ZONDERVAN

Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Devotional

Copyright 1997, 2017 by Les and Leslie Parrott
Previously published as Becoming Soul Mates
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546
ISBN 978-0-310-34482-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-310-34483-4 (ebook)
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy
Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by
Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks
registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version.
1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
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Published in association with Yates & Yates, www.yates2.com.
Cover design: Ranjy Thomas / Flying Rhino
Cover photography: Daniel Davis / Lightstock
Interior design: Kait Lamphere
First Printing December 2016 / Printed in the United States of America

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CONTENTS

Introduction: Why Daily Devotions for Couples Often Fail . . . . 11

Session 1: Living Happily Ever After . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Real-Life Soul Mates: Kevin and Sande Leman
Session 2: Double Your Serve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Real-Life Soul Mates: Brice and Shelene Bryan
Session 3: All for a Bar of Soap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Real-Life Soul Mates: Mark and Heidi Mittelberg
Session 4: Lighten Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Real-Life Soul Mates: Dale and Nina Bronner
Session 5: Your Money Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Real-Life Soul Mates: Dave and Sharon Ramsey
Session 6: In the Beginning... God Created Sex! . . . . . . . . 42
Real-Life Soul Mates: Dave and Ashley Willis
Session 7: Caring Enough to Commit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Real-Life Soul Mates: Mark and Kate Schultz
Session 8: Turning Me to We . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Real-Life Soul Mates: Chap and Dee Clark
Session 9: What a Difference a Temperament Makes! . . . . . . 54
Real-Life Soul Mates: Ed and Donna Stetzer
Session 10: If You Bugged Yourself, What Would You Hear? . 58
Real-Life Soul Mates: Jeff and Brandy Little
Session 11: Sloppy Agape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Real-Life Soul Mates: Art and Lysa TerKeurst

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Session 12: Its My Marriage and Ill Cry If I Want To . . . . . . 68

Real-Life Soul Mates: John Mark and Tammy Comer
Session 13: Rapunzels Love Lesson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Real-Life Soul Mates: John and Cindy Trent
Session 14: Listening with the Third Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Real-Life Soul Mates: Denny and Marilyn Rydberg
Session 15: Is Prayer Your Steering Wheel or Your Spare Tire? . 81
Real-Life Soul Mates: Stuart and Jill Briscoe
Session 16: The Deadly Emotion of Anger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Real-Life Soul Mates: Michael Jr. and Ebony
Session 17: The Extra Mile in Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Real-Life Soul Mates: Zig and Jean Ziglar
Session 18: Help for the Romantically Impaired . . . . . . . . . . 94
Real-Life Soul Mates: Ronald and Arbutus Sider
Session 19: Our Longing for Belonging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Real-Life Soul Mates: Casey and Wendy Treat
Session 20: The Church: A Greenhouse
for Growing Soul Mates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Real-Life Soul Mates: Pete and Brandi Wilson
Session 21: Names Can Never Hurt MeOr Can They? . . 107
Real-Life Soul Mates: John and Nancy Ortberg
Session 22: Love Means Having to Eat Humble Pie . . . . . . . . 111
Real-Life Soul Mates: Gary and Karolyn Chapman
Session 23: When Stress Strikes Your Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Real-Life Soul Mates: Keith and Fawn Weaver
Session 24: Desperately Seeking Scripture . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Real-Life Soul Mates: Jim and Cathy Burns
Session 25: Help! We Need Somebody! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Real-Life Soul Mates: Winston and Rachel Cruze

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Session 26: Fighting the Good Fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Real-Life Soul Mates: Michael and Gail Hyatt
Session 27: A Kiss on the Lips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Real-Life Soul Mates: Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn
Session 28: How Iron Sharpens Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Real-Life Soul Mates: Jim and Jean Daly
Session 29: The Importance of Saying I Love You . . . . . . 144
Real-Life Soul Mates: Jim and Rosemary Garlow
Session 30: In Sickness and in Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Real-Life Soul Mates: Ken and Joni Eareckson Tada
Session 31: The Power of Love in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Real-Life Soul Mates: Dan and Rebecca Allender
Session 32: Avoiding the Blame Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Real-Life Soul Mates: Justin and Trisha Davis
Session 33: Youre Not the Boss of Me! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Real-Life Soul Mates: Dave and Beth Stone
Session 34: Sex, Sex, Sex... Enough Already! . . . . . . . . . . 166
Real-Life Soul Mates: Craig and Jeanette Gross
Session 35: Pay Now, Play Later . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Real-Life Soul Mates: Bill and Liz Curtis Higgs
Session 36: How to Be a Wise Guy (and Gal) . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Real-Life Soul Mates: Chris and Tammy Hodges
Session 37: The Role of Optimism in Marriage . . . . . . . . . . 180
Real-Life Soul Mates: Walt and Meg Meeker
Session 38: The Value of Tender Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Real-Life Soul Mates: Pat and Shirley Boone
Session 39: No One Needs to Be a Fool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Real-Life Soul Mates: Gary and Jorie Gulbranson

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Session 40: Having the Tithe of Your Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Real-Life Soul Mates: Leith and Charleen Anderson
Session 41: Avoiding the Number One Marriage Problem . . 198
Real-Life Soul Mates: Jack and Anna Hayford
Session 42: The Attitude of Gratitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Real-Life Soul Mates: Jim and Sue Nicodem
Session 43: Whos in Charge Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Real-Life Soul Mates: Mike and Kandice Weaver
Session 44: Gods Perfect Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Real-Life Soul Mates: Francis and Lisa Chan
Session 45: The Guilt-Free Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Real-Life Soul Mates: Keith and Beth Moore
Session 46: Stop Stewing and Start Doing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Real-Life Soul Mates: John and Barbi Townsend
Session 47: Sinking Your Roots Down Deep . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Real-Life Soul Mates: Ted and Amy Cunningham
Session 48: Do You Dream What I Dream? . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Real-Life Soul Mates: Mike and Carmen Meeks
Session 49: A Little Heaven on Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Real-Life Soul Mates: A.J. and Constance Rhodes
Session 50: A Mile in Marriage Moccasins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Real-Life Soul Mates: Richard and Donna Dahlstrom
Session 51: The Question That Could Change
Your Marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Real-Life Soul Mates: Jeff and Alyssa Bethke
Session 52: Soul to Soul Forever and Ever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Real-Life Soul Mates: Gary and Lisa Thomas
Biographies of Real-Life Soul Mates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

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Session One

LIVING HAPPILY
EVER AFTER

The first apartment we had was so small that our prized possession, a hand-me-down king-sized bed with a matching chest of
drawers and big-framed mirror, had to be put in the living area.
The kitchen was so small it would only accommodate one of us at
a time. The walls were so thin they were little more than a sight
barrier to our neighbor, whose conversations could sometimes
be monitored.
That was then; this is now. After ten years in one-bedroom
apartments we now have our own house. It has a well-proportioned
bedroom that holds our big bed and all the matching pieces. Our
kitchen includes a cooking island large enough for both of us to
prepare the food or clean the mess together. And the sounds of
neighbors are too far away to matter.
So has it made a difference in our marriage? Are we happier
now that we have accumulated more stuff, or were we just as
happy when we had next to nothing? In some ways we are happier
now, or at least more relaxed. We no longer post the monthly
income in twenty-dollar bills on the wall above the kitchen sink
and visibly watch and pray for a twenty to be left over at the end
of the month for some discretionary spending. We both work and
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Session One

we dont spend all we make. And to that extent, we are happier

because of reduced financial anxiety.
But at this point in the maturation of our marriage, weve come
to realize more and more that it is our relationship with each other
that matters most, not the comfort and conveniences we have
around us. No matter how much a couple has, they always believe
a little bit more would be just enough. In fact, studies have shown
that most couples believe they would be happier if their income
were 20 percent higher. Of course, 20 percent more will never
satisfy, at least not for long. As our increases are absorbed into
the living standard, expectations rise and the cycle repeats itself.
Above a certain subsistence level which varies with the life
stage of each couple, happiness in marriage depends on the quality
of the relationship. And this is true at all stages of life, for richer,
for poorer. The writer of Ecclesiastes says, Better one handful
with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after
the wind (Eccl. 4:6; see also Prov. 15:17; 17:1).
So if you are living in a one-bedroom apartment praying that
your monthly income will outlast the month, remember these
wise words: Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust
in your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they
are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky
like an eagle (Prov. 23:45). It is far more rewarding to work
at becoming soul mates. For the riches of a happy marriage will
outlast all other possessions.

FROM GODS WORD

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be
arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but
to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything
for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good

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Living Happily Ever After 21

deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they
will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the
coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
1 Timothy 6:1719

YOUR TURN
Why would the passage from 1 Timothy warn against
putting your hope in wealth? How does being rich in
good deeds apply to marriage?
Give an example of a time when you experienced peace
and contentment in your marriage even in the absence of
creature comforts. What made it so?
If you are like most couples, you probably believe a little
more income would make you a lot happier. What kinds of
differences do you think you would notice?
Do you agree with the writer of Ecclesiastes that better
[is] one handful with tranquillity than two... with
toil? If so, how are you applying that to your marriage
relationship?
In what practical ways are you investing in your marriage
so that it will outlast material possessions?

SOUL TO SOUL
To deepen your spiritual intimacy this next week, make note of:
What you gained from this session together.
A pressure point in your partners upcoming week you
will pray about.
A concrete kindness you can offer your partner this week.

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Session One

PRAYER
Gracious God, thank you for our marriage. Thank you for the joy and happiness it brings to our lives. Teach us to realize that drawing our strength
from you and learning to love one another is critical to our well-being. We
long to be soul mates and ask you to teach us how. Amen.

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Real-Life Soul Mates

I wasnt the brightest guy on the block when I married Sande, the woman who
had captured my heart. But I did one thing right. After our lavish wedding, where
we spent $29 on flowers, and our reception, which consisted of ham and cheese
sandwiches at her aunts home, we took off for Yuma, Arizona, in our un-air-
conditioned 1960 Corvair. It was August and 105 degrees. Yet as soon as we left
our well-wishers behind, I pulled that Corvair over to the side of the road.
There, in the sweltering heat, I prayed for us, our marriage, and that God
would bless and unite us in every way possible. It was my first act as a husband
and, I am convinced, my most important one. It started our marital journey off
on the right foot. That act of spiritual intimacy formed our bond as solid cement,
because God was the hardening agent.
We never wanted to do daily devotions together, but we did other traditional things, such as attending church and community Bible study. However,
what grew our spiritual intimacy the most was talking about and observing Gods
mighty presence in nature. As wed sit outside our summer home in New York
with the moon shining on the lake, Id say, God did a pretty good job of hanging
that moon in exactly the right place to reflect sunlight, didnt he?
Ohhh, shed breathe, and look at those stars. So many. And God knows
them all by name. Just like he knows us by name.
Admiring nature helped us grasp the enormity of Godhis power and detailed care in creating everything from centipedes to aardvarks to human beings.
As our awe and respect for him grew, our spiritual intimacy leaped to new heights.
Today, over four decades later, Sande and I are living proof of that continual
growth. Even more, weve had the tremendous privilege of passing that legacy
to our five children and grandchildren. For us, the key to spiritual intimacy is
simply this:
Pray.
Communicate.
Look around at Gods world.
You might be viewing the Grand Canyon, Mount Everest, or a single flower
growing in the crack of a sidewalk. You might be admiring the moonlight and
stars from the balcony of your apartment or your own backyard. If you do so,
think of us. Well be looking at the same radiant sky.
Now theres another miracle in itself.

Kevin and Sande Leman

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S e s s i o n Tw o

DOUBLE YOUR SERVE

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was hanged

by the Nazis during World War II, wrote a wonderful wedding
sermon while he was in prison, but he never had a chance to deliver
it in person. He wrote:
Marriage is more than your love for each other. It has a
higher dignity and power, for it is Gods holy ordinance....
In your love you see only the heaven of your happiness, but
in marriage you are placed at a post of responsibility toward
the world and mankind. Your love is your own private possession, but marriage is something more than personalit
is a status, an office... that joins you together in the sight
of God.

Have you thought about the higher dignity and power of

your marriage? We know of nothing else that can cultivate the
intimacy of soul mates more than reaching out to the world as a
team. Doing good for others as a couple brings a mystical quality
into your marriage. It helps you transcend yourselves and become
part of something larger.
God is committed to one major objective: helping us conform
to the image of his Son (see Phil. 2:511). And his Son, Scripture
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Double Your Serve 25

says, came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). It is as

straightforward as that. God wants us to be a giving people.
Philippians 2:4 says, ... not looking to your own interests, but
each of you to the interests of the others. Galatians 5:13 says,
Serve one another in love.
Marriage is a great means to becoming more like Christ. Paul
says to spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb.
10:24). Marriage helps us do just that, and when we join our
efforts in service together we are doubly blessed.
There are literally hundreds of ways to incorporate shared
service into your marriageoffering hospitality in your home,
volunteering at a shelter, sponsoring a needy child, working in
the church nursery. The key is to find something that fits your
personal style. One of the ways we enjoy reaching out as a couple
is by doing something anonymously. Even something small. We
call it a mission of service in secret. It is an act of kindness that
is concealed from everyone but the two of us. Our own sense of
devotion and intimacy deepens as we secretly observe the results
of our service.
Two people joined in marriage, as Bonhoeffer said, are ordained
to serve others as a team. As a partnership, two people can serve
other people better than they could as separate individuals. So
dont neglect the practice of shared service. It will do more to
enrich the soul of your marriage than you can ever imagine.

FROM GODS WORD

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 10:4345

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Session Two

YOUR TURN
What role does shared service play in your spiritual
journey together? Are you reaching out as a team the way
you would like to?
Give an example of how your partner has inspired you to
do a specific good deed.
In your opinion, how is intimacy in marriage linked to
shared service?
Bonhoeffer said that shared service gives your marriage
dignity and meaning. What does that mean to you?
How can the two of you more effectively practice shared
service in your marriage? What specific things might
you do?

SOUL TO SOUL
To deepen your spiritual intimacy this next week, make note of:
What you gained from this session together.
A pressure point in your partners upcoming week you
will pray about.
A concrete kindness you can offer your partner this week.

PRAYER
Dear God, reveal to us the higher dignity and power of our marriage. Teach
us to spur one another on, gently and lovingly, toward becoming more like
Christ. We want to double our efforts by serving you together as a team, so
please help us discover our unique gift of shared service as a couple. We
pray this sincerely. Amen.

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Real-Life Soul Mates

In 2003, I spent ten days in Uganda, Africa. While on that trip I saw things that
changed my entire view on life. I saw little children who were starving because of a
lack of food and clean water. I returned home from that trip about mid-November,
and as I was unpacking my oversized suitcase and placing unused items in a storage closet, I came across a box that had several Christmas gifts from the year before, unwrapped but still in the product packaging. Although we had spent hundreds of dollars on these gifts, they were so unnecessary they had managed to stay
in that storage closet for almost an entire year. It almost made me sick. I had just
left a village where kids were starving, and here I was, face-to-face with the reality
of my excess. I had so much excess that the gifts that had seemed so important
eleven and a half months earlier were literally rotting in my closet. What if we had
simply donated the hundreds of dollars we had spent on these unneeded and
never-used gifts to sponsor food for those kids? How many kids would still be alive?
Christmas was fast approaching, and the sobering reality of my wastefulness
made me think. Up until now Christmas was all about me. What I wanted, what
I would get, my gifts, my kids, my family, and eating my yummy food. After I got
back from Africa, that egocentric, self-centered view of Christmas felt very wrong.
I resolved Christmas was going to be different. I was not going to buy into
the materialism. I went to my husband Brice and told him of my idea of doing
something completely different.
You know what, Shelene, I love this, he responded. Lets make this Christmas about somebody else. Besides, its not your birthday; its Jesus birthday!
That was the start of an amazing tradition in the Bryan family. For our family,
Christmas morning is about serving other people. We have passed out Christmas
flowers in a retirement home, where a woman who had not spoken a single word
in several years was so touched she began to thank us out loud, to the shock of
the nursing staff. We have visited sick children and sung Christmas carols at a
childrens hospital. For the past several years we have been the guest chefs at a
homeless shelter. That always cracks me up because Brice and my kids have always teased me that the best thing I make is reservations. But the shelter people
always seem to enjoy the Christmas breakfast, never mind that the waffles are
not perfectly fluffy and the bacon is slightly burnt. When we finally get back home
to our own Christmas celebration, the joy that comes from serving others and the
amazing conversations we have about the fascinating people we meet are times
that have drawn us together as a couple and a family like nothing else.

Brice and Shelene Bryan

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Session Three

ALL FOR A BAR OF SOAP

In Love in the Time of Cholera, Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia

Marquez portrays a marriage that disintegrates over a bar of soap.
It was the wifes job to keep the house in order, including the
towels, toilet paper, and soap in the bathroom. One day she forgot
to replace the soap. Her husband exaggerated the oversight: Ive
been bathing for almost a week without any soap. She vigorously
denied forgetting to replace the soap. Although she had indeed
forgotten, her pride was at stake, and she would not back down.
For the next seven months they slept in separate rooms and ate
in silence. Their marriage had suffered a heart attack.
Even when they were old and placid, writes Marquez,
they were very careful about bringing it up, for the barely
healed wounds could begin to bleed again as if they had been
inflicted only yesterday. How can a bar of soap ruin a marriage? The answer is actually simple: Neither partner would say,
Forgive me.
Forgiveness is critically important to the success of marriage.
In becoming soul mates you must wrap and rewrap your partnership over and over with many layers of forgiveness. Why, you
ask? Because forgiveness is the only way to break the inevitable
cycle of blame and pain in a marriage. Two people living together
are going to, at some point, get on each others nerves. A power
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All for a Bar of Soap 29

struggle will emerge over a tit-for-tat issue: I cant believe you

didnt buy the cereal I like.
Wait a minute, arent you supposed to be in charge of the
groceries?
Dont try to pass the blame to meyou said you would buy it.
Yes, but I told you to remind me.
Why should I? Its your responsibility.
Such inane conversation bleats on and on in marriage until one
of the partners says, Im sorry. Will you forgive me? Marriage
cannot last without forgiveness. If you are looking for fairness,
dont look for it in marriage. Soul mates survive on forgiveness,
not fairness.
Forgiving your partner is a way of saying, Im human. I make
mistakes. I want to be granted that privilege, and so I grant you
that privilege. The fourth chapter of Hebrews makes explicit this
mystery of incarnation on a higher level: We do not have a high
priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we
have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we areyet
he did not sin (verse 15).
Charles Williams has suggested that no word in English carries
a greater possibility of terror than the little word as in forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
For this clause in the Lords Prayer tells us that the condition of
forgiving then is to be forgiven; the condition of being forgiven is
to forgive. So wrap your marriage in forgiveness. Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you (Eph. 4:32).

FROM GODS WORD

Therefore, as Gods chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and

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Session Three
patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of
you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave
you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all
together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:1214

YOUR TURN
Discuss the meaning of Christs message about forgiveness
in the Lords Prayer and how it relates to your marriage.
Give an example of a time when forgiveness broke the
cycle of blame and pain in your marriage.
Sometimes it is as difficult to ask for forgiveness as it is to
grant it. How can each of you work on taking the initiative
in this?
Have you ever fallen into the trap of believing marriage is
supposed to be fair? What allows you to make a shift from
fairness to forgiveness in your marriage?
What is one thing you can do to prepare in advance to face
the next unfair situation with repentance and forgiveness
between you?

SOUL TO SOUL
To deepen your spiritual intimacy this next week, make note of:
What you gained from this session together.
A pressure point in your partners upcoming week you
will pray about.
A concrete kindness you can offer your partner this week.

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All for a Bar of Soap 31

PRAYER
Lord, save us from making major issues out of minor incidents. Teach us
how to distinguish what is significant and what is not. Also, teach us to walk
the path of forgiveness in our marriage. Weave repentance and forgiveness
into the fabric of our marriage by your grace. Amen.

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Real-Life Soul Mates

Heidi and I realized early in our marriage that a prerequisite to intimacy of any
kind was a foundation of respect for each other and for our relationship. As a
result weve tried to build and maintain what Ive since referred to as a Wall of
Tenderness designed to keep out destructive attitudes, while keeping us close to
each other. This wall entails:
Not discussing problems in harsh, angry tones, but in attentive conversation, while working toward solutions that genuinely satisfy both of us.
Not joking cuttingly about each other, especially in front of others.
Never kidding about divorce.
Saving constructive criticism for when were alone and in a receptive frame
of mind.
Being willing to give in to each others preferences, and developing a language for conveying when that is really needed. Some friends encouraged
us to reserve the simple phrase this is really important to me for those
times when we most need to be heard and respected.
Regularly giving verbal and nonverbal encouragement to each other for
who we are as well as for what we do. This includes doing things that make
the other person feel treasured, including dinner dates, gifts, messages,
prayers, and time alone together without distractions.
Fostering an attitude that says, in effect, Id rather die than hurt or bring
shame on you. Youre the one precious person to whom Ive committed my
love for the rest of my life.
These actions and attitudes have helped us to build a strong foundation for
our marriage. Were thankful to say that after almost thirty-plus years together,
were still in love, still laughing together, still learning and growing together. And
were looking forward with anticipation to the next thirty years.

Mark and Heidi Mittelberg

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Session Four

LIGHTEN UP

We laugh a lot together. Not a day goes by, it seems, that one
of us does not crack up the other oneon purpose or by accident.
An unexpected expression, a mispronounced word, or a faux pas
in front of others is all it takes to get us laughing. A line from
a movie or sitcom that struck us funny will be repeated in our
home for weeks. But every once in a while, usually in the midst
of an intense and serious talk when one of us is not yet ready to
play, a joke will backfire.
Humor is always risky. What is appealing to some is appalling
to others. In a survey of over fourteen thousand Psychology Today
readers who rated thirty jokes, the findings were unequivocal.
Every single joke, it was reported, had a substantial number of
fans who rated it very funny, while another group dismissed it
as not at all funny. Apparently, our funny bones are located in
different places. Some laugh uproariously at the slapstick of Larry,
Moe, and Curly, while others enjoy the more cerebral humor of
Woody Allen.
We cant tell you exactly how to bring more laughter into your
marriage; thats a matter of personal preference. But we can tell
you that your marriage will benefit greatly from humor. Laughter
has important physiological effects on you and your partner. The
French philosopher Voltaire wrote, The art of medicine consists
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Session Four

of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. Modern

research indicates that people with a sense of humor have fewer
symptoms of physical illness than those who are less humorous.
This idea, however, is not new. Since King Solomons time, people
have known about and applied the healing benefits of humor.
Proverbs 17:22 tells us, A cheerful heart is good medicine.
In fact, the Bible as a whole reminds us again and again of the
sounds of joy and gladness (Jer. 7:34). The book of Proverbs
says that the cheerful heart has a continual feast (15:15). The
psalmist sings, Our mouths were filled with laughter (126:2).
Isaiah exults, Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth
(49:13). Jesus told his disciples that after he left them, your grief
will turn to joy... and no one will take away your joy (John
16:20, 22). The apostle Peter confirms that the Christians to
whom he is writing are filled with an inexpressible and glorious
joy (1 Peter 1:8).
Humor helps us copenot just with the trivial but even with
the tragic. Martin Grotjahn, author of Beyond Laughter, notes
that to have a sense of humor is to have an understanding of
human suffering. Charlie Chaplin could have said the same
thing. Chaplin grew up in the poorest section of London. His
mother suffered from serious mental illness and his father died
of alcoholism when Charlie was just five. Laughter was Chaplins
tool for coping with lifes losses.
Its been said that if you can find humor in a tough time, you
can survive it. Researchers agree. Studies reveal that individuals
who have a strong sense of humor are less likely to experience
depression and other forms of mood disturbance.
So it is not surprising that humor is good for your marriage. To
paraphrase the nineteenth-century minister Henry Ward Beecher,
a marriage without a sense of humor is like a wagon without
springsjolted by every bump in the road. Do your marriage a
favor. Smooth out the bumpy times with a little laughter.

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Lighten Up 35

FROM GODS WORD

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with
gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Psalm 100:12
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

YOUR TURN
Jesus was accused by some of enjoying life too much! In
your opinion, how does his life model humor and fun?
What things make you laugh together? How is your sense
of humor similar to or different from your partners?
Does your humor as a couple ever turn hurtful? If so,
when are those times and how can they be prevented?
Give an example of a time when your partners sense of
humor lifted you out of a dark mood or a worried frame
of mind.
What can you do this week to lighten up as a couple?

SOUL TO SOUL
To deepen your spiritual intimacy this next week, make note of:
What you gained from this session together.
A pressure point in your partners upcoming week you
will pray about.
A concrete kindness you can offer your partner this week.

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Session Four

PRAYER
Gracious God, we thank you for the healing gift of laughter and ask you
to help us to laugh together often. Teach us to see ourselves in the light of
eternity and laugh at what might otherwise bring worry or self-reproach. Fill
us with your joy and bind us together with cheerful hearts. Amen.

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Real-Life Soul Mates

We were high school sweethearts. When we first met, she literally fell at my feet!
I attribute that to my stunning good looks, but she claims she tripped over her
friends foot. Anyway, that was the beginning of our love journey. Shortly thereafter, my wife began attending the Bible club that I established in our high school.
During our high school years we also met a couple of times a week for early-
morning prayer before school.
Though more than thirty years have passed since that time, we are still finding joy in the journey together! We are different people, with different likes and
dislikes. Yet we find great joy in being connected through our relationships with
God and family. We have five children and four grandchildren, and spending
time with our family connects our hearts even more. If one of our children experienced a challenge, my wife and I would pray separately to seek the Lord for
direction. Although we prayed in two separate places, we were reaching out to
the same Lord. And each time, God essentially gave us virtually the same answer.
That always amazed both of us.
In our journey, we sometimes go on long walks together in the morning,
sharing our hearts with one another and discussing new insights that we receive
from our Bible reading. Other mornings, we work out at the gym together, chatting with each other on the elliptical machines. Yet other times we connect by riding our bicycles on a trail. Im always amazed how routinely doing physical activity
together has deepened a spiritual bond between us. We have found ourselves
experiencing the holy while doing the mundane. Sometimes we are making fresh
vegetable juice together or cooking a meal together, but our hearts are always
ultimately turned toward God.
Weve always both loved humor. We cannot tell you how many times humor has diverted what could have turned into an argument! But instead we both
end up laughing our way into wholeness and happiness. When my father was in
the hospital facing a rare and dangerous operation, I called my husband on the
phone. Just hearing his voice brought peace to my heart and confirmed that the
decision we were making was the right thing to do. The operation was a success,
and peace prevailed.
We both eventually lost our dads, but weve never been forsaken by our
heavenly Father! Our resolve is to love, listen, learn, laugh, and leave a legacy.

Dale and Nina Bronner

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Session Five

YOUR MONEY MATTERS

Why do you always make the money decisions? I asked. Les

and I were standing in the middle of a department store trying
to choose a new couch for our apartment. And it seemed to me
that he was controlling the purse strings.
I dont make the money decisions, he said, our bank account
does. That remark was followed by a lengthy, whiny discussion
okay, it was a fightover how we manage, or should manage,
our money. Was he in charge or were we in charge? Some of our
biggest fights are financially focused.
Money, of course, has always provided plenty of fodder for
marital discord. It is, after all, the most common source of conflict
between couples. And with good reason. The dollar serves as a
weapon of independence. It provides a battleground for disputes
over responsibility and judgment. Financial issues can even be
a forum for airing doubts about self-worth. A partner who is
financially irresponsible, for example, may be broadcasting a
message: Rescue me, solve my problems. A spouses reluctance
to accept gifts may hide a deeper lack of trust. A woman who
goes on a spending spree every time her husband becomes cold
and withdrawn may be trying to get his attention.
When money problems regularly erupt into shouting matches
or hurt feelings, it may be time to seek professional help. But if you
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Your Money Matters 39

are simply trying to avoid the embarrassment of raising your voice

in a furniture store, here are some suggestions from experts for
trying to work things out on your own. First, educate your spouse
about your own money upbringing. Talk over financial matters
regularly, at a time when money decisions are not pressing. And
if one person pays the bills, he or she should tell the other partner
where their money is going and when. And finally, agree on and
write down your financial goals, short term and long term.
It is hard for most couples to talk about money. Yet Jesus spoke
about money more frequently than any other subject except the
kingdom of God. His careful attention to financial issues is one of
the truly amazing things about the Gospel narratives. The range
of his concern is startling: from the parable of the sower (Matt.
13:22) to the parable of the rich farmer (Luke 12:1621), from
the encounter with the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:21) to the
encounter with Zacchaeus (Luke 19), from teachings on trust in
the sixth chapter of Matthew to teachings on the danger of wealth
in the sixth chapter of Luke.
Behind money are invisible spiritual powers, powers that
seduce and deceive. Paul saw this fact when he observed that
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils (1 Tim. 6:10).
Every marriage must build a fortress against these beguiling forces.

FROM GODS WORD

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths
and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and
vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:1921

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40

Session Five

YOUR TURN
Discuss the meaning of Christs message about money
from Matthew 6:1921 and how it relates to Pauls
warning against the love of money in 1 Timothy 6:10.
Give an example from your upbringing that illustrates
your attitude toward money management.
What are the financial goals you share as a couple, and
how are you working to meet them?
Most marriages have a spender and a keeper. Talk
about your roles and how each of you can learn from
the other.
How can the two of you prepare in advance to make your
next money conflict less troublesome?

SOUL TO SOUL
To deepen your spiritual intimacy this next week, make note of:
What you gained from this session together.
A pressure point in your partners upcoming week you
will pray about.
A concrete kindness you can offer your partner this week.

PRAYER
Loving God, help us to keep money in perspective. While it often seems we
do not have enough, save us from taking our financial frustrations out on
each other. And guide us in every financial decision. Help us be mature and
responsible with the resources you have provided us. Amen.

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Real-Life Soul Mates

Sharon and I have been married for more than thirty years, and were both task-
oriented people. We figured out a long time ago that our spirits most often come
together when were tackling things that need to be done.
That usually happens during our time together each morning. We have a date
on our back deck every day at 5 a.m. We spend that time reflecting on Scripture,
praying, and talking over coffee. For us, theres nothing better than spending time
with God and each other as we watch the sun come up over the Tennessee hills.
So what do we talk about during those times to strengthen our relationship?
The answer might surprise you: our budget and our calendars.
I know that sounds a little boring, and I admit its not what youd call romantic. But we honestly connect best when we openly and intentionally communicate
about those two things.
Now, the first one probably isnt a big shock, right? After all, everybody knows
Dave and Sharon Ramsey live on a budget! But its more than two people just
doing a budget together. Its the power of agreeing on a budget together as husband and wife.
When our spirits agree on our spendingespecially in the area of giving
we connect on so many other points in our lives. Those conversations really do
sweeten our relationship and help us grow spiritually.
And since were both really busy, keeping our calendars in sync makes a huge
difference too. We have to plan our time for each other and for our family. And
with our crazy schedules, we have to make sure were on the same page and
moving in the same direction.
Jesus said, Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Luke 12:34).
Our time and our money are just two of the treasures God has given us, and how
we use them says a lot about our heartsand our relationship.
To get the relationship right, we have to use the treasure right. And weve
found that working together on our budget and our calendars actually draws us
together in ways we never would have imagined when we were younger.
Like I said, it may not seem romantic, but its carried us through our toughest
patches in life. More importantly, its made us better people and better spouses.

Dave and Sharon Ramsey

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Saving Your Marriage Before It

Starts Devotional
52 Meditations for Spiritual Intimacy
By Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott
Every couple has a restless aching, not just to know
God individually but to experience God together.
Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Devotional gives
you a road map for cultivating rich spiritual intimacy in
your relationship.
Written by the creators of the most widely used premarriage program in the world, this devotional includes
fifty-two weekly meditations help the two of you grow
closer than you've ever imagined. Each week you'll
find:

An insightful devotion focusing on real-life issues

A key passage of Scripture
Questions that spark meaningful discussions
Stories from well-known couples, including
Jefferson & Alyssa Bethke, Gary & Karolyn
Chapman, Dave & Sharon Ramsey, Francis & Lisa
Chan, and Keith & Beth Moore
A brief prayer that will help you both draw closer
together and to God

Get Your Copy of Saving Your Marriage Before

It Starts Devotional!

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