A Weekend to Remember

 

Every year since Joey and I have been married we've went on a marriage retreat. It's called a retreat but it should really be called a requirement. I say requirement not in a negative way but in a positive sense. Marriage is tough and is a declining relationship. In 1960, 72% of all adults ages 18 and older were married; today just 51% are. If current trends continue, the share of adults who are currently married will drop to below half within a few years. The divorce rate is absolutely scary now and is getting worse each year. 
Joey and I do our best to fight for our marriage and so once a year we take a weekend to just get away and give our marriage a little tune up for the year. 

This year we headed to Myrtle Beach again! 

We attended a Weekend to Remember hosted by family life

 We stayed at a great hotel on the 4th floor (I hate heights!)

The schedule seemed like a lot but everything we heard was great information.

FRIDAY

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05:00 p.m.                   Sign in to receive getaway manuals and name tags

07:00 - 07:30 p.m         Welcome to your Weekend to Remember®

07:30 - 08:30 p.m         Why Marriages Fail: Identify and understand the five threats to marriage

08:30 - 08:45 p.m.        Break (on your own)             

08:45 - 09:30 p.m.        Can We Talk?  Discuss factors that make communication difficult.

09:30 - 09:50 p.m.        Application project for you and your spouse.

SATURDAY

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08:00 - 08:30 a.m.         Resource center and ballroom open.

08:30 - 09:20 a.m.         Unlocking the Mystery of Marriage: Realize God's plan for marriage.

09:20 - 09:35 a.m.         Break (on your own)

09:35 - 10:25 a.m.         From How to Wow: Achieve God's plan for marriage by leaving, cleaving, and becoming one flesh.

10:25 - 11:40 a.m.         Application project for you and your spouse

11:40 - 12:30 p.m.         What Every Marriage Needs: Marriage is dependent upon your own personal relationship with God. 

12:30 - 02:00 p.m.         Lunch break (on your own)

02:00 - 03:05 p.m.         We Fight Too: Understand how to handle the inevitable conflicts of marriage.

03:05 - 03:20 p.m.         Helping Others 

03:20 - 03:30 p.m.         Break (on your own)

03:30 - 04:30 p.m.         Marriage After Dark: Uncover intimacy from God's perspective.

04:30 - 04:55 p.m.         Help for Today (Optional breakout session) 

Evening                          Date Night**       

**Make Date Night the highlight of your weekend by spending meaningful time together and reclaiming the love and intimacy that is often obscured through the activities of daily living. Rekindle the fire over a candlelight dinner—reserve a romantic table for two. Surprise your spouse with a special gift that you have tucked away in your suitcase. Or simply, hang the "do not disturb" sign outside your door. And, if attending with friends, make sure to reserve this evening just to spend this time together as a couple.

SUNDAY

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09:00 - 10:30 a.m.         Woman to Woman / Man to Man: God has given husbands and wives different roles and responsibilities.

10:30 - 11:05 a.m.         Hope for Tomorrow (Optional breakout session)

10:30 - 11:15 a.m.         Application project.

11:15 - 12:00 p.m.         How Marriages Thrive: Learn the three essential elements to a healthy marriage.

12:00 - 12:30 p.m.         Leaving a Legacy: Detect and implement your family's legacy.

12:30 p.m.                    Getaway ends

They joked in the very first session that "the hard part of the weekend was over with" because kids were all settled and we were here! Boy, were they right. this year not only did we have three children to get placed but also our dog Daisy. Our friends Valerie and Eric picked the kids up from school on Friday and kept them until Saturday and then on Saturday my mom and dad picked them up and kept them till Sunday afternoon when we got home. My dad even took the kids to church for us on Sunday. Daisy stayed with my grandma but she did not like it, my grandma said she cried the whole time :( I started packing a week in advance to make sure we could leave on time on Friday. So, when he said "the hard part's over" I was amen'n that! This weekend made me very thankful and hopeful of the days of just one suitcase and jumping in the car without having to have any plans or schedules or turning around for forgotten blankets. I say that but I'm sure the day my babies don't need me to back their clothes and line up babysitters I will be so sad.

On Friday Night we headed to my absolute favorite place to eat.....

 Carrabbas!

My chicken was even in the shape of a heart, how sweet

After a wonderful dinner 

Joey and I setted in for a good nights sleep.

Saturday morning we were up... late as usual but with no kids to blame :)

We headed to the Starbucks coffee shop that was inside the hotel and grabbed coffee and danishes

We could walk to the beach in about 7 minutes so on the second day we tried it out on our lunch break

You could tell who the other ones were that we also using their lunch break for a beach break

I tried to read a little but started missing the kids so I decided to give that a rest

Saturday was "date night" so Joey and I went to this great Italian restaurant called Travinia Italian Kitchen

Joey got some lobster

and I got chicken of coarse

Then we headed over to the movies which we haven't done in a while

The next morning we got to go visit a satellite church of NewSpring Church. Perry Nobles is the pastor of NewSprings and Joey loves to hear him preach so this was real treat.

The sermon was talking about Marriage! How about that? 

They had only been opened for three weeks and were already packed.

After service we had the opportunity to stay for a baptism service.

It was such an honor to see these people getting baptized.

The service was really simple, they had a mobile baptismal, clipboard with names and person to talk loud :)

The campus pastor baptized them

Afterwards a wonderful lady took our picture and prayed over Joey and I.

she made me cry.... imagine that!

Visiting that church was really nice

It reminded us of home

We left there and headed back to North Carolina to get our babies and step back into reality.

This year the thing that stuck out to us was COMMUNICATION

We have to intentionally watch the way and listen to the way we talk to each and talk about each other. We have to make an effort to remember that we are not each other's enemy and we have to be on one accord if everything in our marriage is going to work. It was a really refreshing weekend and I can't wait for next year!