News flash: Marriage can be tough.
Okay, maybe that isn’t really news. We all come to marriage with individual expectations, ideals, and hopes. In his latest book, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, Dr. Gary Chapman explores the ways that couples can work together to reach the goal of a lasting, happy marriage.
The book is divided into 9 chapters covering topics such as money, in-laws, decision-making, communication, and more. Each chapter ends with several questions that you can answer along with your spouse, or answer separately and discuss them at a good time.
Dr. Chapman offers suggestions for newlyweds as well as those who have been married for years. If you have read any of his other books, you know the type of Biblical advice to expect. He begins the introduction with the premise of finding strength and hope through Christ and carries this through the book with relevant Bible verses. He writes frankly about the issues that cause the most conflict in marriages.
There is even advice in the book for those whose spouses aren’t on-board with making changes. Dr. Chapman quotes the verses from Matthew about removing the planks from our own eyes before trying to remove the specks from our spouse’s. In this, he shows us that our happiness does not depend on our spouse’s actions and reactions, but in our own responses. This is a difficult concept to live out, especially when you’re in a disappointing marriage, but it is the Biblical model we have for doing the right thing.
Dr. Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages remains one of my favorite marriage/relationship books after many years. I also recommend The 5 Love Languages of Children. I think that appreciating our differences, acknowledging them, and working with them rather than against them can make our relationships even more rewarding in the long run.
About the Book:
You can picture the perfect marriage in your mind, but re-creating it in reality doesn’t come easy. Trusted counselor and relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman reasons that the most sought-after ingredient in any marriage is true oneness. In The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, he presents expert wisdom and common sense methods to establishing that true unity on emotional and practical levels. Discover the wit and insight that makes his worldwide presentations and marriage conferences so popular. Are you trying to change your spouse? Do you know what it means to really love someone? Do you feel ignored or even alone in your effort to improve your marriage? Dr. Chapman has answers and action steps on topics from expressing your emotions to managing your money, all in a format that will have you and your spouse talking and learning with every page.
About the Author: DR. GARY CHAPMAN
As anyone who has attended one of his marriage conferences knows, Dr. Gary Chapman’s expertise in marriage begins with the success and failures he and his wife Karolyn have experienced in their marriage for more than 45 years. He is just the man to turn to for help on improving or healing our most important relationships. His own life experiences, plus over thirty-five years of pastoring and marriage counseling, led him to publish his first book in the Love Language series, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Many of the millions of readers credit this continual New York Times bestseller with saving their marriages by showing them simple and practical ways to communicate love.
Since the success of his first book, Dr. Chapman has expanded his Five Love Languages series with special editions that reach out specifically to singles, men, and parents of teens and young children.
He is the author of numerous other books published by Moody Publishers/Northfield Publishing, including Anger, The Family You’ve Always Wanted, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, Desperate Marriages, God Speaks Your Love Language, How to Really Love Your Adult Child, and Hope for the Separated. With Dr. Jennifer Thomas, he co-authored The Five Languages of Apology.
Dr. Chapman speaks to thousands of couples nationwide through his weekend marriage conferences. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, A Love Language Minute, and a Saturday morning program, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, both airing on more than 400 stations. Dr. Chapman and his wife have two grown children and currently live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he serves as senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church.
Dr. Chapman holds BA and MA degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively, MRE and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has completed postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University.
Visit the official website: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resource/the-marriage-youve-always-wanted/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5LoveLanguages
twitter: https://twitter.com/drgarychapman
They even have small group curriculum available: http://experience.5lovelanguages.com
Here is your chance to win a copy of the book:
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