Listen Love Repeat by Karen Ehman

This may be the best book yet that I have read about living a life loving others. The insights are great and the examples inspiring. If there is one book I'd recommend to practically learn about a selfless life, this is it.

Ehman reminds us that we live in a self saturated society. Living as a person who thinks of others first will take effort on our part. But that effort will be much easier after reading this book. Ehman gives practical suggestions to bless others. She pays particular attention to the physical and emotional needs of others.

People around us are longing to be loves, Ehman writes. She reminds us we need to be proactive in our faith, living alert and opening our lives to sacrificial living. She draws from examples in the Bible, from her own life, and from the lives of others. She has a great section on what to say and not say when others are hurting. She includes 39 passages from the New Testament that tell how, and how not, to treat other people. She has excellent suggestions for interacting with those who are grieving. She inspires us to use our homes and our stuff to show our love for others.

And practical Ehman is. She is down to earth in her suggestions. Having others over? Forget the fancy recipes. Have a baked potato bar or build your own burger dinner. Better lots of meat loaf and mashed potatoes than a fancy new dish you saw on social media having ingredients no one recognizes. Her suggestions for touching the heart of the cantankerous are worth noting. I love the idea of giving unbirthday gifts and scattering kindness.

I highly recommend this book to those ready to live a selfless life. You will find great encouragement and very practical suggestions.

Food for thought: “Sometimes the best strategy is to keep your mouth shut and your hands open.” (181) And, “The only way to go about loving the difficult is to expect nothing in return.” (182)

You can find out more about the book and read excerpts at http://www.listenloverepeatbook.com/.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, a New York Times bestselling author, and a writer for the online devotional Encouragement for Today. She has written ten books. She is married to her college sweetheart and is the mother of three. You can find out more at www.karenehman.com.

Zondervan, 260 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Icon Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.