#Staymarried - Review

#Staymarried

By: Michelle Peterson

Expected Publication: May 23rd 2017 by Althea Press

248 pages

Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, Self-Help, Devotional

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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Goodreads description--“#staymarried: A Couple’s Devotional is filled with practical advice on what it takes to create a marriage that beats the odds. Every chapter of this couple’s devotional is a powerful reminder of how small changes in awareness and actions can be the tipping point in any relationship.”
—Dave Nelson, Lead Pastor, Great Lakes Church, Kenosha, WI

Strong marriages don’t just happen. They require commitment, time, and faith—which can often be difficult to achieve amid the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. But this kind of dedication is essential, not just to getting married, but to staying married.

After five years of marriage, Michelle Peterson discovered that many of the couples she knew were separating or getting divorced, and found herself asking a question that would become the foundation of her life’s work: What does it take to stay married? From this question Michelle developed the popular blog and podcast, #staymarried, which has helped hundreds of thousands of couples improve their marriages.

#staymarried: A Couple’s Devotional combines everything Michelle has learned in one welcoming and applicable couple’s devotional. In #staymarried: A Couple’s Devotional, scripture-based devotions help you and your spouse work together to strengthen your relationship—to each other and God.

In this couple’s devotional, you’ll find:

Devotions that require only 30 minutes per week and address everything from finances and arguments to trust and intimacy. Wisdom from the Bible incorporated with up-to-date research from research-based sources such as The Gottman Institute. Inclusive, open-minded guidance that applies to a diverse range of couples.

With #staymarried: A Couple’s Devotional, you and your spouse will learn to connect meaningfully and communicate honestly while renewing your shared commitment to your marriage and faith.

Husband and I started #staymarried as a devotional we wanted to do together when we hit a rough patch in our marriage last year. Every marriage has struggles and the title #staymarried felt like exactly what we needed. Our commitment to staying married was one of the main things that got us through this particular time. But we knew we needed to up our communication and we'd always intended to do devotionals together but never did until now. That's why we chose this book.

At first, I felt like #staymarried wasn't going to end up being the best devotional for us. Many of the chapters felt better suited for engaged couples than for already married ones. Many of the topics were things we've discussed extensively throughout our marriage and relationship. I didn't feel as if there was much new territory for us to explore based on some of the week's topics. But if nothing else the book did spark conversation even if we were discussing things we've talked about in the past. And eventually, we had several topics and weeks that hit exactly what we were going through at exactly the right moment.

Husband rated #staymarried as 5 Stars. I feel like it deserves more of a 4 Star rating. I enjoyed it. The topics did spark conversation which was our main goal in starting it. But I truly feel like newlyweds or engaged couples will get more out of this book than couples that have been married 10 years or more. I also felt like the discussion questions could have been more in-depth and pushed the couples a little deeper. It might be helpful for couples to read the week's chapter individually to provide time to think through the discussion questions before discussing them together. Have you read #staymarried? What did you think? Let me know!