Name: Single, Dating, Engaged, Married
ISBN: 9780718097899

Ben Stuart

Navigating the Four Critical Seasons of Relationship

Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age

Single, Dating, Engaged, Married

Navigating the Four Critical Seasons of Relationship The vast majority of young people will still pass through the key phases of singleness, dating, engagement and marriage in their twenties. Yet they are delaying marriage longer than any generation in human history. Why? For the first time in history, the average age for an American woman having her first child, 26, is younger than the average age of her first marriage, 27. More children than ever are growing up in fatherless homes, despite the overwhelming evidence that in every measurable way this is bad for the child. The Center for Disease Control also recently reported a dramatic rise in sexually transmitted disease nationwide. In Rhode Island alone, since the onset of online dating, reported cases of Syphilis has risen 79%, and HIV has increased by 33%. Though many young people can avoid early pregnancy and STDs, most cannot dodge the depression and feelings of isolation that characterize this modern generation. Studies show a dramatic rise in self-reported loneliness among the young. All of our technological connectivity has not made us feel more connected. In many ways, the very screens that are meant to link us to others have become shields blocking us from the deep intimacy we crave. Many have discovered that where there is a lack of intimacy,addiction often rises to take its place. How can a young person navigate such troubled waters? Is there hope out there? Like a sailor on turbulent seas, we need to look up and see the North Star: the fixed points in the sky whereby we might navigate the objective realities in life. We need the skill-set to know how to journey through life and how to select the right people to journey alongside. In this book we will chart a course through the four relational phases that the vast majority of human beings on the planet will pass through in their twenties: singleness, dating, engaged and married. In each of these phases, we will look at what eternal purposes should be pursued in each stage, and how to pursue them. SINGLENESS: DEVOTION DATING: EVALUATION ENGAGED: UNIFICATION MARRIED: MISSION Our desires for intimacy are powerful. This power can be constructive or destructive. Our satisfaction and our safety will be ensured if we can aim these powerful desires toward divine purposes.

People RAVED about this so I was excited to read! It wasn’t bad, but not incredible either. Offered some good advice for relationships with a faith-based lens. 

Zoey Novak

This book has good practical/biblical advice which I appreciated. I had already listened to all of his sermons on this material so none of it was particularly new to me though.

My only complaint is that a lot of the book seemed written towards men (which I totally understand since the author is a man himself) but some of the language also seemed kind of gendered and at times could be taken as sexist. Now, I don’t believe that he intended this whatsoever, and I could just be extra sensitive, but I think some stereotypes could be eliminated in this book.

Jeweliet Coffee

This book has good practical/biblical advice which I appreciated. I had already listened to all of his sermons on this material so none of it was particularly new to me though.

My only complaint is that a lot of the book seemed written towards men (which I totally understand since the author is a man himself) but some of the language also seemed kind of gendered and at times could be taken as sexist. Now, I don’t believe that he intended this whatsoever, and I could just be extra sensitive, but I think some stereotypes could be eliminated in this book.

In a perpetual “single season” and still this book had so much applicable wisdom all the way through marriage! highly recommend.

Single, Dating, Engaged, Married Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age

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