A Conversation with The James'

-How long have you all been married?   

  39 years!

-What do you think is different now about marriages or people getting married now a days verses when people got married back then?

The culture is different, everything is rushed! This generation has a different idea of what marriage is. The morals are different. People valued marriage more 40 years ago. Men aren't in the home as much as they used to be, because men haven't grown up with their father's. The father taught the morals necessary for men today. We don't have a lot of that today. My son actual thanked me for being there as a father because my son worked with children who didn't have fathers and they had a lot of dysfunction in their lives. Also because of the lack of  father's being in the home young men can't learn from them and in return don't know how to treat the young ladies. They respect the house of God. People act or react real quick. They don't want to wait. They didn't have marriage counseling back then either. 

-What do you think is one thing that made your marriage last this long?

Keeping God First and Great communication with one another. Faith in Jesus Christ. If I want to please God then I have to please my wife/husband. Our foundation in Jesus Christ is what sustained us. We raised our kids in the church. We relied solely on God. Church is very important for the Family. The enemy's goal is to destroy the foundation of family. We raised our kids richly because we raised them in the Lord. And our kids say all the time that they appreciate that. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"

-What would you tell an engaged or dating couple today?

Seek the counseling from your pastor, keep things between each other, put God First, always encourage one another. Proverbs 11:14 "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety" Pray about it. Don't rush. Ask and Seek God. The wedding is minute compared to the life you'll spend with your mate.

Dating couples: observe how the parents are, you can learn everything by observing the people around them before you decide to move forward with that person. Biblical portrait of marriage is your goal. Don't compromise to marry or be with anybody. 

-How has God impacted your marriage thus far?

Kept us together, we didn't know what marriage was at first. God taught us how to be and stay together. The Bible teaches us how to love our wives/husbands. My wife is my best friend. Having that relationship with God has kept us. I don't want to displease the Lord so I never wanted to mistreat her. Praying for one another. Encouraging one another. It's just gets sweeter and sweeter everyday.