Review: For Us

If you've been following April Barcalow for some time, you'll be just as excited to know that she has recently released a marriage devotional. Newsletter subscribers can receive a free copy, and you can learn more about the background of For Us: Seeking God's Heart for Marriage on her website.

Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

All throughout Scripture, when God wants us to understand the close, intimate relationship He longs to have with us, He uses the imagery of marriage. That’s no coincidence.

Marriage is an echo of the lasting love we share with Him, a framework to help us understand, and a gift. But good marriage, the kind that reflects Him, doesn’t happen without intention. Without building each piece on the solid foundation of Christ. Without choosing one another, even when it’s hard.

This 30-day devotional weaves together Scripture, personal experience, and story threads to seek God’s heart for marriage and to draw us closer to one another as couples.

Source: Author's Website

Book Thoughts

I appreciate that devotionals don't have to be long to pack a punch. This 30-day marriage devotional is one that can easily slide into your day and provide food for thought as you interact with your spouse. It's rich with biblical content and daily prayers that apply these truths to your life. As a storyteller, April Barcalow is gifted in weaving in personal stories along with those she has written to reinforce each day's theme. She clearly has a passion for marriage and this book reflects her desire to see couples strengthened in Christ.

For Us is a tender reflection of the lessons that we all learn in marriage, communicated in a spirit of grace. At the same time, there is a refining heart behind the content where we are meant to exhort one another. Topics such as loss, grief, weakness, and conflict are covered in a way that is compassionate yet challenging when it comes to becoming more Christ-like. Readers looking for an impactful marriage devotional will enjoy the stories, content, and prayers in this helpful book.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📱
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Book Quotes

"Let's be honest, the world does a pretty good job of tearing us down. We often come to one another beaten down, worn thin by the demands and criticisms and empty words of this world. What if our marriages could be a haven from that? A safe place where we can be filled up again, built up and sent back out? What if our words could bring life to our spouse? One of the things I'd love to work on in my marriage is to learn to pour words of encouragement over my husband like anointing oil. I want to 'call out the good' in him, as we say in our house."

Comments

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available to you or you don't qualify for one 😊 List last updated: October 27, 2026 Christian Publishers 10ofThose Availability: U.S., Canadian, and U.K. residents Format: Only books published by 10ofThose qualify for review requests so as to avoid impeding with other Christian book review programs Genre: Christian non-fiction, children's books Email for availabili...

All the Cheese

I've been coming across content within the past several weeks that has stereotyped Christian books (and other mediums) as being cheesy on Christian accounts. While this isn't a new label or even a new topic, what has surprised me somewhat has been seeing more Christian authors jump into this conversation who wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Although some authors will name others whom they believe are writing non-cheesy fiction, I feel as though the damage has been done by repeating this blanket statement. While readers have freely been engaging in this type of commentary for some time, it's been interesting to see authors chime in, where in some cases, there seems to be an emphasis on self-promotion over reflection. I'm not stereotyping and saying that all authors or even the authors I'm connected to respond with this tactic (because I really don't think they do!), but there are a few out there from my limited experience who seem to respond to this disc...

Mortality and Reading

This is a topic that has been resonating for me over the past few days, ever since I saw James Trevino's Instagram reel about why you shouldn't finish every book you start. In it, he breaks down the math of how many books we'd be able to read in a lifetime, based on reading a set number of hours per day and the average lifespan. He then compares this number to the number of books that are available worldwide. At first glance, it made me realize that I would have a lot of unread books, no matter whether my life is short or long. There's just too many books to read. Thinking about when my life might end led me to think about the types of books I read and how I'm currently filling my time. I don't think it's a coincidence that right after this crossed my mind, I was listening to The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis where he espouses a simple but profound line that stopped me in my tracks: "If you don't read good books, you will read bad ones." Thi...