Love As a Way of Life

Many years ago, my husband and I went to a marriage retreat sponsored by our church. We studied "The Five Love Languages' by Gary Chapman. I learned a lot about how to relate to R, whose love languages are not the same as mine. I've also employed Dr. Chapman's techniques in relating to my daughter, who also has a different love language than I.

I was excited about the opportunity to read Dr. Chapman's latest release,Love as a Way of Life, which teaches what a love-driven life looks like. Dr. Chapman identifies 7 characteristics that define the life of someone who loves others: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty. Each chapter as a self-test, so that the reader can see how loving he/she really is.

Dr. Chapman is a wise man:

Although corporate kindness is extremely important, especially in times of disaster, the more important need is for individual acts of kindness that are expressed as a way of life. Almost anyone can respond to a crisis situation because the need is so glaring. It takes a truly caring person to identify opportunities of kindness in the flow of daily life.

A hurried attitude, even when you're alone, affects your relationships...If you have a spirit of impatience about you all day, you will have trouble slowing down when you interact with the person at the grocery store that evening or greet your family at the door. When we love intentionally, we become conscious of the ways we are hurrying unnecessarily and we slow down -- with all our relationships in mind.

Dr. Chapman also offers practical tips for making love a way of life, and gives wonderful examples that prove a life of love is a life worth living.

This has been a great read, and I'm happy to share it with you. I've got one copy to give away. Leave me a comment if you'd like to be entered. I'll be drawing on Friday, July 18th.

For another review, click over to 5 Minutes for Books and read Jennifer's take.