The Marriage Mentor: A book truly written with the husband and wife in mind
I've been working with Rhonda and Steve Stoppe on their new book, The
Marriage Mentor. This is not your average marriage book! The Stoppes have written a book that can help couples in a real
way. They believe that every couple should have (or be) mentors. It helps to
talk to another couple who has already walked a particular stage of life and
have godly examples of what marriage should be. While the Stoppes are serious
about their topic, they present the material in a light-hearted and interesting
way.
Visit Rhonda Stoppe’s website www.NoRegretsWoman.com for more resources on love, marriage and parenting. She is also active on YouTube (Rhonda Stoppe No Regrets Woman), Facebook (RhondaStoppeNoRegretsWoman) and on Twitter (@RhondaStoppe).
In this introduction to The Marriage Mentor (Harvest House Publishers), the
Stoppes explain how the book is written with each spouse in mind:
If you’re
like most married couples, you are so busy you rarely read through an entire
book. And let’s be honest: statistics prove that men aren’t the ones reading
marriage help books. So rather than writing a book the wife has to continually
nag her husband to sit down and read with her, we’ve broken the book into
sections for the wife to read (written by Rhonda) and small sections
for husbands to read (written by Steve). Then the two of you can watch a short
video online of Steve and Rhonda discussing the main point of each chapter
together. (The videos are lighthearted and fun, we promise!)
Imagine if you had a weekly appointment
with an older couple who could teach you the secrets to building a happy
marriage that will last a lifetime. That’s what you’ll find as you walk with us
through the pages of this book. But life gets in the way, and sometimes the
immediate needs will drain you and make you think, There’s
always tomorrow to work on making my marriage better.
The truth is, for most couples
tomorrow never comes. In over 30 years of ministry we have witnessed countless
couples who intended to work on their marriages but never made the time—only to
later regret the years they wasted.
On the other hand, we have also
been delighted to watch numerous couples we’ve counseled flourish. We’ve seen
them take the biblical principles laid out in this book seriously, and their marriages
reflect joy and happiness like most couples never come to know.
If you’re looking for help for
your marriage, we ask you to make a commitment now to keep working your way
through this book until you reach the end.
But I’m Not a Reader
Steve and I often meet people who
say, “I’d love to read your book, but I’m not a reader.” To which we reply, “You
read social media all day long, so we’ve established you’re a reader.” In an
attempt to engage with you as the reader, we have written this easy-to-read
book that will feel much like you’re interacting with us on social media.
Every chapter is broken down into
smaller parts so you don’t have to feel overwhelmed by trying to read an entire
chapter in one sitting. Keep the book on your nightstand, read one or two
subsections at a time, and keep moving forward at a pace that works for you as
a couple. We know you’ll be glad if you do this.
Man to Man
Gentlemen, in each chapter the
section for husbands to read is printed in gray so you can’t miss it. And the
section is small so you can even take a picture of it with your phone and read
it on break at work.
From a Husband’s Perspective
Ladies, at the close of each
chapter, Steve has written a section for the wives called “From a Husband’s
Perspective.” As you read what he says, you will not only glean a man’s
perspective but also insights from
Steve’s many years as a pastor
and biblical marriage counselor. Women tell us their husbands are loving what
their wives are learning from this section. One husband said to his wife, “That
is exactly how I feel. I just never knew how to put it into
words.”
From a Wife’s Perspective
Following Steve’s man-to-man
discussion with husbands, Rhonda will jump in and give husbands a quick
insight from a wife’s perspective.
Thinking It Through and Living It Out
At the end of each chapter you will find
discussion questions that will prompt healthy conversations. These will allow
you as a couple to study and apply to your marriage the truths you’ve learned.
These questions also work well in a group setting should you
decide to lead or participate in a small group study through this book.
Marriage Mentor Videos (Free online)
Finally, at the end of each chapter you will
be prompted to visit www.RhondaStoppe.com/marriage-mentor
to watch a video of Steve and Rhonda discussing each chapter. The videos are
short, lighthearted, and fun. So pour yourself a cup of coffee and
settle in for a lively chat. You’ll feel like you’re hanging out with friends
as we walk you through the biblical principles for marriage outlined in each
chapter. The videos of Steve and Rhonda will also be a great
resource to show to a small group should you decide to facilitate one.
Now, if you are ready, let’s begin this
journey together. I expect we all will become great friends as we help you
build a marriage with no regrets—and share with you way too much information
about our personal lives.
Enter laughing emoji here—LOL.
Visit Rhonda Stoppe’s website www.NoRegretsWoman.com for more resources on love, marriage and parenting. She is also active on YouTube (Rhonda Stoppe No Regrets Woman), Facebook (RhondaStoppeNoRegretsWoman) and on Twitter (@RhondaStoppe).
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