As men, we get wrapped up in so many different things and we forget that we have to show our wives and girlfriends that we cherish them. Our schedules are overly packed with work, duties at the church, family, and other day to day responsibilities to the point that we take for granted the woman in our lives. Many times, our quality time with her is either going to church on Sundays with her or watching television together before going to bed each night.

Relationships require time alone where the two of us bond. This is non-negotiable. Many women will tell you that one of the struggles of their marriage is that their husband no longer treats them the way he did when they were dating. It isn’t that we love them any less or that we were only doing that to get them to marry us, we have just lost focus on what “quality time� truly is.

Crystal has the same battle with me. I work at two hotels, I am a youth pastor, and I am constantly trying to line up interviews for the magazine or work on the books I hope to get published. Much of our time together is with my youth group or with her family, when I have time to go somewhere with them. The other night she simply asked me, “Can we go on a date?� That simply question made me realize that I had neglected something that she needed, and if we are all honest, we are all guilty. My brother-in-law, Bobby, frequently takes my sister out on dates although they are married and each time, she talks about it for days before they go.

As we have flipped the page on the calendar, the first thing we need to do is to take time to “date� our significant others again. Here are some ideas for the perfect date night for you and your lady.

1 â€" Take her shopping before it â€" Most men hate to go shopping especially with a woman because what takes us 5 minutes, takes them 4 hours. If your date is on a Saturday, take her shopping that morning to buy her a new outfit to wear that night. If the date is on a Friday, take her shopping one night during the week after work. This one action, dreaded as it may be, will show her that you are serious about the upcoming date night and serious about showing her that you care.

2 â€" Start the night with flowers â€" Women expect them at Valentine’s Day, for a birthday, and when we have colossally blown it, but shock her on your date night by giving her flowers. Have them delivered to her work on the day of the “big dateâ€? or if it is a Saturday, get them during the day and have them hidden in the car. Once she is finished getting ready, present her with the bouquet and get the night started off right.

3 â€" Her Favorite Restaurant â€" Take her to her favorite restaurant, even if it is one that you may not like. This night is about her and not about you. You can also choose to take her to a romantic restaurant where you eat by candlelight. Either one you choose, she will feel loved and special, something we overlooked most of the last year.

4 â€" Take her to a movie â€" Try to find a movie that has her favorite actor or actress starring in the movie. If not, take her to one that she would like, even if it isn’t something that you would want to see. A classic date of dinner and a movie will give her the feelings of the “first dateâ€? and remind you both of a young love that both of you couldn’t get enough of.

5 â€" Grab a cup of coffee â€" before going home for the evening, stop by a coffee shop and get a cup of coffee to spend a little more time together alone. Talk about the movie that you went to see and about dinner. Ask her about her work and how things are overall with her. Showing a woman that you care is what gets you into her heart, which is where we all want to stay. Enjoy her company for the evening, remembering that there was a time you hoped and prayed for just a second date.

You have never been together too long to date, because it was the dating that got the whole relationship started. Whether you have been dating for a month or if you have been married fifteen years, a “date� means a lot to a woman. Showing your wife or girlfriend that you care is essential in the overall health of a family. As men, we neglect that aspect many times, blaming this failure on our work and our schedule. Rather than making excuses this year, let’s make plans to make our women feel like the queen of our lives. It is then that we will truly enjoy our relationships because both parties will feel loved and appreciated.

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