One at a Time: Journalists/TV/Villages/States/Testimonials - 4/7/09

Tue Apr 7 22:32:13 EDT 2009

- ONE JOURNALIST AT A TIME
- MARRIAGE UNCENSORED: TALK ABOUT AN EXPONENTIAL EFFECT!
- ONE VILLAGE AT A TIME
- FLORIDA MARRIAGE LEGISLATION: ONE STATE AT A TIME
- REMARRIAGE: ONE FAMILY AT A TIME
- ONE TESTIMONIAL AT A TIME

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- ONE JOURNALIST AT A TIME

Hi Diane,

I wanted to share an experience I had with a journalist today. I was being
interviewed for a health magazine for my upcoming book "The Secrets of Happy
Families" and the writer was drawn to the chapter called "Commit and
Communicate." She asked whether I was suggesting that part of being in a
happy family was for couples to GET MARRIED. I said YES. She asked whether
that isn't counter to what many therapists recommend to their clients. I
said yes. We then spent a fair amount of time discussing marriage (even
though that wasn't supposed to be the topic of our interview). Ultimately I
gave her a Smart Marriages Conference brochure.

She seemed to drift away for a minute in thought, and then she looked at me
and said, "You know, this seems so new to me--it's like having someone tell
you about 'slow food' [as opposed to fast food]. It's so reasonable, and its
so obvious, but until you get introduced to it, you just don't realize it's
out there."

As you always preach, we each can make an impact in changing the culture--
one person at a time. Another thing you preach--hand out the brochure, you
never know when it will reach the right person.

Scott Haltzman 

Yes, and when the person you reach is a journalist it's an exponential
reach. Get brochures to all the journalists you can.
Let me know if any of you need more.  My goal is to run out of brochures. :)
- diane 
##################################
- MARRIAGE UNCENSORED: TALK ABOUT AN EXPONENTIAL EFFECT!

> Hey Diane,
> Please let people know that their calls and emails to their local PBS stations
> last fall to champion our show really helped!
>  
> Marriage Uncensored is now airing in cities across the US and Canada and
> feeding into Mexico (as far south as Acapulco!)  We now reach 120 million
> viewers and are growing daily!
>  
> We¹ll launch another campaign in the coming weeks to ask your readers to call
> stations and let them know we have 30 brand new episodes available most of
> whom we booked at the Smart Marriages conference last year in San Francisco.
> 
> Dave, Christie and I look forward to meeting new guest experts in Orlando for
> our next season. 
>  
> Here is the link to see which cities are currently airing Marriage Uncensored.
>  
> http://www.marriageuncensored.com/TVListingsUS.php
>  
> Our next guest is Michele Weiner-Davis. So looking forward to having her!
>  
> Janice Nikkel
> Marriage Uncensored

Marriage Uncensored will have an Exhibit in Orlando - be sure you stop by
and *audition*.  - diane

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- ONE VILLAGE AT A TIME

Thank you for sending out the email about John Van Epp's keynote and for
making the transcript available on smartmarriages website. I remember
sitting in the front row listening to him and his daughter present. As I
skimmed the transcript, the closing paragraph completely grabbed my
attention.--looking at it with new eyes almost a year later.

*The present cultural currents are too strong to reverse with just a high
school class or a college intervention program. We must create villages in
our society that often lacks neighborhoods and family structures. But with
these efforts, the beliefs about sex and relationships can change‹hooking-up
can become ³uncool² higher standards for building trust can be established,
and relationships can become structures where character is developed and
boundaries are practiced.* - John Van Epp

I agree with John and I believe we have the resources at our disposal to
"create [meaningful] villages in our society" where people connect, create
meaning, make a difference, are noticed, have a voice, matter, and spur
change! I'm excited about learning from the changemakers and to continue
this conversation in July.

-marc payan

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- FLORIDA MARRIAGE LEGISLATION: ONE STATE AT A TIME

> Marriage Preparation Act  Legislation that would increase the marriage
> license fee but offer a discount to couples who agree to eight hours of
> pre-marital education has been approved by committees in the House and Senate.
> 
> The legislation is a package of two bills (SB 2310/SB 2306 and HB 1185/1187)
> that would increase the marriage license fee to $132.50, but increase the
> current discount of $32.50 for four hours of pre-marital education to $132.50
> for eight hours of such education. For each couple which declines the
> pre-marital education, $100 would be transferred to the Marriage Education
> Trust Fund to provide grants to organizations that help strengthen marriage,
> according to the Florida Family Policy Council, the lead organization
> supporting the legislation.

#####################################
- REMARRIAGE: ONE FAMILY AT A TIME

> Hi Diane - This is a fascinating article about a couple's decision to remarry
> after divorce from the Salon.com Americans Talk About Love Series.

> "Dory, 66"
> "If someone had told me that we would ever get back together, I would have
> laughed. Because it wasn't just a separation. We really did sever the ties."
> By John Bowe
> 
> http://www.salon.com/mwt/american_love/2009/04/06/dory/index.html

######################################

-  ONE TESTIMONIAL AT A TIME

Gotta share two more Banner postings. Elizabeth Einstein's and Carolyn
Curtis's endorsements are two more great example of HOW to tell people WHY
they should attend.  - diane

Here's Carolyn's on the Healthy Marriage Project Sacramento site:
http://www.sacmarriage.org/Smart%20Marriages

> When Carolyn Curtis, HMP's executive director, attended this conference in
> 2003 in Reno, Navada, she was inspired to bring Marriage Education to
> Sacramento. All of HMP's work stemmed from this conference. It is the place to
> be for Marriage Education, and we highly recommend it!
> 
> For more information about the 13th Annual Conference in Orlando this July,
> please visit the Smart Marriages website at www.smartmarriages.org.
----------------------------------------------
And here is Elizabeth Einstein's on her StepfamilyLiving.com site:

> The only national conference for which I continue to present is Smart
> Marriages, Happy Families sponsored by the Coalition for Marriage, Family &
> Couples Education (CMFCE). With 200 national presenters, this conference is
> the best! Their online resource information on diverse programs to improve
> marriage is overwhelming in its scope. If you can't find it on the website,
> their director will offer you a resource who can help you find what you need.
> You can subscribe to the FREE newsletter and download a conference brochure by
> clicking on the image above or www.smartmarriages.com. As part of this
> critical mission, ask for quantities of this brochure to distribute in your
> community.
http://www.stepfamilyliving.com/workshop_schedule.html

You have the opportunity to spend a full day with Stepfamily Master
Elizabeth Einstein.  If your church or CHMI doesn't have a Stepfamily
Program this one is a MUST.

>  902 - Sunday, July 12
> Strengthening Stepfamilies: A Developmental Approach
> Elizabeth Einstein, MA
> Stepfamilies CAN succeed  once you help them understand how to make their
> strengths work for them. Learn powerful exercises to reduce loyalty conflicts
> and clarify bonds and boundaries in these vulnerable families. This creative
> day gives you The Stepfamily Journey ³trail map² and tools to teach any
> stepfamily program. $50 spouse discount. Click for more information:
> http://www.smartmarriages.com/einstein.stepfamilies.html

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13th Annual Smart Marriages® Conference, The Shingle Creek,
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Post-Conference Training Institutes July 12

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