It’s Wednesday, the day when we always talk marriage–and I give you a chance to link up your own posts so others can read them, too.
And today I’m excited to offer you a chance to enter a marriage resource giveaway for the books that we’ve been talking about on the blog this month as part of the Ultimate Marriage Reading Challenge.
Each month I suggest several books that will help you on a certain theme, and then I ask you to pick just one and read it.
That’s it–just twelve books a year! You can keep the book in your bathroom, by your bed, in your purse so you can read in the checkout line, or wherever. But you can get through one book a month.
And it will change your marriage!
This month we were talking about Setting Boundaries, and I looked specifically at Ask It (the one question that will revolutionize how you make decisions) and The Emotionally Destructive Marriage by Leslie Vernick.
Leslie is part of my Christian Marriage Authors Board on Pinterest, too, along with some other wonderful authors you’ll recognize. If you’re not following it yet, come on over and join us!
And if you are walking through an Emotionally Destructive Marriage, or you know someone who is, Leslie’s website is a great resource with tons of information and practical help.
Today I want to give you a chance to win both of these books, AND some of my audio downloads.
You see, while I love to blog, and I try to write here everyday, I actually spend a lot of my time on the road speaking. Sometimes it’s about marriage and sex, but often it’s just about our Christian walk. This weekend I’m giving a women’s one-day retreat near where I live, in Bloomfield, ON. But I’ll be in Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming in the next few months talking about sex (there’s still time to get in on my Colorado and Wyoming Girl Talk tour if you’re interested! Just email my assistant Tammy).
And I’ve taken a number of my talks and put them on audio downloads so you can listen to them at home, inexpensively (my main Girl Talk one isn’t up, but there are lots more!)
So this month I’ll be giving away a $10 gift certificate to use towards audio downloads at my store, too.
Here’s what you could win:
- First Prize: The Emotionally Destructive Marriage, Ask It, and $10 worth of audio downloads
- Other Prizes: 2 prizes of The Emotionally Destructive Marriage, 2 prizes of Ask It, and 1 prize of audio downloads.
To enter, just join the Rafflecopter below! I’ll be drawing the prizes next Tuesday night at midnight. Contest is open to anyone in North America. If someone elsewhere wins, I’ll substitute the physical prizes with some of my electronic downloads from my store.
Now, what advice do you have for us today? Just link up the URL of your own marriage post in the linky below!
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Sheila Wray Gregoire has been married for 29 years and happily married for 24! She loves traveling around North America with her hubby in their RV, giving her signature "Girl Talk" about sex and marriage. And she's written 7 books. About sex and marriage. See a theme here? Plus she knits. Even in line at the grocery store.
I am looking forward to see what books you recommend for some of these later months! I will for sure be keeping my eyes out for the posts! I am a huge fan of reading to learn and grow so I think this is just an awesome idea!
Awesome, Cassie! Next month’s will be fun–this month was kind of heavy, but next month will be a riot!
For Women Only/For Men Only. We each read each of them then read them together, fantastic
We enjoyed Dr. Kevin Leman’s Sheet Music
I just read Boundaries by Drs. Cloud and Townsend and it’s really great. As a counselor, I know it will come in handy with a great deal of my clients as well!
The Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene Schacht about embracing your role as a help meet. An excellent read!
Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph is one of my favorite marriage books. And I’m dying to get my hands on a copy of the Unveiled Wife by Jennifer Smith!
So far A Lifelong Love has been one of my favorites 🙂
I think the book Sacred Marriage has been the most helpful as it taught me that the purpose of marriage is to make me more like Christ.
Good girls guide to great sex!
Yay!
Sacred Marriage has been insightful and seeing how marriage is to make us holy.
Jimmy Evans “Marriage on the Rock” is a must read…my husband and I just recently finished the certification course with Jimmy Evans in order to facilitate the “Marriage on the Rock” weekend event, small group, use it for per-marital! We are the Marriage Maintenance leaders at our church and our purpose is to be proactive about marriage so couples have the right tools to build a strong foundation from which to build a blessed, happy, thriving and fun marriage. We want the kind of marriage that makes our kids want to get married someday. We appreciate your insight and wisdom and share your materials on our Facebook page and events that we do. Thank you for keeping it real and being passionate about “marriage matters” because Marriage Matters.
My absolute favorite marriage book is John Gottman’s The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. I think I have been a bit frustrated with pat answers in many Christian marriage books, so this is a refreshingly guilt-free take on fixing troubled marriages–and Truth is Truth regardless of whether the book is written by a pastor or a yarmulke-wearing social scientist ;). This is a great book for a marriage like mine, we are struggling along, and also for a couple who wants to strengthen an already good marriage. It is also a great resource to recommend to friends and family who would reject an overtly Christian marriage book.
I am also loving Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas, but we are pretty far away from that ideal and Dr. Gottman’s practicality is very, very reassuring. I will love him forever for telling me that not all conflict will be resolved–sometimes you just find a way to live with the fact that you disagree.
Teresa, I totally love what you said about “pat answers”. My new book is the ANTI-pat answer book, and it will be out in July. I challenge a lot of the pat answers that we often hear in church and look at what we’re really supposed to do. So I’m glad I’m not alone in thinking that a lot of these pat answers don’t work!
It’s been a while since I read it, but it’s one of those books that everyone should read. Love, Sex, and Lasting Relationships by Chip Ingram
Gary Thomas’ Sacred Marriage book is awesome!
My favorite is A Good Girl’s guide to great sex.
🙂
The 5 Love Languages has helped us most recently because I learned my husband’s “language” and can now communicate my care for him in a way that will be interpreted by him as love
I stumbled across your blog a couple weeks ago and really enjoy all the advice and ideas.
It’s not technically a marriage book, but I read the fiction book Resolutions (pretty sure it was a free download from this blog once upon a time, actually…), and it was refreshing for my marriage. Reading love stories generally makes me feel all gushy for my husband, and that was good for us 🙂
My husband and I have been married 5 years. And we have just had a lot of “missed connections”. I am the low desire spouse and this is compounded by “the good girl syndrome”. And while I will usually acquiesce when he wants to make love, I have rarely initiated. This has resulted in hurt feelings and many, many discussions about how we can improve our sex lives. But things have never really changed. We had another such discussion on Sunday night. And during this discussion I remembered something that you have suggested in multiple places- here, your books (I love all your books, by the way), etc. You recommended scheduling sex- putting it in the calendar and not letting anything else get in the way.
It has been less than a week and this has already revolutionized sex for us. For him, he knows that he is going to be taken care of, he feels like he is a priority, where he didn’t feel that so much before. For me, I haven’t found myself thinking things like “I hope he doesn’t want sex tonight” or “We had sex tonight, hopefully he’ll leave me alone for a couple days”, etc. (I realize those are horrible things to think by the way…) I also find that I can be as affectionate as I want because I don’t have to worry that it will be “taken the wrong way”. And he doesn’t think “Oh, she’s hugging me, she must want sex”.
In essence, this super simple change has taken the stress out of sex for both of us. And I believe that with less negative thoughts swirling around in my head regarding sex, I will begin to change my whole approach and attitude towards sex.
So, Thank you Sheila!
your blog , Marriage prayer of the day and messy ,beautiful love
Just finished “The Antelope in the Living Room” by Melanie Shankle.
“Grace-Filled Marriage” by Tim Kimmel was an encouragement, challenge and eye-opener read for me this year!
Happy Wives Club by Fawn Weaver
Marriage book? Hmm tough one for me..but I like Courtney Joseph’s Women Living Well. Although I’m sorry to report that I’m getting divorced 🙁
I haven’t read a great marriage book lately, other than the Word! But, my small group girl’s Bible study is full of young newlyweds and we are currently looking for a book to study together! This advice has been awesome 🙂 Thanks for hosting this link up each week as well – I love checking out what everyone shares! xoxo Brenley @spoonsofgrace
Five Love Languages and The Good Girl’s Guide!!
My husband and I have enjoyed reading the Story of Marriage together.
I really enjoyed Love and War earlier this year!
What an awesome post and wonderful giveaway!!
I agree Andrea, Love and War was great. Next month sounds great, Sheila.
These would be great!
I always enter your contests,hoping I will win. I am like the woman in the letter with the husband who doesn’t “get it”. I’m right there with her and I don’t know what to do…..I’m at a loss. 🙁
Love and Respect is our favorite marriage book.
I am really enjoying the wisdom found in “Happy Wives Club.” Some of my favorite marriage books though are “The 5 Love Languages,” Love & Respect,” and “The Power of a Praying Wife.” I look forward to discovering some new books through your series. : )
Not specifically marriage related, but Boundaries has been a much needed book in my marriage lately.