Today's post is one of the most powerful stories I've ever read about marriage (I didn't write it; I found it online). It's a bit long, but it's absolutely worth it. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. Whether you’re single or married, I promise you, it's worth the four minutes it'll take you to read it. Trust me...you'll thank me when you're done.
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The Foundation of Success in Every Marriage
I refuse to accept 50/50 in my marriage. No way. Not me. I know what the statistics say – that 50% of marriages end in divorce. And I know that the other 50% are mostly just sputtering along – keeping it together but not really finding the true intimacy and closeness that they each so desire. I know all of that. BUT I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT MY MARRIAGE WILL BE LESS THAN GREAT!
50/50 odds are not good enough for me. I want better for my wife, and for my kids, and most importantly, FOR MY SELF! I don’t want the same results as everybody else – and that is why I believe I must live differently than everybody else.
So with that said, I want to talk about what I believe is the most important factor upon which a successful marriage is built. There is one factor that I believe will contribute to your success in marriage more than anything else. This one commitment, if you keep it, won’t lead to a perfect marriage at all times – but it will certainly lead to one that is long-lasting and fulfilling for many years to come.
Read MoreEvery Wedding is a New Birth – CROWNS OF GLORY Part 2
Marriage isn’t something we shouldn’t undo.
It’s something we CAN’T undo.
Week 2 in our series CROWNS OF GLORY: Lessons from an Orthodox Wedding Ceremony. This week we saw that in addition to being a funeral, every wedding is also a NEW BIRTH – that is the beginning of a new person that didn’t exist beforehand.
That new person is not born out of an agreement between two people, but rather out of a mystical union of two people. And once that union is formed, WATCH OUT! Because what God has joined together, let NOT man separate.
Check out the video above to see how this lesson is given to us in the Orthodox wedding ceremony. Enjoy!
Talking with Your Children about Conflict in Your Marriage
Relationships go through ups and downs. No matter how strong your marriage, there will be moments of tension, disagreements, and hard times. During those rocky times, it’s important children understand they’re not responsible for the conflict between you and your spouse.
In many cases, these little disagreements can smooth over once tempers cool. However, in other situations, the damage to relationship may be difficult to repair. Help your children cope with these moments by making sure they understand what is happening is not their fault and both parents still love them.
Read MoreStay Pure - For Better or For Worse Part 4
Yesterday's message is such an important one for every single person to hear. It speaks about the plague of our era - sexual immorality - and the devastating effect it has on both single and married alike.
It's the 4th part of the series we're doing right now called FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE - 5 commitments to fail proof your marriage. Take a look at the message below and may God help you (and me) to keep this important commitment to Stay Pure.
Fight Fair - For Better or For Worse Part 2 (sermon video)
Here's part 2 in our latest sermon series called For Better or For Worse.
In it, we're talking about 5 commitments that we need to make to fail proof our marriage. This week's topic was FIGHTING FAIR. You can check out the sermon below. Enjoy!
Are You Satisfied with 50%?
50/50. How do you feel about those odds? If I offered you a sandwich and said you have a 50/50 chance of contracting cancer after eating it, would you take it? How about if I offered you a business opportunity and asked you to invest all your time and money into it and then I told you that the odds of you losing everything are 50%. Would you take it?
How about if I told you that there is a man-eating bear outside your house and your chances of getting eaten by him are 50% if you go outside, would you be up for a walk tonight after dinner?
50-50 isn’t good enough for me. And it shouldn’t be good enough for you. No one should be satisfied with 50-50 when it comes to any area of significance in life.
Read MoreFor Better or For Worse Part 1 (sermon video)
We kicked off a new series yesterday called FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE. In it, we're talking about 5 commitments that we need to make to fail proof our marriage. Above is Part 1 from the new series. Hope you enjoy!