When the offer came to review the book "Money Problems Marriage Solutions" I thought it might be a good one to read. This year has (because of various challenges with Ken's business) been one of our more challenging financial years and though Ken and I have been very blessed throughout our marriage to be able to be careful with our finances and keep on budget pretty well - I thought some encouraging words would be timely for us. Dealing with hard times financially can be a little stressful and when you are also working long hours to try to make things better that also leaves you tired and sometimes a little on edge. So encouragement was welcomed.
Through prayer, some extra work on our part and being patient with each other during the stressful times our marriage is doing pretty good but I still have been enjoying reading through this book. Chuck stresses the fact that we need to seek peace FIRST! We need to stop arguing about money (if that is what is happening) and find peace. We will not be able to prosper if we are fighting between ourselves. We need to look to understand the other's view point, we need to be willing to compromise and we need to be willing to apologize. If we work together than marriage is a great help in being more financially stable but if we fight about money our marriage could be headed for divorce ( which is very bad for the finances besides everything else).
I really liked his chapter on the Biblical Definition of Prosperity. Getting rich is not our ultimate goal in life. God does want us to prosper but that isn't necessarily being financially rich. Prospering is truly far more than just having plenty of money and sometimes it is had with very little money. Learning contentment is part of this secret.
He shares in his book one of my favorite verses: "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 This verse is a reminder to seek God first. To trust and obey and then He will bless us.
He also encourages couples to truly study their spouse, to try to understand their personality and understand them better. To learn to appreciate the ways that they are different from you and to see how you complement each other. That helps so much when I have felt frustrated about various decisions that Ken has made. When I work to understand him better and why he is making the choices he is then I can be more patient with him and also see how what he is doing makes sense. Truly taking time to thank God for the differences in your spouse is a wonderful help in restoring a stressed relationship.
The book is filled with stories, scripture application and some good common sense. I think that if you are a married person (even if finances are going great for you) this book could be an encouragement to you.
Would you like to win a copy?
The publisher is willing to send one free copy to one of my readers. If you would be interested in reading this book or know of somebody else who you would like to give it to then please leave a comment below and on October 15th I will randomly select a winner from those who comment. Please be sure to leave some way for me to contact you should you win (an e-mail address is good).
Disclaimer: I received this book free for purposes of reviewing but all thoughts expressed are my own.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThis book looks like a great and very timely read. I think most people go through times that are tighter financially than others and it is a good idea to have strategies in place to help you through.
Thanks for offering this giveaway!
Tiffany
Wow! Thank you for offering this book!
ReplyDeleteWe were just discussing the need to readjust our budget moving forward for the last quarter of this year. With 3 ER bills, the flood in the kitchen, and some new specialists the children have had to see - our budget flew out the window and much of our savings has gone too. Now we have the tedious task of cutting wwwaaayyy back as we rubuild our savings!
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteYou are right that having some strategies in place helps a lot!
Amy,
I am sorry that this has been a challenging time for you as well. I understand about the way an ER visit can really deplete any excess that you might have put aside. We had to put $6,000 towards an ER visit last year and that wasn't really in our plans but thankfully we had the money to cover it but it has made things tighter since then.