The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted by @drgarychapman #Giveaway

January 29, 2014 by dadofdivas 2 Comments

About the Book

You can picture the perfect marriage in your mind, but re-creating it in reality doesn’t come easy. Trusted counselor and relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman reasons that the most sought-after ingredient in any marriage is true oneness. In The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, he presents expert wisdom and common sense methods to establishing that true unity on emotional and practical levels. Discover the wit and insight that makes his worldwide presentations and marriage conferences so popular. Are you trying to change your spouse? Do you know what it means to really love someone? Do you feel ignored or even alone in your effort to improve your marriage? Dr. Chapman has answers and action steps on topics from expressing your emotions to managing your money, all in a format that will have you and your spouse talking and learning with every page.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DR. GARY CHAPMAN

As anyone who has attended one of his marriage conferences knows, Dr. Gary Chapman’s expertise in marriage begins with the success and failures he and his wife Karolyn have experienced in their marriage for more than 45 years. He is just the man to turn to for help on improving or healing our most important relationships. His own life experiences, plus over thirty-five years of pastoring and marriage counseling, led him to publish his first book in the Love Language series, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Many of the millions of readers credit this continual New York Times bestseller with saving their marriages by showing them simple and practical ways to communicate love.

Since the success of his first book, Dr. Chapman has expanded his Five Love Languages series with special editions that reach out specifically to singles, men, and parents of teens and young children.

He is the author of numerous other books published by Moody Publishers/Northfield Publishing, including Anger, The Family You’ve Always Wanted, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, Desperate Marriages, God Speaks Your Love Language, How to Really Love Your Adult Child, and Hope for the Separated. With Dr. Jennifer Thomas, he co-authored The Five Languages of Apology.

Dr. Chapman speaks to thousands of couples nationwide through his weekend marriage conferences. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, A Love Language Minute, and a Saturday morning program, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, both airing on more than 400 stations. Dr. Chapman and his wife have two grown children and currently live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he serves as senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church.

Dr. Chapman holds BA and MA degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively, MRE and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has completed postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University.

Visit the official website: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/resource/the-marriage-youve-always-wanted/

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5LoveLanguages

twitter: https://twitter.com/drgarychapman

My Take on the Book

I have always been impressed with the love languages books and was so glad to see that the author had now written this. Anyone that has been married knows that it is not easy and that you do have to work through it, as you do with any relationship and Dr. Chapman is able to help all married couples better understand the issues that yo will have to weather over the years as well as how best to weather the storm (per se) by understanding and loving your partner even more. What I loved about the book was how practical the book was. Dr. Chapman gives easy to understand advice to all readers and I was impressed with how easy it was to start implementing some of the tips provided in this. This is not to say that everything will be easy, but the resources and tips provided give you the stepping stones to follow as you start down this journey. This is definitely a book I recommend that you read as a couple as it will open up many great conversations between you and your partner. All-in-all this was a great book and one that all couples should read!

Giveaway

How would you like to win this for yourself or for your family? All you need to do is fill out the below form to be entered. The contest will run for one week and will end on February 5, 2014.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

——————————————————————————————-

New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?

Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader

Questions?Drop me a line at [email protected]

9 Creative Ways to Help Kids Say I Love You

January 31, 2013 by dadofdivas 5 Comments

9 Creative Ways to Help Kids Say I Love You

by Susan Marcus

Got a tactile-learner? A kid who loves to dance? Or maybe your child really loves color? While every child has a constellation of Sensory Alphabet strengths (shape, color, movement and sound are just a few), your child probably has one or two that really stand out — that you notice in his or her artwork or in elements of his or her collections and activities. Valentine’s Day crafts provide ways for parents to nurture these strengths and help kids say I love you in fun creative ways. Below are craft ideas designed for each element of the Sensory Alphabet.

SHAPE: Is your child’s art always full of shapes? Cut out cookies! Make the process easier and faster by using dough from the grocery store refrigerator case. Find imaginative cookie cutters and combine shapes and words to say I love you in new ways.

SOUND: Let sound-oriented kids make a Valentine’s wind chime with metal, glass and wooden craft store finds. Throw in everyday household items like bowls and plates to create loving symphony.

COLOR: Make “stained glass” cookies with color-loving kids, using bread stick dough. Shape it to make the “leading” on a cookie sheet topped with foil. Use crushed colored sugar candies in the spaces, cook at 350 degrees and let the candies melt. Let cool before peeling off the foil. Experiment with the colors and explore what else can represent love besides red.

MOVEMENT: Have your kids spell out the letters of “I Love You” with their bodies, and then take pictures. These can be used to create a sweet card or frame.

LIGHT: Appoint the light-loving child as the official photographer for holiday events. A lesson in digital app photo editing (PhotoPad is free for the iPad) or in designing digital slideshows or print-on-demand books puts this creative eye into action.

TEXTURE: Make a Valentine’s card that focuses on touch rather than sight. Use bows, ribbons, homemade tassels and other textured embellishments. Feathers and sponge-and-paint prints are fun to cover things with.

SPACE: For little builders, create a giant heart using recycled boxes wrapped in plain paper or Popsicle sticks. Decorate it with stickers, markers, doilies and colored paper. When it’s done create a set of keys, and have your child give them to family and loved ones.

RHYTHM: With your rhythm kid, fill small glass jars (such as baby food jars or small jelly jars) with a tablespoon of different shake-able items such as beans, rice, red-and-green beads, and metal washers. Decorate the lids with foil tied around the tops and stickers for patterns. Shake along to Valentine’s songs.

LINE: A linear thinker loves stories. Put him or her to work making handmade Valentine’s books using photos that tell a story about the great love stories in your family. Start with folded paper with a construction paper cover, hole-punched and tied with string or stitched down the center on the sewing machine for the binding.

Matching a creative thinking strength to the right set of materials and a fun challenge can make it more fun — and help your child build from his or her strengths.

By Susie Monday, educator and artist and co-author of The Missing Alphabet, A Parents’ Guide to Developing Creative Thinking in Kids, with Susan Marcus and Dr. Cynthia Herbert. http:/www.themissingalphabet.com.

Love’s Compass – A Book That Will Redefine Your Relationships

September 23, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

About the Book

Trying to find one’s true love is never an easy task. Along the way, there are often heartbreaks and turmoils that we wish we could forget. Wrong people. Bad decisions. How’d I end up here again? Not a typical, sterile self help book, this story grips your heart from chapter one and never lets go. Experience life through the eyes of a man who set out on a noble journey of finding his love, and ended up horribly losing his way. The revelations he made in the aftermath of torrid love affairs and battles with addiction are sure to help anyone who has experienced the craziness of love gone wrong in search of a life mate. Somewhere along the way readers will lose themselves in the struggles of this man, and cheer him on as he strives to find his way out the other side, all the while learning principles of love that are sure to change their own lives.

Important things to consider before dating anyone
The most common mistakes people make to sabotage relationships
7 keys to consider before marriage

This book is a must read for any skeptic of love. Creatively written to help one gain insight into their own relational issues and with an ending that is sure to challenge your
perspective

About the Author
Harnessing his training and personal experiences, Angus communicates a grace-filled message of hope and restoration to men across the country. His delivery is as honest, vulnerable and transparent as you’ll ever experience. this refreshing candidness is an intentional approach, his philosophy being: “when you show yourself vulnerable, you give others permission to do the same”. His energetic passion, contagious joy, and straight-forwardness leaves every group he speaks to inspired and changed.

Angus Nelson, speaker and writer, is an authority on the emotional and relational needs of men with almost 20 years of experience in ministry and counseling. He’s been awarded Volunteer Citizen of the Year 2002 in Wausau, WI, and “Most Promising New Writer 2010” by the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. As a professional speaker, Monster.com’s “Make It Count” high school program ranked him in their top 5% of speakers and he’s currently speaking for college, corporate, and conference events. In 2009, he graduated from Leadership Huntsville, a city-wide leadership program he was nominated for in Huntsville, Alabama.

This year, he self-published his first book, Love’s Compass: When We’ve Lost Our Way, a vulnerable and gritty account of the destruction of his first marriage. He wrote this book for men who have struggled with relational and emotional issues in the arena of relationships. This is the book that awarded him the “Most Promising New Writer” award. It’s currently being reviewed for distribution with a national publisher.
A graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center in Youth Ministry; graduate of the Honor Academy with Teen Mania Ministries & Ron Luce; and a Minister of Theology and Counseling degree from Impact International, he’s served as a Youth Pastor, Associate Pastor, Worship Leader and Missionary having traveled to 12 countries on Five different continents.

Nelson is the founder and former Executive Director of a non-pro!t arts driven young adult center in Wausau, Wisconsin, called Rockwater. In addition, he has also served as the Executive Director for a faith-based leadership development organization for young adults, Renown of Huntsville, Alabama.

His life’s been anything but boring, having hosed chili vats, stuffed wood chips in bags, sold health club memberships, told off Jean-Claude Van Damme, modeled for a JCrew Christmas catalog, and even helped Bruce Willis call his bookie once. Throughout all of this, he’s waited tables, been a ski resort ticket checker, carpenter, telemarketer, and landscaper. With the background in theology, he’s served as youth leader, worship leader, counselor, speaker, and now, writer.

Angus and his wife, Samantha, Nelson make their home in Huntsville, Alabama. they have three children.

My Take on the Book
I had the distinct pleasure to meet Angus and his wife Samantha (as well as the kids) at the M3 Summit that I attended in Atlanta, earlier this month. In sitting down with him he started to talk a bit about his book and I was intrigued. I was very happy when he offered me a copy and I was able to sit down with it. Once I started the book I did not want to stop. I read most of the book in the 2 hour flight home from Atlanta so as you can guess, it was a page turner and it drew me in.

The book itself hit me right smack dab in the heart. It is powerful and makes you think about your own relationships and where you are in relationships to them. It makes you ask so many questions about yourself as well as about the actions that you are or have taken in the past to hinder your ability to love others.

The book is so personal and insightful. It allows you to see that it is ok to lose your way. That it is ok to lose your way, as long as you do what you must to be able to find your way back. The book provides the reader the chance to go along for the ride on the personal and spiritual journey that he goes on to eventually find the happiness and love that he was always looking for.

The books helps people from all walks of life relate to the fact that people are trapped in ruts, sexual addictions, low self-esteem and dealing with other such issues. Though it does this, it allows the reader to make their own judgments about themselves about what they need to do to be able to make a difference in their own life so that they can develop and solidify a meaningful healthy love relationship.

I would truly recommend this book to anyone that has ever questioned what their life means, or what it has in store for them. You will be both amazed, inspired and motivated to make a change for the better in your own life.

His writing reminds me of another author, Donald Miller. In the books of his that I have read, he also writes in such a way that he draws in the reader and allows them to also live the story that he is sharing, very much like Angus does in Love’s Compass.

If you want to make a change in your life, you need to read this book! Below I have included the presentation that Angus gave at the M3 Conference. If you have the time, it is definitely worth it to watch!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site’s Terms of Use for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

——————————————————————————————-
New to the Divadom?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions?Drop me a line at [email protected]

Book Review – Bear in Love

September 7, 2010 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

About the BookJust one look was all it took for Bear to fall in love with Bunny. But how should Bear show this love? With candy? Or song and dance?

With delightful illustrations by award-winning artist Sophie Fatus, warm and witty words perfectly express how love casts its spell on man and beast!

My Take on the BookA cute story about the love of friendships that knows no bounds and shows the reader that even a bear can love a creature that they typically would eat instead. The story is quite touching showing how the bear has to work through his insecurity and his subsequent movement toward confronting his fear. Overall, a touching story for the whole family.

If this book looks like one that you would like in your library, you can find it on Amazon!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site’s Terms of Use for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

——————————————————————————————-
New to the Divadom?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions?Drop me a line at [email protected]

Hershey’s Unconditional Love Gift Basket Contest

May 17, 2010 by dadofdivas 73 Comments

Hershey’s Unconditional Love Gift Basket Contest

A father’s love is strong even if it’s not a biological father.

100 years ago, Milton Hershey, founder of The Hershey Company, and his wife Kitty, were unable to have children of their own. Instead of giving up on his dream of becoming a father, Hershey donated his entire fortune to help give opportunity to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

He set up a trust to ensure that every time you enjoy one of his confections, you are helping transform the lives of children in need through the work of Milton Hershey School. MHS is the nation’s largest, cost-free, private, co-educational home and school for children from families of low income, limited resources and social need.

Although Hershey wasn’t able to give a child his genetics, he did give generations of children opportunities that they never thought possible. His unconditional act of love has blessed these children beyond measure.

Since January, every standard and king-size Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar and Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds, has a Thank You message on the back that says “Every Hershey’s product you’ve enjoyed has helped support children in need through Milton Hershey School. Thank You for making a difference!”

To celebrate acts of unconditional love, I would like to share a piece of Milton Hershey’s legacy with you. You can win a gift basket filled with delicious Hershey’s candies, by sharing an act of love that changed your life.

Giveaway

How would you like to win a basket like you see to the left? I will be giving away one of these Hershey filled baskets to a lucky reader! All you need to do is to leave a comment discussing an act of love that had an impact on your life. The contest will run for one week and will end on May 23, 2010.

Bonus Entries:

Blog about my Giveaway by linking back to this post (1 entries per blog post. Please leave each entry in separate comments with your URL link in order for it to count)

Grab my badge to your sidebar

Subscribe to this blog either by RSS or email for one entry (top right hand corner, if you already do leave in a separate comment)
Stumble this post. (leave username in comment per day)
Digg this post (Leave username in comment)
Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment)
Follow me on Google Connect
Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I’ll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:” @dadofdivas is giving away a Hershey Basket – http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day)
Bookmark this post in Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, or whatever social bookmarking site is your favorite. (Leave comment with the info. One entry per site per day)
Add me to your Technorati Favs list (one entry, leave username in comment)
Become a fan of Dad of Divas on Facebook (Leave username in comment)

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until May 23, 2010 at approximately 12:59 pm Eastern.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S or Canada.

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

——————————————————————————————-
New to the Divadom?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions?Drop me a line at [email protected]

WW – Sisterly Love!

March 3, 2010 by dadofdivas 3 Comments

Book Review & Giveaway – The Power of Acknowledgment

February 23, 2010 by dadofdivas 19 Comments

About the Book
Picture this: you are sitting at your desk, disgruntled, frustrated, tired, perhaps you were yelled at during the staff meeting. Let’s face it, today is just not your day. Suddenly, an email pops up, brightening and uplifting your mood. It is a love letter from your partner – the person you thought was the least likely to write such a note. How would you react?

Judith W. Umlas experienced the mood altering power of acknowledgment first hand when she was having a down day at work. After hearing about her day, Judith’s husband, Bob Umlas, a Microsoft Excel “geek” and guru emailed his wife a heartfelt love letter, detailing and acknowledging every positive aspect of her personality, actions, and looks. When asked where these acknowledgments had come from, as she had never heard most of them before, he confessed rather sheepishly that he has always thought these kinds of things but just did not bother to “get them from his brain to his mouth.” Once convinced of the authenticity of these acknowledgments, Judith was so thrilled with them that almost as a joke, she suggested that he write these kinds of communications about twice a week, since he obviously needed the practice! The result? For the past four years, Judith has been receiving love letters from Bob every Monday and Thursday via email. Both husband and wife are clear that these acknowledgments have positively transformed their relationship.

Bob’s loving acknowledgments encouraged Judith W. Umlas to write The Power of Acknowledgment (IIL Publishing, New York), a compact book that illustrates the tremendous power everyone has to dramatically improve relationships – the simple act of acknowledgment.

When asked why she wrote this powerful little book, Judith said “To repair the world by improving relationships in every aspect of living. I have seen ‘the power of acknowledgment’ at work and throughout all parts of my life, because it is something that comes easily to me. I have also witnessed how many people can’t, don’t, or won’t do it – or don’t do it enough. Once they grasp the positive results it can produce, they can’t help but try it out and then immediately see the benefits: enhanced work productivity, better relationships and even improved health.”

About the Author

Umlas has been a senior executive at International Institute for Learning (IIL) for the past 19 years, and was a producer/writer for CBS before that. As Senior Vice President, Learning Innovations at IIL, former Publisher of a newsletter for 50,000 project managers around the globe, and trainer of more than 10,000 people worldwide on the power of acknowledgment, she is seen as a master communicator. Her skills and poignant powers of observation led her to develop the seven clear, concise principles for acknowledging others in all walks of life. These skills, when exercised are guaranteed to make immediate and profound changes in the way readers interact with others. Reports of the instant effects on readers and those around them have poured in professionally and personally. To see such stories, visit Judith’s blog, http://www.thepowerofacknowledgment.com. For reader praise and positive results log onto: http://www.iil.com/publishing/acknowledgment.asp

My Take On The Book
Reading this book, I am reminded about the importance of recognizing those around me for the things that they do to make the world or the workplace a better place to be within

The book itself is a very quick read, and one can get through it in a few hours (or less depending on how fast you read). I found myself thinking over and over about the times where I might have acknowledged someone and instead kept it inside. The author encourages all of us to look within ourselves to vocalize our appreciation to others and I hope that I can start to do this more frequently.

This book is one that you definitely will want to read more than once, and each time you do, I am sure you will gain more from the reading. It will give you resources to help you improve your personal and business relationships.

If this book sounds like something that you are interested in, you can find it over at www.iil.com/poa

Giveaway

How would you like to win a copy of this book? I will be giving away 3 copies to lucky readers! All you need to do is let me know why you would have an interest in this book to be considered. The contest will run for one week and will end on March 2, 2010.

Bonus Entries:

Blog about my Giveaway by linking back to this post (1 entries per blog post. Please leave each entry in separate comments with your URL link in order for it to count)

Grab my badge to your sidebar

Subscribe to this blog either by RSS or email for one entry (top right hand corner, if you already do leave in a separate comment)
Stumble this post. (leave username in comment per day)
Digg this post (Leave username in comment)
Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment)
Follow me on Google Connect
Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I’ll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:” @dadofdivas is giving away 3 copies of The Power of Acknowledgement – http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/ ” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day)
Bookmark this post in Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, or whatever social bookmarking site is your favorite. (Leave comment with the info. One entry per site per day)
Add me to your Technorati Favs list (one entry, leave username in comment)
Become a fan of Dad of Divas on Facebook (Leave username in comment)

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until March 2, 2010 at approximately 11:59 pm Eastern.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S or Canada.

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

Love is….

February 15, 2010 by dadofdivas 2 Comments

1 Corinthians 13:4-13 (New International Version)

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The above passage is something that we typically hear at weddings. I know that J-Mom and I had this read at our own wedding. What I find interesting about the passage above is that if you truly read the words above, what is being said here is not just about relationships and the love you share with a significant other, but it really has more to do with love in general and how we can show and share this with others.

As I pondered these words I started to wonder how we as parents might be able to use this passage as a learning tool to help our own children in gaining a better understanding on what love is and what love should be in their own lives.

To often people get caught up in the physical love that is felt early in a relationship, but after time goes by physical love turns into something else, something deeper that we all hope to feel and have in our own relationships, and the above passage provides guidelines for you to follow in reaching this deep type of love.

So, as parents, especially as our children get older, we must be able to help them understand the infatuation type of love that many of us feel when we are young and how this type of love transitions into the deeper kind of love as mentioned in the passage.

Below, I have found a few resources that I wanted to share with all of you in regards to teaching your children about love itself:

So my question for all of you today is: How do you show this expanded love to your children and other loved ones? I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this!

——————————————————————————————- New to the Divadom? Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader Questions?Drop me a line at [email protected]

Book Review & Giveaway – Beyond Seduction: Loving Without Limits

February 14, 2010 by dadofdivas 12 Comments

About The Book

Lisa Pankau, knows that marriage may be hard but a good marriage is by far the most satisfying experience that anyone can have.

In her book Beyond Seduction, Loving Without Limits she shares what it takes to create and achieve personal growth and a deeper and more profound bond between couples that can last a lifetime and make everything in life worthwhile..

She’s been married twice. Her second husband Ed Pankau. was a well known investigator and author of the New York Times best-seller, Hide Your Assets and Disappear! He had never been in a monogamous marriage and she was his fourth wife at his age of 51. They had a good marriage (not without their own issues though) but he died unexpectedly. The loss of her marriage without her being ready for it to end was a huge factor for the reason why she wrote this book.

“It often happens that once you get married, you begin to take the other person for granted. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It is not that difficult to maintain the honeymoon over that lifetime.”

Lisa Pankau explains how to recognize the needs and desires of your partner and set aside your own personal issues to be accommodating to his or her needs:

Marriage does take work-it just doesn’t have to be “dirty” work
Your communication styles may be different but the heart of the matter is “how are you best heard?” You must know your love language and the language that your spouse speaks for solid communication to work.
If you are willing to give 150% to making your partner happy and they are willing to do the same for you, your marriage will flourish and grow to the deeper levels of love that most people never experience. The fact is that most people do not even realize that something deeper and more profound can exist!
Sexual appetites, attitudes and fantasies are interrelated and can lead to a deeper and more profound bond. Sex is not a dirty word and should be openly discussed with a loving heart. Sex is a normal and integral part of healthy and enduring relationships as long as boundaries are respected.
Trust, communication, being best friends, respect, and acceptance/unconditional love are the keys that create a successful marriage.
Vulnerability is something that most people are afraid of and (unfortunately) never expose that tenderness to their partners. Only through vulnerability can your grow your love to deeper levels and strengthen your love bond.
Unconditional love sounds very daunting, if not impossible; however, it is the glue that will hold your relationship together. Unconditional love does not mean tolerance of bad behavior, it means acceptance of your spouse as a human with the knowing that those things that may be upsetting can also be the things that bring you closer.
Bedroom “Essensuals” are critical to the health and growth of any marriage. There are particular items that every couple should have in their bedroom to stimulate the health and growth of their relationship over the years.
Date nights may sound silly but a weekly date night is preferred (no less than one date per month) and is critical to the growth of your marriage. If he is not “wooing” his woman and if she not “swooning” over her man, someone else will! The need and desire for love and affection never changes! Date nights are the best way for couples to “play” and enjoy each other.
Love does not mean sex; although it can! Men are visually stimulated and women are more “emotional”. Neither is right or wrong, it is just a fact of what our chemical composition reveals about our own humanity. Love is something that you do, not something that you have. They key is to accept and delight in the differences and explore and allow the balancing of needs to take place.
Couples must treat each other better than they treat the people they work with, not worse. While your home should be your safe haven, your attitudes and demeanor toward your partner/spouse may be misdirected toward the one you love the most.
There are times when there is hurt and pain. A successful marriage does not mean being “stuck” or unhappy. On the contrary, there are ways to enhance the love bond between two people even if there has been trauma in the relationship. If both people are committed to making the relationship work, it will work.
The most significant aspect of life is love. Marriage is a precious gift that we are so graciously given. Some of us are blessed with longer marriages than others and some of us never have the opportunity to experience such a beautiful expression of love. There is no time like now to enjoy the one you love on the deepest levels of love possible as you continue to grow to new and deeper depths of love.

Relationships are wonderful and beautiful. They last when we take the time to cultivate them.

About Lisa Pankau

Lisa Pankau grew up in Texas and Oklahoma, the middle child in a family consisting of three daughters. As a divorcee and a widow, she has experienced life at both ends of the spectrum – from the depths of dread and despair to the untold bliss of true love. A few years after her husband’s death, Lisa retreated to an island home off the coast of Honduras to heal and to reflect on the more important issues of life. She currently works as a developer on the island, simultaneously creating her own dream and helping others make their dreams a reality.

My Take On The Book

This book looks at relationships beyond lust and stability and tries to help the reader identify how they can stimulate a deep love and understanding of their partner.

The book was an easy read and the author bears much of her own soul to the reader. It helps when talking about these issues to understand what the author brings to the table per se and Ms. Pankau does this, and does it well.

The book provides specific ideas on how couples can increase the intimacy that they may share with their partner and how to help your relationship grow.

I found that the book itself made many references to what a woman can do, but it somewhat failed to reciprocate for what a man can do to assist in the relationship. This is something of a generalization, as there were many parts of the book that in fact were connected to both men and women, but others, specifically in parts that were more practical referred to how she should do something instead of how he can help her.

If this book sounds like one that you would like to add to your own little library, you can find it on Amazon!

Giveaway

How would you like to win a copy of this book? I will be giving away 1 copy to a lucky reader! All you need to do is let me know why you would have an interest in this book to be considered. The contest will run for one week and will end on February 21, 2010.

Bonus Entries:

Blog about my Giveaway by linking back to this post (1 entries per blog post. Please leave each entry in separate comments with your URL link in order for it to count)

Grab my badge to your sidebar

Subscribe to this blog either by RSS or email for one entry (top right hand corner, if you already do leave in a separate comment)
Stumble this post. (leave username in comment per day)
Digg this post (Leave username in comment)
Follow me on Twitter (@dadofdivas) (leave username in comment)
Follow me on Google Connect
Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I’ll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:” @dadofdivas is giving away a copy of Beyond Seduction: Loving Without Limits – http://dadofdivas.blogspot.com/” (Then leave the link to your post. One entry per place per day)
Bookmark this post in Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon, or whatever social bookmarking site is your favorite. (Leave comment with the info. One entry per site per day)
Add me to your Technorati Favs list (one entry, leave username in comment)
Become a fan of Dad of Divas on Facebook (Leave username in comment)

Make sure you comment separately for each task after the required entry task so you will get credit for each one ~ and leave your e-mail where you can be contacted.

This contest will run until February 21, 2010 at approximately 11:59 pm Eastern.

Winner must be a resident of the U.S or Canada.

Winners are chosen at random, if you want all your chances counted, make sure you leave individual comments, not all of them in one!

Winner has 48 hours to contact me or another name will be chosen.

Happy Valentines Day!

February 14, 2010 by dadofdivas 1 Comment

Related articles

Hershey’s Unconditional Love Gift Basket Contest

A father’s love is strong even if it’s not a biological father.

1 Corinthians 13:4-13 (New International Version)