The Peaceful Wife: Living in Submission to Christ as Lord Paperback – January 27, 2016

Besides the Bible this is the best book I’ve ever read! Every woman should read this book in my opinion. It doesn’t matter if you’re single, in a relationship, engaged, married , separated or divorced. There's gems in every single chapter. This book along with my Bible has changed my outlook on myself, men and marriage.

All else failed for us: marital counseling, psychoanalysis, traditional and pop psych books, Retrouvaille, marital workshops, church marital programs, listening to Dr. Laura... years and years and years of missing the mark for marital peace and happiness and instead building upon resentment, anger and unmet "needs". Then comes this simple but amazingly effective book. A guidebook for marital stability and success based on a centuries old Guide To A Happy Marriage: THE BIBLE.Its incredible how this young woman is able to illustrate common marital issues and provide sound and effective solutions right out of scripture. There it is. There its been all along. But for most of us, we don't know where to go in the Bible for the advice we need. The Bible is a big book. The author breaks it down for us while providing her own personal story told in a friendly, intimate, woman-to-woman way.Submission is not a bad word. Its not a political incorrect word. Wifely submission to our husbands is a mind-set us wives have to understand from the biblical perspective in order to FINALLY heal our broken marriages. That's all there is to it. Our husbands are by no way off the hook, they have their biblical responsibilities to their marriages and certainly have had their role in its demise. But this book is not for them. Its for us women, what we have to do to be proactive in fixing our marriages and finally gaining some traction. In order to elicit change, change has to start with someone, and I truly believe in a marriage, it starts with us wives.If you've tried everything else to restore your marriage to a safe, loving, intimate, peaceful and respectful relationship and have given up hope, this book is for you. If you are a newlywed and have no clue what lies ahead, this book is for you. If you want to get a better idea of the beauty and miraculous journey God has in mind for your marriage, this book is for you. If you are a wife, this book is for you.

“Control and aggression kill romance for both men and women. Passivity also kills romance on either side of marriage.” If this is true, what solution is there for having a happy, balanced marriage? This book sets out to answer that question using the Bible and practical, real-life examples.“The Peaceful Wife,” by April Cassidy is much more than a collection of blog entries from her popular blog, peacefulwife.com. Instead it is a well thought out book that is extremely balanced and biblical in its approach to a God centered marriage. She does some very difficult things in this book effortlessly. April explains submission in a way that will help every wife to understand the beauty of what submission actually means, and also shares what things are inappropriate within a marriage for men and women. Although this book is written primarily to wives, I feel like there is definitely helpful information in this book for both men and women. The author of this book has taken all of her personal research and experience regarding learning how to be a godly wife, and loving compiled it into one book. Have you ever wondered why your husband shuts down in a seemingly random way? This book is for you.One of the things I appreciated the most about this book is that it also warns women in dangerous situations to seek help, and never once equates submission with abuse, but distinguishes the two very carefully. This will be my go to book for future counseling sessions with wives. I wish I would have had a book like this when I first got married. Thank you, April. It is clear that you poured your heart and soul out in this book for our benefit.

There’s a story toward the end of the book, which I think encapsulates what April teaches in her book. Just before leaving for the beach, their minivan battery went dead. After Greg got it going again, April mentioned that they probably had time to run to the auto parts store, but Greg said no; it probably had just been drained because the doors were open while they were packing.Years ago, April would have insisted that they check the battery. She would have worried and fretted and pestered her husband until he caved in. But instead, she respected her husband’s decision. She cheerfully gathered the kids and they headed toward the beach. She wasn’t just pretending. The peace in her heart has been cultivated from years of trusting God, rather than trying to control her husband.Later that day, the van died again–this time, in a spot that made it difficult for jumper cables to reach. The old April would have berated Greg at this point and given him an I-told-you-so lecture. She would have been negative and worried. But the new April smiled and trusted Greg to figure out a solution. She gave the kids some Oreos, and enjoyed her book while they played nearby. She was completely at peace.Within minutes, a man came over and asked if they needed help. His wife had ridiculed him for packing extra long jumper cables, saying he would never need them, but they were just the thing that would help! April believes that God nudged that man to pack the extra long jumper cables. She’s glad that a disparaging wife didn’t win the argument! Greg thanked the man, and went immediately to get their van fixed. All was well. (page 211)As I read this story, I wondered which wife would best represent me in the story. The wife, cheerfully reading her book; not worried or upset; calmly letting her husband take care of their needs? Or the wife belittling her husband and picking at him over doing something a bit differently than she would?This story was convicting to me. As was the whole book!Thanks, April, for encouraging wives to find the peace that comes from doing marriage God’s way–by respecting our husbands rather than trying to control them. [...]