Intimacy: A 100-Day Guide to Lasting Relationships

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to increase the level of intimacy in their marriage. The book has totally transformed my marriage and is bringing intimacy back where there was absolutely none previously. God is speaking through us in every chapter and teaching how to grow closer to each other and continue raising our own intimacy. The other thing I love about this book is that it’s not just information, but there are action steps and a plan so that you can actually work on improving your relationship practically. This book has revolutionized our marriage and I know that it can do the same for anyone else looking to improve their intimacy!

A Sex Agreement Contract is the perfect way for a husband to not be held accountable for loving, nurturing, and bringing goodness to his wife - that of him getting his sexual pleasure no matter how he treats his wife. It is that of imprisoning the wife. As Cliff & Joyce Penner write in their excellent books on marital sexuality, when a married couple is emotionally and mentally (I would add - spiritually as well) connected, physical and sexual intimacy will follow...the female and male bodies are designed in this way. /// Also, until the husband has done a THOROUGH Step 4 in the 12-Steps program (followed by a polygraph because no man/husband will confess ALL without knowing that it will be objectively verified) of his moral failures, including his sexual ones, he brings that repulsive crap to – and literally INTO – his wife during their shared sexual experience together, which her body-heart-spirit experience as repulsive, defiling, and traumatizing. One aspect of the psychological phenomena of projecting/transference/adult-to-adult induced. The husband also needs to study and learn from good resources on marital sexuality like Penner's books, about what MATURE marital sexual intimacy truly/actually is, otherwise he will just continue being sexual with her in the only way he knows how -> draining and depleting her, and very mainly only going after what brings HIM the greatest sexual intensity pleasure and not giving much care at all to what makes the experience a very positive one for HER, and this all works to deplete, drain, and traumatize her sexually, emotionally, and psychologically. (And then so many married men WONDER WHY their wife does not want to be sexual with him?!) The husband also needs to learn that the only HEALTHY purpose of being sexual is to EXPRESS LOVE to his wife. It is NOT for the purpose of merely seeking his own intensity sexual pleasure, NOR that of filling his emotional or spiritual needs/voids (including that of helping him to cope with life, to manage his stress, anger, and sadness in his life) – he needs to work diligently on his own to meet those needs and in maturing in his emotional life and spiritual life, and not look to draining and using his wife sexually in order to medicate these areas. ///The wife would also greatly benefit by having done a written 12 Step - it is a very healing process.

Fantastic read. A big blessing to our marriage.

I think this book should be read by every couple considering marriage while they are open to learning how to love. If they understand these principals and practice them they'll have no need for a book like this later when they have unknowingly become clueless, discouraged and disconnected thinking that it's their mate has failed in intimacy and wonder if it's possible with another. I made all the mistakes the first time. If I ever get married again, I'll know better. I know too many couple that are committed to living a life of resignation to far less than God's intention for them or that walk away not even knowing what it is they are looking for.

This book is a great resource for any couple wanting to draw closer. It is full of practical tips and helpful tools. So after you read a chapter there are questions to answer and steps to take. You won't just read it and forget if you implement the 100 day exercises. Great resource.

I got this book with his Sex, Men, and God book that I'm going to write a more thorough review of. Overall, I didn't get much out of this book because several chapters are almost exact copies from Sex, Men, and God, and other material is put too simply.His exercises on flossing away relational plague were alright for forgiving your partner. His chapter on sexuality is against premarital sex, because he assumes every guy was like he was, a player who got women. He totally neglects the "nice guy" whose wife doesn't respect them anymore, despite them doing all the nice things.In his chapter on money matters, I like how he spoke about different "governments" in a household, like a theocracy, a monarchy, etc. It's nice for awareness. But the way he describes debt and budgeting and investing is TOO simple, since he's not a financial person. He also says to elect a money manager in the house, who is burdened with the responsibility of debt -- not so for those of us that have done well. If you and your spouse need financial help, I'd suggest Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People by Jane Bryant Quinn, and to get you both on the same page, Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach (also kind of simple in certain areas though).His chapter on is your marriage based on emotion is good, but for the most part, is a copy of what he wrote in the Sex, Men, God book. The three a day is also from that book.Doug Weiss has some really good material in his books, but he comes off as trying to promote himself too much based on his own experience and books and being on televsion. In his books, you'll mostly find referrals to his own books, and he rarely cites his research. This is suprising since he holds a PhD, though I can't figure out where from.If you're a guy having problems, the first book I'd take a look at is No More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert Glover. When it comes to sexual issues, I recommend Sheet Music by Kevin LeMan, after No More Mr. Nice Guy. For financial, I recommended the books above. If it is just about getting along, I suggest looking at DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley or Recieving Love by Harville Hendrix and his wife. What I like about all these books is they address our core fears in our brain that affect our relationships.

Good book

If a car is not working perfectly, the first thing to do is read the manual.This book is the practical application owners manual for a great marriage. MORE IMPORTANTLY - the manual tells us what regular maintenance needs to be done on our car. This book explains what regular maintenance is on a marriage. If there is a non working part, you will know how to fix it! A must read excellent companion books are Stormie Omartian's award winning book The Power of a Praying Husband, and The Power of a Praying Wife. Also, see Mark Gungor's website. If there are really serious challenges, read Can My Marriage Be Saved? by Mae Chambers - Real life stories of tragic marriages that looked destined for divorce - but ended in healing, hope, and restoration! These are the MUST HAVE maintenance and fix it tools for every marriage. You can have a marriage better than you ever dreamed! Go for it! Breathe new life, hope, and passion into those sparks and reignite the fire!

This author speaks clearly and from the heart. I appreciated the stories and the specific actions suggested to help achieve the intimacy most of us struggle for. A worthy read.