Several years ago, my husband and I went through some difficulties in our marriage. Although we were part of a small group of young married couples at the time, it was relatively new and we had never collectively shared any deep, heart stuff.
Authenticity is hard. But the pain of some struggles is difficult to hide and those closest to us knew something was wrong.
I hesitate to sugar coat our struggle by saying I'm glad it happened. But as in all things God guides, the act of journeying through it brought about some pretty wonderful things.
Beyond the work God did in our marriage, He used it to show us the power of community. Friends walked beside us, cried with us, and supported us through the most difficult of times. Our friendships remain strong today because of what we endured together — along with our commitment to continually cultivate community with each other.
But sometimes community is hard. Community can hurt. Hurt feelings, broken expectations can make you want to cut and run. Negative experiences with community in your past might make you hesitant to join in now. Or perhaps you crave community, but you're not sure where to find it, how to become part of one.
(In)courage is a website with a heart for women. They understand that women, like you and I, desire local, real life community and they want to help.
(In)courage is offering a tangible way for you to connect with other women, both locally and online. It involves a free girl's weekend away that doesn't require packing or plane tickets. Intrigued?
Check back this Monday, January 14th and I'll share the details.
In the meantime, I hope you'll watch this video:
Authenticity is hard. But the pain of some struggles is difficult to hide and those closest to us knew something was wrong.
I hesitate to sugar coat our struggle by saying I'm glad it happened. But as in all things God guides, the act of journeying through it brought about some pretty wonderful things.
Beyond the work God did in our marriage, He used it to show us the power of community. Friends walked beside us, cried with us, and supported us through the most difficult of times. Our friendships remain strong today because of what we endured together — along with our commitment to continually cultivate community with each other.
But sometimes community is hard. Community can hurt. Hurt feelings, broken expectations can make you want to cut and run. Negative experiences with community in your past might make you hesitant to join in now. Or perhaps you crave community, but you're not sure where to find it, how to become part of one.
(In)courage is a website with a heart for women. They understand that women, like you and I, desire local, real life community and they want to help.
(In)courage is offering a tangible way for you to connect with other women, both locally and online. It involves a free girl's weekend away that doesn't require packing or plane tickets. Intrigued?
Check back this Monday, January 14th and I'll share the details.
In the meantime, I hope you'll watch this video:
I'll be checking back. :)
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