Quick Links: For Daughters | For Fathers | For Both
Lady In Waiting - Jackie Kendall and Debby Jones. For any woman searching for Mr. Right this book is a must. This book encourages the reader to give up their search for the man of their dreams and begin looking to God to fill the void in their lives. It isn't until we as women realize that only God can fill our deepest longing that we are truly able to find happiness when God brings "His Best" into our lives. Will you trust God to provide for you the joy that only He can give? The authors of the book set great boundaries for starting a relationship and going through the stages until marriage. Letting him pursue you is a big encouragement in this book. The loving advice given in this book will truly change the way you look at dating relationships. Instead of frantically searching for "the man" to marry, allow yourself to wait on God. He will prove faithful! Will you trust your creator and lover of your soul to provide for this desire of your heart? If it is God's will for you to marry, He has someone very special in mind. Don't settle for second best. God wants you to find joy and fulfillment in your relationships. This book tells you how! [Amazon.com]
Boundaries in Dating - Henry Cloud/ John Townsend. Dating can be fun, but it's not easy. Meeting people is just one concern. Once you've met someone, then what? What do you build? Nothing, a simple friendship, or more? How do you set smart limits on physical involvement? Financial involvement? Individual responsibilities? Respected counselors, popular radio hosts, and best-selling authors Henry Cloud and John Townsend apply the principles described in their Gold Medallion Award-winning Boundaries to matters of love and romance. Helping readers bridge the pitfalls of dating, Boundaries in Dating unfolds a wise, biblical path to developing self-control, freedom, and intimacy in the dating process. Boundaries in Dating helps singles to think, solve problems, and enjoy the benefits of dating to the hilt, increasing their abilities to find and commit to a marriage partner. Liberally illustrated with insightful, true-life examples, this much-needed book includes such topics as: Sins You Can Live With--Recognizing and choosing quality over perfection in a dating partner - Don't Fall in Love with Someone You Wouldn't Be Friends With--How to ensure that honest friendship is one vital component in a relationship - Don't Screw Up a Friendship Out of Loneliness--Preserving friendships by separating between platonic relationships and romantic interest - Kiss False Hope Good-Bye--Moving past denial to deal with real relational problems in a realistic and hopeful way . . . and much more. [Amazon.com]
Boy Meets Girl - Joshua Harris. Joshua Harris follows up his bestselling I Kissed Dating Goodbye with Boy Meets Girl, the story of how he met and married his wife, Shannon. Where Harris's first book encouraged readers to throw off modern ideas of romantic fixation, Boy Meets Girl goes to the next level and urges single Christian men and women to pursue courtship, and ultimately marriage, thoughtfully and prayerfully. Knowing that many readers will balk at the idea of premeditated courtship, Harris insists that dating should not be emotional recreation but rather a careful decision rooted in obedience to God. While the anecdotes used to reveal true-to-life scenarios about dating pitfalls are somewhat elementary (and geared to those in their 20s), Harris succeeds in hammering home the point that obedience to God's word, selfless love, community, purity, and satisfaction in God are the most important aspect of any relationship. The last section of the book is particularly practical, discussing forgiveness of past sexual sin, questions to ask before tying the knot, and how an understanding of our sinful nature can lead to conflict resolution. For Harris's mere twenty something years of life experience, his maturity and devotion to God are sincere evidence that he has indeed practiced what he has preached, resulting in a passionate relationship with the love of his life. [Amazon.com]
When God Writes Your Love Story: The Ultimate Approach to Guy/Girl Relationships - By describing their own love story, the authors demonstrate that as we keep our hearts focused on serving and loving Christ, God is able to bring romance into our lives in His time, in a way that is richer, more fulfilling, and more romantic than we can do on our own. [Amazon.com]
Passion & Purity: Learning to Bring Your Love Life Under Christ's Control - This is the classic love story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot with an inspiring emphasis on their commitment to Christ. [Amazon.com]
Before You Meet Prince Charming: A Guide to Radiant Purity - Each chapter starts with a continuing fairytale that the author uses to illustrate the real dangers in the lives of a young woman. Sarah Mally inspires and challenges young women to protect their hearts and focus on serving Christ. [Amazon.com]
Pure Excitement: A Godly Look at Sex, Love & Dating - In this book, Joe White (founder of Kanakuk Camps) helps teens figure out God's awesome plan for true love–and, for those who've made mistakes in the past, he walks them through the steps to reclaiming purity. More than just advice, Pure Excitement gets teens fired up to develop the courage and conviction required for accepting nothing but the best. [Amazon.com]
Dad’s Everything Book for Daughters - John Trent. No other man will influence your little girl like you, Dad.
The relationship you build with her will shape the very course of her life. And these precious years between ages eight and twelve are the time to forge bonds of care and nurturance that will weather your daughter’s potentially stormy teenage years and give her the enduring legacy of a father’s love. But how do you build that kind of close-knit relationship?
"I wanted to provide a can’t-miss, practical, ‘put into action today’ bucketful of ideas that any dad could pour into his daughter’s life," writes family relationships expert John Trent. Here is the result. Dad’s Everything Book for Daughters is filled with ideas on how to connect with your daughter during · Father/Daughter Talks · School Days · Holidays and Special Days · Everyday Life · Vacations and Summertime Fun
You’ll also find an entire section containing twenty-one prayers you can pray for your daughter. So dig into this book today. The closeness you’ll build with your daughter will be the greatest gift you’ll ever give her. [Amazon.com]
Purity Challenge: Training Youth in the Battle for Purity - Mike Cleveland. It doesn’t focus only on 'no sex' but it also deals with our relationship with God, who we are in Christ, how to be loyal (to Him first), how to control the hormones, how to date purely...it addresses the whole gamut! [Amazon.com]
The book I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris is probably not what you expect it to be. Whether your family chooses to date or not, this book is an excellent one to read and discuss with your daughter. The theme of the book is purity, which is a much higher standard than simply choosing not to go beyond some level of physical involvement. [Amazon.com]
This Can't Wait: Talking With Your Kids About Sex - Written by Scott Talley, father of Golf Course Road Church of Christ Senior High Youth Minister Paul Talley, this book will give you the tools as a parent to help your children form healthy, Christian attitudes toward sexuality. [Amazon.com]
5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter - For mothers with girls eighteen and younger, this is a must-have book. Youth culture commentator Vicki Courtney helps moms pinpoint and prepare the discussions that should be ongoing in their daughters' formative years. The book is linked to online bonus features offering invaluable tips on having these conversations across the various stages of development: five and under, six to eleven, twelve and up. [Amazon.com]
The Purity Principle: God's Safeguards for Life's Dangerous Trails - For thirty years Randy Alcorn has been encouraging people-young and old-to pursue the rewards of sexual purity. Biblical, practical, and concise, this book deals with raising children to embrace sexual purity, providing an example of purity in the home, protecting purity in dating (at any age), and maintaining purity in marriage. [Amazon.com]
If You Really Loved Me: 100 Questions on Dating, Relationships, and Sexual Purity - Jason Evert. The questions in this landmark work are the most common ones Evert is asked when speaking about the virtue of chastity in hundreds of Catholic, Evangelical Christian, and public schools. His humorous, friendly, and blunt approach opens hearts and minds to a topic often either rejected out of hand or misunderstood.
Teens will find this book a useful guide to starting a relationship, deciding one's vocation, one day finding a potential spouse, and maintaining purity - without forsaking love. This book will give parents and educators new insights to help teens know the difference between love and lust. They may even look at their own lives differently, because as Evert explains, chastity is not only for singles; married couples must practice this virtue as well. [Amazon.com]