Softcover book - The Marriage You've Always Wanted.
Author: Gary Chapman
Pages: 136 with 7 pages of resources following.
Publisher. Moody Publishers
Price: $15.99
Contact information:
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 here.
My Review
The goal is that marriage partners will go through the book together and then sit down to discuss the questions at the end, but the book is designed to be helped even if only one partner goes through the exercises.
The chapters are (at least for me) a quick and easy read. It is such an easy book to read that didn't make me feel pressured, and in fact made me examine some of my own heart motivations and consider ways to make our good marriage even better. :) It is a low pressure encouragement to do whatever you can to make your marriage better according to biblical principles. I appreciated the use of scripture throughout the book to back up the biblical basis for thinking through what one is doing (or contemplating doing) in ones' marriage and the encouragement offered to make changes.
I can't say that I agreed with everything in the book, and when I mentioned one of the problem areas to my hubby he snorted. :) And then we laughed. But that's all okay right? :) One doesn't need to agree with everything in a book action wise, but one can agree with the basic principle behind it. Communicate clearly with your spouse.... apologies, reasoning, thoughts and emotions. Just do it. You don't need to do it always the way recommended, but you just need to do it. Put yourself aside sometimes and just talk.
I would highly recommend this book for people who are contemplating getting married. If people would talk more about some of the issues .. perhaps not expected in the marriage.... it would make the first few years of marriage much easier and establish better patterns for longevity in marriages. It's a good. well-written book.
It's a good reminder to already married couple to continue to communicate about different areas of their relationship, if only to make them better. :)