| | | | | | February Newsletter From The Marriage Education and Resource Center (MERCY) | | | | | | Dear Jeff, | Well, Valentine's Day has passed. We hope you did something special for your spouse. However, a once-a-year gesture won't keep your marriage running smoothly the rest of the year.
So what are you going to do differently this year to enhance your marrige on a more regular basis? There are plenty of opportunities to make that happen. Check out a few ideas below and even more on our website at www.kymrc.com
Grace and peace, Penny and David | February Marriage Tip
| Bob Lepine (co-host of Family Life Today radio program) recently laid out what it means to have a Godly-marriage. Bob says Christians are to display a different kind of love. He says, "A Christian spouse's love should be. . . - Self-sacrificing, not self-serving
- Forgiving, not half-hearted
- Spirit-controlled, not self-controlled
Sound challenging? It is! It will not happen overnight. . .It's developed as you read God's Word, pray, and pursue Him wholeheartedly." | |  | | | | Ten Pieces of Advice for Long and Healthy Marriages | The following advice was listed in the "Top 10 Lists on the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center:" 1. Commitment in crucial 2. Share quality time 3. Keep a sense of humor 4. Master healthy communication 5. Do little things that make a big difference 6. Choose your battles 7. Do your part 8. Foster Trust and Security 9. Work with your spouse to develop shared goals for your relationship 10. Don't be afraid or ashamed to ask for help | | Kentuckiana Marriage Tune-Up II | Don't miss out on one of the best marriage events you will ever attend. Jeff and Debby McElroy, with Forever Families, will be at Crestwood Baptist Church on March 2 and 3, 2012. Jeff and Debby will use their dramas and comedies to allow you to see the teaching anchored in everyday life. Topics include: - Embracing Reality - I Take You. . .To Have and to Hold
- Intimacy - To Love and Cherish
- Conflict Management - For Better or for Worse
- Financial Unity - For Richer or for Poorer
- Secrets of Lasting Marriage - In Sickness and in Health, 'Til Death Do Us Part
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| Avoiding Close Calls in Marriage! |  This workshop, "Avoiding Close Calls in Marriage," will help you become more alert to a close call and it can strengthen your marriage. We will identify 'dangerous partner profiles' and how the attraction can be immediate and passionate and is usually a person who is not good for you. This profile lurks in the subconscious and remains there as a powerful secret until a couple is willing to talk out the 'composite images' that reside in each of them. We'll also explore 'risky marriages' and if you may be in one, by exploring a marital satisfaction time line chart, that assists in updating your relationship needs and reviews your history. Come prepared to grow in your relationship and avoid those close calls. Saturday, March 31, from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. at Baptist Hospital East in Louisville, KY. Sharon Shapanus, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, will be our guest speaker. Registration is requested, but not required. No cost for the workshop, however, donations are always appreciated. To register or for more information, call (502) 939-0121; email: pdhud9@aol.com or visit: www.kymrc.com |
| Play Date With Your Mate! |  "Play Date with Your Mate" - events designed to strengthen your communication and help you to grow together as a married couple through "purposeful interaction and fun activities" utilizing a Challenge Course, Environmental Education, Equine, or Wilderness Living (EPIC) Program. 2012 Schedule Saturday March 17th - "It takes TWO to GPS" *Friday- March 30th -31st "Couples vs. Wild -Campout" Friday April 13th - "Zip & Dip: Challenge Course Sampler" Friday April 20th - "You can Lead a Horse to Water..." Friday June 22nd - "Bee-ing Together" *Friday-June 29h-30th "Couples vs. Wild Campout" (Rain date) Friday- July 21st - "Cozy in our Canoe" Saturday- September 8th- "Elevated Adventure" Saturday- November 10th- "Couples Hunting Experience" Friday Dec. 7th - "Mistletoe & S'mores" For additional information: call: 859-873-3271, visit their web site at: Life Adventure Center in Versailles, KY |
| How to Avoid Falling for a Jerk or Jerkette - Singles Weekend | This program is a must for all singles. It has been successfully used as a road map for singles to follow in building a healthy relationship and choosing a marriage partner. The workshop includes a mixer on Friday night, lunch on Saturday and all workshop materials. March 30 & 31 Community Mariage Builders 1229 Bellemeade Avenue Evansville, Indiana 47714 (812) 477-2260 OR 1-800-433-8594 There is no cost for the workshop and when you register before March 14 (and complete the workshop) you will receive an added bonus of $50 If you would like overnight accommodations, they must be made directly with The New Harmony Inn at 812-682-4431. Ask about their special CMB room rates starting at $75 plus tax until February 25 (based on availability). Continental breakfast included. |
| Retrouvaille - A Lifeline for Troubled Marriages |  Does your marriage need more than enhancement? Is it at a breaking point? Are you considering separation or divorce? If so, we believe Retrouvaille can help. We have asked many couples to go to Retrouvaille and have heard many success stories from those who saw no hope for their marriage. Retrouvaille consists of a weekend experience and a series of 12 presentations offered within the three months following the weekend phase. The next weekend in the Louisville area is: March 2, 2012. For more information, visit their web site at: www.retrouvaille.org or call: Wayne or Mary Smith at (502) 479-3329 or 1-800-470-2230. Please note that Retrouvaille is an international program so there are weekend events in many locations which you can find on their web site. |
| Love and Respect Program | If you are looking for a "Love and Respect" video program there are plenty coming up in a variety of locations beginning in March. This program helps couples crack the communication code between a man and wife.
Here are a few areas we are aware of that are offering this popular series in the near future:
Pikeville United Methodist Church, Pikeville, KY Restoratioin House Family Worship Center, Hopkinsville, KY Southern Heights Baptist Church, Russellville, KY
For those in Pikeville, Hopkinsville and Russellville, please go go www.kentuckymarriage.org or call (859) 255-5400 to register or for more information. |
| | | | We hope to see you at one or more of these upcoming events. In the meantime, if we can help you in any other way, please give us a call or email us. Grace and peace, | | Penny and David Hudson
The Marriage Education and Resource Center (MERCY)
7204 Hwy. 329 - Crestwood, KY 40014 (502) 939-0121
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