junkmail for blankets

Jeremy, are you talking about "As For Me and My House"? My soon to be fiance and I are getting ready to read it together. Out of all the books we looked into, that was the only one that stood out. That and Sember recommended it a very long time ago and her tastes play a part with this action. Do you know how hard it is to find this book, used! I can't.

paul gives the wangerin book to all the couples he counsels. mmmmm...walt.

very nice post. the silent confession time is too short for me as well. it takes me the whole time to come up with something to confess, which only magnifies my need to confess--starting with my self-righteousness--and then time is up.

this is why i so love the idea of the spirit interceding "with groans that words cannot express."

and maybe this is silly, but i have the same problem, and i've been writing out prayers, making myself not cross any words out. it helps me to see stuff on paper. sins can look a lot uglier when they're spelled out like that (and grace can seem sweeter, too).

I rarely do it when I pray out loud, but I almost always start out prayers in my head with "Dear God..." It doesn't seem silly to me--it seems personal.

The Wangerin book is on my top 5 list from seminary, and the idea you reference is the one that has penetrated me and my marriage. I don't recommend any other books on marriage, and I don't use any other book when counseling engaged couples.

My prayer problem is that my words are so precise that they become nothing more than platitudes--that and the fact that I don't pray much when I'm alone.

Brian, yes, that's the one. I think, perhaps, I forced Denis or Margie to read it about 5 years ago, so it's possible that they passed it on down to Sember, and, thus, to you. That would be delicious.

Em, I remember when I visited Valparaiso years ago that I was tempted to sneak out and try to stalk Walt.

Amys, I think I should take a cue from you. Perhaps that would help.

Nick, I didn't mean to imply that "Dear" is normatively silly--it was more an implication of my own childishness.

Rob, I first read the book after a discussion with Dr. Calhoun 6 years ago, so even though I didn't read it for a class, it was one of my top 5 from seminary, as well.

Yes, you made us read it.
I used to be so profoundly ashamed of how I talked to God. I never got it right, never seemed able to address him in the way he deserved. (though I never, EVER say "we just pray that") So you see what I mean? I decided it was okay if all I could do was feel misery as I looked at myself, say Dear God a lot of times and receive pardon. Who can pray to GOD, anyway? It makes me so grateful.

sometimes, i just say, "hey God," (especially somewhere on highway 25). Sometimes, i say, "uh, this isn't coming out like i mean, but Jesus knows, and he'll tell you and say it right."
and sometimes, i just say, "goodnight, God."

Know what I love? Even when we're not verbally precise, it's not as though God doesn't know what we mean anyway. That's the great thing about God being our Father--when you're a small kid and you're talking to your dad, you don't always have to be exact. He'll just know what you mean.

emily jane, Manders, exactly. Thank you.

Brian, a good site to find use books is www.addall.com, as it searches many used book sites at once. As of yesterday there were several copies available at pretty reasonable prices.

Apologies for getting commercial on the blog, Jeremy. I simply had no other way to contact Brian.

i talk to god like i would talk to my best friend... which means that sometimes i call him dude. and sometimes i laugh my butt off at something funny he just did, and sometimes i say "thank you. you're amazing."

and sometimes i can't find the words for what a jerk i've been, so i just say, "pleasehelpi'mdyingwithoutyou."

Really, both husband and wife are guilty of bringing the present-cultural view of life and love into the bedroom! It's stuck in our subconsious; we can't help it. At the same time, we can at least admit we do it (follow cultural idea-trends) and either repent or embrace it with gusto.

On the matter of reading pre-Marriage books, I don't see how you could be content with reading and recommending just One, as if it were 2nd only to the Bible on the subject. We need the variety of many men's views if only to recognise, after all, their similarities.

Kelly, yes, of course, sin is hardly ever unilateral. This is just a brief snippet of a look at one side. And it's possible that I miscommunicated; I've read handsfull of books on the subject of marriage, so I'm neither recommending just this one nor would be content to do so were I asked for a recommendation. I mentioned the book only because it's responsible for the specific point I was making and I didn't want to be accused of plagiarism.