Strengthen Your Marriage this Valentine's Day with a War Room Gift Basket #FCBlogger

** A huge thanks to Family Christian for sponsoring today's post. All thoughts are my own.

When we think of movies ideal for Valentine's Day, chances are a ton of movies come to mind. Romantic comedies, epic love stories... stories where two people meet and fall in love, presumably living happily ever after. The credits roll before we have the chance to see what happens next. We don't see the ups and downs that love and marriages can bring. We only see the the happy, not the reality. That's why I love movies that show a more realistic look at love and marriage... that show that marriage can be great and worth fighting for, but that it doesn't always come as easily as we see in the movies. Movies like War Room:

Filled with heart, humor, and wit, “War Room” follows Tony and Elizabeth, a couple who seemingly have it all---good jobs, a beautiful daughter, and their dream home. But their appearances are deceiving: Tony relishes in his professional success and flirts with temptation, while Elizabeth resigns herself to increasing bitterness. Their marriage is on the verge of crumbling until their lives take an unexpected turn. When Elizabeth meets Miss Clara, she challenges Elizabeth to create a battle plan of prayer for her family by establishing a “war room.” This new film from the Kendrick brothers is a vivid reminder that prayer is powerful weapon. 

If you haven't had the chance to watch this movie, I have to say it is a must watch. Honestly, I am not a person that has to own most movies. Aside from those for my kids, for the most part, I am perfectly content to rent a movie just once. War Room was one of the exceptions, a movie that I just had to own so that I could watch again and again. It has such a powerful message for all of us, but especially for married couples!

Let's be honest, marriage is not always going to be easy. Life throws obstacles in our way that test and challenge even the seemingly perfect relationships. If we want our marriages to survive those rough times, we need to fight using the most powerful weapon we have- the power of prayer!

This Valentine's Day, I wanted to take a look beyond those typical, cheesy romantic gifts like candy and flowers and instead take a look at some gifts that truly can take your marriage to another level. To do so, I went to my local Family Christian store to put together a gift basket centered around War Room. Take a look:

1. War Room DVD. No War Room gift basket would not be complete without the movie that started it all.
2. War Room Soundtrack. I love movie soundtracks- especially Christian films such as this! This CD is the perfect addition to to your War Room themed basket.

3. Burlap Basket. I love gifts that are as practical as they are beautiful, and this basket is just that! Not only is the message of the whole gift kept right down to the basket it's displayed in, but it's handy for storage too!
4. Prayer Wall Sign. There are many great home decor items inspired by War Room, but this happened to be my favorite. I love the idea of seeing this reminder every day to pray big!

5. Pray Big Tumbler. When creating gift baskets, I think it's important to have a good mix of fun and practical. This adorable cup is definitely one of the fun items in this basket!
6. War Room Books. Again there are many books that would be perfect for this gift basket. Personally, I chose perhaps the two most popular- The Battle Plan for Prayer and Fervent. These are both wonderful books that really can help us- both men and women- take our prayer lives to the next level.
7. Prayer Aids. Sometimes we need a little extra motivation and supports to keep our prayers on track. When I say prayer aids, this is just what I mean- products that help make prayer easier and keep us motivated. There are many options available, but for this basket I included a beautiful prayer journal, prayer cards, and perpetual calendar. Other options could include a prayer shawl, rosary beads, etc.

This gift basket may not be your typical Valentine's Day gift. There are no cheesy puns. There are no goofy singing animals. There are no roses or sweets. No fancy jewelry at all. But let's be honest, what usually happens to those gifts? Those cheesy seasonal gifts often end up boxed away if you're a keeper like myself- or they find their way to your yard sale/donate piles. Roses and candy? They don't last more than a few days. Fancy jewelry? Well, personally, mine sits in a jewelry box, only to be brought out for special occasions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with ANY of these gifts, but wouldn't you rather have a gift that has the power to change your marriage? If we take these gifts an the messages from War Room and apply them to our lives and our marriages, they will be better for it. Not just for a day or two but for a lifetime together.

So, this year I encourage you all to think outside the box of chocolates. Pray for your spouse. Pray with your spouse. Use your most powerful weapon and fight for your marriage through prayer.

You can find all these great products and many more to enrich your prayer life and your marriage at Family Christian. See it all and connect at the links below:

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Have you seen War Room? What lessons did you learn from the movie? How do you pray for your marriage and your spouse?