{"product_id":"love-matters-mark-david-albertson-9798218892197","title":"Love Matters: A Christian Guide To Staying in Love, or Falling in Love Again with Your Partner: A Christian Guide To Staying in Love,: A Christian Gui","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eLove Matters: Inspiration for New Couples and People Who Need a New Perspective\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eLove is often portrayed as effortless-something that either \"works\" or doesn't. But anyone who has lived inside a committed relationship knows the truth: love is learned. It is shaped over time through communication, patience, forgiveness, and the daily choice to stay engaged with another imperfect human being.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLove Matters\u003c\/em\u003e is a thoughtful, honest, and deeply practical guide for couples who want a relationship that lasts-not because it avoids difficulty, but because it knows how to move through it with grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten for \u003cstrong\u003enew couples\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003elong-term partners\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003emarriages in need of renewal\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003erelationships navigating real-life challenges\u003c\/strong\u003e, this book offers thirty short readings designed to be read together. Each chapter can be completed in under an hour and includes reflection questions and simple practices that invite meaningful conversation and shared growth. The structure makes \u003cem\u003eLove Matters\u003c\/em\u003e ideal for couples' devotions, counseling settings, small groups, or quiet evenings at home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing from years of pastoral ministry, conflict mediation, and lived experience, Mark David Albertson writes with humility, clarity, and warmth. He does not offer rigid formulas or idealized versions of marriage. Instead, he names what couples actually face: miscommunication, unresolved conflict, mismatched expectations, stress, grief, changing intimacy, forgiveness after hurt, and the challenge of choosing one another again and again over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of \u003cem\u003eLove Matters\u003c\/em\u003e is the belief that strong relationships are built on skill, not luck. Healthy couples are not those who avoid conflict, but those who learn how to fight fairly, repair quickly, listen deeply, and remain emotionally connected even when life becomes difficult. Throughout the book, Albertson blends pastoral insight, real-life stories, gentle humor, and progressive Christian theology to create a tone that is both grounded and hopeful.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book is written intentionally for \u003cstrong\u003eall couples\u003c\/strong\u003e-gay, straight, queer, and everything in between. It assumes mutual dignity, consent, and partnership, and it resists shame-based or exclusionary approaches to faith and marriage. While rooted in Christian spirituality, \u003cem\u003eLove Matters\u003c\/em\u003e is accessible to readers across belief spectrums and is especially helpful for those who have felt wounded, excluded, or misunderstood by traditional religious conversations about relationships.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTopics explored include: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecommunicating with honesty and care\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003elearning to fight fairly and repair after conflict\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003esetting healthy boundaries\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003enavigating forgiveness without denial\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003etending intimacy across seasons of life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eweathering hardship together\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ediscovering shared purpose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003echoosing one another intentionally over time\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition to serving couples directly, \u003cem\u003eLove Matters\u003c\/em\u003e is also a valuable resource for \u003cstrong\u003epastors, Christian counselors, chaplains, spiritual directors, and mentors\u003c\/strong\u003e who walk with couples in their communities. A companion pastoral and counseling guide expands the book's usefulness in church, counseling, and group settings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUltimately, \u003cem\u003eLove Matters\u003c\/em\u003e is not a book about achieving the \"perfect\" relationship. It is a book about practicing faithful love-love that is honest, resilient, repairable, and rooted in grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause love matters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e And how we love each other matters more than we know.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Mark David Albertson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798218892197\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Irish Viking Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/02\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 314\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.93lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.66d","brand":"Mark David Albertson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48447272255743,"sku":"9798218892197","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_1aff4fec-f44c-4be7-bf00-8a7bd65eeee4.jpg?v=1777229999","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/love-matters-mark-david-albertson-9798218892197","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}