When Marriage Meets Reality unpacks harmful beliefs about marriage, inviting you to release unrealistic expectations and fall in love with the marriage you have.

Have you found yourself asking “What is the missing link between what I thought marriage would be like and what it actually is? Are you trying to do the “Christian marriage” and it’s not working? You’re not alone. Marriage is beautiful, but inevitably hard. It is the coming together of two broken people, to create an imperfect harmony.

When Marriage Meets Reality, written by Dr. Tammy Smith, serves as a toolkit to help you fall back in love with your marriage. Contrary to what you might believe, the road to a better marriage is not found in turning your spouse’s heart toward your own hopes, dreams, and desires. Rather, the road to a better marriage is about turning your heart more toward Jesus. This journey will be a path of beauty from ashes, maturity through suffering, perseverance through trials, and life from death. Thankfully, at every turn, Christ equips couples with his power and perspective as a means of displaying his glory.

In When Marriage Meets Reality, Tammy diverts us from the trap of trying to change our spouses and challenges us to instead examine and discard our own assumptions and unhealthy expectations. She reminds us to fight from Christ’s victory as we engage in the spiritual battle by choosing to see a bigger picture, reject lies, and speak God’s truth. Filled with practical tools and a study guide for how to better express the power and love of Jesus, this book is written to equip you and serve as a forever resource for a healthy, thriving marriage!

Dr. Tammy Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of Ohio and Texas, a National Certified Counselor, and holds a Ph.D. in Psychology. In When Marriage Meets Reality, she combines her more than 30 years of experience in this field with her three decades of marriage to Pastor Mike Smith to gently guide readers from a worldly view of marriage to one rooted in Christ.