Changing the Culture One Family at a Time/ Latest Form of Commitment - 8/2/08

Sat Aug 2 15:50:30 EDT 2008

- YOUR OWN GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN
- MORE ON HENDRIX/HUNT AND GRAY
- MORE IMPORTANT - THEIR PROGRAMS
- SIGN OF THE TIMES: THE LATEST FORM OF TRUST AND COMMITMENT: THE NEW WHAT??
- COHABITATION IN UK
- BLOG: IT TAKES A VILLAGE

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- YOUR OWN GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN

I just got off the phone with a coalition member who reminded me that I have
not reminded the list in a long time about the things you can do in your own
family to effect culture change.  She says she's changed the culture in her
family with these suggestions that I used to harp on ten years ago  that
she has established "new traditions" that her grandkids now assume is how
it's always been. She says it's also spread beyond her family to friends,
colleagues, congregation, her hair salon - a very grassroots way to change
the culture that spreads. So, here they are, again:

1) Celebrate wedding anniversaries in a BIG way. In the olden days it was a
big deal to reach each birthday milestone.  We can now take birthdays more
for granted, and in our age of a 50% divorce rate, it makes more sense to
celebrate wedding anniversary milestones. So celebrate your own and your
adult children's wedding anniversaries EACH year - don't wait till 25th or
50th.  Parties, big gifts, big TAH DAHs.  It's a strong marriage message to
your kids, grandkids, community.

2) Give marriage education courses as engagement, wedding, new baby gifts.
http://www.smartmarriages.com/giftcertificates.html

3) Establish a Gramma Week where you babysit your grandkids but you make the
point clear that the purpose is to give their parents a "romantic week" to
renew their honeymoon spirit.  Or, do a weekend or two if that's all you can
manage.  The message is what's important.  Speaking of which, I start Gramma
Week this coming week.  I do two weeks, partly because a week is never long
enough for this Gramma and my five grandkids.  I can attest to the fact that
my married adult children look forward to this all year - they tell me how
great it is for their marriage. And, the kids definitely get the "romantic
marriage message". 

And, I encourage you to listen to Doherty's How to Raise Children for Good
Marriages keynote.  The important thing is to realize is we are always
sending messages - positive or negative - about marriage.

> #758-011 - BANQUET Keynote
> Raising Children for Good Marriages
> Bill Doherty, PhD
> Role-modeling a good marriage is important, but it¹s not enough in a me-first,
> commitment-lite culture. As parents, we have to be intentional about raising
> children who are ready for the brave new world of contemporary marriage, and
> about supporting the marriages of our adult children.

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- MORE ON HENDRIX/HUNT AND GRAY

I'm being asked for the session numbers and info about how to order these
recordings. I guess I assume I've given it so often that you all know.
Order at http://www.iplaybacksmartmarriages.com/
Or at 800-241-7785 

> #758-010 BANQUET Keynote and Awards Dinner
> Co-Sponsored by NACFLM & Marriage Savers
> IMAGO: Couplehood as a Spiritual Path
> Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhDs
> Couplehood can be the most powerful and effective path
> for emotional healing and spiritual growth. Understand the
> potential of viewing couplehood as a spiritual path and
> the transformative power of using Imago Dialogue as
> a spiritual practice.

> #758-009 Sat Night Live
> Why Mars and Venus Collide
> John Gray, PhD
> Understand the crucial differences between the sexes and learn practical,
> gender-specific solutions for optimizing brain chemistry, stress management,
> and romance - and how each impacts the other. Specific practices that can help
> you change couples' lives, stop unnecessary collisions, and help them come
> together.

- MORE IMPORTANT - THEIR PROGRAMS:
You can sign up for the 10 webinar series with John Gray live for only $99 -
it's focused on long LOVE and long LIFE.  An incredible deal - you'll learn
important take-aways to use with couples or in your own relationship.
Listen here http://home.marsvenus.com/
Then, sign up here:  http://www.marsvenusbookclub.com/

Order the Hendrix/Hunt CASP TOOB program - Christian or Interfaith versions
 here: http://www.couplehoodasaspiritualpath.com/
For $65 you can buy the DVD, two participant manuals, and a facilitator's
manual. 

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- SIGN OF THE TIMES: THE LATEST FORM OF TRUST AND COMMITMENT: THE NEW WHAT??

Sorry, to be the bearer but you need to listen to this one.  - diane

> Sex Without Condoms Is The New Engagement Ring : NPR
> http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92871273&sc=emaf

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- COHABITATION IN UK

> Diane,
> What Scott Stanley says about cohabitation in the US seems to be mirrored
> here in the UK. I've just completed a survey of married and unmarried
> cohabiting mothers attending post-natal clinics with their new babies. Even
> amongst the mostly well educated new parents who attend such groups, the
> unmarried are more likely than the married to exhibit certain unhelpful
> relationship interactions. These are new parents surveyed in the last 12
> months. The paper will be available later this year.
> Kind regards
> Harry Benson
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- BLOG: IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Diane,
Thought you'd like to see that you made it on the Working Dad Seattle Post
Intelligencer Blog this week....he ended with a quote from you. Cool to see
someone I know quoted!  Thanks for a great conference. - Bob

> And finally a quote to end the workweek on:
> 
> "They say it takes a village to raise a child. That may be the case, but the
> truth is that it takes a lot of solid, stable marriages to create a village.
> -- Diane Sollee, smartmarriages.com.

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13th Annual Smart Marriages® Conference, Shingle Creek Resort,
Orlando, Florida, July 6-12, 2009 (General Conference July 8-11)
Pre-Conference Training Institutes July 6-8
Post-Conference Training Institutes July 12

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