Recently my wife and I had the privilege of spending a weekend with some young married couples on a retreat. Amidst our time together, we desired to ask them a question.  That question went something like this: If you were given the chance to share with a younger couple just entering into marriage, what advice would you pass on to them?  What follows is some of the excellent input we were given.

• Pick your battles by asking yourself if it’s worth the possibility of an argument?
• Pray about the area that is bothering you before jumping into it with your spouse.
• Lay down your single routines in order to pick up your couple routines.
• Communicate your expectations in multiple ways.
• Give one another extra measures of grace, knowing you both need it.
• Learn one another’s communication style by learning one another’s love languages.
• Over communicate.
• Engage in some form of mentorship.
• Keep dealing with the areas of needed change in your life and take ownership for your issues.
• Forgive quickly.
• Get into the habit of praying together.
• And always, each and every day, put God first.

Pretty sound advice from those with a few years of marriage under their belt.