Robert references this book in the early sessions of WAWAH when he talks about Personality differences. Stacy has read the entire book and I have read parts. We have already found some insights that have helped us understand each other better. Some “issues” that have frustrated us each during 15 years of marriage really come down to how God made us as individuals. Understanding these differences at a higher level has helped us to be more patient with each other. We’ve also had some good discussions about our children’s personalities and how we can be better parents when we understand more about how God designed us and our children.

I love this book! The concept is simple and profound but powerful – if you will implement it. We have a tendency – especially as men in American culture, to push everything to the limits. “Pushing the Envelope” is praised in many circles. But, that life strategy comes at a price. When we are maxed out in all areas of our life there’s no room for error or for a crisis. When all of our physical and emotional energy, all of our money and all of our time are already committed or we’re living in a deficit; how do we make time for fun, or even a family crisis? There’s no wonder we don’t have time to stop and help a neighbor. We don’t have time to help our own flesh and blood. Swenson does a great job of explaining where we are, how we got here and how to restore some “margin” to our lives.

Gary Chapman hit a home run with the original Five Love Languages book. The insights were awesome and many marriages were impacted. So, he followed the original work with a number of sequels. Many men must have complained about the “feminine” look of the original so he did a Men’s Edition. It’s essentially the same stuff just from a Guy’s perspective, with a better cover. This book presents a concept that once again if you’ll learn it and work at applying it, it will change your marriage. You must love your wife in a way that she understands, not the way you want her to understand. Remember, in marriage, it’s not about you.

If use or misuse or lack of money is a critical issue in you home, you should consider participating in a Crown Small Group Study. Even if your church doesn’t offer this as a resource to you, visit the website (crown.org) and find a small group at another church. At the very least, purchase a copy of this book and read it. Guys, you could read it and share insights with your wife or better yet, read it together. We all need to understand what the Bible has to say about how we manage our money. Stacy and I have been through the Crown Small Group study and we’re both amazed by how much instruction God provides for us on the subject. This is one of the aspects of married life that can drag you down if you don’t work at living according to God’s Word. Investing time in figuring out how to lead your family financially will produce huge dividends.

I’m a cheater! And so are you! We all cheat. Now, before you start back peddling let me explain. According to Andy Stanley, whenever we make one choice over another, something is cheated. One definition of Cheat is “to deprive of something expected”. The premise of this book is that our egos, pride and drive to provide often put men in a position to “cheat” our families and give preferential treatment to work, hobbies or other pursuits. We deprive our families of the time, energy and enthusiasm that they expect from a committed Christ-following husband and father. Often those resources are given away at work to a cause or a boss that will take all they can get and leave you empty. Through a study of the story of Daniel, Andy Stanley helps us see that we can take back the extra we’ve been giving at work and “redirect” those resources to their proper place – our families. It’s not about cheating your company or your boss, but cheating your pride, your ego and your false sense of security that comes from “overspending” yourself at work.

*This is the book that I’m recommending to my Group. I plan to base radio devotionals and Noble Notes encouragements on the discussion and discoveries that flow from this book. I read it just recently and it has already impacted my thinking on many levels. It’s short, only about 120 pages with eight chapters. Most chapters are about 12 pages. It’s not intimidating. We all need to pay attention to this one. If you cheat on your family too long, the consequences are disastrous.

I would recommend that you purchase these as a set. A small group of guys would benefit from reading the “For Men Only’ book together. It’s easy reading and contains some powerful insights that could be beneficial in many areas. But, it would be good for your wife to read the “For Women Only” book so the two of you could talk about the things you’re learning about each other. It can be quite enlightening and fun to talk about the discoveries you are making with your wife. There is no debate about the fact that women are generally more complex than men. But, that’s no excuse for not investing time in understanding your wife. Remember 1 Peter 3:7, “Husbands live with your wives in an understanding way . . .”

This book written by the man who many call the father of modern day Men’s Ministry, Ed Cole, focuses on the three key issues that most marriage face. Dr. Cole does a nice job of presenting the issues and giving some basic Biblical advice for how to make progress toward healthy marriage in each area. One of the things I found fascinating and helpful about this one is the fact that nearly all couples have experienced some friction in each of these categories. It really helps to know that Stacy and I aren’t the only ones who’ve had “difficult conversations” about these issues. This is a good basic overview book, but if you really want to dig deeper on a particular issue look toward some of the other books.

I know you don’t like to read. But, I bet this one will get your attention. If your sexual relationship could stand some improvement, this may be the resource that could help you get some things figured out. It’s been my experience that men and women are both amazed by the fact that they agree with the needs they have and are surprised to hear about the real needs of their mate. Let’s face it. If physical intimacy isn’t working in a marriage there’s a dark cloud over nearly every other aspect as well. Investing time in some research and discovery could brighten things up considerably. Your wife will definitely appreciate your efforts to understand her and focus on her needs instead of yours.

Steve Farrar is one of the most thoughtful and powerful speakers to men that I’ve ever heard. This book has changed many men’s lives as they understand that their responsibility to lead their families is just like the job of the point man leading a patrol through the jungle in Vietnam. Responsibility and danger are heavy and thick. We can’t take this job lightly or let down our guard if were going to avoid being ambushed by the enemy. Steve covers a multitude of Satan’s guerilla tactics and how to recognize, avoid and /or defend against them. You’ll be a better Man, Husband and Father when you start taking seriously your job as “Point Man” for your family.