Life Promises for Couples by Gary Chapman

Add about an inch across and top to bottom of this cover photo, and you have the size, 4.20w x 7.00h x 1.00d, 216 pages, with the beautiful color of this take along book by Dr. Gary Chapman. The cover is padded and would make a very nice gift for a wedding, 50-year anniversary, or in between! You will want to gift yourself too! Very nicely printed with an attached purple ribbon bookmark, the page layout is pleasant to the eyes; especially when you begin reading! On the left side page you will find three Life Promises Scriptures. On the right side page, is wisdom for everyone from someone who has seen the power of God transform relationships! Dr. Chapman has a background in marriage counseling. Some selections are marriage specific, but a dating or engaged couple would benefit from this book too. I would suggest that ANYONE would benefit as it is Godly wisdom in treating others well, including yourself. This book is available also as an eBook on Kindle or NOOK Book. It will give you food for thought and will be well worth the 2-3 minutes to read a selection. It will stay with you long after that as you apply it to your life. You can use this Bible promise book individually, or sit down as a couple and read it together. Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." As we take the time to reach each other and are open to rephrasing to "I" instead of "you" when we are sharing, doors open that have been closed to God's promises. I like this book and am looking forward to changes in me as I apply and reapply what I learn within these pages!

Here is a preview of a selection from Life Promises for Couples: God's promises for you and your spouse, pages 188-189:

"Life Promises

[Jesus said.] "I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built."
LUKE 6:47-48

I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the LORD.
HOSEA 2:19-20.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 PETER 4:8, ESV

Laying a Strong Foundation

A strong foundation is the key to a strong marriage. Jesus told the story of a wise person who built a house on a foundation of solid rock. When storms and floods came, the house was not shaken. Contrast that to the foolish person who built a house with no foundation. It collapsed at the first storm. The foundation in our relationship with God is faith, trust, and obedience. In our marriage, the foundation is oneness.
    In God's plan, marriage involves two people, husband and wife, becoming one unit. They choose to share life more deeply with each other than with anyone else. This intimacy involves all aspects of life. Ideally, before we get married, we should explore the foundation for oneness. Intellectually, are we on the same wavelength? Can we talk and understand each other? Emotionally, are we able to share our feelings without fear of rejection? Socially, do we enjoy similar activities? Spiritually, are we marching to the beat of the same drummer?
    After marriage, we build on this foundation. If the foundation is shaky, then it will be more difficult to build intimacy. But build we must, for that is the heart of what marriage is about. Creating intimacy may be difficult, but we have all of God's help when we commit ourselves to following his plan."

I received this book by Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, free from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”