By AL EARLEY

Religion Columnist

A wife woke up one morning and said, “Honey, I just had a dream that you bought me a new gold necklace. What do you think it means?”

“I don’t know, but Valentine’s Day is coming soon. Friday, you’ll know,” He replied.

A few nights later, she again woke up after having a dream. “This time, I dreamed you gave me a pearl necklace. What do you think it means?”

“You’ll know Friday,” He replied. Another dream about a pearl necklace elicited the same response.

When Valentine’s Day arrived, the husband gave his wife a gift.  Delighted, she opened it to find a book entitled, “The Meaning of Dreams.”

If you have missed it, this week we celebrate Valentine’s Day.  We will spend approximately $1 billion dollars on chocolate, another billion on cards and over $200 million on roses in an attempt to demonstrate love.

Experience teaches me that this day of love is more important to my wife than it is to me, but that does not give me a pass. Actually, I don’t want a pass. I look forward to Valentine’s Day because my wife and I always have so much fun celebrating these special days on the calendar.  This week I share some random thoughts about why I can’t wait for Valentine’s Day.

First, it is my plan to woo, date and pursue my wife all the time. She loves it.  Most of the time Valentine’s Day is just another excuse to have fun together. Occasionally life gets so busy that we get out of the dating habit: Valentine’s Day is perfect to get back on track.  When was the last time you and your spouse went on a date together, without kids?  If you can’t remember, consider this a wakeup call.

My favorite date is to give my wife a day.  Make sure the kids are cared for over the next 24 hours and spend that time with each other.  Think of all the things you have loved to do together through the years and reclaim some of those experiences if it has been awhile.

Second, unmet expectations often ruin a good romantic time with your honey.  It is great to surprise him/her with a gift they didn’t expect, but when they don’t respond the way you thought they would it can take the fun out of the experience. I recommend setting all the secrecy aside and asking what would be fun and romantic for the other person. When my wife and I plan our celebrations together they almost always work out great and often even better than we expected.  We have also found that the anticipation of time together is better than whatever is lost with less surprise. This is especially helpful when the budget is tight.

Finally, the Bible tells us that God sent the first Valentine when he sent his son, Jesus Christ into the world (John 3:16 and countless other places).  If your love for your spouse is not what it needs to be then talk with one another about ways you can put your faith in Jesus Christ at the center of your marriage.  Our human love is almost always flawed.  As Jesus redeems us of our sins, He can also redeem our imperfect love.  Recommitting to your church, talking about your faith and who God is, setting spiritual goals for your marriage, and praying together are just a few of the things you can do to put Christ at the center of your marriage.

Here are some good discussion questions to get you and your spouse talking about faith.  Who is God for you? What are some of the high points of your faith journey growing up? What are some of the high points as an adult? What would your marriage look like if God were in the center of it? Do you know what you are doing to celebrate this Valentine’s Day?  I hope you and your spouse will have some fun and some great conversation about God this Valentine’s Day.

To find out more about Al Earley or read previous articles got to www.lagrangepres.com.