October 2016 Prayer Letter

WTR Update from Delray Beach, Florida

           It was the kick off event for our fall season and amazingly everything ran smoothly. Often there are a few glitches that need to be worked out. Our team back in Little Rock did a great job making sure all the equipment and updated procedures were in place.

           We had 390 in attendance. Six people indicated they became Christ followers! We had 3 speaker couples which is one more than normal since one of the couples is still being trained. God used all of them in amazing ways. As one of the speakers said, “We aren’t coming up here on stage as marriage experts telling you how to fix your marriages. We are coming up as imperfect people to share how God has used our mistakes, struggles, and difficulties to strengthen our marriage.”

 Here are a few of our top ten comments:

           Revitalized is what I can come up with on describing this weekend.  I realize that coming here was going to help me, help us fix our marriage.  It did more than fix it, it brought our marriage back to life.

Married 6 years

             I feel the weekend has definitely pressed the “pause” button on our talk of divorce.  Given us many skills to work on and tools to do it.

Married 24 years

Prior to this weekend, my husband and I both knew our marriage needed “work” but were struggling to do it on our own.  This weekend refocused our eyes on the need for Christ to be the head of our home and we’re leaving refreshed and honestly relieved that we don’t need to do it on our own, when we’re choosing to fully trust Him, His word and His roles for us as a husband/father and wife/mother.

Married 11 years

Stressful Times remind us to Seek Him!

           I’m sure many of you are like me, you become anxious about the future. Watching the news only compounds the stress as you see violence erupting across our country. The upcoming election also is making many of us worry. There seems to be so little control we have over any of it, so we just sit and fret.

I have made it a point recently to focus on a few verses from God’s Word. I’ve even memorized them so when I’m feeling like everything is out of control I am brought back to the One who is in control of everything. Perhaps focusing on His Word will comfort you as well.

Psalm 56: 3&4 When I am afraid I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I shall

put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

Psalm 118: 8&9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Thanks for partnering with us– we so appreciate you!

Delray Beach - Wekend to Remember

Delray Beach, FL Top Ten Comments

September 23-25, 2016

Attendance: 389

Holy Spirit: 89

Recommit: 64

Salvations: 6

Revitalized is what I can come up with on describing this weekend.  I realize that coming here was going to help me, help us fix our marriage.  It did more than fix it, it brought our marriage back to life.

Married 6 years

I feel the weekend has definitely pressed the “pause” button on our talk of divorce.  Given us many skills to work on and tools to do it.

Married 24 years

God really uses this conference to help us realign our lives, hearts, and relationship to Christ’s bigger purpose.  As a blended family the impact is huge for us because we need to be reminded that He is for us.

Married 1 years

Prior to this weekend, my husband and I both knew our marriage needed “work” but were struggling to do it on our own.  This weekend refocused our eyes on the need for Christ to be the head of our home and we’re leaving refreshed and honestly relieved that we don’t need to do it on our own, when we’re choosing to fully trust Him, His word and His roles for us as a husband/father and wife/mother.

Married 11 years

This weekend has given us time to have deep conversations without the kids distracting us.  We have really just reinforced our desire to continue deepening our relationship.  We have gained tools to use in our every day lives.

Married 10 years

The getaway was just that – an opportunity to step away from home/work/children responsibilities and to fully focus on us and our marriage.  Possibly the greatest effect it’s created is talking points and conversations to lead to understanding and growth between us.

Married 5 years

We have been married for 34 years as of today.  We had so much to learn!  This time together learning from other couples has been such a blessing and a time for us to recommit to each other.  We believe God brought us together by His sovereign will, and the His will keep us together by His power as we trust Him.

Married 34 years

It gave us a renewed focus on our marriage, and gave us the inspiration to go home and fight harder for each other.

Married 11 months

Saving our marriage at the critical time.  Maybe it is our turning point; wait to see how our God reveals our story.

Married 29 years

I can see an eagerness in my husband to be a godly husband and a godly father.  That not only warms my heart but is so encouraging for our future.

Married 4 years    

September 2016 Prayer Letter

FamilyLife began in 1976 as a marriage preparation ministry within Cru with little vision to take it further. But God had bigger plans. In July staff and ministry friends came together to celebrate all the Lord has accomplished and HIS faithfulness through 40 years of FamilyLife! 

Though we were on sabbatical and missed the celebration we did get to watch all the key note speakers on video. Here is a sampling of what took place.

Competence is wonderful, it is not unspiritual. Dependence upon the Holy Spirit with competence is fine if it is accompanied with brokenness before the Lord. The danger comes as you learn how to execute things, you have contacts, strategies, experience, and you become self reliant. Self reliance is a terrible tendency. Just as the early church in Acts, we must be dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Only when our reliance upon God eclipses our competencies, that’s when we’re being most radically used by God. 

Crawford Loritts, Senior Pastor Fellowship Bible Church, Roswell, GA

When this ministry began in 1976 the church was far too dependent upon the culture to uphold marriage. Now the church is the one that must uphold marriage. A world is watching, a world that thinks of marriage as a domestic concentration camp, as a lifestyle expression. Marriage is actually a gospel witness created by God. 

Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

 FamilyLife is not a ministry because of what man has done, it is a ministry in spite of. It’s a ministry where God showed up and showed off and has done way beyond what we could have ever imagined. Looking forward be aware, we are in a spiritual battle. Consider what hangs in the balance for your family and your descendants. What is our part in this battle? Now, more than ever it demands our faith, courage and obedience. We’re in a battle for the next generation.

Dennis Rainey, President and co-founder of FamilyLife

 

August 2016 Prayer Letter

A Few Notes from a Good Sermon

Recently we heard a really good message regarding what we should be doing as believers. It was a discussion regarding the “great commission”.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

It was a great reminder for us and hopefully for you too regarding how we are to engage those around us.

· As the work of Christ was completed on the cross, the work of the church was just beginning. The church has been called to continue what God started.

· Remember, your job is what you do, not who you are. Who you are is a disciple maker.

· Church should be seen as a rescue mission, not a retreat center. We are not to hide out from the world but to reach out to the world.

· The only way to have conversations with others is to stay in conversation with Him.

Check Out a Weekend to Remember

We hope you will check out familylife.com to see the complete fall schedule for all of our Weekend to Remember events. If you have not been, or have not been recently, we hope you will attend one of these events soon. Even though the material may be similar to the last time you attended, you are at a different place in your marriage. You will be surprised how new and different the content hits you. We know you will enjoy a weekend away with your spouse. Remember, you don’t discuss your marriage with anyone. You just listen to great speakers, work on projects together, and truly have a “Weekend to Remember”!

July 2016 Prayer Letter

Houston WTR Events

             In spite of all the rain and severe flooding we had good turn outs for our Houston events in June. We were devastated to see how widespread the flooding was when we drove from San Antonio to Houston and drove over the Brazos river. Though the freeway was open, many of the off ramps were underwater. The river had spread across several miles in some places. 

             Everyone seemed to know someone who had been affected by the floods. Even the head of banquet staff we worked with at the hotel in the Woodlands had his parents living with him. Their home was flooded with 3 feet of water and it was going to be weeks before they could even return to assess the damage.

We were encouraged to see many still turned out for the Weekend to Remember events. There were 22 salvation decisions indicated. Here are a couple of comments. The first from the Woodlands and the second from Sugar Land.

We’ve been separated for close to 4 months.  We’ve been seeking counsel since the separation but are still unable to communicate.  It wasn’t until the middle of the second day that we broke through our walls.  There’s still much work to be done.  But this was close to ending.  There is a feeling of new life again.  Wanting to build a new marriage more suited to God’s plan for oneness.  Thank you.

Husband, Married 3 years

It was life-giving, encouraging, difficult, and challenging at the same time.  The fear I experienced going into the first session – that I would be blindsided by all that I do wrong – quickly vanished as hope crept back into my heart and mind.  Very well done, FamilyLife team! Husband, married 13.5 years

Understand that God is using you to help draw people to Himself and restore marriages!