The Spouse I Did Not Plan: Planning on who to marry, God's way.

By Ehi Anthonia Igbinokpogie

DISCOVER HOW YOU CAN AVOID TOXICITY IN YOUR NEXT RELATIONSHIP/MARRIAGE

In this book, you will discover practical steps on how to plan who you should marry from God's perspective.

No relationship is void of challenges but sometimes we can get caught up in the glamour of social media and the l

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ehi Anthonia Igbinokpogie
• Release date: Aug 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781800498396

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Copyright © 2021 EHI ANTHONIA IGBINOKPOGIE

All rights reserved. All the information here are under the exclusive copyright of the author and as such, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

ISBN:

Print 978-1-80049-838-9

E-book 978-1-80049-839-6

Book cover design: BrandWhizz Concepts (0906 854 1134)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1   The Cost of Not Planning

Chapter 2   God’s Original Plan for Marriage

Chapter 3   A Christ-Centered Relationship Is Vital

Chapter 4   Red Flags Are Never To Be Ignored

Chapter 5   Know and Improve Yourself

Chapter 6   Do Not Settle For Less Than God’s Best

Chapter 7   Life After Divorce

Chapter 8   Godly Friendships

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to God for all the times He saw me through. If I were told that God was going to use my story to help lives, I would have doubted it. The pain and hurt I was going through in those dark years were almost overwhelming. Thank you, Lord, for healing my heart and using my testimony as a tool to bless others.

To the person going through a difficult season, I see you and I understand you. You will eventually become all that God intends for you to be. Never give up. It gets better. Your best days are ahead of you!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I cannot express enough gratitude to my amazing family for their continued support and encouragement. To my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cyprian Igbinokpogie, and to my siblings- Ifueko Igbinokpogie, Henrietta Kuteyi, Anne Nmai, Matthias Igbinokpogie, Oghogho Olaloko and Thomas Igbinokpogie - I offer my sincere appreciation for your constant prayers and advice in making this project a reality.

The completion of this book could not have been accomplished without the support of my amazing team: John Olonade (of Ink-King Publications), Efe Chesterfield and Wisdom Asazobor. They worked night and day to make sure my requests were met.

A special ‘thank you’ goes to my Pastor, David Adabale and his manager, Jessica Mae Obioha of Jessica Mae Marketing. Thank you for being the midwives that supported this project. You made me see areas I was not thinking about and helped to set a plan for the entire project.

Finally, to my children, Natalie and Noel Kin, thank you for always being patient with me, especially during this project. Your encouragement when the times got tough are much appreciated and noted. You deserve a nice holiday!

Although God is the mastermind behind this, I am also grateful for all of you that contributed and helped in the making of this book.

FOREWORD

As an author in the field of Christian dating, relationships and marriages, I am no stranger to the fact that a lot has been said and written on these topics. However, in spite of this, I can confidently confess that very few books have had the ability to grab my attention from start to finish.

This certainly is one of those books! From the very first sentence I was gripped by this authentic, open, honest and thought-provoking book.

I commend Ehi for her courage and boldness to willingly share the depths of her personal story and journey. The book explores her experiences and the wisdom gained from it to assist others to avoid some mistakes (she has made) and thrive in their relationships.

It is always a breath of fresh air when those who have walked on a particular path can enlighten others on that path and that is exactly what Ehi has done in this timely book.

Congratulations and thank you, Ehi, for putting together this book which I know for sure will be a blessing to many beyond your expectation!

As for you the reader, sit back, fasten your seat belt and get ready for the journey- one I know doubt you will be blessed by.

Kunlé Oyedeji

Pastor, The Cornerstone Church (London).

Founder & CEO – The Empowerment Group.

Author and expert in the area of Christian relationships.

PREFACE

What Does It Mean To Plan?

According to Collins’ Dictionary, a plan is a method of achieving something that you have worked out in detail beforehand. In other words, getting things done properly can be traced to making the necessary plans required for that thing.

The good thing about planning is it sets a standard, a godly standard (in this case). Planning also reduces uncertainties and risks. Planning defines desired outcomes and serves as a measure of progress. When you fail to plan, there are tonnes of unforeseen and unpleasant consequences.

The only thing that God used to illustrate our relationship with Him is marriage. The Bible says that a man should love His wife like Christ loves His bride which is the church. God will only compare Himself with something of a greater value. Hence, we should never downplay a godly marriage as it is important to God. Marriage is God’s idea. Just like you plan for everything else in life, you should plan to marry, God’s way.

As you read this book, you would have a greater understanding of God’s perspective on marriage. You will have a deeper insight on how to plan who to marry, God’s way.

Chapter 1

The Cost of Not Planning

It was the 6th of November 2004, and my heart was beating very fast. I was panicking at the same time. Everything seemed to be happening so fast.

My worry was, What if I fainted while walking down the aisle like I did a few months before?

The ambulance crew said I would be fine if