I have been reading this book the past week and wanted to share some quotes from chapter 1 called, "And Then There Were Three". I am sure you have heard some of these quotes before but they are good reminders, especially when it comes to marriage.
*The presence of children distracts them from their original objective - to care for each other. Caring for the children suddenly becomes their highest priority. With less time and engery to care for each other, their love gradually fades, and the once starry-eyed couple forgets why they were ever married.
*Make caring for each other your top priority. The best way to do this is by spending time together - away from your children.
*Children do need very special love and care, and responsible parents must give them the time and attention they need. But children desperately need something else too - parents who love each other.
*If you want to be a good parent, you must care for each other first. Your children's future depends on it.
*How can you stay in love even while raising a busy family? The answer is remarkably simple. In most cases, it doesn't require entirely new skills. All it takes is going back to what created your love in the first place - caring for each other just like you did while dating.
*Unfortunately, most parents don't make time to care for each other. When children arrive, careers and domestic responsibilities shift into high gear. Parents come home from a challenging day at work to find household responsibilities and children who need their attention. By the time they get to bed, they are so tired that they dread the thought of more responsibilities - those of caring for each other.
*When you stop giving each other the care you need, you start losing your love for each other.
*Kids can't set priorities for their parents. And they can't stop their parents from neglecting each other after they're born. So it's up to you to keep your priorities straight.
*It takes time to be in love. Most married couples never realize this crucial fact. They think chemistry will keep them together.
*It does take time and it takes privacy. You can't do it with children running around your feet. You'll need to carve out time from your busy schedule for just the two of you - time for intimate conversations, heartfelt affection, passionate lovemaking, and pure relaxation.
*Your marriage may never be the subject of a big screen movie. But to your children, it's the most important love story they know.
I challenge you to carve out some time for you and your spouse this week...
