Eager Preparation

I was about to purchase a new book the other day and thought I better look through our bookshelves to see which books I have not read yet.  Oh my, Amanda...I think I have this problem where I hear about a great book and get all excited because of the glorious wisdom I will gain and buy it....then the wisdom is never obtained because well...it sits there because I am probably reading five other books. Slow it down.

As I was looking through my bookshelf, I saw a few books that I read in preparation for marriage and the first few months of our marriage.  Since many of my friends have had the exciting moment of engagement recently (HOOORAYY!), I thought I would share a few of these books that were a huge challenge and a blessing to me, and were used as a tool to mold me.  These books are for any woman in any stage of  life.

 This is a book for any woman in any stage of life.  This is not a book that directly speaks to marriage.  To some the title may be a turn off because of the word "Discipline".  Don't let that word have a negative tone, especially in the light of what it speaks and its role in your life.  This book discusses the discipline of the Gospel, submission, prayer, worship, your mind, contentment, singleness, marriage, and more.  All these areas, when taken in view of God's intention, will prepare you and build you and encourage you in your role as a wife....(new sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, etc).

The focus of this book is the virtues of a wife and mother that are written in Titus 2.  Carolyn Mahaney does a beautiful job describing how we should be promoting the Gospel in all these areas.  The areas that are written in Titus 2 that she discusses are 1) The Delight of Loving my Husband, 2) The Blessings of Loving my Children, 3) The Safety of Self-Control, 4) The Pleasure of Purity, 5) The Honor of Working at Home, 6) The Rewards of Kindness, 7) The Beauty of Submission.  Note: The "Working at Home" part focuses solely on the calling (and should be blessing) of managing our home, not that everyone should be a stay at home mom.

The same author, along with her husband, of Feminine Appeal also wrote "Love that Lasts: When Marriage meets Grace".  The title was the first thing that grabbed my attention "...when marriage meets Grace".  Amen and amen.  Marriage was created as the earthly picture of our relationship with Christ, which is completely about grace.  Is there even a need for a "therefore" here? :)  The relationship between a husband and wife is intentionally and thoughtfully written in this book.  It covers most areas including role of the husband (leading with love), the role of the wife (walking in wisdom), the content of our communication, conflict, romance, and of course the important topic of sex!

I would've written more about each book and how it impacted me and what were my favorite parts.  However, that would be giving the book away before you read it and I am trying to keep this succinct.

As you prepare for marriage (whether engaged or not) and during marriage, we should always take opportunities to learn and grow in this area.  We always have so much to learn! However, these are the books that helped me leap to those next stepping stones of learning to be a wife.

Another great resource: I have mentioned it before, but you should also check out my sister-in-law's blog .  Besides the fact that she has a masters in Marriage and Family Counseling, she has a passion for marriage and it is evident by her dedication to the resources and wisdom she provides on her blog.