Many parents today are searching for the "secret" to successful parenting. In Covenantal Parenting: Raising Children in Dependence on God's Promises, Dr. Joel R. Beeke asserts that there is no secret. When it comes to giving children what they need most new hearts that trust in Christ for forgiveness of sins parents are helpless. When children come to faith, it is due to the grace of God.

But while parents are helpless, they are not hopeless, for God has promised in His Word to provide all needful things for His people and to bless them and their families. With faith in these grand promises, parents may raise their children in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord" with confidence that God will work savingly in their lives.

Build your second marriage on more than a hope and a prayer. Sixty percent of second marriages fail, but yours can be among the ones that succeed. Relationship experts Les and Leslie Parrott show how you can beat the odds and make remarriage the best thing that's ever happened to you. More than a million couples have used the award-winning Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts to prepare for life-long love. And now, with Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts, Les and Leslie have added material for couples where one or both individuals are entering marriage for the second time. Uncover and understand the unique shaping factors you bring into your marriage as a man. Prepare for some surprising and helpful insights, for honest, intimate, and enjoyable relationship-strengthening conversations with you and your fiancee, and for engaging discussions with a small group. Over the course of twenty-eight exercises, this workbook will help couples identify and meld your love styles. You'll shed amazing new light on the way you're made, how that affects the way you and your loved one relate, and how you can improve those areas to build a better relationship. You will gain unprecedented insights into topics such as: facing the myths of remarriage honestly exploring unfinished business your personal "Ten Commandments" making your roles conscious assessing your self-image getting your sex life off to a great start cultivating intimacy listening to your self-talk avoiding the blame game how well do you communicate? your top ten needs mind reading how to listen identifying your "hot topics" money talks your spiritual journey becoming soul mates The personal exercises portion is followed by a discussion section: 9 Questions to Ask Before-and After-You Marry. Les and Leslie will help you enjoy lively and eye-opening interaction with each other and with a small group through nine sessions on the DVD (sold separately). The discussion guide, included in this workbook, guides you through an opening exercise, note-taking as you watch the video, linking to the workbook exercises, and group discussion, concluding with an exercise each couple can do together over the next week. Designed for use with Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Workbook for Women Updated (9780310875710) and Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts Video Study (9780310885436), both sold separately.

Build your second marriage on more than a hope and a prayer. Sixty percent of second marriages fail, but yours can be among the ones that succeed. Relationship experts Les and Leslie Parrott show how you can beat the odds and make remarriage the best thing that's ever happened to you. More than a million couples have used the award-winning Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts to prepare for life-long love. And now, with Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts, Les and Leslie have added material for couples where one or both individuals are entering marriage for the second time. Uncover and understand the unique shaping factors you bring into your marriage as a woman. Prepare for some surprising and helpful insights, for honest, intimate, and enjoyable relationship-strengthening conversations with you and your fiance, and for engaging discussions with a small group. Over the course of twenty-eight exercises, this workbook will help couples identify and meld your love styles. You'll shed amazing new light on the way you're made, how that affects the way you and your loved one relate, and how you can improve those areas to build a better relationship. You will gain unprecedented insights into topics such as: facing the myths of remarriage honestly exploring unfinished business your personal "Ten Commandments" making your roles conscious assessing your self-image getting your sex life off to a great start cultivating intimacy listening to your self-talk avoiding the blame game how well do you communicate? your top ten needs mind reading how to listen identifying your "hot topics" money talks your spiritual journey becoming soul mates The personal exercises portion is followed by a discussion section: 9 Questions to Ask Before-and After-You Marry. Les and Leslie will help you enjoy lively and eye-opening interaction with each other and with a small group through nine sessions on the DVD (sold separately). The discussion guide, included in this workbook, guides you through an opening exercise, note-taking as you watch the video, linking to the workbook exercises, and group discussion, concluding with an exercise each couple can do together over the next week. Designed for use with Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts Workbook for Men Updated (9780310875710) and Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts Video Study (9780310885436), both sold separately.

Preparing for the wedding day requires a lot of hard work: booking the reception place, choosing the flowers, and a million and one other practical tasks. But spending some time preparing for married life itself is even more important. This short, user-friendly manual is designed to encourage engaged couples to discuss their views and expectations of what marriage is all about, and to come to a better understanding of each other's way of seeing things. It also looks at key issues - including attitudes to money, work, having children, relationships with the in-laws - and helps couples to begin to work through some of these issues in advance of the big day, to identify potential areas of tension and to set in place good principles for their married life together.

If You Love Your Mate but Your Marriage Seems to Be Off Track, Then This Book Is for You

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.

You'll also learn:

* More sex doesn't necessarily improve a marriage
* Frequent arguing will not lead to divorce
* Financial problems do not always spell trouble in a relationship
* Wives who make sour facial expressions when their husbands talk are likely to be separated within four years
* There is a reason husbands withdraw from arguments -- and there's a way around it

Dr. Gottman tells you how to recognize attitudes that doom a marriage -- contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling -- and provides practical exercises, quizzes, tips, and techniques that will help you understand and make the most of your relationship. You can avoid patterns that lead to divorce, and -- Why Marriages Succeed or Fail will show you how.

At home, on the job, in a personal relationship, it's often not what you say but how you say it that counts.

Deborah Tannen revolutionized our thinking about relationships between women and men in her #1 bestseller You Just Don't Understand. In That's Not What I Meant , the internationally renowned sociolinguist and expert on communication demonstrates how our conversational signals--voice level, pitch and intonation, rhythm and timing, even the simple turns of phrase we choose--are powerful factors in the success or failure of any relationship. Regional speech characteristics, ethnic and class backgrounds, age, and individual personality all contribute to diverse conversational styles that can lead to frustration and misplaced blame if ignored--but provide tools to improve relationships if they are understood.

At once eye-opening, astute, and vastly entertaining, Tannen's classic work on interpersonal communication will help you to hear what isn't said and to recognize how your personal conversational style meshes or clashes with others. It will give you a new understanding of communication that will enable you to make the adjustments that can save a conversation . . . or a relationship.

Reveals the impossible choices and downright terror mixed-status families often face for their loved ones Living in a mixed-status immigrant family might mean that your grandmother could be deported at any moment, your son could be arrested at work, or your mother's deportation hearing is postponed-again. Such uncertainty and fear are the reality of life for mixed-status families-those that include both undocumented immigrants and US citizens. In Contested Americans, Cassaundra Rodriguez explores how members of mixed-status families experience and articulate belonging in the United States. The sixteen million people in the US who fall under this classification share the fear of a family member's possible deportation or the anxiety of leaving behind a child or elderly relative. Rodriguez highlights how different members of the same mixed-status families mediate undocumented statuses while maintaining the collective whole of a family. For many young adults, this may mean negotiating the sponsorship of their immigrant parents, and for the parents, planning for the emotional, physical, and financial well-being of their children in case of deportation. Contested Americans is a timely book, filled with vivid storytelling, that shows how immigration policies, racism, and privilege collide in the backdrop of the lives of millions of mixed-status families.

AN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR A droll and dazzling compendium of observations, stories, lists, and brief essays about babies. 'Beguiling ... A wunderkabinett of baby-related curios ... A peculiar book, and astonishing in its effect.' Boston Globe One August day, a baby was born, or as it seemed to Rivka Galchen, a puma moved into her apartment. Her arrival felt supernatural, she seemed to come from another world. And suddenly, the world seemed ludicrously, suspiciously, adverbially sodden with meaning. But Galchen didn't want to write about the puma. She had never been interested in babies, or in mothers before. Now everything seemed directly related to them and she specifically wanted to write about other things because it might mean she was really, covertly, learning something about babies, or about being near babies. The result is Little Labours, a slanted enchanted miscellany. Galchen writes about babies in art (with wrongly shaped head) and babies in literature (rarer than dogs or abortions, often monstrous); about the effort of taking a passport photo for a baby not yet able to hold up her head and the frightening prevalence of orange as today's chic colour for baby gifts; about Frankenstein as a sort of baby and a baby as a sort of Godzillas. In doing so she opens up an odd and tender world of wonder.

IN THIS MOVING AND LIFE AFFIRMING BOOK, VIRGINIA STEM OWENS GIVES A CLEAR AND REALISTIC ACCOUNT OF THE MANY CHALLENGES OF CARING FOR AN ELDERLY LOVED ONE. ALONG THE WAY, OWENS NOTES THE SPIRITUAL CRISES SH ENCOUNTERED, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH INCLUDED FEAR OF HER OWN SUFFERING AND DEATH. THIS BOOK WILL BE A HELPFUL COMPANION TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY ASSUMED THE ROLE OF CAREGIVER, HELPING THEM ANTICIPATE SOME OF THE EMOTIONAL TURBULENCE THEY WILL ENCOUNTER ALONG THE WAY.

A clinical psychologist's exploration of the modern dilemmas women face in the wake of new motherhood When Molly Millwood became a mother, she was fully prepared for what she would gain: an adorable baby boy; hard-won mothering skills; and a messy, chaotic, beautiful life. But what she did not expect was what she would lose: aspects of her identity, a baseline level of happiness, a general sense of wellbeing. And though she had the benefit of a supportive husband during this transition, she also at times resented the fact that the disruption to his life seemed to pale in comparison to hers. As a clinical psychologist, Molly knew her experience was a normal response to a life-changing event. But without the advantage of such a perspective, many of the patients she treated in her private practice grappled with self-doubt, guilt, and fear, and suffered the dual pain of not only the struggle to adjust but also the overwhelming shame for struggling at all. In To Have and to Hold, Molly explores the complex terrain of new motherhood, illuminating the ways it affects women psychologically, emotionally, physically, and professionally-as well as how it impacts their partnership. Along with the arrival of a bundle of joy come thorny issues such as self-worth, control, autonomy, and dependency. And for most new mothers, these issues are experienced within the context of an intimate relationship, adding another layer of tension, conflict, and confusion to an already challenging time. As Molly examines the inextricable link between women's well-being as new mothers and the well-being of their relationships, she offers guidance to help readers reclaim their identities, overcome their guilt and shame, and repair their relationships. A blend of personal narrative, scientific research, and stories from Molly's clinical practice, To Have and to Hold provides a much-needed lifeline to new mothers everywhere.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Wait and "spiritual teacher for our times" (Oprah Winfrey) frankly and openly explores why men behave the way they do and what everyone-men and women alike-need to know about it. We hear it all the time. Men cheat. Men love power. Men love sex. Men are greedy. Men are dogs. But is this really the truth about men? In this groundbreaking book, DeVon Franklin dishes the real truth by making the compelling case that men aren't dogs but all men share the same struggle. He provides the manual for how men can change, both on a personal and a societal level by providing practical solutions for helping men learn how to resist temptation, how to practice self-control, and how to love. But The Truth About Men isn't just for men. DeVon tells female readers everything they need to know about men. He offers women a real-time understanding of how men's struggles affect them, insights that can help them navigate their relationships with men and information on how to heal from the damage that some misbehaving men may have inflicted. This book is a raw, informative, and accessible look at an issue that threatens to tear our society apart yet it offers a positive way forward for men and women alike.

From the multimillion-copy bestselling author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"--hailed as the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century--"The 3rd Alternative "turns Dr. Stephen R. Covey's formidable insight to a powerful new way to resolve professional and personal difficulties and create solutions to great challenges in organizations and society.
There are many methods of "conflict resolution," but most involve compromise, a low-level accommodation that stops the fight without breaking through to amazing new results. "The 3rd Alternative "introduces a breakthrough approach to conflict resolution and creative problem solving, transcending traditional solutions to conflict by forging a path toward a third option, a 3rd Alternative that moves beyond your way or my way to a higher and better way--one that allows both parties to emerge from debate or even heated conflict in a far better place than either had envisioned. With the 3rd Alternative, nobody has to give up anything, and everyone wins.

First published in 1984, this groundbreaking title explores the concept of fatherhood, by following a hundred men who become fathers for the first time. The book is addressed to men who are discovering fatherhood and to women who wish to hear what a man feels and thinks about having a child. Many men experience the strange problems of the male couvade. They have everything from mysterious back ache to inexplicable stomach pains. Later they frequently find that the white-coated professionals shut the door on their doubts and needs and their shy search for information. Brian Jackson's book cautiously explores changing attitudes to fatherhood emerging at the time of the book's initial publication. In recent years we have gone through a unique revolution in man's experience of woman and child. There is surprise at the costs and demands of parenthood, so much so that both parents may move from a honeymoon phase of parenthood into the birth of the blues. Previously this has been thought of as a female, hormonal readjustment, but since men speak of identical symptoms, this study suggests that, at the roots, lies the strain of unprepared parenthood. The traditional father is still there - showing off his medals, his tattoos, his rugby triumphs and his unconcern for the gentler aspects of life. So is the man who simply hunts in the economic jungle, and expects his home to service him. But most of these men now waver and hedge their bets. They look at their child as they return from their working day, or as they slump into unemployment, and wonder if they could be more positive, more creative, more licensed to care.

Everyone faces the challenges of making relationships work. Whether with spouses, family members, friends, lovers, or colleagues, relationships have the power to make one feel happy, frustrated, or miserable. In Relationship Breakthrough, Cloe Madanes-an expert in creating healing, empowering relationships-gives readers vital tools to transform their relationships and their lives. Madanes's cutting-edge methods produce real results and create rewarding, sustainable relationships. Using simple, step-by-step exercises and drawing on the examples of clients who have benefited from this technique, Relationship Breakthrough teaches readers how to: - overcome life's inevitable losses - resolve long-standing family conflicts - synchronize their needs with those of others - create outstanding relationships in every area of their lives This is the only book that ties the guiding principles of Tony Robbins's work with Cloe Madanes's revolutionary approach to relationship therapy. Our connections with the people in our lives have the capacity to bring us great joy, if only we understood the fundamental needs we all have, but sometimes express differently. Drawing on her trademark wisdom, empathy, and extensive clinical experience, Madanes shows readers how to better understand their own needs and those of others, bringing clarity and insight into any relationship.

A graphic novel style memoir about the weirdness and wonder of pregnancy and early motherhood, told with humor and frankness. The perfect gift for new parents, parents-to-be, or anyone interested in the experience of bringing a new human into today's world. Emma Ahlqvist's graphic memoir about the birth and early moments of raising her first child is a wry and resonant portrayal of both the challenges and excitement of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and embracing the experience of motherhood. Told with black-and-white drawings and short, frank captions, Ahlqvist considers everything from lactation woes, anxieties about late capitalism and global warming, the challenges of sharing labor equally as a couple-and the genuine rewards of bringing a human into the world. Unflinching, relatable, and funny, My Body Created a Human invites laughter, emphatic nods, and exclamations of "You too?" Organized into thematic chapters like "Postpartum" and "A Mother and an Artist," her drawings can be enjoyed all at once, or browsed and savored during late-night and early-morning wake-ups.

Love is a dominant theme in Western popular culture. It has become central to the meaning of everyday life, propagated through the media and the market. Being in love has become idealised. With the demise of institutional religion in the West, romantic love has become the dominant form of inner-worldly salvation. In Foucault's terms, it has become a key component in the 'arts of existence' and the care of self. In this highly accessible introduction to love of all kinds, Tom Inglis gives a clear, concise picture of how love shapes, and is shaped by, society. How is romantic love linked to capitalism? What is the difference between romantic love and loving? How is love connected to separation, loss and grief? Inglis addresses all these questions, and looks at how today's changing circumstances - globalisation, mobile lives and a new rugged individualism - have changed our perceptions of love and relationships. Love is an engaging, thoughtful introduction to the subject for students, academics and general readers alike.

A four-step programme to help develop self-esteem, create time to do the things that nourish and fulfil you, discover a deep sense of calm, and achieve healthy control over your life, home and work, co-written by psychotherapist and relationship expert Jennie Miller and award-winning journalist Victoria Lambert.

The need to understand where to draw the line has never been more acute, with new online trends seeping quickly into our consciousness often before we’ve had time to consider what personal boundaries they might require. Covering email etiquette, office politics, healthy parenting, dating among the over 50s, oversharing, relationships and more, there is no other book that deals effectively and practically with the embryonic and ever-evolving relationship codes of today.

Discover how to set personal boundaries in the most important aspects of your life: from sleep to fitness, diet to social media and computer usage, and build the self-confidence that results from learning to care for yourself. Then you can progress to applying that knowledge to all aspects of your life including work, home and relationships.

With anonymised cases from Jennie’s clinical practice, Boundaries contains exercises, motivational quotes, statistics, and clearly signposts when exactly you need to bring in the boundaries.

By day, Faith Jenkins is the host of the nationally syndicated TV show Divorce Court; by night, she's a happily married newlywed who navigated these dating streets for years before learning how to attract the love of her dreams. When she turned 35 without a wedding ring in sight, like most women, she started getting tons of questions about not being married. But she made a decision: I. Will. Not. Settle. As an attorney and arbitrator, Faith has presided over hundreds of cases, and has helped couples avoid and resolve a wealth of drama. And she's seen it all! In Sis, Don't Settle, she's gathered an arsenal of love, wisdom and advice for women on how to play it smart. Modern culture would have women believe they can't have it all-and be smart, successful, strong women with authentic love to boot. Wrong. Told in her signature style-sometimes salty and sometimes sweet-Faith provides real solutions that will teach you how to thrive in relationships while avoiding common missteps and pitfalls. She delivers it straight, with no chaser, to show us how to level up, and reminds you that how you live single will set the tone for your success in relationships. Smart, illuminating, and, often laugh-out-loud funny, Sis, Don't Settle is the essential playbook that will help you build your confidence, generate better results in love, and land a high-value relationship once and for all. You'll find tips on topics like: * Strong Independent Women...and the Men Who Love Them * What's Worse than a Bad Relationship? Overextending Your Stay in One * Becoming the Right Person to Attract the Right Person * How to Release Trash Subconscious Beliefs that Keep You Settling * And much more! Whether you're single, divorced, or in a situationship, Sis, Don't Settle reveals the direction and guidance you need to navigate love and take back your power.

Have you stopped believing in happily ever after? Women today are settling for less than we want when it comes to men, relationships, sex, and marriage. But we don't have to, argues Elizabeth Kantor. Jane Austen can show us how to find the love we really want. In The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After, Kantor reveals how the examples of Jane Austen heroines such as Elizabeth Bennett, Elinor Dashwood, and Anne Elliot can help us navigate the modern-day minefields of dating, love, relationships, and sex. By following in their footsteps-and steering clear of the sad endings suffered by characters such as Maria Bertram and Charlotte Lucas-modern women can discover the path to lifelong love and true happiness. Charged with honesty and humor, Kantor's book includes testimonies from modern women, pop culture parallels, the author's personal experiences and, of course, a thorough examination of Austen's beloved novels. Featuring characters and situations from all of Jane Austen's books (including unfinished novels, and stories not published in her lifetime), The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After tackles the dating and relationship dilemmas that we face today, and equips modern women to approach our love lives with fresh insights distilled from the novels: Don't be a tragic heroine Pursue Elizabeth Bennet's "rational happiness" -learn what it is, and how you can find it Don't let cynicism steal your happy ending Why it's a mistake to look for your "soul mate" Jane Austen's skeleton keys to a man's potential How you should deal with men who are "afraid of commitment" (from Jane Austen's eight case studies) Learn how to arrange your own marriage-by falling in love the Jane Austen way