Jackie Dorman - Married in 12 Months or Less: Reclaim Your Love Life, Heal Your Heart, and Unlock the Secret to Finding Your Spirit Mate

Married in 12 Months or Less

Reclaim Your Love Life, Heal Your Heart, and Unlock the Secret to Finding Your Spirit Mate

Jackie Dorman

Married in 12 Months or Less

Reclaim Your Love Life, Heal Your Heart, and Unlock the Secret to Finding Your Spirit Mate

2022 Jackie Dorman

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, and photographic, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are 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.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, represented by Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation. Copyright 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

Scripture quotations marked AMPC are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. www.lockman.org.

Published by Forefront Books.

Cover Design by Bruce Gore, Gore Studio Inc.

Interior Design by Bill Kersey, KerseyGraphics

Jacket Illustration: Shutterstock Images

ISBN: 978-1-63763-053-2

ISBN: 978-1-63763-054-9

This is a work of nonfiction. Nonetheless, some names and personal characteristics of the individuals involved have been changed in order to disguise their identities. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

T o my Spirit Mate, David. Your love has changed my life. Thank you for being the string to my kite, the hilt to my blade, and the implementer of all my crazy ideas. We are now, and will always be, an amazing team. I love you.

To my Mama, one of the greatest women I have ever known. Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader. I wish you were here, but Im so glad youre finally free.

I didnt even have to leave my neighborhood to meet the love of my life. I only had to walk out into my front yard and there he was sweeping his driveway. You are hearing me right. I met and married the boy next door.

Before you get jealous because that sounds so easy and youre thinking how lucky I am, and how you wish that would happen to you, I need to add one tiny little detail. I walked out into my front yard and yelled at the man who is now my husband.

YepI tore his head clean off.

You probably have some questions, so let me tell you the whole story.

During my divorce from my first husband, I lived on a quiet cul-de-sac full of overpriced townhouses. I had no idea that anyone was moving in next door. Quite honestly, I was worried that I could no longer afford to live there just on my income and was seriously considering moving out. My everyday life was filled with all the fear of the unknown that every divorcing woman feels, especially those with children.

My daughter, six years old at the time, was playing outside with a neighbor. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I was busy doing my mom stuff. After a short amount of time, my daughters friend came to complain that she had no one to play with anymore.

I asked her why she wasnt playing with my daughter, to which she replied, She only wants to play with the new girl!

The new girl? I thought. Whos the new girl?

I went outside to see what was going on, and my baby was nowhere to be seen. I ran around to the back, but there was still no sight of her. I started to freak out. She had never left the yard before on her own, and Id just received an email alert that we had a registered sex offender living in the neighborhood, so naturally my mind went right to the worst-case scenario.

Finally, as Im running around the cul-de-sac like my hairs on fire, screaming her name, here she came with a cute little blonde who was obviously the new girl.

Where have you been? I demanded.

At her house, my daughter replied.

Oh, really? Well, you know you arent supposed to leave the yard. Still upset from my frantic search, I feigned politeness to this small new neighbor.

When did you move in? I asked.

Today, she said. I asked her what her mom and dads names were. Oh, I only live with my dad, she replied. My parents are divorced.

At this moment, here appeared the dad talking to another neighbor in his driveway. Still full of crazy, bitter-lady-next-door adrenaline, I stormed over to him, interrupted the conversation, and very non-politely introduced myself: Im Jackie and this is my daughter and if shes at your house shes there without my permission!

With that announcement, I turned on my heels and strutted away. I was pretty proud of myself. I told him, I thought. How dare he let my six-year-old come over to his house? Hes a complete stranger. Didnt he think to ask her if her mother knew where she was? A WOMAN would have known to do that.

I felt smug. Id put him in his place and shown him the correct protocol for playing with the neighbors. Later on, as I was leaving to run errands, another neighbor stopped me; you know the type, every neighborhood has onethe gossip.

She managed to know everything that was going on. Sometimes I wondered if she went through our garbage while we slept. Im pretty sure she knew about my divorce before I did. Hey, you were pretty hard on that new guy, dont you think? she said.

Huh? Who, me? I replied.

Yeah, she continued, hes really nice. Hes a single dad of two, and hes a schoolteacher. She said it really slowly as if, How could you talk to a schoolteacher like that? Theyre our American heroes! And, she said, pausing for emphasis, hes a Christian. She smiled with glee. She knew with that statement shed hit the mother lode.

I frowned. My conscience started twitching.

She didnt miss a beat. He teaches at a Christian school and works at that big church in town Then she went in for the kill. Arent you a Christian too? She asked this while looking at me with big, innocent eyes.

So now I felt like a total jerk, which was obviously every bit her intention.

I didnt even have the patience to answer so I just nodded and hurried off to my car. I began to rally myself. I wasnt that mean, was I? Surely a protective mother isnt a bad thing, right? What does she know, anyway? He could be a serial killer, I assured myself.