I Want to Enjoy My Marriage: Best Practices for an Enjoyable and Lasting Marriage

By Joy Hope-Minzie

Marriages face obstacles. Marriages have challenges. No one goes into a marriage with the intention for it to fail. However, the success or failure of your marriage will be determined by how well you and your spouse handle the challenges when they arise. I know that you want your marriage to be enjoyable and lasts a lifetime and that is God’s desires for your marriage as well. If you desire a better and more enjoyable marriage, this book provides you with some best practices to help you achieve this. Your desire is possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669836681

Joy Hope-Minzie

Joy Hope-Minzie has been married to her college sweetheart, David, for over twenty-nine years. She uses the best practices mentioned in her book as a road map for an enjoyable and successful marriage. Joy believes that marriage can and should be an enjoyable, lifetime experience despite its challenges. She credits her relationship with God and her Jamaican roots for her tenacity when faced with challenges. Joy resides in the United States.

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Copyright © 2022 by Joy Hope-Minzie.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

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without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the

publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information

contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been

altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International

Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by

permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

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Rev. date: 07/29/2022

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1 Best Practices for an Enjoyable and Lasting Marriage

Chapter 2 Best Practice #1: Love Without Limits

Chapter 3 Best Practice #2: Throw Perfection Out of the Window. It is a Myth!

Chapter 4 Best Practice #3: Give the Same Grace, Plus More

Chapter 5 Best Practice #4: Never Take Your Spouse for Granted

Chapter 6 Best Practice # 5: Manage Your Expectations

Chapter 7 Best Practice #6: Do not Compare Your Spouse with Anyone

Chapter 8 Best Practice #7: Be Your Spouse’s Greatest Fan and Cheerleader

Chapter 9 Best Practice #8: Change Yourself and Do Not Dare Try to Change Your Spouse

Chapter 10 Best Practice #9: Honor, Respect, and Submit to Your Spouse

Chapter 11 Best Practice #10: Pray and Play Frequently

Chapter 12 You Can Enjoy Your Marriage for a Lifetime

Bonus Reflection

Endnote Review Request

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, I give all honor and praise to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Special thanks to my dear friend, Sandy Jones, for her constant encouragement and prayers. Special thanks to my brother, Anthony Hope, who always called and asked me, When will the book be published? That was a great source of motivation! Thanks to my mother, Esmin Joyce Hope, all my siblings, and all my prayer partners. There are too many of you to mention by name.

Finally, special thanks to my beloved husband, David, and my son, Daniel, for their love and support in all my endeavors.

INTRODUCTION

I have been married for over twenty-nine years, and I wished someone had sat me down and gave me some best practices about marriage when I exchanged vows with my husband on that cool August day in 1993. Oh, what a difference that would have made early in my marriage. As I grew deeper in my walk with God and matured in my marriage, I have learned many things that have helped me to navigate through the challenges in my marriage to make it what it is today. The Holy Spirit prompted me to write this book to share these best practices with you especially if you are