Are You Waiting for "The One"? ? Cultivating Realistic, Positive Expectations for Christian Marriage

Does God want to write your love story?Well, maybe not―especially not if it is the culture's romanticized ideal of happily ever after! Margaret and Dwight Peterson help us sort out the difference between how our surrounding society often depicts marriage and how Christians really should approach this particular gift of God to all humanity. They guide us through many aspects of a growing, maturing marriage including being a family, handling conflict, friendship, children, household economics and weathering the transitions of life.In the end they show how Christian marriage is far deeper and stronger than a romantic fairy tale. In fact, it reflects the kind of love God has for us in the gospel of Jesus Christ who gave his life for us thatwe might have his life in us.

Margaret Kim Peterson (Ph.D., Duke University) serves as associate professor of theology at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. She is the author of Sing Me to Heaven and Keeping House and contributedto The IVP Women's Bible Commentary.

Dwight N. Peterson (Ph.D., Duke University) serves as professor of New Testament at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. He is the author of The Origins of Mark and the coauthor of a forthcoming title by Baker,Introducing Christian Scripture.