Reason #25: He's giving me "A Weekend to Remember!"

This coming weekend, DH and I will drive to Anchorage, AK, (about 400 miles south) for a marriage retreat! That is the plan, at least, God willing.

DH's father had a heart attack last weekend. (He turned 83 years old in February.) DH wasn't sure if he needed to fly down to be with them or not, but his dad is fine, though recovering from two separate procedures to place stints in two of his arteries (one was 80% blocked, the other one was 100% blocked). He has friends and family there to support them.

My step-dad is celebrating his 60th birthday this Friday night, with a big party. If it were not for the marriage retreat, I would have probably taken a flight to visit him and my mom. He'll be fine, though; there will be many friends and family there to honor his birthday.

I'm almost holding my breath in anticipation of this "Weekend to Remember" marriage retreat! I've waited so long ... I've been asking DH to take me to some sort of marriage retreat for twenty years. In that twenty years, we have hosted several retreats, taught at some retreats, and counseled many couples to go to marriage retreats. But, DH always had some excuse or another for not going with me to a retreat just for our marriage. Pastors have free registration, so that's not a good excuse--and the one about him being "too busy" is not a very good excuse, either.

As we approach our twentieth anniversary (20 years!!!) this coming May, DH has graciously granted me the opportunity of a lifetime, and signed us up for "A Weekend to Remember" for a lifetime!

All things considered, this is probably the best time ever to go to a retreat. I've heard DH muttering to himself about not wanting to attend a marriage retreat now that things are going pretty well in our relationship, for fear that some issues will come up that will "muck it all up."

Truly, we have been doing quite well relationally, and I think it is a wonderful time to build upon a healthy foundation and strengthen it with intimacy-building exercises. If we had gone last year, when I was in the throes of a terrible depression, it might not have been so edifying!

Thank you, Lord, for healing me of depression, and for allowing our relationship to improve so much that we can look forward to "A Weekend to Remember".

Thank you, DH, for being brave enough to schedule it! I can't wait!!!