Marriage Conference

Last Saturday we spend the day in Liberty Missouri for a marriage conference.  We went with another amazing couple, Dave and Amber.  It was Dr. Gary Chapman's conference titled "The Marriage You've Always Wanted."  It was a day of learning and laughing hysterically.  Dr. Chapman is the author of The Five Love Languages and many other popular books.   The day was filled with lots of humor and practical insight on a sound biblical marriage. A Growing Marriage is designed to stimulate strong, healthy marriages—the foundations of strong, growing churches, and reaching others for Christ.

Topics we learned about:
· Communication 101
· Rekindling Love / The Five Love Languages
· Initiating Positive Change in a Marriage
· Making Sex a Mutual Joy
· How to Share the Things that Bug You

Dr. Gary Chapman left us with 3 things he encourages married couples to do yearly.
1. Read the book, The Marriage You've Always Wanted
2. Read a book on marriage with your spouse.  Read a chapter a week and at the end of each week discuss the chapter and ONE thing you could work on - NOT pointing out things your spouse should work on.
3. Attend a marriage conference a year.  (He states, marriages either improve or get worse.  They don't stay the same.)

LOVE: is not a feeling but a behavior.  

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. 

                                                                                                                      - Ephesians 5:25

Notice how God Commands the husband to love his wife.  He doesn't give the husband a choice.

So how do we express love? by compliments, kind words, humble words (love makes requests not demands) and use unselfish behavior.  All of that in which has been told in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5  Love is patient, love is kind, it is humble, it is courteous.  It is unselfish, not quick to take offense, does not keep a score of wrongs.  So once again, love is being described as a behavior, not a feeling.

I've been attending small groups since going to Indian Creek Community Church but I've never held a group of my own.  My goal in the next year is to lead a small group of newly married couples and together work through the book above.  Now- hold me accountable!  :)