Book excerpt: The Seasons of Marriage Marriage life has different seasons. It doesnt matter whether you are a newlywed or have been married for years, there will definitely be times in your marriage relationship when you feel frustrated, sad, angry, irritated, or confused. On the hand, there will also be times in your marriage when you feel completely in love, bonded, connected, secure, and happy. Moments of thoughtfulness, playfulness, exploration, discovery, and quiet time together can make you feel like you are living in your own world. There is nothing good than feeling loved, like everything in your relationship is just connecting. In marriage, there are two big categories of seasons namely: internal and external. External marital seasons are those difficult situations, matters and issues of which we have absolutely no control. Internal marital problems are issues that develop from within the marriage over which both spouses have control. A successful couple understand that in order to maintain happiness and balance in their marriage, they must learn how to change their gears. When complications arise, these couples communicate, take the risk to express their feelings, listen to one another, and work TOGETHER to create a solution. Marriage is a journey with different seasons as you travel. Remember that every season is a unique adventure. Live and enjoy the season you are in and enjoy the benedictions through: Better communication More quality time together Affair preventions Lowered odds for divorce Reactivated sex life Flexibility to succeed despite conflicting differences. Finally, good and bad seasons are natural in marriage, everyone knows that. Sometimes everything is working right for you. Sometimes your marriage is facing trials, hardships and challenges. Sometimes everything seems stagnant and frozen. You must know that you can't fast-forward, rewind, or skip reasons. No season is for no reason. God brings us through every season for divine reason. The beauty of marriage is in facing the changes together as a team.