United vs. Untied

Greg

This is forwarded from my friend and i would like to share it with you all.  ;)


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If you're not married yet, share this with friends. If you are married,
share it with your spouse or other married couples and reflect on it.
An African proverb states, "Before you get married, keep both eyes open,
and after you marry, close one eye."

Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let
lust, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low
self-esteem, make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes open, and
don't fool yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as
faults aren't really important. Once you decide to commit to someone,
over time his or her flaws, vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and
differences will become more obvious.

If you love your mate and want the relationship to grow and evolve,
you've got to learn to close one eye and not let every little thing
bother you.
You and your mate have many different expectations, emotional needs,
values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths. You are two unique
individual children of God who have decided to share a life together. Neither of
you are perfect, but are you perfect for each other? Do you bring out
the best in each other?

Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or do you compete,
compare, and control? What do you bring to the relationship? Do you
bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain? You
can't take someone to the altar to alter him or her. You can't make
someone love you or make someone stay. If you develop self-esteem,
spiritual discernment,
and "a life", you won't find yourself making someone else responsible
for your happiness or responsible for your pain.

Manipulation, control, jealousy, neediness, and selfishness are not the
ingredients of a thriving, healthy, loving and lasting relationship!
Seeking status, sex, wealth, and security are the wrong reasons to be
in a relationship. What keeps a relationship strong? Communication,
intimacy, trust, a sense of humor, sharing household tasks, some getaway time
without business or children and daily exchanges (a meal, shared
activity, a hug, a call, a touch, a note).

Leave a nice message on the voicemail or send a nice e-mail. Sharing
common goals and interests. Growth is important. Grow together, not
away from each other, giving each other space to grow without feeling
insecure. Allow your mate to have outside interests. You can't always
be together. Give each other a sense of belonging and assurances of
commitment. Don't try to control one another. Learn each other's family
situation. Respect his or her parents regardless.

Don't put pressure on each other for material goods. Remember for
richer or for poorer. If these qualities are missing, the relationship will erode
as resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty, and pain replace
the passion.

The difference between 'United' and 'Untied' is where you put the I.

Greg

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!