The Urgency of Marriage It's Better to Marry than to Burn

This book is intentionally and primarily directed toward the procrastination of man (male) and his divine charge from God to take the lead in the marriage union. God has for his own reason made it clear that when it comes to the marriage proposal, a man should leave his father and mother and find a wife. According to God, it is the duty of man to take the initiative in marriage. Pastor Larry T. offers practical answers to complicated questions about love, marriage, and the urgency in moving forward now.

After marrying at a youthful age, Larry and his wife, Cherri, have been enriched and satisfied in marriage for more than thirty-seven years. Outside of God, Larry says, one of the sustaining principles of their marriage is they intentionally avoid going crazy at the same time. Although not perfect, they have a great relationship and a wonderful marriage. They both come from families rich with long marriages that all just happen to start at incredibly young ages. In most cases, their marriages started before the age of twenty-five.
Cherri's parents, Ike and Ietha Haggerty, were married for more than 60 years. Larry's parents, Leonard, and Ola Mae have been married for over 64 years. Such longevity in marriage is a testament to the possibility and practicality of success in marriage that just happens to begin at a youthful age. After a year and a half of courtship, Larry and Cherri began their marriage journey at ages twenty-two and twenty-four respectfully. And they humorously add, one of the reasons they have been joyfully married for over thirty-seven years is, that Larry never reveals who was twenty-two and who was twenty-four at the time of their union. As a pastor/teacher for more than thirty years, Larry has been fortunate to mentor and successfully counsel many married couples. He is quick to clarify, that the idea of marrying in one's youth is not original with him. The God who created the marriage union set the youthful standard for marriages. In 690 B.C. God used the prophet Isaiah, to declare the urgency of marriage. Isaiah wrote that a young man should rejoice when he marries a young woman (Isaiah 62:5).
The word "young" is the optimum adjective. So, the author has written this book from personal experience and a pastoral wisdom viewpoint. When asked for a formula to be enriched and content after marrying at a youthful age, he and Cherri agree that putting God, family and others above self is the gold standard. In the wisdom of Saint John, the Apostle, couples should show their love every day by sacrificially giving of themselves to each other (St John 3:16 & Luke 6:38). Also, it is important to never abandon your youthful spouse. You must stay together, even when challenges, triumphs, and tragedies take their toll. King Solomon's instructions to men are worth noting, "Don't forget the wife of your youth!" (Proverbs 4:18). Men, the idea is to stay with and always cherish the wife of your youth. Again, noticed the descriptive adjective Youth in this verse. Unfortunately, the collateral damage of broken homes, traumatized children, heart-broken spouses, and Legal Briefs of divorce decrees, all attest to the aftermath of those who have forgotten the spouse of their youth. In doing so, they have added to the death of the marriage union, by wandering into the arms of strange-mates and younger headaches. One should never forget nor abandon their first love but should always remember the spouse of their youth. The spouse of your youth will do you good and not evil. Whenever possible, finish with the spouse you started with. It is important to finish what you started. Having faithfully served twenty-plus years and the United States Marine Corps, Larry knows a little about finishing what he starts. The G.O.D.P.W.R. (God Power) acronym is the criteria Larry & Cherri aspire to in building a happy, and satisfying marriage. As a couple, their relationship is prioritized with:
?G=God O=Others D=Downtime P=prayer W=Work R=Recreation.