CONTENTS

• JUST VISITING
• FEATURE ARTICLE:
  WHAT MAKES A MARRIAGE LAST?

  by Norman Bales

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  Just Visiting

  I love lists. They save lot time and I'm amazed at the way the right word in a list can send my mind on an expedition of discovery. I was intrigued by the column referenced in our feature article. On the outside chance that your mind might work the way mine does, I've decided to offer you a starting point to a longer journey toward marriage enrichment.

  Norman

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  WHAT MAKES A MARRIAGE LAST?

  
  by Norman Bales

  Mary Hance is a columnist for the Nashville Tennessean. Recently she asked her readers to contribute words of wisdom for a long and joyful marriage. She published a sampling of the responses in her column.

  As I read through these random comments, I realized many of the principles that insure successful marriage can be stated in simple one word summaries. I came up with this list.

  • Conversation.

  • Humor.

  • Respect.

  • Time.

  • Patience.

  • Reinforcement.

  • Consideration.

  • Prayer.

  • Tolerance.

  • Faith.

  • Touching.

  Come to think of it, all that is pretty much summed up in a statement from Jesus that we've come to call "The Golden Rule." "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). The more I think about, the more I believe that most successfully married couples work at keeping these things alive in their marriages.

  * * * * * If you have questions about marriage and family relationships, you can " ASK THE COUNSELOR" Address your questions to Mikal Frazier. Her address is mikalmft@bellsouth.net

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  Central Church of Christ
  1500 First Avenue NW
  Cedar Rapids, IA 52405
  (319) 362-1540

  E-mail:
  Norman Bales: Norman's e-mail address: nlbales@allaboutfamilies.org
  Ann Bales: ann@allaboutfamilies.org
  Mikal Frazier: mikal@allaboutfamilies.org
  "Jim Bales"jbales@prcoc.org
  Web:allaboutfamilies.org
  allaboutfamilies.org/sh
  

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