You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity Paperback – August 26, 2014

A great read with plenty of fodder for reflection about our personal walk with God, our marriages, risks and rewards of parenting, and an the essential nature and results of an unwavering pursuit of godliness. We see a husband and wife with seven kids living life with all of its joys and challenges and never losing focus on God’s mission for us as His people. An inspiring book that is good for those planning to get married as well as those that have many marriage miles behind them.

I recently read the book, “You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity” by Francis and Lisa Chan. Out of all the books I have read in 2015, it has by far been the best and most convicting to me. I am single but I try to read books on marriage from couples that I respect because I find that I can still learn from them and it is good preparation for the future if God does call me to be married. However, this was unlike any other marriage book I have read in the fact that it was less about marriage and more about one’s relationship with Christ. That being said, this book is not just for those who are marred. It is for married people, single people, those with kids, and those without kids. For anyone who wants to grow in their relationship with Christ and increase their eternal perspective — this book is for you. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked and already challenged in my own relationship with the Lord.The book encourages those who are married to live in such a way that they would bring their spouses and children closer to Christ each day. The lifestyle that Francis and Lisa write about is not a comfortable one, and they speak truth that is not easy for others to hear but is crucial for Eternity. Francis writes, “People accuse me of going overboard in preparing for my first ten million years in eternity. In my opinion, people go overboard in worrying about their last ten years on earth.”He also makes the point that most problems couples encounter are not marriage problems, but God problems. This principle isn’t just for folks who are married but for everyone. Chan states, “Again, our marriage problems are not really marriage problems. They are heart problems. They are God problems. Our lack of intimacy with God causes a void that we try to fill with the frailest of substitutes. Like wealth or pleasure. Like fame or respect. Like people. Like marriage.” This was such a good reminder for me. It is so easy to get consumed with the relationships or material things we have. These things are not bad but the problems begin when we put them before our relationship with Christ. He goes on to say, “Eternal-mindedness keeps us from silly arguments. There’s no time to fight. We have better things to pursue than our interests. Too much is at stake! God created us for a purpose. We can’t afford to waste our lives. We can’t afford to waste our marriage by merely pursuing our own happiness.”Each chapter of the book has one goal in mind and that is to bring the reader closer to the Savior. I would recommend that you add this to your reading list if you have not already. This would also be a great book to read together with your spouse or to read and discuss with a small group whether it be a group of singles or other married couples. However, be prepared to grow in your relationship with Jesus and ready to be taken out of your comfort zone. It may be hard but will be worth it.Also, 100% of the net proceeds from this book will support various ministries including those that help provide shelter and rehabilitation for thousands of children and exploited women around the world. :)

Francis and Lisa Chan’s latest book is being marketed as a marriage book—it’s even subtitled Marriage in Light of Eternity—but in reality (and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion the Chans realize this), this is more a book on living out your Christianity than improving your marriage.I deeply admire Francis and Lisa Chan. Whenever I read Francis’s books or hear him teach, the first word that runs across my brain is passionate. The second is genuine. More so than almost any other Christian leader I know, Francis and Lisa have dedicated their lives to following the call of the Spirit.When I first heard of You and Me Forever, I immediately preordered it. I was certain that this would not be just another marriage book. And I was right. They begin with a blunt statement: this book is not for those who do not have the Holy Spirit. This is not a book about building a good marriage for the here and now; this is a book about building a marriage for eternity. And that requires building your faith and allowing your marriage to be a part of it. Everything you are supposed to do in your faith and your calling should be made stronger through the support of your marriage.This is not a have-a-better-marriage book: this is a use-your-marriage-better book. Use your marriage to model Christ and the church. Use your marriage to show others what love is. Use your marriage to build each other up and support one another in your callings. Use your marriage to keep one another spiritually on-track. Page after page, the focus is not on marriage…but as a result of implementing and acting on what the Chans are saying, your marriage will get better. Francis and Lisa have hit upon a crucial point most marriage books miss: You can’t improve the marriage without improving the people in it.As a pastor, this is a book that will not just go on my shelf of marriage books, it’ll go out in front. It’ll be the book I make mandatory reading in marriage counseling. It’ll be the book that I myself return to time and again. It’s truly transformational. It’s a completely different way of looking at marriage, and it’s beautiful.

I like how it’s amor biblical approach, rather than how to it’s more of a depend on God. It was very inspiring.

This book has amazing insight for Christian couples on how to build a great marriage.It is not like the other marriage help books. It's insight flies in the face of I've seen taught in other books on marriage.Yet the book has Biblical insight on marriage that is more useful and accurate than any other I have seen.I suspect this book will be of little use to folks who are not Christians (Christians are folks who have surrendered to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and who earnestly desire to please Him).Yet for Christians, this book will speak truth and provide insight that is Biblical, true, and that probably has the best chance of helping you develop a deeper, richer marriage.Not that I am any expert on marriage, but I find the Holy Spirit within me leaping in support of many of the principles that Francis & Lisa painted across the pages of this book.The book is also elegantly and artfully written, so it is an easy and enjoyable read.If you are a Christian and want a deeper, richer, Biblical marriage, then this book is worth every cent, and it's insight will last a lot longer than that latte whose scent may be drifting though your thoughts at this moment.