Let me begin by saying that I have not been a huge fan of marriage conferences. At marriage, Joy & I committed to continually invest in resources such as books, audio, & counseling. As well, we said we would try to attend a marriage conference/seminar annually.
Our first attempt at Marriage Conferences
Our first marriage conference was a disaster! If you think I am exaggerating, you're mistaken. I took the lead in registering for the conference, booking a romantic hotel, taking the weekend off from church duties, etc. I thought everything was in place. Well, it was except that we were let down in a major way. Long story short, it caused more arguments in our marriage than we could've imagined. We spent our first night in the hotel practically angry with one another; it stunk! I couldn't identify why everything was going so wrong.
Well, after attending Love that Lasts, I realized I wasn't being too critical when I said that the other conference was terrible; it was! The reason it caused so much conflict is because it was viewing marriage strictly from a man-centered view rather than a God-centered view. It was practically 3 days of someone telling me how my behavior was wrong. But what they failed to do was address the main issue--my desire. My desire was for me... "What can I get out of this marriage? How come I do this? But what about me?" You get the point.
Thank God for something Different
Well, I must thank God that this time was a different story. I presume there are a few reasons why. First, I believe Joy & I are in a different place than previously... we are more open to serve one another but also we are not as surprised by one another's tendencies towards sin. God's graciousness towards us has allowed us to be more gracious with one another. Second, the content was so much more God-centered. I will expound on this next time I post, but there was such a huge difference between most other marriage resources we've used & Love that Lasts.
Until next Time
So... I better get to work, but I want you to stay tuned as I post my notes & impressions from this weekend's conference. I know you will be blessed!
Dude, I am jealous, but in a good way if that is at all possible. I am excited to hear about the conference, because our only experience of a marriage conference was like your first experience. Looking forward to hearing more...by the way, I am so thankful to God for being so merciful to you and Joy for allowing you to experience Cornerstone. May God continue to grow you both in your marriage and in your spiritual journeys seeking pleasure and satisfaction in God.
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