Marsha's Musings: Family Life Marriage Conference: Weekend to Remember

I just got back from a whirlwind weekend at the Family Life Marriage Conference. My mind is whirling with all the information we got there and all the work I need to do to make my marriage better.

First, I have to tell you that our weekend, room and conference fees were all paid for. My husband entered a drawing and we won the Grand Prize. I wasn't expecting a lot in the way of accomodations. We had stayed one other time as a family one night in the off season in one of the cheaper resort rooms. It wasn't much bigger or better than Super 8. So this is what I expected for accomodations. I was in for a big surprise! All I could say when we walked in was, "Wow. Oh wow." I was speechless. It was a spacious room with king size bed, desk, full couch, recliner with foot stool, and all the other standard amenities. One whole wall was mirrors and another wall was windows that over looked the lake. It was beautiful and very relaxing. This morning, (I'm writing Sunday night) I woke up an hour earlier thanmy husband and I took our snuggle blanket and sat on the couch to read my Bible and pray and gaze out the window at the lake. It was so peaceful and relaxing. It was refreshing.

The conference was intense. There was so much territory to cover! But the speakers were wonderful. They brought a lot of humor to subjects that would be difficult to cover and yet sensitively helped us to come to grips with areas of our marriage that we need to work on.

In the front of our workbooks was a place to write down six things to remember or apply from the weekend and a place to write down my top three priorities. I want to share them here and I hope someone out there in cyberland will ask me about it from time to time to help keep me accountable. I plan to talk to my pastor's wife and ask for her help in this too. Here they are:
Things to remember:

• Don't let the culture dictate your expectations in marriage. Refers to Hollywood romance, novels etc.
• The issue is the attitude you take toward your differences between you and your spouse.
• If we believe our spouse's differences are wrong and we want to change them, then we are doubting God's goodness.
• Oneness in marriage is a result of oneness with God.
• Our battle is not against flesh & blood...my mate is not my enemy!
• Improve your marriage & sexual intimacy will follow.

My top three priorities:

• To make my relationship to God a priority and apply what I learn in Scripture to my marriage.
• To work on my attitude--to be content;be thankful for my husband and his qualities.
• To be the person I want my husband and children to be.

I plan over the next week or more to post up tidbits that I heard at the marriage conference. I hope they will challenge and bless you as they have me.