For Better or For Worse: 5 Real-Life Marriage Books
Marriage is hard. So very hard. As in he-drives-me-so-crazy-it-makes-my-head-explode hard.
Can I get an “Amen”?
And sometimes, marriage is even more laden with serious problems than that. Infidelity. Neglect. Abuse.
Hard stuff.
My husband and I have walked through tough marriage situations such as these with many couples. Some sadly ended in divorce, no matter how much one of the spouses didn’t want it to. You see, it takes two people to make a marriage work. Unfortunately, it only takes one to break it up.
Other couples we’ve known have been able to forgive, reconcile, and rebuild their broken marriage, again because both were willing to do so.
In the past year I have had five different friends each come out with a helpful and honest marriage book. Some are just encouraging and helpful and some are for the marriage in trouble. I thought this week was a great time to tell you about all of them! Affiliate links may be included, I only recommend books I love that bring value to my readers.
For Better of For Kids: A Vow to Love Your Spouse with Kids in the House by my co-author Ruth Schwenk and her pastor husband Pat. If you have kids and don’t want to settle into a pattern of just being parents without still being lovers, this book is for you! It also addresses the stresses on marriage that come from parenting.
P.S. Got kids? You might want to check out this all-new bundle of joy.
Rebuilding a Marriage Better Than New by Cindy Beall. Cindy’s marriage took quite a hit when she discovered that not only had her husband been unfaithful, but the woman was pregnant with his child. I heard Cindy speak at an event where we were both keynotes. I cried my fool head off. Not because of the tragic tale but because of the miraculous way God rebuilt her marriage. Seriously. I can’t stop smiling every time I spy a pic of Cindy and her husband and their boys on Instagram. This book is a great tool for healing and hope.
Love Unending: Rediscovering Your Marriage in the Midst of Motherhood by Becky Thompson of Scissortail Silk blogging fame. This gal is a fabulous blend of encouragement and reality all wrapped up in the truths of scripture. Join her for a 21-day journey to remember what life was like when you first fell in love with your husband. Each daily challenge, reflection, and prayer will refocus your attention, re-center your heart, reignite the romance, and help you rediscover your marriage in the midst of motherhood.
A 14-Day Romance Challenge: Reigniting Passion in Your Marriage by my Proverbs 31 ministry partner Sharon Jaynes. Does your marriage need a little help in the romance department? Has it grown ho-hum in the daily routine? If so, it’s time to spice up your relationship and rekindle the passion with hundreds of creative ways to show your man just how much you love him.
No More Perfect Marriages; Experience the Freedom of Being Real Together by Mark and Jill Savage. The Savages have been friends of ours for over 20 years. We’ve seen them in ministry with spouses and parents and we’ve seen their marriage survive and affair five years ago that sent us to our knees begging God for redemption and reconciliation. After wearing out the knees on my jeans, we saw their marriage restored. In this book they speak honestly about their struggles, how they came back from betrayal, and the principles keeping their marriage strong today.
Which one of these books are you most excited to read? Or perhaps you’ve already read one or two? If so, I’d love to hear how they have helped strengthen your marriage. Have a great day!
Previous giveaway ended.
I would love Love Unending because I’m right in the middle of raising toddlers and it takes a toll on both of us most days. I would love the extra support for our marriage.
I would love to win Love Unending by Becky Thompson. If I did, I would give it to my beautiful daughter-in-law who is a stay at home Mom. I love the sacrifice she and my son are making to stay home with my granddaughters but I do worry (trying to be real here) about their marriage. I have followed Becky Thompson’s blog and absolutely love her heart and how real and tender her love is. Thank you for all you do Karen and for the opportunities you give the little people out in media land!
All the books sound great, but I’m most interested in Rebuilding a Marriage Better than New. It sounds like it would be most helpful to my husband and I right now.
Love unending..I would like ideas to keep things fresh when kids and activities take center stage.
Congrats Amy, you won the Love Unending book. Please check your email for more info or email [email protected] with the name of the book you won and your mailing address. Have a great day, Kim Stewart (Karen Ehman Ministry Team)
I’d love to win Ruth Shwenk’s book, or Sharon Jaynes OR Becky Thompsons. :) But if I’d get one of the other two, I’d like to share it with a couple we are friends with who are struggling in their marriage. Though no affair involved, there are a lot of forgiveness issues and we are hurt for them and would so LOVE to see their marriage become beautifully God-honoring!
You do have such lovely giveaways and I was so blessed to recently to win your book Let.It,Go!! I can’t recall if it was a giveaway or on a launch team gift but I am so grateful! We have lots of transitions coming up, moving away from my home area of 40+ years to my husbands family out of state. Lots of things feeling out of control? You bet. I feel like its going to be a wild ride ahead, but what an adventure when we travel with God!
Thanks again, Karen! Your books always bless me!
I would love to have all of these books, but those closest and dearest to my heart would be trying to heal from a broken marriage due to adultery. I grew up in a home where my dad had multiple affairs on my mom – and even took me on one of his “dates”. However, he labeled it as “doing a favor” for the woman at her house. I promised I would never stay in a marriage if there was an affair. Well as they saying goes ~ never say never. My husband was unfaithful and left the marriage when our son was just shy of a year old. We reconciled a year later. However, I never really healed, I just pushed it in the deep dark corner of my closet and let it stay there. A few years ago, my dad had his last affair on my mom (yes, she stayed with him 40 years). That brought back all the ugly I had put in the dark corner and I realized I had done nothing to heal myself. My marriage is suffering now because I don’t know how to “get over it”. I don’t know how to do this – after all this time (10 years) I feel like I lost my chance to work through and heal together.
A 14-Day Romance Challenge! My dh is great at showing me his love; as someone with a melancholic temperament, I need some help showing him my love.
For Better or For Kids! We have 3 between the ages of 7 and 13. We are tested almost daily with some sort of kid challenge lately and unfortunately, it is the source of many fights. We need help please!
I just bought Love Unending and plan to start reading it this week!
Rebuilding a Marriage Better Than New – not for me, but for my best friend and her husband. They are going through difficult times and I love them both and want it to get better for them.
Congrats Debbie, you won the Rebuilding a Marriage Better Than New book. Please check your email for more info or email [email protected] with the name of the book you won and your mailing address. Have a great day, Kim Stewart (Karen Ehman Ministry Team)
I opened my email today when I saw the subject, not because of me but because of a dear friend. I don’t know which book I want to win but I want to win for her. She and her husband are going through a rough time. They have two children under the age of five. She says she feels like she is living with a roommate and doesn’t know her husband any more. My heart breaks for them.
I would LOVE to read the No Perfect Marriages because my husband and I are in ministry and we deal A LOT with other couples and would love to gleen some insight from other’s who have walked that road already!
Congrats Jennifer L., you won the No More Perfect Marriages book. Please check your email for more info or email [email protected] with the name of the book you won and your mailing address. Have a great day, Kim Stewart (Karen Ehman Ministry Team)
I could use a book like no more perfect marriages. Trying to recover and build a new marriage after the utter devastation and destruction wrought by my husbands long term adultery with a supposed friend if mine and our family. Need to see the miracle’s of God’s healing touch from the radiation from the Adultery thermonuclear bomb.
Any of them would be wonderful resources, I’m sure. I would particularly be interested in Rebuilding a Marriage Better Than New because I have known people in this situation and would love to be able to read about ways to encourage them with this.
After being married for 40 years, a little romance would be helpful. The book: A 14-Day Romance Challenge: Reigniting Passion in Your Marriage; could give us the spark that is needed.
Thanks you for giving us this opportunity to win these books. I would love to win love unending for I been wanting it since it came out and was waiting for the funds for it.i want it cause I believe the Lord is leading me to read it.
No More Perfect Marriages. Not for me, but for my daughter and son in law, who are struggling so hard! I’m on my knees in prayer and I see glimmers of hope. This sounds like the perfect resource for them to assist the process of rebuilding! The spiritual enemy tries so often to ruin marriages, and we all need to have tools to use in practical ways to thwart that.
Love your wonderful emails and how God uses you.
Its so hard to choose. But I would say the No More Perfect Marriage. Marriage is hard and I am seeing a need to do all I can to safe guard my marriage.
I would love any of these, but I would say the Schwenks book on loving with children at home I would like to read first.
I’d love to win No More Perfect Marriages. I had an emotional and almost physical affair about 4 years ago. God gripped mine & my husband’s hearts and brought us through an amazing reconciliation. We now desire to minister to others and hope to encourage them in their marriage.
I’d like A 14 Day Romance Challenge. I always love inspiration to be intentional about my man and my marriage!
Congrats Deborah, you won A 14-Day Romance Challenge book. Thank you for sending your mailing address. Enjoy!
Kim Stewart (Karen Ehman Ministry Team)
Rebuilding a Marriage Better Than New. My husband and I are separated due to me leaving. Within the past month, I have come to know and fall in love with the Lord. Now I want restoration in my marriage so much and I’m praying every day for that. There are so many broken pieces that need to be put back together. I believe this book would help my marriage.
Thank you for offering the giveaway.
I would love For Better or For Kids. With 4 children 16 to 3mo it is a struggle to keep my spouse first and not think I am neglecting anyone.
Rebuilding a marriage better than New because my husband had an affair and I don’t know how to rebuilt the love, true and everything needed to keep a marriage afloat after it.
I would love to win Love Unending! I have found it most challenging for our marriage since our son was born. I find it hard to to divide my attention between my husband and my son.