10 Great Dates Before You Say I Do

10 Fun, Innovative Relationship-Building Dates for Seriously Dating and Engaged Couples! 10 Great Dates Before You Say "I Do" combines the best of marriage preparation research with a fun, easy-to-follow format. Couples will love growing together while going out together: Share your hopes and dreams Appreciate your differences Communicate and connect Develop spiritual intimacy Evaluate your relationship Celebrate romance And more!

Small groups of couples can learn important skills and revitalize their marriages with this fun and unique approach. "You will love growing together while going out together."-John GrayAuthor of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Remember back to your dating days—the excitement you felt? Now you can reclaim that same spark, connection, and creativity in your marriage through ten intentional, memory-making dates. This proven approach to relationship growth is low-key, purposeful, effective, easy, and fun , and will help you * Communicate better* Put the sizzle back in sex* Process anger and resolve conflicts* Develop spiritual intimacy* Appreciate your differences* Balance busy lifestyles* And much more!Enjoy your dates alone as a couple or start your own 10 Great Dates group in your church or community. You probably already know 5-6 couples who could benefit from time-out to build their marriage and enrich their relationship with 10 Great Dates. See 10 Great Dates DVD Curriculum for everything you need to lead this effective, husband-friendly and fun program.

A simple dating plan that is sure to revive romance and rejuvenate the fun quotient in your empty-nest marriage. It's just the two of you again, and it's time to renew your relationship. You can reconnect and reclaim that same spark, excitement, and creativity you experienced before you had kids through ten innovative, fun dates guaranteed to spice up your marriage. Specially crafted for empty-nesters, these dates are based on marriage-enriching themes, such as: Becoming a couple again Rediscovering intimate talk Revitalizing your love life Growing together spiritually Relating to adult children Becoming best friends "10 Great Dates for Empty Nesters will fill your empty nest with fun, friendship, and romance. It is refreshing to read a book about marriage written by people who don't just believe in marriage but actually understand how it works." --John Gray, Author, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

The Perfect Remedy for Cold Feet! More than half of all couples who become engaged this year will never make it to the altar. Why? Leading experts believe it's because couples fail to really get to know their potential mate before getting engaged. Relationship expert and noted couples counselor Norm Wright steers potential brides and grooms through a series of soul-searching questions to discern if they've really met "the One." Couples will be much more confident about whether or not to pursue marriage after completing these in-depth and personal questions. Norm also addresses the delicate subject of calling off the wedding if readers discover that a potential mate isn't actually meant to be a life partner.

Build a Love that Lasts At a time when more people are delaying marriage or writing it off altogether, those ready to walk the aisle will appreciate a frank and trusted resource to help them start marriage on the right foot. This practical guide will help you explore your relationship in depth and will provide new insight into your partner and how the two of you relate to one another establish your wants and needs as individuals and a couple before your marriage begins lay the groundwork for open and honest conversation for a stronger, healthier marriage reveal how life events and family background can influence decision making in finances, family, education, faith, and career engage you in activities that lead to thought-provoking discussion addressing your past experiences and current expectations Engaging and easy-to-use, Before You Say "I Do" is full of tried and true wisdom to help you plan for your future and build a lasting relationship with the one you love.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A candid, inspiring guide to finding lasting love and sustaining a healthy relationship by getting real about your goals—based on the viral, multi-million-view sermon series about dating, marriage, and sex “No matter where you are and no matter what stage of life you are in, Relationship Goals will be a game changer.”—Levi Lusko NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY COSMOPOLITAN You scroll through photo after photo of happy couples and think, I want a relationship like that! The thing is, those intimate relationships are a mirage—the closer you get to them, the more you realize they aren’t real at all. So what does a real relationship look like? And how do you get there? In Relationship Goals, Pastor Michael Todd digs deep to give you good news and real-life ideas for making the most of your most important relationships. Take a look at • what it means to choose intentional dating over recreational dating • how to move on from mistakes you’ve made in the past • why love gets stronger after marriage • what the Bible has to say about sex (hot take: it’s more sizzling than you think) • why the best friendships have God at the center Whether you are married, single, or it’s complicated, aiming for the right targets will make all the difference in finding true satisfaction. As it turns out, God’s got the best relationship goals of all for your life. Why settle for less?

Finally, a Way to Connect Spiritually That You'll BOTH Enjoy! While juggling the kids, work, church, and community commitments, are you and your spouse finding time to connect? When was the last time you had a good talk about faith or did a devotional together? To help you jump-start deeper connections, four marriage experts have come up with 10 creative date ideas, each centered on a spiritual theme, including · Appreciating your differences · Experiencing God together · Facing the storms of life · Connecting through prayer With the planning taken care of--including flexible suggestions for before, during, and after the date--you and your spouse can simply enjoy the time sharing what's important in life. Download a free leader's guide for small groups at 10greatdates.org. "Finally, here is a book that helps couples connect spiritually, and all in the fun format of Great Dates. I highly recommend this book for couples, small groups, and churches who want to strengthen and build godly marriages."--Gary Chapman, PhD, author of The 5 Love Languages "This book goes beyond spending time together. It offers guidance on deepening an emotional and spiritual bond. Each exercise provides insight and opportunities to authentically know and be known in new ways, bringing honor to one another and glory to God."--Gayle DiMartino, marriage ministry director, Willow Creek Community Church "This book is both practical and fun. It gives couples tangible ways to grow together spiritually all in the fun, guilt-free format of great dates. The Larsons and Arps have done the work. All you need to do is carve out time for your 10 Great Dates!"--Gary Smalley, author of The DNA of Relationships "Don't settle for an individual faith walk when connecting spiritually as a couple could transform your marriage. This book provides an effective road map for couples who want to journey together."--Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, #1 New York Times authors of The Good Fight "This wonderfully written book takes what often is an elusive and mysterious discipline for couples and provides 10 life-building opportunities to move past the mundane of life and get to what really matters. Experience it!"--Ron L. Deal, author of The Smart Stepfamily and coauthor of The Remarriage Checkup "Few things possess the potential to add to the overall satisfaction and meaning of marriage like really connecting spiritually. The Larsons and the Arps do an amazing job of gracefully and playfully helping us walk together toward fulfilling our deepest longings and desires."--Robert Paul, co-president, National Institute of Marriage "With its focus on spiritual intimacy, this book is a refreshing change from the standard marriage materials on emotional and physical connection. The Larsons and Arps have provided us with an amazing resource."--Shawn Stoever, PhD, senior director, WinShape Foundation "This book will refresh your marriage. You can't beat the life-changing content, 10 meaningful dates, and the wisdom of some of America's finest marriage experts."--Jim and Cathy Burns, authors of Closer: 52 Devotions to Draw Couples Together; speakers at Creating an Intimate Marriage seminars

OVER 500,000 COPIES SOLD! “Most people spend far more time in preparation for their vocation than they do in preparation for marriage.” With more than 45 years of experience counseling couples, Gary has found that most marriages suffer due to a lack of preparation and a failure to learn to work together as intimate teammates. So he put together this practical little book, packed with wisdom and tips that will help many develop the loving, supportive, and mutually beneficial marriage they envision, such as: What the adequate foundation for a successful marriage truly is What to expect about the roles and influence of extended family How to solve disagreements without arguing How to talk through issues like money, sex, chores, and more Why couples must learn how to apologize and forgive Ideal for newly married couples and those considering marriage, the material lends itself to heart-felt, revealing, and critical conversations for relational success. Read this bookand you’ll be prepared for—not surprised by—the challenges of marriage. - Bonus features include: Book suggestions and an interactive websites to enhance the couples’ experience “Talking it Over” questions and suggestions to jumpstart conversations over each chapter Appendix on healthy dating relationships and an accompanying learning exercise