I remember, in the early days of my marriage, I thought I married the wrong person. We held to our own ideas of what the other should be and do, but neither of us lived up to those expectations. Gary Chapman More Quotes by Gary Chapman More Quotes From Gary Chapman Our most basic emotional need is not to fall in love but to be genuinely loved by another, to know a love that grows out of reason and choice, not instinct. I need to be loved by someone who chooses to love me, who sees in me something worth loving. Gary Chapman falling-in-loveemotionalchoices Respect begins with this attitude: "I acknowledge that you are a creature of extreme worth. God has endowed you with certain abilities and emotions. Therefore I respect you as a person. I will not desecrate your worth by making critical remarks about your intellect, your judgment or your logic. I will seek to understand you and grant you the freedom to think differently from the way I think and to experience emotions that I may not experience." Respect means that you give the other person the freedom to be an individual. Gary Chapman attitudemeanthinking Once you identify and learn to speak your spouse’s primary love language, I believe that you will have discovered the key to a long-lasting, loving marriage. Love need not evaporate after the wedding, but in order to keep it alive most of us will have to put forth effort to learn a secondary love language. We cannot rely on our native tongue if our spouse does not understand it. If we want them to feel the love we are trying to communicate, we must express it in his or her primary love language. Gary Chapman keysorderbelieve Marriages are always moving from one season to another. Sometimes we find ourselves in winter--discouraged, detached, and dissatisfied; other times we experience springtime, with its openness, hope, and anticipation. On still other occasions we bask in the warmth of summer--comfortable, relaxed, enjoying life. And then comes fall with its uncertainty, negligence, and apprehension. The cycle repeats itself many times throughout the life of a marriage, just as the seasons repeat themselves in nature. Gary Chapman summerfallmoving Love is a choice you make everyday. Gary Chapman positivitychoiceslove-is Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the offender. Forgiveness is an expression of love. Gary Chapman choicesexpressioncommitment Love is something you do for someone else, not something you do for yourself. Gary Chapman power-of-forgivenessforgivenesslove-is People tend to criticize their spouse most loudly in the area where they themselves have the deepest emotional need. Gary Chapman language-of-loveemotionalpeople Remember that your ultimate goal is for your children to grow up secure in your love, strong in their faith, and with sound character. Gary Chapman growing-upstrongchildren Love doesn't erase the past, but it makes the future different. Gary Chapman positivitydifferentpast People do not get married planning to divorce. Divorce is the result of a lack of preparation for marriage and the failure to learn the skills of working together as teammates in an intimate relationship. Gary Chapman divorceskillsintimate-relationships Life's deepest meaning is not found in accomplishments , but in relationships Gary Chapman accomplishmentfound When people respond too quickly, they often respond to the wrong issue. Listening helps us focus on the heart of the conflict. When we listen, understand, and respect each other's ideas, we can then find a solution in which both of us are winners. Gary Chapman issuesheartideas Each person has the potential of making a positive impact on the world. It all depends on what you do with what you have. Success is not to be measured by the amount of money you possess or the position you attain but rather in how you use both. Position and money can be squandered or abused, but they can also be used to help others. Gary Chapman impacthelping-othersuse Most of us have more potential than we will ever develop. What holds us back is often a lack of courage. Gary Chapman For love, we will climb mountains, cross seas, traverse desert sands, and endure untold hardships. Without love, mountains become unclimbable, seas uncrossable, deserts unbearable, and hardships our lot in life. Gary Chapman desertmountainsea The decision to get married will impact one's life more deeply than almost any decision in life. Yet people continue to rush into marriage with little or no preparation for making a marriage successful. In fact, many couples give far more attention to making plans for the wedding than making plans for marriage. The wedding festivities last only a few hours, while the marriage, we hope, will last for a lifetime Gary Chapman impactcouplesuccessful Togetherness has to do with focused attention. It is giving someone your undivided attention. As humans, we have a fundamental desire to connect with others. We may be in the presence of people all day long, but we do not always feel connected. Gary Chapman givinglongpeople I am amazed by how many individuals mess up every new day with yesterday. They insist on bringing into today the failures of yesterday and in so doing, they pollute a potentially wonderful day. Gary Chapman yesterdaytodaynew-day We all desperately need love. If a spouse in a difficult marriage will learn the love language of that spouse, and they will, with the help of God, consistently speak their love language no matter how they are treated. Gary Chapman matterhelpingneeds
