EFR REVIEWS

GOOD MAN One look at our cultural moment and it's easy to tell that men and their identities are in crisis. Though lost and fractured, men face the pressure to be perfect. Our reactionary society is quick to condemn and slow to forgive, leaving men more confused than ever about how to live and who to be. Yet in Scripture, we continually find God choosing to work in and through flawed, imperfect, and broken individuals. Men who had massive character flaws and significant moral failings, but who also shared one important characteristic: the desire to follow the call of their Creator.  With engaging personal stories and insight into biblical truths, Nathan Clarkson declares to today's man that he is more than what the culture is telling him he is--angry, selfish, predatory, violent, and bored. Instead, still on the journey himself, Nathan calls today's man to find his identity in the One who created him on purpose, for a purpose, and encourages him to live an honest, authentic...

STAYING POWER Too often, when a life crisis hits, a marriage suffers--even a healthy one--and all the personality profiles and couples' therapy in the world won't keep your marriage from experiencing the tough stuff. So how do you and your spouse face the stresses put on your marriage and not only stay together but come out on the other side even more loving and committed? In  Staying Power , two longtime couples offer insights, skills, and clear direction so that you can respond to trials in a way that strengthens rather than weakens your marriage. They show you how to - handle anger creatively, forgive freely, and persevere together - nurture one another in powerful ways - learn new techniques for connecting both verbally and nonverbally in the midst of crisis - and much more Don't let financial trouble, infertility, health challenges, parenting cares, addiction of a loved one, or heartbreaking loss destroy your marriage. Instead, learn how through your strong relationshi...

Okay, so today we're looking at a trilogy of Christian self-help style memoirs by Alexandra Kuykendall, plus a bonus, unrelated memoir about her unique upbringing!  works of A. Kuykendall Starting with the ... what do we call these... the "Loving My... " series? (not sure if the set has an official, collective name) #1 Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right In Front of Me ★ ★ ★1/2 Author Alexandra Kuykendall is a writer who has also spent nearly a decade working for  MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International . In her newest book, a memoir of sorts, she relates the things she learned about her family and herself while carrying out a life experiment in which she spent 9 months making more of an effort to love the life she has rather than the pie-in-the-sky ideal she thought she wanted and was missing out on. As a mother of four -- the youngest 3 years old, the oldest entering middle grade -- with an insane daily schedu...