Darryl Strawberry - The Imperfect Marriage: Help for Those Who Think Its Over

DARRYL STRAWBERRY has dazzled many with his baseball career. He is a legend as one of the most feared home-run hitters in baseball. Today, Darryls purpose and passion is serving the Lord by speaking a message of hope and helping others transform their lives through the power of the gospel.

TRACY STRAWBERRY has a true passion to equip individuals to live out a life of freedom and purpose in Christ. Tracy is an ordained minister and her powerful but practical systematic teachings outline the steps of how a person can achieve change and live a victorious life through the power of God and actively engaging in the process of change.

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Praise for

The Imperfect Marriage

I love how Darryl and Tracy Strawberry share that true repentance was the first major step in the restoration of their marriage. The Imperfect Marriage gives hope to every couple struggling in their marriage and on the brink of divorce. A must-read!

Joni Lamb, vice president, Daystar Network

The Imperfect Marriage is refreshingly honest as it lays out practical steps needed to pursue Gods design for marriage. Using their own personal stories, our dear friends Darryl and Tracy Strawberry also skillfully impart hope to those ready to give up. I believe this book will be a catalyst toward the restoration of many marriages!

John Bevere, author, speaker, and cofounder of Messenger International

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Copyright 2014 by Darryl Strawberry and Tracy Strawberry

Scripture quotations marked ( NLT ) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. 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 of Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. http://www.lockman.org.

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

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are from the Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Howard Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

To protect everyones privacy, all names and identifying characteristics have been changed.

First Howard Books hardcover edition August 2014

HOWARD and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Interior design Jaime Putorti

Jacket design by Jason Gabbert

Front jacket photo and author photos by Stephen Hershberger

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Strawberry, Darryl.

The imperfect marriage : help for those who think its over / Darryl and Tracy Strawberry.

pages cm

1. Marriage. 2. MarriageReligious aspects. I. Strawberry, Tracy. II. Title.

HQ734.S963 2014

306.81dc23

2013046845

ISBN 978-1-4767-3874-1

ISBN 978-1-4767-3876-5 (ebook)

For our children

Giving all Glory to our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of our lives and faith.

To Our Amazing Children: You have fought your own battles while waiting for us to get it right. Your courage and strength are their own testimonies. The depth and degree of our love for all of you could never be measured. Although we are not perfect, this family has been through tremendous battles and we have come out victorious. We will continue to overcome! You children are the true heroes... we dedicate this book to you: Darryl, Jr. (DJ), Diamond, Alice, Omar, Jordan, Austin, Evan, Jade, and Jewel.

To our amazing godparents, Paul and Marjorie Leonard , and amazing parents, Gerald and Peggy Boulware , who are the true examples of light and love. You have loved us through it all. We would have never made it without you. Words could never express our love for you.

Pastor Fidel and Theresa Gomez: You embraced us in the midst of our mess and changed our lives forever through your wisdom, love, and never-ending belief in us. We will love and cherish you always.

Pastor David Blunt: Through your devotion and commitment to teaching the uncompromised Word of God, we became free in the Word at Church on the Rock, St. Peters, Missouri. You have encouraged and believed in us from day one. With much love and our deepest gratitude.

To the Team who made this book a reality: Jennifer Gates, A. J. Gregory, Jonathan Merkh, Becky Nesbitt, and the entire Howard Books/Simon & Schuster Team! You are extraordinary people and it was such an honor and pleasure working with you all.

This book is not written for individuals in an abusive relationship. If you or your children are in danger, you need to seek safety. Call the authorities. Stay with family members or friends. Get help. If you dont have a place to go, call a local shelter or the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233).

O ur prayer is that we as a society rise up and take the covenant of marriage back. We know the battles our own children have had to bear and the great burden divorce brings upon society. We must turn it around. We must change.

You are worth it, our marriages are worth it and our children are certainly worth it.

Take Your Marriage Back. Embrace the journey.

Darryl & Tracy Strawberry

M arriage is a battlefield. Trust us, we know. Our marriage has suffered throughand survivedadultery, addiction, financial ruin, and the consequences of our own inner struggles.

It seemed doomed from the start.

When we met, each of us was twice divorced, unemployed, battling addiction, and fighting for sobriety. I (Darryl) came to the table with millions of dollars of debt, legal issues, and deep-rooted addictions to drugs and women.

In the course of my (Tracys) addiction to drugs and alcohol, I voluntarily signed over custody of my children to prevent a nasty custody battle and was daily trying to find a reason to live.