Marriage advice from “an old hand” (2)

Writer Jim Killam offers some more tips for a successful marriage: “(1) Praying together may be the most intimate thing you can do, even more than sex. Pray together before making big decisions and most small ones. Ultimately, the decision you make is less important than the fact you prayed about it together. (2) Hold your career with a light touch. It’s not who you are, it’s just what you do. (3) Moving every few years is a good way to take stock of how much unnecessary stuff you have. (4) Observe a no-TV week once in a while. It’ll be there when you get back…and there will still be [very little] worth watching. (5) Find regular times of quietness alone and together. (Guys, watching a ball game doesn’t count!) (6) Never attempt exploratory surgery on a broken dishwasher. You can call the repairman now or later. Save yourself years of humiliation. Call now! (7) Instead of entertaining yourselves, focus outward. Together, you can impact your community and your world. (8) Find a good church and get involved. Don’t be spectators; churches have enough of those. (9) ‘Honour your father and mother’ applies at all ages—and not just for their sakes. (10) Talk often about your hopes and dreams, and don’t laugh at hers. (11) Fight fair and clean. No yelling, escalating, or pouting. (12) Remember, ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain’ (1 Timothy 6:6). Approach each day with a thankful heart; it’s freeing to realize nobody owes you anything. (13) Your wife is an amazing gift from God; treat her that way. (14) No marriage is bulletproof. Guard it with your life.”