Sarah-and-Tom/kiss One of the most comprehensive sites on Christian marriage and sexuality is The Marriage Bed. It is a ministry run by Paul and Lori Byerly. They do an excellent job at helping people think Biblically about stewardship and intimacy.

In addition to the parent website, there are related sites with helpful message boards and email tips for keeping the spark alive and better communicating with each other : The Generous Husband and the Generous Wife.

Currently, the theme for the Generous Wife emails is “Tips for Newlyweds.” Readers can share their tips to be added to the email reminders.

Here is the tip I submitted:

It’s easy for newlyweds to stay up late and procrastinate going to bed. One culprit is often after-work home improvement work (since you’re now sharing a home) that goes on till the wee hours of the morning. For younger couples, especially, staying up late is part of the new-found freedom of living on your own and being an adult. Try to break the “burning the candle at both ends” rut. Practice being in bed by a reasonable time. You’ll have more energy and stamina for lovemaking and you’ll be more rested throughout the day – rather than having to avoid sex because you went to bed to late and someone has to get up for work in the morning. Too much of this creates a negative image of sex – that it’s exhausting and makes one lose focus the next day. This doesn’t have to be true!! When you’re rested, throughout the day you communicate better, are more responsive to each other, (expressing love in a non-sexual way) and can even have the energy to plan and anticipate sex that evening.