“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” —Matthew 6:31-34

Week 1:

Love is an intentional

for the good of another, to

Reveal Answer

and work for everyone’s best.

The first act of love is giving

.

Week 2:

More than wealth, health, or fame,

keep us healthier and happier.

Week 3:

Strong relationships take a lot of

.

“The love you want in your life…it’s not going to make itself happen.” —Arthur Brooks

This Week:

God is

. (Matthew 6:33)

It is a huge mistake to put your spouse first.

It takes the love and power of God to forgive, serve, and

others well, including our family. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Your primary

relationship is second. Invest in and protect what you value most.

“To put your marriage on hold for 18 years – or even one year – while you raise children is not only detrimental to your marriage, but it is also devastating to your children. When the parental team breaks down, children become the biggest losers.” —Dr. Gary and Barb Rosberg

You can be happy with or without a

, but you can’t be happy without

Reveal Answer

. (Genesis 2:18)

You were

to be in relationship.

All around us are people who

invisible, unseen, misunderstood.

“What we hunger for perhaps more than anything else is to be known in our full humanness, and yet that is often just what we also fear more than anything else.” —Frederick Buechner, Telling Secrets

Families that can’t tell the

, can’t be

Reveal Answer

.

Strong relationships take a lot of “idiot

,” or what psychologists call unconditional positive regard.

No relationship survives without

, which is not forgetting, condoning, or reconciling.

“We only survive and thrive when we are in relationships of caring, nurture, and love… We are intended to care for each other, to feed and clothe and tenderly hold one another, to live as if our very lives depend on our relationships. And they do.” —Dr. Elaine Robinson

To get what you’ve never had, you must do what you’ve never

.

Important Questions

Before getting engaged, ask, Are our expectations

in regard to: sports teams, politics, resolving conflict, finances, debt, roles and responsibilities, children, parenting, religious commitments, career plans, extended family, where to live, and sex?

When is

night?

What does a renewing

getaway look like without children? When is it?

How many minutes a day do we spend alone together

beyond logistics?

Do I share the

of our relationship with others?

How many hours a week do I spend intentionally

my relationship?

When is the last time we

together?

Do I expect a nuclear family to do what only

family can accomplish?

Do I expect my partner to be a passionate lover, good parent, caring spouse, to relieve my anxiety, provide significant financial resources, provide purpose or direction, and soothe my

?

If you keep doing what you are doing right now, what will

be like in 10 years?

Action Steps

Discipline yourself to

well and to refuse to have the

Reveal Answer

word.

When someone says you are

, say, “Tell me more.”

“My additional notes:

”.