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Preparing to Be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl No Greater Joy Ministries
book review by Priscilla Estes
"Do you believe God leads and guides people before they get saved? Maybe even guides them in who they should marry?"
Unmarried Christian women searching for a husband will find a rich resource of practical help in this Bible-based how-to for preparing and winning a help meet ("someone to share in [Jesus'] work of creation and management.") An engaging, personal, and humorous style fuel an easy and highly readable flow, even while dispensing serious advice on spiritual and lifechoices.
Intimate case studies, insightful male viewpoints, copious Bible quotes and end-of-chapter exercises help dissolve the blinders of romantic love and emphasize the importance of compatible visions and goals. Hard-hitting advice explores the false intimacy of Internet romances, the top three mistakes women make in searching for a mate, and how to recognize which personality type is right for you—the Prophet, the Priest, or the King.
Some may be disconcerted by a fundamentalist Christian viewpoint that advocates a wife's "unconditional submission" to her husband and emphasizes cooking, cleaning and childrearing. Statements such as schizophrenics are "people with multiple personalities" and "Trained professionals are trained to lie" somewhat undermine the authoritative tone. But none can argue with advice that a woman should use her single years to prepare for marriage by becoming the best person that she can be.
An attractive design, well-organized chapters and a forty-two page teacher's guide render the book easy to use for any seeking to apply Pearl's brand of Christianity toward finding a purpose-driven life and marriage.
Pearl is a best-selling author with a thirty-nine year marriage, five children and fourteen-plus grandchildren.