Thomas - Cherish: the one word that changes everything for your marriage

PRAISE FOR

Cherish

Cherish is full of wisdom, practical advice, and candor on a subject so personal and sacredhow to live the marriage you want every day. Gary Thomas brings truth and reminds us of Jesus in the midst of our earthly relationships.

JENNIE ALLEN, author of Nothing to Prove

and founder of IF:GATHERING

Many of us vowed to love and to cherish when we married. We hear a lot of good advice about loving our spouses, and thats certainly importantbut theres more. Gary Thomas shows us how to put love into action through cherishing the one we love.

JIM DALY, president of Focus on the Family

Gary Thomas has given a deep understanding and application of a key biblical concept that is sure to take any married couple who applies it to the next level. A must-read for every couple who wishes to grow their relationship.

DR. TONY EVANS, president of The Urban Alternative

Sacred Marriage has become a classic, must-read book. Now Gary Thomas has written another wonderful book, Cherish, that focuses not just on loving your spouse, but on cherishingtreasuring, honoring, holding dear with tenderness, protecting, nurturing, and wanting to showcaseyour spouse. This must-read book will be a tremendous help and blessing to couples and their marriages.

SIANG-YANG TAN, PhD, professor of psychology at

Fuller Theological Seminary, and author of Counseling

and Psychotherapy: A Christian Perspective

Two words come to mind every time I pick up a book by Gary Thomas: profound and practical. I often cover relationships on my radio show, and nobody articulates Gods deepest desire for our relationships quite like Gary Thomas does. Hes both convicting and encouraging, challenging and empowering. If your marriage feels dull and lackluster, read thoughtfully and prayerfully through Garys new book, Cherish. Youre only pages away from a new day and a new way of relating to your spouse.

SUSIE LARSON, talk radio host, national speaker,

and author of Your Powerful Prayers

Every married person desires to love and cherish their spouse. Most of us have a sense of what it means to love well. Few of us have a vision of what it means to cherish our spouse. Gary Thomas paints a vivid picture of what it means to truly cherish another human being. This book reveals new pathways to grow a healthy, dynamic, and life-giving marriage.

DR. KEVIN G. HARNEY, pastor, author, and

founder of Organic Outreach International.

There is nothing more beautiful than to be in a relationship with someone who is supposed to love you... and they actually love you. Cherish helps bring home that sweet, happy spot in marriage.

DR. TIM CLINTON, president of American

Association of Christian Counselors

Get ready to be inspired! This book is sure to lift your marriage to a higher levelthats what it did for us. But Gary does more than inspire. He equips. He shows us how to lovingly care for and treasure our spouse like never before. Dont miss out on this incredibly practical message. Your marriage will never be the same.

DRS. LES & LESLIE PARROTT, #1 New York Times
bestselling authors of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts

Gary Thomas has done it again! He has a way of shifting my marriage paradigm to shed brilliant light on what it means practically to honor God in my marriage. By bringing to life one little word, Cherish will do the same for you.

DR. JULI SLATTERY, president of Authentic Intimacy

Every couple gets married with great intentions for their marriage. Their marriage is going to be different; its going to be special. But many couples lose their purpose, and life gets busy, hardships come, and the marriage they have isnt the marriage they wanted. Every couple wants to improve their marriage, but many dont know where to start. Thats what I love about Cherish. Gary Thomas gets to the heart of marriage. Soak in his wisdom, apply these principles, and watch God transform your marriage relationship into something you cherish.

JUSTIN DAVIS, pastor of Hope City Church, founder of

RefineUs Ministries, and author of Beyond Ordinary:

When a Good Marriage Just Isnt Good Enough

Ive always been a huge fan of Gary Thomass books, but Cherish is special. It shows couples how to turn disappointing marriages into delightful ones. I especially appreciated the chapter on honoring each other. As I work with couples in not just disappointing marriages but destructive ones, dishonoring is a significant issue. Im grateful for Garys validation of the fact that regularly withholding cherish in ones marriage can rise to the level of emotional abuse.

LESLIE VERNICK, licensed counselor, relationship
coach, and author of the bestselling

The Emotionally Destructive Relationship

Also by Gary Thomas

Authentic Faith

Devotions for a Sacred Marriage

Devotions for Sacred Parenting

Every Body Matters

The Glorious Pursuit

Holy Available (previously titled The Beautiful Fight)

A Lifelong Love

Not the End but the Road

Pure Pleasure

Sacred Influence

Sacred Marriage

Sacred Parenting

Sacred Pathways

The Sacred Search

Thirsting for God

To Skip and Lucy

I t may sound weird to say this upfront in the acknowledgments, but from the landing of the idea to the daily process of writing, God has felt like an ever-present partner in this book. On days when I needed an illustration for one specific point, a couple just happened to recount the perfect illustration during a spontaneous meeting. Many days of writing felt like straight-out worship. I am enormously grateful to serve a living God who I believe is eager to see his church grow. To say I couldnt have written this book without him would be the understatement of my life. To me, at least, it felt like God was all over it.

Many thanks to Brooks Powell, Mary Kay Smith, Alli Smith, and my wife, Lisa, for previewing earlier incarnations of this manuscript.

I am very grateful for the many friends and readers who graciously shared their own stories. Some have had details changed to protect their privacy; many allowed their lives to be shared unaltered. This book is a collection of the life experience of Jesus at work in marriages and the church.

My editor, John Sloan, pushed me pretty hard on this one, for which I am very grateful; his work has made this a much better book. I am grateful to the entire Zondervan team: David Morris, the publisher, has been an active and enthusiastic advocate. Tom Dean, my marketing director, has been patient and tireless, and Brandon Henderson and Robin Barnett have provided outstanding marketing and public relations support. Dirk Buursmas faithfulness in copyediting sets the standard for the rest of the publishing world.

I couldnt imagine being a part of this ministry without my agents, Curtis Yates and Mike Salisbury, by my side with their guidance, counsel, and advocacy.

One of the things that has given me freedom to focus on writing is having children who follow the Lord and make great choices. My son, Graham, and his wife, Molly, inspire me with their love. Allison and Kelsey are a daily delight. Ive seen so many parents weighed down with anxiety over their children that I feel particularly blessed to be inspired by these four amazing young adults.