Beside Every Good Man
Loving Myself While Standing By Him
By Serita Ann Jakes

    Beside Every Good Man: Loving Myself While Standing by Him is an inspirational guide for women who want or need to revive their inner beauty. Author Serita Ann Jakes gleans her reflections from personal experiences, counseling sessions and the Bible. She breaks a woman's life into four main areas.

     Part I (I Stand Without Him: Seeing Yourself in the Mirror) encourages each woman to take a deep, honest look inside. How have her relationships with her father and mother affected her adult self-image? Why do some find themselves attracted to Bad Boys?

     Part II (I Stand Before Him: Seeing Yourself in His Eyes) encourages unattached women to be single, but content while waiting for God to send them the man He intends to be their partner. It also deals with the different seasons women experience after God sends a man.

     Part III (I Stand Beside Him: Seeing Yourself In the Spotlight) discusses meeting life's demands without weakening a relationship's foundation. Also emphasized is the woman's need for self-care, and the ripple effect ignoring her needs may have.

     Part IV (I Stand Beyond Him: Seeing Yourself Through New Eyes) concerns repairing a grieving soul, leaving behind a legacy and finding the fuel to finish.

     Interspersed throughout each chapter are prayers for God's guidance, and each chapter ends with soul-searching questions to lead the reader along her journey of rediscovery.

     Ms. Jakes imparts a great deal of wisdom throughout the pages of her book. Rather than fire and brimstone, her tone is gentle; she often refers to the reader as "dear sister". Ms. Jakes eschews the typical religious harangue women receive; she supports a woman who wants a husband, a family and career--as long as she keeps her priorities straight. I'd recommend "Beside Every Good Man" to all women whose strength sometimes falters. The chapter entitled Juggling Life on a Tightrope is a must-read!