The house will be beautiful, once you put in all the time, money, and effort to restore its exterior and interior to its former glory. And for Dr. Jeff and Michele Barnes, marriage should be seen in the exact same way: a "home" between a husband and a wife that requires maintenance, commitment, and love to bring it back to its glory days of first love.
Their new book, Marriage re: Designed, is a guide that can help any marriage where it is presently, whether for a couple upgrading their good relationship to great to a couple ready to throw in the towel in their marriage. Using knowledge from their years as marriage counselors, as well their years as a married couple, the Barnes hope to restore marriages through some helpful, redesigning tips.
What is most important to the Barnes is that God becomes central in your marriage. When we seek to live like Christ and keep God first in both our life and marriage, we can experience true and lasting change.
Marriage re: Designed, introduced in four building phases, highlights several areas where couples need to work together in strengthening their marriages. Whether it is communicating to one another to viewing each other as teammates and not adversaries to understanding what the Bible means to be submissive to one another.
Besides sharing their insight from their professional counseling backgrounds, the Barnes also share several moments in their own marriage when issues arose but through God, they were able to come to terms with these issues and resolve them in the best ways.
Just as you witness a house change before your eyes with the time and attention put into it, you can see your own marriage take shape and improve in ways you never thought possible.