Customer Reviews

The Love as a Way of Life Devotional: A Ninety-Day Adventure That Makes Love a Daily Habit

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When I picked up this book, I mistakenly thought that it was a "marriage" devotional. Although it is not specifically intended for marriage, its principles are certainly true in marriage as well as in any other relationship. Based on seven distinguishing characteristics of a loving person, the authors focus on each characteristic for a total of twelve daily devotionals. With each devotional being only 2-4 paragraphs in length, their brevity makes them easily readable in our busy lifestyles. Although they are short, each devotional closes with a prayer, a thought, or a suggested action step, which help the reader take the next step to apply the devotional in their lives. I particularly liked that the authors began the book with devotionals emphasizing that true love is only found in a relationship with Christ and ended the book with devotionals emphasizing that only His grace enables us to extend these characteristics of true love to others.

I really love this book! It helps me focus on one quality I can develop at a time in my love walk. Good insights from a great author!

I would recommend Gary Chapman and Elisa Stanford's The Love as a Way of Life Devotional: A 90-Day Adventure that Makes Love a Daily Habit. [...].

Paul once encouraged the church to "Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying" (Romans 12:12). Patience is not a natural Farley trait . . . which means that this is a prime area that God can transform within me (and that I have a responsibility to develop along with him). Chapman told the story of a French artist by the name of Pierre Auguste Renoir (a influential painter in the nineteenth century). Towards the end of his life he developed a painful sort of rheumatoid arthritis which made his work troublesome (nearly impossible really). One of his closest friends finally asked him why he insisted on continuing his work when the pain was nearly unbearable. Renoir's reason was, "The beauty remains; the pain passes" (Chapman, 43-44). Life is full of difficulty and discouragement. Much of life hurts (whether self-inflicted or brought upon from outside sources). Only he gives us the patience to endure under the hardship. Even the godless can love their friends . . . followers of Christ are called to love the unlovables . . . the ones who want to take what is most important to us. The agony will not last forever. We must trust that the creativity and compassion of Christ will last a lifetime . . . both in us and through us . . . .
In his book, Love As a Way of Life, best-selling author Gary Chapman shows readers how to cultivate a new lifestyle built around the seven characteristics of authentic love. Now in a companion devotional, he provides ninety inspirational readings to help Christians consistently live out the characteristics of love in every relationship. Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to make love a lasting habit. Over the course of three months, readers will learn to follow God's lead as they practice the characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty. The devotional makes an ideal gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Couples, parents, new graduates, and anyone celebrating a milestone in life will welcome this inspiring daily guide to richer, more satisfying relationships.
Gary Chapman, PhD, is the author of twenty-six books, including the New York Times bestseller The Five Love Languages. An internationally respected marriage and family-life expert, he hosts the daily radio program A Love Language Minute. He and his wife, Karolyn, live in North Carolina where he serves on a church staff. Elisa Stanford is the author of Ordinary Losers: Naming the Graces that Shape Us. She lives in Colorado with her husband and two daughters.

Perfect for : Personal Use, Bible-Study group

In a nutshell: The authors have written a wonderful little faith-based devotional that aims to help the reader focus on the seven characteristics involved with loving a person, whether that person is your spouse, relative, friend, or co-worker. Each devotional starts with a scripture from the Bible, then continues with a few paragraphs pertaining to the topic of the day.

Extended Review:
Content: The book contains 9 sections, including seven characteristics of a loving person, an opening section called "Love as a New Way of Life" and a closing section called "Making Love a Way of Life Every Day." In between these two sections are the seven traits: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, honesty.

Format: Each topic is listed at the top of the page (there are a total of 90 topics), and is followed by a scripture from the Bible, then a few paragraphs that address the topic, ending with a thought or prayer for the day.

Readability: These topics are quick and easy reads, and will provide you with a nice start (or break) to your day.

Overall: These inspirational devotionals only require a few minutes to read, but will provide you with wonderful life stories that you can learn from and share.

When Gary Chapman penned The Five Love Languages its sweeping popularity paired with the effectiveness of his work embedded the concept of varying love styles deeply within our society, nearly making him a household name. His work on love then expanded to include love languages for children, teens, languages of apology, languages of communing with God, as well as other titles building upon the basic foundation of love.

When the entirety of scripture is examined it becomes apparent that not only is God's love the most powerful emotive force in existence, it's also the very foundation of the tapestry that He began weaving when He created the world. As followers of Christ our highest ambition is to embody and reflect this love to the world around us - from family and friends to acquaintances and even strangers.

In The Love as a Way of Life Chapman encouraged believers to put love in the center of their lives by developing the qualities of Kindness, Patience, Forgiveness, Courtesy, Humility, Generosity, and Honesty. The Love as a Way of Life Devotional, co-written by Elisa Stanford, provides 90 micro-devotionals to encourage and inspire Christians to develop each loving quality in their lives.

Each devotional segment includes a topical heading, scripture verse, illustration or personal anecdote and a practical action step or prayer. The anecdotes are drawn from scripture, Chapman's life, those of notable Christians such as Mother Teresa, pastors, literary characters and many other sources. The action steps and prayers are practical, helpful ways to become mindful of the unloving behaviours we often exhibit, and provide encouragement to strive to more faithfully represent Christ's love to others.

Each devotional is approximately two brief pages in length and is easily squeezed into the busiest schedule. To be honest, I kept my copy in the bathroom while I was reading it. It's so simple to get in and out of a devotional segment in a matter of minutes, yet the insights stay with you throughout the day. I found myself continually asking if I was behaving in loving ways with my family, and asking God to reveal my weaknesses in each quality listed above. Even my husband (who is not an avid reader) found himself reading through the devotionals' short sessions and would then discuss the impact they made on him.

Though The Love as a Way of Life Devotional is written as a companion devotional to The Love as a Way of Life, it lends itself just as easily to independent study. Not having read the original volume myself, I can attest to the fact that reading it alone will still result in effective self-examination and a desire to press on towards Christ-likeness.

Apart from the daily devotional experience itself, several of the illustrations have stuck with me. Each time I recall them I'm challenged anew, crying out to God to give me His heart for people; that I would be filled more completely with His love; and that others may come to know His love for them through my example.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest command is, He surprised the inquirer by offering two commandments: Love God and love others. These were not options for a disciple, but rather by following these two commands, someone could fulfill all of the law. Despite the simplicity of these commands, they can be extremely difficult to follow. That's one reason bestselling author Gary Chapman has penned THE LOVE AS A WAY OF LIFE DEVOTIONAL (co-written with Elisa Stanford), a 90-day devotional designed to help you make love a daily habit.

Designed as a complement to LOVE AS A WAY OF LIFE, Chapman identifies seven characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity and honesty. He believes that by reflecting these qualities in everyday life, we reflect the love of God to our friends, family and spouse.

Each short reflection begins with a scripture, then includes a reading portion that's two or three minutes long, and concludes with a thought, prayer or action step. Many of the reflections draw on inspirational stories or quotes. Readers will be familiar with illustrations from Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi and others. But some of the best stories are the personal ones from Chapman's life. For example, Chapman tells the story of his friend, Joe Warner, who visits his home every Christmas with a box filled with sugary sweet oranges. Though Warner is in his 80s, he continues to pursue such acts of kindness and offers a colorful reminder that love is often portrayed in small yet significant ways.

Another beautiful story is told of Mary Jo Copeland's care of the homeless and poor at Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The primary mission is to reach out to the disadvantaged. Copeland's practical approach to helping others by providing everything from socks to warm meals is a tangible expression of God's love.

Chapman writes: "The life of Christ reminds us that only when we take the attitude of a servant can we grow into the character of God. Every time we serve someone else, the results are out of our control --- who knows how the other person will react? Yet those are the moments we understand Christ's love for us most deeply."

One of the great strengths of THE LOVE AS A WAY OF LIFE DEVOTIONAL is its brevity. The short, easy-to-read portions make this a wonderful resource for those who want to supplement their reading of Chapman's full-length book. It's also a great gift for anyone who is brand new to the faith.

--- Reviewed by Margaret Oines

I cannot praise "The Love As A Way Of Life Devotional" highly enough. From the first entry, Gary Chapman's easily digestible, yet tenderly convicting daily reads are incredibly powerful. These heart-changing devotions are perfect for any Christian who wants to love others the way that Jesus loves each of us. Each entry is short enough to fit into any amount of daily quiet time or perfect for just spending a few moments with God at some point during the day. This book is a 90-day journey that I expect to take over and over again. I'm certain that anyone who picks up this book will do the same.

Love as a Way of Life Devotional by Gary Chapman is a 90 day study guide meant to accompany and deepen the reading of his book Love as a Way of Life. As in the original book, Chapman identifies seven ways to strengthen and enrich your relationships with everyone around you. Each day's reading is short, about two pages, and focuses on one of the seven traits. He employs Scripture and personal anecdotes to make each entry an enjoyable read, perfect for reading over a cup of coffee or just before bed. Chapman has an amazing understanding of what it means to truly love, and it's wonderful that he's sharing that knowledge with us!

This book is a compilation of 90 mini devotions to read that challenges readers to incorporate love as a way of life. Easy to read, this would make a nice supplement to anyone's daily devotions or to be read with family at dinnertime. In fact I think we'll do that as a family. I have been reading the book to myself, but including the family would be fun. The book's cover is also pretty so it sits out nicely as a coffee table book. (Anyone besides me cares about such things?) Gary Chapman is the same author as The Five Love Languages, of which I am a huge fan... and any book he writes I'd be more than up for reading.

(written by Shari Dolleman)

I'm reviewing 4 separate books this week on love,marriage,relationships for a blog tour.
I don't usually buy these types of books so I thought it would be a change when they asked me to review them. I also thought it was very timely what with Valentine's Day and Darrell's birthday.

My first one is this "The Love As A Way Of Life" Devotional

I find devotionals helpful in quiet time. They are a quick way to get your focus on God.
I like this one because it takes different subjects such as humility,patience,kindness,etc. and groups them together.
Each day starts with a scripture verse. It then follows with a very short story that is relevant. Each one ends with a prayer or a thought.
It's a 90 day book but you can use it in a variety of ways. It's not date oriented which I like. It's a very simple way to daily remind yourself about love whether it's first thing in the morning or the last thing at night.



<span style="font-style:italic;">Book: Love as a Way of Life Devotional
Author: Dr. Gary Chapman
Summary: In his book Love As a Way of Life, best-selling author Gary Chapman shows readers how to cultivate a new lifestyle built around the seven characteristics of authentic love. Now in a companion devotional, he provides ninety inspirational readings to help Christians consistently live out the characteristics of love in every relationship.
Each devotional entry showcases biblical truths that guide a life of love, offering fresh insight and practical guidance in how to make love a lasting habit. Over the course of three months, readers will learn to follow God's lead as they practice the characteristics of a loving person: kindness, patience, forgiveness, courtesy, humility, generosity, and honesty.
The Love As a Way of Life Devotional makes an ideal gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Couples, parents, new graduates, and anyone celebrating a milestone in life will welcome this inspiring daily guide to richer, more satisfying relationships.


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