As Christ was resurrected, may your faith be renewed this Easter.

Jeff and Debby McElroy with Forever Families, is one of the most sought-after couples for marriage conferences. MERCY has partnered with several churches to bring them to our area.

At one event, Debby confessed that when she and Jeff were going through a difficult season in their marriage, she was the problem. I (Penny) came across another article where the wife admitted she too was the problem in her failing marriage and how she fixed it.

Here are a few things Tara Brown mentioned in her article "28 Things That Made Me Realize I was the Problem in My Failing Marriage and How I Fixed It."

• Lack of empathy in arguments
• Expecting her husband to read her mind
• Self-centered priorities
• The need to always be right
• Not valuing his opinion
• Ignoring emotional and physical needs
• Failure to apologize
• Resisting change
• Reluctance to compromise
• Overlooking small gestures
• Taking my spouse for granted
• Allowing stress to overshadow love
• Lack of gratitude

She listed 28 things she thought that she did that contributed to their difficult marriage. But she also listed things that she did to fix it. If you would like to read the rest of her article, click here.

Grace and peace,

Penny and David Hudson

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott offer 5 Spring Date Ideas to Enjoy. Here are the Highlights.

• Try a new shared activity - Perhaps a sport, hobby or a creative pursuit. For more information on this, click here.

• Go out on a romantic date night together. Get dressed up, call a sitter and go out on the town. For more ideas for meaningful connection and quality time, click here.

• Infuse more adventure and fun in your marriage. Break the routine and do something out of the ordinary. For more help with your next adventure, click here.

• Rekindle joy in your relationship. The Parrotts' share 7 ways to make your relationship more joyful. If you would like to know these 7 ways to make your relationship more joyful, click here.

• Refresh or establish an important routine. For instance, consider returning to the table for family dinners if your mealtimes have been scattered.

Did you know that happy couples have a 5 to 1 happiness ratio?

In other words, they have 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction.

Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the Five Love Languages offers some suggestions on things you should and should not do for each of the love languages.

Words of Affirmation:

• Speak encouraging words when you see an individual who appears discouraged, down or depressed.
• Do not use harsh criticism. This tends to wound and discourage individuals who value Words of Affirmation above the other languages.

Acts of Service:

• Offer to help whenever you see an opportunity to assist.
• Do not create messes and then leave them for others to clean up.

Receiving Gifts:

• Realize that even small, inexpensive gifts are appreciated if it means this person was on your mind.
• Do not complain how much you had to spend or sacrifice in order to get the gift.

Quality Time:

• Put your mobile device or tablet away when having a conversation with this person.
• Do not answer the phone or text others in the middle of a conversation with this individual.

Physical Touch:

• If married, share with your spouse how you are eagerly anticipating your next romantic rendezvous and the physical touch that will be a part of it (for example, hand-holding, long embraces.)
• Do not give a "cold" response when physical contact is initiated by this person. This will make him/her feel unloved.

According to a study by the Institute of Family Studies, the biggest threats to marriages reported by couples are the death or illness of a child, infidelity and mental illness in one's spouse.

The top five coping mechanism for those who survive these threats are: communicate well, draw closer as a couple, persevere together, prioritize the relationship and sacrifice individual wants with "together" coping mechanisms; they leaned inward towards the relationship, rather than employed individual approaches.

How Prayer will Bless and Reward You

By Steve Gallagher

Nearly forty years ago, I made a weak-kneed commitment to spend twenty minutes in prayer every morning. At the time, I was carnally-minded, weak in my faith and immature in the Christian life. I had very little resolve in me to fight for a prayer life.

Twenty minutes. It seemed paltry in comparison to the sixteen waking hours I had at my disposal each day and yet every tick of the clock served as a painful reminder of how tedious it felt. I somehow stuck with it, and by the end of that first week, it had become noticeably easier.

continued in next column. . .

Upcoming Marriage Events

Titus 2 Women - Testimony of Cassie Soete

Ladies, if you have never heard Cassie Soete's testimony, we would encourage you to spend an evening of fellowship and inspiration with her.

Through unwavering faith and dedication, Cassie remained committed to her marriage, navigating the challenges of infidelity to experience God's restoration in her life.

Don't miss this uplifting event for women seeking hope and strength in Christ.

Thursday, April 10

7:00 p.m.

Salt and Light Church

1378 L'Espirit Parkway

Upper Lobby

LaGrange, KY 40031

Registration is not required.

Talk to Me Tender - Communication and Honor in Marriage

MERCY is once again happy to partner with "Growing Your Marriage" to bring you this month's free workshop - Talk to Me Tender - Communication and Honor in Marriage.

Ever wonder why ‘fine’ isn’t fine, or how to turn a spat into a laugh?

They are diving into the art of speaking the truth with love and honoring each other - straight from Scripture, with a dose of humor.

Expect practical tips, couple chats and a night to spark joy in your marriage. Don't miss it!

April 18, 2025

6:30 PM

HighPoint -

424 E. Main St, LaGrange, KY, 40031

Childcare Not Available

Free of Charge

But must REGISTER so we can be prepared for you!

Register here for first time attendees

Register here if you have attended an enrichment event before

Atti2de - Love Buster or Love Booster

Friday, April 25, 2025

6:30 PM - 8:15 PM

MERCI Barn

8520 Indiana 111

Memphis, IN 47143

Free

Ever thought about your attitude?

It might not be your first priority in enhancing your marriage, but intentionally fostering a positive attitude at home can create a peaceful and joyful atmosphere where most marriages flourish.

Join Bob and Carol Esham in this workshop to discover how you can transform the attitude in your home.

To register, click here.

Family Life Workshop Marriage Ministry Workshop

For 40 years, FamilyLife has helped thousands of churches minister to marriages. From that experience, they have developed a workshop that takes marriage champions from “We don’t know where to start” to “This is something we can do.” At the end of the workshop, you will have a marriage discipleship plan you can implement that is customized to your church’s vision, culture, and demographics.

Saturday, April 26th - 9:00 am to 12:30 pm 

Simpsonville Baptist Church 

7208 Shelbyville Rd, Simpsonville, KY 40067

Cost - FREE

Facilitator Ryan Gossom, FamilyLife 

Questions - contact Ryan Gossom at 502-773-8453 or ryan.gossom@familylife.com.

For more information, click here.

continued. . .

Little did I realize that within a couple of months it would be such an integral part of my daily existence that I couldn’t imagine life without it.

Within three months of that fledgling commitment, I walked away from a fifteen-year addiction to sexual sin. Within fifteen months, I began the world’s first ministry to sexual addicts. Within two years, I was spending at least an hour in prayer and an hour in the Word of God every morning.

When I scan the past forty years of my life, I can only marvel at all the enormous blessings God has lavished upon me because of this small sacrifice I make for Him every morning.

If you would like to know more about Pure Life click here.