Who’s Impacting Your Marriage?
It’s been five years since my first book, Ready or Knot? 12 Conversations Every Couple Needs to Have before Marriage came out (2/5/2019). There’s been a whole lot of life since February 2019: an election, COVID, multiple wars (still in progress), and so much more. On the personal front, we moved from Dallas to Waco and sent two of our young men off to college.
My second book, The Ready or Knot Prayer Guide: 100 Prayers for Dating and Engaged Couples came out on October 17, 2023. I’m so grateful for how both books turned out and for the incredible work the team at Baker Books did on each book.
While the prayer guide is written for dating and engaged couples, Kristen and I (as well as many married couples we know), are reading and praying through the prayer guide right now. Kristen and I read each day’s devotional together and then spend a few minutes praying together. It’s been so rich for our marriage.
As I’ve said many times before, I wish we began praying together consistently a long time ago. It’s been tougher to add a new habit to our already busy lives. As the saying goes, it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. And while prayers are not tricks, and we’re neither old nor dogs, the saying rings true.
This post is simply to celebrate five years of Ready or Knot? and to thank so many of you who have read it over the past five years. In addition, I want to celebrate a great release of The Ready or Knot Prayer Guide. I might never be a best-selling author, but I am truly grateful for the support I’ve received from friends and family for both books.
Two Couples Who Have Had a Huge Impact on Our Marriage
I want to introduce you to the two couples I dedicated the Prayer Guide to. You can read the dedication below, but here’s why I chose these two couples.
Carla & Bryon Weathersbee, Scott & Kristen Kedersha, Judy & Jim Wimberley
The Wimberleys are prayer warriors. They’ve prayed countless prayers for decades and faithfully seek the Lord together. They’re leaving behind an incredible legacy of godliness.
The Weathersbees have been doing marriage ministry together for more than28 years. Thousands of couples have benefitted from their leadership and dedication to strong, healthy, God-honoring marriages.
From my book:
This book is dedicated to two couples I greatly admire:
To Jim and Judy Wimberley— Thank you for modeling a prayer-filled life. None of us will ever know this side of heaven the impact of your decades of prayers for so many people. Eternities have changed, marriages have been healed, and joy has been found. Jim, thanks for being my best friend.*
To Byron and Carla Weathersbee— You’ve been doing marriage ministry for longer than most readers of this book have been alive! You and the ministry you lead have deeply impacted the marriages of many of my greatest friends. Thank you for pouring into their marriages and for doing the same for Kristen and me.
May every couple who reads this book follow in your footsteps as you follow Christ.
Your Turn:
Who is a couple who’s had a big impact on your life and marriage? Share below so that we may mutually encourage each other.
Note:
*Jim and I call each other “best friend.” Years ago when my kids were growing up, we had a conversation about the importance of good friends (PR 13:20). I asked them who they thought my closest friends were. They replied, “Mr. McGee, Uncle Wes, Mr. Sisco, and Mr. Nixon. Oh! And Mr. Wimberley—he’s your best friend!” For years Jim and I have affectionately called each other “best friend.”