Fwd: Why Marriages are in Deep, Deep Trouble
Iowane Naiveli
From: "ma...@familylifecenter.net" <ma...@familylifecenter.net>
Date: 24/02/2018 3:00 AM
Subject: Why Marriages are in Deep, Deep Trouble
To: <wanen...@connect.com.fj>
Cc:
…from the desk of Steve Wood
February 23, 2018
· The divorce rate remains sky high – over 40 percent for first-time marriages.
Dear Family Life Team Member,
The school shooting in Florida has shocked and stunned America. Yet virtually everyone is ignoring the true cause of this unmitigated tragedy!
Consider this. In the 1950s and earlier — and even into the early1960s — school shootings were unheard of. Yet more than a few high school seniors during hunting season would get up early, hunt ducks until it was time to put their shotguns in the trunk of the car, and then park the car in the school parking lot.
Keeping guns in your car trunk on school property during school hours was no big deal. It never entered the students’ minds to grab the shotgun, enter the school, and start blasting at their fellow students. The first school shooting took place in 1966 when sharpshooter Charles Whitman went on a rampage from a tower at the University of Texas in Austin in 1966.
In response to gun violence, Congress passed the first major gun control law in 1968. Chicago, a gun controller’s dream, has perhaps the strictest municipal ordinances for gun control in the nation. Yet Chicago also holds the record for gun violence and murder in America. Criminals ignore gun control laws and other laws — even the law against murder.
One factor in mass shootings is lack of parental discipline. Another factor is the dangerous side effects of certain psychiatric drugs. But the primary factor is the disintegration of the family.
You see, the institution of marriage today is in deep, deep trouble.
Consider these facts:· It’s a strong trend for young people to avoid divorce by not getting married in the first place! They simply “live together” in uncommitted, temporary relationships — often breaking the hearts of faithful Catholic parents.
· Unwed mothers now account for 40 percent of all births. Many other unwed mothers choose abortion.
· Over a third of American children go to bed in a home where the father is absent.
· With fewer fathers in the home to guide their boys into manhood, homosexuality in America is at an all-time high. And now the propaganda for “trans” rights is relentless.
· Fewer Americans are shrugging their shoulders at the absurd concept of homosexual “marriage.” Many consider it a progressive idea. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, sodomatrimony is now enshrined in law, and public schools are now brainwashing children that two people of the same sex can be authentically married to each other. That’s as absurd as saying that two plus two equals five or that the law of gravity has been repealed.
What kind of society will our children inherit if we let marriage fall by the wayside? They would inherit a wasteland of misery. We can’t let that happen. We need to rebuild a society that honors and supports marriage, discourages sins like fornication and sodomy, and educates children in essential truths instead of brainwashing them in political correctitude.
This letter is one of the most important that I’ve written to you because it’s about supporting and strengthening marriages and encouraging young people to consider the vocation of marriage (instead of shacking up, which is a poor way to prepare for marriage).
When people talk about the “vocations crisis,” they’re usually talking about the priest shortage. But why are so few people talking about the REAL vocations crisis: the alarming drop in the marriage rate.
One of America’s top priests remarked that it’s easy for Jesus Christ to call a man to the priesthood. I would add this point: how can Jesus call someone to the priesthood who was aborted or who wasn’t even conceived in the first place? If more Catholics formed permanent, stable, fruitful marriages, there would be many more children, and the “vocations crisis” would be well on the way to being solved! Of course, solid catechesis is also necessary.Sex is a delicate subject
Sex can be the source of problems in a marriage for the simple reason that men and women don’t understand each other.
When spouses are perplexed, misinterpreting the words and actions of their spouse, it can lead to friction and deep hurts instead of understanding in growth. This is true not only about sex but about money and communication. If only husbands and wives understood each other better, marriages could be strengthened.
And if young single women and young single men understood each other better, they might be encouraged to enter into marriage instead of being “afraid of commitment.”
At last, somebody has come up with the closest thing imaginable to an “owner’s manual” to the opposite sex!
You see, I’ve looked at marriage books for decades, and I’ve never found anything so brilliant as the astonishing two-volume set that has become a runaway bestseller. One book – for men only – describes the inner life of women. The other – for women only – describes the inner life of men.
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you this set can change your perceptions of your spouse and thus change your marriage!
Most books about marriage fail because they address the wife and ignore the husband.Surprising insights about marital relations!
The chapter about marital relations in the book for “women only” has changed thousands of wives’ perception on this delicate subject.
Here’s another biggie. Many wives believe their husbands aren’t romantic. But that’s not the case. Husbands want to be romantic, but they just don’t know what to do, and they’re afraid of failure. They need a few hints, and the men’s book gives it to them.
On page 147, the men’s book mentions one smart thing that’s as impressive to a wife as a dozen roses! And it doesn’t cost anything. Yet not one man in 100 understands how impressive this is.
This set of books can make a good marriage better. It could save a marriage on the brink of divorce. And it also makes a good marriage-preparation manual.
I laughed out loud and shook my head when I opened up the men’s book because a handy “quick start guide” is glued to the inside of the front cover. This is one of the smartest things I’ve ever seen, period.
Consider this. When men get a new scanner or printer, they don’t want to waste a day reading a thick manual. They prefer to grab the quick start guide, turn on the machine, and start using it.Phenomenal idea to help husbands understand and love their wives
A man who wants to understand his wife can quickly get to “the bottom line” by opening the handy “quick-start guide” that comes with the men’s book. He’ll get six practical things to do and six ways to understand his wife – including the motivations for her words and actions – before he even looks at the first page of the book.
This is phenomenal! It’s such a good idea that I may start putting together quick-start guides for my own books.
Here’s an interesting story that shows how important the “quick start” strategy is.
A few years ago I attended a marriage counselors’ seminar where two authors, a husband and wife, discussed their book about ten dates in ten weeks. Each week, the couples attending the seminar would go through a chapter about the recommended date for that week – and then go on the date.
It was fun. The back of each chapter included a summary of what was going to happen each week. The wives read the whole chapter. But most husbands just skipped to the back and read the summary, which gave us all we needed to know.
Everyone had a good time. We were all as happy as clams. The husbands wanted to get to the “bottom line” on what we needed to do to make our wives happy. And we did it.
One of my favorite quotes is, “If I had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter.” That’s how you have to write to men. You can’t beat around the bush. You have to get to the point.
And that’s why the quick start guide to the men’s book is so useful. It summarizes what a husband needs to do to understand the inner life of his wife, how to interpret her words and actions, the right way to respond, and the WRONG way to respond!How to quickly double a man’s effectiveness at marital communication
Starting on page 120 of the men’s book, there are five pages that could perhaps double a man’s effectiveness in marital communication.
Incredible as it sounds, part of it is to know when NOT to say a word to your wife. That’s right. There are crucial times in a marriage when NOT saying a word makes the wife feel loved, listened to, and understood.
But most men just don’t “get it.” That’s why this set of books is so valuable.
Most wives have no idea about what a heavy and lonely burden it is to be a provider. As the father of eight children, I can attest that being a provider weighs heavy on a man. It’s a lot of weight on your shoulders.
Pages 93 and 94 of the women’s book describe this burden. What’s more, the book gives wives practical recommendations that husbands hugely appreciate!
Failure to give a husband two crucial things will devastate the husband.
Most wives want their husbands to know how much they respect and admire them. But they’re not good at getting that across. The women’s book gives lots of practical ideas.
And most husbands want their wives to know how much they love them. But they’re not good at getting that across. Men need help in that area, and the book gives it to them.
These are two of the most practical books you can imagine. They’re jam-packed with valuable insights, advice, and surprises.Shocking revelations!
Women are shocked at how much they didn’t know! One wife read the women’s book in one sitting and was flabbergasted. She couldn’t believe that men actually think the way the book describes – a way of thinking so different from her own.
So she quizzed her husband: “Honey, you don’t think this, do you?” She found out he did think that way! Her eyes were opened. This knowledge changed their marriage. And now she recommends this set of books to everyone she knows.
Another woman liked the set so much that she bought a set for each of her siblings to help them avoid the mistakes that led to her divorce.The amazing benefits of marriage!
As you know, I couldn’t feel more strongly about the need to promote and strengthen marriage.
Studies show that married people generally live longer, enjoy better health, are happier, and are better off financially than unmarried people. Yet never before has there been such an urgent need for the set of books I’m recommending in this letter.
I don’t see how you can be married today and not want some practical help for your marriage. We all need help – in today’s world, particularly. That’s because practically everything is stacked against marriage.
Marriages are falling apart all around us. And even the good marriages could be better if only the spouses understood each other better. That’s why I recommend this set of books so strongly.
I can’t imagine that married people wouldn’t want these books. A married couple will want both books. Naturally, a single person will want the book written specifically for him or her.
This remarkable set of books has changed a lot of marriages. And it has also saved some marriages that would’ve run aground.
Young people who read these books before they enter into marriage will have a tremendous advantage. It’s urgent to get these books into the hands of young Catholic adults.
Even if you don’t need these books, you’ll be helping young families just by having these books. I guarantee that somebody you know needs these books. We can’t do enough to encourage young people to consider the vocation of marriage and to strengthen young families!Let me send you these amazing premiums
I’ll gladly send you the men’s book or the women’s book (your choice) as a token of thanks for your tax-deductible gift of $50 or more. These books give you the gist of what you need to know about the inner life of the opposite sex – a revealing psychological map.
It bears repeating that the men’s book even includes an incredibly handy “Quick Start Guide” inside the front cover. So before you even come to the first page of the book, you already have the gist – in other words, the “bottom line.” Getting the gist before you read this book will enable you to immediately start applying the book.
Could you consider sending a gift of $50 or more? Simply check the box on the reply memo to let me know which book you want me to send you – the men’s book or the women’s book.
As I mentioned earlier, I can’t imagine any married couple that wouldn’t want both books. I’ll gladly send you both of them as a token of thanks for your gift of $75 or more. Could you consider making a sacrificial gift like this, or more?
You’ll enjoy reading these books. The books will actually change your marriage. And, of course, you’ll want to pass these books on to a friend or loved one after you’ve read them.
One woman who read the books and gave them to others as gifts said, “I bet my next paycheck that you’ll decide it’s worth reading more than once and that you’ll lend it out to someone else.”
It bears repeating that you’ll definitely want to pass this set on to someone else when you’re through reading it. And that will help us meet our objective: to strengthen faith and family life and to equip our friends to help other families. Struggling marriages can find healing from these books, good marriages can become even better, and young people need the books for marriage preparation.
I’m praying that you’ll give more than the suggested minimum amounts. Could you consider sacrificing a gift of $250 or $500? I know I’m asking a lot, but the needs are great.
If the Lord has blessed you financially, could you consider sacrificing a major gift of $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, or even $10,000 or more? Gifts like that make it possible to do so much good.
Please make a gift commensurate with your means. Your gift will help solve today’s crisis of faith and a moral meltdown by reaching more hungry souls with the truth.
I’ll gratefully accept your gift – whatever the amount. No gift is too small, and no gift is too large. Please pray about my request, pray for the success of our life-changing projects, and sacrifice whatever the Lord inspires you to give. May God richly bless you and your loved ones.
Yours in Christ,
Steve Wood
P.S. Here at the Family Life Center we pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament in our chapel for the health and financial welfare of our benefactors. If you have a specific prayer concern, please don’t hesitate to share it with me.
P.P.S. Remember, your gift will help me keep our life-changing projects going full bore. I have no one to turn to but friends like you. I’m depending on you for help. Please make out your tax-deductible check to the Family Life Center, and mail it today.
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