Sweet friends, it is finally Friday. Coming to you with this book review (that rhymes) from my king-sized bed where I am being a lazy girl. My Prince and I are both off today and need to get around but we are savoring a few extra minutes under the covers this morning.
I want to share a book with you that I am currently reading. 52 Uncommon Dates: A Couple’s Adventure Guide for Praying, Playing, and Staying Together by Randy E Southern, with an introduction by Gary D. Chapman.
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Many moons and posts ago, I wrote about The 5 Love Languages by Gary D. Chapman, a book I was first introduced to in a Sunday school lesson.
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If you aren’t familiar with it, you might want to read that brief post here. The premise of Chapman’s book is that we all have a preferential love language through which we best receive and perceive love. Chapman has identified five love languages: words of affirmation, acts of service. receiving gifts, quality time and physical touch. Using a short survey available here, you can determine your language and the language of those you love most in order to better love them.
I had originally planned to write more about the 5 love languages in a series but that didn’t happen…YET! Now that I am reading 52 Uncommon Dates, I hope to share some of the dates my PC and I try out after we give them a-go. So this book review is going to stretch over several posts.
My love language has changed over the years, which I find kind of interesting. I think the change has come as a result of maturing (getting old ungracefully) and the evolution of my marriage to my Prince. And maybe just a change in what is most important to me at this stage in my life.
At the time that I wrote my first blog post on the 5 love languages, my results were:
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and PC’s was
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When those differences in our love languages go unrecognized, it makes for a marriage where one of us is speaking Spanish and Portuguese and the other is speaking German.
So, Chapman’s book has made me more aware and encouraged me to be more conscientious of how PC receives love.
Now, as I read 52 Uncommon Dates, I am learning how to plan dates that vary from the dinner and movie standard.
Each date is presented by Southern in its own chapter. Each chapter has a half dozen sections that completely layout the suggested date.
The author begins each chapter with “Words to Grow On”, Biblical verse that relates to the following date. In “Set the Scene”, Southern explains that in shaking up our dates we should “consider our natural instincts – and then do the opposite”. [p. 14] “Make it Happen” is a set of step-by-step directions for – well, making the date happen! In “Finish Strong”, Southern emphasizes the importance of talking about the date, anticipating the new experience and what the couple should take away from it. “Mind Your Language” encourages us to be mindful of the love language of our partner throughout the date, and offers examples for “speaking” in that love language. Finally “Dig Deep” refers the couple back to the Bible in reflection.
PC and I have sampled several of the dates provided in Southern’s book and I will be sharing them here with you over the next few weeks.
Hope you will come back to read all about them.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of 52 Uncommon Dates by Randy E. Southern, please click here.
But before you do, you might want to enter my Rafflecopter giveaway for a copy!
Click here to enter.
Thank you for stopping by.
Come back tomorrow to check out our first 52 Uncommon Dates date.
Hugs and kisses,
We love to go look at open houses. It is a bonus if we can see more than one in a trip. Today we had a triple hitter walking no less. That really makes it a homerun because we saw 3 houses and got 2.5 miles of walking in at the same time. We have another one on tap for tomorrow!
You are a walking machine these days. Now to get Roby a FitBit. We will walk our tootsies off at TLA! YAY!
I love the love languages, I made brent do the quizzes once but cant remember our results… might need to be pulling that one back out soon lol
Simply Shaunacey
Take the test again. I had changed, at least temporarily.
My husband and I love fun dates and most of our yearly dates we do over and over again are during the summer. I think our absolute favorite is this paddleboat sunset picnic that the boathouse in Forest Park does here in St. Louis. So romantic and lot of quiet time to sit on a paddleboat in the Grand Basin with little cute ducks and waterfalls and the view of the art museum with your significant other! I love this date and we’ve done it every year since we’ve been dating. Oh, I hope to win this book it sounds fab! Brian and I both read the love languages book and I think there is one for kids, too that I want to read eventually…
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
It would be interesting to see if your children speak the same love languages that you and Brian speak. I wonder if we are “taught” our languages from the ways our parents love us? But no, I don’t think so because neither of my parents was really snuggly or big on words of affirmation. Nix that. A paddleboat date sounds so lovely!
I read the love languages years ago and should probably take the quiz again to see if it changes. 52 Uncommon Dates sounds great and I’m looking forward to hearing about your dates! Thank you for the giveaway!
Jill
Doused In Pink
Take the quiz again and let me know if your results change.
It is a wonderful book. Thanks for visiting me, I don’t know how to contact the author now. I reviewed the book and interviewed him quite a while back. I’m sorry.
Thank you for stopping by. I will keep looking for Randy through social media!
What a fun giveaway and an encouraging post. Thank you Leslie!
Thank you, Abbie. Hope you and Shaunacey build into your busy mommying-lives some more dates with hubby/daddy. So important…I learned too late.
I really liked 5 Love Languages so I think I need to check out the 52 Uncommon Dates book! We typically revert to dinner and a movie, but there really are so many options out there that would be more fun!
Please consider checking out 52 Dates if you aren’t my lucky winner. It is full of dating inspiration.
Loved this blog post!
Thank you! Thank you for commenting and taking time to come by. Please stop by again.
I find that “dating” your husband is something you must do to keep your marriage fresh and your partnership alive! I learned a lot when I read 5 Love Languages before I met my husband, but I think it’s time to revisit that. Loving your blog Leslie!! Sincerely, Brenda @ http://www.fromplaidtopearls.blogspot.com
Hey you! So glad you came by, Brenda. I hope you will revisit the 5 Love Languages because I have discovered my languages have switched! Who knew?