Blog Tour Plus Giveaway - Love!

Love makes the world go 'round. Love, love me, do. Love me tender, love me sweet. Love means you never have to say you're sorry. All out of love.

Love one another. God is love. The greatest of these is love. The love of money is the root of all evil. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love covers a multitude of sins.

LOVE. Easy to talk about, sing about, write about. Harder to define. And even harder to do.

What does it really mean to love?

I'd like to introduce you to a new book that is full of practical ways to apply the theoretical concepts that many of us know and long to live out on a daily basis.


LOVE AS A WAY OF LIFE
by
Dr. Gary Chapman
You may know Dr. Gary Chapman as the author of the popular book The Five Love Languages. In this book he lays out seven traits that must be developed in one's life in order to demonstrate authentic love. Five love languages. Seven traits. Huh? What's the difference? He explains right at the beginning:

Love languages are important ways to communicate love, but without a basis for the love languages, our words and actions are empty.

The seven traits of a loving person are not an add-on to the five love languages; they are the foundation for every language of love. In order to love effectively in any relationship, we need to use these seven habits to cultivate an attitude of love in the most ordinary of interactions.

Cultivating the seven characteristics of love helps us build the strongest possible relationships through our attitudes, lifestyles, and actions. When we fail to value relationships through these seven characteristics, we are negative toward others, restless, and ready to attack or defend.

From Chapter 1: The Satisfaction of a Loving Life

This is a highly practical book. As Dr. Chapman puts it, it is written "not in the technical language of psychology or sociology but in the language of the man and woman who live down the street." It includes brief questionnaires to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses related to each trait, practical ways to develop specific habits to demonstrate each loving trait, as well as questions for discussion or reflection. Another helpful aspect of each chapter is the opposing competitor which must be overcome to develop that loving trait.

SUMMARY: The author of the perennial bestseller The Five Love Languages examines how a lifestyle of love can lead to deeper satisfaction in relationships and life goals. Eye-opening self tests, practical ideas for building daily habits of love, and inspiring examples guide readers in putting love to work in their daily interactions.

AUTHOR BIO: Gary Chapman is the author of twenty-five books, including the New York Times bestseller The Five Love Languages, with more than 4 million copies in print. His daily radio program, A Love Language Minute, is broadcast on more than 100 stations nationwide. Chapman, a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College, Wake-Forest University, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, serves on the pastoral staff at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

GIVEAWAY!

The publisher has generously provided 2 copies of this book for me to give to 2 of you! To enter, please leave a comment on this post by 10 PM CDT Friday. (Continental US Residents only) I'll draw 2 winners and post the results over the weekend after I return from my mission trip. Please feel free to link to this post and spread the word on your blog.