*TOPIC: MARRIAGE: GROW TOGETHER AS COUPLE.*(Series 10) *Scripture Reading:* Genesis 2:23-24 Then Adam said, *“This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."*(AMP) Continuation from where we stopped yesterday. *A marriage, by definition, is an intimate partnership between two people. It is you and him against the world. It is you and her trying to pay the bills, figure out sex, figure out work, figure out kids and figure out life.* The fastest way to spoil that is to bring in other people too far and too soon. There is a place for the sage advice of mother and father in-laws. There is a place for a no interest loan. There is a place for expertise and counsel, but it is not early and it is not soon. There needs to be a definite leaving; there needs to be a clean break. There needs to be enough time for you to make your own rules and establish your own norms in prayer, with your Bible and without your mother and your father. Once you have done that, you can bring mother and father in – to a certain extent. If you’ve never done that, you need to push them out until you have. *A marriage doesn’t even begin to feel like a marriage until you have left your mother and your father.* *10) Cleave to your spouse alone:* Obviously these two go together. The Bible says that a marriage is about leaving your parents in order to cleave to your spouse. Some people never leave, and some people never cleave. *I am always amazed to discover couples who still go to visit their parents every weekend to discuss issues pertaining their homes and achievement. You see husband or wife reporting their weaknesses to friends.* That isn’t marriage, at least not according to the Bible. The world tends to think of marriage like a capital ‘H’; two people living separate lives trying hard to maintain a connection. Read today's scripture again. *The Bible pictures marriage more like an upside down capital ‘Y’; two people merging into one life as they come together in pursuit of Christ.* To be continue tomorrow morning by God's Grace. Good morning and do have a fruitful Friday, peace. *Prayer point:* I decide today not to allow third party to have a negative influence on my marriage in Jesus Christ name. Amen! T.S. AFOLAYAN