In marriage relationships, it is much too easy to pile up garbage of hard feelings over petty things that cause stress, resentment and broken bridges. Under the pressure, we are tempted to spew out words that wound, accusations or ghosts of past mistakes.

A couple of weeks ago I was determined to pull a box out of the attic and go through it. I blew the dust off the box, opened it up and there was a diary that I had when I was 12 years old, a sweater pin and necklace from my 11th birthday, a silk handkerchief my brother Glen gave me from Paris in1960, and many other treasured items. Amidst everything, I found bundles of letters that Larry wrote to me before we were married.
Marriage is tough! Beyond just the day-to-day struggles we have, sometimes we find ourselves in serious times of need. Whether big or small, God is able to meet all of our needs. These Scripture promises offer comfort and assurance that you and your mate can refer to and use to strengthen and encourage each other.
October 16, 1965 was an especially beautiful fall day. It was also our wedding day. Was I nervous? When I think back to that day, I am sure I was more nervous than I let on. Next to getting saved, picking a wife was the next biggest decision in my life and it was nervewracking.
How do you as a couple, handle the area of finances? God's plan is for us to marry a person who shares a faith in God. This gives us common ground when things get tough. This wisdom helps us as married couples not play the my way or the highway game, but together base our values, trust and our decisions on a third party - God.
Gloria and I have been married for over 44 years now. I thought I loved her when I married her, but nothing compares to how much I love her now. You may say, "Well maybe you haven't gone through the struggles and problems that we have!"
Years ago, the Lord began to show me where anger and bitterness had taken a deadly toll on my spiritual life. What I thought was discomfort was really anger. I found out that anger will destroy you from the inside out. Anger and bitterness are companions-you can't be angry without being bitter and you can't be bitter without being angry. Many couples experience anger in their marriage and, if left undelt with, it can "eat away" at them like an acid.
If these problems exist in your family, pray and ask God to forgive you. Then go back to your relatives and ask them to forgive you. Bitterness, resentment and stubbornness never "win" an argument. Loving, giving and forgiving allow God to mend the rips and tears in the family establishment.
Almost everyone I counsel asks, "Why should I forgive that person? He wronged me." Or, "I want to forgive, but I can't." Everyone is faced with this same feeling: "Should I or shouldn't I?" The human part of us screams, "He hurt me! He made fun of me! He wronged me! Boy, I'll get even with him." But God never allows His children the painful luxury of getting even.
What are my priorities? To be honest, I think this was the most difficult question that I've ever had to answer as a wife and mother. I was constantly confused. I just didn't know what mattered most! So many things seemed so important. I knew that God came into my heart when I was eight years old. I knew that God called me to be a minister's or evangelist's wife. I knew that I wanted to serve God. I knew that I wanted to get married someday. I knew that I wanted to have a family and be a good wife and mother. How could I combine all these wishes and still come out shining like a star?
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