Increase your Chances of a Successful Marriage

• Listen to those around you (friends, family, etc.) about their opinion of your dating partner. They can see more clearly than the ones involved in the relationship.
• You should know whether it is someone you love within a year and be willing to marry within 2 years unless you have a valid reason for delaying the date. If you have reasons you don't want to marry within 2 years, you should not even be dating. Dating is a process that you get to know a person for the purpose of marriage so if that is not your desire then don't date until you have a desire to find a marriage partner.
• Restrain from premarital sex including petting. Pants should remain on and zipped. If you can't control yourself before marriage, you decrease your chance of staying faithful to your spouse after marriage. Plus if you love someone, you don't want to risk their health and future to all the negative effects of premarital sex. Note to girls: if you give sex to guys, you will delay their willingness to commit to a marriage relationship.
• Be prepared to get rid of the "me" syndrome. Marriage is no longer about me, it will be about "us". You will have to do things you don't want and not do things you want to do. It is not a time to be selfish. Selfishness on the part of either party will surely lead to problems.

Wrong Reasons to Continue Dating a Person

• Waiting for someone better
• Hoping things will improve
• Thinking they will change
• Thinking you can change them

If you find yourself thinking any of these thoughts, do what is right, move on. You are not doing either of you any favors by delaying.

Dating is to get to know someone to the point of knowing if it is someone you want to be with 'til death do you part. Anyone short of that is going to cause more trouble than necessary.