Read Time - 1:50

Good afternoon — I hope your week has gotten off to a good start.

Did you know this was National Marriage Week?

A bloke from the UK started the whole thing in 1996, and in 2010 we began celebrating it in the United States.

To honor this week, I'm going to write about a different reason each day why marriage matters.

I'll be sourcing info from an infographic on the National Marriage Week site that lists 30 reasons marriage matters.

Reason 1: Decreased chances of your children getting divorced

Research suggests that if your children grow up within an intact marriage, it decreases the likelihood that they will divorce later in life or become an unwed parent.

Now, nothing's foolproof, right?

My parents are divorced, as are Cetelia's.

Still, because we've seen our parents divorce and remarry multiple times and go on with their lives; we know that it's possible. We know our lives would go on for both of us if we ever divorced.

But, at what cost? Aside from our family being torn apart, we'd be passing that seed down to our children.

If you're remarried, 1) I'm not picking on you, and 2) you have a story to tell about what went wrong and why.

You probably also have some battle scars you'd love your children to avoid at all costs.

Know how to help them?

Do the same thing spouses in their first marriage should do: 1) encourage your children to practice good relationship habits (especially as they get older), and 2) model those relationship habits in your own marriage.

Give your marriage your best, with God's help, knowing that your children—no matter their age—are learning how to do marriage by watching you.

Marriage matters.

See you tomorrow.

Kevin