Studying marriage is one my favorite topics in the Bible and to discuss in church. I feel like it is imperative for believers to understand how to stay together for the sake of our children and spiritual walk. The Fortified Marriages Manual and Workbook by Chris Garner was designed to provide couples with tools to build their marital relationship. This marriage course is available, in English or Spanish, directly from the website for $25. 

This detailed manual begins with instructions for use at home and in a small group setting. The nine-page introduction provides an extensive overview of the author's opinion about the importance of marriage and why divorce is not an option. Reading this in its entirety is important so that you have a clear understanding of what is about to be presented during each lesson. It is made clear from the beginning that this book is about building on God's word and His design for what marriage should be. From there, 52 lessons cover a myriad of topics including salvation, identity, understanding spiritual gifts, boundaries, communication, and finances.  Parenting, intimacy, a personality profile, a life history inventory, and help for overcoming various challenges are also covered within this book. 

Each study begins with an illustration and a scripture in the left margin. The length of each lesson varies depending on the topic, however; each is detailed and clearly written with the utmost care and concern. Additional scriptures are included within the text as well as reference verses for extra study. At the end of each lesson, a discussion section is available with questions and space for you to write your answers. As you work through the book you'll find that though each topic is different, the material does build upon itself. You are able to note things that you learned a previously and combine them with newly obtained information.

Located at the back of the book are several resource pages that provide you with contact information for crisis hotlines. You'll also find a detailed description of when you should seek a counselor and the type of counselor you should look to for your situation. On the last page of this manual, you will find a heartfelt letter from Mr. and Mrs. Garner. This letter includes information on how to contact them as well as a note of encouragement to continue studying to strengthen your marriage.

During the review period, we used this book twice a week so that we could get through several of the lessons and form an educated opinion.  I feel by doing so we actually rushed the process because the questions create opportunities for deep discussion with your spouse. Continuing on we have decided to reduce our discussions to once a week to ensure we don't miss any key components of this product. We also want to allow time for each other to absorb and contemplate each other's answers. It is recommended that each spouse have their own notebook while going through this course. Since we only had one copy, we each kept a personal notebook to take notes and write our responses to the questions provided in the book. This gives us a chance to get all of our thoughts out and make sure that our opinions and expressions are not overlooked by one another.  We think the notebook process has definitely helped while going through this material, therefore, we'll continue it as we finish the book.

Everyone knows that life is going to be filled with problems but to maintain a successful marriage, we must be willing to work through those.  Fortified Marriages Manual and Workbook, by Chris Garner, gives you plenty of resources and communication tools to build upon for a strong marriage and family. We appreciate the care, scripture, and discussion questions within this book and look forward to finishing it. These lessons are helpful whether you are restoring a hurting marriage, maintaining a healthy marriage, or anything in between. This book would be great to use at home, in a Sunday school class, or in a small group setting.

-Product review by Ta'Neisha Kemp, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November, 2018