Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship, and Life Together

Dates Read: October 2013
Bobby and I started attending Mars Hill Church with Pastor Mark Driscoll. So far we love it! I love hearing Mark speak and we have both found that what he says has been exactly what we needed to hear. Bobby bought several of Mark's books and while we were at the bookstore the other day, I saw this book and decided to pick it up. Let me preface this by saying that Bobby and I are doing great, there's nothing to be concerned about - but we also feel like our marriage could be even better, even stronger, and we want to have a strong and healthy marriage for Taylor so I was hoping that reading this book would challenge us to get our marriage to that point. Let me tell you, this book was great! I loved that Mark and Grace (his wife) wrote it so you got two perspectives. I loved that they were open and honest about what has and has not worked for them. I also love that it's not a "how to" manual but instead it presents thoughts, suggestions, challenging questions, etc., that you're supposed to use as a starting point to have a conversation with your spouse so that as a couple you can figure out what will work best for you. The main theme of this book is friendship, which I think is sooooo important for a marriage. I think the underlying main theme of the book is communication - every single chapter has pointers and questions that you should use as a starting point to have a conversation (sometimes a difficult one) with your spouse. I honestly haven't read any other marriage books so I have nothing to compare this one to, but if you're looking for a book to challenge or encourage you to be a better spouse, I strongly encourage you to pick up this book!!
 
Summary: (from amazon.com)
Most marriage books assume the author did it right. Most marriage books barely mention friendship. Most marriage books use “intimacy” as code for “sex.” This is not one of those books.

In Real Marriage, Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife, Grace, share how they have struggled and how they have found healing through the power of the only reliable source: the Bible. They believe friendship is fundamental to marriage but not easy to maintain. So they offer practical advice on how to make your spouse your best friend – and keep it that way. And they know from experience that sex-related issues need to be addressed directly.

Five chapters are dedicated to answering questions like:

• Should I confess my pre-marital sexual sin to my spouse?
• Is it okay to have a “work spouse”?
• What does the Bible say about masturbation and oral sex?

Stunningly honest and vulnerable, Real Marriage is like a personal counseling session with a couple you cannot surprise, you cannot shock into silence, who will respond to every question with wisdom, humility, and realism.

If you want to have a long-lasting, fulfilling marriage you should read this book. Wrestle with this book. Pray over this book. Share this book. And discover how God can use it to change your life.

The Duck Commander Family: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty

Dates Read: September 2013
After reading Sicology and Happy, Happy, Happy, I finished out the month by reading Willie Robertson's book. This book was a little different from the previous two as it told more about the history of the company and the history of Willie and his wife. Again, some of the stories overlapped with the stories told in the other two books, but I still thought it was a great read and I enjoyed the additional perspective on the stories. As with the other two books, if you enjoy the show, you'll enjoy reading the history and learning more about this great family.
 
Summary: (from amazon.com)
Faith. Family. Ducks—in that order.

This book gives readers an up-close and personal, behind-the-scenes look at the family in the exploding A&E® show— Duck Dynasty®. This Louisiana bayou family operates Duck Commander, a booming family business that has made them millions. You’ll hear all about the Robertson clan from Willie and what it was like growing up in the Robertson household. You’ll sample some of Willie’s favorite family recipes from Phil, Kay, and even some of his own concoctions; and you’ll get to know the beautiful Robertson women. You’ll hear from Korie about the joys and hardships of raising a family, running a business, and wrangling the Robertson men while staying fashionable and beautiful inside and out. Discover more about the family dynamics between brothers Willie, Jase, Jep, and parents Phil and Kay. You’ll even meet a fourth brother who isn’t in the show.

Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander

Dates Read: September 2013

After reading Sicology, I decided to keep with the Duck Commander theme and read the book by Phil Robertson. It was great to read this book after Sicology because the stories overlapped slightly but were told from a different perspective so that was fun to read. As with Sicology, I highly recommend this book if you enjoy the series - it's a great, low key and fun read!
 
Summary: (from amazon.com)
Duck calls—though the source of his livelihood—are not what makes Phil Robertson the man he is today. When asked what matters in his life, he’s quick to say, “Faith, family, ducks—in that order.”

It isn’t often that a person can live a dream, but Phil Robertson, aka The Duck Commander, has proven that it is possible with vision, hard work, helping hands, and an unshakable faith in the Almighty. Phil’s is the remarkable story of one man who followed the call he received from God and soon after invented a duck call that would begin an incredible journey to the life he had always dreamed of for himself and his family. In the love of his country, his family, and his maker, Phil has finally found the ingredients to the “good life” he always wanted.

If you ever wind up sitting face-to-face with Phil, you’ll see that his enthusiasm and passion for duck hunting and the Lord is no act—it is truly who he is.

If you’ve watched the exceedingly popular A&E® program Duck Dynasty®, you already know the famed Phil Robertson. As patriarch of the Robertson clan and creator of Duck Commander duck calls, he fearlessly leads his family in a responsible work ethic and an active faith.

But what you don’t know is his life before the show. In the pages of this book, you’ll learn of Phil’s colorful past and his wild road to the “happy, happy, happy” life he leads today. Before the “happy,” Phil’s passion for the outdoors and wild living led him down some shady paths. As a young husband and father, he became the proprietor of a rough bar and lived a life, as he says, of “romping, stomping, and ripping” for a number of years. He even left his wife and young boys for a short period of time.

Through it all, Phil Robertson has lived his life as a “called” man. Called to live off the land, called to leave a starring role in Louisiana Tech football (playing ahead of Terry Bradshaw) for duck hunting, called to wild living, called to create a new kind of duck call—and finally, called to follow God and lead a life of faith.

In this eye-opening and rousing book, you’ll find stories that will shock you, as well as those that will inspire you. You’ll get to know the man behind the legend, and you’ll come away better for it.