Labor Day - Another Significant Date on the Calendar

Labor Day is a national holiday that allows most of us to slow down a bit and take a break from labors. However, Amy and I are thankful for Labor Day for another reason. Two years ago, we drove to Branson, MO to attend the National Institute of Marriage for a four day marriage intensive. It was our best shot at staying together and surviving my betrayal.

That weekend, September 2, 2011, after a week of extreme pain and difficulty, we left Clinton, MS and drove to a place that we were unsure about. We were hopeful, though, that something great would happen. We were desperate for help and hope. And we found it there.

The first morning, September 3, 2011, Labor Day, we woke up and drove over to the marriage intensive meeting location. It was a beautiful home on an amazing property. It used to be Gary Smalley's home. We would be spending 8 to 10 hours a day there, sharing our deepest hurts with four other couples. It would be our "home" for the next four days.

Meeting several other people, not knowing their story and knowing how terrible mine was, it was a morning of mixed emotions. I was hopeful yet uncertain. Would I be the worst one here? Would Amy still want to work things out? Would God show up and do a "miracle" in our marriage and personal lives? Would we find hope and be equipped to carry through all that we were learning?

All of our hopes and prayers were answered that week. Though it was a rough start, the chains fell off and God did something only He could do. He gave us hope, new friends, and a renewed marriage. All of our problems weren't solved that week of intense counseling, but it set the stage for the next two years and beyond.

We long to go back someday to the marriage institute at Branson, MO. Granted, not for the same reason! We want to go and celebrate, while continuing to dig deeper into our personal and marriage growth. We also want to sponsor other couples in desperate need of a marriage intensive.

This is the sitting area at the Branson, MO home. It holds a special place in our hearts and will forever be memorable to Amy and me. It represents so much to us.

I want to thank Bob, aka Dr. Robert Paul, our lead therapist. Bob, you poured into me in ways that I am forever grateful. Thank you for your transparency, honesty, wisdom, and genuineness.Thank you Dr. Compton and Jim Gifford for making it possible for us to go and get the help we desperately wanted and needed.

Thank you friends and family for sticking with us and walking with us through this time of healing in our lives. We look forward to many more years of witnessing God do His best work in and around us.