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Marriage Transformation Message
From Susanne Alexander and Craig Farnsworth

Dear Friends:

As spring quickly approaches, you may be one of the many people planning a wedding. It is amazing that we are at the time of year again when the number of weddings rises. It seems fitting, then, to talk about what is important in leading up to the beginning of a marriage:

• Do you thoroughly know one another's character?
• Can you communicate well together?
• Can you live, work, and raise children together in harmony?
• Do you share core beliefs and values?
• Can you create unity among your families?

While these may be big questions, they will make the difference between a lasting marriage and one that adds to the divorce statistics.

The answers to these questions are reflected in your wedding ceremony as well:

• What ways can you honor the best in one another during the ceremony?
• How can you communicate your love for one another and the attendees?
• How can you plan the wedding together?
• How does the ceremony reflect your beliefs and values? Will it be simple or lavish beyond your means?
• Is the family involved in a respectful and loving way?

One way that our wedding ceremony reflected our values was through having our guests bring canned food for a local hunger center instead of gifts for us. We were able to make a large donation of food as a gift from our new marriage.

We are here to support your journey along the way. Marriage is a major decision to make...our heartfelt request is that you handle it with care.

Loving greetings,
Craig and Susanne

>Index

Do YOU Have Spring Fever?

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, it's that time of year. The bright, spring sun and warmer temperatures are arriving and the first purple crocuses are blooming. We're eager to explore new territory and try new things, outside in the world and within our marriages.

So, we'd like to share with you a new activity we gave couples at the marriage retreat we did in February:

Humor, Fun & Sëx Activity for Married Couples

Marriage sometimes seems like the most serious activity on the planet. However, lightening up can help make marriage last. Humor, having fun together, and sëxual intimacy can all contribute to strengthening your marriage and drawing you closer together in unity. University of Denver, Colorado marriage researchers Howard Markman and Scott Stanley are proving that couples that have fun together stay together (12 Hours to a Great Marriage, Chapter 6). Privately as a couple, please talk through whether you have a balanced amount of all of these activities in your marriage and discuss the following:

Humor:
- Is laughing together important to us?
- What two things are almost guaranteed to make the other laugh?
- What can we do to increase the amount of laughing we do (if this is needed)?

Fun:
- What is fun for us to do together?
- What is our commitment about having fun/dating/engaging in social activities
  together in our marriage? (how often, what types of activities, etc.)
- What new activities do we want to try?
- What adjustments do we need to make to have more or less fun?

Sëx:
- After choosing three character qualities from “What's Character Got To Do With
  It?,” discuss how we can increase their use during intimate times together.
- What is a request we each have of the other for the next time(s) we make love?

To assist you with the above assignment, we are offering a discount on the following two publications, Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott's The Love List and our companion to Pure Gold, What's Character Got to Do With It? Enhancing Sëxual Intimacy in Your Marriage. The Love List includes these three topics and many more helpful ideas to support your marriage as well.

What's Character Got to Do With It? Enhancing Sëxual Intimacy in Your Marriage
On sale for only $2.00 (originally $3.95--that's almost 50% off!)!
Order only this publication here!

The Love List
For the low price of $12.00 (originally $14.99)!
Order only this publication here!

For BOTH at a further discount of $13.50!
Order here!

Index

Workshops in the News

Speak the Same Language: Communication Skills Workshop for Couples
Location: Poets' & Writers' League of Greater Cleveland
12200 Fairhill Road, 3A, Cleveland, Ohio, 44120
Date: Saturday, April 9, 2005, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Reading Room

Here are a couple of books filled with great quotes to
enhance your wedding invitations and ceremonies.