Love As A Way Of Life~ A book review

The winner is KYgirl. I have no contact info, so if I don't hear a response in 5 days, I will pick a new winner. Thank you all for entering and sharing your stories!

Love As A Way of Life by Gary Chapman is a wonderful book. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Love Languages books, but it is hard to implement those love languages when loving is not the way you live your life.

That isn't saying that I don't love, it just isn't the way I do everything. Such as going to the store, I don't think about how I can show love to other patrons or the clerks. Yes, being polite, but loving them? Something as simple as someone saying something nice to me has made a huge impact in my day, so shouldn't I be going for that with everyone I meet? Making eye contact with people and smiling? Saying hello and wishing people a good day? Thanking the clerk for ringing up my order?

I think one of the main things that impacted me in this book was a part about helping others. Sometimes it is hard to accept help from someone else. It puts you in a position of humility. (not to be confused with humiliation) Chapman says "Accepting the help of others is one of the best and most difficult ways of fostering loving relationships." And I completely agree! It brought back a memory of a friend from long ago who explained to me that denying someone the gift of helping me was denying them a blessing from God. It feels good to help someone, and it feels bad to be turned down when you offer to help someone. God blesses people when they serve others, sometimes with good feelings, sometimes with more then feelings. Would I want to deny someone the gift of God to save face? To look like I have no failures or have no needs? Sometimes you genuinely don't need the help, but accepting it when you do need it, or it would really help, will bless you and them. I once accepted the help of someone I didn't know well to clean my house when I was in horrid morning sickness. We are still as close as sisters 12 years later! What a blessing that act was for both of us.

Summary: For decades Dr. Gary Chapman’s best-selling books have shown readers how to speak the “love language” of those they care about. Now he digs even deeper to uncover the foundations of what it means to cultivate a lifestyle of love and how doing so leads to satisfaction and success in every area of life.
Drawing fresh insights from timeless biblical principles, Chapman presents poignant stories of real people who have discovered the joys of living out the seven characteristics of authentic love: kindness, patience, forgiveness, humility, courtesy, generosity, and honesty. Enhanced with eye-opening self tests, practical ideas for building daily habits of love, and inspiring examples of love’s power to change lives, this book guides readers in putting love to work in all of their interpersonal relationships.
Convinced that in a world of constant conflict people desperately need authentic love, Chapman paints a compelling vision of how life can be richer and relationships more satisfying for anyone who practices Love As a Way of Life.

You can purchase a copy on Amazon here.

Or, you can enter to win a copy by leaving a comment on when you have been blessed through help from someone or by helping someone else.
Leave a way to contact you if I can't find you through your profile. I will announce the winner through Prizey Fetch. But you need at least a unique nickname or I can't pick your comment.
Giveaway ends July 31.
You can also triple your chances to win by entering to win a copy at DaisyCrazy and Sassyfrazz.