A message to a bride-to-be

"A message to a bride-to-be" is dedicated to a very good friend of mine who was recently married to her highschool sweetheart. This comes from my heart.

"We're so glad that you finally found your "forevermore." Patience is indeed a virtue, especially when it comes to love and marriage. My advice for you is that whatever happens, you must always remember to be a blessing to your husband. In reality, marriage has its fair share of good times and bad times. By striving to be a blessing to him, you can tolerate the incompatibilities that may arise between the two of you; you can overcome the struggles; you can overlook the shortcomings; you can learn to compromise your differences. Being a blessing means being his happiness. Be the kind of happiness that will make him forget his worries and melt away his troubles upon coming home to you. Be the kind of happiness that will mold him into becoming a better person than he was before you got married. It will not be easy but it will definitely be worth your effort. Strive to be his "piece of heaven on earth." Be his most beautiful blessing and he will in turn be your best answered prayer, with God's grace. Wishing you both a happy ever after and always keep God at the center of your marriage."

BENEFITS OF READING

I love reading and if you are a bookworm like me, then you can relate very much why oftentimes, it is better to be alone at home or in a coffee shop and read your favorite books. Sometimes, I like people because I can learn a lot from them. When I have a grasp of the personality of an individual and I discover we don't have anything constructive to talk about, I would prefer reading a good book than spending time with those kind of people. Remember, reading is learning while vain talks are destructive. So yeah, a good book is a better companion. Read on the benefits of reading. It might help jumpstart your reading habit.

BENEFITS OF READING

from Don't Be Sad by Al-Qarni (page 144)

1. Reading repels anxiety and grief.

2. While busy reading, one is prevented from delving into falsehood.

3. Habitual reading makes one too busy to keep company with the idle and the inactive.

4. By reading often, one develops eloquence and clarity in speech.

5. Reading helps to develop the mind and purify its thoughts.

6. Reading increases one in knowledge and improves both memory and understanding.

7. By reading, one benefits from the experiences of others; the wisdom of the wise and the understanding of scholars.

8. By reading often, one develops the ability to both acquire and process knowledge and to learn about the different fields of knowledge and their applications to life.

9. One's faith will increase when one reads beneficial books, especially books written by practicing Muslim writers. The book is the best giver of sermons, and it has a forceful effect in guiding one towards goodness and away from evil.

10. Reading helps to relax one's mind from distraction and to save one's time from being wasted.

11. By reading often, one gains a mastery over many words and learns the different constructions of sentences; moreover, one improves his or her ability to grasp concepts and to understand what is written'between the lines'.