Michael and I have been married for an entire year now. While some aspects of our marriage have that cozy, lived-in quality about them ("Can you believe it's only been a year?!"), there are others that remind us that we've still got years to figure each other out and learn what it means to love one another. We've barely scratched the surface at "getting" this thing called marriage.
Which is why I pulled a thick book off the shelf the other day. I had first read it months into my relationship with Michael when we were first seriously thinking about getting engaged. (Lest you forget that our whirlwind courtship was less than a year in the making, that translates to about month seven at this point.) Our friend, Dave, who officiated our wedding months later, encouraged us to read this book, raving about how it had enlightened his marriage and the marriages of many of his friends.
That book is Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
. After his prompting, I dove into reading it while Michael and I were still dating, and it offered great insight into the workings and wirings of men and women. But now, a year into wedlock, I decided it was time for a refresher course, for when I can apply the principles to a marriage, not just a dating relationship. I've mentioned before my caution in reading relationship books because I've found that all too often they're apt to try to shove a square peg into a round hole with a one-size-fits-all approach that is just not true for us. I've read some doozies of relationship-advice books, and am well aware that there are some out there that are liable to do more harm than good if you're not careful.
But with Love and Respect
, I've found that it fits us quite well--in describing what I need as a woman and a wife, and how I'm to best treat my husband. So this is the book currently sitting on my bedside shelf (even though it wasn't on my list of books to read), as I retrace my steps through its biblically-based wisdom. As in the past, I'll share some favorite passages and thoughts as I go.
In the meantime, are there any favorite marriage or relationship books you've read or would recommend?
Related Posts
"This is Your Brain on Love" Book Review
I, like you, read this book before we got married. I took a lot of ideas from it. I probably need to pick it back up for a refresher. :)
ReplyDelete