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Will of a Man & the Way of a Woman

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A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
Genesis 2:24 NLT

An invitation to harness the magnetic draw of your differences and blend better with your spouse in life and love.

Where there's a WILL, there's a WAY. . .While a man possesses a unique God-given motivational propensity for exercising  a strong will  in life, a woman conversely possesses a unique God-given propensity for discerning  the appropriate way  of life. Through ups and downs, these magnetic tensions have helped husband and wife writing team, Robert and Pamela Crosby, learn to  balance ,  bend,  and  blend  in their marriage--to appreciate the  balance  their differences bring, to  bend  more appropriately in response to each other, and to move toward a more joyous  blend  that can only emerge out of two quite different ways somehow turned into one.

Simply put, where there’s a WILL, there’s a WAY. 
 

256 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2016

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Robert Crosby

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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for Debbie Chatley.
569 reviews27 followers
November 21, 2016
Highly recommend this book no matter where you may be in your marriage, whether you are like two strangers living in the same house, or whether you truly believe your marriage is going great, or whether you are somewhere in between. I can guarantee, you will pick up practical advice to make your marriage better. I love the analogy that is used throughout the book that describes marriage as a dance, a dance that requires both dancers doing their part, always thinking of their partner, a dance where they have to blend their strengths and if done right, the dance will not be about either one of them individually but will be a beautiful picture on oneness.

The book starts off defining what is meant by the will of a man, way of a woman. And then unpacks that definition throughout the book with practical examples, stories, illustrations etc. And while initially I wasn’t sure I completely sure I understand, I found myself many times during the reading of the book, going okay now I see what they mean. So it is masterfully unfolded in real life situations. The authors beautifully opened their lives to us the reader and was willing to be vulnerable so that we the reader may see ourselves in these pages.

I have to share this quote from page 163, “The result of balancing and bending in marriage is a harmony of influence and legacy of love; this is the blending. The process includes times of appropriately asserting yourself and other times of graciously submitting yourself to you partner.” This quote includes the 3 b’s that is shared in this book for any marriage to be success and they are balance, bending, and blending. What a beautiful word picture when taken together.

The two key portions of the book that was most helpful to me in the area of marriage was the sections that spoke first directly to the woman and how she can bring out the best in her husband by understanding what he really wants out of marriage. What a husband truly wants includes: that he truly wants to make you happy but isn’t quite sure how to do that, that it is not so much what I say but how I say it, that he truly does desire romance but just doesn’t know how to get it started, and that he truly needs affirmation from his wife. On the flipside, the section speaking to husbands about what their wives truly want talks about: a wife’s three key desires of security, protection and intimacy and how a man can fulfill those desires with his need to provide, to guard and to be relationally engaged.

However, I also learned tips for dealing with those situations in life where I deal with disappointment by what they author called the Y factor where I choose joy by telling my emotions where to get off. I really liked the three checkpoints the author lists out: remember we have a choice and the choice is ours alone to make, making a ‘first thoughts’ kit and having it readily available to feed our mind positively, and learning what builds joy for me and being intentional about it. Likewise, I even picked up some parenting tips and ways I can open the soul of my children in: the time I take, the moments I make, the questions I ask, the insights I share, and the promises I keep.

So pick up a copy of this book, get out a highlighter and be prepared to be entertained and educated. As whether it is the tips on marriage, parenting, or life in general, the authors make these tips powerful with the real life stories that we can relate to as readers.

I do want to make a comment about the format of the book, it is setup so that it can be read and enjoyed as an individual reader while at the same time, the format is excellent for reading as a couple or even in a small group. Each chapter begins with a quote and I being a collector of quotes, really loved these quotes. Then the chapter digs into the meat of the topic at hand but then the chapter rounds out with a full page of discussion questions for just that chapter. These discussions questions would serve as good conversation starters for a couple reading this book together but would also be excellent discussion guides for small group study.
Profile Image for Kathleen E..
468 reviews
November 26, 2016
Saturday, November 26, 2016
The Will of a Man & the Way of a Woman: Balancing & Blending Better Together by Robert and Pamela Crosby, © 2016

Understanding ~ Teachability ~ Practice ~ EnJ*O*Y

Argue and defend self? I'm so busy. So many responsibilities and expectations on me!
Attack? What about you? Remember when you...? It drives me nuts whenever you...?
But none of these "lines" would ever restore anything.
--The Will of a Man & the Way of a Woman, 29.

Magnetic push and pull.

It seemed that just a few years earlier in our relationship all we could think or talk about were the things we had in common. Now the differences we saw and felt in our relationship were almost all we could see.
--Ibid., 30.

Robert and Pamela share their early marriage and unmet expectations ~ silent expectations, not voiced. Using their own experiences, they are able to walk through to change and what really works when we follow God's design and His Love instruction. Wholeness. Oneness. Grace. Communication––talk and listen––teamwork. Connection––a beautiful balance––flow.

This book would be good as a couple study to study together. It has reflective questions after each chapter. I would suggest husband and wife have their own book to highlight what stands out individually. There are memories shared by both Robert and Pamela from their viewpoints. Not a how-to, but a shared way.

The differences God exactly planned. His divine way ~ under His divine will.

Enjoy learning and applying skills that will enlighten and eliminate conflict unnecessary to come to a determination of going His way, individually: Jeremiah 29:11. Wonderful examples from God's Word.

God chose to call out their obedience and surrender to His will and His plan individually. In separate moments, He called out the will of a man and also drew out the way of a woman, uniting them to do His will His way.
--Ibid., 242.

***Thank you to Shiloh Run Press, an Imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., for sending a copy for review. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Profile Image for Connie Saunders.
1,838 reviews160 followers
November 13, 2016
Robert and Pamela Crosby have written a book that is helpful to both newlyweds and those who have been married a long time. They have used their own experiences and their own points of view to show that even though we are different than our spouse, it is possible to achieve a good marriage. It just takes our acceptance that we are different, a willingness to work together, and a mutual belief in God. It is when a married couple asks God for His help and guidance and then listens to Him that a good marriage is truly possible! God introduced the concept of marriage as "an earthly relationship designed to reflect a heavenly one" so we should allow him to oversee the union that he created! He will help us "balance, bend, and blend".

I found this book to be very enlightening. I appreciate that the authors have used scripture throughout to support their statements and also included discussion questions at the end of each chapter that should help readers deepen their understanding.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
1,888 reviews
November 24, 2016
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review. I have to say I was drawn to this book because of the title. It really intrigued me with the way men and women generally view the world differently. Robert and Pam Crosby do an excellent job of illustrating this fact. I feel this book would be good for anyone who is considering marriage right through those who have been married for a long time.

This book opens the reader's thoughts to differences in how men and women process information differently. This leads to conflicts between them in relationships. Plus, the differences almost act like magnets of opposite poles that repel one another. These conflicts can lead to real problems in marriage and know how to deal with them. I thoroughly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Jennifer Powell.
2 reviews
November 14, 2016
Robert and Pamela Crosby have written a beautiful book in the Will of a Man & the Way of a Woman. I enjoyed their personal stories of struggle in their marriage and how they sought to more deeply understand and know each other as well as references to research. This book so beautifully presents how the will and the way should be celebrated in men and women and used to complement each other in marriage. While this is not the best book I have read about marriage, it was informative and uplifting with sufficient reality checks throughout. Buy this book to further understand your husband / wife and open discussion with them to begin blending better together.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
6 reviews
November 11, 2016
I'm glad I got the chance to read The Will of a Man & The Way of a Woman. I recommend this book for young married couples and for those married for many years.
I enjoyed reading Robert and Pamela's different stories and life experiences throughout their marriage. Their book will help a husband and wife understand that with the beauty of balancing and blending together and with the help from God they will have a good marriage.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

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