The Only Thing They Got To Take With Them

I caught the last few minutes of a radio show once about marriage. They were stressing the importance of marriage since the beginning of the earth. When they stated that "the only thing Adam and Eve got to take with them from the garden was their marriage", that really clicked with me. They only took each other when they left. God validated marriage when that happened. I'd like to mention your marriage is one of the few things you get to take with you when you leave this earth life, also.

 

image from lds.org

When I was little I went to the church to pick up my older sisters from their weekly youth activity. They had the church set up like eternity. One room was the "pre-existence" where they taught the youth the purpose of the activity was to avoid all the distractions in the church and stick to the path that gets them back to heaven with Heavenly Father. If they made it there was a "Heavenly Room" with a beautiful white haired couple dressed in white telling them what a good job they had done. As far as I know there wasn't any "marriage" in this scenario. However, they had done a great job with the distractions. I peeked in the gym and found some of the youth playing basketball and some man pretending to be Satan, trying to help them keep playing basketball long enough to miss the "Heavenly Room" talk.
I was always wistful that I didn't get to do this activity when I got older, but that's how it goes sometimes. What I appreciated was how clear it made the purpose and brevity of life for me. We come to earth, we get bodies, we are tested, we are put in families/marriages, and we die and go back to heaven. What do we get to take with us at the end? Just our bodies(after Resurrection) and our families. I don't think people's marriages would end so easily, if they just understood all of this. The things they give up their marriage for, are empty hooks. Or should I say empty hoops: like the youth playing basketball in the gym when they should have been in "heaven". Anyway, they give up their marriages for a million different reasons, but none of those reasons matter anymore after they die. If they could just see that their marriage is one of a very few of their most valuable possessions (considering it's eternal nature), then they'd nurture it much longer instead of trading it in for something else.

Falling out of Love

"Love is an unconditional commitment, not a fickle feeling.

Couples who talk about “falling out of love” don’t really have a grasp of what love actually means. Love, by its very nature, isn’t a fairy tale feeling, but a commitment. Love isn’t a story with a happy ending; love is a story with no ending." written by Dave Willis from

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:7

Blogger Dave Willis from stronger marriages
wrote about 8 teachings from the Bible that can help our marriages.
Love is an unconditional commitment, not a fickle feeling is #3 on his list of Bible teachings.

Marriage equals commitment. Stick with it, make it permanent. I've heard before that unhappy couples who stay together report much higher levels of happiness and contentment in their marriage 5 years later. I've also sensed that those who divorce and remarry often realize that no marriage is perfect and if they want to stay married the second time they're going to have to work for it. Sometimes I sense a twinge of regret from those in their second marriage- that maybe it actually could have worked out the first time. Anyway, I've always been hopelessly romantic. I want everybody to get married and stay happily married. So, the words above fit my dreams for life. "Love is an unconditional commitment, not a fickle feeling."
 

Having Divorced Parents Makes Kids More Likely to Be Sick

I've heard that when parents are stressed the children are more likely to get sick. That holds true around our house. I've never heard that when parents are divorced children are more likely to get sick. It seems like the same principal though. According to an article on Ars Technica children of divorced parents are 3 times more likely to catch the common cold, then children of parents who aren't divorced. Who wants their kids to be sick more often?
If you're already divorced don't start feeling guilty. There's something you can do for the health of your children. The article, which is linked below, shares two things you can do to lessen the health risks for your child.
One, communicate with your former spouse about needs for the child.
Two, have an amicable divorce. Don't play mean against each other. That's stressful for everyone.

Ars Technica Article on Marriage