What a breath of fresh air this book is! Like most people, I do not have a perfect marriage, and over the past five years my husband and I have been to marriage conferences, done many marriage Bible studies and read several books about marriage, searching for someone to present the concepts that are in this book. This is the most honest and practical book on marriage I have ever read, and it will prompt important self-reflection and conversations with your spouse. Mark and Grace Driscoll lead by example by sharing their own story and struggles, with such a humble and graceful attitude that it inspires us to do the same. I enjoyed reading this book out loud with my husband because both authors take turns writing in his/her own voice and they collectively write in a way that interests both male and female audiences.
The themes that run throughout this book are fantastic, especially the Driscoll’s emphasis on finding and nurturing friendship within a marriage, and on how to cultivate a new marriage with the same spouse. They boldly answer many sexual questions that may make some conservative Christians blush, but are real discussions that are long overdue. We have found their, “Reject Redeem, Receive” rubric helpful to other areas of our life as well.
Mark Driscoll’s sermons have transformed my marriage, family and personal life over the past few years, as, together with my husband, we have watched hundreds of them online. We love the way Mark unapologetically teaches from the Bible, never backs down from Biblical truth and says it all in a strong, but nonjudgmental manner that makes you want to pay attention.
There were only two drawbacks for me in reading this book, but neither is the fault of the authors. The first problem was that I was given a free e-book version of “Real Marriage,” to read and review, and my strong preference is with print. I struggled with the e-reader program my husband downloaded and felt frustrated that I couldn’t underline the many sections that I felt were worth highlighting, and couldn’t fold down page corners allowing me to flip back and forth, rereading important portions with ease. Therefore, I will definitely be buying a hard copy and look forward to rereading it properly! I also felt a little bit disappointed with the lack of “new” material from Mark Driscoll. Being a longtime fan already, I greatly anticipated the release of this book and felt that much of what is discussed in this book has already been taught at Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill church; however, he has never done so with his wife and in such a personally revealing manner.
This was an excellent book; I would rate it 9/10 and will highly recommend this book to other married couples who are just starting out, stuck in a rut, or who miss the feelings they once had for their spouse.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Home IS my career 
