Forever and Always

This book reflects a multi disciplinary, integrative approach to the theology and practice of relational intimacy. It combines biblical data on sexuality and relationships with marriage and bonding research. The reader is then guided in applying the research to his or her relationships. In essence, this is a handbook for understanding and deepening the stages involved in bonding or attaching closely to another human being. Marriage, the most intimate of all human relationships, is described in Scripture as a ""one-flesh mystery"" (Eph 5:31-32). This mystery of human bonding is as beautiful as it is complex, particularly in a post-Eden world. Many of us are woefully aware of our relational deficits, yet lack vibrant marriages around us to emulate. Those of us who have not experienced relationships of health, safety, and security particularly find we need roadmaps along the way. Our desire is that in the pages of this book readers will find personal encouragement and direction that is both biblically precise and practical for their relational journeys. Our intimacy model is built upon God's bold promises to heal and redeem. His pathways bring life; he is the one true lover of our souls. Our intimacy with him is foundational to all other relationships. ""We live in an age where virtual reality and perverse sexual fantasy have often replaced intimacy in our most significant relationships, including marriage. In Forever and Always: The Art of Intimacy, Steven and Celestia Tracy provide prophetic, pastoral, and practical insights on how to nurture and protect relational intimacy. I highly recommend this handbook as a guide for preparing for as well as restoring and enhancing the masterpiece of one's marriage."" --Paul Louis Metzger Professor of Christian Theology & Theology of Culture Multnomah Biblical Seminary ""Grounded in sound biblical Truth, Steven and Celestia weave their rich life experience and scholarly research into a guide for couples serious about pursuing intimacy in their marriage. Couples and marriage mentors will find the teaching and exercises the Tracys have developed around attachment theory and Morris' stages of bonding rich and challenging."" --Michael Sytsma Found and Lead Therapist Building Intimate Marriages, Inc. ""With theological precision and a solid psychological foundation, the Tracys deliver a long-awaited message to the church, counseling community, and wounded hearts everywhere. Steve and Celestia model infectious openness about their own journey through marriage, leaving you feeling challenged and equipped to deepen your closest relationships. I will recommend this book to all my distressed clients crying out to be known and valued."" --Roxane Thorstad Clinical Psychologist Journeys Counseling Center ""The Tracys have done all of us a great service with this wise and tender book. They themselves have worked for years to achieve a healthy intimacy in their own marriage and their reflections are of benefit to everyone. Steve and Celestia are godly, caring, sensitive people who have worked through these issues over decades. Their own marriage is a mature one, tempered by suffering, and marked by devotion to God and one another. The book is a treasure trove, earthy, real, heavenly, delightful. Expect to be blessed and enriched in your own relationships."" --William David Spencer Ranked Adj. Professor of Theology and the Arts Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary ""Here Steve and Celestia show by conviction, research, and experience that for a couple to know one another, at any level, requires wisdom. The insight they offer from many sources of counsel will be a helpful eye-opener for those of us who have assumed way too much about what it really means to care for one another."" --Mart De Haan President RBC Ministries Steven R. Tracy and Celestia G. Tracy are founders of Mending the Soul, a U.S. based nonprofit organization that equips and resources communities of faith in sustainable, community-b