The Soulmate Secret

Okay, this book really was low for me in terms of being useful.  I had to weed through so much New Age crap, that I just couldn't handle it that much.  I got to the point I just had to skim the last half of the book because each story seemed to have someone turning to a psychic to get their direction.  That is demonic and just plain yucky.  How can any reasonable person turn to a psychic? 

Yes, I'm glad all those people got connected to their soulmates.  There isn't anything that it talks about that is all that different, just different words are used.  She uses the idea of creating specific lists for your soulmate, as well as doing a vision board type thing.  Then, there is forgiveness of yourself and others.  Let go of the past so you can move forward.  A lot of common sense stuff wrapped up in New Age mumbo jumbo.

Don't waste your money.

Making Sense of Men

Making Sense of Men was a book I heard about on the WISH (Women's International Summit on Health) teleseminar series for 2011.  Allison Armstrong was one of the guest speakers and I really liked her.  I checked out her book from the public library and it's a very small, short book.  This was a very easy read, however, it had a lot of good information.

I love in chapter 2 where she says "Men Are Not Hairy Women".  I think often I still expect men to think like me, the woman, and they just do not.  It's frustrating, but God did not make men like women or vice versa.  He made each to be as He purposed. 

Though this is not a biblical book, she has the point biblically.  She says that getting men's attention is through our sexuality is through 4 things:  1)  Sexual Energy; 2) Sensuality; 3) Shapely Body; 4) Shiny Hair.  The response from men is to have sex.  She starts off with what many men and women already know.

Having just that in a relationship isn't enough because men when they get that sex, it just ends there sooner or later.  There's no depth to that.

Allison then talks about when a man is "Charmed & Enchanted", that he wants more from the woman than just a superficial sexual type thing.  These are the 4 characteristics of women that cause them to be "Charmed & Enchanted":  1)  Self-Confidence; 2) Authenticity; 3) Passion; 4) Receptivity.  This produces the response in men to want to A) Spend time with us; B) Take Care Of Us; C) Protect; D) Contribute To; E) Make Happy; F) Fall In Love With

She talks about women not short-changing themselves with focusing on the things that attract sexually, rather do the things that charm & enchant a man.  She also talks about women not giving up ourselves sexually in any relationship, rather in marriage only and staying faithful there.

Anyway, she expounds succinctly in each of those things listed and is well-worth the read.

Project Everlasting

Project Everlasting is a delightful book that was written by 2 bachelors, one of whom is engaged to be married.  I heard about Mat Boggs when I attended online the WISH (Women's International Summit on Health) teleseminars and found Boggs humorous, but wise.  I learned a number of things about men that I did not realize.

Since Boggs is a man, it is helpful to hear from a man, rather than a woman on men.  This wasn't a book on these are the things men like or do not like and this is how women are to appease men, rather, this book had so many stories of couples' whose marriages have worked and been long, and in many cases, until death do us part.

I felt connected to these couples and LOVE how the book was formatted.  Each couple that they shared their story touched me, minus maybe 1 couple.  I honestly don't know how many couples' stories they shared, but it was probably 3-5 dozen stories.  They weren't long stories, and they weren't all stories where both the man and wife totally got along all the time, rather they were stories of how they kept their marriages to be long lasting and to the point that they could not live without their spouse.

Often, I was in tears or just touched by the love of each couple.  Growing old wasn't a bad thing, but it was almost like a flower that maybe first starts it's budding early in their relationship and doesn't reach the peak of the blossom until one spouse dies. 

What an incredible 4+ yr project, but I also appreciate Jason and Mat's honesty that doing the project wasn't "blissful" nor easy.  Their candor was refreshing and I found it more impactful than a book of to do's, rather it was a book of selflessness (putting the other person above yourself), commitment and respect.  Those are the 3 words that I think made each marriage successful.  Each story had a picture of the couple, their names, and how long they were married at the time they got put in the book. 

Loved the book!