Tag: marriage

From my library: The 7 Rings of Marriage by Jackie Bledsoe

Card catalogue dataThe 7 Rings of Marriage
The 7 Rings of Marriage: Your Model for a Lasting and Fulfilling Marriage by Jackie Bledsoe (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2016)
Category: Marriage
Format: Paperback
Pages: 194 (207 with end matter)
About the author: Jackie Bledsoe is a professional blogger (jackiebledsoe.com), author, and speaker who is a young rising star in Baptist circles. He and his wife Stephana have been through the good and bad of marriage and want to pass along all the lessons they have learned.
Bottom line: Excellent marriage book that outlines seven stages of marriage in “rings”: Engagement RING, Wedding RING, DiscoveRING, PerseveRING, RestoRING, ProspeRING, and MentoRING. No matter where you are in your marriage, you will get something out of this. His emphasis, from a Christian perspective, includes prayer, communication, commitment, and many other concepts. Highly recommend.

Why I read this book
I had started this book before I left my former church position as I was considering Bledsoe as a speaker for a marriage retreat. I finished it after I left because it was so good. The author speaks form experience—not just a rose-colored glasses look at another fake perfect Christian marriage. They have been through many struggles and learned how to grow through them. He fully admits that a good marriage takes hard work, just like anything else worth having in life, but it’s totally worth it and the benefits far outweigh the costs.

What I’ve learned
One of the many things I have learned, or been reminded of, is the importance of praying together as a couple. I have let this slip in our marriage and want to restore this. Also the importance of communication in general, which takes time. I’m learning in this time of unemployment how important our communication is.

Favorite quote
“Marriage isn’t for you.” (Meaning when we live our marriage trying to please and honor each other, rather than always focusing on what pleases ourselves, we’ll have a great marriage.)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Recommend for every couple no matter what stage you are in; also recommend to young singles looking to see what marriage should be as they plan for their futures.

Other related books:
Bledsoe also has a Bible study format of the book called The 7 Rings of Marriage: Practical Biblical Wisdom for Every Season of Your Marriage.

Couples Night Out—Movie Edition: War Room

This weekend at NorthStar Church, don’t miss out on this special free event just for couples! It’s Couples Night Out—Movie Edition!

On Saturday evening, April 30, 2016, we’ll be showing the smash hit War Room in the Compass Center. The event is free. Movie snacks will be available in Esther’s Café for a suggested donation of $1 apiece.

Concessions open at 6:00pm and the movie begins at 6:30pm.

This event is sponsored by Family Christian Stores in their support of the local church and the National Day of Prayer, coming up Thursday, May 5. In Acworth, the National Day of Prayer will be observed at 10:00am at City Hall.

While this is a Couples Night Out, everyone is invited. The film is rated PG; it is suggested that the film is not appropriate for children below middle school age. No childcare is provided for this event.

Watch the trailer below!

From the award-winning creators of Fireproof and Courageous comes WAR ROOM, a compelling drama with humor and heart that explores the power that prayer can have on marriages, parenting, careers, friendships, and every other area of our lives.

Tony and Elizabeth Jordan have it all—great jobs, a beautiful daughter, and their dream house. But appearances can be deceiving. Tony and Elizabeth Jordan’s world is actually crumbling under the strain of a failing marriage. While Tony basks in his professional success and flirts with temptation, Elizabeth resigns herself to increasing bitterness. But their lives take an unexpected turn when Elizabeth meets her newest client, Miss Clara, and is challenged to establish a “war room” and a battle plan of prayer for her family. As Elizabeth tries to fight for her family, Tony’s hidden struggles come to light. Tony must decide if he will make amends to his family and prove Miss Clara’s wisdom that victories don’t come by accident.

WAR ROOM is a vivid reminder that prayer is a powerful weapon.