Andrea Merrell - Marriage: Make It or Break It

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Marriage: Make It or Break It

Published by Straight Street Books, an imprint of

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

2333 Barton Oaks Dr., Raleigh, NC, 27614

ISBN: 978-1-946016-20-1

Copyright 2017 by Andrea Merrell

Cover design by Elaina Lee

Interior design by AtriTeX Technologies P Ltd.

Available in print from your local bookstore, online, or from the publisher at www.LPCBooks.com.

For more information on this book and the author, visit: www.AndreaMerrell.com or www.TheWriteEditing.com.

All rights reserved. Noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, provided the text does not exceed 500 words.

When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: Marriage: Make It or Break It by Andrea Merrell published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Used by permission.

Commercial interests: No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Brought to you by the creative team at Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas:

Eddie Jones, Shonda Savage, Denise Loock, Cindy Sproles, and Elaina Lee.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Merrell, Andrea

Marriage: Make It or Break It / Andrea Merrell 1st ed.

Praise for Marriage: Make It or Break It...

In a sincere and open way, Andrea Merrell shares her marriage journey with the love of her life, hubby Charlie. If you are married, you will identify with some of the difficult aspects of those first years of marriage. If you are getting married, you will learn from these forty-plus-year pros. Be serious about making your marriage the best it can be. Marriage: Make It or Break It will put you on a solid path to making it and discovering Gods amazing gift of becoming one with your soul mate.

~ Linda Gilden

Author of Personality Perspectives,

Love Notes on His Pillow, and more

www.lindagilden.com

This short but powerful book should be the gift at every wedding, whether or not the couple is committed to seeking Christ. Even those who have been married for many years will appreciate Andrea Merrells vulnerability, encouragement, and wisdom. I was inspired myself, and Ive been married forty-five years.

~ Kathy Collard Miller

Speaker and Author of many books,

including Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries

Andrea Merrell is a gifted writer and speaker. Her words flow with eloquence and wisdom. Her life is a living testimony of the powerful God she serves. You will connect with Andrea on a deep, meaningful level and appreciate the authenticity threaded throughout each page of this amazing book. Your marriage will flourish as you read and apply the candid marriage advice Andrea shares, laced with humor and heartfelt truths.

~ LaTan Roland Murphy

Singer, Speaker, and Author of

Becoming a Woman of Interior Elegance

and Gods Provision in Tough Times

Commonsense advice, biblical wisdom, and authentic honestyall from a seasoned marriage mentor. This book is like having a cup of warm java with a wise friend on a cold dayjust the jolt to get a couple moving with enthusiasm again.

~ Pam Farrel

Relationship Specialist, International Speaker,

and Author of 40 books, including the best-seller

Men Are Like WafflesWomen Are Like Spaghetti

Reading Marriage: Make It or Break It is like sitting at your best friends kitchen table as she encourages you to commit to, protect, and fight for your marriage. No stuffy, academic treatise within the covers of this book. Instead, youll find a conversational, easy-to-read-and-apply resource for all marriages. Using stories from her own 40-plus years of marriage, Andrea Merrell takes a practical look at what can make or break a marriage. Each chapter ends with a recap of the teaching points and specific prayers for your relationship. Additional resources include discussion questions and a marriage quiz. With 50 percent of contemporary marriages ending in divorce, this book should be required reading for all couples.

~ Vonda Skelton

Speaker and Author of

Seeing Through the Lies: Unmasking

the Myths Women Believe

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This book is lovingly dedicated to my husband and best friend, Charlie, who has made marriage not only an adventure, but also a safe place to grow into the person God created me to be.

CHAPTER ONE

LETS GET THIS BUS MOVING

MARRIAGE IS TOUGH, even in the best of circumstances. Can I hear an amen?

They say practice makes perfect. Well, after forty-plus years of marriagepracticing both the good, the bad, and even the uglyIve learned a few truths. I actually told a friend recently, After all this time, you gotta learn something. Ive discovered attitudes and behaviors that can cause you to make it or break it and how to avoid the inevitable pitfallsor at least many of them.