TwogetherMinistries.com

The Great Date Night @ FBC Martinsburg, WV

Jay Tidwell — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:42:24 +0000

Come out and enjoy Mark Cable and The Great Date Night!

Friday, May 11th, 7:00pm at First Baptist Church in Martinsburg, WV!

All couples are welcome!

Concert and Desserts for $25 per couple

US #1 in Divorce Rate

Jay Tidwell — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:40:41 +0000

The United States has the highest divorce rate on the globe by a wide margin. Puerto Rico is number two, but should not be listed as it is a territory of the United States. This is almost 4 times the average.

What can we do to change this statistic?

Pray: For your marriage and all those around you.
Strengthen your Marriage: Attend a WTR getaway, Art Of Marriage, Marriage cruise, or another marriage event.
Pray and study the word with your spouse.
See if your church would host the Art Of Marriage.
Promote Weekend To Remember getaway at your church (They get 50% and you can earn free registrations)
Start a Homebuilder small group.

Twogether Ministries Reading List

Jay Tidwell — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:40:20 +0000

Posted the Twogether Ministries Reading List under Our Book Store. This is a collection of what we believe are the best available resources that are current and we or someone we trust have reviewed. Feel free to comment with any recommendations.

Military can now attend the Weekend To Remember for FREE

Jay Tidwell — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 03:30:45 +0000

FamilyLife has established a scholarship program call “Finally Home” that allows all Active Military personnel to attend a WTR for free. Also inactive military personnel qualify for the free registration if they have returned from deployment within the past 18 months. FamilyLife is doing this to reach out to military personnel to help them in their marriage. The divorce rate for military personnel is much higher than the general population due to all the stresses couples face due to separation/deployment.

Please call FamilyLife at 800-358-6329 M-F from 8:00 to 18:00 hrs to register. Share with our Guest Relations Representative that youy are active or inactive military to get registered. This program covers the cost of registration for the WTR. Hotel costs are not covered.

School’s Out: A Lesson in What NOT To Do

Jay Tidwell — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 22:37:16 +0000

In what could be they next TV drama or a new reality show, “A California school teacher has quit his job and left his wife and kids to move into an apartment with an 18-year-old student less than half his age.” (FoxNews) The story goes on focusing on the fact that he left it all behind and moved into an apartment. It then delves into the battle that the girl’s mother is waging against him.

What strikes me is that the focus of the article is on the abuse of his of authority as a teacher and the age difference. The response from one of the girls at work was “ewww”. My problem is that the issue really should be on his broken vows and the damage to his family. The destroyed marriage and the damage to his kids is not even a footnote in this story. So for me the story is about the story itself. The forsaken vows, the abandoned wife, and the fatherless kids are accepted as a norm and not being worth mentioning in the story.

“Hooker acknowledges the couple hurt a lot of people, but says they decided to follow their hearts.” But he broke his word and does not appear to think he did anything wrong. Apparently “following your heart” means that you rip apart everyone else’s heart. But its all OK, since he is in lust for this young girl. Wait a few years and then their hearts will lead them somewhere else.

“Jordan said she knew that many people did not understand the nature of the relationship.” I understand the relationship. It is the forsaking all the other relationships and the selfishness of the relationship that I have the problem with. Though I have only been married once and only performed a few wedding ceremonies, I am sure I the vows were not, “Till something younger comes along” or “Till you get bored”. I am pretty sure it always has been “Till death do us part”.

“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” James 5:12 (ESV)

Marriage Video Event

Jay Tidwell — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:28:47 +0000

If you live near Shepherdstown, WV, then you can join us at Covenant Church for the Art of Marriage on Friday and Saturday, March 30th & 31st. The cost is $50 per couple. Tickets can be purchased on Sunday mornings in the bookstore between 10:15 am – 11:15 am or through their Giving website.

Join our Facebook Event!

Do not live nearby or those dates do not work for you?
Then check on other dates and locations at http://www.theartofmarriage.com/.

Military Wives

Jay Tidwell — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:08:27 +0000

No, this is not about the TV show Army Wives. Rather, I wanted you all to read a good news story. Military Wives Turn to Bible for Marriage Advice is a nice article by Kristin Hall for the Associated Press. So the good news is that when these young wives were challenged they sought help from the only one who counts.

As one who works for the military and being raised by a father who served in the Army during WWII, we have a heart for those who serve. Those who are in the military (both directly serving and married to one who is) have a unique struggle. The military often requires long hours and even longer deployments, which is tough on marriages. The fact that many are new to the marriage makes this all the more difficult.

Please take the time to encourage and pray for any military couples you may know.

Marriage in Decline

Jay Tidwell — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:36:21 +0000

Pew Research Center recently released their report on the “State of Marriage based Census and survey data. “In 1960, 72% of all adults ages 18 and older were married; today just 51% are.” One surprising detail is that the trend is across all age groups. The median age of first marriage has also greatly increased, so we will have to wait to see if this is more of a trend to delay marriage. Though from what we have been seeing through our ministries tends to point to a rejection of marriage as an institution. In working with young teen mothers, we are seeing that many are not only saying marriage is not needed for raising a family, but the guy does not even have to be part of the picture.

I have previously written about how society loves to beat on marriage and how the typical depiction of marriage is as something that is to be suffered through or escaped from. Recently at a Christmas show I attended, the only marriage depicted in the production was a portrait of dysfunctional marriage. The husband was whipped and the wife was selfish to the extreme. And this was a Christian based production.

The reason I am such a big fan of the works of Sherwood Productions, is there depictions of what marriage should be. Their movie Fireproof was the first movie in years I have seen in the theaters that actually made me feel good about marriage. Along with their recent release of Courageous we finally are seeing husbands more than bumbling fools and wives as something other than life sucking vampires.

This report shows the importance action on the part of Christians to do all they can in support of marriage. We need to show people that marriage is not obsolete, but it is vital for society. Marriage is the foundation of every culture.

Study after study has been released about how important a stable family is for child development, yet 39% of people say that marriage is obsolete. To me that is saying that 39% of people are saying that I do not care about our future as a society. If we really care about the future, then we should all be doing all we can to encourage marriages. Strong marriages build strong homes. Stong homes build strong communities. Strong communities build strong nations.

Please join us in praying for marriages, encouraging couples to pray together, promote marriage events (Art of Marriage & Weekend To Remember), and to show the world that not only we are glad we are married, but that there is more security, fun, comfort, and sex in marriage as God intended.

Keeping Up With the Kardashians

Jay Tidwell — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:49:24 +0000

Unless you are still hiding in a bunker from the cold war era, then you have heard about Kim Kardashian. The Washington Post has reported, “Just 10 weeks after their lavish, made-for-TV wedding and less than a month after the wedding special aired, reality starlet Kim Kardashian is canceling her marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries.” She said in a statement. “I had hoped this marriage was forever but sometimes things don’t work out as planned.” Well according to Kim Kardashian forever is 72 days of marriage.

One website allows you to See how many Kardashians you have been married. A “Kardashian” is defined as a unit of measure representing 72 days of marriage. Kelly and I have been married for ‎90.68 Kardashians and still counting. For us, forever is till death do us part. We are in it for the long haul. The time to get out of it was before you said your vows. After that, all your efforts should not be towards making the best of it, but to having a rich fulfilling marriage.

So we are not going to try and keep up with the Kardashians. Rather we are doing so much more by actually holding to our vows. So I guess I need to say the we are Keeping Up With Our Marriage.

Marriage is meant to be so much more…

Starting Your Marriage Right: What You Need to Know in the Early Years to Make It Last a Lifetime

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The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted

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76 used & new available from $4.79

A Lasting Promise: A Christian Guide to Fighting for Your Marriage

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223 used & new available from $0.01

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Marriage Shouldn’t Be a Disappointment

Jay Tidwell — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:25:50 +0000

A few weeks ago I was traveling with my youngest daughter and we stopped at Arby’s for lunch. On the way out, I overheard a worker talking about running into a friend from high school. The thing she said has been on my heart for this whole time. When the male friend asked if she was married, her response was, “Yes, I’m sad to say.”

As a couple who have been devoting ourselves to marriage ministry, this summed up what we have been dealing with in our community. While doing premarital counseling we see the joy and excitement these young couple have at the start. Where do they lose that feeling?

In time the marriage is tarnished with disappointments. Those quirks are no longer funny, but annoying. We have seen past the makeup and perfume. The mystery and excitement are no more. But does it have to be that way?

After the first year the infatuation is usually gone. The lust has been tempered. It is at this time we need to remember why we married. We married to love each other, to have a lifelong companion. Over time if we actually work on our marriage we should be closer, we should know how to love each other deeper, we should be able to please each other more.

My catch phrase is, “Marriage is meant to be so much more!” I am not sad to say I am married. I am overjoyed that I have a spouse to love and hold. We love each other more. Our sex life is getting constantly better.

Has it always been easy? No way! We have had to work at it. We have been bathed in fire. Having worked through it together, we are that much closer and our marriage is much stronger.

What can we do to not just keep our marriage healthy, but to make it so much more?

Pray with your spouse. Studying all the stats has shown that, the divorce rate is almost zero for those that pray together daily.
Date your spouse. Just because you are married, it does not mean the fun or pursuit should stop.
Find a Christian accountability part. You need someone to hold you to your vows and help work through issues.
Leave your patents/childhood family. Never complain about your spouse to family and break off the dependence.

TwogetherMinistries.com

The Great Date Night @ FBC Martinsburg, WV

Come out and enjoy Mark Cable and The Great Date Night!

Friday, May 11th, 7:00pm at First Baptist Church in Martinsburg, WV!

All couples are welcome!

Concert and Desserts for $25 per couple

US #1 in Divorce Rate

What can we do to change this statistic?

Recommended Reading:

Twogether Ministries Reading List

Military can now attend the Weekend To Remember for FREE

School’s Out: A Lesson in What NOT To Do

Marriage Video Event

Military Wives

Recommended Reading:

Marriage in Decline

Recommended Reading:

Keeping Up With the Kardashians

Marriage Shouldn’t Be a Disappointment