Recently, I read Love at Last sight: 30 Days to Grow and Deepen Your Closest Relationships, and I must admit that I was a little put off.
This book has 4 sections (weekly sections) and a challenge at the end of each day to complete. The sections include Week 1: The Art of Being All There, Week 2: The Art of Acting Intentionally, Week 3: The Art of Risking Awkwardness and Week 4: The Art of Letting Go. These sections are geared to help the reader grow a better friendship in the midst of struggle or during a time of a “rut” to a point where you will love the person more the very last time you see them than the time before. While I found much of the information helpful, it tended to be geared towards either marriages or friendships or parent-child relationships. It was hard to find a nice middle ground that wasn’t too geared towards one thing or another. Then, the authors used narratives to explain the point, but it became a little too cliché. I also felt like the authors think that every single person out there is deeply pained, filled with grief and sorrow, and insecure...like it's impossible to be truly happy.
I went into it thinking it was a book about marriage. Then I realized that it’s a book about any relationship you wanted to work on…which was fine. Just not what I was expecting. Then, I got into reading the book and was surprised to find myself not liking in one minute, then liking it the next. I couldn’t decide if the book was meant as a marriage tool or a friendship tool; not that marriage isn’t a friendship. At best, I would say the book was luke-warm. Not enough of a good book for me to tell everyone about it, but not so terrible as to steer people away from it either. My opinion is that the authors could have put a little more time and thought into making it a bit more cohesive…or at least give it a better flow.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I was not paid for my review, nor was I required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I feel like I am always apologizing to you, my readers. And then I considered how I feel like I apologize to you more than I do my husband. And the sad part is that I know he usually apologizes first. Maybe I feel too indignant to apologize first, but I should probably go rectify that, and try to make sure that I am apologizing adequately for my part in any future disagreements.
Anyway…talk about a break-through! Woah!
Your marriage challenge for this week is this…
All too often, we assume we know what our spouse is thinking or feeling, simply because we live with them. How often do we tune out what they are saying? Or put our attention elsewhere and try to multi-task (ladies!) by listening and doing what needs done.
This week, take time to ask your spouse some interesting questions. Like the following…
How do you want to be loved? With words of affirmation? Gifts? Touch?
How can I make you feel loved?
What are your goals for the next month? Year?
Then, take some time and consider what your spouse may not know about you. Does your spouse know that you prefer one love language over the others? Or what your goals are? Or what touches your heart? Chances are, you don’t know that about them. So ask!
Hopefully, this will prove just how intent (even if only to yourself) you are on living more intentionally, and that you do value your spouse above all others. And, it may even open wide a new door of communication.
Geez, those words (intentional living and communication) have been appearing a lot in the marriage challenges…I wonder why…
