The "war between the sexes" has gone on long enough! God is moving to restore the relationship between women and men to His original design, bringing peace and harmony where there has been, for so long, strife and misunderstanding. The Beauty of Intimacy helps women open their eyes and hearts to this move of God's Spirit and challenges them to live according to the purpose God revealed for men and women at the beginning of time. The Beauty of Intimacy features eight study sessions. Topics include "A Tale of Two Trees," "She Shall Be Called Woman," "Right Expectations, Wrong Source," "Hidden Man of the Heart," and more. Each week's study examines an aspect of the relationship between women and men, digs into Scripture to find out what God's Word has to say about it, offers readers an opportunity to reflect on their own marriages or relationships, and suggests practical action steps to help women apply what they are learning.
"Sheila speaks to both the heart and habits of the woman who is wife and mother. The lessons in this book are biblical, doable, and affordable!"--Margaret B. Buchanan From advertisements to mommy blogs to Pinterest, scenes of domestic bliss abound, painting a picture of perfection and expectation nearly impossible to live up to. Why can't you work a full-time job, stylishly clothe yourself and your children, plan a party for twelve with handmade decorations, keep your house sparkling clean without chemicals, and bake a gourmet meal in the same day? Everyone else is doing it! For many women, housework has become more than chores that need to be done; it is a symbol of identity. Sheila Wray Gregoire wants to stop that thinking in its tracks and help women back to a life of balance--for their sakes and for their families. She encourages women to shift their focus from housekeeping to relationships and shows them how to foster responsibility and respect in all family members. The second edition retains the helpful, concrete advice on everyday situations such as strategies for tackling chores and budgets and tips on effective communication, while incorporating the wisdom Sheila has gained through her interaction with thousands of readers of her blog and through her speaking ministry over the past ten years. Through the principles in To Love, Honor, and Vacuum, Gregoire promises readers they can grow and thrive in the midst of their hectic lives--even if their circumstances stay the same.
A Bible study about sex for women? Now that’s different! This new study, Passion Pursuit: What Kind of Love Are You Making?, lets God’s Word speak about sex as being holy and erotic, blessed by God, and satisfying far beyond what the world can even imagine. Picture that as a headline on the cover of Cosmopolitan! By using scripture throughout the Bible, Passion Pursuit not only urges women to pursue passion but details how God has given them permission to do so. Though there is fun to be had along the way in this study, it hits hard on the questions women have but are hesitant to ask, like: What does God say is okay and not okay in the bedroom? I’m 54 years old; how can my husband still be attracted to me? Why did God make men and women so different? This audaciously bold study combines the psychological expertise of Dr Juli Slattery, formerly of Focus on the Family, along with moving stories from trusted Bible teacher and best-selling author Linda Dillow. The groups who have already done this study have seen their marriages come alive, whether they’ve been married four months or forty years; be next! PLUS! Check out the Passion Pursuit DVD for even more great teaching from Lisa Dillow and Dr. Slattery. It's the perfect resource for individuals or small groups.
A guide to building a better, more intimate relationship with your significant other from the author of Coming Apart and The Future of Love. Whether your relationship is just beginning, or you are celebrating your twenty-fifth anniversary, A Lifetime of Love offers sixty-five prescriptions for helping you achieve lasting love. You will discover how to have deeper intimacy, transcendent moments, and a wonderful soul connection. Follow the light of love with your treasured one. Work on your relationship through self-improvement, whether you have just started dating or have been in a marriage for years. Author Daphne Rose Kingma provides tips and pointers on ways to keep the romance alive such as dinner conversation starters. She wants you to feel the fire but also learn how to commit fully and gladly. Learn about intimacy through vulnerability, and ways to trust and love your partner and encourage longevity in your relationship. Praise for A Lifetime of Love “In a series of brief and enchanting essays, Daphne Rose Kingma delineates the spiritual dimensions of an intimate relationship. The challenge is to cherish each other’s souls and to champion each other’s spiritual growth. This means attending to the unfolding of your relationship with heart; sharing transcendental moments; learning the language of intimacy; being gentle, patient, and kind; practicing the art of empathy; and integrating the divine erotic. Kingma believes that mutual spiritual growth involves grace, hope, and wisdom. A Lifetime of Love shines a light on the path to the spiritual possibilities of love.” —Spirituality & Practice
From a two-time nationally award winning sexuality researcher - The Art of Intimate Marriage. God's plan for sexual intimacy in marriage is the work of a Master artist and genuine intimacy is like a beautiful masterpiece. Your marriage is going well but you want to make your sex life better and you’re looking for help on how to do that. You want to know what God has to say about how to build a fulfilling sexual intimacy in your marriage. Your sexual relationship has been full of pain, discouragement, and frustration and you need some answers. You have some medical issues that are making sex difficult and you would like to rekindle experiencing mutually pleasurable sex. For these issues and more, The Art of Intimate Marriage provides direction and guidance on how to get there. Creating that masterpiece may mean learning God’s view of sex, gaining life-giving intimacy skills, and figuring out how to work through conflict in a way that creates deeper connection. It may also mean overcoming things in your background, healing things in your marriage, or dealing with those medical challenges. We have the opportunity to have a deeper understanding of God’s loving heart through being deeply known and erotically bonded with our spouse. The Art of Intimate Marriage gives us a road map to experience growth toward a more rewarding, spiritual sexual relationship.
“Genius . . . will teach you how to transform your conflict into closeness. A beautiful read for anyone in a relationship they want to take higher.” —Regena Thomashauer, New York Times bestselling author If left unresolved, sources of disconnect—from bad breath to infidelity—can lead to major rifts and smother the spark in a relationship. Authors CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke bring over twenty years of experience in family and marriage counseling and relationship coaching to this book. They cater their advice to romantic relationships and provide resolution strategies for women and men. While arguments with our partner can get tiring, looking at those disagreements as opportunities to strengthen the bond rather than weaken it can have a significant impact on their effect. With conflict comes the chance to communicate and solve problems together. This can restore a sense of intimacy and connection with our partner, both emotionally and physically. In The Beauty of Conflict for Couples, you will find: · Relatable stories that shed light on the common struggles of romantic relationships · Practical tools that offer guidance for addressing conflict · A source of hope for relationships that appear to be fated for failure “The Beauty of Conflict for Couples is a knock-your-socks-off book for anyone who has ever struggled with intimacy, vulnerability, and the longing to make this relationship work even when it seems impossible . . . This book is readable (I couldn’t put it down!), funny, warm, practical, and powerful.” —Ann Weiser Cornell, author of The Radical Acceptance of Everything and The Power of Focusing
A narrative guide and practical methodology for nurturing and sustaining our relationships with ourselves, others, and the world. “With intimacy as the foundational principle of our existence, we can build a life based on what we truly need, not what we think we need or have been told we need. By embracing the practice of radical intimacy, I can confidently promise my readers a personal revolution of self-acceptance, appreciation, vitality, and confidence. And without fail, mind-blowing, soul-stirring, earth-shattering sex follows.”—Zoë Kors Part practical guide, part client stories, part personal narrative, Zoë Kors draws on her experience as a sex and intimacy coach, thought leader, and relationship writer in sharing her powerful and practical methodology for nurturing and sustaining our intimate relationships over time. She addresses the essential truth that is almost universally missed in discussions of sex and intimacy: We can meet each other only to the extent that we can meet ourselves. Kors guides the reader on a five‑part journey through nine areas of opportunity for deepening intimacy with themselves, their partner, and their world, inviting them to embrace emotional, physical, and energetic self‑mastery, which is required to skillfully relate with others. At the conclusion of each part, there are a collection of experiential exercises which support the reader in embodying the concepts they’ve just read. Voice-driven, accessible, and with the right amount of tough love, Radical Intimacy takes the mystery out of human connection. From academia and science to mysticism and self-development, Kors delivers a rich and varied understanding of human sexuality and intimacy through the lens of the body, brain, heart, spirit, and culture.
Ryan and Selena Frederick were newlyweds when they landed in Switzerland to pursue Selena's dream of training horses. Neither of them knew at the time that Ryan was living out a death sentence brought on by a worsening genetic heart defect. Soon it became clear he needed major surgery that could either save his life--or result in his death on the operating table. The young couple prepared for the worst. When Ryan survived, they both realized that they still had a future together. But the near loss changed the way they saw all that would lie ahead. They would live and love fiercely, fighting for each other and for a Christ-centered marriage, every step of the way. Fierce Marriage is their story, but more than that, it is a call for married couples to put God first in their relationship, to measure everything they do and say to each other against what Christ did for them, and to see marriage not just as a relationship they should try to keep healthy but also as one worth fighting for in every situation. With the gospel as their foundation, Ryan and Selena offer hope and practical help for common struggles in marriage, including communication problems, sexual frustration, financial stress, family tension, screen-time disconnection, and unrealistic expectations.
Incorporating the most up-to-date literature in sociology, psychoanalysis, psychology, and communication, this book provides an exhaustive synthesis of theoretical, empirical, and clinical research on personal relationships. Prager explores the complex interconnections between intimacy and individual development, examining relationships from intimacy to old age in their social, cultural, and gender contexts, and constructing an innovative, multi-tiered model of intimate relating. The book also delves into the thoughts and emotions people experience when they behave intimately with each other, and asks how intimate relationships come to be satisfying, stable and harmonious for the people involved. This book will be of interest to researchers, educators, students and practitioners who study or treat close relationships. It will also serve as an invaluable text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on personal relationships, intimacy, and family relations.