WHERE IS GOD WHEN IT HURTS?, Philip Yancey   BUY NOW! Where is God when it hurts? Why is there pain and suffering in this world? How can a good God allow bad things to happen? Where is God when it won't stop hurting? These are just a few of the questions that are addressed by noted author Philip Yancey in the book Where is God When it Hurts? Yancey originally wrote this book in 1977 and then revised at 15 years later. The original and revision are the outpouring of his lifelong exploration of the problem of pain. Yancey is also the author of other well-known and beloved books such as The Jesus I Never Knew and What's so Amazing About Grace? The book is broken into three main sections that address particular aspects of the problem of pain. The three main topics addressed were the role of pain in life, God's view, and how can we respond. » Read full review Dr. Brett Sparks, Licensed Psychologist, Certified Intensive Lead Therapist, National Institute of Marriage   FROM BONDAGE TO BONDING, Nancy Groom Have you ever felt like your relationships are draining more than life giving? Do you feel as if what ever you do in relationships, it is never enough? Do you experience an ongoing level of self-doubt or anxiety as you consider your most important relationships? What happens when other are not happy with you, do you get busy to convince them otherwise? Does it feel like others are controlling your life but you've been told that you're controlling? If so, you might be struglling with co-dependency and From Bondage to Bonding could be a great resource for you.  Nancy Groom does a thorough job with describing what co-dependency is, how it originated and why it becomes an entrenched style of relating to others.   She challenges the reader to consider how co-dependency has robbed one of the beauty and freedom to acknowledge longings, opportunities to grieve, be spontaneous, experience grace, surrender, forgive and be vulnerable.  The content of her writings are rich because she weaves in a solid biblical perspective as well as her story of healing. » Read full review Chris Arnzen, LPC, MA, Director of Training and Professional Development, National Institute of Marriage THE DNA OF RELATIONSHIPS FOR COUPLES, Dr. Robert S. Paul and Dr. Greg Smalley BUY NOW! On behalf of the National Institute of Marriage, I am excited and proud to announce the availability of our newest book, The DNA of Relationships for Couples.  Building on the basic principles found in, The DNA of Relationships, Dr. Greg Smalley and I set out to write a book unique to the world of relationship books.  We designed this book to accomplish two things.  First, we wanted it to appeal to people who love to read books on relationships, but also to people who might never even consider buying or reading such a book.  Secondly, we wanted to write a book that brought the readers into a real-to-life story rather than just present lots of concepts and an occasional illustration.  We have consistently found that no matter how well we present our material in book form, people have a significantly easier time understanding the concepts when they learn them in relation to the story of someone’s life, especially their own.  We are excited to say that we feel we have accomplished both and have written a book that can help couples who are struggling in their marriage and couples with a good or great marriage that want it even better.   The DNA of Relationships for Couples walks you through one of our Couples Intensives with Greg and I guiding you and our four couples through an amazing journey of hope and transformation.  You’ll witness these four couples experience relational breakthroughs that we are privileged to see occurring everyday as their marriages are changed from ones of struggle, disappointment, and pain to marriages they are all thrilled with.  » Read full review   Dr. Robert S. Paul, Co-President, National Institute of Marriage   WHEN TWO BECOME ONE - ENHANCING SEXUAL INTIMACY IN MARRIAGE, Christopher and Rachel McClusky             BUY NOW! When Two Become One, by Christopher and Rachel McClusky, is one of the best books I've read on sexuality in marriage. It is biblically based, and specifically addresses how to transform sex into a lovemaking experience. McClusky describes, in detail, the lovemaking cycle, and gets specific about the physical aspects of the sexual experience, but also addresses the emotional component in detail.  And though the book does have some technicl explanations, it is most definitely not boring. It is an easy read, and is chalk full of stories of couples that have struggled in their sexual experiences. McClusky gives very practical suggestions that address how to overcome the struggles many couples face, and how to enhance sexual intimacy. There are questions at the end of the chapters that a husband and wife can ask one another to facilitate conversation around their own feelings and thoughts of sex. If a couple is committed to talking about the questions at the end of each chapter, they will most likely talk about things they've never discussed before. What I appreciate most about the book is the way Christopher and Rachel McClusky answer the tough questions they are frequently asked by men and women. The answers are honest and direct, and are from a Godly perspective. I would highly recommend this book to pre-marital couples, married couples seeking to enhance their love life, as well as pastors and counselors who work with couples. Tricia Cunningham, MA, LPC, Intensive Therapist and Director of Support Resources, National Institute of Marriage UNFAITHFUL, Gary and Mona Shriver Unfaithful is the true story of a Christian couple whose seemingly good marriage was traumatized by infidelity.  Gary and Mona Shriver write the book together, and each give a very honest description of their relationship before, during, and after Gary’s affair.  This book could be a lifeline for couples who are attempting to recover from the impact of infidelity, and are wanting to know the story of another couple who has gone through it, as well as what they can expect the journey toward reconciliation to be like.  The authors do more than tell their story.  They describe, in detail, what it was like for each of them as they moved through the stages of forgiveness and healing.  They also make many suggestions to those who are facing similar circumstances.  Though the authors are not professional counselors, they do share many of the insights gained from their own marriage counseling. Though the book has so much to offer couples in this kind of crisis, there is a section of the book that could cause some to struggle.   It is the section where the authors speak to both the unfaithful spouse as well as the one betrayed, and recommend that both acknowledge their part in the breakdown of the relationship prior to the affair.  They do state that the infidel is 100% responsible for the affair, but suggest that both husband and wife play a part in the breakdown of the relationship prior to the affair.   And though this can be true, it is not always the case, as there are also marriages where a person’s choice to have an affair has nothing to do with the spouse, and has everything to do with a breakdown in his or her personal life.  There also didn’t appear to be much written in the area of understanding the internal issues that contributed to Gary’s affair.  But overall, the amount of self-disclosure on the part of both husband and wife is commendable and will undoubtedly benefit readers.  The book inspires hope that, despite the devastating pain of adultery, recovery is possible.  However, because of the delicate nature of the recovery process after infidelity, it is recommended that the book only be used to supplement, not substitute, counseling with a pastor or counselor.  Tricia Cunningham, MA, LPC, Intensive Therapist and Director of Support Resources, National Institute of Marriage