All Because of Love

By Penelope Marie

So many times we have dreams and desires that we never want to give up on, and we strive to see them become a reality. Our lives are easier because of modern technologies that started with a dream or an idea. Why is it that our society gives up so easily on marriage?

When a marriage is failing and love is fading, many couples think that divorce is the only way out, so they give up on their dreams. We live in a throw-it-away society; if it is broken, just throw it away and get a new one.

In All Because of Love, author Penelope Marie takes readers on a journey through the realities of marriage. She shares how God took her marriage that was failing and her love that was fading and led her and her husband through a journey of restoration.

No matter what problems are being faced in a marriage, there is hope. A husband or wife may have deep pain in their heart and soul because of their situation, but when they have the necessary tools to repair what is broken and falling apart, they are able to make the needed repairs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 10, 2011
• ISBN: 9781449726171

Penelope Marie

Married for thirty-seven years and following the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Penelope Marie is sharing what she has experienced along her journey. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, singer and songwriter, has taught Bible studies and led women's groups. Penelope Marie and her husband live in Round Rock, Texas.

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Copyright © 2011 Penelope Hazelbaker

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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-2617-1 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-2618-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-2619-5 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011915628

Printed in the United States of America

WestBow Press rev. date: 09/26/2011

Contents

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter One

Marriage

Chapter Two

Becoming One Flesh

Chapter Three

After the Wedding Day

Chapter Four

What are Your Expectations?

Chapter Five

Dear Husband

Chapter Six

Dear Wife

Chapter Seven

Our Story

Chapter Eight

Let Us Reason Together

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my loving husband of thirty-seven years through whom our Lord had given me the reason for writing this book.

Introduction

You may be asking yourself, Why another book on marriage? Well, I have been thinking about doing this for a long time now, and many ideas have crossed my mind. There are many other books on marriage by authors who are doctors, counselors, and pastors. I am none of these. I am a Christian woman who has been through much as a wife and been taught many lessons along the way by the Lord. I have also observed other married couples who have suffered because of misunderstandings of how a marriage between two followers of Jesus Christ should be.

I have felt led by the Holy Spirit to write this book. After spending much time in prayer and consideration, I share these words from the depth my heart and soul. I am hopeful that whoever reads this will be encouraged to follow their hearts and seek the Lord to make the necessary improvements in their relationship with their spouse, so their marriage will honor and glorify our Lord. Also, for those couples who are engaged, this can be very helpful in preparing for your future marriage.

It has been twelve years since I first felt inspired to write this book. There have been many interruptions in my life including, loss of jobs, moving, and deaths in our families, to name a few. At times, I almost gave up the idea. However, the Lord kept reminding me that he gave me the inspiration, and I needed to be faithful to see this project come to completion to share how he saved our marriage, as well as to minister to others. May you be blessed and may your marriage become richer and even more fulfilling.

So many times we have dreams and desires that we never want to give up on and strive to see them become a reality. If it wasn’t for the dreams people didn’t give up on, there would be much we would have to do without. Our lives are easier because of modern technologies that started with a dream or an idea. Why is it that our society gives up so easily on marriage?

I would like to say something to those of you who have been divorced and remarried. Yes, God hates divorce, but through his grace, mercy, and forgiveness provided by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, he will give you restoration and a new beginning. Seek to please the Lord in whatever season of life you may be in.

Chapter One

Marriage

Why do we get married?

When I was a young girl, we spent a lot of time around our relatives. I remember observing how husbands and wives treated each other. Some were kind while others yelled and cussed at each other like it was just the normal way to be. I come from a broken family. My parents divorced when I was eight and Mom remarried two years later. My step-father treated my mom with love, kindness, gentleness, and respect. This gave me a very good example of how a marriage should be. I witnessed a lot of love and respect shared between the two of them over many years.

While I was growing up, marriage was what most young girls looked forward to. You know, getting married, buying a home with a white picket fence, and having children, like those wonderful old movies I grew up watching where everyone lived happily ever after.

Well, much has changed since then and life is very different in our world today. It seems like marriage is no longer considered precious or something to look forward to by many people.

Our society has accepted that it’s okay for couples to live together before getting married. Couples often choose not to get married because of the high divorce rate. If the relationship doesn’t work out, they can choose to just walk away from each other without going through a divorce. Where is the commitment to each other? No wonder our young people are so confused about what marriage is all about! They may be afraid of getting married because of what they see happening to their parents relationship, and because the percentage rate of marriages ending up in divorce is so high. They don’t want to make the same mistake. What are we teaching the younger generation? Even Christians are following these worldly lifestyles and thinking it is acceptable.

Is our society confused about what marriage really is?

What is marriage?

This is my simple definition: Marriage is the coming together of a man and a woman with a lifetime commitment of dedicating themselves to loving and caring for each other, no matter what happens, and sharing their lives together.

The Wedding Day

Planning for a wedding can be extremely stressful! What was your wedding day like? Take some time to think about that day. How did you two meet and what brought you to the decision to get married? What characteristics did you appreciate in your partner? How were you feeling on your wedding day? Did you feel excited and nervous about the ceremony? You may have had a very elaborate wedding, a small, simple one, or maybe you stood before a justice of the peace. Whatever you chose, this was your very special day with very special memories. Each detail was important, and you may have been thinking, Lord willing, nothing will go wrong! I think it is good to reminisce about our wedding day. It can remind us of the way we felt about our spouse at that time and how happy we were. Sometimes we need a reminder of why we got married.

A wedding ceremony is a celebration of two hearts becoming one in the presence of many witnesses, including the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is the beginning of a very special bond between the bride and groom. The bride makes herself look as beautiful as she can to present herself to her groom, and the groom waits in nervous anticipation as he anxiously looks for his bride to appear and come down the aisle.

The Wedding Vows

During the marriage ceremony, the bride and groom share special vows. Some still use the traditional vows, and others like to write their own. These vows are not just something to be repeated meaninglessly without serious consideration. It is so important to realize the commitment you are making to each other and to understand the meaning of these vows. Gain an understanding of how important vows are to God. We know that it is important to read the small print before we sign on the bottom line, to know the full terms of a contract for a loan or other legal agreement. In the same way, it is necessary to know the seriousness of the marriage covenant you are about to make a vow to.

Let’s take a look at the traditional wedding vows:

I__take__to be my lawfully wedded husband (wife). To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.

There are many different versions of the traditional wedding vows. As we look at these vows, I would like to share with you some of my interpretations of what these vows mean. Perhaps this will help to give you a deeper understanding of the actual commitment being made by the bride and groom.

For better, for worse — Life is never void of problems. We will have good times and bad, as we go through the journey together. There needs to