Well, officially, we haven’t been married for 25 years until December 5^th, but because we are leaving the country in a week we thought we’d renew our vows in front of our Aussie family.

We both cried in front of a crowd of 40 people, telling each other how much we cared and how grateful we are to God for how far we’ve come.

So, I thought I’d write something a little different this week and talk on commitment. It certainly hasn’t been an easy journey to get where we are, but one thing I’ve learnt is that without sticking in there, you won’t get great results.

Commitment is treated as a swear word in this day and age. It seems old fashioned, narrow and judgemental.

So, here’s a few pointers for keeping your relationship the best it can be:

1. Remember, he/she is your best friend.
2. Laugh lots.
3. Go out on a date night once a week. When you have kids, take them each out on a date every couple of weeks.
4. Find similarities, don’t focus on the differences.
5. Make it a win, win situation.
6. Forgive fast – don’t let it drag on and on.
7. It’s nothing like on television – Hollywood is a false world.
8. Remember that your spouse, or any other relationship won’t 100% fulfil you – that’s God’s job.
9. Make your spouse a priority.
10. Have fun – all work and no play is a bad idea.
11. Don’t try and change them to fit into your mould – the world would be boring if we were all the same.
12. Realise that you don’t have to like 100% of everything that your spouse does.
13. Keep your walk close with God, it’s the key to everything.