About the Book

Book: Marriage Matters

Author: Cheri Swalwell

Genre: Non-fiction/Christian Biblical Marriage

Release Date: November 22, 2019

Marriage Matters Kindle Marriage joins two imperfect people who pledge to love, honor, and commit to each other for life. Eleven couples graciously chose to share their stories within the pages of this book because they believe in the sanctity of marriage. None of the couples are perfect, but they come alongside you and your spouse with experience and encouragement as you pray about how to live out your own marriage. Some of the couples work in full-time ministry, others have chosen the military as their career. Some couples have faced the issue of infertility while others have had to deal with sickness or death. Some couples have been remarried, others married later in life, and others have dealt with seemingly more than any one couple should have to face in a lifetime. All of the couples have one thing in common – their love for God and their commitment to marriage God’s way.Grab your favorite beverage in a comfy chair and get ready to be encouraged. Buy your own copy today, and one for a friend, because Marriage Matters!

Click here for your copy!

About the Author

Cheri Swallwell Cheri Swalwell is a Christ follower who thoroughly enjoys her calling to be a wife, mother, and writer, in that order. Cheri loves to encourage people through her Spoken from the Heart devotionals, Bible study Caring for the Caregiver and other compilation books dealing with the subjects of miscarriage and cancer. For a full list of books and where they are sold visit www.cheriswalwell.com. If you want to sign up to her newsletter to stay updated on all the latest news, you will also receive a full-length devotional free, as her way of saying thanks for joining!

More from Cheri

Back in 2007, long before writing was even on my radar, I had a conversation with God about writing a book that would offer hope to those who had lost a child. We had lost our baby the December prior, and I needed to know I would smile again someday. Little did I know that conversation 12 years ago would result in a series of compilation books encouraging others about various topics. The first one, Hope During Heartache was published in 2014, and it’s 13 different men and women’s stories about how they found hope after dealing with the death of a child.

In early 2015, I had another conversation with God and asked Him … “What’s next? Do You have any other compilation books you’d like me to share with others to bring encouragement?” In 2018, Peace During the Pain was published (a book about how to find peace after the diagnosis of cancer) which is 12 different men and women’s stories either about their own personal journey or the journey of a family member.

The goal for 2020 is to publish Joy During the Journey, a compilation of people who have found joy despite living with chronic illness.

During my 2015 conversation, I asked God if He would allow me to write a compilation book about a “happier” topic than death, cancer, and chronic illness. And in His goodness, He said yes! That is when He told me I could write about the topic of marriage, a topic I truly love because being married and having children has always been my heart’s desire. Not only do I get to share encouragement, support, and wisdom from 11 different couples with you in this book, an added bonus is that one of the couples is my parents, another is my youth pastor and his wife, whom I’ve admired for over 25+ years, and yet another is my present pastor and his wife. All three of these couples have significantly modeled biblical marriage for me throughout the years. But that’s not all. There are also military couples, couples who have suffered circumstances no couple should ever have to face, and new friends I’ve met through the writing of this book. I believe you will enjoy as much as I have the encouragement and wisdom from each and every couple who took the time to share a little about their life with you. I’m excited to share the stories between these pages … so sit back, grab your favorite beverage and be prepared to get encouraged!

Mindy Houng’s Q&A with Cheri Swalwell

What inspired this book?

In 2006 our family lost a baby. I remember looking for a book that would offer me hope, and I couldn’t find one. The books that were “stories” made me angry because the writers were angry. And I remember telling God, “Fine, I’ll write the book then.” This was before writing was even on my radar. Seven years later, Hope During Heartache was published. Twelve men and women shared stories of infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth and loss of a child.

When that book was done, I asked God “Now what?” And I believe He told me there were more topics He wanted me to share. He gave me: Cancer and chronic illness. I asked Him if I could have a “happy topic” too because the others were so heavy. He gave me “Marriage.”

I realized as I was gathering the stories for this book, it wasn’t as “happy” as I had pictured. Some of the couples have gone through much grief in their married life, but similar to Hope During Heartache and Peace During the Pain, God always gives hope, peace, or shows couples how to love each other biblically, because that’s what God does. When we choose to walk with Him through the difficulties in life, He shows up! Every single time.

Which chapter was the most difficult to write?

Being that I only wrote one chapter for this book (it’s a compilation of 11 couple’s stories, ours being one of them), our chapter. I was honored to have pastors and their wives, military families, and families who have gone through more grief than any one person should have to experience in a lifetime, so trying to figure out what to write and how to present it, was, for me intimidating. Many of the couples have had way more years together than my husband and I so choosing what I wanted to highlight was difficult.

It was important to me that the couples who took the time to share their stories were proud of the way their words were presented. One thing about publishing these compilation books, a way I know God is fully in them, is that there is always an underlying theme that becomes present as I edit and publish the books. A theme separate from the book’s title. While none of the other writers have any idea what each other have written, all of the stories flow together as though they were having a casual conversation with each other, each building off the other’s story. I love how God has done that with each book: Hope During Heartache, Peace During the Pain, and now Marriage Matters.

What would you like your readers to get out of this book?

Originally I wanted to write this book simply because I love “marriage.” I was the child in elementary school who was reading biblical marriage and parenting books instead of Nancy Drew. My greatest blessing would be that individuals (single and wanting to be married) and couples (newly engaged or married) would be encouraged by the journeys each of the people in the book have traveled, and then feel more confident walking out their own journey as a couple who loves God too. The icing on the cake would be for couples who don’t know God to be introduced to the amazing Father we serve and give their lives to Him, dedicating themselves to doing marriage His way.

What is your favorite Bible verse or life verse?

Our family’s life verse is Matthew 19:26, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (NIV) I love that verse and it brings comfort and also encouragement as we travel this road of writing and sharing our love of our Father with others.

However, throughout the years, God gives me different verses that coincide with the season I’m facing or going to face. Exodus 14:13-14 was the first one He gave me: “Moses answered the people, ‘Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (NIV) Another verse God has given me for a long season is Psalm 46:10, “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (NIV) I usually will sign my books with the verse that God has given me for that season. I love how God’s Word is living and speaks to us.

What is your most well-loved and well-used house appliance?

My mixer. While I am a terrible cook and by my own confession, cannot cook at all, I love to bake and people seem to think my baking tastes pretty good. For the last few years, while our youngest was still in elementary school, I would take home baked goods to his teachers “just because” as a way to show God’s love. It started with just teachers he had in the past (and present) and grew to be most all the teachers in the school. I wanted them to see God’s hands and feet in action. Not just teachers though. I bake for construction workers repairing our house, friends who are discouraged, my own family when they need an extra pick-me-up or a congratulations for something to celebrate! Baking is one way I like to show my love to others.

Thank you Cheri for letting us get to know you better!