Summary

See How God Wove Their Hearts Together—and Trust Him with Yours

Joyce and Steven have a sweet love story. After 37 years of marriage, they still cast affectionate glances. Although their romance is very much alive, they would be the first to tell you the key to building a marriage that lasts depends on one thing: God’s presence.

In this unique book that is part memoir, part self-help, and part devotional, the Dinkins share how God’s divine direction has created and sustained their enduring marriage. They write candidly about their first marriages to other people, their divorces and single life, and the long relationship they now enjoy. Their story anchors devotional reflections and lessons on whom to marry and why, how to overcome marriage failures, parenting well in blended families, finding comfort during health crises, and much more.

In 40 digestible devotions and 8 truth-telling articles, the Dinkins emphasize how God’s wisdom will help you overcome marriage fears and frailties, while celebrating how His supernatural love binds spouses together so they are not easily broken. Whatever your current relationship status, you can sit at the feet of this dynamic couple and see how God worked in their lives, and how He can work in yours.

Author Biography

Joyce Dinkins has loved words and literature since childhood. She has been a professional writer and editor for more than fifty years. Joyce simply enjoys being together with Steven on their forty acres, and interacting with their three adult children as well as her extended family,

An influential and award-winning Christian editor—with a long-time commitment to empowering Black and underrepresented voices to serve diverse audiences—Joyce Dinkins is a former executive editor for the Our Daily Bread devotional. She retired in 2023 as founding editor for Our Daily Bread Ministries VOICES. Through Joyce Dinkins Publishing LLC, she owns and is director of Publishing in Color (publishingincolor.com). For several years, Joyce has enjoyed being a voice on recordings of the Our Daily Bread devotional.

While Joyce majors on speaking, mentoring, networking, and collaborating in excellent Christian content developed by BIPOC, she’s committed to preserving her family’s history, and is writing a cookbook with her mother’s recipes and stories. Family and friends enjoy Joyce’s gifts of homemade lemon pound cake, blueberry cobbler, and breads. She enjoys collecting children’s books that have the BIPOC representation she always longs to experience, the fine arts, and birdwatching. Praying for loved ones, friends, and others is a daily preoccupation.

Steven Dinkins has been a teacher at churches he helped plant and lead in Chicago; Colorado Springs; Birmingham, Alabama; and South Haven, Michigan. He has served on missions to Africa and Haiti, and has shared biblical wisdom with Joyce since they met. He has been instrumental in her Christian publishing career. For a decade, he served as national sales manager alongside Joyce when she developed Black and multiethnic church curricula for a major Christian publisher. He has also served as a chaplain in prison ministry, with the police, and professional sports.

A former Michigan Golden Gloves state boxing champion, he enjoys the sport. Though he was invited to compete in the 1976 Eastern Olympic tryouts, and fought on the same card with Sugar Ray Leonard, Steven would rather exercise his spiritual gifts of mercy and teaching to win someone’s soul. He has prayed for and shared his faith in Jesus with many, including Muhammad Ali. Steven enjoys playing pocket billiards, photography, and the outdoors.

He likes hikes with his wife in their woods and along Michigan’s lakeshore. He dearly loves their three adult children, and has a fondness for babies everywhere. Steven has taught adult Sunday school for more than forty years, and leads a weekly small-group Bible study with his family and a few others. His robust prayer life includes a prayer call with his family each night. Steven has been privileged to lead his mother, stepfather, and all three of his brothers to Christ.

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

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The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.