Many people are not opposed to marriage, they are just afraid of getting a divorce. Because of the marriages you may have witnessed in your own families or in people you know, you may have an understandable fear that a healthy, long lasting love seems impossible or unrealistic.

However, the divorce date in America is NOT 50%. The divorce rate in 2005 (per 1,000 people) was 3.6 -- the lowest rate since 1970, and down from 4.2 in 2000 and from 4.7 in 1990.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Health Statistics

If we want a great marriage, we need to start building a healthy foundation now!  If we start disciplining ourselves now with positive decisions, we will have a firm foundation on which to build a permanent and joy filled relationship. It always helps to think of our future spouse, even if we do not yet know them, and to realize that every healthy decision we make today will lead to a better tomorrow.

If we want successful marriages, we need to train ourselves in the things that hold them together: among many other things, honesty, self-control, and communication. A happy, healthy marriage is definitely possible, and when you begin fostering these qualities in your life now, you build the foundation for lasting love.