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Staying Power: Building a Stronger Marriage When Life Sends Its Worst
Too often, when a life crisis hits, a marriage suffers--even a healthy one--and all the personality profiles and couples' therapy in the world won't keep your marriage from experiencing the tough stuff. So how do you and your spouse face the stresses put on your marriage and not only stay together but come out on the other side even more loving and committed?
In Staying Power , two longtime couples offer insights, skills, and clear direction so that you can respond to trials in a way that strengthens rather than weakens your marriage. They show you how to
- handle anger creatively, forgive freely, and persevere together
- nurture one another in powerful ways
- learn new techniques for connecting both verbally and nonverbally in the midst of crisis
- and much more
Don't let financial trouble, infertility, health challenges, parenting cares, addiction of a loved one, or heartbreaking loss destroy your marriage. Instead, learn how through your strong relationship you can overcome all of life's curveballs--together.
In Staying Power , two longtime couples offer insights, skills, and clear direction so that you can respond to trials in a way that strengthens rather than weakens your marriage. They show you how to
- handle anger creatively, forgive freely, and persevere together
- nurture one another in powerful ways
- learn new techniques for connecting both verbally and nonverbally in the midst of crisis
- and much more
Don't let financial trouble, infertility, health challenges, parenting cares, addiction of a loved one, or heartbreaking loss destroy your marriage. Instead, learn how through your strong relationship you can overcome all of life's curveballs--together.
- GenresNonfictionMarriage
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2020
9 people are currently reading
940 people want to read
About the author
Carol Kent
64 books21 followersCarol Kent is a bestselling author and an international public speaker—best known for being dynamic, humorous, encouraging, and biblical. She is a former radio show co-host and speaks internationally. She regularly appears on a wide variety of nationally syndicated radio and television broadcasts. She is the president of Speak Up Speaker Services, and the founder and director of the Speak Up Conference. She and her husband also founded Speak Up for Hope, a nonprofit organization that benefits inmates and their families. She holds a master’s degree in communication arts and a bachelor’s degree in speech education. She has taught speech and drama, and directed women’s ministries at a large mid-western church. Carol and her husband, Gene, make their home in Lakeland, Florida. Their only child, Jason, resides at Hardee Correctional Institution in Bowling Green, Florida, where he is serving a life sentence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 21, 2020
The authors and their marriages have survived crises that would cause most marriages to crumble. Their godly wisdom is drawn from long-term heartache and decades of marital tenacity.
The book is filled with true stories, tips, strategies and biblical hope for staying together in a healthy way through horrific trials. In some of the stories shared, the marriages did crumble but were able to be rebuilt.
It's important to note that the authors do not address the crises the come from within a marriage such as infidelity, addiction, and so many others. The stories shared in this book are from marriages that have survived outside stressors like dealing with addicted or incarcerated children, long-term caregiving for vulnerable family members, or a shocking diagnosis.
I was encouraged by the honesty and the lack of "sugar-coating." Life and marriage is a rough ride, but this book is a general field guide to staying on track together.
I received an advanced copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review, but it is my great pleasure to do so.
The book is filled with true stories, tips, strategies and biblical hope for staying together in a healthy way through horrific trials. In some of the stories shared, the marriages did crumble but were able to be rebuilt.
It's important to note that the authors do not address the crises the come from within a marriage such as infidelity, addiction, and so many others. The stories shared in this book are from marriages that have survived outside stressors like dealing with addicted or incarcerated children, long-term caregiving for vulnerable family members, or a shocking diagnosis.
I was encouraged by the honesty and the lack of "sugar-coating." Life and marriage is a rough ride, but this book is a general field guide to staying on track together.
I received an advanced copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review, but it is my great pleasure to do so.
March 31, 2020
EVERY marriage will take a hit and suffer through a season that needs "Staying Power". This is the book you don't want to need to read, but when you do, it will shift your thinking, elevate your hope and give you specific strategies to affect change for the better.
There are nuggets in every chapter, but I promise you there will be at least one chapter in "Staying Power" that will bring you to tears and give you the hope you need.
There are nuggets in every chapter, but I promise you there will be at least one chapter in "Staying Power" that will bring you to tears and give you the hope you need.
March 31, 2020
Carol and Gene Kent’s new book Staying Power is a real, raw, and encouraging book for couples. It’s filled with stories and practical tools to help you work through those difficult seasons and become stronger on the other side. This is a book to read no matter what season of marriage you are experiencing
April 9, 2020
Staying Power by Carol Kent, Gene Kent, David Lambert, and Cindy Lambert is a book EVERY married couple should be REQUIRED to read. I honestly felt as if they had been inside my home or as if they had had mini cameras in my home. Some of the stories came straight out of my marriage. On one side, it is encouraging to know that my husband and I are not the only couples going through tough times. On the other side, it's heart-wrenching to know that so many married couples of today give up in the tough times. It is truly nothing short of a miracle that my husband and I are still married. We continue to struggle, but with books like STAYING POWER, we are able to see that there is more hope than I originally thought. I am truly thankful I have had an opportunity to read STAYING POWER. I plan on sharing it with every single married couple I know as well as with couples planning on getting married.
March 24, 2020
Staying Power is a gift for all couples. It is beautifully written with stunning impact! Two couples use four voices to skillfully weave together raw stories that will renew your hope through the pages of this safe and sacred place. Definitely a reread kind of book with doable steps and handy go-to resources.
February 16, 2022
How do you respond when life sends its worst? Do you reach out to others or withdraw? Does it make your relationships stronger or cause a division? This book is a must read for all couples. It is full of God Stories of when life is hard, and God shows up big and helps deepens their faith! I believe our greatest struggles can become fertile ground for God to grow our roots deep. This happens individually and in relationships, which is what this book talks about. I highly recommend this book; it is full of hope and encouragement.
If you want to hear more about this book, you can check out my conversation with Carol & Gene Kent and Cindy & Dave Lambert on episode 119 on the Depth Podcast. https://jodirosser.com/depth-podcast-...
If you want to hear more about this book, you can check out my conversation with Carol & Gene Kent and Cindy & Dave Lambert on episode 119 on the Depth Podcast. https://jodirosser.com/depth-podcast-...
March 22, 2020
Staying Power is one of the most honest books on marriage and family struggles. As a counselor I’ve found few resources in the faith community that hits the hardest challenges of marriage. Staying Power meets the broken dreams of marriage and family with realistic tools to face family stress.
May 5, 2020
Staying Power presents itself in a pretty standard self-help format. Long-married couples Carole & Gene Kent and Cindy & David Lambert bring together doctors, writers, editors, bloggers, speakers, etc from the Christian community to discuss various common stressors that can challenge otherwise seemingly successful marriages and how to successfully combat them. These contributors share personal stories of hardships within their own relationships, as do the Kents and Lamberts, with the idea that each is supposed to have a "what can we take away from this?" teaching / reflection moment for the readers at the end, closing each chapter with discussion questions. These question lists are labeled "For Couples or Small Groups", potentially making it a useful tool during bible study discussions. Periodically, there will also be Statement Inventory Checklists, a list of statements couples can read aloud and see how true they ring, as a kind of relationship health barometer, and hopefully encourage deeper discussion on these topics (Examples: "I feel guilty when I relax." "We don't seem to face crises with the same intensity.")
*Note: At the back of the book, a blurb is provided on all the contributors detailing their individual professional pet projects or businesses.
The authors point out that while there are plenty of marriage help books out there offering tips on how to navigate problems within a relationship, Staying Power focuses its attention on external challenges that can put relationships to the test, things out of a couple's control such as job layoffs, death, difficult family members causing tension between people, incarcerated family members, health challenges, etc. The book also touches upon situations such as potential clashings around newly blended families or, as in the case of one story here, empty-nester parents once looking forward to easing into retirement years now finding themselves raising their granddaughter because the girl's parents have once again fallen into drug addiction and are unable to properly care for her.
Some thoughts on a few of the other stories:
* The first story --- the husband seems to have a history of emotionally withdrawing from his wife when it comes to difficult or traumatic situations, such as with the loss of his brother, when he turned to a friend for support and comforting instead of his spouse .... and yet when the wife later voices her hurt over this repeated turning away from her, the authors label that as her "narcissism"?
And I gotta say, I felt for the kids in the background of some of these stories, such as these two:
* Kristen & Dan -- They're describing their son struggling with depression and self-harm and Kristen seems to make it about her and how "stressful and inconvenient" their son's mental illness is on their marriage. Sure, they end up helping him, but their support (or at least Kim's) felt like it came with a grudge.
* Margie & Rico -- Rico's son from his first marriage is kicked out of the mother's house (Rico's ex), so rather than try to understand why Rico might not want his son out in the world homeless, Margie throws a tantrum over the kid living with them, resulting in her smashing Rico's favorite mug against a wall and slicing his hand. I can understand being ruffled by the short notice and inconvenience of it all, but her reaction was wildly over the top.
Regarding some of the tips and tricks offered:
The concept of "pre-decisions" is nice in theory, but to me it seems unrealistic in practice. The idea is that you make these decisions on how to handle a situation before problems even happen so that you never have to worry about emotions escalating too far. But c'mon. Automatically forgive? Promise not to lash out in anger? Promise to always apologize first and admit you're wrong? (But what if I'm not?) Tell yourself "I won't act or speak as if the sky is falling." (Sometimes it DOES feel as if the sky is falling in the moment.)....
This is supposed to work for all heated moments across the board? I can't see it. Not if you're human. Humans are flawed. Sometimes we ARE going to overreact. Sometimes it will be hard to forgive right away. Each couple will be unique in their history together that might play into the level of emotions with the current argument. I just feel like these things can't be pre-remedied so easily as that.
Oh, and then there's this little gem: "I will respond tenderly to my spouse's needs. When my spouse asks something of me --- whether it be affection, attention, resources of some kind, time, patience, forgiveness -- I will assume that the most important thing at that moment is meeting that need. When at all possible, I will set aside whatever else I'm doing and focus single-mindedly on my spouse's need."
Again, in theory, sounds nice. But as a married woman I know that some days when your spouse does you dirty, you just want to be mad for awhile, and in my mind, there's no harm in just keeping to yourself for a moment if it will help the relationship down the road. If my spouse has made a royal mess of something... nope, sorry, I'm likely not going to go out of my way to bend over backwards to cater to his needs right in that moment. I'm gonna let him sweat awhile while I quietly figure out how to clean up the mess. I'm allowed to be hurt. I'm allowed to backburner his immediate needs & wants in that moment while I collect my inner self and try to figure out where to go from there.
All that said, I DO agree with the other half of the "Pre-Decisions" list -- things like "I will persevere through failure," "I will not expect my spouse to read my mind," "I will accept my spouse as he or she is," "I will address concerns openly." Readers are also given anger management tips in chapters like "Anger is Not the Enemy", where it's suggested to use "I" statements to calmly air grievances, count to ten, practice patience, etc (you know, the therapy classics) or, as in the chapter "Forgive Freely", what you might try if you're not quite at the point of being ready to forgive. I wholeheartedly agree with principles shared in the chapter "The Right Word at the Right Time", things like
* avoid public criticism of your spouse (no bashing on social media or at parties, for example)
* be your spouse's defender if someone else is speaking critically of them
* whenever possible, share praise and congratulations given to you (if your partner helped you with a project, make sure their contribution is known to whoever is thanking or praising you)
* freely give words of praise / admiration to your spouse
* regularly practice gratitude & respect for spouse
The flow of writing is nice, though it was sometimes a challenge keeping all the rotating contributors straight. The topics are thought-provoking, and I like how the overall message is meant to come back to different ways to remind your spouse "we're on the same team"... but that idea didn't always translate well for me, at least not with the example stories they chose to feature here. In several of the scenarios, while there is a lot of "we" being passed around, it often seemed like the resolution came after the woman apologized, while the guy seemed to get away with a backrub, cup of coffee and a "well, as long as you know" smile. To me, it rang very old-school (as in, outdated) Christian marriage structure which ultimately chafed me a bit as a millennial not yet through her first decade of marriage. All that was missing was a "You're the best, doll." LOL
At the back of the book is an Appendix section which includes "Crisis Helpsheets" --- easy-reference bulletpointed lists for how to handle stressful situations such as children with chronic illness or disability, infertility struggles, death of friends or family members, surviving a financial upset, or approaching the topic of eldercare. The authors even include a list for parents of LGBTQ children, encouraging the motto of "Empathize. Advocate. Protect." Impressive! They further encourage parents to remain loving, patient, open-hearted AND open-minded to what their children have to say. Beautiful!
*Note to Readers: This book contains spoilers for the film adaptation of The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.
FTC DISCLAIMER: Revell Publishing kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are entirely my own.
*Note: At the back of the book, a blurb is provided on all the contributors detailing their individual professional pet projects or businesses.
The authors point out that while there are plenty of marriage help books out there offering tips on how to navigate problems within a relationship, Staying Power focuses its attention on external challenges that can put relationships to the test, things out of a couple's control such as job layoffs, death, difficult family members causing tension between people, incarcerated family members, health challenges, etc. The book also touches upon situations such as potential clashings around newly blended families or, as in the case of one story here, empty-nester parents once looking forward to easing into retirement years now finding themselves raising their granddaughter because the girl's parents have once again fallen into drug addiction and are unable to properly care for her.
Some thoughts on a few of the other stories:
* The first story --- the husband seems to have a history of emotionally withdrawing from his wife when it comes to difficult or traumatic situations, such as with the loss of his brother, when he turned to a friend for support and comforting instead of his spouse .... and yet when the wife later voices her hurt over this repeated turning away from her, the authors label that as her "narcissism"?
And I gotta say, I felt for the kids in the background of some of these stories, such as these two:
* Kristen & Dan -- They're describing their son struggling with depression and self-harm and Kristen seems to make it about her and how "stressful and inconvenient" their son's mental illness is on their marriage. Sure, they end up helping him, but their support (or at least Kim's) felt like it came with a grudge.
* Margie & Rico -- Rico's son from his first marriage is kicked out of the mother's house (Rico's ex), so rather than try to understand why Rico might not want his son out in the world homeless, Margie throws a tantrum over the kid living with them, resulting in her smashing Rico's favorite mug against a wall and slicing his hand. I can understand being ruffled by the short notice and inconvenience of it all, but her reaction was wildly over the top.
Regarding some of the tips and tricks offered:
The concept of "pre-decisions" is nice in theory, but to me it seems unrealistic in practice. The idea is that you make these decisions on how to handle a situation before problems even happen so that you never have to worry about emotions escalating too far. But c'mon. Automatically forgive? Promise not to lash out in anger? Promise to always apologize first and admit you're wrong? (But what if I'm not?) Tell yourself "I won't act or speak as if the sky is falling." (Sometimes it DOES feel as if the sky is falling in the moment.)....
This is supposed to work for all heated moments across the board? I can't see it. Not if you're human. Humans are flawed. Sometimes we ARE going to overreact. Sometimes it will be hard to forgive right away. Each couple will be unique in their history together that might play into the level of emotions with the current argument. I just feel like these things can't be pre-remedied so easily as that.
Oh, and then there's this little gem: "I will respond tenderly to my spouse's needs. When my spouse asks something of me --- whether it be affection, attention, resources of some kind, time, patience, forgiveness -- I will assume that the most important thing at that moment is meeting that need. When at all possible, I will set aside whatever else I'm doing and focus single-mindedly on my spouse's need."
Again, in theory, sounds nice. But as a married woman I know that some days when your spouse does you dirty, you just want to be mad for awhile, and in my mind, there's no harm in just keeping to yourself for a moment if it will help the relationship down the road. If my spouse has made a royal mess of something... nope, sorry, I'm likely not going to go out of my way to bend over backwards to cater to his needs right in that moment. I'm gonna let him sweat awhile while I quietly figure out how to clean up the mess. I'm allowed to be hurt. I'm allowed to backburner his immediate needs & wants in that moment while I collect my inner self and try to figure out where to go from there.
All that said, I DO agree with the other half of the "Pre-Decisions" list -- things like "I will persevere through failure," "I will not expect my spouse to read my mind," "I will accept my spouse as he or she is," "I will address concerns openly." Readers are also given anger management tips in chapters like "Anger is Not the Enemy", where it's suggested to use "I" statements to calmly air grievances, count to ten, practice patience, etc (you know, the therapy classics) or, as in the chapter "Forgive Freely", what you might try if you're not quite at the point of being ready to forgive. I wholeheartedly agree with principles shared in the chapter "The Right Word at the Right Time", things like
* avoid public criticism of your spouse (no bashing on social media or at parties, for example)
* be your spouse's defender if someone else is speaking critically of them
* whenever possible, share praise and congratulations given to you (if your partner helped you with a project, make sure their contribution is known to whoever is thanking or praising you)
* freely give words of praise / admiration to your spouse
* regularly practice gratitude & respect for spouse
The flow of writing is nice, though it was sometimes a challenge keeping all the rotating contributors straight. The topics are thought-provoking, and I like how the overall message is meant to come back to different ways to remind your spouse "we're on the same team"... but that idea didn't always translate well for me, at least not with the example stories they chose to feature here. In several of the scenarios, while there is a lot of "we" being passed around, it often seemed like the resolution came after the woman apologized, while the guy seemed to get away with a backrub, cup of coffee and a "well, as long as you know" smile. To me, it rang very old-school (as in, outdated) Christian marriage structure which ultimately chafed me a bit as a millennial not yet through her first decade of marriage. All that was missing was a "You're the best, doll." LOL
At the back of the book is an Appendix section which includes "Crisis Helpsheets" --- easy-reference bulletpointed lists for how to handle stressful situations such as children with chronic illness or disability, infertility struggles, death of friends or family members, surviving a financial upset, or approaching the topic of eldercare. The authors even include a list for parents of LGBTQ children, encouraging the motto of "Empathize. Advocate. Protect." Impressive! They further encourage parents to remain loving, patient, open-hearted AND open-minded to what their children have to say. Beautiful!
*Note to Readers: This book contains spoilers for the film adaptation of The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.
FTC DISCLAIMER: Revell Publishing kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are entirely my own.
March 31, 2020
The authors of Staying Power kept it real, relatable and relevant. The personal stories included brought authenticity and interest to each chapter. There was a variety of issues addressed, meeting a need for encouragement and help in multiple areas of marriage. The presentation of the material was thorough and insightful, with tangible resources given to provide further help even beyond the book. The heart of the authors came through the pages and by the end, as a reader, I had a greater appreciation for their honesty and desire to see marriages thrive.
April 5, 2020
Hold your marriage together through a storm.
How do you hold your marriage together when it’s tested due to a circumstance beyond your control? Married couples Carol and Gene Kent and Cindy and David Lambert use their own experiences, plus those of other couples, to answer that difficult question. Examples include health struggles, incarceration of a child, infertility, death of a child, and raising grandchildren.
The foundation for marital success through a challenge is keeping God in the mix. As described, God is the third strand of a strong cord. Staying Power describes twelve keys to success that range from Forgiving Freely to Guilt-Free Time Out and The Strength of Weakness. Each topic includes an inspirational true story, followed by applicable and actionable steps that will help a struggling couple. Each chapter ends with reflection through a series of questions. Helpful resources at the end of the book are specific to different crises.
How this book affected me:
After dealing with infertility in my own marriage, I can understand how these situations that are beyond our control can tear marriages apart. I found all the stories of couples who found their way through very difficult circumstances to be very inspiring.
Who would enjoy this book:
The focus of Staying Power is on marriages that are facing turmoil from factors beyond their control, as explained within the review. Married couples that are facing such a crisis or the aftermath of one would benefit from this book. Married couples who’ve grown apart and are considering divorce after a crisis might be able to save their marriage by reading this book.
Our Christian Book Reviews:
The book reviews at Finding God Among Us focus on Christian books - adult and children, fiction and nonfiction. We're proud to be included in the Top 50 Christian Book Review Bloggers. I chose to read an ARC from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. This review is my honest opinion.
How do you hold your marriage together when it’s tested due to a circumstance beyond your control? Married couples Carol and Gene Kent and Cindy and David Lambert use their own experiences, plus those of other couples, to answer that difficult question. Examples include health struggles, incarceration of a child, infertility, death of a child, and raising grandchildren.
The foundation for marital success through a challenge is keeping God in the mix. As described, God is the third strand of a strong cord. Staying Power describes twelve keys to success that range from Forgiving Freely to Guilt-Free Time Out and The Strength of Weakness. Each topic includes an inspirational true story, followed by applicable and actionable steps that will help a struggling couple. Each chapter ends with reflection through a series of questions. Helpful resources at the end of the book are specific to different crises.
How this book affected me:
After dealing with infertility in my own marriage, I can understand how these situations that are beyond our control can tear marriages apart. I found all the stories of couples who found their way through very difficult circumstances to be very inspiring.
Who would enjoy this book:
The focus of Staying Power is on marriages that are facing turmoil from factors beyond their control, as explained within the review. Married couples that are facing such a crisis or the aftermath of one would benefit from this book. Married couples who’ve grown apart and are considering divorce after a crisis might be able to save their marriage by reading this book.
Our Christian Book Reviews:
The book reviews at Finding God Among Us focus on Christian books - adult and children, fiction and nonfiction. We're proud to be included in the Top 50 Christian Book Review Bloggers. I chose to read an ARC from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. This review is my honest opinion.
April 5, 2020
When our dreams of “happily ever after” are shattered, and our vows of “for better or worse” are suddenly tested, what do we do? Faced with that very question, the authors of this book found answers in the pages of God’s Word, and in these empowering words: “We’re in this together.” Staying Power.
Weaving their own compelling stories with those of other couples in crisis, Gene and Carol Kent, and Dave and Cindy Lambert invite us to experience with them the depth of their pain, the reality of their struggles, and the ultimate choices that saw them through, on their journey from tragedy to triumph.
Having known and worked alongside the authors for years, I knew when I bought this book that it would be written with excellence, and filled with inspirational stories, practical advice, and solid biblical principles for married couples. I discovered it is certainly all that, but so much more.
If you have been through the pain of an unwanted divorce, or for whatever reason are navigating the rough waters of re-marriage, you will be encouraged by stories of others who, in time, were able to overcome the challenges of a blended family that threaten to pull a marriage apart.
Chapter 11, Kissing the Scars, had a profound impact on me personally. Its message provides hope and a vision for us all: “Every gaping wound is a scar in the making, with a story to tell.”
No matter what life storms you encounter as a couple—health issues, loss of a child, financial crises, or any other hardship or setback that puts a strain on your marriage—you will find encouragement, guidance, and healing in these pages. You’ll come away feeling like you had spent time with a friend who walked alongside with a loving arm around you, offering a timely gift of understanding, wise counsel and practical help.
Weaving their own compelling stories with those of other couples in crisis, Gene and Carol Kent, and Dave and Cindy Lambert invite us to experience with them the depth of their pain, the reality of their struggles, and the ultimate choices that saw them through, on their journey from tragedy to triumph.
Having known and worked alongside the authors for years, I knew when I bought this book that it would be written with excellence, and filled with inspirational stories, practical advice, and solid biblical principles for married couples. I discovered it is certainly all that, but so much more.
If you have been through the pain of an unwanted divorce, or for whatever reason are navigating the rough waters of re-marriage, you will be encouraged by stories of others who, in time, were able to overcome the challenges of a blended family that threaten to pull a marriage apart.
Chapter 11, Kissing the Scars, had a profound impact on me personally. Its message provides hope and a vision for us all: “Every gaping wound is a scar in the making, with a story to tell.”
No matter what life storms you encounter as a couple—health issues, loss of a child, financial crises, or any other hardship or setback that puts a strain on your marriage—you will find encouragement, guidance, and healing in these pages. You’ll come away feeling like you had spent time with a friend who walked alongside with a loving arm around you, offering a timely gift of understanding, wise counsel and practical help.
May 5, 2020
Staying Power is written by Carol , Gene Kent and Cindy and David Lambert. Staying Power is a nonfiction Christian book . Carol Kent is a best selling author and international speaker. She is the president and founder of Speak up Speaker and the founder and director of Speak up Conferences. She and her husband founded Speak up for Hope which is a nonprofit organization that benefits inmates and their families. Her website is www..CarolKent.org. She has been a radio host and is frequently asked to speak on Television broadcasts and radio shows. Cindy Lambert is a freelance writer and executive editor for Baker Books. This book is well written and gives excellent strategies to stay in your marriage through the many stresses in life. The Lambert's and Kent's share personal stories that tie into the chapter and strategy they and writing about. There are also personal stories of other people in each chapter. The strategies in each chapter are helpful for strengthening a marriage. The book addresses forgiveness, anger, guilt free time outs, using weakness for strength. There are excellent help sheets in the back of the book that address lots of problems like infertility, addictions, a child who is in jail, and many other issues. The cheat sheets guide people on how to walk through many difficulties and be stronger as they go through it all. The Kent's have a son in jail . As a result, they have learned how to work together in their marriage through the daily challenges they face with a son in jail. The authors encourage the reader to use their scars for strength and a positive means in their marriage. This book is an excellent resource for pastors, counselors and for any Christian marriage. I was given this book by the publisher to read and review. The opinions are my own.
April 12, 2020
It is a very interesting thing to me just how long my wife and I have been married. For a total of eleven years together, as a married couple we've been through some amazing things together. It takes a lot for couples to even begin to stay the course, as it may be, any more. In this day and age, what with Coronavirus (COVID-19, a SARS-like disease) spreading and killing some, things are even more tough and difficult. What will help in a time like this?
For starters, couples who claim that Jesus Christ is their center ought to be able to prove it with His Holy Spirit. As Paul says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:22-24, New American Standard).
In regards to the Kents and Lamberts who have written this wonderful book, I find it a fresh breath in helping married couples remain so: married and able to traverse rough waters. The Kent's alone prove that things can hit at a wrong moment in time, as in the case with their son who was facing murder charges. Sometimes things happen and we either deal with them in the light and grace of God's mercy, or we falter and lose hope.
My take on this book is that it is a great tool for married couples to both read together as well as on their own. That way both people can have their views on what will work, and areas that need to be worked out. It is my hope and prayer that with this review of Revell's latest book, which I received complimentary, is both fair and accurate.
For starters, couples who claim that Jesus Christ is their center ought to be able to prove it with His Holy Spirit. As Paul says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:22-24, New American Standard).
In regards to the Kents and Lamberts who have written this wonderful book, I find it a fresh breath in helping married couples remain so: married and able to traverse rough waters. The Kent's alone prove that things can hit at a wrong moment in time, as in the case with their son who was facing murder charges. Sometimes things happen and we either deal with them in the light and grace of God's mercy, or we falter and lose hope.
My take on this book is that it is a great tool for married couples to both read together as well as on their own. That way both people can have their views on what will work, and areas that need to be worked out. It is my hope and prayer that with this review of Revell's latest book, which I received complimentary, is both fair and accurate.
April 27, 2020
The purpose of Staying Power, as defined by the authors early in the reading, was to write to couples encountering challenges. The authors were determined to aid in strengthening marriages during times of difficulties rather than weaken, as many do. The challenges they targeted were not those that come from inside the marriages, such as infidelity and gambling, but rather those that arise from outside like illness, raising a grandchild or, as the authors encountered, having an incarcerated loved one. As you read this book, be prepared to hear a lot about the incarceration of the authors’ son. This theme arises frequently as they seek to use their personal experiences, and the experiences of others to navigate the “staying power” needed to weather the outside storms.
Particularly standing out in this read were the positive uses of anger. Every person, couple, human experiences anger. Anger can be used to provide motivation, teach you something about yourself, and become a catalyst for communication. The authors do a great job of enabling the reader to understand their key points by providing real life examples to solidify the content in the minds of those who decide to pick up a copy of this book. Other great takeaways from this read are the lessons in choosing the right words, and ideas for providing thoughtful gestures for your loved ones in times of extreme challenge.
However, the excessive number of authors, and their changing view points and storytelling, causes the reader to flip to the back of the book again and again in hopes of keeping them all straight. This inclusion of four authors, two sets of married couples, didn’t seem to add value to the story line.
*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Particularly standing out in this read were the positive uses of anger. Every person, couple, human experiences anger. Anger can be used to provide motivation, teach you something about yourself, and become a catalyst for communication. The authors do a great job of enabling the reader to understand their key points by providing real life examples to solidify the content in the minds of those who decide to pick up a copy of this book. Other great takeaways from this read are the lessons in choosing the right words, and ideas for providing thoughtful gestures for your loved ones in times of extreme challenge.
However, the excessive number of authors, and their changing view points and storytelling, causes the reader to flip to the back of the book again and again in hopes of keeping them all straight. This inclusion of four authors, two sets of married couples, didn’t seem to add value to the story line.
*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
April 3, 2020
You’re married, minding your own business when BAM! life hits you out of nowhere like a pro football offensive tackle. Are you ready for it? Is there a way to prepare your marriage for all the crazy situations able to knock you flat and take you out of the game? In Staying Power: Building a Stronger Marriage when Life sends its Worst, Carol & Gene Kent and Cindy & David Lambert give us practical and tangible helps for real life situations. They interviewed numerous married couples who faced devastating challenges that could have torn them apart. But with the Grace of God and a determination to stay these husbands and wives remained united, finding a deeper level of endurance and creativity in dealing with the worst that life gave them. From the first page to the last I was impressed with the candidness and authenticity this pair of authors approached their own stories of staying power and the real Hope that’s found in Jesus Christ.
I highly recommend this book for couples and small groups as well as the spouse who is trying to hold it together alone. Every chapter ends with great discussion questions and also offers doable tasks to help with anger, forgiveness, and using our words to heal and not hurt, to name a few.
This is a marriage book that belongs in every library. I’ll be getting one for each of my married children. Yes, it’s that good!
I highly recommend this book for couples and small groups as well as the spouse who is trying to hold it together alone. Every chapter ends with great discussion questions and also offers doable tasks to help with anger, forgiveness, and using our words to heal and not hurt, to name a few.
This is a marriage book that belongs in every library. I’ll be getting one for each of my married children. Yes, it’s that good!
March 23, 2020
I just finished reading an electronic copy of Staying Power: Building a Stronger Marriage When Life Sends Its Worst by Carol & Gene Kent and Cindy & Dave Lambert. I can't wait for my hard copy to arrive so that I can re-read the book along with my husband. It is a fact that even the most stable of marriages will experience difficult times that may not be the fault of either spouse. Scripture says that a strand of three is not easily broken. One thing not often disclosed is that one of those three strands is stronger, smarter, more faithful and more powerful than the other two. (Hint: it isn't you.) When life seems upside down and inside out there are practical, realistic things you can do to pull together as a couple, and Staying Power clearly illustrates specific ways to protect and fortify your marriage. I recommend this book to every married and engaged couple as it offers a realistic view of marriage and pragmatic ideas for couples to work together as a inseparable team. The Crisis Helpsheets found in the Apendix are concise, helpful and full of great resources to address many specific topics that couples might face. If you are questioning whether or not this book is for you - it is!
March 26, 2020
I was so excited to read Staying Power, as I've seen Carol Kent speak many times and read her other books. I admire her authenticity and the ways she encourages others through her story. This book did not disappoint! Staying Power is full of the practical tips and powerful biblical guidance that I've come to expect from Carol Kent, who co-authored this book with her husband, Gene, and friends David and Cindy Lambert.
Staying Power covers what to do when you and your spouse must face a crisis such as infertility, health challenges, financial difficulties, grief, parenting trials, or addiction. It encourages couples with wisdom and step-by-step strategies for rebuilding and strengthening their marriage.
My favorite tips include those for helping couples communicate more clearly and compassionately (including using silence wisely), as well as advice that spurs couples to use the power of serving while suffering. Staying Power is aptly named as it is a powerful book that attacks common issues in unique ways that are applicable to real life.
If your marriage is struggling (and whose isn't at some point or another?), give this book a try. The wisdom offered can point you in the right direction and help your marriage survive the storm!
Staying Power covers what to do when you and your spouse must face a crisis such as infertility, health challenges, financial difficulties, grief, parenting trials, or addiction. It encourages couples with wisdom and step-by-step strategies for rebuilding and strengthening their marriage.
My favorite tips include those for helping couples communicate more clearly and compassionately (including using silence wisely), as well as advice that spurs couples to use the power of serving while suffering. Staying Power is aptly named as it is a powerful book that attacks common issues in unique ways that are applicable to real life.
If your marriage is struggling (and whose isn't at some point or another?), give this book a try. The wisdom offered can point you in the right direction and help your marriage survive the storm!
April 6, 2020
Staying Power is a "God sent" book. Who would have thought that in the midst of our current crisis, we would have a book that speaks exactly what families need to hear. Whether you are married or not, we are all in relationships and have families, so we need a glimmer of hope and light to help us navigate through life's twists and turns, heartaches and setbacks. This book covers a range of topics: overcoming sickness, financial struggles, drug addiction, depression, stress, job loss, incarceration, bankruptcy, death of a child, relationship struggles, career changes, reinventing yourself, serving others through our own battles, etc. They pull back the curtain and show you the true side of marriage and family life, not a fairy-tale "perfect life" of what people want others to see, but a raw truth that most people would not reveal in order for us to know that despite the struggle, they never give up. The Kent's and Lambert's show us how to pick up the pieces and keep going, how to lean on each other, cleave to hope in the future and push through in times of trouble. I absolutely love this book and would recommend it as a top ten in the books that need to be read immediately to help us overcome our own struggles through the rest of this year and upcoming months ahead!
April 2, 2020
The Kents and the Lamberts wrote an amazing book to encourage couples who deal with unexpected, difficult and often painful external challenges. Little did they know, an insidious enemy called Covid 19 was lurking right around the corner that would challenge us all. "Staying Power, Building a Stronger Marriage When Life Sends Its Worst" is needed, now more than ever, and it is needed by all of us.
"Staying Power" is filled with gut-level, honest, true life stories of couples who have survived the tough stuff and thrived. Both rocky marriages and long-time relationships that need a little excitement (or help with communication) will be strengthened by couples reading "Staying Power" and applying the eye-opening suggestions, questions for evaluating your own relationship, and so much more. Plus, there are Crisis Help Sheets at the end for specific situations that will prove invaluable.
Know a friend who desperately needs encouragement in her or his marriage? Need encouragement to get through the pandemic with your marriage on a high note instead of barely intact? I have highlighted and tabbed my copy and am ready to read it again.
"Staying Power" is filled with gut-level, honest, true life stories of couples who have survived the tough stuff and thrived. Both rocky marriages and long-time relationships that need a little excitement (or help with communication) will be strengthened by couples reading "Staying Power" and applying the eye-opening suggestions, questions for evaluating your own relationship, and so much more. Plus, there are Crisis Help Sheets at the end for specific situations that will prove invaluable.
Know a friend who desperately needs encouragement in her or his marriage? Need encouragement to get through the pandemic with your marriage on a high note instead of barely intact? I have highlighted and tabbed my copy and am ready to read it again.
June 19, 2024
“Staying Power” is hands-down the best marriage book my husband and I have read together. It will continue to be a go-to resource in every challenging season we face. The subtitles break the chapters into bite-size chunks that my husband and I enjoyed as part of our morning devotions. The stories and questions are great conversation starters and sparked many meaningful discussions.
Gene and Carol Kent and Dave and Cindy Lambert have done an excellent job of crafting a concise and complete tool kit to strengthen and fortify marriages for the tough times that are sure to come. The power-packed principles serve as a compass that help you navigate past trauma and present struggles. These hope-filled pages have truly inspired us to be more intentional in our daily interactions and to serve each other more faithfully and selflessly in ways that help and encourage each other.
The transparency and vulnerability of the authors is truly unique and the stories shared are captivating and impactful. Every marriage will benefit from reading this book! We plan to keep a supply on hand for wedding and anniversary gifts.
Gene and Carol Kent and Dave and Cindy Lambert have done an excellent job of crafting a concise and complete tool kit to strengthen and fortify marriages for the tough times that are sure to come. The power-packed principles serve as a compass that help you navigate past trauma and present struggles. These hope-filled pages have truly inspired us to be more intentional in our daily interactions and to serve each other more faithfully and selflessly in ways that help and encourage each other.
The transparency and vulnerability of the authors is truly unique and the stories shared are captivating and impactful. Every marriage will benefit from reading this book! We plan to keep a supply on hand for wedding and anniversary gifts.
March 10, 2020
“I take thee to be my wedded spouse, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part…” Yes, many of us have said those words, or something similar on that sacred wedding day. The happiest day of our lives, right?
But life goes on after that blissful day. We experience hardships we never imagined we would. How are we to endure it all? How are we to move forward?
When life sends the worst tragedies, nightmares, there is a way through it according to Staying Power by Carol & Gene Kent and Cindy & David Lambert. The two couples share their personal struggles as well as challenges of people they know in order to tell readers how even they can get through tough times together with their spouse.
The authors share how through leaning on Christ and their church community, they are able to overcome their setbacks. This doesn’t n they gave up or that times are simple. These couples band together to push through their difficulties.
Staying Power book launch showed up in my inbox. While my spouse seems to think everything is fine and dandy, I heartily disagree! As a book about building a stronger marriage, I felt this would be beneficial for me (okay, both of us). We may not be experiencing rough times right now, isn’t it better to be prepared?
This book was offered complimentary in exchange for an honest review. Books, Lattes and Tiaras gives Staying Power five out of five tiaras. I recommend all couples before or during marriage to read this book!
But life goes on after that blissful day. We experience hardships we never imagined we would. How are we to endure it all? How are we to move forward?
When life sends the worst tragedies, nightmares, there is a way through it according to Staying Power by Carol & Gene Kent and Cindy & David Lambert. The two couples share their personal struggles as well as challenges of people they know in order to tell readers how even they can get through tough times together with their spouse.
The authors share how through leaning on Christ and their church community, they are able to overcome their setbacks. This doesn’t n they gave up or that times are simple. These couples band together to push through their difficulties.
Staying Power book launch showed up in my inbox. While my spouse seems to think everything is fine and dandy, I heartily disagree! As a book about building a stronger marriage, I felt this would be beneficial for me (okay, both of us). We may not be experiencing rough times right now, isn’t it better to be prepared?
This book was offered complimentary in exchange for an honest review. Books, Lattes and Tiaras gives Staying Power five out of five tiaras. I recommend all couples before or during marriage to read this book!
March 31, 2020
My wife and I have written a marriage book and lead a marriage ministry, so we've seen a lot of marriage resources -- some good, many not so helpful. Rare is the book that will be as helpful as this one -- to nearly-weds, newlyweds, and those of us that are a bit further down the line -- whether the marriage is on the edge of a cliff or on a rock-solid foundation. My and my wife's biggest debate was, "Which of the 12 chapters is the best?" We vacillated between "Forgive Freely," "Kissing the Scars," and "The Right Word at the Right Time." Ah, I guess you'll just have to decide for yourself. But as you're doing so, read this out loud with your spouse. Then talk and pray about what you discover about yourself, your marriage, and your Creator. You'll take your marriage from surviving to thriving.
April 3, 2020
Are you married? Do you sometimes want advice on different ways to help make your marriage better? Or if you have a great marriage then do you want some advice to make sure it continues to be great? Well then “Staying Power: Building a Stronger Marriage When Life Sends Its Worst” by Carol & Gene Kent and Cindy & David Lambert is a good book to get in order to learn techniques to use in your marriage. I like that they tell stories about how people handled different things in their marriage whether it was a good way or not. As with any “self-help” book, I do think that there will be things that you do not agree with or that does not work for you, but that does not make the entire book bad or useless. I think that we can take something from it that will better not only ourselves but our marriages.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
March 24, 2020
This is a great book for couples to read, especially together! Both couples who wrote the book went through some challenges in life that will try a relationship. Unfortunately some relationships fail when the going gets tough, but the authors kept their relationships and grew stronger through the trials with God's help. This book relates their experiences and how they handled them, which at times was not very well. They are very honest about these events in their lives. The couples learned to communicate much more effectively and they teach these points in this book. Scripture is quoted throughout to give support to their findings. At the end of each chapter are questions that will help the readers to get the most out of the book.
March 31, 2020
How many of us have weathered a (MANY!) storms in our marriages yet we feel worse off for the storm instead of closer through the storm?
The decisions we make at those critical times makes a huge and lasting impact on your relationship and love you feel for each other. Two couples share the challenges and guidance so critical to helping us survive in our marriages.
I promise you there are nuggets for everyone in Staying Power, so I recommend you read this book TODAY, if you want your marriage to thrive!
The decisions we make at those critical times makes a huge and lasting impact on your relationship and love you feel for each other. Two couples share the challenges and guidance so critical to helping us survive in our marriages.
I promise you there are nuggets for everyone in Staying Power, so I recommend you read this book TODAY, if you want your marriage to thrive!
May 31, 2020
I was given this book for review. Let me start by saying I appreciate the authors' hearts, I think they really are trying to help people make their marriage better. Why only two stars? The book to me was very PREACHY and it also seems to assume that your spouse has the exact same level of faith development you do. That would be nice, but not really realistic. I did like the worksheets for specific situations that occur in marriages at the end of the book. I think it just wasn't the right fit for me. Maybe if you and your partner are exactly equally yolked this book would be helpful.
April 6, 2020
This book was remarkable writing, encouraging and compelling to read with that also challenging us to understand more deep detail of marriage life from the other couple experience compare with you and how must more that they need each other to become more powerful of two persons willing to pass all the struggle in life that power must be better that one alone. I highly recommend to everyone must read this book. “ I received complimentary a copy of this book from Revell Reads for this review”.
March 4, 2020
Excdllent!
March 28, 2020
The Kents and Lamberts have give us a book that is both captivating to read and full of practical tips and ideas to help any marriage not just survive, but thrive.
June 14, 2021
Excellent resource for all couples. Filled with examples of true life situations, honest emotions, and ways to interact during times of crisis, this is a great book.
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