Marriage Investors,

Here is a little good news for a busy season: this coming Sunday, November 1, the clocks fall back, and every one of us gets an extra hour. No one earned it, no one has to schedule it, and no one can save it for later. It simply arrives as a gift.

Most of us will spend it sleeping, and honestly, that is a fine choice. But we would like to nudge you toward spending a portion of it on each other. Think of it as found money. You did not budget for it, so you can put it to work in the one account that pays back more than any other: your marriage.

This week we are skipping the teaching and handing you something to do. Pick one of the five ideas below, or mix and match. None of them costs much, and all of them fit inside an hour.

Five Ways to Spend Your Bonus Hour

1. The slow breakfast. Put your phones in another room and make the kind of breakfast you usually only make on vacation. Pancakes, eggs, a pot of good coffee. Set one rule: no talking about schedules, bills, or the to-do list until the plates are cleared.
2. The autumn walk and three questions. Bundle up and walk around the block, the park, or wherever the leaves are best. Along the way, ask each other: What was one good moment from this year so far? What is one thing you are looking forward to? How can I make your week a little lighter?
3. The blanket-and-candle devotional. Turn off the overhead lights, light a candle, and read a Psalm out loud to one another, taking turns by verse. Then each of you shares one thing you are thankful for about the other. Keep it simple and unhurried.
4. The two-song playlist. Each of you picks two songs that mean something to the two of you, whether from your dating days, your wedding, or a hard season God carried you through. Play them one at a time and tell the story behind each. Dancing in the living room is optional, but encouraged.
5. The memory-lane hour. Pull out an old photo album or scroll back through the pictures on your phone. Choose three that make you smile, and tell each other what you remember feeling in that moment. It is amazing how quickly laughter returns.

Why Small Hours Matter

We have found that marriages are rarely rebuilt in one grand weekend. They are built in ordinary hours that were handed to the right purpose. One slow breakfast will not transform a marriage, but a handful of them across a season begins to change the atmosphere of a home. That is how small deposits work. They look modest on the day you make them, and they quietly add up.

Scripture reminds us that time is not random. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (ESV). Autumn is a season of gathering in, slowing down, and giving thanks before the busyness of the holidays begins. This is a lovely moment to gather in the person God gave you.

Try This Tonight (or This Weekend)

Do not wait until Sunday to decide. Right now, before you do anything else, text your spouse one of the five ideas and say, “Want to do this with me?” That text is itself a small deposit. If your schedule is packed, shrink the idea. Twenty minutes with a candle and a Psalm still counts. If you have children at home, let them in on the fun with the breakfast or the playlist, or save the walk and the devotional for after bedtime.

And if your marriage is in a tender place right now, start with the easiest one. You do not need to feel close to take a walk together. Sometimes the walk is what helps you feel close again.

We would love to hear how it goes. Reply and tell us which idea you chose, and what you learned about each other in your extra hour.

Not sure where your marriage stands? Take our free Marriage Score for a quick, encouraging snapshot. You can also explore our books and resources in the shop, or learn how we can walk with you personally through coaching.

Keep investing,
Marcellus & Valerie