Best Kept Secrets For A Happy Marriage ~ Episode 515 Today, we will tackle the topic of the keys to a happy marriage. I know that each of us has our own ideas of what makes us happy, but when you put two people into one home, all bets are off. In this episode of Vintage Homeschool Moms, Felice Gerwitz shares some insights and mistakes couples make in the quest for happily ever after! Felice has been married since 1979 and has "some" insight into the topic. Thanks to our sponsor, A Fanthom Presents Film - The Ark and The Darkness - Movie Trailer here: NoahsFlood In theaters March 20-21! Noah’s Flood is preserved in ancient writings from every major culture around the world. Recent discoveries confirm what the Bible has said all along. Sevenfold Films and Genesis Apologetics present: The Ark and the Darkness. Here are some past episodes that deal with the topic of marriage and family. 45-Date Night Ideas here. Parenting Secrets Spiritually Strong Kids  So, what are the best-kept secrets to a happy marriage? I wish I knew! Just kidding. I've been married to my husband, Jeff, since 1979. We've had our share of ups and downs, surgeries, childbirths, and finances, and at times, our faith was severely tested.  We've struggled with homeschooling at times and focusing on the basics, let alone our faith and what was important in keeping our relationship alive. Sometimes, our marriage took a back seat, like the way in the back of a 15-passenger van. But we kept at it; we knew our marriage was for keeps, and there was no alternative but to make it work for us. I'm not talking about abusive relationships here. I am talking about a marriage that you want to make stronger. My husband and I work with engaged couples at our church. The program is called Pre-Cana in reference to the feast of Cana from the Bible. That was a wedding celebration where they ran out of wine. Basically, Pre-Cana is before the wedding. We are blessed to meet with engaged couples a series of times. We go through the course material, but the main thing we share is what we wish we had known going into marriage. There is a difference between knowing something and living it, right?   Happy Marriage Key #1 - Marriage is dying to self. Love, by its very nature, is self-giving. Marriage is a chance to die to self, to learn self-control, to avoid saying things we can't take back, and more. Marriage is loving until it hurts and praying daily. Marriage is under attack today, and the statistics of divorce are horrible, no matter what your faith. Pew Research on Marriage 2014 Dying to self is not easy; it means putting aside our wants and needs to serve others. This is only by the grace of God, not something we can do on our own. Some may feel your spouse isn't worth it; I get it. Then I think of Mother Teresa, who, by God's grace, picked up a dying man from the gutter and gave him a dignified death. Not life, but death. She didn't ask what he had done to get into the gutter. She served him, not because she knew him, but because she did it for God. Honor your husband or your wife; this is a commandment from God. Happy Marriage Key #2 - Marriage is not 50/50 People talk about marriage being 50-50, but that is a myth. Very rarely do a couple work in synch and together in all things. In my experience,