This weekend I visited Canaanland (a Christian book store located near my house, to those of you who are not from the Klang Valley) and bought 2 books. My decision to get them was as a means of preparing for my upcoming wedding, which will be taking place in 152 days' time.
One of the books I bought is entitled Intended For Pleasure and is authored by Ed & Gaye Wheat. I had heard a great deal about this book from couples who have undergone pre-marital counselling. It is said to be a good book to read about sex in the context of a Christian marriage.
Since Deric and I will be covering the illusive topic of sex in our upcoming session with our pre-marital counsellors, Mike and Diane Constantine, I decided that the time has come for me to start educating myself on these issues and preparing to face them so I am not helplessly clueless when the time comes.
But rather than focus on my personal preparation for marriage (which will probably be a long story in itself and warrants a post for itself, or maybe even several), I wanted instead to talk about how inspired and amazed I am that the author of this book (Ed Wheat), who is a certified doctor by training, committed himself to writing a book that would help others on the very tricky and private subject of sex between a married couple.
I feel so tremendously blessed to be able to hold in my hands a book containing a wealth of wisdom from a man (and his wife) whom I do not know personally yet who share the same faith in Jesus that I have. From what I understand from reading the book's foreword, Mr Wheat has already passed on. Even greater now is the value of this book - the fact that I can learn from one who has gone before me, even to the very gates of heaven.
I am truly amazed. And the fact that he used the skills and knowledge that he had - medicine being his career - to bless others in the kingdom of God is just simply brilliant. The thought occurred to him, although there are, without a doubt, so many other Christian physicians out there who, I am sure, are equally well versed in the same discipline as Dr Wheat was.
Yet God did not speak to them to instruct them to write a book about sex, but to Dr Wheat instead. Why? Only God would know the answer to that, but for me, I can only marvel.
I wonder how he felt when the idea first occurred to him. Did he wonder whether it was a good idea? Did he wrestle with the decision for days on end before arriving at the conclusion that this was God's will for him - to write a book on such a delicate (and sometimes even taboo) subject?
Then again, I read in the preface that he also had been a marriage counsellor to many Christian couples. So I guess by the time he had set out to write the book, he'd most likely have had the clarity in his spirit to know that this was what God intended for him to do.
Whatever the case may be, I just find it so heartwarming that someone out there, across the globe, at one crucial moment in his life, realised that he possessed something that would be so useful to the masses that he could not ignore the need to do what he believed he was meant to do - write that book.
When I finally do decide what book to write, I want to have that kind of perspective in mind.
I have been mulling over what book to write for what seems like forever. There are subjects that would be all too easy to rattle on about, and there are also those topics which I feel reasonably well versed in and comfortable writing about. In other words, there is always an easy way to take as far as churning out a published book is concerned (or so I think, at least at this point of time).
But perhaps the more important question to ask myself when deciding on the kind of book to write should be this: Given the talents, experiences and wisdom I have accumulated in all these 28+ years of my life, what book could I possibly write that would offer the greatest impact and inspiration to my readers - both those in the present and maybe also in the future?
This is a truly revolutionary thought for me. It's back to the drawing board again (and I dread the thought that it may be ages yet till I finally settle on what I can and should write into a book), but at least I feel my direction being further defined.
I am, I sincerely hope, one step closer.
One of the books I bought is entitled Intended For Pleasure and is authored by Ed & Gaye Wheat. I had heard a great deal about this book from couples who have undergone pre-marital counselling. It is said to be a good book to read about sex in the context of a Christian marriage.
Since Deric and I will be covering the illusive topic of sex in our upcoming session with our pre-marital counsellors, Mike and Diane Constantine, I decided that the time has come for me to start educating myself on these issues and preparing to face them so I am not helplessly clueless when the time comes.
But rather than focus on my personal preparation for marriage (which will probably be a long story in itself and warrants a post for itself, or maybe even several), I wanted instead to talk about how inspired and amazed I am that the author of this book (Ed Wheat), who is a certified doctor by training, committed himself to writing a book that would help others on the very tricky and private subject of sex between a married couple.
I feel so tremendously blessed to be able to hold in my hands a book containing a wealth of wisdom from a man (and his wife) whom I do not know personally yet who share the same faith in Jesus that I have. From what I understand from reading the book's foreword, Mr Wheat has already passed on. Even greater now is the value of this book - the fact that I can learn from one who has gone before me, even to the very gates of heaven.
I am truly amazed. And the fact that he used the skills and knowledge that he had - medicine being his career - to bless others in the kingdom of God is just simply brilliant. The thought occurred to him, although there are, without a doubt, so many other Christian physicians out there who, I am sure, are equally well versed in the same discipline as Dr Wheat was.
Yet God did not speak to them to instruct them to write a book about sex, but to Dr Wheat instead. Why? Only God would know the answer to that, but for me, I can only marvel.
I wonder how he felt when the idea first occurred to him. Did he wonder whether it was a good idea? Did he wrestle with the decision for days on end before arriving at the conclusion that this was God's will for him - to write a book on such a delicate (and sometimes even taboo) subject?
Then again, I read in the preface that he also had been a marriage counsellor to many Christian couples. So I guess by the time he had set out to write the book, he'd most likely have had the clarity in his spirit to know that this was what God intended for him to do.
Whatever the case may be, I just find it so heartwarming that someone out there, across the globe, at one crucial moment in his life, realised that he possessed something that would be so useful to the masses that he could not ignore the need to do what he believed he was meant to do - write that book.
When I finally do decide what book to write, I want to have that kind of perspective in mind.
I have been mulling over what book to write for what seems like forever. There are subjects that would be all too easy to rattle on about, and there are also those topics which I feel reasonably well versed in and comfortable writing about. In other words, there is always an easy way to take as far as churning out a published book is concerned (or so I think, at least at this point of time).
But perhaps the more important question to ask myself when deciding on the kind of book to write should be this: Given the talents, experiences and wisdom I have accumulated in all these 28+ years of my life, what book could I possibly write that would offer the greatest impact and inspiration to my readers - both those in the present and maybe also in the future?
This is a truly revolutionary thought for me. It's back to the drawing board again (and I dread the thought that it may be ages yet till I finally settle on what I can and should write into a book), but at least I feel my direction being further defined.
I am, I sincerely hope, one step closer.
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