Absolutely.  I’m a deeply committed Christian, so everything I write is Christian – and I uphold Scripture throughout.  But I don’t preach.  There’s a wonderful place for preaching – the pulpit – and many people, like my husband, excel at it. Books are another art form entirely, however, and to violate that medium leads, in my opinion, to bad art.  If we’re faithful to the gifts God gives us – and to Jesus’ commands – a message of freedom will flow and God’s kingdom will be extended.  For some reason, however, the Christian community tends to put the message over the art form.  We justify it by saying it’s biblical, but even Jesus didn’t do that.

What do you mean?

In Matthew 13, Jesus shares the Parable of the Sower.  When he’s finished, his disciples say (from The Message), “Why do you tell stories?”  Jesus replies, “You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight.”

People will find truth in my book, if they are seeking it.  They’ll realize that they are not alone, and that we all struggle to love one another, despite our crazy male and female idiosyncrasies.  They’ll find a reason to work through their marriage problems and stay married.  The very last line of my book reads, “So stay sweet, y’all – and stay married.  We Southern Girls are counting on you.”  That’s my mission.  And even if I help just one couple, I’ll know that I’ve accomplished God’s work.

For more information about "The Southern Girl’s Guide to Surviving the Newlywed Years: How to Stay Sane Once You've Caught Your Man" and to watch a video of Annabelle Robertson, please visit www.SouthernGirlsGuide.com.

To read Annabelle's blog in Crosswalk Weblogs, please click here.