Messy, Beautiful Love {Hope for Your Marriage} + Giveaway

Marriage…a beautiful gift from God!! Someone to share your life with, your best friend, your soulmate.

Marriage can be absolutely amazing. It can fill you with such joy and satisfaction. Or can be the deepest pain you feel and leave you feeling a lonely like you have never felt.

We have all been there….on both ends of the spectrum. And we know which end we would rather be on all the time.

But life has a way of dragging you down and pulling you apart. It is a fight to stay on the brighter, happier side of marriage. We go through deep valleys and heart wrenching pain. Each time we go through something difficult, it can either bring us closer together or pull us farther from the one who knows our heart like no other.

We all could use some hope for our marriages that we want to grow stronger in this crazy, messed up world.

 

I received this wonderful gift of hope in this brand new book and lovely journal from one of my favorite authors and bloggers, Darlene Schacht.

You may know her best from her blog, Time Warp Wife and the beautiful, encouraging pictures on her Facebook page. You may also remember that she co-authored with Candace Cameron Bure called Reshaping It All.  I met Darlene at Allume Conference a couple of years ago and count her as a friend. She is a very encouraging woman and has a heart for marriage. I am so excited about her new book and know you will love it!  {Keep reading for a chance to win a copy!!}

 What is her new book about?

Messy Beautiful Love delivers an incredible testimony of grace that offers hope for today’s marriages and a spark for rekindling love.

Love gets messy.

Financial problems, sickness, aging parents, a chronically unhappy spouse . . . trials will inevitably come that threaten your marriage. No matter how long you’ve been married or how strong your relationship is, sooner or later you are going to have a mess to clean up is about cleaning up messes God’s way, exchanging your ideas for His, and being prepared for both the best and the worst that marriage has to offer.

When you surrender your relationship to God, then and only then will you experience the blessing of marriage as He intended. This is the blessing of obedience.

Messy Beautiful Love is an invitation to that obedience. The cynical world says marriages don’t last, but God knows better. Tune out the world and tune in to Him. When you do that, a beautiful marriage is not only possible, it’s inevitable.

 

Here is what Darlene has to say about her new book…

Why did you write Messy Beautiful Love and what do you hope it accomplishes?

I wrote it to encourage women in their marriages, and to remind them that they’re not alone on this journey. We all struggle in this life, and if we haven’t yet it’s inevitable that we will. That’s why it’s imperative that we equip ourselves by studying the gospel and keeping our marriage in prayer. Love is a beautiful thing, but the reality is that life is messy at times. When we live out our roles in marriage as God ordained them to be we discover joy and peace unlike anything else.

 

How is Messy Beautiful Love different from other books on marriage and relationships?

Because I’ve been through a lot in my own marriage, I understand the importance of grace and forgiveness. I offer hope to women where hope would be otherwise lost. Can a broken marriage be repaired? Can a stale relationship be revived? Messy Beautiful Love answers those questions with a resounding “Yes!”

 

Why is this book important and relevant in today’s culture?

What we’re seeing too often is a society that’s tossing marriage aside. This world is cynical when it comes to marriage, believing most won’t last. And those that do last? Well, surely one spouse or the other must be a miserable soul. That’s what we tend to see when we look at the standard this world has to offer.

God’s standard, on the other hand, is rich. He offers abundant life to those who are exercised by faith. We serve a God who’s the same yesterday, today and forever. The beauty of the marriage covenant hasn’t changed over time—our view of it has. Those who give up too soon are missing out on the blessings that come with staying the course.

 

What is the main piece of advice you would give women in today’s world, who want to approach their marriage differently?

Women in today’s world are exposed to temptation on a constant basis. The Internet is a way of life for most people.

Our ancestors never experienced anything remotely close to what we are living with today. The outside world—along with its opinions, temptations, and distractions—has made its way into our homes.

I can’t tell you the number of times that women have confided in me about the struggles they’re facing online. It can mess with your mind when a seemingly perfect man (and I do mean seemingly) is paying attention to you, or waiting to chat.

We need to be on guard more than ever before, protecting our thoughts, our children, our faith, and our marriages.

 

Who do you think will benefit most from Messy Beautiful Love, and why?

Women who are seeking more for their marriage will benefit most from my book. More than a story or simply feel-good information, Messy Beautiful Love challenges women to grow in love by putting Christ at the center of marriage.

I’m a cracked vessel held together by grace, whose deepest desire is to encourage you in your marriage. I don’t have it all figured out, and I doubt that I ever will, but I’m learning to lean on the One who does. I’m learning that when I follow His wisdom in lieu of my own, I’m walking in peace, and that peace floods into my marriage. 

 

Your book is called, Messy Beautiful Love. Can you tell us why you chose that name?

We all have expectations when we’re stepping into marriage. And if you’re like most women, those expectations are high, but the reality is that life gets messy. Whether it’s financial problems, sickness, aging parents, or an unhappy spouse, sooner or later we’ll have a mess to clean up.

But when we surrender our relationship to God in obedience to His will, we experience the blessings of marriage as He intended.  That’s a beautiful thing.

 

Darlene is hosting 31 Days of Prayer for Our Marriages on her blog. You can catch up and follow along here.

If you are following Darlene on Social Media, you will want to do that! Here’s how:

• Time Warp Wife on Facebook
• Time Warp Wife on Twitter
• Time Warp Wife on Pinterest

 

Don’t want to wait?

Get the book on Kindle or in paperback.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Join us for 31 Days of Hope, Health and Happiness!