Could your marriage use a tune-up? Or even some intensive care? Or do you know someone else who might benefit from a retreat? At our Joyful Marriage Retreats, couples will get away and work on some of the most common marriage issues like communication, conflict resolution, growing in intimacy, and help understanding why we respond as we do at times.
My husband and I will be leading the retreats. He is a pastor and biblical counselor. And I’m a biblical counselor, certified through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
For those who don’t know, we started and ran a biblical counseling center for twelve years and have been counseling couples for eighteen-plus years. We hope you will join us for one of these encouraging and helpful getaways.
Retreats include:
A two-night hotel stay in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Breakfast & lunch
All materials
Small group teaching (never more than three other couples)
One-on-one session with each couple, if desired
There will be four summer Joyful Marriage Retreats held this July and August. Upcoming dates are:
July 7-9, 2022
July 14-16, 2022
August 11-13, 2022
August 18-20, 2022
Space is limited so don’t wait. For more information or to make a reservation, you can email us at Joyful Marriage Ministries:
joyfulmarriageministries@yahoo.com
Donna
For a little taste of the kinds of things that we share at our marriage retreats, click the link:
[Tweet “Does your marriage need a tune-up? Or maybe some intensive care? Upcoming summer marriage retreats led by experienced marriage counselors. #marriage #marriageretreat #joyfulmarriageministries”]
Donna is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, and Biblical counselor. She has been blogging through the Bible each year since 2012. She loves God's Word and sharing how freeing and practical it is. She is certified through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.
Many people today argue that a marriage license is “just a piece of paper.” Others claim marriage is merely a social institution created by governments or cultures and is no longer necessary or practical. Living together has become normal. Couples build homes, raise children, attend church, share finances, and society hardly gives them a second thought.
So is marriage outdated? Is cohabitation simply the logical and practical option?
Jesus addressed a surprisingly similar issue.
In today’s New Testament reading, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well and gently but clearly addresses her relationships. During their conversation He tells her, “You have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband.”
Those words reveal something important: Jesus made a distinction between marriage and simply living together.
Why does that matter?
Because marriage was never merely a government arrangement, cultural tradition, or legal formality. Long before governments or societies existed, God established marriage in the Garden as a covenant relationship. More than that, He designed it to reflect something far greater—Christ’s relationship with His Bride, the Church.
Today, we also live in a culture increasingly confused not only about marriage but also about sexuality, identity, truth, and God’s design for human relationships. As believers, we will often face pressure to stay quiet, soften the truth, or avoid difficult conversations altogether.
But love does not remain silent when truth is at stake.
Today’s readings challenge us to think carefully about God’s design, His authority, and what it means to speak truth graciously and faithfully in a culture that increasingly resists both.
Submission, it's the "S-word" that raises our blood pressure and, sometimes, makes us wonder about God's idea of fairness. What is submission, anyway? Is it unfair to women? Is it unrealistic? Did men come up with the idea as a way to keep women down? Or is it really a biblical concept? If so, what should it look like?
Thanks so much, Linda. That’s our prayer, too. Because we know what God has done in our marriage, we want others to experience the joy and intimacy that only God can give when we do things His way.
Donna,
Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by and let me know that you did by leaving such a sweet comment!!!
Glad to hear that my sons Cabbage Patch Dolls reminded you for your daughter’s…Hope you have a lovely weekend!!
Hugs,
Deb
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