"If the husband and wife, who are standing alone in peril, are not partners in their dream then their strong wills will breed contention..."

From To Marry or Not To Marry | Chris' Blog:

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"People who are both able to survive on their own will have ambitions. It is often assumed that the husband's should trump the wife's and it is on this assumption that many women do not seek purpose in life apart from that of a wife. Modern feminism goes to the opposite extreme and expects all men to bow before the woman's ambitions.

Neither of these is quite right. If the husband and wife, who are standing alone in peril, are not partners in their dream then their strong wills will breed contention. It is not good to wish to be in Hawaii when the wife feels that she can make an impact in Brazil. They must be united.

That may be true in marriages that stay in "safe" countries too.

There has been a long-standing debate over whether "ministry" or "family" should come first. A friend was quick to remind me that ministry should be built around the family, using it as a starting point. She is right, of course, but for this to happen the marriage needs to also be based on an understanding that the ministry will occur.

How do you find someone who believes the same things? It is possible that this winnowing, or comparing of notes, can take some time. That is not to say that there are a lack of people or that only one person on the planet is a "soul mate," but rather that people are diverse.

For anyone who is trying to find a spouse, don't worry. Those who have similar interests tend to find each other. You need not remain at home all the time and neither should you go out to town every night to watch for a Future Potential Spouse (TM). Do the things you should be doing anyway. Live the life that was given to you.

One more note: Economic woes are not a good reason to hold off on marriage or kids. You should instead seek out God and learn how to survive better. There are numerous places in the Bible where this is commanded. In Genesis 8, God blessed Noah's family and told them to increase and populate the earth. This was at a time when they had to recreate civilization from scratch."

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Read more: To Marry or Not To Marry | Chris' Blog.