“Everything we say and do, everything we commit ourselves to, and every situation, location, and relationship we experience is experienced between the already and the not yet.” (Tripp pg. 18) This easy read is a very revealing probe into what makes us chose the mate we did, what are the “Prince Charming” qualities we were blinded by, what gems attracted him to us, and oops the dross unsuspected that squeezes out from both. This is a wonderful practical book of encouragement and enlightenment for us as brides. 

Lies Young Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Dannah Gresh

www.girlsgonewise.com

Online book study beginning May 18, 2010 through Girls Gone Wise. Mary Kassian’s website is valuable. I encourage you to take advantage of this woman’s research and presentation.

Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary A. Kassian

Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

This is one of the best reads on understanding how much our husbands need us as brides to show respect to him. We tend to hold back until he deserves it but we rob him and ourselves of a great marriage by being so selfish. This is a wonderful book to read as a couple. But if he isn’t into that idea, the bride can learn and apply the principles herself. A wife has one driving need – to feel loved. When that need is met, she is happy. A husband has one driving need – to feel respected. When that need is met, he is happy. When either of these needs isn’t met, things get crazy.

This Momentary Marriage by John Piper

This little read tells it like it should be for our God ordained roles in marriage. God designed marriage to be a picture. It gives us a lens to question ourselves about how clear and well-focused is the portrait of Jesus that our marriage is displaying? Marriage is a momentary but glorious gift. It is more than a husband’s and wife’s love for each other – vastly more. Its meaning is infinitely great; the display of the covenant-keeping love between Jesus and his people. This book unpacks the biblical vision, its unexpected contours, and its weighty implications for married, single, divorced, and remarried alike.

 

 

Becoming a Woman of Spiritual Passion by Donna Morley

This book is an inspiration to become all we are meant to be regardless of any situation or circumstance we find ourselves in. Donna relates to her reader through personal stories and her personal journey as a Christian from singleness to marriage and through trials and rewards. It is about overcoming challenges to our relationship with God.

 

 

 

Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes

It gives a daily devotional guide through Scripture which gets us into a habit of a disciplined time with God. True there are phases and stages of our lives that cause us to “tweak” our time with God but not delete it. Different seasons and circumstances that creep up in our lives can rob us of a disciplines daily time with God and we must guard against this happening. This book is a good challenge to be faithful to loving God with all our hearts.

 

 

 

Trusting God by Jerry Bridges

This is a must for all. I enjoy reading material that I know came from the heart of the author. This is one. It is such a help in our time of need bringing us back to the hope that we have in our Savior and through knowing God better we can trust Him in each circumstance of life. I use this book often in my counseling women. We must trust God even in the tough times. This book helps us remember why.

 

 

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

It is fiction but truly inspirational. Joni Eareckson Tada wrote, “This is the record of one woman’s spiritual journey deep into the heart of Christ. It will serve as a guide for the Christian woman who desire to leave behind the dull, dry indifference of spiritual mediocrity of discover the rich, deep joy of knowing Jesus more fully. Her spiritual journey is so inspiring that I know God will use it in a dramatic way in the lives of so many.” I agree. I have shared this book with many women and never has one been disappointed. A must read.

 

 

One with a Shepherd by Mary Somerville

Another author I trust and love. Mary writes from her experience and her heart of love for her husband and the ministry God has graciously given them. It is about one woman’s pilgrimage through tears and triumphs of a ministry marriage. This book will help us understand the joy and pain of being a pastor’s wife. It will help us see the unreasonable expectations we tend to place on our pastor’s wives and their family. A very sweet book! You can give it to your pastor’s wife and know she will enjoy and benefit from it.

Peace Making for Women by Tara Klena Barthel and Judy Dabler 

For years I have appreciated Ken Sande’s book The Peacemaker – he wrote the forward for this book. This book gives specific information for us women and how we can apply simple guidelines for resolving conflict. If we desire to live conflict free then this is definitely a help in our time of trouble. We are frail, fragile, depraved women and we need relationships, why not be equipped to live at peace and harmony with those around us as Romans 12:18 says for as much as is within me, live at peace with others. Whew. This will help.

 

 

 

The Way They Learn by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

Oh my, this is a must for each of us along with Love Languages which I will describe later. I use this in Child Development and each student tells me how much they learned about themselves. The more we know about us the easier we can accept and get along with others in a more meaningful way. As a mom, this is a must, as a friend how very helpful, as a wife – so vey helpful. It is a fun easy read and we need not get hung up on the labels but enjoy the information. Very revealing.

 

 

 

 

Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp

Discipline is for a purpose but mostly to guide the heart toward a desire to obey God not obey because we spank or take something away. Ellizabeth Elliot said, “I am glad to recommend this book for its remarkably clear, biblical, and practical teaching. Earnest fathers and mothers will find it also eminently ‘do-able’.” I wish I had known about it when we were raising our children. But since it was written later, I now want to recommend it to every parent and grand parent. It is wonderful for each of us even if we aren’t raising children. It speaks to our own hearts also.

 

 

 

The Joy of a Word Filled Family by John S. Barnett

Knowing the Barnett family and the kindness and spiritual lives of this family, makes this one of my very favorite family books. I love to give it as a wedding gift to young couples. It addresses each phase and stage of living in family. Would you like to be the world’s most beautiful woman? You can be and should be in the eyes of your husband. You can find out how through this reading. I also use this as a text for Family Living and students ask their boyfriends read it and the married students ask their husbands to read it. It has been a blessing to all. It is very different than any other book written for the family. It is a must. Although we can ask our husbands to read – we cannot have expectations that he will.

 

 

The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman

Although we never want to label or give excuse for our behaviors, it helps us to gain insight to the ways of ourselves and our children by understanding our position of birth in our families. There are tendencies that exist for each but we are not to be complacent with labels we are to polish our strengths and chip away at our weaknesses to become more like Christ in all we do and to glorify Him in all our ways. This book explains the powerful influence of whom we are, who we marry, the job we choose, and the kind of parent we are. It helps us get along better with others, overcome ingrained tendencies and become more successful in the workplace. It is a fun read.

 

 

Equal Yet Different by Alexander Strauch

We will be challenged at how our thinking has been watered down view position on gender -about male and female roles and God’s plan for marriage. This is a very Biblically motivated book and easy-to-read introduction to the key Scriptures, terms arguments, and newest research related to the non-feminist position on gender. It is a wonderful read for parents influencing the young teen as they consider their God-given role in relationships.

 

 

 

 

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

This little book packs a wallop for us in understanding how to love another. We become so self focused on how we want our needs to be met we forget that not everyone is wired like we are. It behooves us to try to get a grip on how to love in a meaningful way to the needs of others. The five basic ways of expressing love is through quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service and physical touch. Many times we give show an expression of love to another in the way we desire to be loved and we get disappointed because our well meaning act of love was not as appreciated as we had hoped. This is a fun and easy read but very informative.

 

 

Streams in the Desert Volume Two by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

Although there are several volumes of this little devotional, this is by far my favorite. It has given me hope through pointing me to Scripture and then given me a little story of application that has many times brought me back to a steady focus.

 

 

 

 

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

This is a deep and rich devotional that blesses me every time I read it. It can be challenging at times which draws me to a deeper understanding of a passage of Scripture and its application. I have read and re read this book for years.

 

 

 

 

Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh Demoss

We have each been hurt and have hurt others. We have had our hopes and dreams damaged by someone we trusted. Although there are no magical formulas for forgiving or receiving forgiveness, the Biblical principles in this book will help us to move from bitterness and anger which destroys lives, to living in freedom through the choice to forgive. There are strategies for putting God’s grace and mercy into practice – not easy but life saving. Ephesians 4:32 tells us we must forgive not because we feel like it or because the other person deserves, but because God says we must.

 

 

The Disconnected Generation by Josh McDowell

This book emphases the relationship along with correction. Josh McDowell says, “We can’t pass on our faith or protect our kids from the culture, unless we make that relational connection, that loving bond, that intimate attachment our children so desperately need and want.” I have leaned so much about the adolescent brain through this reading. We need to learn to connect intimately with our young people – they need loving connections more than they need lectures. This is a very helpful book for parents or anyone working with our youth. It doesn’t excuse behavior but helps to understand what is going on and gives input as to how to connect. A wonderful easy read full of helpful ideas and information.

 

 

First we have Coffee by Margaret Jensen

This very bittersweet true story is moving and challenging. It is about one woman who chose to obey God while living with a difficult man and lovingly obeying God in all her ways. It teaches us wives to be more understanding and caring and also encourages us to become the woman God created us to be regardless or in spite of our husbands yet showing us how to be lovingly submissive and obedient to God’s way for a wife to “Fit”. When someone comes to this heroine’s home for counsel or a visit, her famous first words are, “First sit down and let’s have coffee.” I love this book. I’ll never forget the story of “The dress.” Neither will you.

 

 

 

 

The Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney

This book helps us identify with the challenges we each face in today’s world and meets them with the guidance of God’s Word. It speaks of the feminine virtues described in Titus 2. This book shows us the appeal of being a woman who lives for God and encourages other to do the same. It encourages us to develop relationships with older and younger women. There is always a woman older than we – yes even me – and there is always a young woman than ourselves. We are to be in relationship with each other encouraging each other to love and good works.

 

 

A Promise – the story of an unforgettable love By Robertson McQuilkin

This book is a must for everyone. It is a love story of commitment in a covenant marriage. This is a small book with a powerful message. A true story of a prominent couple, “till death do us part.” Get out the tissue.

 

 

 

Reforming Marriage by Douglas Wilson

  “Most marriage books address the mere externals of marriage, without seeking to understand the heart issues. Godly marriages proceed from an obedient heart, and the greatest desire of an obedient heart is the glory of God, not the happiness of the household. “ (Taken from the back cover of the book.) The spiritual aroma of our homes cannot be fake. We can play a part for a time but sooner-or-later the real family spiritual dynamic will show through. This book helps us understand God’s ideal for the spiritual aroma in our homes. It must begin with the husband and wife setting the example and understanding their role. We cannot teach our husbands, “When a woman is lovely in her spirit, that loveliness cannot be contained. It enchants her husband – even some husbands who do not fear God. Hence we need to fulfill our part and understand God’s plan for our families. It will transform your thinking about your marriage.

 

 

Lies Women Believe – and the truth that sets them free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

This book contrast the ways of the world against the truths in God’s word for meeting all our needs. We tend to listen to things that aren’t true hence it is important that we monitor the input we allow into our minds and hearts. The devil has a strategy and he will use all his power to accomplish his goal in our lives. We must remember that the devil was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). This author addresses 40 specifics questions. She answers those questions with the world’s answers and contrasts the same questions with solid Biblical truths. This is a wonderful book that we can return to again and again.