Fresno does Fireproof/Goofy Promo/Roommates/ Hope Clips - 2/5/09

Fri Feb 6 16:28:59 EST 2009

- FRESNO DOES FIREPROOF
- FIREPROOF WORKSHOP GOOFY PROMO ON YOUTUBE
- ROOMMATE REGISTRATION
- THREE CLIPS TO GIVE US HOPE:
- NEW FAITH-BASED WHITE HOUSE OFFICE
- DIVORCE MAKES WOMEN LOOK OLDER
- AND THIS ONE, TOO......GOTTA LOVE THAT THIS ISN'T WORKING
- MORE FROM THE SMARTMARRIAGES.COM QUOTES PAGE

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

- FRESNO DOES FIREPROOF

Hi Diane,

Joan and I facilitated our church's annual marriage retreat this past
weekend with 30 couples using a combination of the Fireproof Kit and Pillow
Talk dialogue questions I created. We think it was the best conference we've
done as far as impact on couples and their response.

Here is the format if anyone else wants to use it. We had "fire captains"
available to meet with couples if they needed help - most of whom had been
trained in Mastering the Mysteries of Love (MML) and in Marriage mentoring.

*Friday night:* - showed the full Fireproof Movie (passed out "Pillow Talk"
questions for couples to discuss in their rooms)

*Saturday a.m.* - two DVD Fireproof clips, two brief teaching times of table
talk and group processing questions in the Fireproof Kit

*Saturday afternoon:* free til 7 p.m for couple fun.

*Saturday p.m.* - two more clips, two brief teaching time, table talk and
group processing of questions  and then passed out our second "Pillow Talk"
questions for couples to discuss in rooms.

*Sunday a.m.* - one clip on forgiveness, teacing time, table talk, and group
processing.

Ended with communion, led by one of our pastors.

I've posted the Pillow Talk Dialogue questions on our website for anyone to
use at:  http://www.growyourmarriage.com/  -  just under the MARRIAGE
CHECK-UP button in the upper right corner.

The evaluations were fantastic and this is a very easy retreat to
facilitate. The work is done for you!

Ron McLain, M.A.
Executive Director
Healthy Marriage Coalition of Fresno/Madera County
www.growyourmarriage.com

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

- FIREPROOF WORKSHOP GOOFY PROMO ON YOUTUBE

> Diane:   
> Here's a YouTube link to the unprofessional & goofy commercial we made to
> advertise our Fireproof marriage enrichment series in good ol¹ Joplin, MO
> running through the month of February.
>  
> http://www.youtube..com/watch?v=55fSLy0a2EM
>  
> Lynne Roberts
> CI Information Manager
> Joplin, MO 

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

- ROOMMATE REGISTRATION

> Diane, I have room with two doubles reserved at the Shingle Creek and wanted
> to add my name to the room mate list
> YB

You are on the ball!  Just go to the roommate section on the website and
send me the info in that format and I'll get it out to others who are
looking for a roommate. I bet in this economy we'll have even more who
attend on the buddy system.

http://www.smartmarriages.com/roommates.html

- diane  

###################################
- THREE CLIPS TO GIVE US HOPE:

- NEW FAITH-BASED WHITE HOUSE OFFICE

Obama Outlines Priorities and Changes for New Faith-Based White House Office
February 05, 2009 
By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country
http://tinyurl.com/cvwdn5

##################################
- DIVORCE MAKES WOMEN LOOK OLDER

Maybe we should pay to have this one put up on billboards along the highway
or posters at health clubs and the grocery store.......it's gotta help.

Health
Divorce Makes Women Look Older
By Robert Roy Britt, Editorial Director
http://www.livescience.com/health/090205-divorce-older.html

#####################################
- AND THIS ONE, TOO......GOTTA LOVE THAT THIS STUFF ISN'T WORKING
Europeans show no love for divorce fairs
Despite high rates of marital collapse, trade shows peddling the services of
detectives and lawyers garner more buzz than attendees
http://tinyurl.com/arypmv

####################################
- MORE FROM THE SMARTMARRIAGES.COM QUOTES PAGE
Just because you say you like them...

> For most people, a life lived alone, with passing strangers or passing
> lovers, is incoherent and ultimately unbearable. Someone must be
> there to know what we have done for those we love.
> Frank Pittman
> ****************
> I knew couples who¹d been married almost forever  forty, fifty, sixty years.
> Seventy-two, in one case. They¹d be tending each other¹s illnesses, filling in
> each other¹s faulty memories, dealing with the money troubles or the
> daughter¹s suicide, or the grandson¹s drug addiction. And I was beginning to
> suspect that it made no difference whether they¹d married the right person.
> Finally, you¹re just with who you¹re with. You¹ve signed on with her, put in a
> half century with her, grown to know her as well as you know yourself or even
> better, and she¹s become the right person. Or the only person, might be more
> to the point. I wish someone had told me that earlier. I¹d have hung on then;
> I swear I would.²
> Anne Tyler, "A Patchwork Planet"
> *************
> I now think of marriage like I think about living in my home state of
> Minnesota. You move into marriage in the springtime of hope, but eventually
> arrive at the Minnesota winter, with its cold and darkness. Many of us are
> tempted to give up and move south at this point, not realizing that maybe
> we¹ve hit a rough spot in a marriage that¹s actually above average. The
> problem with giving up, of course, is that our next marriage will enter its
> own winter at some point. So do we just keep moving on, or do we make our
> stand now  with this person, in this season? That¹s the moral, existential
> question we face when our marriage is in trouble.
> Bill Doherty, DrBillDoherty.org

If you enjoy this list, you'll love MariageTweets:
http://www.marriagetweets.com/

Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored and you
will not receive a response.

Send comments to the list moderator, Diane Sollee, to:
diane at smartmarriages.com  (In other words, do NOT simply hit "reply". If you
hit reply your email will disappear into cyberspace.)

This is a moderated list. Submissions and comments are read by Diane Sollee.
Please indicate if your comment is NOT to be shared with the list.  PLEASE
include your email address and/or url as part of your signature.

With thousands of subscribers, not all comments can be shared. Also realize
that opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by members of the
Coalition.

To SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, or Change your subscription address,
visit: http://www.smartmarriages.com/app/Newsletter.Subscribe

To read past posts to the listserv, visit the Archive at:
http://lists101.his.com/pipermail/smartmarriages/

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

Shingle Creek Resort: http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/

Conference schedule, registration, & exhibit information:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/conferencedetails.html

List your program and resources on the Directory of Classes at
http://www.smartmarriages.com/directory_browse.html

Order conference audio & video CD/DVD/MP3s: 800-241-7785 or
http://www.iPlaybackSmartMarriages.com

Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education, LLC (CMFCE)
Diane Sollee, Director
5310 Belt Rd NW, Washington, DC 20015-1961
http://www.smartmarriages.com
202-362-3332