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March 2007 2007 started with a bang: Engagement Matters was held the weekend of January 6–7. We are more convinced than ever that doing good work premaritally pays rich dividends post-maritally, so we continue to be very committed to this weekend. Along with Nate and Jeannie King and Doug and Julie Macrae, we wrestled with real-life issues with the eager couples. We charged them to pursue the twofold goal of marriage: to reveal the glory of God and to enhance the glory of one another. May it be so! The following weekend about 50 gathered for a weekend midwinter family fun getaway at the La Quinta Inn in Andover. The weather was perfect for this event: rainy, raw, and cold. No good for skiing, nor for just staying home. The pool was the hot ticket item as moms and dads and many little ones frolicked for hours in the blue lagoon. Brian and Heather Dietz joined the fun and led worship, partnering with Paul who did the minimal programing. Jim, Sue, and Matthew Martis provided all the meals, making it a true getaway for all. The first of its kind, it's sure to be a repeat next winter given the great response. Only days later, we flew to Sacramento, California, for the first of four transcontinental flights over the next five weeks. We launched this five-day trip by speaking at Bayside Church's college group on Thursday night, followed by doing a Myers-Briggs training session for a group of 27 college leaders on Friday night. Saturday and Sunday we spoke at “big church” to crowds totaling 9,000. What a privilege to give a vision of hope for marriage to so many who are looking for answers. Intact, nuclear families are in the minority at Bayside, as they are throughout the country. We were back home in Massachusetts for only 36 hours, during which time we held our biweekly church partnership program and did a day of counseling, then flew to Portland, Oregon, on the 24th of January to meet with our co-authors (Earl and Sandy Wilson and Larry and Nancy Paulson) of Restoring the Fallen. Very sadly, on the 23rd of January, Nancy Paulson had succumbed to long-term health issues triggered by her severe bout with toxic shock syndrome six years ago. Her passing is a huge loss to many; Nancy was in a league of her own for creativity, energy, and passion for her Lord and her family. We were grateful to be able to spend the evening with her husband, Larry, and their three sons, Duke, Bryce, and Scott, reflecting on her life and her lasting legacy. We proceeded to Moses Lake, Washington (via Seattle, for a brief but rich visit with Wai and Elaine Wong and their precious daughters). We spoke for the Moses Lake Alliance Church's marriage conference for the weekend, and then did a three-night parenting conference at the church. We fell in love with the people and with the ministry happening there. Kent and Staci Copley and their two daughters, Tori and Britney, hosted us and directed the events of the conferences, and we feel like we've been connected with kindred spirits. It was a very fruitful time. Back to Bedford very briefly for a day of counseling, followed by presenting two seminars at Vision New England's Congress conference on Friday, February 2. We were honored to be part of that effective ministry and thrilled to see many dear friends during our short day there. That night, we caught a flight to Raleigh, North Carolina, in order to speak at a couples’ tea on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville. Scott and Rose Barnes, former members of our Home Improvement Sunday School class, invited us to this ministry they've envisioned and launched and it was great to reconnect with them. Rose treated us to a homemade Mexican dinner we’re still salivating over. It was then back to Bedford, Massachusetts, on Sunday afternoon to pack for our departure Monday morning for the final countdown to the wedding! At the time (back in December) it seemed like a good opportunity . . . saying “yes” to speaking at Bayside's Couples' Cafe for February 7. At the end, it definitely wasn't our most brilliant move, but we honored our commitment and took a little time out of wedding preparations to speak to about 600 people on the Wednesday night before the Friday night wedding. By God's grace, it was an inspired talk. Because we were in the midst of helping Kari and Gabe prepare for a life together—not just a wedding—our thoughts and convictions were definitely amplified. Sharol Josephson, who along with her husband Neil directs Bayside Married Life Community, confessed that if we'd forgive her for asking us, she'd forgive us for saying yes. Kari and Gabe's wedding, with all praise to God, was on the short list of “best days of our life”. Every aspect of it, starting with Kari and Gabe seeking and honoring God in their courtship, exceeded our expectations. Even now, as we write in early March, we are in awe of the mercies and faithfulness of God, which are the only real account for what we've experienced. The wedding was truly Christ-centered as Ray Johnston and Paul co-officiated and masterfully upheld the sacred and solemn depth of the covenant, even while injecting moments of levity and personal warmth. The reception was a joyous party, full of celebrating all that is good in such times. We find words inadequate to express our gratitude and delight. The wedding reminded us of how richly blessed we are relationally; we were surrounded by many, many family and “chosen family” friends who truly represent God's extravagance in our lives. The week following the wedding presented some great ministry moments in San Luis Obispo, California, where our daughters Lisa and Julie live. Sunday night, February 11, we spoke on marriage at Grace Church. This is the girls’ home church, pastored by Tim Thuele. Tim is a great Bible teacher whose ministry in SLO is blossoming in spite of or because of his commitment to take his cues from scripture rather than culture. What we said that evening is available as a podcast if you'd like to hear it. An opportunity we’re still amazed by came from one of Julie's professors at Cal Poly, who invited us to speak to her Family Development class on the subject of choosing a life partner. After checking out our website, she obviously deduced that we'd have something to say about this relevant topic. :) We had almost two hours to teach, and we were pleased to have a lot of great interaction with the students. Most of them hung around after class to get a copy of Letters to My Daughters which Paul offered free to anyone who would read it. The professor felt it was a strong affirmation of the students' receptivity to our teaching that they would wait while the books were being retrieved from the car. We've prayed that seeds were at least planted that day in the hearts and minds of students, many of whom had never heard much of what we said. We rounded out our speaking in San Luis Obispo by teaching at Athletes in Action on Tuesday night, February 13. The room was packed with eager athletes, who listened attentively as we spoke on relationships. After the traditional celebration of Valentine's Day with the girls, which included Dad's heart-shaped waffles decorated with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, with a side of smokies and fresh coffee, and served to each lady in bed, we wrapped things up in SLO and drove back to Sacramento to join forces with Sally Shaull in doing an “extreme makeover” of Kari and Gabe's apartment. Kari had shared the apartment with a girlfriend, who moved out while they were honeymooning in Puerto Vallarta. We painted, set up their new bed and dining table, cleaned and scrubbed, and made it quite welcoming for them. Very fun. That done, we drove to Corte Madeira (a small community outside of San Francisco) to speak at a marriage conference at First Covenant Church of Sacramento. We had a great time interacting with a wonderful group of people, as well as spending some quality time with Gregg and Dina Anderson, the couple who put the weekend together. Pastor Jeff Koons and his wife Betty have a passionate vision for marriages and families and it was a joy to partner with them. After another redeye home, we landed on February 19 for our church partnership meeting and counseling the following day, only to reboard for California on the 21st. This five-day junket included flying into Sacramento to help Carol Johnston celebrate her 50th and, as a bonus, to welcome home the newlyweds who had flown in the night before. On to Newport Beach the next morning—early—to join the Pro-Athletes Outreach Conference. We had seven current New England players and wives, along with several ex-Pats and many other friends made through the years of being at this conference. Great times for reconnection and encouragement. We were also able to help honor Bob and Carol Kraning as they received a commendation for their years of faithful ministry and marriage, watch Julie lead her lacrosse team to victory over SDSU, and spend time with a number of dear friends. Back to Boston on, yep, a redeye Saturday night, in order to speak at Boston Chinese Evangelical Church's Soul Food event Sunday afternoon and run our church partnership meeting that night. We keep saying we’re getting too old to do these redeye flights, etc., but apparently we’re not. :) That pretty much brings us up to the present. After several days of counseling and sorting through stacks of mail at home, we've flown to Vero Beach for a week of reading, writing, and resting. Need I say this break is most needed? We hope to finish several manuscripts that are almost ready for publication. We feel some added pressure to get them done because of a recent development with Focus on the Family: Paul's book Letters to My Daughters has been picked up by Focus as a resource and a donor premium! We are thrilled and thankful. As a result, we are trying to get several other projects wrapped up so they'll also be available while this important window is open. So that's been the journey. Through it all, we've been very aware of God's presence, faithfulness, and anointing of this ministry. Thriving marriages and families are compelling. They draw others to investigate the why's and how's of such unusual experiences. We are grateful to be part of the team encouraging and supporting those who want to make a difference through such natural and unnatural means. |
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