If so, youre ready for Love Talk .
S incere thanks To our INJOY Team: Kevin and Robin Small, Ken and Stacy Cole man, and Loran and Brenda Lichty. We cant begin to express how grateful we are for your unflinching support and enthusiasm. The heartfelt care and friendship you have given us are without compare. We continually count our blessings for knowing each of you.
To our Zondervan team: Bruce Ryskamp, Scott Bolinder, Stan Gundry, Sandy Vander Zicht, Angela Scheff, John Topliff, Greg Steilstra, Joyce Ondersma, Jackie Aldridge, Mark Hunt, John Raymond, T. J. Rathbun, and all the rest. We are humbled by your continued investment in us, and we are honored to know you not only as consummate professionals, but also as friends whose company we thoroughly enjoy.
To Sealy Yates. At long last, our dear friend, we work together, and we could not be more thrilled to have you as a partner who understands our passion and helps us achieve our mission.
To Janice Lundquist. You are inextricably woven into our lives, and we simply dont know how we could do what we do without you. After all these years, we could not be more gratefulnot only for your countless efforts on our behalf, but also for the friendship we share.
To the couples who gave their support and inputwhether they knew it or noton various aspects of this manuscript along the way: Steve and Thanne Moore, Kevin and Kathy Lunn, Mark and Candi Brown, Jeff and Stacy Kemp, Rich and Linda Simmons, Scott and Debbie Daniels, George and Liz Toles, Norm and Bobbe Evans, Bill and Becky Smead, Don and Jennifer Kenney, Braxton and Kimberly Bone, Randall and Bonnie Davey, John and Cindy Trent, Rodney and Elizabeth Cox, Eric and Lisa Tooker, Doug and Margo Engberg, Tim and Tiffany Meany, and Jim and Karen Gwinn.
To Kristin (and Jeremy) Stendera whose love for our boys, John and Jackson, has given us date nights to practice Love Talk ourselves. What an invaluable gift you are to our family.
CHARTING YOUR
CONVERSATIONAL COURSE
We dont own a sailboat but have friends who do. And after seeing how much time and money it takes to keep one afloat, we plan on keeping it that way. Seattle, our hometown, is renowned for great sailing and all of our sailing friends have maps and charts that often cover their dining room tables. Theyre forever studying different passages and channels that will take them on an interesting adventure. Just before boating season opens up, they like to show us where we might go together, what we might see along the way, and what interesting ports we can visit. Charting the course gets us excited for the journey.
In much the same way, before you even turn to the first chapter of this book, we want to lay out a map of sorts that will help you know where we plan to take you. It wont take long. Were eager for you to get started, but youll have a better journey if you know where were going. So lets take a quick look.
Part One: Lets Talk about Talking
Our first chapter, Can We Talk? delves into why we felt compelled to write this book. We have a specific reason and feel you deserve to know it. Chapter 2, Relational Lifeblood, highlights exactly what good communication can do for your love life. And we dedicate chapter 3, Communication 101, to helping you brush up on some of the fundamentals before you dive into our new model of Love Talk. This straightforward chapter provides an easy crash course for ensuring youve thoroughly mastered the basics. These first three chapters will take your conversational craft through the inlets and marinas, some of which you will recognize, on our way to the open sea, where youll begin to experience something you never have before.
In chapter 4, The Foundation of Every Great Conversation, we hoist up the main sail and move out into deep water. Here well help you uncover something we call your personal fear factor. It has to do with what helps you feel emotionally safe when talking with your partner. And this single insight holds the potential for helping you cut through fierce waves to ride the high seas of Love Talk. We can hardly wait for you to get there.