When I was in college I had a job with a hardware wholesaler. My job was to pull pipe fittings all day long. So by the end of the summer, I knew every size of every fitting. When I began, though, I was clueless about pipes or hardware.

One of my first days on the job, I was looking at an order and it said I needed to pull a female pipe fitting at a certain size. And I thought: Female pipe fitting? What does THAT mean?

So I went over to one of my crusty

The glossy, coffee-table book was grandly titled The Greatest Weddings of All Time. It featured media stars like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, Ted Turner and Jane Fonda.

Sadly, most relationships like those didn't last very long -- which is probably why the book celebrates great weddings instead of great marriages. Many of these couples apparently had no idea what qualities to look for in a spouse, or how to keep a marriage together.

Nothing is more inspirational than the uniting of two unique and divergent personalities in a marital commitment that will last for a lifetime, with God's help.

Who can comprehend this mysterious bonding that enables a man and woman to withstand the many storms of life and remain best friends to the end of their

When our daughter was born, I was a part-time college student and my total income delivering appliances for my uncle was seven thousand dollars. The first home Karen and I bought was government-funded. Our house payment was based on our income. It was $109 a month, if you can believe it.

We were broke.

And we did a lot of things wrong when we first got married, but there was one thing

Communication is an art, a skill, a learned behavior. Just because you can speak doesn't mean you can communicate. There are many different ways we communicate. Words are powerful, but body language or even a kiss can communicate as well. It's essential that you learn to communicate.

I'll break this article into two parts. The first part will be for the wife and the second part will be for the husband.

Is it a surprise when couples who think "If marriage doesn't work, I'll bail out", end up in divorce?

Some of my friends got married with the mutual understanding that they could bail out if it didn't work. In nearly every one of those families, they are divorced today. From what you say, I guess that doesn't surprise you.

Not at all. Marriage succeeds only

Amos 3:3 asks a question that applies very clearly to married couples: "Can two walk together unless they are agreed?"

The answer, of course, is no. Marriage is an intimate journey. It's the most lasting relationship on earth. If you try to make this journey without agreement, you'll find it extremely difficult.

If you've been with your spouse for a couple of years now and are struggling for birthday gift ideas, you'll want to listen up. We've come up with a few suggestions that go beyond the typical gift. They will be so pleasantly surprised that they may even give you something in return!

Tell that special person you love, to go home to their family and friends, if you think they would enjoy that.

When is the last time they hopped a flight and went home to visit? If you really want to

Communication is so important in a healthy marriage. For a marriage to flourish, couples need to learn to communicate with each other.

A husband and wife are usually at one of three levels when it comes to communicating with each other.

The first level is pro-active

During a seminar, a woman asked a question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?"

I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?"

In all seriousness, how do you know?

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse.