Beautiful Womanhood:
A Biblical, Practical Guide for Wives
Marriage is hard work! Have you ever longed for the wise counsel of an experienced married woman to ask those "But how?" and "What if?" questions about your marriage?
When author Sandy Ralya's marriage was in trouble, she would walk into church each Sunday morning desperate for help but not daring to ask for it--everyone else's marriage seemed so perfect. Her life appeared beautiful on the outside, but on the inside it was a mess. Over time, Sandy turned to God through reading the Bible and prayer and sought guidance from godly mentors and Christian counselors. What she learned transformed her life and then her marriage.
In Beautiful Womanhood: A Biblical, Practical Guide for Wives, Sandy passes on Biblical principles, practical tips, and inspiring stories from her life and others to guide and encourage any wife looking for God's best in her marriage. This book also serves as the curriculum for Beautiful Womanhood small groups led by marriage mentors. Beautiful Womanhood Mentor Edition is also available.
This is not just a marriage book. This is the starting point for honest dialogue among Christian women.
Book Synopsis
Chapter 1: Equipping for the Journey
Being a wife is not a one-size fits all kind of job. The first chapter of Beautiful Womanhood sets the stage for all you will learn about the wife's role by encouraging you to turn to God, understand your calling as an equal partner, friend, helper, and prayer warrior, and begin to share within a supportive community of women.
Chapter 2: Inviting Romance
Sandy shares a surprising truth: you can invite greater romance and intimacy into your marriage by making changes to the way you think, speak, and act. When you offer your husband increased trust, respect, appreciation, confidence, and vulnerability, you begin to create a marriage atmosphere that is ripe for romance and intimacy.
Chapter 3: Mystique of a Woman
"Why try so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?" Growing in your mystique (inner confidence) increases your peace and improves your relationship with your husband and others. You can build your inner confidence through an assurance of God's love, advancing in your passions, improving your appearance, and developing godly attitudes.
Chapter 4: Money
Are you sick of hearing about money because it is so stressful? Well, the truth is that there is a financial plan that leads to peace in your life and harmony in your marriage. In this chapter, you'll discover how adjusting your financial attitudes, recognizing God's ownership, and getting on the same financial page with your husband can bring the true financial freedom that comes from God.
Chapter 5: Self-Care
Think of a day when you could spend an hour getting ready for a date, relax with a good book after work, or take a bubble bath. Ahhhh. With the demands of having grown-up responsibilities and young children, it becomes increasingly important to practice physical, emotional, and spiritual self-care. Doing so provides peace, joy, and a sense of well-being, which in turn equips you to handle relationship challenges.
Chapter 6: Creating a Culture of Beauty
Beauty is energy creating. You can bless your husband, children, and all those who visit by creating beauty in your home. God has given you a unique expression of beauty, and your home can reflect your individuality even on a tight budget. You can also express the beauty of your spirit by pursuing peace, cultivating contentment, and being slow to anger as you focus your time and attention on your husband, children, and extending warm hospitality to others.
Chapter 7: Opening Lines of Communication
In a powerful story of a major communication breakdown in her own marriage, Sandy shares how to open lines of communication by being direct and kind, choosing the proper place and time, listening, and practicing intentional dialogue. Keeping lines of communication open takes practice and commitment, but the rewards of greater understanding are well worth it.
Chapter 8: Speaking Truth in Love
Are you struggling with your husband's sinful behavior? Sandy shares openly and candidly from her own painful experience and how she learned to speak truth in love. Before you speak to your husband about his behavior, two things are required: an honest examination of the truth about your behavior as well as your husband's, and a liberal application of love to your words.
Chapter 9: The Genuine Article
It is tempting to hide behind masks to keep others from seeing the real you, but the work to keep up the masquerade is exhausting, and it alters the true relationship that you could have with your husband and others. If you desire closer relationships, learn how God exposes the presence of masks and tenderly removes them. As the Genuine Article, you can enjoy more peace, freedom, and intimacy in your relationships.
Chapter 10: Sex
You have the power to change the way you think about sex by replacing old thoughts with new ones. Understanding God's purposes for sex, your husband's deep emotional need for sex, and how you view yourself as a sexual woman alters your thought life which in turn benefits your sex life. No matter what your past, God desires for sex in your marriage to be a blessing to both you and your husband.
Chapter 11: Professional Wife and Mother
A woman who chooses to become a wife and mother has embarked upon one of the most challenging and important careers there is with the opportunity to grow and be blessed in unexpected ways. As in any profession, you lay the groundwork for success by developing a strategic career plan, which includes talking to your boss (God), creating a vision and corresponding plan of action, getting an education, and listening to good mentors.
Chapter 12: Choosing God's Best
The world is quick to proclaim that you don't have to choose. "You can have it all!" The truth is, you can't have it all! You must choose what kind of marriage you want, or you choose by default. Learn how to choose God's best through humility and obedience.
today!