"So, what's in it for me?" It's a question worth asking about marriage, and not without reason. Just what is the promise of marriage?

• To the high school girl, it's her wedding day, a white gown, four beautiful bridesmaids,candles, flowers, and a friend-filled reception.
• To the newlyweds, it's shared vows, intimacy, friendship, and adventure.
• To the couple married 15 years, it's children, companionship, and building.
• To those married 35 years, it's watching grandchildren grow, the first signs of aging, and slowing down.
• To those who value God above all else, marriage provides a testing ground of faith--a laboratory of the heart that has promise not only for this life but for the life to come.

People change, situations differ, and dreams are shattered. But the same God who made marriage made it to endure the disappointments and predictable seasons of life that mark all good relationships. God can help us grow through the cycles of (1) expectation, (2) covenant making, (3) disillusionment, and (4) growing fulfillment, which we will be considering in the remainder of this booklet.

Keep in mind, however, that the issue is not just what our Lord says about marriage. Solutions are found by discovering what He has said about basic issues of faith and character and then applying those perspectives to the seasons of marriage.

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