Are You Focused on Christ, Fullfilled in Marriage? The Beautiful Wife Study, Mentor’s Guide & Prayer Journal

It is so easy to become focused on the problems within marriage, whether its the faults of our husband, financial struggles, feeling neglected, or something else.  Everything can seem to be a bigger problem than it is.

Why?

Because our focus is on the problems and not on Christ, where it should be.

One day I’m bragging on all my husband does for me.  The next  day I’m clueless to why he’s being such a jerk to me.  Again, the problem isn’t my husband.  The problem is that – yes, I’ll repeat myself – I’m not focused on Christ.

So, how do I become focused on Christ?

The first thing you can do is to get into God’s Word.   I’ve read all of the Scripture related to marriage, but if I don’t stay in God’s Word, I won’t grow in Christian maturity or in my relationship with my husband.

What else can you do?  Well, that’s where Sandy Ralya comes in.   Sometimes we need a Bible study or mentor to help us through the issues that don’t seem so easy to fix with just reading Scripture.   Sandy has written a wonderful study guide, mentor guide, and prayer journal for the Wanna Be Beautiful Wife.

The Beautiful Wife: Focused on Christ, Fulfilled In Marriage

Throughout the reading of this book, I was encouraged to become a beautiful wife (not condemned for being an ugly wife).  The author describes beautiful in not-so-worldly terms.  More in Christ-like terms.   See, we can change our character, we can’t change our looks much.

At the end of each chapter was time to reflect on what was read, then steps to help put to use what was just read.  My biggest problem is reading, then moving on.  Application is so important if anyone wants to change for the better.

• Some of the areas covered include:
• Managing Money
• Sustaining Self-Care
• Opening Lines of Communication
• Inviting Romance

There are 7 other areas covered.  These are just the ones that spoke to me the most.

The Beautiful Wife Mentor Guide

Don’t think you can be someone’s mentor.  Think again!  Just how you live your life can be a testimony.   Put into action what you learn from the study and God will use you to help (mentor) another women or wife.  It may even be your own daughter when she finds her true love.

The Mentor Guide includes:

• Practical advice for putting together a study group of any size, from one-on-one to a large group of women.
• Preparing spiritually
• Chapter by chapter discussion preparation, scripture memorization, prayer, material recap and more.

Of course you may use the optional parts of each chapter, if times allows.  Use the mentor’s guide to help you.  If you prefer a different order of things, go for it.  Allow God to lead the study, not a self-imposed rule to follow the exact format of the mentor’s guide.

Anything you do to mentor someone will bless both you and the person.

The Beautiful Wife Prayer Journal

I don’t pray enough.  This prayer journal is more than a bunch of blank lines for you to write down your prayer thoughts.  It actually pulls you into real conversation with the Lord.

Each chapter’s prayer journal includes a prayer prompt, questions to ask yourself and Scriptures to help make your prayer more meaningful.  Work your way through each day of prayer during this study and end with prayers that are less self-seeking and more God-glorifying and marriage building prayers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the book:

The Beautiful Wife uses these inspiring stories along with biblical principles to guide and encourage any wife looking for God’s best in her marriage. The Beautiful Wife answers serious questions women have about their roles as wives. Discussing everything from romance and money to beauty, communication, and sex, Sandy challenges women to open up and share their journeys so that together they can see God’s plan for their marriages. “It is my passion to help women discover God’s heart for their marriage, just as the other women helped me,” writes Sandy. “When women share with each other the details of their journeys with God as wives, it’s a beautiful thing indeed.” The Beautiful Wife has two companion resources – Prayer Journal and Mentor’s Guide.

About Sandy Ralya:

Sandy Ralya is the founder and director of Beautiful Womanhood, a marriage mentoring ministry based near Grand Rapids, Mich. Her marriage testimony was the focus of a popular three-day interview on FamilyLife Today, TV’s Walking by Faith, and Time Out for Women. Sandy is a sought-after speaker, presenting Beautiful Womanhood seminars to hundreds of women each year at MOPS groups, women’s retreats, and church leadership conferences across the country and in Canada. Sandy and her husband Tom have been married since 1980, and have a growing number of grandchildren.

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Disclosure: I received a copy of the above reviewed items from Litfuse and Kregel Books in exchange for my honest review.  Read what others think who participated in the Beautiful Wife Blog Tour.