End of the Week Review: Twelve

End of the Week Review:

Well, this is our first week back! And it was in fact a wonderful week back. We were very blessed to have Ted Cunningham as our guest speaker and of course he talked about marriage. His main point that he was getting at was that our society today is teaching us to prolong adolescence, so therefore we are prolonging marriage. We think that we need to gain our individualism before we get married and learn how to be in a relationship. Ted is so for marriage and getting married at an early age. He is also a counselor for couples in stuck marriages that are willing to work. He gave us 8 symptoms of a stuck marriage and solutions for your marriage. First are the symptoms and second are the solutions.

1. You are plugged into your spouse as your source of life. 
2. UNPLUG. Plug into The One and Only Source of Life
3. Question your chemistry and compatibility.
4. Character trumps chemistry every time.
5. Repeating mistakes and developing habits/patterns
6. Try something new. STOP REPEATING!
7. Rush decisions. Hurry and speed destroy intimacy. 
8. Need to show down and allow emotions to process.
9. Close your heart.
10. Think through the messages and guard your heart. Own it 100%
11. Isolate from others. “Everyone falls in love with the front end of a dog. Every dog has a back end.” Therefore, every marriage has a back end.
12. Lean into Biblical community.
13. Doubt your future as a couple
14. Find hope. Give hope. Paint a picture of marriage.
15. Explore other opinions. 
16. Define commitment. Commitment- Making a choice to give up all other choices.

Next, Ted talked about the milestones of adulthood that we are putting off. Our generation is putting off these things of adulthood, therefore we are older getting married. Ted wants us to get married earlier. 

1. Leave home
2. Finish school/education
3. Get a job
4. Get married
5. Start a family

The last day, my favorite day, Ted told us the 6 Levels of Communication/Intimacy: The first three are head to head and the last three are heart to heart. The best place to be as a married couple is level 6. This is where intimacy happens.

1. Small Talk/Cliche
2. Facts
3. Opinions- Pathway to intimacy
4. Feelings/emotions “Buttons”
5. Desires- Not needs
6. Beliefs- Curiosity and Fascination 

There are multiple reasons why I loved Ted Cunningham so much this week, but my favorite thing about him is the fact that he is not afraid to speak his opinion. He is very strong in what he believes and he will speak it. I did not disagree with anything that he had to say, but I do not personally believe that I will be married at the age of 22 like he prefers. But also, I do not have any idea what the Lord has ahead of me! 

Family Dinner: The Ford's

The Fort: Adam Donyes Proverbs 17

Family Groups changed! I am now with NaJee Cox, Graham Dodd, and Richard Donnelly.

By the way, I LEAVE FOR IRELAND IN 15 DAYS!!!