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| Hi everybody. It's the 14th of July and we're enjoying weather only a few degrees warmer than back in Minnesota. Of course, our humidity is about 70 points less than yours, and we're much more acclimated to the heat, so we're probably feeling cooler than you are. Ironic, yes, but given my choice, I'd still rather be back with you.
Last night I taught the first of a four-part series entitled "Bridging the Gulf: Making Long-Distance Marriage Work." Based on a secular marriage skills program, I adapted it and added Christian material to the mix. Our Bearcat chapel fits about 25-30 soldiers, and we had it almost filled. I can barely tell you how encouraged I was to see so many soldiers there. I've done a lot of relationship counseling since I've arrived, and too much is for marriages that are falling apart. These guys who attended last night have the same challenges, and we looked at those struggles honestly. But they also believe that there is hope, and there are opportunities to improve their marriage even from thousands of miles away. Part of the class was me pontificating and/or doing my stand-up comedy act, part of the class was small group discussion; both parts of the class were candid on every issue from communication to money management to "What does God think about us having phone sex?" In the end, we gave each soldier a "homework assignment" to talk to his wife with some specific relationship building questions and pray for her every night this week. And we gave each soldier a romantic card to send home as well. One of the statistics I learned for this class: In 2004, the divorce rate for soldiers was almost 70% higher than the national average. The Army, led by its chaplains, began a serious marriage care program in response, and in 2005, the divorce rate had dropped below its pre-war level. Go chaplains! God be good to you! |