I’m a self-proclaimed book lover.
A lover of all things wordy really. Books. Poetry. Articles. Blogs.
As a spin-0ff Valentine’s and with February being a focus on loving well those around us, I want to share some of my favorite books focusing on relationships:
relationship with God, with ourselves (understanding our divine design), relationship with our spouses, our children and just others around us. Each post will include one or more of some reads I’ve found to be helpful in the journey. {Please note I consider Scripture to be the most crucial in our understanding of relationships. All books I share find roots in the principles of the word of God, even if I do not mention this directly}.
Many books have found their way to our shelves by way of recommendation, and so I share the love! While updates on home life and other posts will also fill this space, look forward to books, books, books the rest of February!
I begin with one book much appreciated here in our home. Eighteen years ago, I met my husband and we began a read that became pivotal in our early years of marriage–we read it once a year. Yes, it’s that good.
Understanding How Others Misunderstand You
An excellent book on the variety of personalities created by God. Now, let me mention front that I am not a fan of labeling others or placing people in a box.
However, I am a great advocate of discovering more about my strengths and blind spots in order to better relate to others. So that communication is made simpler (hopefully!) with some understanding to back it up.
My husband and I began this one during our dating years only to find we were on opposite ends! Each and every time the authors wanted to describe ‘extremes’ (that word is used lightly)–bingo!–our personalities were chosen for the illustration. This definitely caused us to read the entire book to be sure there was hope!
There was. 🙂
Why I Really Like this Book:
Personalities are described as gifts from God, by his design, for the purposes He has in mind (the book uses the DISC model). Each one is given ample explanation with individuals from Scripture as examples.
The strengths are listed, the blind spots examined and my favorite part…sections on how to best relate to each personality is included. How to communicate to them in times of conflict, understanding how each processes decisions, etc. Within this are examples from Scripture of how God related to each one based on the uniqueness of their particular bent. Super information!
This is a great read for anyone in relationship with anyone else. Not specifically for marrieds or singles, parents or not…just anyone. We’ve used it personally, in pre-marital and general marital counseling, for family counseling, or simply as a recommendation for personal growth.
So, in no particular order–interrupted by updates on the home front–we’ll continue the journey through our bookshelves!
Anyone have good reads on personalities, getting along with others? Let me know and I will include in future posts.
Grace in this journey to love well….
