Dear Romantic,
The first years of marriage are filled with joys, sorrows . . . and surprises. These will set relationship patterns that will determine the course of your marriage. As you begin your life together, you probably have some questions, and you know the stakes are high. We want to help.
If you want to navigate the early years of your marriage in a way that glorifies Christ and honors his Word, this book will be a great resource for getting a conversation going. In a series of warm, short, practical letters, Sean Perron and Spencer Harmon, along with their wives, Jenny and Taylor, guide you and your spouse through common “firsts”: major choices like deciding when to start a family, the everyday details of establishing holy household habits, and concerns raised by common sexual issues in marriage.
Open these pages to lay a foundation for a healthy and God-honoring lifelong relationship.
Table of Contents:
Foreword by Martha Peace and Stuart Scott
Introduction: How to Think about the First Years
Authors
Spencer Harmon serves as the campus pastor at First Baptist Church’s Nocatee Campus in Jacksonville, Florida. He and his wife, Taylor, live in Saint Johns, Florida, and have two daughters and one son.
Sean Perron (MDiv, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. He is a certified biblical counselor who has a specialization in marriage counseling, and he was previously the director of operations at the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). He and his wife, Jennifer, have one son.
Endorsements
“Letters to a Romantic: First Years of Marriage is a remarkable resource. It manages to be both extremely practical and persistently gospel focused. The plain, unembarrased, and open discussions about sex alone are a must-read. But Harmon and Perron go beyond the obvious essentials of sex, money, and in-laws and zoom in as well on matters like hospitality, godly approaches to rest and entertainment, and how to love a spouse who is doubting their faith. Whether you consider yourself a “romantic” or not, this book will strengthen every young marriage—and I can personally report that its wisdom is strengthening at least one older marriage, too!” — Alasdair Groves, Executive Director, Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation
“This book for newlyweds is needed and tremendously helpful. It contains timely challenges and encouragements as well as relevant instructions for people at every stage of marriage, though its material is especially relevant for newlyweds. Having been in ministry and having had the privilege of performing the premarital counseling as well as the weddings of numerous people over the past sixty-two years, I wish that this book had been available to give to all these couples as they began their marriages. Marriages that begin right are much more likely to continue right. And I highly recommend this book as a vital part of that good beginning.” — Wayne Mack, Academic Head, Strengthening Ministries Training Institute; Director, Association of Certified Biblical Counselors—Africa
“The early years of marriage can be some of the sweetest—and some of the hardest. This book is a gold mine for every young couple! . . . Do your marriage a huge favor and grab a copy of this helpful book.” — Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal, Cofounders, GirlDefined.com
“This book wisely addresses the most significant challenges that many young Christian married couples face in a way that is both practical and biblical. My wife and I are eager to give this resource to the young husbands and wives whom we have been counseling. It is fun to read and would make a great couples’ devotional.” — Jim Newheiser, Director of the Christian Counseling Program and Associate Professor of Christian Counseling and Pastoral Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary
“Sean and Spencer have hit another home run with their third in a series of important books meant to equip couples for the steps of their relationship from dating to marriage. While many books focus on marriage in general, Sean and Spencer have provided an eminently readable, thoroughly biblical, and altogether practical book for couples who are specifically in their first years of mar-riage. Brimming with wisdom and insight that they have gained from their pastoral and counseling experience, this resource will be one you will surely pass along to young married couples for years to come.” — Jonathan D. Holmes, Founder and Executive Director, Fieldstone Counseling; Pastor of Counseling, Parkside Church, Chagrin Falls, Ohio; Author, Counsel for Couples: A Biblical and Practical Guide for Marriage Counseling
Perron, Sean & Harmon, Spencer
Perron, Sean & Harmon, Spencer
Haykin, Michael
