UnBreakable Forging a Marriage of Contentment & Delight

News April 23, 2015

By Jess Horsley

There are plenty of Christian resources available for married couples seeking to grow in their relationship with one another and Christ. However, while many do an excellent job of providing scriptural advice and a Biblical basis for how to become closer to God and each other, few tend to wade through the weeds and address the brutal realities many modern married couples face. Be it losing or starting a new job, dealing with difficult relatives and friends, poor spending habits and money troubles, a lackluster sex life, or children and parenting; it can be difficult to find a marital book that delivers understandable and applicable Biblical reference in context to a couple’s real-life concerns, all while addressing the strenuous circumstances facing the couple in their daily lives.

In “UnBreakable - An Interactive Guide: Forging a Marriage of Contentment and Delight,” chaplains Charles Causey and Tony Miltenberger bring their combined 40+ years of serving military service members and their spouses to any who would pick up this book and read.

In “UnBreakable,” readers find an outpouring of concern, counsel and love from these two men - both husbands, fathers, veterans and pastors - who seek to not only advise, but uplift and engage readers as they work through a series of “Love Concepts,” including Commitment, Kindness, Honesty, Forgiveness and Sacrifice. The writers shape each concept to help readers better understand not only themselves and their mate, but also Christ’s role as the example-setter and foundation for a loving, life-long relationship.

While the book can certainly be read by individuals and couples, it is ideally suited for a small group. Each of the book’s seven sessions/chapters are broken up into various sections: a main point (the focus of the chapter), a background story (which explores the grueling, real-life situations married couples face today), scripture references, principles (those ideas being explored in the chapter), arrows on target (directing readers towards recognizing the specific concepts in their own lives), true confessions (honest thoughts from one of the writers - or their spouse! - providing personal insight into their own marriages), prayers, and an interactive section filled with discussion questions for both individuals, couples and small groups to answer and explore alone and/or together.

While it’s obviously not necessary to read the book in a small group setting, the addition of other couples and their insight, questions and answers, not to mention encouragement and accountability might make for some a more engaging and beneficial experience.

Likewise, while some of the real-life situations mentioned in “UnBreakable” might seem far-fetched or improbable to some reading the book; there’s no doubt in a life-long marriage a majority of couples will face similar if not identical situations. What Causey and Miltenberger seek to do with the five “Love Concepts” in “UnBreakable” is not solve every couple’s marital issue; but instead help every couple build a foundation and structure upon which each couple might forge an “UnBreakable” love.

Abingdon Press’ “UnBreakable: An Interactive Guide: Forging a Marriage of Contentment and Delight” by Charles Causey and Tony Miltenberger is available now and makes a fine addition to any married couple’s reading list or church resource shelf.