About the Book:
Maybe you just got engaged or maybe you’re a fresh-faced
newlywed, dreaming of your future but a little unsure of how this marriage thing
works. Or, perhaps you’re well on your way to your 10th anniversary but admit your
marriage could use a little rejuvenating, or in some cases, a complete restoration.
“It’s way easier to tie the marriage knot together at the altar on that perfect
wedding day than it is to do the hard work of tightening it each day, week, month,
and year,” says Ron Zappia, co-author with his wife, Jody, of The Marriage Knot:
7 Choices that Keep Couples Together (Moody Publishers/January 2019). “The
marriage covenant begins as a strong, tightly tied knot of commitment, love,
devotion, and affection. Over time, however, left to itself the knot loosens; if left
too long, it can completely unravel.”
Zappia, senior pastor and founder of Highpoint Church in Chicagoland and the
teaching ministry, Highpoint Ministries, along with his wife, Jody, lead The Knot
Marriage Conference as well as counsel many couples, all with the goal of helping couples strengthen their
marriages through marriage enrichment and restoration. The Zappias were high school sweethearts, married after
college, and faced a major crisis in the first year of their marriage, leaving them on the brink of divorce and with
the need to rebuild their marriage from the ground up.
“It’s not a question of if a storm is coming, but when,” says Ron. “It’s not a question of if the storm will cause
damage, but rather how much. It’s not about how I will face the problems and pitfalls if they arise, but rather what
I will do when they arise. Storms can seriously fray or even destroy our own marriage knot. We can only be ready
if we choose to build our lives, and our marriage, on the Rock.”
In The Marriage Knot, they share their personal story and seven principles they’ve learned to help couples tighten
the knot and make certain that bond of commitment and affection remains strong.
Drawn directly from the Bible
and experienced in their own marriage, these seven principles include:
• Growing Spiritually: Build your individual lives and marriage on the solid and secure rock of Jesus.
• Love Unconditionally: God calls us to live with a love that endures all things.
• Serve Sacrificially: Know your biblical roles and responsibilities. Once you know them, you choose to
fulfill them regularly and consistently during the changing seasons of marriage.
• Please Regularly: Learn the seven purposes for sex in the marriage bond
• Persevere Persistently: Trials in marriage, whether from outside or within, are inevitable.
• Communicate Respectfully: The words we choose to say or the words we choose not to say have a
great and lasting impact.
• Bless Abundantly: Bless your spouse practically, prayerfully, verbally, romantically, financially, spiritually,
and faithfully.
My Review:
The choices you make each and every day determine not only your relationship with God but also the quality of your marriage. The decisions you make today will determine the marriage you will have tomorrow.
Jason and I have been married for 16 years. The beginning was rocky. Our communication skills were rough, we were raising six kids, he didn't have God in his life, and I didn't have a strong focus on God. It was a recipe for disaster, and divorce.
These last six years of our marriage have been stronger than ever. We've learned to talk effectively to each other, take time out for ourselves, and have a strong relationship with God. Our marriage isn't perfect, but I can honestly say I'm committed to staying in it with Jason and I'm more in love with him than ever before.
The Marriage Knot: 7 Choices that Keep Couples Together is a guide to help couples (and single people) work towards and obtain a marriage as it's intended to be. The book focuses on seven choice commitments and explains how they can be applied to a marriage.
While I believe that not all marriages can be made fail-proof, I do believe that the choice commitments outlined in this book can help couples if they apply them to their lives. I found this book to have valuable information on how to build on a firm marriage foundation. It's written in a way that makes it applicable to people of all walks of life, and is quoted with scripture to show how God intends a marriage to be.
This book can be used by one single reader or it can be used in a Small Group setting. There are Small Group Discussion questions in the back that cover each chapter. Regardless of whether you read this book alone or with a group, I think going through the questions helps the reader evaluate and reflect to become a better life partner.
Win It!
One person will win a paperback book copy of
The Marriage Knot: 7 Choices that Keep Couples Together.
*This is a Rafflecopter giveaway open to residents of the USA.*
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received book for review. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services. Your opinions and results may differ.
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