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Sandy RalyaKregel Publications / 2012 / Trade PaperbackOur Price$13.494.8 out of 5 stars for The Beautiful Wife: Focused on Christ, Fulfilled in Marriage. View reviews of this product. 5 Reviews
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onedesertroseSt. Paul, MNAge: 55-65Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Change Your MarriageJuly 23, 2012onedesertroseSt. Paul, MNAge: 55-65Gender: femaleQuality: 4Value: 5"I believe this book will be life-changing for many, many women and their marriages."—Shaunti Feldhahn, For Women Only (Jeff Feldhahn has a book, For Men Only)
My Review:
The Beautiful Wife, by Sandy Ralya, is based on Titus 2:2-5, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, ... so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, ... children, ... being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored."
Sandy's book is instrumental in teaching wives how to become a Christ-centered wife that complements her husband and cares for her family. Sandy doesn't just tell you what you should be doing, but gives personal and other examples that help you understand the concept. She's very transparent about her own marriage so you know that everyone has struggles.
The first chapter, Equipping for the Journey, is pivotal to the rest of the book. Sandy lists several steps that are vital:
Turn to God: Be Still; Worship; Read the Bible; Pray
Understand Your Role: Equal Partner, Friend, Helper, Prayer Warrior
Share Within a Community of Women: Humility, Transparency and Accountability
The rest of the book is centered on these three important issues. Part of it is accomplished by the Reflection section, where you answer questions about yourself with deep honesty and transparency. The First Steps section will give you some goals/steps that you will be expected to follow through on, and will be held accountable for at the next meeting. As Sandy would ask, "After all, isn't that why you've made time to study The Beautiful Wife?"
The other chapters include the following. They are in-depth and handled with grace.
Self-Care
Living Genuinely
Cultivating Mystique
Inviting Romance
Thoughts About Sex
Opening Communication—Speaking the Truth in Love
Managing Money
Creating a Culture of Beauty
Professionalizing the Roles of Wife/Mother
Choosing God's Best
One thing I suggest when you read the book, is to remember it's written for wives, not husbands. I struggled with some of the concepts because I felt it fit both spouses. And a lot of it does, but Sandy is only focusing on the woman's part. That will help calm down some of those hackles that start to rise when you think the woman has to do all the changing.
My biggest complaint is that this book wasn't available when I first got married! Growing up with three brothers, being a tomboy, and not getting much motherly advice on the ways of women made our marriage difficult for a number of years as well. I could have used a lot of the advice written between the covers of this book! So much practical and Scriptural advice! Also, please heed the advice about sexual and physical abuse issues. You will most likely need professional help.
If you whole-heartedly persist with God and the Holy Spirit, your marriage can be changed to be a light to others, while creating a peaceful, loving home environment for your husband, your children and yourself. It's a win-win situation.
This study can be implemented in home groups, church-hosted meetings, or one-on-one mentoring. I would recommend Sandy's book for single women thinking about marriage as well as engaged women.
This book was provided by Cat Hoort of Kregel Publications. My review is my own honest opinion. No monetary compensation was exchanged. -
TammimaineAge: 45-54Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5The Beautiful WifeFebruary 18, 2012TammimaineAge: 45-54Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5My Review:
Are you married, or looking forward to the day that you will be? Planning for your wedding is the easy part, becoming one with your husband, well, that is a life long process. Sandra Ralya has written a devotional that is relevant any women whether she is engaged, newly married or has been married a long time. I know I found this book helpful, and I have been married nearly 18 years.
The Beautiful Wife contains 12 meaty chapters with that use examples from Sandra Ralya's own experiences and include some of these topics: Prayer, Being Genuine, Mystique; Romance; Communication, and Speaking the Truth in Love. And it is filled with Bible references to make you think about your own situation. At end of each chapter you will find journaling/discussion questions to help you to think through what you have learned.
No matter how long you have been married, or how good your marriage is there is always room for improvement. So if you like Bible studies this might be one you would like to have on your coffee table, or night stand.
Companion Materials:
I also received the Prayer Journal and Mentor's Guide from the publisher. each of these little books are a nice edition to The Beautiful Wife devotional.
The Prayer Journal has places to write down pray requests, your prayers, and the answers you have received. Places to write down the Bible verses you are learning, as well as, what you have learned from reading them. I think it fits would fit well into your daily study.
The Mentor's Guide is a nice tool for Bible study group leaders. It includes everything you need to lead a group study, and whether you are an experienced leader or it is your first time to lead a Bible Study Group I think you will find it very helpful.
**The Beautiful Wife by Sandy Ralya was provided for me free by Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review. -
Diane DeLaney5 Stars Out Of 5FantasticAugust 23, 2014Diane DeLaneyQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5No matter how long you have been married, you will learn a lot from this book to help or improve your marriage. I have done this study at church and now holding a class of Beautiful Wifes in my home. I know I will learn more and more.
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SuHillSouth DakotaAge: 55-65Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5A BOOK FULL OF TRUTHNovember 16, 2013SuHillSouth DakotaAge: 55-65Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5A book about troubles and triumphs and Gods plan for mutual respect and long lived marriages. A very real gal facing rough situations and working through them with the helps that God has made available to women. Now she needs to write a book for blended families. I believe she will have the resources among her friends that are needed to help so many hurting families.
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Cara PutmanIndianaAge: 35-44Gender: female4 Stars Out Of 5Meets a NeedFebruary 10, 2012Cara PutmanIndianaAge: 35-44Gender: femaleIn this book the author meets a need of many women: how do we rise above the demands everyone puts on us and focus on being the wife we need to be. If you're a Christian, it's often hard to get help because of the pressure to look perfect and like you have it all together. The author wrote this book to help fill that need. This book is designed to help women mentor other women in marriage by providing points of discussion on important areas like money, self-care, communication, speaking the truth in love, living genuinely and sex. The accompanying mentor's guide provides strategies for how to translate the book into an effective study. This combination could feel a need for mentoring ministries in many churches.
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