The Book of Romance by Tommy Nelson

This is also framed as a quasi-commentary on the Song of Songs (which is precisely why I was reading it now) and Nelson also focuses more on application than in depth study (hence the quasi) however I find more sense in the ideas put forth.

While I may not agree with all of his propositions they are largely issues not relevant to the points being made.

One thing I really appreciate is the distinction he draws between dating and courting considering them equally valuable but for different purposes. The case he makes for the inclusion of both in the way we do Romance is compelling.

I would absolutely recommend it, but you may want to skip the Honeymoon chapter because he is not bashful when explaining the meaning behind the metaphor.

Marriage is a Commitment by Dr. Jack Hyles

This is a book I cannot recommend. While there are moments where Dr.Hyles seems to be onto something they are lost in his explanations. He seems to contradict himself(like suggesting married folks ought not have friends outside of each other but they should do hobbies apart to stay interesting to one another - who are you supposed to be engaging in these activities with?) and say things that I find simply wrong (like that you should hold back from your spouse so that you remain interesting and ignore the Biblical mandate of oneness while building his case on the surrounding verses). He frames his advice as a quasi-commentary on Song of Songs while drawing out ideas that have no grounding in the text itself.

Again I concede that some of his points are worth considering but I really dont know that it is worth wading through the garble and slush. There are other marriage books out there.

Lately I have been Studying the Song of Songs. Its meaning is not agreed upon and I cannot pretend to fully understand it but it is beautifully composed

I dont have many bad

I dont have many bad days at work but today was one.

Books I have recently read or am in the process of reading

For less than half my

For less than half my budget I bought over half of my groceries (and some good impulses) . I heart grocery safari!

I abandoned deep theology for

I abandoned deep theology for the simple applications of "Brown Like Coffee" and it is just what I needed.