84. Re-read Intimate Allies by Dan B. Allender and Tremper Longman

During my sophomore year of college, I took a class called Relationships. In that class, we read Intimate Allies by Allender and Longman. This book was excellent, but I must admit I just skim some of the chapters the first time around. Therefore, I wanted to read it again, making sure to pay full attention to all the wonderful advice this book has to offer. While the book is geared toward married couples, it is still insightful to learn from the wisdom of those who have already lived and worked through so many experiences. I found myself underlining a lot while I was reading, and I kept telling myself that I need to read this book again every year, especially after I, Lord willing, get married. Below I will list some of the quotes I found to be meaningful and thought provoking throughout the book.

• "Marriage is a paradigm of God's pursuit, passion, and purpose in creating and redeeming His people."
• "To view our spouses from the lens of glory is to be overwhelmed by the privilege of being face-to-face with a creature who mirrors God."
• "Men and women are to rule in order to serve, and we serve through sacrifice."
• "Christians who are married should have a vision for a life of ministry together."
• "A Christian marriage should be the framework for a bold movement to bring God's beauty and salvation to a dark world of chaos."
• "We are most resistant to trusting God with our money and time because both expose our deepest vulnerabilities and our core inability to manage our lives as we desire."
• "After our relationship to God, our marriage relationship must command our deepest commitment."

Read this book and be blessed and challenged.