Thursday, February 4, 2016

Marriage on the Mend: Healing Your Marriage After Crisis, Separation, or Divorce By Clint and Penny Bragg

I received this book from Kregel Publications for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.


Book Description:

"Every broken marriage has the hope of becoming a saved marriage."
Approximately fifty percent of the couples who sign a marriage license will also sign on the dotted line of a divorce document. In order to turn the tide of this stark statistic, couples who have considered or experienced separation or divorce must be given real tools to reconcile, restore, and rebuild their relationships. "Marriage on the Mend" provides these tools for couples in crisis.
Clint and Penny Bragg know what it means to be that couple. After being divorced for eleven years and living 3,000 miles from each other, they were remarried--but the difficult work of restoration continued long after that second ceremony. The Braggs know that couples who reconcile face a unique set of challenges, including unresolved arguments, poor communication habits, unforgiveness, and betrayed trust. Biblically based materials are required to walk through this treacherous territory toward full healing and restoration.
This practical, realistic book identifies roadblocks that may stall relationship progress, recommends ideas to deepen intimacy, offers solutions to effectively handle past hurts and conflicts, and applies Scripture to every aspect of the process in order to proactively stabilize and safeguard the marriage. At the end of each chapter, the Braggs include a prayer for couples to share to help facilitate healing.
The one thing all broken relationships have in common is that true healing takes time. Using the framework of Nehemiah's effort to restore Jerusalem's walls following the Israelite's exile and captivity, "Marriage on the Mend" provides a clear framework for the restoration of relationships.


My Thoughts: 

Marriage on the Mend: Healing Your Marriage After Crisis, Separation, or Divorce is the first book by Clint and Penny Bragg I have had the pleasure of reading and it is a fantastic book. When I read about this book and the authors, I felt drawn to it. I have been married for 20 years and we have had our ups and downs and we are in a down season so I was very interested in this book.  Clint and Penny Bragg write with authority about all aspects of marriage: the good, the not so good, and the not so pretty. The first thing that struck me as I read, was their total transparency and openness to their readers. What struck me next is that is NOT a how to book.  The Braggs didn't have a magic equation to fix their marriage, they give the readers a framework right from The Bible using Nehemiah's story in his efforts to restore Jerusalem's walls after the Israelite's exile and captivity and also other Scripture to help readers understand.   This book doesn't stop at getting back together. They make it clear that the work doesn't stop, actually most of the work begins after reconciling. Marriage is something that needs constant tending.   I could feel the Bragg's hearts and souls in their writing and their willingness to bring the readers into their private world showing that no one's marriage is perfect. Even though we may not have the same issues this book really grabbed a hold of me and held on long after the last page.  This is one of those books that will stay with me for a very long time as we work on our marriage and it is one of a few books I will be reading again to learn about things that I probably missed in the first read.  This book really brings a lot of emotions out as you read. I found myself laughing in some parts and crying in others, seeing where I have work to do. Clint and Penny Bragg are fantastic writers and I am so thankful for their book.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is married, no matter what season, it really is relevant. I am excited to read more from The Braggs. I give this book 5+ STARS.

***I apologize to Clint and Penny Bragg and Kregel Publications for the lateness of this review.***

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