MERCY – The Marriage Education & Resource Center

Strengthening Families … One Marriage at a Time

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Upcoming Movies Worth Seeing

I don’t know about you, but we’re finding it harder and harder to find showshutterstock_138284390s at the theatre that don’t have an exorbitant amount of violence, cursing and inappropriate sexual scenes.  So we just want to make you aware of a couple of movies that are coming in May that we think you might enjoy without all the “X” rated content.

Irreplaceable – Documentary by Focus on the Family on “Exploring the Meaning of Family.”
Join host Tim Sisanch (former Executive Director of Focus on the Family New Zealand) as he seeks to find out whether the adage, “If family fails, society fails” is true.  He meets with experts around the globe to determine whether the concept of the traditional family is meaningful or outmoded.
This documentary will be shown in 700 theatres in May.   We hope you will check out the following website for a view of the trailer and a list of all locations and ticket information.
Mom’s Night Out – This is a fast-paced, family comedy about four moms scheduling a night out where everything can and will go wrong, yet it all turns out just fine in the end.  The film features a great line-up of stars like Sarah Drew (Grey’s Anatomy), Sean Astin (THE LORD OF THE RINGS), Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond, The Middle), Alex Kendrick (COURAGEOUS), Robert Amaya (COURAGEOUS), Andrea Logan White (REVELATION ROAD) and Kevin Downes (COURAGEOUS).  Platinum-selling country recording artist Trace Adkins (THE LINCOLN LAWYER) is “Bones,” a philosophical tattoo artist with a checkered past and a load of wisdom.  This star-studded cast is sure to give an accurate portrayal of some of the hilarious situations Moms have found themselves in at one time or another in the wonderful world of parenting.
In theaters:  May 9
To view the trailer and find out more information go to:  http://www.momsniteout.com/2014/01/21/moms-night-out-official-trailer/

Uncoupling?

This came across my desk today and I thought it was worth sharing with you.

Conscious Uncoupling From today’s NY Times Style section j0341738( http://tinyurl.com/lsjdmd8)— and appearing all across the country like in this AP article ( ttp://tinyurl.com/lnyaw4y) — comes the latest way to rationalize marital failure.

You may want to read the articles and the excellent comments by Michele Weiner-Davis (http://tinyurl.com/lzxwlkc)  The AP article goes into deeper rationalizations (humans used to die earlier, so we should expect two to three marriages in our, now, longer lives).  This faulty reasoning has raised it’s head before.  

 

From the David Popenoe Top Ten Myths of Marriage paper:
Myth #6.   People can’t be expected to stay in a marriage for a lifetime as they did in the past because we live so much longer today. Unless our comparison goes back a hundred years, there is no basis for this belief.

Really?  No basis for this belief?  Not in my books.  But of course, I’m looking at this from a Biblical standpoint not from a worldview.

Grace and peace,

Penny

 

Prayer – A significant bonder

shutterstock_3094774 couple praying handsWhen working with couples, we talk with them about numerous issues that will impact their marriage, such as their communication and conflict-resolution styles, family-of-origin, finances, expectations and more.  Another topic we discuss is their spirituality.  This is one of those bonders in marriage, that over time, will either pull you together or pull you apart.  A specific question we ask is, “Do you pray together?”  Some do; some don’t.  Some couples would like to, but they tell us they just don’t feel comfortable praying audibly.  We explain to them they don’t have to pray out loud.  We encourage them to start out by trying to set a time aside, perhaps right before they go to sleep or depart, to agree to pray together.  We ask them to hold hands and pray silently for one another, their marriage and anything else that’s on their hearts.  Then, when they are finished, just squeeze the other’s hand or say “Amen.”  Many tell us this is such an intimate experience and it begins a pattern of a new prayer life for them.  If you have ever hesitated praying together, we hope you will try this.  We would love to hear how this worked for you.

Grace and peace,

Penny and David