Leaving the Light On

Recently I began reading this new book Matt bought me for Christmas:

You may find this a little premature since Matt and I are not planning to begin a family for a little while, but I'm working ahead.

You see, when I was single and the desire to be married grew ever stronger, I realized that instead of reading books on dating, I should be reading books on marriage. That was the ultimate goal: To be married and happily so. For this to be the case, I thought it would be wise to do what I did during school. 

My "career life" was successful because God used my studies and preparation to adequately prepare me for what would come. If my personal goal was to be married and enjoy a wonderful marriage with my spouse, why hadn't I ever done my due diligence to study and prepare? 

As soon as the thought occurred to me, I began reading Christian books on the subject. Within a year I met Matt. I kept reading during our relationship and enjoyed a short engagement knowing God had prepared me for the next step. 

Most couples wait until they are engaged to prepare for marriage, but for some, the lessons in reading will help develop the relationship while dating. For others, the engagement will be short enough that a head start helps. Most people are demotivated once they're married and tend not to read things to enhance their marriage. I strive to do differently.

As you may have seen, recently I read a book titled, 7 Things He'll Never Tell You. My goal is to alternate between reading books on marriage and ones about raising children.

The book I'm reading now, Leaving The Light On, was recommended by my sister. She has 5 children. I consider her advice top notch for many reasons, so I was eager to add this and a couple of other books to my Christmas list. 

Let me just say that so far, I have read about a chapter a night and I end up in tears every time. The stories they offer to illustrate their point tug at my heartstrings. I've already been challenged by what I've read and pray I'll apply the wisdom in the book to my relationship with Matt and our future children. So far I'm only on chapter 4, but I'm convinced this is a "must-read" for every parent, men and women alike.