Resources - Marriage

Web Resources

Real Relationships

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott's resources and bookstore for nurturing healthy relationships.

http://www.realrelationships.com/

Marriage & Family

A Focus on the Family site regarding marriage & family.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/socialissues/marriage_and_family/marriage.aspx

Relationships & Marriage

A Focus on the Family site regarding relationships & marriage.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage.aspx

Five Love Languages

A review of the language we express regarding love.

http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/

Marriage in the Second Half

A Focus on the Family site on the second half of marriage.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/midlife/marriage_in_the_second_half.aspx

The Second Half of Marriage

A resource page by Claudia & David Arp on the second half of marriage.

http://www.marriagealive.com/secondHalf/index.cfm

Video Resources

Communications in Marriage

A collection of short videos reflecting areas of marriage communication.

http://www.realrelationships1.com/CM.php

Conflict Resolution

A collection of short videos reflecting areas of conflict resolution in marriage.

http://www.realrelationships1.com/CR.php

Sex & Marriage

A collection of short videos reflecting areas regarding sexual relations in marriage.

http://www.realrelationships1.com/SX.php

Finances in Marriage

A collection of short videos reflecting areas of finances in marriage.

http://www.realrelationships1.com/FN.php

Health & Marriage

A collection of short videos reflecting areas of health and marriage.

http://www.realrelationships1.com/HL.php

Child-Rearing

A collection of short videos reflecting areas of child-rearing.

http://www.realrelationships1.com/CH.php

Marriage & In-Laws

A collection of short videos reflecting areas involving in-laws and marriage relationships.

http://www.realrelationships1.com/IL.php

Recreation & Marriage

A collection of short videos reflecting areas involving recreation & marriage.

http://www.realrelationships1.com/RC.php

Audio Resources

Focus on the Family: James Dobson on Marriage

Podcasts by James Dobson on marriage.

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/JamesDobsonOnMarriage

Real Relationship’s Audio Resources for Marriage

http://www.realrelationships1.com/store/audio.html

Books on Marriage

The Marriage Prayer
by Pat Morley and David Delk

The Marriage Prayer is just 68 words that could change the direction of your marriage. It starts, "Father, I said, "Till death do us part,' I want to mean it." Following the stories of five real-life couples, Patrick Morley and David Delk focus on five key components of marriage - faithfulness, priorities, purpose, unity, and attitude.

http://bookstore.maninthemirror.org/The_Marriage_Prayer_Single_Copy_p/2400400.htm

Love and Marriage
by Bill Cosby

Remember your first kiss? Your first crush? Your first date? Bill Cosby remembers his - and he's telling all! With the warmth and wit that made millions laugh at the foibles of FatherhoodTime Flies, Cosby merrily tackles the "only subject that no one has ever been able to study for." From dating to mating, from scoring to snoring, from saying "I do" to claiming "she did," Love and Marriage offers a rollicking tour of the mysterious, magical, frequently frustrating, and often rocky road to romance and the madness of the way

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Marriage-Bill-Cosby/dp/0553284673

Devotions for Couples
by Patrick Morley

Rekindle the spark in your marriage and enjoy the warm love and glowing passion that first led you to say "I do." Morley's 120 engaging devotions and discussion starters will encourage you and your spouse to open your hearts, share your thoughts, and face your weaknesses so you can build a stronger, Christ-centered marriage.

http://bookstore.maninthemirror.org/Devotions_for_Couples_p/2100400.htm

The Power of a Praying Wife
by Stormie Omartian

Bestselling author Stormie Omartian inspires women to develop a deeper relationship with their husbands by praying for them. The Power of a Praying Wife---now with a fresh new cover design--- is packed with practical advice on praying for specific areas of a husband's life including his decision-making, fears, spiritual strength, role as father and leader, and his faith and future. Every woman who desires a closer relationship with her husband will appreciate the life illustrations, select Scripture verses, and the assurances of God's promises and power for their marriage.

http://www.christianbook.com/power-praying-wife-stormie-omartian/9780736919241/pd/919244?item_code=WW&netp_id=460073&event=ESRCN&view=covers

Night Light – A Devotional for Couples
by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

Rising divorce rates inspired Dr. James Dobson, founder and president of Focus on the Family, and his wife, Shirley, to author a devotional for couples in an attempt to strengthen the marriages of younger generations. Night Light: A Devotional for Couples contains six months of daily devotions stemming from the Dobsons' 40 years of marriage experience. Beginning on Sunday, an inspirational story addresses a relevant theme, such as communication, money, forgiveness, or conflict resolution, which is expounded upon throughout the devotions for that week. Scripture, probing questions, and short anecdotes encourage intimacy between the couple in an attempt to ward off stagnation and habitual laziness in spiritual growth. While the questions and suggestions will affect every couple differently, this devotional stimulates conversation about weighty issues of the heart and turns the head toward what matters for eternity. Knowing that most couples are too exhausted by the end of the day to analyze every facet of their marriage, however, the Dobson's have crafted the devotions to be completed within 10 minutes. One would expect this to be most helpful for newlyweds, but it is a revitalizing aide for those who have had poor communication throughout their marriage or are looking to refocus their marriage on Christ.

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Light-Devotional-James-Dobson/dp/1576736741

The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted
by Gary Chapman

Do you have the intimate marriage God wants you to have? If not, The Marriage You've Always Wanted Bible Study can help you discover the sense of knowing and being known that is at the core of every good marriage relationship. As you learn how to listen, understand, communicate, handle anger, and resolve conflict, you and your spouse will grow in intimacy with each other and God. Learn what is at the heart of Christian marriage.

http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/

The Five Love Languages
by Gary Chapman

Dr. Gary Chapman, Christian marriage counselor and author of The Five Love Languages, helps married couples deal with their unmet needs for love. Because a husband and wife often have different communication styles, it is common for a spouse to not feel or recognize the love given to them. In his bestselling book, The Five Love Languages, Dr. Chapman identifies and explains five unique communication methods - Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Then he encourages couples to learn how to speak love in their spouse's primary love language, not their own. Love is something you do for someone else, not yourself.

http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/

The Marriage Makeover – Finding Happiness in Imperfect Harmony
by Joshua Coleman, Ph.D.

A clinical psychologist with a thriving family practice, Dr. Coleman sees the same situation again and again: Couples enter therapy on the verge of divorce and after several weeks find a renewed sense of joy and interest in their marriage. At last, unhappy couples now have a viable alternative to divorce. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Joshua Coleman reveals a revolutionary new perspective on marriage and adult happiness. By suggesting simple yet practical tools to help couples "make over" their lives, Dr. Coleman has taught thousands of people how to live happily together in imperfect harmony.

http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Makeover-Finding-Happiness-Imperfect/dp/0312330936

The Second Half of Marriage
by Claudia & David Arp

Empty-Nesters: The Next Step Can Be The Best Yet!You've spent years focused on the kids, and now they're gone. Are you looking at each other and wondering what to do now? Practical help is on its way for "second-half" couples. David and Claudia Arp reveal the eight marital challenges every long-term marriage faces and offer solid solutions that will not only allow you to create a vision, but will also show you how you can make the upcoming years the happiest times of your life.

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=21935

The Five Languages of Apology – How to Experience Healing in All Your Relationships
by Gary Chapman

Conflict with others is part of life---and so is the need to say that you're sorry. Using revealing research and real-life examples, Chapman and Thomas offer proven techniques for speaking and hearing effective apologies; and outline practical steps for repairing relationships with spouses, friends, family members, and co-workers. Includes Apology Assessment Profile.

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=273571&item_code=WW&netp_id=438561&event=ESRCN&view=covers

When Sinners Say "I Do"
by Dave Harvey

Marriage is the union of two people who arrive at the altar toting some surprisingly large luggage. Often it gets opened right there on the honeymoon, sometimes it waits for the week after. The Bible calls it sin and understanding its influence can make all the difference for a man and woman who are building a life together. When Sinners Say "I Do" is about encountering the life-transforming power of the gospel in the unpredictable journey of marriage.

http://www.christianbook.com/when-sinners-discovering-power-gospel-marriage/david-harvey/9780976758266/pd/758266

What Did You Expect?
by David Paul Tripp

Internationally known speaker, pastor, teacher, and author calls engaged and married couples to a grace-based lifestyle of daily reconciliation, marked by six practical commitments. Discover how to grow a thriving, grace-based marriage in all circumstances and seasons of your relationship. Jacketed hardcover. A Focus on the Family Recommendation.

http://www.christianbook.com/what-expect-redeeming-the-realities-marriage/paul-tripp/9781433511769/pd/511769?item_code=WW&netp_id=685561&event=ESRCN&view=details

10 Lessons to Transform Your Marriage
by John M. Gottman, Ph.D., Julie Schwartz Gottman, Ph.D., & Joan DeClaire

In 1994, Dr. John Gottman and his colleagues at the University of Washington made a startling announcement: Through scientific observation and mathematical analysis, they could predict-with more than 90 percent accuracy-whether a marriage would succeed or fail. The only thing they did not yet know was how to turn a failing marriage into a successful one, so Gottman teamed up with his clinical psychologist wife, Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, to develop intervention methods. Now the Gottmans, together with the Love Lab research facility, have put these ideas into practice. In Ten Lessons to Transform Your Marriage, the Gottmans share this vital information so that couples can develop the skills to turn their relationship problems around and create strong, lasting unions.

http://www.christianbook.com/transform-marriage-americas-strategies-strengthening-relationship/john-gottman/9781400050192/pd/050192?item_code=WW&netp_id=473302&event=ESRCN&view=details

Now You're Speaking My Language
by Gary Chapman

Now You're Speaking My Language encourages husbands and wives to offer steadfast loyalty, forgiveness, empathy, and commitment to resolving conflict, thus encouraging each other in spiritual growth. Chapman shows how communication and intimacy are key points in developing a successful marriage by focusing on these principles:

  • Lasting answers to marital growth are found in the Bible.
  • Your relationship with God enhances your marriage relationship.
  • Communication is the main way two become one in a marriage.
  • Biblical oneness involves sex, but also intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and social oneness.

http://www.christianbook.com/speaking-language-communication-intimacy-stronger-marriage/gary-chapman/9780805444605/pd/444605?item_code=WW&netp_id=469296&event=ESRCN&view=details

Why Marriages Succeed or Fail and How You Can Make Yours Last
by John Gottman, Ph.D.

Psychologist John Gottman has spent 20 years studying what makes a marriage last. Now you can use his tested methods to evaluate, strengthen, and maintain your own long-term relationship. This breakthrough book guides you through a series of self-tests designed to help you determine what kind of marriage you have, where your strengths and weaknesses are, and what specific actions you can take to help your marriage.

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Marriages-Succeed-Fail-Yours/dp/0684802414

Intimate Allies: Rediscovering God's Design for Marriage and Becoming Soul Mates for Life
by Dan B. Allender & Tremper Longman III

Intimate Allies strips away cultural expectations and takes a fresh look at God's design for the marriage relationship. The authors focus on five foundations taken from Genesis 1-3 and include an extensive review of other biblical passages on marriage. Each section begins with a real-life story concerning an unresolved marriage issue and concludes with the same story built on the "foundation" of a godly marriage. With eloquence and wisdom, this book will challenge readers to move their marriages out of the mundane and into the fulfilling and enriching experiences God intended.

http://www.shopfamilylife.com/intimate-allies.html

The Mystery of Marriage: Meditations on the Miracle
by Mike Mason

Meditate on the Spiritual Significance of Marriage In the 20th Anniversary Edition of this Gold Medallion Award winner, Mike Mason goes on a poetic search to understand the wondrous dynamics of committed love. In highly readable, first-person style, Mason's writing stimulates readers' thoughts and prayers and propels couples to deeper intimacy. "A marriage is not a joining of two worlds," says the author, "but an abandoning of two worlds in order that one new one might be formed." Rich chapters on "Otherness," "Vows," "Intimacy," "Sex," "Submission," and an all-new chapter on "Oneness" lift readers to view the eternal, spiritual nature of this faith-filled, "impossible," wild - yet wonderful - frontier.

http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Marriage-20th-Anniversary-Meditations/dp/1590523741