Laugh You Way to a Better Marriage

Here are a few more thoughts from this great book I am reading by Mark Gungor:

"You are going to lose in the marriage enterprise if you don't stop, drop, and roll over the fact that men and women are not equal. We may be equally valuable, but we differ in a litany of ways.  If we don't recognize and adjust to those differences, our marriages will not be what God intended them to be.

When we are able to talk openly about our differences, we will learn how to actually enjoy and celebrate them. If we can't be "naked" about how different we are from each other, we will never be able to experience intimacy in our marriages.  We'll just be playing roles.  Conflict may come when we first start discovering and discussing our differences, but conflict eventually gives way to appreciation and celebration.  When we don't give our spouse room to be himself or herself, conflict comes, too, but it comes to stay.  

Remember this law the next time you hit a rough patch when your expectations are not met:  Men and women are not created equal (the same).  Manage your expectations and endeavor to better understand each other.  Learning about each other, and accepting, celebrating, and negotiating differences are not natural practices for us.  But we must learn these skills if we want to have great marriages."