My husband and I came back yesterday afternoon from the three days “Weekend to Remember” getaway the Family Life Ministry hosted here in Baltimore, Maryland.

I don’t know if there is any word or phrase that can describe our experience.

We were overwhelmed throughout the program! Yes, we called it “a Mini-Honeymoon weekend”.

We were in the hotel for three nights but it felt like three minutes. We laughed, cried and were speechless many times; just looking at each other’s eyes without saying a word.

More than 600 people were gathered together. We witnessed the Gospel being preached by two humble men, Ray McKelvy and Christopher Willard – Mrs. McKelvy (Robyn McKelvy) is the author of SOS – “Sick of Sex” – it may sound negative but it is actually full of positive message about sex to wives – well, they have ten kids – that should tell you how positive this book is talking about sex. Mrs. Willard was there blessing us all women with her biblical wisdom how to be a wise wife who influences her husband and impacts the next generation. Her sense of humor still makes me smile. Mrs. McKelvy was not there because some of her kids were down with the flu but we met her via a video clip.

Ray and Chris – Wow! We were in tears when Ray talked about his childhood, how he was sexually abused by his uncles; and we also broke into tears when Chris talked about his alcoholic father and how he used to wish to escape from it all while he was stuck in a tiny and small house, with his mom and five of his older brothers.

My! These men were broken into smaller pieces but Jesus! But Jesus! But Jesus put them back together and made them ORNAMENTS to the Body of Christ! They are very humbled by their past history and that humbleness was a door which let Jesus come in to their lives and use them in a marvelous way, to bring hope and help to millions.

My Berhan and I once again reminded of the fact that our marriage is beyond us! There is more at stake at our marriage than we think and imagine! We were rejoiced but at the same time terrified by the truth of God behind our marriage!

The teaching was organized into ten different sections. There was a project for each major section that we had to go to our room and do the project alone. Then we come together and discuss as a couple before we join the next class. Wow! That moment was heavenly!

I mean every moment of our stay was sacred! But there was one project that was very sacred for both of us. On Saturday, in the middle of the day, after one class, they asked us to go and write love letter to one another without using the phrase “I love you.” They gave us four guidelines. Here are the guidelines: 1. The qualities most attracted me to you when I first met you; 2. what qualities of yours I began to learn to appreciate the most since we’ve married; 3. our differences which helped me grow spiritually and emotionally and 4. steps I commit to take to love God and you!

Once we were done writing, we exchanged the letters so that I read his as he read mine.

You be the judge! How can I describe that moment? I can’t.

At the end of the program, the most glorious moment for us, was this: Each couple stood, facing each other, looking at each other’s eyes and exchanged marriage vows, spelling each word, not from our lips but from our hearts. My! I was in tears, so were many people; tears of joy!

Do I recommend this program to you? Oh, yes! Please visit their website (familylife.com) and attend one of their getaways. They host this kind of program across America. Yes, it is not cheap but hey, it is worth it! When you add up the hotel and the registration fee and everything, it can be a bit costly but compare to what you get out of it, it is very cheap!

The last statement both Ray and Chris kept on saying still rings in my ears. This is what they said, “Remember, information doesn’t bring transformation but application. What you learned over this weekend is going to be just information. You have to apply the information to your reality to bring transformation to your life and marriage.”

How true that is! And that will be my message for today! Whatever we know to be true, let’s strive to apply it to our life so that we see change/ transformation in our lives and marraiges.

Jesus said: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25.

Let’s not look for another revelation but let’s put the already revealed Truth of God into practice and we will experience the change we so desire to have in our lives as well as marriages. ///