If you’ve done any amount of cooking, you know that a pot kept on low to simmer can be brought to a boil very quickly. It’s continually cooking. The heat is being maintained. So when it comes time to get really hot, you don’t have to wait long.

Sex is the same way, especially for women. I’m sure you’ve heard the comparison, “Women are like crockpots. Men are like microwaves.” This is true. And if you turn on a crockpot, it’s going to take a while to get hot. Hours, actually. But what if the crockpot is always on? What if the contents are always simmering? You generally don’t have to wait very long for it to boil.

This is why flirting is SO important — an exhortation for husbands and wives alike. If you are always touching and whispering and suggesting and thinking about sex, it’s like maintaining the heat . . . keeping things simmering. So, when you have the opportunity for intimacy, you don’t have to wait long for things to really heat up. Sex doesn’t always have to be a whole afternoon affair (though that is nice sometimes). “Quickies” are okay, too (actually, they’re great!), but they’re only possible if the crockpot is always on.

To the Guys: Your wife already knows that you are always thinking about sex. Flirting is SO important so that she knows you’re thinking about sex with her, that you find her desirable, that you want to be with her.

To the Gals: If you think about sex only when it’s time to have sex, it will take you hours to warm up. But if you are flirting with your man, thinking about turning him on, you’ll become aroused, too — in advance. Keep the fires burning so you’re ready when he is — you know, always.