This should bless those who are yet to get married and those who already are.
by Reverend Ronald McFadden

If you're not married yet, share this with a friend. If you are married,
share it with your spouse or other married couples . . . and reflect on it.
An African proverb states, "Before you get married, keep both eyes open, and
after you marry, close one eye."

Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let lust,
desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low-self
esteem make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes open, and don't fool
yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as faults aren't
really that important.

Once you decide to commit to someone, over time their flaws,
vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and differences will become more obvious.

If you love your mate and want the relationship to grow and evolve, you've
got to learn how to close one eye and not let every little thing bother you.

You and your mate have many different expectations, emotional needs, values,
dreams, weaknesses, and strengths. You are two unique individual children of
God who have decided to share a life together. Neither of you is perfect,
but are you perfect for each other?

Do you bring out the best in each other?
Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or do you compete,
compare, and control?
What do you bring to the relationship? Do you bring past relationships, past
hurt, past mistrust, past pain?

You can't take someone to the altar to alter him or her. You can't make
someone love you or make someone stay. If you develop self-esteem, spiritual
discernment, and "a life," you won't find yourself making someone else
responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain.

Manipulation, control, jealousy, neediness, and selfishness are not the
ingredients of a thriving, healthy, loving and lasting relationship.

Seeking status, sex, wealth and security are the wrong reasons to be in a
relationship.

What keeps a relationship strong? Communication, intimacy, trust, a sense
of humor, sharing household tasks, some getaway time without business or
children and daily exchanges (a meal, shared activity, a hug, a call, a
touch, a note). Leave a nice message on their voicemail or send a nice
email. Sharing common goals and interests. Growth is important. Grow
together, not away from each other, giving each other space to grow without
feeling insecure. Allow your mate to have outside interest.

You can't always be together. Give each other a sense of belonging and
assurances of commitment. Don't try to control one another. Learn each
other's family situation. Respect his or her parents regardless.

Don't put pressure on each other for material goods. Remember, for Richer
or for Poorer. If these qualities are missing, the relationship will erode
as resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty, and pain replace the
passion.

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher
than you think." The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God
stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: Always to try to be a little
kinder than is necessary.

"The difference between 'United' and 'Untied' is where you put the "I".


Bless you all

This is good and it's also so true, I actually printed it out so I can read it over and over again.     

Thanks curious. 

cheers gal

God-bless you

me love 'em

nice 1

I will keep those in ma head

God bless you dear.

those are words of encouragement to a soul in need. Came at the right time.

Thanks

You are all welcome and i am happy that men are identifying with it too. It will be OK, David!

i love this and it is soo strong, every1 take note

yeah hey how do you make a topic?

i love it,

thanks

quite intresting! even though some people aint ready to pratice and they see it as policy statement u know. just like "I know i can, be what i want to be, if i try hard at it, i ll be where i wanna be" and these same people, afta 1st and 2nd attempt they give up.

Praticing what we preach is one thing and believing it is another thing!

i just took a word out of this today "desperation" and it has really ministered to me. thanks girl i needed that, cause i've been planning to deal with someone ever since i woke up this morning. lol. thanks again.

baby4U2, say more. What's the story?

nice story

this is nice one, keep it up, i am copy and saving it into my mail box now.

some thoughts. NIZE!

I just want to say that i was so moved and compelled by this beautiful passage. This passage has so many things that i wish i would have done and looked out for in life. This passage really helps us as human being put things into perspective. It's funny how the things that we think are the really big things that matter, They really don't. I wish that everyone in the world could read this and that it could stick. Godbless you curiousnja!

Thank you, ladies!

Bless u sister.i really needed that cos am about tightening the nuts.bless u again.

@harvey
Happy married life in advance



@curiousnja
these are beautiful and encouraging words

wow!! what an eye opener!

thanks sister

this is really a great one thanks for the post

A beautifully composed words of encouragement. Makes a whole lot of sense.

What a wonderful write - up. May God bless u. I was really touched and saw reason's to so many things said

Hello Curious babe
Your note has really ministered to me in many ways in fa

Chay:

Beautiful advice. Thank you.

ct i sent it to my fiance also 10ks realy appreciate.

Big Kudos 4 u

This is so real an highly appreciated.

Even if you wont practice it, one thing is for sure; when you become a nagative victim of a relationship, these lines will come back to you; believe me, you will wish you'd listened.

This is nice.

Thanks for posting it here.

I like this

keep it up

THANKS A LOT FOR THE POST,
AM ACTUALLY GOING TO PRINT IT OUT

This has just touched a life[font=Lucida Sans Unicode][/font]

nice one, thanks