Posted September 18, 2011 Book: 101 Questions to ask Before You Get Engaged Author: H. Norman Wright Harvest House Publishers. Eugene, OR. 2004. Pp.131 An Excerpt from the Jacket: How can I be sure? Is he really right for me? Deciding to spend the rest of your life with someone is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. The key to a successful marriage is getting to know your partner before you take the plunge. Relationship expert and noted couples counselor Norm Wright will steer you through a series of soul-searching questions — even difficult ones that need to be addressed — to help you discern if you’ve met “the one.” Enjoy learning more about each other as you discuss: Your spiritual journeys How you handle finances Whose family you’ll spend the holidays with Previous relationships and breakups Potentially annoying habits and patterns An Except from the Book: How much do you value “personal time” — time to yourself to reflect, study, or recreate? If your partner is an introvert — one who is drained by people and needs quiet, private time to recharge — and you’re an extrovert, you’ll need to work on understanding and accepting these differences, as well as not invading their private time. Or, you could be the introvert, and they need to be with people far more than you. Understanding how each other operates is key. What is your idea of a “family”? What would you change about your family and how you were raised? What steps would you take to make these changes? The more you know about your partner’s family, the greater the insight you will have regarding their attitudes and beliefs about family. You’ll discover why they have certain concerns, what their likes and dislikes are, and why they need from you what they do. We are shaped by our families but we may not want to re-create them. That’s why you need a specific plan to follow to make those changes in your new family. Otherwise, you continue what you’re used to and are comfortable with, even though you didn’t like it. Table of Contents: 1. Warning — Never Marry (or get engaged to) a stranger 2. 101 questions to ask 3. If you’ve been married before List of recommended reading for couples