Who wouldn’t embrace a marriage filled with caresses, passion and everlasting love? Many singles dream of a perfect marriage “made in heaven”, but this idyllic view of marriage is just that — a dream.  According to research, lust for romance will last an average of two years.  Once the honeymoon period is over, all couples have to face the reality of living together day by day.

Love involves making wise decisions, and requires lots of hard work and discipline.  This is especially true after the marriage.  Being sensitive and considerate to each other is just the starting point.  Couples need to work hard to make each other feel treasured.

Gary Chapman, a well-respected marriage counselor, often refers to five basic types of “love language”. The love languages refer to how people express love and how they receive love from their spouse.  Some couples have trouble communicating because they express their love differently.    It’s like they are speaking two different languages.  Gary Chapman describes the five  love languages as:

1. Words of Assurance – speaking plenty of encouragements, kind and humble words to your spouse.
2. Quality Time – focusing your attention on your spouse
3. Giving Gifts – giving of yourself or giving little gifts and surprises
4. Courteous Service – doing things for the other to express your love
5. Physical Contacts –  making physical contact

A Chinese proverb puts it this way:  “It’s simple to meet but difficult to mix.”  No two people are born alike, and people coming from different backgrounds will have different views and perspectives.  Unless both spouses are welling to listen and learn from each other, communication, or the lack of it, will continue to be a barrier.

Certainly, any couple living together will have some frictions and conflicts through the years.  How do you build healthy communication in a marriage?  How do you bring back the excitement of the honeymoon period?  This is homework couples cannot afford to ignore.  You can build into your marriage by keeping a few things in mind:

1. Put love into action. The feeling of being loved is one of the fundamental needs people have. That means not only you have to love your spouse, but also make your love known.  You can’t just talk about love, but rather put love into action.  Expressing your love doesn’t need anything fancy, it just needs to be practical.
2. Practice forgiving others. Don’t hold and accumulate your anger, because it will be like a timed bomb ready to explode at anytime.  Anger can easily lead to confrontations and the repercussions can be monumental.
3. Avoid self-centered thinking. Problems often arise when one spouse is always asking the other to change.  The finger pointing continues and the arguments would never stop.  Don’t expected your husband or wife to change for the better.   Look into the mirror and change yourself.
4. Admit it when you’re wrong. We rarely admit it when we have problems because we think the problems are always on the other side.  In reality, it takes two to fight, and it takes two to breakup a relationship.  A relationship can be saved if both partners are willing to say “I’m sorry.”

Love faces the greatest challenges after you exchange wedding vows.  From that day on, you should always think for your spouse in whatever you do.  Learn to express your love in a language your spouse understands and you can make your love stronger than ever.

Yes, you can enjoy a happy relationship

Joy and satisfaction don’t come from hard work or good deeds.  You can have all the power and money in world but still feeling sad and empty.  True love and security come from building a good relationship with God.  He not only loved me unconditionally, but also made me a stronger person from within.  What about yourself?  Do you need a boost of self-esteem?  Are you searching for that true love?  Well, look no further.  Because by having a sound relationship with Jesus Christ, you’ll experience the love you’ve craved for all your life.

I know with my whole being that God loves me more than anyone else ever could– that He will never take His love away from me or disappoint me, that He will never die on me or go away. Jesus already died for me so that we could be reunited. He rose from the dead, He’s alive and His love for me is greater than anything I can imagine! I didn’t know I could love anyone so much!

Are you searching for your soul mate – for perfect love? Do you wonder if you will ever find fulfillment? You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Saviour and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of woman you want me to be.

If this prayer expresses the desire of your heart, pray it right now and Christ will come into your life as He promised. If you invited Jesus Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.