate, coffee or Russian tea (recipe is below).

• Purpose: Deepen your connection by reflecting on where you are as a couple and dreaming about where you want to go.

• Conversation Prompts:

• What is something that is stopping us from staying connected? What solutions can we come up with to change this?

• What’s a rhythm we’ve already created that brings us joy or peace?

• What’s one area we’d like to grow in this year as a couple?

• How can we support each other in personal growth while staying connected?

• What’s a dream or goal you have for our marriage that we haven’t talked about recently?

• What’s your favorite memory of us from the past year?

• What’s one fun or adventurous thing we can do together this year that we’ve never tried?

• What rhythm or habit do you think brings us closer to God as a couple?

• How do you think we’ve grown the most as a couple over the years?

• What’s one challenge we overcame together this past year, and how did it strengthen our relationship?

• If we could describe our marriage in one word for the past year, what would it be? What word do we want to describe for the upcoming year?

• End with a prayer over your marriage before heading home.

Russian Tea recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups white sugar

• 2 cups orange-flavored drink mix (such as Tang)

• 1 cup instant tea powder

• 1 (3 ounce) package powdered lemonade mix

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine sugar, orange drink mix, tea powder, lemonade powder, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves in a large bowl; mix thoroughly.

2. Store in a sealed jar.

3. To make: Stir 3 to 4 tablespoons of dry mix into 1 cup of hot or cold water.

• Activity: Gather supplies (poster board, markers, magazines, sticky notes) to create a “Healthy Marriage Rhythms” vision board.

• Steps:

1. Brainstorm rhythms to implement or strengthen in 2025 (e.g., weekly date nights, daily prayer together, monthly budget reviews).

2. Add visuals, Bible verses, or words that inspire you both.

3. Commit to one rhythm to start implementing immediately.

Purpose: Focus on how to intentionally align your marriage with Christ-centered, practical rhythms that sustain connection and growth.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Preparation:
   Before the game begins, each of you writes down 5-7 prompts, actions, or questions on the slips of paper. What you’ll need:

• How to play:

• Preparation:

• Before the game begins, each of you writes down 5-7 prompts, actions or questions on the slips of paper. These can range from flirty and emotional to physical affectionate. Examples:

• “Describe your favorite memory of us together in detail. “

• Kiss me as if it were the first time. Whisper something you love about me to my ear. “

2. : Name a romantic destination you would love to visit. “
   : Give me a 5-minute-long massage, wherever you choose! “

3. Take It In Turns:
   Take it in turns to draw a slip. Answer the question or follow the instructions. Allow the conversation or action to naturally lead into the next moment.

4. Build Anticipation:

Space out the actions by pausing for conversation or playful teasing in between. This builds emotional intimacy and anticipation of physical intimacy. After you’ve used all the slips (if you got that far), take a moment to hold each other, and reflect on how you felt closer after playing the game.

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