Happily by Kevin A Thompson

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Happily: 8 Commitments of Couples Who Laugh, Love & Last

8 Commitments of Couples who Laugh, Love & Last

Okay, so I think I will read anything that Kevin Thompson writes. I can't really describe what I like about his style of writing, but it really works for me. I read his first book, Friends, Partners, and Lovers and I thought it was one of the best books on marriage I had read. Then I read this book, Happily and think that again.

I'm not sure if it's the way he presents the information or what he says or how he says it, but I walk away from these books with a fresh view on marriage and renewed determination to make my marriage the best it can possibly be. I have had other books on marriage do that as well, but these rank at the top of the list for me.

There aren't a lot of anecdotes in the book, but there are a lot of lists and I can resonate with that. This is how it should look, this is how it shouldn't and I can grab a hold of that concrete wisdom better than an abstract principle that I'm not sure how to apply. In many ways, looking back, and based on his conclusion, I think Kevin took the Beatitudes and what we can learn from them and applied it to marriage. Happily Humble Yourselves. Happily Embrace the Hurt and so on. He never comes right out and says that, but his conclusion talks a lot about the Beatitudes and I can see them in these eight commitments.

I was challenged once again to work hard on my marriage, to be willing to do things that seem contradictory to the world's ideas and to recognize that criticism might mean we have a good thing going. I like the idea that marriage is about so much more than me and my spouse, it involves more people, it's success and/or failure affects so many around me, and ultimately it's to be a model of Christ and His church. That's a tall standard to live up to.

"When we know who God is and who we are, we can function within ourselves. The result is humility. When we're humble, we understand our limitations, don't have an inflated view of self, and don't try to control the world." Ouch, there's something to strive for.  "Humility causes us to care more about fixing what is wrong than appearing as though everything is all right."

Lots of good thoughts in this book and it's going on my to re-read shelf, well it would if I had a shelf like that, but it's a book I want to come back to fresh insight and renewed vigor to give my marriage everything I have. It will be worth it.

I received this book from Revell and was not required to write a positive review.

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