Book Giveaway: Staying Power: Building a Stronger Marriage When Life Sends Its Worst

There are many books on marriage (Larry and I even wrote one!) but this new book by Carol & Gene Kent and David & Cindy Lambert is unique yet important for every couple.

Staying Power offers hope and help especially for couples going through very difficult circumstances that require special TLC. Yet at the same time, it offers wisdom every couple will appreciate. But if you are looking for more than the usual “how to do marriage” book, then this is it. And I’m so grateful I can alert you to it with a book giveaway of …. drum roll…

 5, yes FIVE, winners! So be sure to follow the instructions below for entering the drawing. UPDATE: the winners are: Kelli Lawson, Janet Powel, Donna Holder, Denise Smith, and Amy. Congratulations to you. I will email you.

I personally love to look at a book’s Table of Contents. Here it is for Staying Power:

Table of Contents

  1. We’re in This Together … or Not
  2. Make the Next Right Choice
  3. Anger is Not the Enemy
  4. Forgive Freely
  5. The Right Word at the Right Time
  6. An Articulate Silence
  7. The Power of Serving while Suffering
  8. Divine Surprises
  9. Say Yes to Guilt-Free Time-Outs
  10. Never Give Up
  11. Kissing the Scars
  12. The Strength of Weakness

And here’s an excerpt from Chapter 7 which really touched me and emphasized how healing in the midst of trauma can come from serving others.

Yes sometimes we have to arrive at a certain point of healing and that’s fine. But once we reach that, we can be healed more deeply reaching out to others. (By the way, Carol and Gene Kent’s son, J.P. is in prison serving a life sentence for murder).

Carol writes, “For a while, my own grief over the incarceration of my son kept me self-focused. My thoughts swirled around fear of the future; I stressed over trying to make sure my son was safe, and I was anxious about what others might think of our family. Eventually, an important change took place, and I remember just when.

We were standing in line with other families waiting to go through security at the prison. We spoke to those around us and met lonely wives and children who had been separated from their husbands and fathers due to incarceration. We met inmates who needed Bible studies and reading material. We noticed that the visitation room was short on items that children could use to do activities with their incarcerated parent during their visits.

Gene and I launched the nonprofit organization Speak Up for Hope (www.SpeakUpForHope.org), which benefits inmates and their families. Friends of this ministry donate thousands of dollars each year so we can provide inmates with excellent reading material, postage, electronic tablets, care packages, and greeting cards to send to their family members. … (Carol and Gene share the many other ways this ministry helps).

Then Carol continues:

The following weekend we were standing in line at the prison, waiting to get through security. A new guideline had been put in place for the visitation area: Women were no longer allowed to wear sleeveless shirts or blouses. I looked up and noticed that a woman who had already waited for over two hours to make it to the front of the line had been turned away–she was wearing a sleeve-less blouse. She was sobbing.

I suddenly realized that Gene was no longer standing next to me. I looked around and spotted him in the parking lot, apparently returning from our car. He was carrying a black T-shirt. … He approached the woman and said, “Here, put this on and go back to the front of the line. It’s my gift to you today. Have a wonderful visit with your family.”

He returned to my side in the line. I said, “So that’s what’s been happening to your T-shirts!”

He smiled and said, “It’s my ministry.”

Ever since the day I found out about Gene’s T-shirt ministry, we’ve been working together to pass them out to visitors who need them in order to pass inspection.

The more we continue to serve others together, the less we focus on our own loss. As we invest in the lives of others, God doubles our joy.” TWEET THAT!

Thank you, Carol, for including in your book such a powerful story of God’s empowerment for dealing with the challenges facing marriage. All of us are hurting in our marriages in ways either big or small. And thinking of others can bring joy and healing. Carol and Gene, along with David and Cindy, share many other stories and very significant practical, biblical ideas for persisting in marriage even when storms hit us. And every marriage faces them!

I know you want to be one of the 5 winners for this drawing. Just make a comment on this post on my blog and I’ll enter you into the drawing. Only US addresses can win, I’m sorry. I will draw the winners on Monday evening, April 20th. UpDATE: winners chosen and mentioned above.

Read the first chapter of Staying Power (Click here)

Here is more information about the authors:

Carol and Gene Kent are the founders of Speak Up Ministries, which includes Speak Up Speaker Services, a Christian speakers’ bureau; Speak Up Conferences, equipping the next generation of speakers and writers; and Speak Up for Hope, a nonprofit organization that benefits inmates and their families. Carol has authored more than twenty books, and Gene serves as chief operating officer of their ministries. They are both fans of tracking down the best cup of coffee in every city they visit, and their favorite activity is watching sunsets together.
Cindy and David Lambert have been influencing the Christian publishing world for decades, both as editors and as authors, having authored more than twenty books between them. They have six children and nine grandchildren and love to launch their kayaks together from the dock in front of their log cabin in Michigan.