What we didn't know is that, with the passing of time and familiarity of daily life, a marriage can lose its magic. Busyness takes over. Too little time together causes stress, which results in a breakdown in communication, which results in dwindling romance. Conflicts creep in. Tenderness fades. The relationship becomes routine and our husband's needs are a burden. An undeniable sadness settles over the marriage and our husband seems distant. Then, from somewhere deep within, we feel a flicker of that nearly forgotten romance and remember there is no miracle greater than the power of love. And we want it back.

This book is a tale of true love. It is an epic romance, based upon the very first love story, detailing God’s unmistakable and purposeful design of a husband and wife. In reading this book, He is offering you the chance to write the rest of your love story. What Husbands Need is a journey of faith, commitment, and love. One where your tender heart and teachable spirit will greatly affect the rest of your story. Its message is this: if you desire the joy of a truly great marriage, try focusing on the needs of your husband. What Husbands Need is not just another book pointing out what wives are doing wrong. This book shows us how to live out God’s best—as women and wives—and reap the blessings He wishes to bestow on us!

Marriage is the first human relationship to appear in the Bible, emphasizing its obvious importance to God. Thus, beautifully illustrated in -Genesis, we see that marriage is His gift to Adam and Eve. God’s creative work was not complete until He made Eve. He had a better plan: “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him”
(Gen. 2:18).

Unlike Adam, whom God created from particles of dust and breathed life into, God fashioned a woman from the rib of Adam's flesh to be his -helpmate. "The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man" (Gen. 2:22).

Notice that Scripture says He “fashioned” her. Imagine how much thought God must have given to the molding and shaping—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—of man’s counterpart! Paying meticulous attention to every detail of His masterpiece, He understood the magnitude of this creation, for, without her, man was incomplete. After all, woman, the crown of all creation, was the rest of the love story.

Could it be that, in our contemporary world, we have become misguided and so we overlook the power of our authentic design? Do we compete with our husband rather than complete him? And have we forgotten not only how to be a helpmate but how much hard work love requires?

The reality is, even our intact families’ lives are fractured. We women are exhausted as life in our fast-paced world sweeps by with barely a rustle. A large mortgage holds us hostage, making it necessary for many of us to work outside the home. Yet stay-at-home mothers, volunteers for nonprofit organizations, and empty nesters also admit to being overcommitted. While in pursuit of purpose and personal fulfillment, I fear we have left something far more precious behind: our husbands. Indeed, our worldly ambitions, child-rearing responsibilities, and extracurricular activities have left us little energy for the man we married. Have we been too busy to hear the longings of our husband’s heart?

Consequently, our husbands are lonelier than ever. They are so hungry for our love they have strayed from the bonds of marriage in heartbreaking numbers, looking for intimacy and affection from any woman willing to give it. Sadly, we have been looking for purpose in all the wrong places. The irony is there is no place where a woman has more power and purpose than in the home with her husband.

We are technologically superior to the generations before us. We have oceans of information at our fingertips. Recent surveys indicate women are more intelligent, more ambitious, and more independent than ever before. Yet even now, at the top of the heap, so to speak, you may find yourself wondering: Can we be as happy as we once were? What does my husband want? What does he need from me? What really makes him happy? Can I win back the heart of the husband I unwittingly left behind?

Whether you’ve been married for fifty years or are a disillusioned newlywed, if you find yourself seeking answers to these questions, you have chosen the right book. Born from the timeless truths of -Scripture, What Husbands Need embarks upon a journey of -discovery—a journey to discover what God put into your husband’s heart.

In preparation for this book, I interviewed dozens of men who were willing to be candid about what they yearn for from their wives. Their transparency will amaze you, as will the depth of their disclosures. Their tender responses to my online questionnaires touched uncharted areas of my own heart—areas I never knew existed! I kept a much-needed box of tissues close at hand. For the first time in my life, I understood the core of a man’s heart. Certain discoveries lanced my heart, for this sacred glimpse into men’s hearts revealed to me those many times I have failed my own husband.

To be honest, I frequently struggled with these revelations. Eventually, though, reaching for faith rather than fear, I applied the truths I discovered to building an even richer relationship with my husband. And I learned that, in the tale of true love, forgiveness begets forgiveness, breathing new life into love.

Today, the newness of that love in my own marriage sets my heart aflutter. And it gets better! Our husbands yearn to be with us. They yearn for us to make them a priority in our lives. Believe it or not, our husbands still covet the mystery and wonder of the relationship they experienced back in the day of our love’s tender beginnings. Our husbands hunger for our love and respect. They thrive on our encouragement and praise. They long to defend our honor. They implore us to stand behind them in steadfast prayer. They want to be strong for us, praying for, and protecting us.

Sisters in Christ, it is time to turn our hearts back toward home. Time to look upon our greatest treasure, our husbands, with fresh and tender eyes. It’s time to reclaim our marriages. And while I am not suggesting that we quit our jobs, abandon our children, and sever all ties within the community, I am suggesting it is time to tighten our focus. Time to listen to the longings of our husband’s heart. Time to take that wisdom and impress it on our hearts. Time to love our -husbands the way God has called us to love them.

God desires for you the very best marriage: a marriage that truly reflects the relationship spoken of in His Book. Thus, my book begins with my heartfelt prayer that these words speak to your soul so that you might discover for yourself the longings of your husband’s heart.

By everyday standards, I am simply a small-town woman, wife, and mother. I have neither a theological nor a counseling degree. And I am still learning of my husband’s needs. But with each passing day, even as I embrace these principles, I watch with wonder while God writes an extraordinary, revised edition of the story of my marriage.

It has been written that reading books changes lives. Perhaps you are asking, Will this book help my marriage? It seems to be in a state of -disrepair. Or maybe you think your relationship is strong but could benefit from a little more magic. Either way, I wholeheartedly encourage you to embark on this journey. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I invite you to watch with wonder as you apply these principles to your marriage.

Be prepared to change—and get ready for change—as God rewrites the second half of your love story…