Groundbreaking Books

GROUNDBREAKING BOOKS

PURITY
Every Man’s Battle by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker with Mike Yorkey. There have been several books written to men about controlling their eyes and their minds and living holy thought lives, but this one is head and shoulders above the rest. It is practical in its application, very open in its frankness, and convicting if the reader is open and honest with himself. A couple of words of warning though: First, this book is for men, and I would suggest to married men. This book isn’t for teens or children (they have other books in this series for them). Second, this is the kind of book that if you follow its teaching, could bring about persecution from the enemy. The last thing Satan wants is for men of God to live out purity in their lives. That said, every married man should read this book!

Every Woman’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge. This is the Ladies’ version of Every Man’s Battle. Obviously, I have not read it, but Karen has and she does recommend it with a word of warning. Like E.M.B., it is explicit and not for younger unmarried girls. Also, there may be quite a bit of the information that may not be relevant to all women. There are, however some excellent points addressed in the area of purity of thought and modesty in dress that Christian ladies may not have even thought of.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. This is not a book written to parents, it’s written to teens. That is the brilliant part of the author’s approach. The point of this book is to use your teen years to serve the Lord rather than waste it with the typical dating pitfalls most kids fall into. Jessica wrote an article on her page about this book. Check it out here: http://billandkarenitzel.com/category/jessicas-page/

The Princess and the Kiss, The Squire and the Scroll, and The Garden Wall by Jennie Bishop. While we appreciated “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” for our teens, Karen and I have often wished for a book aimed at younger kids like Shannon that taught purity on her level. At a concert in Pennsylvania one day, a lady shared with us about these three books, and they turned out to be perfect. All three books teach purity in allegorical fairy tales that kids will love and be able to easily understand. This is a great way to introduce purity to young children and to lay a foundation for “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”.

MARRIAGE
Every Man’s Marriage by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker with Mike Yorkey. After reading “Every Man’s Battle”, I started with this follow-up book and it is just as life changing. This book teaches how to love your wife as Christ Loved the church. It teaches the principle of producing oneness in your marriage by having a servant’s heart.

His Needs, Her Needs by Willard F. Harley Jr. Every man has 5 basic needs. Every woman also has 5 basic needs. However, men’s needs are not the same as women’s needs and this produces a lot of problems in our relationships. This book teaches how to meet the needs of your spouse in a very practical way.

PARENTING
Growing Kids God’s Way (curriculum), Child Wise, Preteen Wise, Teen Wise by Gary Ezzo & Robert Bucknam. We were introduced to this curriculum in the mid 90’s. We were at our wit’s end with Jessica who was about 3 years old and the strongest will you will ever see. Karen was one more temper tantrum away from writing Dr. Dobson a letter when we attended these classes and these principles (although ridiculed by many in the class and constantly attacked by critics) made a world of difference in the life of our family. Just look at Jessica now and you’d never guess she was a complete terror at age three (sorry Jess, but it’s the truth!) We have listed a lot of the principles taught in these books and curriculum on our “parenting tips” page on our website. Check out: http://billandkarenitzel.com/parenting-tips/

Passport to Purity by Dennis & Barbara Rainey. This curriculum is an updated version of Dobson’s “Preparing for Adolescence” that my Dad shared with me back in the 80’s. This one is fantastic and both Jessica and Ryan really enjoyed their “Weekend Away” with their Mom or Dad. This curriculum leads parents and their kids through “The Talk” in a fun and memorable way.