- Tuesday, January 3, 2012
- Michelle Blood
- Ministry Updates
- Comments
With U.S. troops now returning home from Iraq, there's been a surge of surprise military homecoming videos on T.V. and the internet. If you're anything like me, you enjoy every opportunity to watch these videos, maybe even more than once :-)!
Here's a recent video of a soldier that not only surprised his daughter at the end of her dance recital, but his wife too! I couldn't help but be moved emotionally after watching this one ... happy for this family's sweet reunion, but also concerned for their future.
Statistics report that since 2001, the divorce rate among military couples has risen 42%! That's heartbreaking to read, but an unfortunate reality. Although the couple in the video looks to have a good marriage, when we consider the potential obstacles ahead of them -- post-traumatic stress disorder, unemployment, redeployment, reasserting family roles, reestablishing intimacy in their marriage -- it's almost understandable why the divorce rate is so high.
FamilyLife believes it doesn't have to be that way. Partnering with award-winning Christian group MercyMe, the ministry launches the Finally Home to Family campaign to raise awareness about these challenges confronting military families. Their desire is to also raise funds in order to scholarship couples to attend one of their marriage events (Weekend to Remember® or The Art of Marriage video conference). These getaway weekends can provide military couples a chance to focus on each other and learn vital ways to strengthen their marriage foundation. In a recent article, Dennis Rainey pointed out that it's during the first 90 days of their return home that military couples need access to resources and support.
You can provide your support to the troops by communicating this effort to your listeners. Contact me for your Finally Home to Family media kit (includes on-air talking points, web banners, Facebook/Twitter scripts, and PSAs) and then be sure to visit FinallyHometoFamily.org for more stats and details.
By the way, coinciding with this military marriage campaign, "FamilyLife Today" considers several important issues on the daily broadcast, including:
- Cultivating a Healthy Marriage
- Having a Marriage without Regrets
- What Makes a Marriage Distinctively Different
For a complete list of January programming available, download the promo pack here.
Thank you for partnering with Dennis Rainey and FamilyLife in the battle to save more marriages in 2012!
