As wives take steps along their healing journey and their husbands complete the various stages of their purity journey, it is important to consider beginning again in a new and healthy way. Obviously, husbands and wives will want to avoid going back to their previous way of relating to each other. Because . . . “If we always do what we have always done, we’ll always get what we always got.” It is true. Count on it. You cannot go back to the way things were before the crisis in your marriage and expect everything to be OK. God will provide you with another opportunity to learn the lesson you missed the previous time. Don’t waste the pain you have just come through. Trust the Lord to help you move forward in a new marriage relationship.

Here are some things to consider as you begin again.
1. Your marriage is more about God than it is about either you or your spouse. God is most glorified by healthy and pure marriages.
2. The husband and wife relationship is a picture of Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:22--33) As Christ is head of the church, so a husband is to be the head of his family. He is to be a servant leader and his model is Christ.
3. A healthy marriage is a good testimony to others including, and especially, our children.
4. Consistently treating each other with love and respect is of supreme importance. Love must include both grace and accountability. Both love and respect need to be unconditional.
5. Establishing boundaries will protect your values and the integrity of your marriage.
6. Practicing repentance and forgiveness is the oxygen essential to the life of all relationships.
7. Rebuilding trust takes time—up to two years according to Dr. Gary and Barbara Rosberg.
8. Open communication requires speaking and active listening.
9. Problem solving together can be fun.
10. Setting goals and planning to grow old together keeps your marriage moving forward and is also fun!

A new Session One Women of Truth group begins in March. There will be an information meeting on March 6th at 9:00 A.M.—11:00 at Reign Ministries, 5401 W. Broadway, Crystal, MN. Please call Elsie at 612-210-0777 if you would like to register for this group.