--- title: "Loving Freely (Four Keys Exclusive Excerpt #2)" description: "Read this exclusive excerpt from Part II: Called to Be Free from the newly-released marriage advice book, The Four Keys to Everlasting Love, by Dr. Manny and Karee Santos." --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/05/12/loving-freely-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-2#) # Loving Freely (Four Keys Exclusive Excerpt #2) May 12, 2016 11:00:20 AM  |  by [Guest](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/guest) ![Courtesy of Ave Maria Press. All rights reserved.](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/CM_com-Santos-4-Keys-5.png?width=720&height=340&name=CM_com-Santos-4-Keys-5.png) Courtesy of Ave Maria Press. All rights reserved. Our new Catholic marriage advice book, *[The Four Keys to Everlasting Love](http://canwecana.blogspot.com/p/our-book.html)*, gives couples practical and spiritual advice on how to stay happily married for life. Last week, I shared the first key to everlasting love -- [staying faithful through forgiveness](http://catholicmom.com/2016/05/05/loving-faithfully-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-1/). This week, I'm sharing the second key -- serving freely through wise stewardship. Read on for a sneak peek at the introduction to Part II of our book, offered exclusively on CatholicMom! ## Called to Be Free: ### Wise Choices for Your Work, Money, and Spare Time Freedom to marry means not being forced to the altar by people or circumstances, and not being barred by any law (CCC, 1625). But freedom within marriage means something different. It means freedom to love without counting the cost and without expecting anything in return. It means freedom to make the best and wisest choices for ourselves and the ones we love. Our everyday choices can lead us closer to God and those who matter most to us, or further away from them. Our most important choices center on our most valuable resources: our work, money, and time. When we use these resources wisely, we’re being good stewards. Through work, we can use our talents to support ourselves and our families. We also have the opportunity to leave the world a better place than we found it. Discovering the divine value of even the littlest tasks we do can help us to balance what might feel like competing demands of God, family, and work. We can also put our money to a higher use. Godly principles of money management are actually quite practical and can show us how to take care of our needs while helping the less fortunate as well. Like our work and our money, our spare time is a precious asset. It’s important to spend some of our spare time serving our friends and our communities. This way, we can use our freedom to make wise choices for the good of ourselves and others.   *   *   * *[Order **The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime** and support CatholicMom.com with your purchase](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/159471603X/catholicmom).* *Excerpt reprinted from* The Four Keys to Everlasting Love *with permission from Ave Maria Press.* *Image courtesy of Ave Maria Press.* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F05%2F12%2Floving-freely-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F05%2F12%2Floving-freely-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F05%2F12%2Floving-freely-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Loving%20Freely%20%28Four%20Keys%20Exclusive%20Excerpt%20%232%29) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F05%2F12%2Floving-freely-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F05%2F12%2Floving-freely-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Guest](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Profile%203.jpg) ### [Guest](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/guest) We welcome guest contributors who graciously volunteer their writing for our readers. Please support our guest writers by visiting their sites, purchasing their work, and leaving comments to thank them for sharing their gifts here on CatholicMom.com. To inquire about serving as a guest contributor, contact editor@CatholicMom.com. ## Related Blog Articles [ Loving Fruitfully (Four Keys Exclusive Excerpt #3) Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/05/19/loving-fruitfully-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-3) [ Loving Faithfully (Four Keys Exclusive Excerpt #1) Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/05/05/loving-faithfully-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-1) [ Loving Totally & Forever (Four Keys Exclusive Excerpt #4) Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/05/26/loving-totally-forever-four-keys-exclusive-excerpt-4) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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