Here is a recap of the 72 Hour Club posts so far…
Could a Good Sex Life Change Your Marriage? – The idea…could marriages be transformed by the simple commitment to respect & respond to our husband’s God-given needs for sexual intimacy and to make this aspect of our marriages a priority?
What to Do When You are Too Pooped to Whoop? – Overcoming the most frequently noted obstacle to a good sex life…exhaustion!
What if the Desire for Sex is Missing? – Prompted by comments of readers, I attempt to address the more difficult obstacle of a lack of sexual desire, both for wives or husbands.
What Changes are You Seeing? - A compilation of feedback from 72 Hour Club Members about what changes they are seeing in themselves and in their marriages.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Today, I’m asking “What is the REAL benefit to a Thriving Sex Life in Your Marriage?”
The short answer is INTIMACY.
The longer answer is the beautiful manifestation of the fullness of intimacy – physical, emotional, and spiritual - that happen in the acts of sexual intimacy.
As women, we are wired by God with a high need for emotional intimacy. It allows us to be the helpers, the lovers, the caretakers in our marriages, families and communities. God also designed men with a prominent need, and that is physical intimacy. Wait. Did God make a mistake here? Why would He design us so differently?
No mistakes here. God is faultless. Instead this design beautifully shows the blending of these two needs…
For women, often emotional connection drives our desire for sex, while for our men, sexual connection drives their desire for emotional intimacy.
This can create a wonderful balance in our marriages. Or it can cause a lot of conflict and heartache.
© 2012, Danielle Peters. All rights reserved. Love it? Print, email, pin, tweet or share but please don’t use my work without permission. {Copyright Fancy Little Things. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this article or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.}
About Danielle Peters
Wow! I think you we’re speaking right to me. I’ve been reading the 72 hour challenge, but I not put it into practice. My husband and I get along fine, but I have been feeling really disconnected lately. It seems like once we are done with the kids we have nothing left for each other. Your post today reinforced what I already know, but maybe needed to hear.
Thank you for this series. I found it by “accident” and I’m so glad I did.
I had hip surgery 6 months ago and I have been using that as an excuse. Some days my hip does hurt too much to engage in sex with my husband but other days I don’t have interest so I blame my hip. Last week, after reading the challenge, I suggested to my husband that we have sex. He was over the moon with excitement. We have only been married for 3 years and I feel guilty for not meeting my husband where he is physically. I am really trying to selflessly love him this 4th year of marriage so I can turn our relationship around. Please pray for me to love my husband with a selfless love.
Thank you for posting this information, It is very helpful. However I do struggle with initiating sex with my husband, I fear that he will reject me and push me away. Do you have any advise on this issue?
What a great post, as always! I can’t wait to be able to reconnect with my husband in this way. With a difficult 2nd pregnancy, it’s been 3 months and we still have 3 more to go until we can be together again. By God’s grace though, our relationship is growing stronger and we are leaning on each other almost more than ever. Thanks for sharing your heart on this! It’s so important for a great marriage!!
Candace recently posted..Vintage Dessert Station
I just found this blog about a week ago and love the idea of the 72 hour club. Sex or the lack there of has been one of the biggest struggles in my marriage. As I get older, I understand the importance and am doing all I can to make this a more natural and exciting part of our relationship. I’ve only just begun, but wish me luck!
Nikki recently posted..Thankful Day 4
I just found your blog, what a blessing it’s going to be in my life! Thank you!
Emily H recently posted..Holiday Traditions Celebration!
Sex is such an important aspect of marriage and can often be overlooked for a variety of reasons. Your series of articles is a wonderful tool to get the conversation started or the idea planted in your mind. This happened for me probably 10 or more years ago when I first read the book “For Women Only” by Shaunti Feldhan. She explains why sex and intimacy is so important in marriage and how it is a wife’s gift to her husband. Ever since reading that book I choose a different book each summer on the topic of sex/intimacy/marriage to read. This helps keep my focus where it needs to be and it puts a priority on our relationship. I never disliked sex, BUT I LOVE it now and initiate it more than my husband does these days. I once read (sorry, don’t remember where) that if a wife doesn’t meet a husband’s cleaning needs they can hire a maid, if she’s not the best cook he can go to McDonald’s, so if she doesn’t meet his sexual needs where might he go for those? It is my God-given responsibility to do this for my husband. I do it with a joyful heart and it makes a HUGE difference in our marriage. Other books we loved are “Sheet Music” by Kevin Leman and “Red Hot Monogamy” by Bill and Pam Farrel . Life changing… did you know your body releases hormones while engaging in sex that help releve a headache?? So when I have a headache I actually request sex so it will help it go away!
Sarah recently posted..Merry Christmas to you all!
Hey!
I love this blog so far and especially how everything is faith based! I may start coming here as my daily bible study! I am LOVING it. I also really love this concept. However, I was wondering what the 72 Hour Club stood for. Does that mean only go 72 hours between sex? Thank you!
Hi Heather! So glad you landed here and we do hope you’ll come back daily! We post on all sorts of topic throughout the week, from faith to fashion. You can find out more about the 72 Hour Club and what it means on my original post here..http://www.fancylittlethings.com/2012/10/the-72-hour-club-could-a-good-sex-life-change-your-marriage/.
Hi Heather,
I just found your website via Pinterest. I am no longer a Christian, but I found your list of how to make your partner your best friend wonderful. I would also like to comment about your Thriving Sex Life artical. Having a good sex life is not just about having sex when ever your husband wants you to. It is about getting over your shyness and talking to him about your sex life. Make a commitment to keep an open dialogue about your desires and be open to suggesting new things. Your sex life should be like your actual life in that you continue to grow and discover. If like me, you tend to be shy and a little submissive in bed this can be a challenge, but I believe it is essential to a healthy relationship.