About the book:
The Beautiful Wife
by Sandy Ralya
Source: I received a free copy of the book, prayer journal, and mentor’s guide for participation in this blog tour.
The Beautiful Wife uses these inspiring stories along with biblical principles to guide and encourage any wife looking for God’s best in her marriage. The Beautiful Wife answers serious questions women have about their roles as wives. Discussing everything from romance and money to beauty, communication, and sex, Sandy challenges women to open up and share their journeys so that together they can see God’s plan for their marriages. “It is my passion to help women discover God’s heart for their marriage, just as the other women helped me,” writes Sandy. “When women share with each other the details of their journeys with God as wives, it’s a beautiful thing indeed.” The Beautiful Wife has two companion resources - Prayer Journal and Mentor’s Guide.
My Thoughts:
I’ll be up front with you. I haven’t finished the book yet. But I am absolutely loving it! It’s one where you need to read it slowly, savoring each morsel and incorporating the Prayer Journal for a fully in-depth experience. The Prayer Journal offers guided journaling, scripture references, places to record prayers for yourself and your husband (and to record when they are answered!), and more. The book is set up for either an individual or small group experience. I am currently just reading it on my own, but I am getting so much out of it. I would definitely recommend it for a small group of women to study together. It will help you think through God’s plan for you and your spouse, even if you have those “but how” and “what if” questions! Sandy is honest about her own marriage which is refreshing and helped me to connect with her on a more personal level. It made the book more real to me and didn’t feel like someone preaching at me; rather, I felt like this is someone who has been through some tough times and who I can relate to. I truly respect her for her transparency. The book is very conversational in tone and quite easy to read. It feels like you are having coffee with a friend. I can’t wait to get back and dig in some more!
The optional Mentor’s Guide will also show women’s ministry leaders how to start a Beautiful Womanhood small group in their church and how to prepare to lead the small group discussions each week. There is also discussion on the basics of mentoring, such as confidentiality, the nuts and bolts of meeting in your home, dealing with potential problems, as well as a hostess guide on creating a welcoming atmosphere for your fellow small group members. A week-by-week Leader’s Guide gives instruction on what to do before and during the meeting, including prayer, accountability, recap, points to emphasize, loving God’s Word, and first steps for next time. The Mentor’s Guide is a great resource, especially for someone who may be new to mentoring and needs something to grab onto to feel more confident in their new role. Experienced mentors may find some good nuggets within these pages as well.
Sandy Ralya is the founder and director of Beautiful Womanhood, a marriage mentoring ministry based near Grand Rapids, Mich. Her marriage testimony was the focus of a popular three-day interview on FamilyLife Today, TV’s Walking by Faith, and Time Out for Women. Sandy is a sought-after speaker, presenting BeautifulWomanhood seminars to hundreds of women each year at MOPS groups, women’s retreats, and church leadership conferences across the country and in Canada. Sandy and her husband Tom have been married since 1980, and have a growing number of grandchildren. www.beautifulwomanhood.com
Celebrate with Sandy by entering her Kindle Touch Giveaway and coming to her “Beautiful Womanhood” Facebook Party {3/8}!
One beautiful winner will receive:
- A Brand new Kindle Touch with Wi-Fi
- The Beautiful Wife By Sandy Ralya
- The Beautiful Wife Prayer Journal and Mentor’s Guide
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/7/12. Winner will be announced at Sandy’s “Beautiful Womanhood” Facebook Party on 3/8. Sandy will be hosting an evening of chat, laughter and encouragement – bring your friends! She’ll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, prayer journals and a live chat with Sandy for your Bible study or small group!
So grab your copy of The Beautiful Wife and join Sandy and friends on the evening of March 8th for an evening of fun.
Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 8th!
