Monday, August 17, 2015

9 Thoughts that Can Change Your Marriage {Book Review}



My husband and I have been married going-on-three-years. I know, ancient. We have a good great marriage. It's not perfect (neither of us are), but we've grown a lot and worked through things together. We understand each other better now, and we try to make sure we're fighting for each other, not with each other.

Even though we're blessed to be in our relationship and for it to be so strong already, I'm always trying to learn new ways I can better serve my husband. Because I love him. I thoroughly enjoyed Shelia's To Love, To Honor, and To Vacuum (of the website by the same name) so when I had the opportunity to review her newest book Nine Thoughts that can Change Your Marriage, I jumped on it.

What Shelia does in this book is very important. She gives you the tools you need to change your marriage. A change starts with you. Oh, she doesn't ignore the reality that your husband may be at fault, but she shows that by changing how you think in 9 areas, you can make a difference in your marriage regardless of if he changes or not.

It sounds lofty, but here's the lovely part: each thought Shelia makes totally actionable.

Take her first thought, as an example: My husband is my neighbor.

Here are her action steps:

  • How well do you know your husband? Every day for the next two weeks, ask your husband something new about him - and share something about yourself.
  • Show your husband he is your priority. Put on makeup for him, greet him at the door, or kiss him before you kiss anybody else.
  • Tell your husband daily why you love him.
  • Make confession part of your prayer life every day - and apologize whenever you feel an inkling that you have done wrong.
  • Practice random acts of kindness. Choose two to three from pages 28-30 to make into habits.
Now, the books is not just a list of thoughts and action steps. Shelia takes time to talk about each point and really make them applicable, candidly sharing her experiences and how these thoughts and actions helped turn her marriage from one of frustration to one of fun.

This is a great book regardless of if you feel you and your husband are at odds. My husband and I have already worked through some of this in our time together. When I read why and how Shelia recommended going about some of these suggestions, I really felt validated that my husband and I were doing a good job of working together.

But that's not enough.

I want to make sure I don't let things stagnate, and I found this book full of practical suggestions to make sure I'm taking care of my husband and our marriage, which, after my relationship with God, is my top priority ... and the best gift I can give to our children.

Highly recommend.






I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion.
This post does contain affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I may receive compensation for referring business. Thank you for your support!

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