Marriage:
      Is a beautiful ceremony - they all are. Not all stay beautiful, but they were Intended to and can.
Marriage:
      Is a happy occasion - they all are. It Is the living together afterward that's difficult.
Your Marriage:
     Will be tested daily by the trials of everyday life, but also by your adversary the devil, who seeks to destroy       God's greatest creation and His Greatest union.  He will succeed unless you are diligent to tend  your                 garden of love.  Weeds always choke out tender, delicate flowers.
Marriage is:
    Giving of your time talents and efforts - 100% to better the whole, whether you feel like it or not.
Marriage is:
     A divine conspiracy -- God lures us with love, sex and loneliness, creating a perfect storm. Linking us up             with someone totally opposite, forcing us to see life from a different perspective, through different lens.           Allow your differences to draw you to one another, rather than divide .
Marriage is:
     Forgiving the unintentional and the Intentional. Never allowing one to give all or take all. There Is no place       for pride or selfishness.
Do Not:
     Be conformed in your thinking to an earthly marriage, but be transformed in your thinking so you can               create the marriage God intended. It is possible.
Do Not:
     Settle for second best. Get determined to strive for God's best - God's way. He's already given you all you         need by His Spirit. If you will dig for the treasure in your own heart first - you will find treasure In your               spouse's heart.
D0 Not:
     Think more highly of yourself, nor do not think less of yourself than you ought, but use sober judgment in        accordance with the measure of faith given you by God.
Do Not:
      Let any unwholesome words escape your lips, looking out for the interests of your spouse, not Just your          own.
Do:
      Speak the truth In love. God chose your spouse as the mirror He will use to allow you, to see you! If you            are willing to look. Don't expect your spouse to meet all your needs -- they can't.
Do:
      Submit one to another - to achieve the same goals corporately not singularly. Allow your differences to            compliment your union. You can't score in the end zone. God wants you doing life on the 50. Your                    perception isn't always truth. Get a life! Marriage is a divine dance. Don't automatically assume your                  partner is out of sync. It might be you!
​Do:
      Get the boulder out of your own eye first, before you attempt to get the pebble in your spouse's                        eye.  God is the God of your spouse; and he does not need your help .
​The flower that fades -- crumbles:
       Always consider your love as the most delicate and priceless flower ever created. Cherish and nurture               your spouse as such. Handle with care and your reward will be great beyond measure. God never                       intended your spouse to meet all of your emotional needs, that's His job.
A Good Marriage:
      is achieved only as you order your priorities. Dance with Jesus first, then dancing with your spouse will be          easier. Pull together, not apart, being of the same mind, letting go and holding on with balanced tension          that allows open, equal and honest love to flow freely.  Pressure to conform is unattractive, and so is                neediness. Fill your own emotional cup first, then what your spouse gives you is the whip cream on the            chocolate. Freely give expecting nothing in return.
​Beyond the Seen:
      Is something unseen. Actively participate in expressing love not only In word, but in deed, in the visible              realm, and the unseen will unfold into a beautiful flower that everyone will stop to admire. You and others        will be blessed, and God will be glorified.

Written by the Holy Spirit
Penned by Carol Greenberg
March 13, 2003

What is a STEALTH LAUNCH DAY?  I had a dream back when I was about 11 years old to write a book. This dream began as a seed planted in my heart, unbeknownst to me, by God at my Maternal Grandmother’s home on summer visits.  I sat in her home and practiced writing thoughts and dreams as I just wanted to write; it never went away.
I made another decision in the spring of 2019 to give myself a 50th wedding anniversary gift.  Originally my plan was to go on a trip for “us,” since my husband loved doing that, even if this one would be by myself; however, I changed gears and decided to give myself the gift of writing a book instead.  It has happened, finally.  There have been starts and stops for a few years all along the way for many reasons, but God kept using people to push me forward. 
One person who wrote an endorsement, Rick Reynolds, asked me, “Why would you not tell this story?”  People have been where you are and they need to know God is in the middle of their story orchestrating events as only He can do, just like he was for you and Gene, and they need encouragement to stay the course.  The starting and stopping cycle continued repeatedly as I tried to make sure I really did hear God correctly, as I continued to check my motive for writing this.  I even decided against it altogether, at one point, but God continued to speak loud and clear through others who encouraged me to stay the course, and then through His own voice He continued to push me forward, particularly in those times where I was sure I did NOT need to do this.
I have agonized over delivering this “baby.”  It has been in the birthing canal for a long time and was almost aborted several times.  It is one thing to write a story about your life, but it’s another to open up, “experience the trauma of transparency,” and unzip all the places I said I would never divulge.  Again, this is where God insisted, for many reasons.
God is the God of all glory, and redemption, and this is really His story of redemption. I see clients everyday with all the same struggles Gene and I went through.  I’m not sure this is fair, but I think his Vietnam trauma along with his 100% disability seriously complicated everything; not withstanding my own emotional immaturity, and all the other ingredients that played into the difficulties.
It is reported that Vietnam Veterans experienced:

•  Higher divorce rates than many other Veteran groups.
  
• Social stigma and lack of support.
• Challenges with their identity since they came home without the respect they deserved as they attempted reintegration into civilian life, add a disability, and it all exponentially increases.
• Many Vietnam veterans, experienced challenges with PTSD impacting their marriages, as do all Veterans.  Unfortunately, no one knew anything about PTSD back then.  Fortunately, Veterans today have better access to mental health.
• The suicide rate for Veterans was the 12th leading cause of death in 2022 and the second leading cause of death for Veterans 45 years old.  

The guys who put their lives on the line to serve and protect us, who journeyed this difficult and painful road say, that unless you have experienced their journey, it is hard to understand and it was particularly painful for Vietnam Veterans since they were so disrespected when they returned.  This was the reason Gene never spoke to anyone about his painful journey, as he stated, “No one could possibly understand any of what we experienced.”
            For all the above reasons is why I was pressed forward to write.  But beyond that, all couples struggle with all the same issues.  God created marriage not to make you happy, but to make you holy.  Happiness is a by-product of doing marriage God’s way. We keep thinking that it is the “other person” that needs to change —News Flash—it is, but not necessarily. Most often the mountain that needs to be removed is inside our own heart.
“You hypocrite! Get the log out of your own eye, then maybe you can see clearly to get the speck out of your brother’s eye. —Matthew 7:5
            So, this “baby” has had an up and down struggle to see the light of day for a long time, and I just sent it off to be formatted this week.  As I did that, I experienced a wave nervous energy!  OH, MY, IT’S OUT!  Then another wave of relief!  “IT IS DONE! WHEW!
            There are a few more steps to go through.  It is now being formatted, then I will receive a sample copy to confirm all is in order and then I can offer it to others to read at a very reduced rate…as I understand it.  It will be very cheaply priced on my Amazon book page and I need lots of—seriously—lots of people to read it and write a review.  This gives it status and the more people who notice it, will hopefully be enticed to purchase it. 
Becoming an Amazon best seller looks like this:

• An Amazon bestseller is a product that ranks highly in sales within a specific category on Amazon within a certain time frame.

• The ranking is updated hourly based on sales data, reflecting real-time popularity.
• Bestsellers are often highlighted on Amazon's Best Seller’s page, making them more visible to shoppers.
• Products can achieve bestseller status due to high sales volume, positive reviews, and customer demand.
• Being a bestseller can enhance a product's credibility and attract more buyers.

 
That’s about it.  Stay tuned for the Stealth Launch Week where you will get more information on how to purchase the book and leave an Amazon Review within the timeframe that counts, because outside of that timeframe it is less effective for getting the book out and sold for a good Amazon review.
Stay tuned and thank you in advance.