Some time ago, a woman told her therapist, "I’m really mad at my husband. I want to hurt him so bad. What can I do to hurt him, really hurt him?"

The therapist was a good one. And knew exactly what to do. He stroked his chin for a moment and said, "Let me see. OK, here’s what we’ll do. Just give him compliments and praises for

the next two months. Then when he thinks you’re totally into him, then let’s file for divorce."

The woman was really mad at her husband. So she thought it was an excellent plan.

Two months later, she has another meeting with her therapist. He says, "Are you ready to file for divorce now?" The woman answered, "What, absolutely not! I’m totally in love with him now."

What happened? Somehow she had forgotten to be kind and complimentary toward her mate. Far too many people today are critical and fault finding. Perhaps they don’t understand how criticism works. It is wrong to think that criticisms are an excellent way to "change your mate." Instead criticism tends to drive you mate away.

This next item is from a letter written to a popular psychologist.

In order to raise five kids in the country (where his wife wishes to live), Chuck commutes and works a total of thirteen hours a day. Although he's exhausted when he comes home, he always tries to find something that needs doing and would make his wife's life easier. He often washes the dishes, and when the drainer becomes full, he dries them.

"I would appreciate even a quiet 'Thank you,' but I get, instead, a 'you know you spread germs when you dry dishes with the dish towel!' So next time I stop when the drainer is full and work on something else. Response? 'Why can' t you do all the dishes?' So next time I carefully stack dishes three feet high. Response? 'You know that I greased the bread pan and I was planning on using it again, and now thanks to you causing me more work, I have to grease it all over again!'

So the next time when I can no longer stack any higher, I wait a couple of hours for the dishes to air-dry and put the first batch away. Response? 'One of the spoons was still damp when you put it in the drawer!' So next time I leave the dishes and spend two hours cleaning the living room. Response? 'Why don't you ever do anything around the house? Can't you see the dishes need to be done?'

So next time I stand in front of the kitchen sink with tears running down my face, wanting to help out with something that will be noticed but petrified that I will discover one more way to

do the dishes wrong. Response? 'I want a divorce. I have to do everything myself anyway!'"

Solomon, the wisest man ever writes in Proverbs 21:9, "Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman." And in Proverbs 26:21, Solomon writes, "As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife."

Again in Proverbs 11:12, "He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of understanding holds his peace." Proverbs 17:28, "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."

The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." I realize that not every one is enamored with the Words of Scripture, but just think if we managed our deportment according to the precepts that Paul has laid out, how much better every one’s lives would be.

Over and over again, Scripture admonishes us to treat each other with love. Makes the old proverb, "You will catch more flies with honey than vinegar" so true.