Thoughts on "Five Essentials for Lifelong Intimacy"

I love learning ways to draw closer to my husband and building our marriage stronger. So when I came across this book called  "5 essentials for lifelong intimacy"by Dr James Dobson I was very eager to read it. So much so that I finished all 117 pages in one evening between feedings and diaper changes. 

One thing I like about this book is that after each chapter Dr. Dobson leaves practical tips for applying one of the essentials to your marriage. 

 For example the first essential is having a Christ-Centered Home. According to the book "The one thing most likely to guarantee a lifetime of intimacy and love is to establish and maintain a Christ centered home" The application point would than be to pray together as a couple because it produces greater intimacy and communication. 

For me this is a challenge because I usually do not like to pray out loud

In front of anyone. To pray with my spouse definitely requires me to open up and be vulnerable with him while speaking with our Heavenly Father. But after we pray I do feel closer to my husband and there is a sense of greater intimacy and communication.

 I don't want to give away all the essentials because I want you to read the book but my second favorite essential is to have a Deep and Abiding Trust in your marriage. How you and your spouse interact with the opposite sex has a major impact on how much you will trust each other. If you are a woman do you protect your marriage by not being in the same room alone with another man? If you are a man do you watch how you hug or embrace a women who is not your wife? These few practical tools and many more in the book can help build trust between you and your spouse. 

I have to brag on my husband here for a minute because one thing I've noticed about him is how he greets other women. He barely touches them. Maybe a wave, a fast hand shake, and if they are lucky maybe a quick side hug. I really appreciate this effort on my husbands part to guard our marriage from an affair. You may not think that something as small as how you say hello to someone can make an impact on you trusting your spouse ,but it does. It is the difference between guarding your relationship or leaving it open for an  emotional or physical affair.

I definitely recommend reading the "Five Essentials for lifelong Intimacy". It is a fast read which is nice for busy couples. But don't let it's size fool you, the book is packed full of practical tips that can really help your marriage have lifelong intimacy. 

Happy Reading :)