8
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
Agenda
Introductions
Why is this important to you and your marriage?
Sharing statistics and real life stories
Q&A
Marriage Preparation Session
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
How to fight back? The obvious answer is better marriage preparation.
A marriage was Satan's first target in the Garden of Eden, and it was one of his preferred fields of battle through the Old Testament. The British schism in the Protestant Reformation began when a committed Catholic, Henry VIII, wanted to divorce his wife. And today, the battle over marriage rages on.
"Divorce is a grave offense against the natural law," according to the Catechism (2384). "Divorce does injury to the covenant of salvation, of which sacramental marriage is the sign."
"Catholics are falling apart left and right, orthodox Catholics," said Dr. Phillip Mango, a psychoanalyst at the St. Michael's Institute in Manhattan. "When I saw the Catholic marriages in this country that are hurting, I wasn't shocked — I was saddened. Who is dealing with this? Who is dealing with this in a real way? Bible study is just not doing it."
Why is this important to you and your marriage?
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
Religion and Divorce Rates
The reasons for divorce for members of different
religions vary. There appears to be a
connection between strong adherence and practice of a
traditional religious faith and a lower divorce rate.
The good news is:
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
"Both of us became guilty of self-righteousness," we have all said. "We both thought it was more important to be right than to be happy. And that's a killer for a marriage."
In retrospect, we say that marriage preparation gave us all the doctrinal answers but left us somewhat unprepared for the life that we would face. “We have learned a lot since then and too many times, we will read something in the bible or a self help book only to look up to God and ask, 'Why didn't I read this years ago?"'
Our stories
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
Keep GOD 1st in your marriage and pray together – A FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER
Separate emotionally from the family you grew up in; not to the point of estrangement, but enough so that your identity is separate from that of your parents and siblings.
Build togetherness based on a shared intimacy and identity, while at the same time set boundaries to protect each partner's autonomy. MUTUAL RESPECT
Establish a rich and pleasurable sexual relationship and protect it from the intrusions of the workplace and family obligations. DATE NIGHT
For couples with children, embrace the daunting roles of parenthood and absorb the impact of a baby's entrance into the marriage. Learn to continue the work of protecting the privacy of you and your spouse as a couple. AVOID DANGERS OF LIONNESS and MOTHERING ATTITUDES
Confront and master the inevitable crises of life. FINANCIAL PLANNING, HEALTH MANAGEMENT and CHANGES AS YOU EACH AGE
Maintain the strength of the marital bond in the face of adversity. The marriage should be a safe haven in which partners are able to express their differences, anger and conflict. LEARN TO COMMUNICATE and FIGHT FAIR
Use humor and laughter to keep things in perspective and to avoid boredom and isolation. Nurture and comfort each other, satisfying each partner's needs for dependency and offering continuing encouragement and support. LISTEN, LEAD, LOVE & LET GO
Keep alive the early romantic, idealized images of falling in love, while facing the sober realities of the changes wrought by time. HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE TO BE TOGETHER just the two of you
Lessons Learned and
Preventive Measures
Ensure 20:20 vision to safeguard your marriage
Q & A
