Romancing Your Better Half: Keeping Intimacy Alive in Your Marriage by Rick Johnson {Book Review}

Romancing Your Better Half:

Keeping Intimacy Alive in Your Marriage

Rick Johnson

Nonfiction / Marriage

Expert advice to keep the fire burning in your marriage

If you've been married more than a few years, you probably know how it goes. You start out in the throes of passionate romance only to have the fire cool over the years--especially when kids come along or life gets too busy. But keeping the romance alive is easier than most people think. Now the author of Becoming Your Spouse's Better Half shares the secrets of pursuing romance that won't quit.

With wit and wisdom, Rick Johnson shows you how to communicate effectively with your spouse, recapture the feeling of young love, incorporate romance and intimacy into everyday life, understand each other's unique sexual needs, and more. The useful insights and solid advice in this practical book will strengthen your marriage now and into the future.

READ AN EXCERPT

My Thoughts

I am an absolute creature of habit. I like things to stay the same old, same old. In fact for me to even change my living room around takes a miracle. But the other day I lost my mind and did it. Guess what . . . I love the new look. Same old furniture and area rug, but with a little switch up it all looks new and inviting.

In his new book Romancing Your Better Half Rick Johnson explores some of those same types of things. If you've been in a marriage relationship for awhile you know it is easy to slip into the same old, same old pattern. It may not even be a bad pattern, but why not go for something a little different that will make things seem new and inviting?

This book is written from a male perspective and in my opinion it mostly addresses the husband. But I'm here to tell you that as the wife I gleaned many things from it. I've read quite a few other books of similar subject matter but they were all from the female perspective. It was interesting to read a portion and then discuss it with my husband and get his perspective. Very enlightening! 

This isn't another book on how to fix a broken marriage but rather a book on how to take a good marriage to the next level. Chapters seven and eight were worth the price of the book in and of themselves. They are respectively titled His Needs (For Her) and Her Needs (For Him). These two chapters combined allowed my husband and I to talk about subjects that neither of us would have ever thought to talk about.

If you love your spouse and want to go deeper with them get this book and go through it together. Rick's mix of frankness and humor will lead you both into a closer relationship with each other.

Connect With The Author

www.BetterDads.net

YouTube  I  Linked In  I  Twitter  I  Facebook

Messy Beautiful Love: Hope and Redemption for Real-Life Marriages by Darlene Schacht ~ A Marriage Book Review

Messy Beautiful Love: 

Hope and Redemption for Real-Life Marriages

Darlene Schacht

Nonfiction / Marriage

MESSY BEAUTIFUL LOVE DELIVERS AN INCREDIBLE 

TESTIMONY OF GRACE THAT OFFERS HOPE FOR TODAY'S 

MARRIAGES AND A SPARK FOR REKINDLING LOVE

Love gets messy.

Financial problems, sickness, aging parents, a chronically unhappy spouse . . . trials will inevitably come that threaten your marriage. No matter how long you've been married or how strong your relationship is, sooner or later you are going to have a mess to clean up.

Messy Beautiful Love is about cleaning up messes God's way, exchanging your ideas for His, and being prepared for both the best and the worst that marriage has to offer. 

When you surrender your relationship to God, then and only then will you experience the blessing of marriage as He intended. This is the blessing of obedience.

Messy Beautiful Love is an invitation to that obedience. The cynical world says marriages don't last, but God knows better. Tune out the world and tune in to Him. When you do that, a beautiful marriage is not only possible; it's inevitable.

My Thoughts
What stood out the most to me in Messy Beautiful Love was the transparent honesty which Darlene Schacht used to tell her story. In the opening chapter you quickly find out that she had an extra-marital affair. I'm not sure that I would be brave enough to put that on paper for the world to see, but Darlene followed the lead of Christ and is using her story to reach those in similar situations.
The title of the book is very appropriate. If you have been married for any length of time you already know that some of the magic fades and real life enters in. Darlene shares about the struggles in their early married life with a candor that is to be admired. It would be easy to say "it was his fault" and go on, but she tells her story in a way that allows you to relate to the whole situation. I can almost guarantee that we've all been there. If you've not had a fixer-upper, or a home-based business, or more than one kiddo under the age of three then you may not relate to how things took a nose-dive. But if you are like most of us you can envision how discontent can settle in.
While the beginning of the book deals with the fallout of the affair the middle to end are all about the hope we can have in building a loving and lasting marriage. This isn't your typical marriage book, but it is one that I think you will benefit from reading if you are married for any length of time at all. 
Connect With The Author

www.TimeWarpWife.com

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Eight Twenty Eight: When Love Didn't Give Up by Ian & Larissa Murphy ~ Biographical Memoir Review

Eight Twenty Eight: When Love Didn't Give Up

Ian & Larissa Murphy

Biographical Memoir 

What if that thing you really feared happened? 

Would the joy you hold pop? Or would you experience love and joy deeper than you can imagine?

They met in college and fell in love. They talked about getting married, and he started looking for a ring. They dreamed about life together, a life of beauty and joy, raising babies and laughing with friends and growing old.

They did not imagine a car accident. They did not imagine his brain injury. They did not dream about the need for constant care and a wheelchair and fear that food might choke him.

And they could not have imagined how persistent love would be. Theirs and God's.

Ian and Larissa Murphy tell their story of love in Eight Twenty Eight. Except, it's not just their love story. Really, it's yours as well. Read and gain a picture of love that will challenge all you think you know about what is true and what persists.

Ian and Larissa Murphy are husband and wife. They love one another. They laugh together. They seek to serve God together all while dealing with the implications of life in a world marked by suffering, yet compelled by love. They live in Pennsylvania where they watch as God works all things together for good.

My Thoughts
Like a lot of people I first became aware of Ian and Larissa's story when their video was posted on the Desiring God website. I was intrigued by the video and the couple that it portrayed. What I didn't know was that it was just the tip of the iceberg in this beautiful love story.
In their book Eight Twenty Eight Ian and Larissa tell the whole story behind the marriage that they are building together. The story begins in the spring of 2005 when Ian and Larissa first meet. They begin dating and eventually they start discussing marriage. Ian takes on some extra jobs and begins ring shopping with the intent of asking Larissa to be his wife. 
By all accounts September 30, 2006 was an ordinary day, but it would turn out to be a pivotal day in their lives. That would be the day of before and afters. It was the day of Ian's accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury. That would be the day that hopes and dreams would seemingly be crushed. But the very God that Ian and Larissa trusted in had other plans.
I was struck by the candor that Ian and Larissa's words contained. This is a beautiful story of love and friendship and faithfulness. But it is also a messy and raw tale full of emotional upheaval. One of the elements that I didn't really process from just viewing the video was the fact that they were not even formally engaged when the accident happened. Sure they had talked about it, but Ian had yet to propose. Throughout the book I kept thinking how easy it would have been to walk away and live a "normal" life. 
Ian's recovery process wasn't confined to a matter of days or even weeks. The book literally takes you through years of small progressive steps forward and devastating falls back. But woven throughout their trials and triumphs is the steadfastness of God's hand upon their lives. 
Eight Twenty Eight is a book that will benefit couples everywhere. It is a glimpse into a life that God expects of us. We're a flawed people that are too often ungrateful. But in His infinite mercy God continues to use even the most devastating circumstances to draw us closer to Him and to each other. 
Connect With The Authors

Photo Credit: Lydia Jane Photography

www.IanAndLarissa.com

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Making Happy: The Art and Science of a Happy Marriage by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott ~ A Marriage Book Review

Making Happy: The Art And Science Of A Happy Marriage

Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott

Nonfiction/Marriage

Back of the book:

Marriage doesn't make you happy.

You make your marriage happy. But how?

Discover the six counter-intuitive dials to turn right now in your relationship. These are proven happiness boosters. And let's face it, knowing how to make happiness--the deep and abiding joy of feeling good together--isn't always easy for time-starved and sleep-deprived couples. Making Happy will change all that by:

• Instantly making your relationship 25 percent happier.
• Countering the effects of taking each other for granted so you can notice even more things you appreciate about each other.
• Knowing the easy way to ensure your partner is happier today than yesterday.

Relationship experts Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott bring all the relevant research together in Making Happy and show you how to elevate happiness in your relationship. It's easier than you think.

Includes an immensely practical three-week Happiness Plan.

My thoughts:

In Making Happy, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott mix research and personal experience to teach the average couple how to bring more happiness into their marriage. The first couple of chapters are pretty heavily peppered with stats and studies that lean towards the clinical. Once you get to chapter three you begin to see the practical and yes simple applications to use in your marriage.

The book focuses on six happiness boosters that you will learn to apply to your marriage relationship. In order to find out where you are at in your relationship there are several little quizzes scattered throughout. I thought they were very interesting and helped solidify what was being discussed. 

At the very end of the book is a Twenty-One-Day Happiness Plan. Each of the days has an activity that will enhance what you have just read. There are also links for additional resources to use during this twenty-one day period. 

This book would of course make a good study for any married couple. It would help those that are a bit unhappy in their marriage and it would affirm those that are quite happy in their marriage. I also think it would make a great small group study. While there is a section on marital sex, I didn't find it to be cringe worthy so I think you could easily do this with a few other couples. 

Connect with the authors:

LesAndLeslie.com

MarriageMentoring.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @LesParrott

Vimeo

The State Of Sex ~ A Giveaway For Pulling Back The Shades

Mommy porn has been around for a long time, but something about '50 Shades' struck a cord with women everywhere. The writing is poor and the scenarios are unrealistic but the books still sold like hot cakes. Something about these books really tapped into some of our deepest longings as women.

But do they help or do they just twist what God made us to desire? What's okay and what's not okay in a healthy relationship? Do we have to decide to be spiritual or sexual? Or is it possible to be both?

Read An Excerpt!

In the newly released book, Pulling Back The Shades, Dannah and Juli take apart the themes of books like '50 Shades' and break it down into five different areas that we women are drawn to and that these books seem to capitalize on. Without heaping shame on those that read these types of books, they point out the reasons we are drawn to them and why we need to be careful what we are reading. Many of these books take a very healthy and normal desire and twist it just enough to distort the good.

Pulling Back The Shades is a very thought provoking book that takes a forthright approach to sexual intimacy. It is addressed to women of all ages and backgrounds and talks plainly about the dangers of erotica for both single and married women.

Juli and Dannah look at erotica from a spiritual and sexual viewpoint. They provide sound Biblical teaching and use personal stories from women that have been affected by erotica. The goal is to help women navigate this uncharted territory and discover how to embrace their sexuality and spirituality.

We were so impressed with this brutally honest book that we wanted to introduce it to our readers and give several of you a chance to read it for yourselves! We are partnering with Authentic Intimacy and Igniting Women Books to giveaway 10 copies of the book.

For your chance to win one of the 10 copies, just use the Rafflecopter form below. The giveaway is open to all U.S. residents.


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Meet Mr. Grey For Valentine's Day?

by Dr. Juli Slattery

This Valentine's Day fans of Fifty Shades of Grey are being teased by a poster touting a movie based on the book to be release one full year from now. The poster reads: "Mr. Grey Will See You Now."

As a clinical psychologist, the Fifty Shades phenomenon had my attention right away. Frankly, I thought it was a passing fad. I never dreamed it would catch fire as it has, but within months the series had opened the door to an entire line up of copycat books so fast that the BBC reported erotica was "cannibalizing" the rest of the publishing industry. And I think the books could cannibalize your love life.

While erotica might originally heighten sexual feelings, over the long haul it erodes something much more important—intimacy. Whether you are married or single, you are looking for more than sex. Your body, your mind, and your spirit were created to crave intimacy. You want more than an imaginary escapade with a fictional character. You want more than a momentary feeling of sexual arousal. You want a real relationship, with sex as an expression of true intimacy. Mommy porn and other forms of pornography are cheap substitutions for the real thing.

My ten-year –old son woke up hungry this morning. Boys tend to do that. What would you think of me as a mom if I fed him cotton candy and coke for breakfast? I may have satisfied his hunger with things that tasted good, but in the long run, I have done him harm. First of all, the food I gave him will not build his body, giving him the nutrition he needs for the day. Secondly, I’m ruining his appetite for good food. What kids wants to eat an apple when he’s been feasting on candy?

This is exactly what mommy porn will do to your intimate life. You are hungry for a relationship that will nourish. By feeding on “sexual junk food” you may feel momentarily satisfied, but never nourished. To make matters worse, you will lose your appetite for the things that create true intimacy.

Porn and erotica are selfish sex, requiring no sacrifice and no effort to love another person. You can have what you want, when you want, and how you want it. The problem is, it’s all fake. The more you chase the counterfeit, the further away you get from the real deal—intimacy. A fulfilling, lasting sex life requires patience, vulnerability, and unselfishness – these are all things that books like Fifty Shades help you avoid.

The journey toward true intimacy is learning to create the safest environment possible so that you and your partner can explore together without fear of betrayal or humiliation. Erotica and porn do the exact opposite. While initially “spicing things up,” they will eventually erode the trust and communication that make love last.

Some women who read erotica end up in sexual addictions, constantly seeking that next sexual thrill. Others leave their real-life husbands or boyfriends to chase a fantasy, no longer needing a real person to be sexually satisfied. They progress in their own private sexual world… a world that doesn’t require the hard work of relationship. Nor does it yield the satisfaction of intimacy. Self Magazine and The New Yorker ran articles on this phenomenon in recent years. They both concluded that if you want to have a great sex life now or in the future, get rid of porn.

There are healthy ways to spice up your love life, but they don’t include pornographic fantasies of some fictional character. If you want to build towards true intimacy, don’t escape. Instead press into the awareness of the real person you are in love with. Instead of pretending that your lover is someone else, revel in the beauty of who he is.

Dr Juli Slattery has a new book coming out about erotica, intimacy, 50 Shades, and being spiritually & sexually satisfied called "Pulling Back the Shades". It releases March 1, 2014- pre order today!

Dr. Juli Slattery & Linda Dillow have also written a resource to help spice up your love life. It's a 10 week study called "Passion Pursuit" complete with a workbook and DVD. A Bible study for women about sexual intimacy in marriage, this audaciously bold study will answer questions that women have but aren't sure where to go for honest and Biblical answers.

For more information on Dr. Juli Slattery you can connect with her here:

Facebook

Twitter ~ @DrJuliSlattery

www.AuthenticIntimacy.com

Holy Sexuality with Dr. Juli Slattery ~ Watch or Listen Live!

Is it possible to be SPIRITUAL and SEXUAL? Can a woman be both and still be right in the eyes of God?

On Thursday, February 6, 2014 at 2:15 pm (CST) Dr. Juli Slattery will address the topic of Holy Sexuality during Moody Bible Institute's Founder's Week.

The amazing part is that you can watch or listen to it FREE! 

Listening Options:

Moody Radio will be broadcasting it live on their network of owned and operated stations. You can locate or listen to any of their stations online here. If you prefer to listen on the go, you can download the Moody Radio mobile app here.

Watching Options:

The session will be broadcast live and you can view it online HERE! If you happen to miss the broadcast you can also go here to watch it after it has been archived.

Connect with Dr. Juli Slattery:

Facebook

Twitter ~ @DrJuliSlattery

Connect with Authentic Intimacy:

Facebook

Twitter ~ @AuthenticIntmcy 

Pinterest

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YouTube

Happy Wives Club: One Woman's Worldwide Search For The Secrets Of A Great Marriage by Fawn Weaver ~ A Marriage Book Review

Happy Wives Club

Fawn Weaver

Nonfiction/Marriage

About the book:

DISCOVER THE BEST MARRIAGE SECRETS

FROM THE WORLD'S HAPPIEST WIVES

One woman undertakes a worldwide search to learn the secrets of a great marriage—and finds one foundational truth that could change everything.

Fawn Weaver was a happily married woman running a successful business—and then something happened. Maybe it was divorce rate reports on the evening news, The Real Housewives of Orange County, or any daytime talk show where husbands and wives dramatically reveal their betrayals. Everywhere she looked, Fawn saw negative portrayals of marriage dominating the airwaves and dooming everyone to failure.

Looking at Keith, the love of her life, she knew that wasn’t true. She was determined to find and connect with women just like her—happy and optimistic about marriage, deeply in love with her spouse, and committed to building a strong marriage that stands the test of time.

On a whim, she started the blog HappyWivesClub.com and sent the link to a few of new friends. What started as a casual invitation to five women exploded into an international online club with 150,000 members in more than 100 countries.

Happy Wives Club is Fawn’s journey across the world to meet her friends and discover what makes their marriages great. Join her on this exciting, exotic trip across six continents and through more than eighteen cities. Walk the streets of Mauritius, the historic ruins in Italy, and the vistas of New Zealand and Australia. Go from Cape Town to London, Manila to Buenos Aires, Winnipeg to Zagreb.

Along the way, you will meet everyday women whose marriage secrets span cultures. You will hear their stories, witness their love, and be inspired by the proof that happy, healthy marriages do exist—and yours can be one of them!

It turns out great marriages are all around us—when we look for them. Go on a trip with Fawn and learn the best marriage secrets the world has to offer.

My thoughts:

In an age of seemingly constant attacks on marriage today, this book was a wonderful breath of fresh air. It was interesting to read through each individual woman's story and see her marriage through her words. The stories weren't all happy, happy, happy. In fact most of them had struggles, but the difference was the way they allowed those struggles to make them better and stronger.

It was fascinating to read about women across the world that loved being married. There were stories from places that you kind of get the impression that they just exist and stay married because that's just what you do. But that wasn't the case. They intentionally worked at being happily married.

The main thing that I took away from this book was that we shouldn't believe the lie that being married and being happy could not go together. It can and it does. If you are happily married you are going to enjoy reading about others that share your joy. If you are unhappily married I think this book will be encouraging to you that with a little work and a change in attitude can make all the difference.

Connect with the author:

www.HappyWivesClub.com

Facebook

Twitter ~ @HappyWivesClub

Pinterest

Little Book of Great Dates: 52 Creative Ideas to Make Your Marriage Fun by Dr. Greg & Erin Smalley

Little Book of Great Dates: 52 Creative Ideas to Make Your Marriage Fun

Dr. Greg & Erin Smalley

Family & Relationships/Marriage

About the book:

Thought dating was a thing of the past? Think again!

Not only can dating your spouse strengthen your marriage, rekindle your romance, and deepen your connection--but dating is also just plain fun!

That's why this LITTLE BOOK OF GREAT DATES offers you 52 creative, fun-filled ideas for spending time together talking, laughing, and connecting over shared activities. With imaginative suggestions for dates that are easy on the pocketbook, married and engaged couples will also value the conversation starters aimed at building emotional intimacy. Most of all, this little volume is a big promise to the one you love that more discoveries and an ever-deepening love are always on the horizon.

Read The First Chapter 

(This link will also let you take a look at the first three dates so you can see what the set-up is like.)

My thoughts:

Do you know the saying, "good things come in small packages"? That is a very apt description of this little book. It is the size of a 5 x 7 card and less than a half inch thick but it is packed full of wonderful ideas for you and your beloved. It has a beautiful navy blue leather cover and I think it would make the perfect gift for that favorite couple in your life . . . that is after you've purchased a copy for yourself!

In the Introduction the Smalleys discuss how dating seems to take a back seat after we are married. We take on new roles and have a kid or two and then before we know it our dating life is just a distant memory. One of the things I like about this book is that they don't diminish the fact that finding time to date your spouse is hard work. Something always comes up but it is important that we make time for what is important and our marriages are important!

There are fifty-two dates included in this book. That is enough for one date a week for a year! Another thing that I appreciate about this book is that these date ideas are practical and affordable. There aren't crazy detailed preparations that you have to make. After all who would even wind up going if you had to spend hours preparing?!! The cost of the dates is kept to a minimum and they even suggest ideas that would keep the amount next to nothing. 

I recommend this product to anyone that is looking for a way to enhance their marriage. I also think it would be a nice way to encourage that special couple you know. I'm personally going to get several copies for stocking stuffers for my married kids this Christmas. 

Connect with the authors:

www.smalleymarriage.com

Take the Date Night Challenge!

www.FocusOnTheFamily.com/DateNight

Ch. 6: Pursuing Pure Pleasure ~ Passion Pursuit: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

Pursuing Passion: What Kind of Love Are You Making?

Linda Dillow & Dr. Juli Slattery

10 Week Bible Study w/ DVD & Workbook

Chapter 6: Pursuing Pure Pleasure

Theme: Pure Pleasure is found when a Christian couple discovers what is okay in the bedroom for them personally.

The most pressing question Christian women ask about sex is, “What’s okay for me and my husband to do in the bedroom?” In this chapter, we’ll answer the questions women have always wanted to ask but never knew where to go for honest answers. We’ll give practical, biblically-based answers to questions about oral sex, anal sex, sex toys, and the use of pornographic materials in marriage.

Chapter six explores the question of what is okay in the bedroom and what does God say is okay. Juli and Linda start by encouraging you to use the principles that God has given us. They list ten very specific areas that God definitely says no to.

After setting those parameters they then have you as a couple ask yourselves three questions when determining if something is right for you. Here are the questions:

1. Does God say no?
2. Is it good for us?
3. Is it only us?

I found this to be the most detailed (without being inappropriate) chapter so far. They were very straight forward with the discussion of the topics of anal sex, oral sex, sex toys and pornography. I appreciated the candor they used to address such sensitive material. My husband and I watched this segment together and had a great discussion after the video.

The last segment of the video addressed the idea of comfort versus conscience. Juli and Linda talked about how as women we tend to be a little less willing to take risks than our spouses. They encouraged us as women to not to always say no to our husbands when he suggests something out of our comfort zone. We need to consider the three questions we discussed earlier and then determine if what is being suggested really does go against our conscience or are we just uncomfortable and need to loosen up a bit.

If this is a topic that interests you and you'd like to read our other articles check out Pursuing Passion: What Kind of Love Are You Making and Chapter 1: I've Got Power and Chapter 2: Me, Pursue Passion? and Chapter 3: God's Got An Opinion! and Chapter 4: Making Truth Stick. and Chapter 5: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

The delightful people over at Authentic Intimacy and Igniting Women Books have partnered with us to provide two of our readers with Leader's Kits for Passion Pursuit. Each kit contains a DVD and workbook so you can choose to lead a group or study it by yourself. Either way just complete the form below for your chance to win.

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Ch. 5: What Kind Of Love Are You Making? ~ Passion Pursuit: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

Pursuing Passion: What Kind of Love Are You Making?

Linda Dillow & Dr. Juli Slattery

10 Week Bible Study w/ DVD & Workbook

Chapter 5: What Kind Of Love Are You Making?

Theme: Sexual differences present you with a secret choice. Will I be a servant lover or a selfish lover?

Many women don’t like the way God made men. In this chapter, women will discover that God knew exactly what He was doing in making men and women so different. Each difference takes you into God’s laboratory of love and prompts you to ask the question, “Will I be a selfish lover or servant lover?”

>

Chapter 5 asks us what kind of love are we making? More specifically it asks if we are being a servant lover or a selfish lover? For many of us it is both . . . sometimes I'm a servant and sometimes I'm selfish. After reading this chapter I long for nothing more than becoming a servant lover to my husband!

The scripture for this chapter is Philippians 2: 3-4. Linda and Juli put together a paraphrase of  it that I would like to share with you:  

"In sexual intimacy with your husband, don't let selfishness rule. God says be humble and think of your husband as more important than yourself. Set your mind on what your husband desires and how you can please him"

  One of the hard things to wrap our minds around is the fact that God created sex for unity between a husband and wife. So why does it cause such conflict between us? That's because God purposefully created us different to enhance the other one. Below is a picture of a graphic in the workbook that delineates the basic sexual differences of men and women.

"Remember that even before sin entered the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had primary sexual differences in the way God created them, God declared His creation of man and woman "very good" and this very good included your sexual differences. It is hard to fathom but the differences between you and your husband are what can create the very deepest yada intimacy."

When we think of our differences this way it makes sense. To go deeper in our relationships we must be willing to give up some of our selfishness. The world around us encourages us to think of only what makes me feel good, but by now we have all probably experiences how satisfying it feels to meet the needs of others. Can't you just picture how beautiful our marriages would be if we as couples focused on pleasing the other? I certainly know that when my husband is pleasing me it in turn makes me want to please him all the more.

Let me leave you with a quote from the video that is from Gary Thomas. My prayer is that you will consider it and then apply it.

If this is a topic that interests you and you'd like to read our other articles check out Pursuing Passion: What Kind of Love Are You Making and Chapter 1: I've Got Power and Chapter 2: Me, Pursue Passion? and Chapter 3: God's Got An Opinion! and Chapter 4: Making Truth Stick.

The delightful people over at Authentic Intimacy and Igniting Women Books have partnered with us to provide two of our readers with Leader's Kits for Passion Pursuit. Each kit contains a DVD and workbook so you can choose to lead a group or study it by yourself. Either way just complete the form below for your chance to win.

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Book Review ~ The 50 Fridays Marriage Challenge by Jeff & Lora Helton

The 50 Fridays Marriage Challenge
One Question a Week. One Incredible Marriage.
Jeff & Lora Helton
Nonfiction - Family & Relationships

About the book: 

Transform your marriage with this revitalizing relationship guide that challenges couples to answer important questions together and grow in mutual understanding.

In our modern, fast-paced society, it is easy for couples to drift apart and suddenly find their marriages in need of serious help. If this sounds familiar, then Pastor Jeff Helton and his wife Lora have a challenge for you: sit down once a week with your spouse to answer a question together. It could be something as simple as “What makes you laugh out loud?” or as deep and challenging as “If you had one day left on earth, what would you say to your spouse?” or “Are you satisfied with our level of physical intimacy?”

The 50 Fridays Marriage Challenge is a fun book specifically designed to spark open and honest conversation between partners at any stage of married life. Each short chapter includes an engaging question, a brief message, an encouraging quote, a Bible scripture, and a prayer. The short messages bring hope to rocky marriages by providing a safe, gentle space for discussing important matters, such as communication, conflict, in-laws, finances, children, sex, and much more.

By taking the 50 Fridays Marriage Challenge, husbands and wives will find that their Friday evening talks—whether they laugh together, delve deep into the topic at hand, or plan and dream for the future—may be the only time they spend in close conversation that doesn’t involve the kids, the checking account, or who took out the trash. Spend a few precious moments together once a week with this book, and you will ultimately see your marriage transformed.

My thoughts:

In the introduction of the book Jeff shares that while he and his wife Lora were at the celebration of Lora's parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary he started thinking about what he and Lora would look like at fifty years of marriage. Then that thought transformed from what would they look like to what would they be like. He puts it like this:

Should the Lord allow us to make it to fifty years of marriage, what will we be like at our fiftieth anniversary?

In other words . . . will we finish strong?

• Will we be thriving? Or will we be surviving?

• Will we be enjoying an intimate and connected marriage? Or will we be two strangers living in the same home?

• Will we intentionally be wise in how we spend our days? Or will we foolishly let the months and years pass by? 

With those thoughts in mind Jeff and Lora then issue you a challenge to spend the next fifty Fridays (or whatever day works for you) focusing on a simple question that you as a couple will spend time discussing. The next fifty chapters cover one challenge a week for married couples. Each week starts with a question that may be something fun like, "If you could spend only ten dollars on a date night, what would you do?" Other questions are more reflective and thought provoking like, "If you had only one day left on earth, what would you say to your spouse?"

The next section has corresponding Scripture followed by a short dialog from Jeff and Lora. Then at the end of that week's challenge is usually a beautiful quotation from a well known personality. At the end of the book is a bonus section that has five additional challenges specifically designed for the holidays of Valentine's Day, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

I love the concept behind this book. Stronger marriages will make us a stronger people. Not only will our homes be better but as a result our nation will be better. I'm looking forward to going through each week with my spouse and also giving several copies to friends and family. I hope you will join us in this challenge!

Connect with the authors:

www.50fridays.com