Making Your Marriage a Fortress: Strengthening Your Marriage to Withstand Life's Storms

by Gary Thomas

Overview

The wisdom and insight every couple needs to keep your marriage together when the trials of life threaten to rip it apart and how you can fortify your marriage ahead of time.

Every marriage will face disaster. Illness or cancer. Job loss or financial burdens. Addiction. Anxiety. Infidelity. Loss of faith. It's not a question of if your marriage will face trials. It's a question of when.

Whether you've been married for five years or fifty, your marriage will either become part of the problem or part of the solution, and it's within your power to ensure your marriage is prepared for those seasons, is a place of refuge and safety throughout those seasons, and can recover well after those seasons.

In Making Your Marriage a Fortress, Gary Thomas, bestselling author of Sacred Marriage, guides you and your spouse in building a marriage that can withstand any storm or difficult season. In these pages, you will . . .

• Discover helpful and practical principles to protect your marriage from any struggle
• Learn to detect the warning signs of trouble and how to act on them
• Understand how the state of your marriage is magnified during a crisis and how to improve it
• Be encouraged through stories from Gary's marriage, as well as others, that you and your spouse are not alone
• Gain spiritual insight about God's view of marriage and how to live it out in all circumstances—for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, till death do you part

Every marriage will face setbacks and seasons of disappointment, but this book will help you keep your marriage strong before and after a setback happens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310347453
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,053,383
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 2.00(d)

About the Author

Gary Thomas's writing and speaking draw people closer to Christ and closer to others. He is the author of twenty books that together have sold more than two million copies and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. These books include Sacred Marriage, Cherish, Married Sex, and the Gold Medallion-award winning Authentic Faith.

Gary holds a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Western Washington University, a master's degree in systematic theology from Regent College (Vancouver, BC), and an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Western Seminary (Portland, OR). He serves as a teaching pastor at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Big One 1

1 Fighting Fear with Faith 9

Mentally Managing Loss

2 The "Unmatchable" Connection 29

Fighting to Keep Your Marriage Close

3 When Distance Doesn't Matter 51

Growing Together Even While Spending Time Apart

4 Emotional Attachment after Betrayal 75

The Three Foundational Building Blocks of a Marital Fortress

5 Too Busy to Connect and Care 105

Becoming a Relationally Industrious Couple

6 When Libidos Collide 133

Making Sex a Blessing Instead of a Burden

7 Faith and Finances 157

Using Money to Draw You Closer Instead of Pulling You Apart

8 Rebuilding Your Fortress 187

Overcoming Past Hurts with Truth and Transparency

9 Facing a Catastrophic Loss 213

The Power of Faith and Hope

10 Going Forward 243

Fortifying Your Marriage with a Deeper Spiritual Connection

Acknowledgments 253

Notes 255

Editorial Reviews

Every good marriage bumps into bad things. It's inevitable. But if you guard your relationship with intention, if you cultivate emotional safety, you can make it through nearly any difficulty to say, 'I love you more than I did before.' The key, of course, is to prepare for tough times—to make your marriage a fortress. That's why Gary Thomas's outstanding book is invaluable for every couple who is serious about enjoying lifelong love to the fullest. Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, authors of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts and I Love You More

Gary Thomas's Sacred Marriage provides the transcendent foundation of biblical marriage, while Making Your Marriage a Fortress gives us a look inside at the practical application of when God's Word intersects with the problems of living we all experience in a fallen world. Stephen D. Wilke, Ph D, founder, LEA Don University

Marital storms are a reality in human experience. They come with different levels of intensity, and in different seasons of life, but none of us are exempt. If you are looking for practical help in surviving the storms, Making Your Marriage a Fortress is a must read. Gary Chapman, Ph D, author of The 5 Love Languages

Now, more than ever, our marriages are under siege. Now, more than ever, we need them to be fortresses. Gary Thomas's sage wisdom—pulling in stories from all across the body of Christ and weaving them with God's Word—is fortress building. At twenty-plus years into marriage, I have found this book to be a gift to read. Sara Hagerty, bestselling author of Unseen and ADORE

There are so many challenges today that can impact our marriages. When real issues arise, we need more than pep talks and Band-Aids; we need wise guidance and practical tools! Well, Gary Thomas is a wise guide who provides great tools. He is also one of the most caring men I know. This book is an opportunity to learn from an insightful pastor who has a lot of experience and who cares about you and your marriage. It will help you come out stronger on the other side. Shaunti Feldhahn, social researcher and bestselling author of For Women Only, For Men Only, and Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages

With real-life stories, Gary Thomas's always-authentic style and shared knowledge from some of the best marriage advocates today make this a masterpiece of wisdom. From dating and engagement times to the most seasoned marriage, this book offers guidance through every season and storm. The takeaways at the end of each chapter are gold. Bob Rauscher, pastor and marriage coach (www.themarriagepastor.com)

From the Publisher