The Marriage of Your Dreams by Rick Johnson

What wife doesn't want to know more about their husband and what he's really like?  My favorite part of this book were when women asked Rick Johnson questions and he answered them.  Some of them made me laugh because they were a simple one word answer when I'm sure the women really wanted more of an explanation....because that's how we are!  His answers were so much like my husbands, which made me realize that perhaps my husband isn't that odd after all.  Maybe more guys really do think like that. 

Johnson talks about the relationship with the husband's mother and your husband (which was very enlightening and kinda scary!), his relationship with his father and his relationships with others and how they affect his marriage and his family.  He then goes on to discuss their communication styles, their work, sexuality, and their need for respect and admiration. 

I did find it funny when Johnson gave an example about breaking an unspoken "girl rule" when he commented to his wife, while on a date, that the girl behind him (whom he couldn't see) had a pretty laugh.  His wife got mad and he couldn't figure out why that would bother her.  He then went on to warn women to tell their husbands of any unspoken rules because they don't need any more help to get into trouble!  Poor men...they really aren't blessed with the communication skills for the most part.  He shed light on how their communication is so different and how they need time to process what they just heard.  It's not that they're insensitive or uncaring...they just don't know how to express their thoughts on the matter, yet.  His examples on that issue showed me how many times my husband and I had experienced that misunderstanding in communication.

Continuing on, Johnson speaks on his odds of meeting your expectations, his emotions, his desires in a wife, his cheating heart, and his needs of his woman.  I always hate reading the cheating sections because it scares me a bit, but I do like to know what I can do to keep his eyes from straying and his heart from yielding to temptation.

Overall, this book touched on some different topics that I hadn't read in other marriage books.  It was also nice to get one's opinion who wasn't a therapist or a counselor.  He had polled men and got some responses back, which I thought made the book for enlightening and the men were probably more honest.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

The Fruitful Wife by Hayley CiMarco

This book was EXACTLY what I needed to read the time that I read it.  I was going through a tough stretch of parenting and was reminded of the fact that the fruit of the spirit were not designed for me, but for me to give to others.  That includes giving them to my children and most importantly, my husband.

I loved how she took the fruit of the spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control--and showed where we, as wives and even moms, tend to fall into a trap with hoarding the fruits for ourselves.  Kindness isn't mean for us!  Yet, who tends to receive our kindness first?  Others.  And others meaning everyone but our family.  They are the ones who should reap from our kindness first because they are so close to us all of the time.

I loved Hayley's honesty through this book and how she shared where she falls and needs extra grace.  My favorite reminder was joy.  As wives and moms, we aren't always in the most joyful situations.  That doesn't meant that we can't show joy, though.  Because we have spent so much time at the feet of Jesus, we can be joyful even when we're tired and feel like we have nothing left to give.

I am thankful for this book and for it coming out at the same time that God knew that I needed to read these words and be reminded of being the wife He has called me to be.  What an encouragement to wives and moms everywhere!

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I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.