The following are Web sites and resources that could help you to determine if he or she is the one you would want to marry. We pray they will minister to your heart.

Dollar Photo Advice Help Tips resources and recommended resources finances links planning your wedding the one

• Boundless.org From college to career to relationships, Boundless.org wants “to cast a vibrant vision for the single years, helping you navigate this season while preparing for the challenges and responsibilities of the one to come. That requires living intentionally with purpose by bringing your gifts, talents and Christian worldview to bear on your whole life.” This web site could possibly help you to sort out if “he or she is the one.”

• Startmarriageright.com Whether you are single, dating, engaged, or newlyweds, this web site is created for you with articles, interviews, and resources to help you prepare for marriage, because as they say, “We believe that your wedding day is just the beginning!” (And we agree.)

• Voice of Hope, This is a web site produced by CBN.com, which is continually putting together series of interviews you can watch to give those of you who are single hope and help in knowing how to navigate the dating world in a biblical way.

RESOURCE DESCRIPTIONS:

• BEFORE THE RING -by William L Coleman, published by Discovery House Publishers. This book has a different “spin” on things than most, because it actually focuses in on helping couples to know IF they really should consider marriage. It’s a book that is designed for couples to take the time to get to know each other all the more. It suggests questions for couples to to consider. Every couple wants an ideal marriage. Author William Coleman says there is a way to assure yourself that you are marrying the right person. Ask questions —lots of questions. Of yourself. Of each other. And then be honest with your answers. To get reliable answers, you have to ask the right questions. And that’s the goal of this book.

• Before You Get Engaged -by David Gudgel and Brent Gudgel, with Danielle Fitch, published by Thomas Nelson. This book was born from an idea that started during a Focus on the Family radio interview with counseling pastor David Gudgel on another topic. It offers advice and direction for those who are dating who are considering whether or not they will want to eventually marry.

This book can be seen as a pre-engagement book —which makes it unique. It aims at equipping you with insight to make one of the biggest decisions of your life. (It also has fun and endearing marriage proposal tips included as well as ways to gently ask your significant other for more time.) Pastor Gudgel says about this book, “My prayer is that whatever the future holds for you, this book will help you be sure that you are getting engaged, and ultimately married, to the right person.”

• Breaking Up -written by Stina Wilson, published by Kregel Publications. This is not an easy book because it challenges your thoughts on what God would want from you when and if you enter into marriage. A few of the questions addressed are: “How do you know if a relationship is godly? What does a ‘godly relationship’ even mean? Does it mean abstinence? What do you do if your relationship isn’t godly?”

Building on her personal experience and years of working with students in Young Life, Stina Wilson has written this book to help you answer these complicated questions. She will help you find out if your relationship is godly, decide if (and how) you should break off the relationship, cope with guilt and emotional fallout, and finally move forward to a new relationship with God, safe in the promise that He will always care for you.

• How Can I Be Sure?: Questions to Ask Before You Get Married -by Bob Phillips, published by Harvest House Publishers. This book is actually designed not to be an “answer book for marriage problems”, but rather it’s meant to be an inventory and “discussion guide to help couples open up important channels of communication; express their thoughts, desires, and feelings to each other; and enhance their growing relationship together.”

The author recommends that each person should have a personal copy in which to write his or her own responses. As the author Bob Phillips says, “If you will honestly share with each other your thoughts and feelings with regard to the questions, your future marriage will begin on a strong, firm, and mutually satisfying foundation.”

This book is also designed to be a helpful tool in the hands of Pastors and Counselors for pre-marital counseling. The topics covered are: Family Background, Previous Marital History, Status of Present Relationship, Religious Background, Children, Finances, Communication, and also has a Sexual Inventory along with a Wedding Checklist and additional resources. There is a good explanation in the beginning of the book for Pastors and Counselors, Teachers and Leaders (as well as for couples alone) to know how to best use this tool to aid couples know each other better before marriage.

• Is This The One?: Insightful Dates for Finding the Love of Your Life -written by Steve Arterburn, published by Zondervan. In this book, Steve Arterburn focuses attention on the beginning of relationships —before the commitment, before the emotional investment, before the children. He prescribes three sets of ten carefully devised dates designed to help couples reveal their true colors and clarify whether or not they are a compatible match. It’s a must read for engaged or dating couples, happy singles, concerned parents, and anyone who wants to make better decisions about who to marry and who to leave behind.

• SIX CHARACTERISTICS FOR A POTENTIAL MATE -written by Dennis Rainey from the ministry of Family Life Today. Dennis is often asked, “What should a single person look for in a potential spouse?” Singles want to know …and parents want to know so they can pass the information on to the children. So he came up with a list for males and females.

• The Sacred Search: What If It’s Not about Who You Marry, But Why? -written by Gary Thomas, published by David C Cook. “This is sobering but helpful marriage advice” as one reviewer wrote, and we agree. “Gary Thomas debunks the mythical search for a soul mate to help you choose a ‘sole-mate’ —someone who will lay down their life in faithful love. This biblically based book is for anyone who wants to be wise in their pursuit of a spouse.” (Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott) This is not a book for those who are afraid to look beyond their immediate feelings for the person they want to marry. It is a serious book about a serious matter —who you marry and why, and what to look for in that person, as you pursue the sacred covenant of marriage.

• 10 Great Dates Before You Say “I Do”-by David and Claudia Arp, published by Zondervan. This book has a unique approach featuring fun-filled dates to help seriously dating and engaged couples strengthen their relationship. Couples will soon discover whether or not to go to the next level of commitment, and will spend quality time together now while preparing for a great marriage in the future.

It combines the best of marriage preparation research with a fun, easy-to-follow format. Couples will love growing together while going out together. Some of the topics these dates cover: Share your hopes and dreams, Appreciate your differences, Communicate and connect, Develop spiritual intimacy, Evaluate your relationship, Celebrate romance, and more.

• 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged -written by Dr Norman Wright, published by Harvest House. In this book, “relationship expert and noted couples counselor Norm Wright steers potential brides and grooms through a series of soul–searching questions. They help people 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.”