Mark: With the Thanksgiving weekend behind us, we officially find ourselves in the Christmas season. There’s just something about this time of year: The tree is up, the decorations are out, and everything just feels a little extra cozy.
Jill: We’ve had to shift our expectations a little bit this year. Mark and I are actually planning to head to Australia to see our son who lives there for Christmas. So we are doing a “Christgiving” celebration as a whole family in early December! That means Thanksgiving was pretty quiet and Christmas will be different as well this year.
Mark: Expectations can be tough this time of year. (Jill has written a little more about expectations as an empty nester here.) When we can release expectations of others, including our spouse, we free ourselves up to more meaningfully connect during the time we do have with them.
Jill: Exactly. That actually brings us to what we want to share with you today! It’s easy to feel the weight of expectations on your own shoulders around the holidays, especially when it comes to gift-giving. I know gift-giving isn’t something that comes naturally to me, so that can be something that adds to the stress. (This year most of our family members made Amazon wish lists, which I am ALL for!)
Mark: While we can’t give you ideas for the specific interests for each of your family members, today we want to share a few gift ideas that you can add to the list for your spouse and for your marriage as a whole. As you know, we believe marriage is of the highest priority, and our hope is that these gifts help you prioritize your marriage even more next year.
Jill: In addition to this list, here are a couple other resources you may find valuable:
- 4 Perspective Shifts for Gift-Giving This Year [And Last Year’s Gift Guide!]
- 10 (Free) Things to Give Your Spouse This Christmas
Let’s jump in to some gift ideas for your marriage:
No More Perfect Marriages by Mark & Jill Savage
Hurting marriages can heal, and good marriages can become great. It takes work, yes, but No More Perfect Marriages will give you the insights, language, and roadmap you need for the journey! A real marriage isn’t perfect. A real marriage is two people being perfected.
How We Love by Milan & Kay Yerkovich
We had Milan and Kay on our podcast this year, and it was one of our most popular episodes ever. How We Love is one of those books that we recommend to almost every couple we work with. The book helps us uncover unhelpful relating patterns formed in childhood that we carry over into adulthood.
The Marriage Bundle from Growing Home Together
Through meaningful conversation and time spent with God—together—your marriage can change and grow in powerful ways. Rob and Joanna Teigen have created this bundle to help you grow closer to God and each other. Head to their website to check out this resource and more!
Becoming Us by Beth & Jeff McCord
Enneagram expert Beth McCord and Pastor Jeff McCord combine their more than 20 years of marriage wisdom, pastoral experience, and Enneagram studies to provide a roadmap for couples feeling stagnant or frustrated with their relationship. We love Beth & Jeff, and this would make a great gift! (You can catch the podcast episode we did with them here!)
Paired App for Couples
This isn’t something Mark and I use consistently, but it’s been a favorite for some of my kids in connecting with their spouse! The app sends daily questions and more resources your way, and you unlock your spouse’s answer to that question by answering as well. It’s free for 7 days, and then is $75 for a year or $15/mo.
No More Perfect Marriages: Home Edition – On-Demand Seminar
From the comfort of your own home, you can get access to the on-demand 4-week event that over 90% of attendees call a “game-changer” for rekindling their marriage. What a great gift that would be for Christmas! Check it out >>
Marriage Playbook
The Marriage Playbook is for couples who are looking for a way to connect about more than just directions, dirt, and dinner. Each section gives you something to talk about so you deepen your intimacy and connection. You print the Playbook yourself and then tap into the bonus videos that equip your marriage and help you get the most out of the Playbook! (Gift certificates are available!) Check it out >>
There are a few gift ideas! We are so grateful to have you hanging around here with us, and we hope you remember to give your marriage a gift for Christmas this year too!
