Engagement & Newlyweds

Falling in love is one of the greatest feelings in the world. You’ve found this person who you connect with, you have a lot in common, and have a lot of fun together. Weeks turn to months and then years, and you still love spending time together. Then he pops the question, and you are happier than you have ever been - until you’re not.Many, many years ago, I was engaged and wound up calling off my engagement. I was young and in college and met this great guy. He had a troubled past and lived in a group home, which made things hard for him. However, we got along and enjoyed spending time together. We were together for a year, and then he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said “yes.”To be honest, looking back, I think I knew it wasn’t a good idea, but I didn’t trust my gut. It turns out my intuition was right. Three months later, he confessed he cheated on me, with a guy no less. I remember storming out of the apartment he lived in with his friend and going home. Everything continued to disintegrate from there. I won’t go into details, but I didn’t handle the situation well. The last thing I did was drop off a garbage bag full of everything he ever gave me and left it at the bottom of his front steps. Then I cut off all contact, pawned the ring he gave me, and never looked back.Now that I am much, much older, I realize there were many things I missed while in the dating phase. Here are some signs that you need to call off your engagement.

Once you're engaged, it's time to plan the wedding. But in between deciding on a florist and hiring a caterer, there are some other important, more soul-focused things you should add to your pre-wedding to-do list.Let's take a look at five things you should do while you're engaged:Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/PeopleImages

Wedding planning is stressful. Take a deep breath, try not to stress, and remember that God is with you in the planning stages, on your wedding day, and through your life in marital bliss. When you meet your spouse at the altar on your wedding day, it will all be worth it.

As the bride takes in the fanfare, glitz, excitement, and anxiety on her big day, what can those close to her do to help her sail through the day and, better still, to fortify her marriage? We are glad you asked - you can pray for her.

God wants two people who are dedicated to each other, themselves, and God. Anything else cause disillusionment—and ultimately—heartbreak—if they disagree. If you encounter any of the above issues in your relationship, breaking off the engagement before it's too late is best.

If you feel yourself getting stressed, do what your schedule—and budget—will allow to relieve it. Stress wreaks havoc physically, mentally, and emotionally if gone unchecked. If you feel stressed for a long period, it may only cause health problems that interfere with your special day.

Nick and Chelsea Hurst are authors, parents, and well-known YouTubers with over 1.5 million subscribers.

There should be wise people in your circle of influence you are certain only have your best interest at heart. Maybe all your family and friends will not be convinced that the person you are considering marrying is the right person for you, but if everyone you trust is saying, “I don’t see it,” you might want to pump the brakes for a minute.

Start over as many times as you have to, as long as it’s with the same man. The best marriage you will ever have is the one you have right now.

There are certainly a few gray areas in the Bible on various topics—but Christians living together before marriage is not one of them.

Marriage is serious. God takes it seriously, and so should we. But in an age where weddings take up more conversation time than marriage itself, it’s easy to jump into an engagement on a wave of infatuation without asking some hard questions.

Starry-eyed, smiling couples often ask us, “How long should an engagement last?” To give a complete answer, we need to look at the biblical principles of relationships:

What fears or societal changes might be getting in the way of marriage, and what are those of us desiring to marry at some point supposed to do about it? Here are four of the biggest fears about marriage (and how to overcome them).

Some consequences include dealing with the possibility of pregnancy, acquiring or sharing a sexually transmitted disease, and the most underrated --but possibly most impacting--are the emotional issues that sexually active teens struggle with and take into their marriage.

Everyone has marriage advice for newlyweds, and for a good reason. Newlyweds are (understandably) caught up in the bliss of their union and, because of that, may be unprepared for any choppy seas that lie ahead.For this reason, it’s wise for newlyweds to peer over their rose-colored glasses every now and then and take advice from longtime spouses who have learned how to navigate life’s inevitable challenges and keep their marriage afloat.Here are five marriage-fortifying habits that newlyweds can put into practice from the start.Photo credit: © Unsplash/David Thomaz

One of the most consistent themes that emerges in counseling young couples is the dramatic difference between the time and money that was invested in their wedding compared to the time and money that was invested in preparing for the rest of their lives together.

Before I got married, I vowed I would never be a nagging wife. And then I got married. And stuff happened.

Through counseling and discussing the covenant of marriage, my husband relearned the depth of God’s love for him and the forgiveness and grace he doesn’t deserve but is freely given.

Conventional wisdom encourages young people to wait until their 30s to marry, but new research finds that the lowest divorce rates are among religious adults who married in their 20s and did not cohabitate.

Don’t marry someone to redeem him. That’s Jesus’ job. Marry someone you respect for who they are now, not for who you hope they will become.