Marriage Beyond the Bed: After You Say I Do

By Paula Artis and Tommie Artis

Marriage is a beautiful thing. The purpose of this book is to show and encourage the readers. After the wonderful wedding day and the honeymoon is over, the couple have to be willing to invest in each other to enjoy marriage beyond the bed.

We must always remember that in a relationship, we both bring fears, insecurities, and baggage from our cultures and environment. We must leave these things in the past and move forward to unite to become one. Every marriage will have disagreements, challenges, and difficulties. This is part of the process to help us communicate effectively and grow with understanding.

Everything in life is secured by its foundation; marriage is no exception. Your foundation must be built to support your marriage as a lifetime investment. There are different forms of communication; choose what is best for you and your spouse. There must be a determination between both partners; this is their lifetime commitment, and they must refuse to allow anything or anyone to separate them.

Each one must have something to bring to the table. Acknowledge your expectations for each other, work hard to do your part, and your marriage will last beyond the bed and the honeymoon.

Tommie and Paula encourage you to rekindle the marriage flame and keep it burning hot. You can love and be loved again. You can begin again!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524574048

Paula Artis

Tommie Artis, Sr. & Paula Sherard Artis are apostolic and prophetic leaders to the world, faithful servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have attended and graduated with honors from the Tabernacle Christian University. They have many years of experience in Pastoring, Teaching, Marriage Counseling, Youth Counseling, Prison Ministry, Street Ministry, Bible College Teachers, Nursing Home Ministry, Food-pantry Ministry, Radio Broadcast, Faith-based Advocates for Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, Apostolic Elders with Minister Prayer Network-Durham Chapter. Founder’s of God’s House Ministries International. Married 45 years, God has blessed us with four beautiful children and eight awesome grand-children. To God be the glory for all He has done!!!

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Tommie & Paula Artis.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017900068

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5245-7406-2

                Softcover         978-1-5245-7405-5

                eBook              978-1-5245-7404-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 01/06/2017

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1 How Did Marriage Originate?

Chapter 2 Our Marriage

Chapter 3 Family

Chapter 4 Communication

Chapter 5 Role of Man/Husband/Father

Chapter 6 What Happens When the Husband/Father Is Not There

Chapter 7 Duties of the Woman/Wife/Mother

Chapter 8 Major Causes of Divorce

Chapter 9 What is Domestic Violence?

Conclusion

After the wonderful wedding day and the honeymoon is over the couple has to be willing to invest in each other for a long-term investment to enjoy, Marriage-Beyond the Bed.

Tommie & Paula Artis

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the Holy Spirit who counted us worthy to bestow such writings upon us and to draw us into our divine destiny. To our late parents: Paul & Mary Sherard and Thomas & Gertrude Artis, who the Holy Spirit called to birth us. To our children: Evangelist Tomosena Artis-Palmer, Dr. Prince & Dr. Paula Uzuka, Pastor Tommie & Kimberly Artis and Minister Gertrice & Shakir Morton, thank you for continual love, support and prayers. Our grand-children: Shyquan, Ezakah, Josiah, Shaniah, Kyla, Kennedy, Khloe, Michiah, Azariah and A’Mariah we love you all. To God’s House Ministries International church family, thanks for your prayers and support.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Every season of our lives there are people that God has already set in place to help, encourage and make valuable contributions into our life journey. Their counseling and coaching is a great asset as we grow and mature. Many years ago it was a song that stated, The whole world is a stage and everyone plays their part. It is really true from birth through the adult years, each stage is so carefully orchestrated to bring us into our divine destiny.

From the parents that birth us or those that were adopted His plan was already in place. We appreciate every individual that God has placed in our lives their gifts, talents and their wisdom. Thanks to the living God that placed us in our mother’s womb and did not allow us to be aborted. From the midwives and doctors that delivered us to everyone that contributed to the writing of this book.

Special thanks to our children, who kept encouraging us to write for many years. Thank the Lord for the strength to endure through the hard times of our marriage, so these 45 years of marriage could advertise His Glory and impact this generation!! Special thanks to Xlibris our publishers, their staff and to Dr. Paula Uzuka for editing this work, Gertrice Morton assisting in the cover page.

INTRODUCTION

Marriage is a beautiful thing yet, so many today are frowning when they hear the word. Many have seen beautiful marriages that are successful, while others have seen or experience the open wound of being hurt so bad. Whatever you have experienced there is hope, you can love and be loved again. Don’t nurse and rehearse the past, divorce the hurts and baggage, allow yourself to love again.

As a young girl many years ago, I dreamed of a beautiful pictorial wedding. Beautiful fully bloomed white roses with a touch of baby’s breath to accent their natural beauty. My wedding dress would be so beautiful and white covered in lace and triangle shaped diamonds glimmering from every inch of it, as it flowed from my waist and about four feet long a trail behind me. I could barely sleep from the excitement of my special day. I would be married to the love of my life, my partner, my best friend forever. I can see him now, so handsome in his white tuxedo, waiting there at the altar for me. I ran to cracked the door that would allow me to peek through to see all the family, friends and relatives who had come to celebrate our wonderful union. Love is what we have and really is all we need. Weddings are always beautiful the dresses, tuxedos, flowers, beautiful music, love in the air and the excitement. We did not have any higher expectation beyond that day, we believed as long as we were together everything will be perfect.

There is so much work involved once one has left their parents and are working to be together forever. Presently, in our belief system marriage is portrayed as a man and a woman uniting together. However, in our society, if one does not feel good about it, they are told, just get a divorce and find someone else to make them happy. Everyone deserves to be happy. This is the wrong idea of