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Friday, August 26, 2011

You Have My Permission to Laugh With Us

(Betsy): Remember here when I might have suggested that our boy, Gary (Chapman, that is) took a back seat to the Rain-Dog (Dennis Rainey)? Well, that was just terrible of me. And I take it back. Gary Chapman (who I affectionately call Ger-Bear) will always be my fav!

In fact, I love him so much, that when I received an e-mail from his ministry asking for volunteers to share their "Love Language" testimonies, I quickly responded (my response may or may not have been within 4 seconds of receiving the e-mail...it's up for debate). Anywho, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I received a call from the film producer (we'll call him Mr. P) to set up a time to come film Scott and I in the comfort of Scott's apartment. It was as easy as pie to set up a place, time, and date to get the cameras rollin'.

The hard part...convincing Scott to participate. You already know Scott doesn't love having his picture taken, so convincing him to join me was equivalent to convincing my mom to let us have cupcakes at our wedding instead of cake. Nearly impossible.

After a glass of wine and a rehearsed batting of the eyes, I told Scooter what was up my sleeve. You can correctly assume that he was not amused. I think this man would rather play in a sandbox of nails than be filmed. So, I resorted to whiny infused bribery: "Anything! Anything! We can do anything you want! Just this once? Pleaaaseeee?!" In an effort to get me to shut up, Scott reluctantly agreed, and it was go time.

Three. Two. One. Action. Mr. P. drove all the way from Illinois to film us. The whole process took about 2 hours, and I have to say, it was a neat experience. I felt like Tom Brokaw was interviewing us, and, overall, I felt pretty confident that we had a good shoot. I was excited to see the final product!

I anxiously waited the arrival of that little cd for two whole months. It was torture! Every other day, I'd ask Scott, "so...uh...anything good in the mail today?" Nada. Zilch. Nuffin.

And then it came...! What I'd been waiting for! It felt like Christmas morning when I received that e-mail from Mr. P. sharing the link to our video. While the film was loading, I thought to myself, "you know...it wouldn't surprise me if Hollywood called after getting their hands on this bad boy. I might have to quit my job. But what about school? Well, I'd just have to finish after my first movie, of course."

And then I watched it.

Oh. Lord. Have. Mercy. This was the ABSOLUTE most embarrassing, cheesy film I had ever laid eyes on. Now, Mr. P. did a great job filming, but his subjects...goodnight! I was almost too embarrassed to show Scott, but I did and quickly received the ole' "I told ya so".

In order to process my embarrassment and shock, I showed a few close family members who confirmed that, yes, this was the absolute cheesiest video they had ever seen.

I bet you're dying to watch, aren't you? Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that  in order to save face, I am not going to show the entire video (plus, Mr. P. asked us not to until final editing was complete...thank you, Jesus). The good news is I am willing to show a few snapshots from the video.

I invite you to laugh with us. Here goes nothin'....







:) Have a great weekend!!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Power Tools > Cooking

(Betsy): I know, I know. I want Scott to blog some more, too. But he's super busy being a hard worker this weekend, and I have the fortune of leaving my work at work. More from him soon. He promises.

Remember how volunteering made it on our Thirty Before Thirty List (here)? And then I mentioned it again here and here. Well, last weekend, Scott and I were able to help some pretty needy people in the sweet, little town of Mancelona, MI. Unemployment is common here, and poverty has swept over this quiet place after some of its major industries (coal, iron, and pickles?) closed shop. According to Dan, owner of Cedar Bend Farm and our job coordinator for the weekend, generations of alcoholism and drug use have left the town desperate and helpless. Our mission for the weekend was to provide a few home improvements for some  families in the town while demonstrating God's love, showing the families that there is hope despite their undesirable circumstances.

After a seven-hour drive north (I slept over half the ride while Scott drove. Yah, he's awesome.) peppered with some Good Mood Food, Brian Regan, and great conversation with Corey, our pastor, and our new friend, Matt, we arrived in Mancelona. We got in a few more hours of shut-eye, ate some yummy breakfast, and then headed to our worksite, a small, three bedroom trailer, pictured on the left. For the next two days, we would be tackling that bad boy hiding behind those ladders (also known as the window), and replacing a hallway floor that had fallen victim to some heavy water damage. (Later, that floor and I got to know each other really well after I fell through it. Darn the luck.).

On the first day, Scott and I were placed on the hallway team under the great leadership of Mrs. Laura Christensen. Ok, seriously. This woman needs her own HGTV show. She's got skillz. Prior to last Saturday, I had hammered a nail in a wall to hang a picture and had once assembled a book shelf from Ikea that included idiot-proof instructions. Laura, on the other hand, has way more under her (tool) belt. See what I did there? Ha.

So, under Laura's guidance, Scott and I showed some tile, plywood, and another layer of tile who was boss. Enter: the first power tool, a sawzall (which turned out to be quite the topic of debate on Facebook. Sorry Mom, Dane wins.) Let's just say it is super empowering to use one of those mean machines.

and...

I'd like to take the next few sentences to brag on my man. Who knew clean, organized, stable, structured Scott had it in him? He owned that tile. He ripped that floor up like it was nobody's business...and his power tool skills...off the charts. You go boy. You da' man. And, OF COURSE, we shot some pictures:


Constructing a new, safe hallway floor went a little something like this: rip up the old floor, and indicate where potential "danger zones" are (i.e. the areas of the floor where people can fall through). Check. Construct boxes out of 2x4 lumber (enter power tool numero dos: the circular saw) that can attach to the joist (yah, I can say joist now because I know what one is. Joist. Joist. Joist.) of the trailer, creating more support. Measure and cut plywood that will fit desired area. Place said plywood. Level said plywood with stuff that resembles pancake batter (mmm, I'm hungry). And, finally, cut and stick tile.

Sounds pretty simple, eh? Yah, I thought so too. But let me tell you, after two long days of hammering, screwing, chopping, ripping, tearing, cutting, sweating, falling, drilling, aching, building, placing, moving, carrying, and leveling, it didn't seem simple. It felt like quite the opposite. But, just as the old adage says, 'good things don't come easy'. And when finished, this floor was good. Real, real good.

The window didn't turn out to shabby, either. It was pretty exciting to watch the home transform over 48 hours. It was even more exciting to play a role in that transformation. Both Scott and I were so humbled by our weekend in Mancelona and are thankful that we had the ability and capacity to help this sweet family out.

Here's a before picture of that beast:








And (drum roll please)...after sixteen hours of blood, sweat, and tears, we had this sweet baby (seen right). And, I know you are dying to see how the hallway turned out. Wait no longer. Here is the progression from start to finish.

**BONUS: Scott has so graciously agreed to caption the pictures. I knew he was good for something.







Laura, our fearless leader, hard at work.

???
Da' Flo' Befo'
Laura schooling Betsy





More rare than a Bigfoot sighting.

A mile of tile...some tile after a while...who knew tile could make you smile
Happy homeowner, whom we have affectionately named K-Dawg

MOM! Where's my milkshake?!
And there you have it, folks. Our weekend in Mancelona. Readers, have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and constructed something you were super proud of? Have any of you ever fallen through a floor? We'd love to hear your comments. Can you believe we are getting married in like...uh...2 1/2 months! Woo Hoo!!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Love This Girl.

A world-class soccer player, but more importantly, a woman of humility and of beautiful character.

Go USA! Go #12 :)

Friday, July 8, 2011

Fourth O' July.

(Betsy): When Scott and I created our "Thirty Before Thirty (Four) List" (see here), we brainstormed fairly quickly. So quickly, in fact, that we have, on several occasions, looked at it and said aloud "what in the heck were we thinking?!" (read: neither one of us want to go skydiving...like, at all.) We wanted a good mix: fun things (travel to NYC, go to a Cubs game, take an all day bike ride), easy things (play putt-putt, read 10 books together), challenging things (make a lobster dinner, grow a garden), and meaningful things (get married, buy a cute little old couple dinner, attend a marriage conference).

Basically, we quickly threw together a vision for our lives in list-form. We want to get hitched. We want to travel. We want to learn how to cook.  Scott wants Betsy to learn how to cook. We want to be givers, pursue others, and have meaningful relationships. And we want to be in a continual state of growth, both individually and as a couple. As we threw this list together (literally, over the course of about 3 days), we thought that we should probably join a church. "That's what normal couples do, right? That's how solid families raise children--in the church." Consequently, our list gave birth to number 17.

To be completely vulnerable, neither Scott nor myself really knew what joining a church looked like. We did not grow up going to church (except on rare occasions), but somehow it managed to creep its way onto the paper, mostly due to surface-level thinking. One day, after reviewing our list, I remember thinking, "well, we can start looking for a church to join if we have kids."

So, although "joining a church" was certainly not on our priority list, both Scott and I were spiritually interested. We church-hopped infrequently (once? maybe twice) a month, claimed to be Christians, got our fill of Jesus, and moved on with our lives only to return if we needed to hear a good, refueling "message" after a long night out on the town.

It wasn't until we landed at a darling, little building in Broadripple (thanks to a recommendation from my dear friends, AnnDee and Casey) that we truly understood the meaning of joining a church, and furthermore, what it meant to have a relationship with Christ. Our first visit to Christ Community Church Midtown was nothing short of fantastic. As soon as we walked in the doors, we immediately felt welcomed, loved, and connected. After the service, Corey Smith, the pastor of the church, rushed over to introduce himself to Scott and invited us over for dinner at his house the following weekend.

And, friends, as the old saying goes, "the rest is history!" Corey now leads Scott and two other men (also young in their faith) in a weekly Bible study, and I have joined a Bible study with two pretty amazing gals! We also attend a small, community "couples" group every Sunday evening. Being a part of a church family is much more than I had anticipated. At Midtown, we experience, in a very real way, community...family. We love that men and women at Midtown have invested their lives in Scott and I so that we can continue to grow in our personal walks with God. (You can see Scott sharing his testimony here).

Joining a church (sneaky little number 17 that crept its way onto our "Thirty Before Thirty (Four)" list) is, by far, the most important thing on those two pieces of blue paper--more important than reading, more important than scuba diving, certainly more important than skydiving (I'm still trying to figure out a way we can get out of this one), and, shockingly, more important than our future marriage. Without this community, without our new family, without trusting direction and guidance from Christ, our marriage has strong potential to fail.

Two weeks ago, we officially became members! After attending a membership class and having a small interview with the elders of the church, we are now able to call Midtown our church home! What security God has provided us! We feel blessed beyond all measure!

In other news...

Four Generations: Mickey, Mo,
Jessica, and Shaye
Our fourth of July was family-filled and fun...a change of scenery from our last fourth of July (a camping trip you can read about here). I had the opportunity to meet Jessica, Scott's sister, for the first time (love her!) and Scott's niece and nephew, Shaye and Ronan. So sweet and adorable. Ronan is incredibly smart, and Shaye is absolutely hilarious. She coined some pretty sweet phrases that I might steal when I feel like being dramatic: "PEOPLE!, What are you staring at?!" and "Oh (back of hand to forehead) How DARE YOU!"

As it turns out, Jessica loves hates taking pictures as much as her younger brother. So, she really appreciated it when I suggested that the family take a "four-generation" photo. I think it is sweet! Not many people can get four generations of beautiful women together, but my fiance's family managed to do it!



I just love this handsome man!

Annddd...my little Stephanie got married! Her venue was absolutely fabulous...can we say best wedding food ever? Steph was stunning. And Scott and I really enjoyed visiting with some sweet friends of ours. I love it when this group gets together!
Jessie, Dane, and Jenn! Being Silly...
















More from Scott later...only 3 months until the wedding! Where has time gone?

PS-We are checking out the magicians who are performing at the wedding for a date night this weekend. Check out their website: http://www.married2magic.com/. These people are legit!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Gary Chapman, who?

(Betsy): Watch out, Gary! Scott and I might just have a new favorite author. Allow me to introduce...

Meet Dennis Rainey, author, speaker, and CEO of FamilyLife. You may be familiar with FamilyLife because of the organization's widely known and acclaimed marriage conferences, commonly called "A Weekend To Remember".

Scott and I joined around 500 couples this past weekend at the J.W. Marriott (<---Awesome new hotel in Indianapolis! Stay here for our wedding...walking distance to the Indiana State Museum) to get our fill on how to handle conflicts in marriage, our roles as husband and wife, and ideas on how to love and respect each other unconditionally. While we loved, loved, loved our one day seminar with Gary Chapman, I'd have to say this three-day conference knocked the ball out of the park. We learned so much about each other (just when I thought I had my fiance all figured out...) mostly due to the "break-out" sessions that require couples to work on couples' projects. The conference also had separate sessions for pre-married couples like Scott and myself.


Ashley and Kyle. Love them!
 The weekend was also a great opportunity for us to spend some quality time with each other (a yummy date night at Adobo Grill) and with some great friends. I tell ya. Those Regals are pretty sweet for letting us crash at their cozy little downtown condo to save us from a 45 minute drive at 7:30 a.m. 

And OF COURSE I snapped some pictures...

(Side: At the marriage conference, I learned that Scott does not enjoy taking pictures! What in the world?! All this time, I thought he loved stopping to snap a quick photo with me, but in reality, he thinks I am a little too camera-happy. He just does it because he knows how much I cherish a sweet photo. And that, my friends, is compromise. I love that man :) )

The Tatlocks :)

 










Our group from Midtown

 
And you know I wasn't sneaking out of that conference without getting my hands on a few new books. Scott and I are currently working through a book/workbook titled Preparing for Marriage. Good stuff. If any engaged couples want to borrow when we are finished, let me know! It is all yours. I especially like this book because it really forces Scott and I to "go there"--you know, talk through the things we wouldn't necessarily bring up in everyday conversation. It is definitely challenging, but SO worth it.

So, as far as our 30 list is concerned, we are now a step closer to reading 10 books together AND we have now attended not one but TWO marriage conferences (and, yes, we plan on attending one at least once a year--who is coming with us next year?!).  And, in other big news, we have moved from a 3 bedroom house in Noblesville to a one bedroom apartment in Plainfield. Talk about a transition! More on that from Scott...

(Scott): Transition indeed...where are we?  Plainfield is quite different from Noblesville; yet, it has all the conveniences of the north side.  I am thankful that the house finally sold. I never thought that day would come given the current economy and the fact that the offers weren't exactly 'rolling' in. I lived in Noblesville for about six years and enjoyed all that the north side had to offer.  It is a great time for a change, though, and a new beginning with the best, little partner ever.  We have only resided in Plainfield for a few days but I feel we are adjusting well and I am not really missing Noblesville. This is a refreshing change for us as long as the now closer, soon to be in-laws keep a little distance...just joking. (Betsy): No he's not ;)

The reduced amount of living space is quite an adjustment but also makes one realize that more space isn't always necessary.  The new place is small yet very cozy and will save us quite a bit of money.  All things considered, we are getting along very well in our new residence. 

To add to Betsy's narrative, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Weekend to Remember.  These events really help our relationship and I recommend them to all.  We spend time improving other areas of our lives so it just makes sense to devote time to the betterment of our relationship.  Preparing for Marriage is a great book and, as Betsy mentioned, it really brings out some interesting discussion topics.  We aren't very far along but have already learned new things about each other and it is helping to expose why we are they way we are. 

Well, that's all for now.  This really has been a crazy, busy month but all for the better. Now, if only I could figure out a way to opt out of having my picture taken.  Probably not going to happen, this girl loves photos, but if that makes her happy then I can suck it up.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Hey, Chicago! What do you say?

Go, Cubs. Go!

A weekend in pictures...

Wrigley Field :)

@ the game...before the rain!

A trip to Chicago without Chicago-style pizza? I think not.

best.cupcakes.ever.

beautiful, beautiful navy pier.

sweet family

mighty delicious. highly recommended.

Friday, May 6, 2011

A Sweet Season

(Betsy): Hello, dear friends.

Scott and I have not been faithful about blogging; over the past few weeks, month (has it been a month since we last blogged?), we have committed our time to family, church, friendships, and each other. This transition into spring from a long, cold winter has been a sweet one for us. We are in a season in our lives, in our relationship with one another, and in our individual relationships with God where we are experiencing deep growth. It is a joyful season for us!

Since our last post, we have finished two books, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by (who else?) Gary Chapman. We are currently finishing Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey. All three books have encouraged meaningful conversations about areas of our lives that we have devoted, and will continue to devote, our time and energy to so that we may continue to grow together. I am so grateful for a fiance who is dedicated to reading with me so that we can learn, change, and evolve together.

Easter was especially meaningful this year. As new Christians, both Scott and I gained a better understanding of what Easter means for us, for believers. We were able to spend the afternoon with family, and then we headed to Christ Community Midtown for Easter service. I was so proud of Scott for sharing his testimony with the men and women of the congregation. I even managed to snap a few photos of him speaking :)

It is so exciting to what God is doing in our lives, and we are so incredibly thankful for a church home filled with amazing friends and supporters who love and serve. On this particular Sunday, my mom, brother, dad, and his wife came to show their support to Scott. I was super excited to have them join us to get a glimpse of what our 'new' lives look like. Midtown, and more specifically, our relationship with Christ, will be foundational for our marriage, and I was truly grateful for the opportunity to share that with my family.

Speaking of family...

Momma and Papa Prentice headed to Indy last weekend so that Papa Prentice (what a handyman!) could fix some things around the house for the buyers. Yes, you read that right! Buyers! Scott sold his house! Woooooo hoooooo!! We are so thrilled to be cutting out expenses of home ownership so that we can really start "living like no one else" so that later we can "live like no one else!" 

This weekend we are headed to a Cubs game with Morgan and Mike. We are super pumped to spend quality time with them in Scott's favorite city, Chicago! Pictures to come...

Enjoy the weekend :)


Sunday, March 20, 2011

Long Time No Blog

(Scott) - Hello there.  Hope everyone is doing well and ready for the warmer weather.  Over a month has passed since our last post, so I would like to share some updates.  Since our last post we have attended Gary Chapman's Love Languages Conference that took place in the middle of nowhere, watched those Findley kids, celebrated Betsy turning a quarter of a century and are finishing up the Mere Christianity.

We were lucky enough to be able to attend Gary Chapman's Love Languages Conference in Anna, IL with our good friends Lauren and Jordan. Gary Chapman is becoming a household name for us and we are doing our part to ensure a comfortable retirement for this guy - we bought some more of his books at the conference but I have to admit, we can't get enough of what he writes. The conference was great and we learned a lot about relationships...the good, the bad, the ugly and how to handle the many issues that can arise during a relationship.  We highly recommend attending similar conferences.  It helped us to stay focused and we want to make it a yearly habit to attend this type of conference.  Although, we are attending one again soon, so maybe it will be a semiannual thing.  Oh yeah, the recent birthday girl is such a big fan that she wanted a pic with Mr. Chapman.

Over the past month, we also spent a weekend in Terre Haute watching the Findley kids during Indiana State's successful run at making the tournament.  Those kids are very sweet and a blast to watch. 

March is also the month of my favorite's birthday.  Betsy turned 25 and we celebrated with some shopping and great food at Kona Jack's.  I am so proud of Betsy and all the things she has accomplished in life.  I have seen her mature so much and I couldn't be happier to have her in my life.  I am very fortunate. 

We are also close to wrapping up another book, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  This guy is a genius.  Not going to lie, some chapters are rather difficult to understand but the pieces that we comprehend are very profound.  Once finished with this book we plan to read one of the several Gary Chapman books we have and then revisit some Dave Ramsey to refocus on financial peace.

That's all for now from me...take care.

Friday, February 11, 2011

29 and Lookin' Fine!

(Betsy-A week late!):Happy Happy 2-9 to my wonderful fiance! Although I think he looks even more studly (is that a word?) than he did at 28, Scott argues that there is something about being 29 that makes him feel old. I, however, will be the first to admit that he has more energy than this 24-year-old. Not only does he work hard at his job, but he is an amazingly hard worker at home--cleaning, cooking, you name it. I admire his work ethic, dedication to his job and to me, and I have so much respect for this wonderful soon-to-be 30-year-old!



To celebrate, Scott and I enjoyed a date night on Friday beginning at Conseco Fieldhouse to watch the Indiana Pacers. While we wouldn't necessarily go out of our way to buy Pacer's tickets, we appreciated the gift (from Todd C.) and enjoyed spending some time downtown. We also scored $25 dollars off our meal at Champps thanks to a mystery coupon Scott received from dining out there a week or two prior. To top off our great night, we came home to enjoy some amazing cheesecake from Ruth's Chris Steak House which was given to me free of charge from the very kind manager! Scott's a cheap date!

On Saturday, Scott's mom and dad drove down from Logansport, and we all hauled over to the west side of town and met my parents (all four of them) for a night of fine dining at Rick's Cafe Boatyard. Um, yum. Not only does this place have to-die-for-seafood, but it also has a beautiful view of the Eagle Creek Reservoir. I inhaled my steamed salmon, but nothing compares to Scott's crab-stuffed halibut. Heaven. In. Your. Mouth. If anyone is trying to come up for a place to wine and dine his or her honey for Valentine's Day, this place is it! Thank you, Mo and Eric, for a delicious dinner!

Speaking of birthdays...my terribly cute cousin, Christopher, turned 6 this month, and despite blizzard-like conditions outside, I made my way to Monkey Joe's where dozens of screaming toddlers and out-of-control pre-teens jumped chaotically though bouncy playhouses. Three words: free birth control. In all honesty, these guys are pretty stinkin' adorable...here are some pics:





Moving on...I wanted to revisit the purpose of this blog because I think it is important to constantly remind yourself of goals so you do not lose sight of what is important. And clearly, the items on our 30-list are important...if not, we would not have created a blog about them! So, new readers/followers...Scott and I have come up with a list of thirty things that we want to do before I am thirty and he is thirty-four (Get it? "Thirty Before Thirty (Four)" Clever, huh?) Here is where we stand:

1. Go skydiving.

2. Volunteer: frequently, consistently, long term. (Work in progress; we hope to actively pursue volunteering for Fresh Start)
3. Go to Hawaii.
4. New York City: Tavern on the Green, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty.
5. Go camping: hardcore camping. Legit, no b.s. camping. The real deal-tents, fire, etc.
6. Learn to snow ski.
7. Visit wineries in Napa Valley.
8. Zip Line: We prefer Costa Rica, but we will settle for anywhere!
9. Make a lobster dinner.
10. Read 10 or more books together. (Work in progress; we read all the time together, but we aren't quite to ten books!)
11. Play a round of golf together.
12. Road trip out West together. (Don't worry, Teta! I'm still going to road trip out West with you too!)
13. Scuba Dive.
14. Take at least one guitar lesson together.
15. Play put-put.
16. Visit Wine Tastings Downtown.
17. Join a church. (We have found a church we absolutely LOVE, Christ Community Midtown in Broadripple)
18. Anonymously buy an old, cute couple dinner (must be someone we do not know).
19. Throw someone a surprise party.
20. Get Married (to each other of course :) ) (10.15.2011)
21. Go to a Cubs game.
22. Take an all day bike ride.
23. Take a cooking class.
24. Run a mini marathon (RUN the whole 13.1 miles).
25. Attend a dating and/or marriage conference. (We are going this weekend!!!!)
26. Take a train to Chicago.
27. Grow a garden.
28. Have NO debt except for a house.(Al..most...there....)
29. Go white water rafting.
30. Visit Colorado.

Boy, did that feel good to cross some things off! And it sure is nice to reevaluate to see where we are. Not bad considering we have 5 more years, right?
Ok, last but not least, a book update...we have been really all over the place when it comes to reading, and, once again, we have stopped mid-book and have gone to another...we are currently reading C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity but plan on coming back to A Case for Christ.
 
Gary Chapman's Love Language Conference this weekend with great friends, Lauren and Jordan! Will post after the conference to share what we learned.
 
Have an amazing weekend!

Friday, January 21, 2011

"Hey, you're stepping on my airhose."

(Scott) Hello all.  For this post I have the privilege of discussing the most recent book that Betsy and I have completed - Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.  We both love books similar to this one, as we obviously enjoy reading together and know that there is always room to improve ourselves and our relationship. 

The primary content of the book should be easy for all to figure out, you guessed it - love and respect.  Dr. Eggerichs delves into thorough discussions on how woman need love and men need respect.  He does a great job explaining everyday occurrences that can make a woman feel unloved and a man feel disrespected and gives some advice on how to remedy.  Throughout the book he makes generalizations that obviously don't apply to all women and men but for the most part his views, examples and behavior modification suggestions seem fairly accurate and helpful. 

One of the best sections, in my opinion, is when Dr. Eggerichs discusses the crazy cycle.  The crazy cycle is basically a cycle of unloving words/actions that lead to disrespectful words/actions and can keep going and going until someone stops the cycle.  He gives great examples of how to stop this craziness and explains that stopping the cycle really takes some maturity and the ability to step back and see what is really going on.  One needs to realize that the other is likely a goodwilled person. Instead of reacting unlovingly or disrespectfully when one feels unloved or disrespected, a better response would be to act lovingly or respectful; thus, helping to stop the crazy cycle and head towards a cycle of energy with kind words and actions that energize one to be loving or respectful. 

The key, in my opinion, is patience.  We need to not be quick with our words/actions so that we can internalize certain situations to gain a better understanding that will enable us to react lovingly and respectfully.  Furthermore, if someone is feeling unloved or disrespected they could say, "hey, you are stepping on my airhose".  Dr. Eggerichs mentions the airhose analogy several times throughout the book.  If we use unloving or disrespectful words then it may feel as though one's 'airhose' is restricted and no love or respect can flow to that person.  So, try to stay off the airhose.

To conclude, we enjoyed reading this book together and found many benefits that can be applied in every day situations.  Take care.

(Betsy): On to our next book...A Case For Christ.