Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with Danny Mac . I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great five-minute start to your day . So grab your cup of coffee , sit back , relax and let me help you start your day right . Good morning everybody , welcome .
It's really good to have you here today and this week I want to do something just a little bit different . My wife and I have been married now for just over 45 years , and over that time I have learned many things about myself , about my wife , about the relationship and , while those things were not always good things , especially about myself .
I want to take the next three days and talk about some of the good things that I learned and some of the principles that can help a marriage be strong , no matter how many years you've been married . This is not going to be heavy stuff , because this is not a marriage seminar . It's just some things that I want to pass on to you .
So between today and tomorrow , I will share with you six keys to a long and happy marriage , and then on Thursday , we'll talk about the cornerstone that makes any marriage successful . I hope you join us for all three of these days .
So here are a few tips to help your marriage stay strong , to get through the battles and struggles of life and allow you to have a lot of fun with your spouse just being together . Number one is, change is inevitable , so embrace the change . You and your spouse may have a few more wrinkles than you had .
You may no longer be able to fit into your wedding clothes and guys , if you're anything like me , we've lost that gorgeous mane of hair that we had in high school . I keep telling everybody I'm not going bald , I'm just parting my hair very wide down the middle . So we have a choice about dealing with the changes .
We can be upset and lament them and feel sorry about all the things that are gone , or we can embrace them and choose to enjoy our lives with the limitats we now have . . But the experiences that we've learned and the things that we've gained are not always wrong .
This is one of the reasons why in Galatians , chapter 5 , we are told to have patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness . Those things are not just for how we deal with other people , but as we get older they're even more important for ourselves , so that we don't become frustrated with the changes that have occurred in our lives .
Secondly , keep the romance alive . Date nights are not just for newlyweds , Whether it's a fancy dinner out or a cozy movie night at home in your pajamas or a cozy movie night at home in your pajamas . Make time for each other . Remember that you're not too old for romance , so surprise each other with little gestures .
Text them about how much you love their snoring symphony , or plan a spontaneous weekend getaway to your own house where there are no chores that need to be done during that weekend . One of the other things that Galatians , chapter 5 , tells us that we need to have in our lives is love .
Just because you've been married for a long time doesn't mean that the love has to die . Far from it . The love you have for your spouse can continue to grow , and it should grow . I can honestly say that I love my wife more now than ever before in my life . She means so much to me and I want to be with her .
I want to spend time with her , I want to have fun with her , and it's not just because the Bible tells me I have to love her , it's because I do love her . I enjoy being with her . I'm so glad that she's my partner in life and I don't want her to ever forget that . The third one for today is communication with kindness and humor .
Over the years , many of us guys have mastered the art of selective hearing , and if you've been married for a long time , there are definitely going to be some inside jokes that only you and your wife know about . Usually there are a lot of them . Take advantage of those jokes and learn to laugh and spend time together , because humor will also diffuse tension .
If you find yourself arguing over who left the cap off the toothpaste again , just shrug and say well , at least we're still fighting over important things , at least we're still fighting over important things . You see , laughter can act as a healing oil to most disagreements .
So there you have our three pieces of advice for today Embrace the change , keep the romance alive and communicate with kindness and humor . Take care , my friends , keep the faith and we will talk again tomorrow . Take care , my friends , keep the faith and we will talk again tomorrow .
Thank you for joining us today , and I invite you to join us every Monday to Friday , right here at Starting Right , with Danny Mac .