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Keeping love alive is a lot like keeping a fire place burning. I know that sounds weird, so let me further explain the analogy. Growing up in the Midwest we always had a fireplace in our home. I loved working with the fire, keeping it hot, positioning the wood just right to ensure the fire continued to burn. I noticed very early on that if you place a poker near the heat of the fire long enough, it becomes red hot.

In the same way, successful relationships require following the “hot poker” principle. By placing yourself in the right kind of environment you can keep the heat alive in your marriage.

1. Keeping love alive requires attending a marriage conference at least once a year- This is an investment that continues to build your marriage. There are several ministries that offer quality conferences throughout the year. A couple of the ones that Bonnie and I have enjoyed are The Weekend to Remember with the Dennis Rainey Ministry and the Love and Respect conference by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.

2. Keeping love alive requires reading great books – There are a lot of great resources available that offer practical relationship advice. Here is a list of some of the books that Bonnie and I have really enjoyed and have found to be very helpful:

There are a lot of great resources available that offer practical relationship advice. Here is a list of some of the books that Bonnie and I have really enjoyed and have found to be very helpful:

• The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate
• The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley The DNA of Relationships (Smalley Franchise Products)
• Intimate Issues by Linda Dillow Intimate Issues: Twenty-One Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex
• Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by Dr. John Gray Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex

We also have several more books and resources available at our Relationship Builder eStore,http://www.relationship-builder.com/estore/

3. Keeping love alive requires finding a small group in your local church to attend – Most churches have marriage small groups available throughout the year. This is a great opportunity to not only make weekly or monthly deposits into your relationship, but it’s also a great opportunity to develop friendships with other couples.

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