Intentional Marriage {a review}

When my husband and I were dating, he was the focus of my every thought. I couldn’t concentrate at work, I couldn’t sleep, I didn’t want to eat. All I could do was replay our last moments together in my mind and count the minutes till I would see him again.

Sappy? Yes, incredibly so. But I didn’t care…I was in love.

Fourteen years, two children, two moves, and three jobs later, life has settled in on us. I love my husband even more today than 11 years ago when we said “I do.” But if I’m honest, my thoughts these days are more consumed with getting through the day, settling squabbles among the children, figuring out what to make for dinner, and how to avoid that mountain of laundry that’s been piling up.

We have a good marriage. I would even say we have a great marriage, but too often, even good (or great) marriages suffer simple neglect. Life takes over and priorities shuffle. We don’t mean to do it, but we overlook our spouses for the more “pressing” issues of life. If we don’t take time to refocus our energies on our spouses, neglect can begin to chip away at even the greatest of marriages.

Whether you’re in a great marriage, a so-so marriage, or barely hanging on to your marriage, there’s no better time than the present to focus some time and energy on your husband and your relationship with him.

Intentional Marriage

{The following contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase the book, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review, but I only recommend products on this site that I fully endorse.}

The new e-book Intentional Marriage: The Art of Loving Your Husbandby my friend Crystal Brothers, is a fantastic resource to help you make your marriage and your spouse a priority. Crystal lays out 31 practical ideas for focusing on your husband in a day-by-day format. By focusing on just one simple idea each day, Crystal takes the sometimes overwhelming thought of investing in your marriage relationship and breaks it down into bite-size pieces that are quite manageable.

Knowing life is crazy and time is valuable, Crystal keeps the daily readings short and to the point (most are only 1/2 page in length!). She gives clear-cut and practical ideas in a concise way then lets you get right to it, providing questions to get you thinking and space for your own response and notes. (As an avid note-taker, I LOVED this feature!)

In addition to the 31 days of practical tips, Crystal also gives you some great resources like date night ideas, conversation starters, and 101 ways to bless your husband. The 52-page book retails for $4.99.

 

12 thoughts on “Intentional Marriage {a review}

  1. my romantic memory is that my husband gave me a rose every day until we got married. He still gives me roses on our anniverery.

  2. Oops…didn’t see the question until I had already posted. After our wedding, the honeymoon was postponed for 6 weeks while Matt studied for the bar exam. He surprised me with a night at a bed and breakfast on the night after the wedding so we could have a mini-honeymoon. We went back to the B & B for many years after that to celebrate our anniversary.

  3. My most romantic memory with my spouse was when we were first married. I called a friend that taught me how to make a special meal for him. I made steaks, baked potatoes, a salad, and asparagus. Then, we blindfolded my husband and we drove around for 30 minutes trying to confuse him as to our location. It isn’t work, because he had a good idea where we were anyways. He remained blindfolded as we took him up a ladder to a secluded location seeing the stars. I am not sure what to call it but it reminded me of a treehouse, but it was all open. My friend left and picked us up later that night. I had rose petals spread out on a blanket, the meal, wine (shhhh . . . luckily we didn’t get caught), and a music tape I made us to listen to containing romantic songs. It was an awesome night! We talked for hours.

  4. I’ve heard only great things about this book, Thank you for sharing your review! My most romantic memory, to be honest, not many come to mind as our lives have been full of little kids, but for me, the most romantic moment was when my husband let me sleep all night after 6 months of me doing all the night time diapering and calming even though he had to go to work the next day. Might not be earth-shattering, but to my sleep deprived body it was better than anything!

    Marissa

    Thanks for sharing with Cozy Reading Spot!

  5. Nancy, I agree with you that we need to be pro-active and not get apathetic about our marriages. I know Crystal through her blog, and this is such a great resource for married folk. Thanks for sharing it and linking up with Thought-Provoking Thursday. 🙂

  6. On the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer my husband and I were driving home from the hospital feeling completely overwhelmed. As my mind whirled with all the information I had just heard, I remember saying to my husband, “I don’t think I can do this.” His immediate response was, “There is no I, it is a we and we will get through this.” There was something about hearing those words in that moment that gave me everything I needed to face the next 10 mos.

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