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Having a little trouble communicating? Try one of these conversation starters:

"Couple Time"

What is something you thoroughly enjoyed doing as a child and have not done in years?

Describe the location and three features of your dream home?

From "Love Talks for Couples" by Gary Chapman and Ramon Presson

“Do this and live,” was the promise.  “Don’t do this and die,” is the implication.  The outcome was death because no one – not Moses, not Aaron, not David, nor the prophets – could do it just right.  This was the covenant under which the Israelites lived.  Because God found fault with the people (Hebrews 8:8), and he didn’t want them to be dead to him, he promised that there would be a new covenant.  This covenant, he promised, would not be like the old one.  This covenant was grounded in forgiveness.  God said that he would write his law on hearts, he would restore relationship with his people, there would be a greater knowledge of God all because God would forgive sin.  This is the covenant in which we live!

This is also the covenant to which Paul compares the marriage relationship.  “’For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’  This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church” (Eph 5:31-32).

Just as our covenant with God is grounded in forgiveness, our marriage covenant is to be grounded in forgiveness.

Does your husband live in a world of “do it right, or else”?  Can your wife expect that if she makes a mistake you will be the first to offer forgiveness?  A covenant in which there is “amazing grace” is the kind of covenant that God knew he could establish that would be the covenant to end all covenants.  He can finish out the world with a covenant that offers love by cancelling debt.  He found fault with the people, so he made a relationship in which forgiveness is key.  There is no doubt you will find fault with your spouse.  The question is, “Will you forgive like you’ve been forgiven?”