We are excited to share that Heart Builder kicked off 2023 with a BootCamp in January. We love seeing couples be intentional with their future marriages. They receive a full day of God's Design of marriage with tools to use for many years ahead as they navigate this very intimate, yet at times challenging relationship. 

We have also had the privilege of working with SYMBIS couples during this first quarter of 2023. We have met some amazing couples that are choosing to be intentional  on the front end of their marriage. Pre-Marriage Prep helps decrease divorce by 31%. Congratulations to these couples who are investing in their future together!

BootCamp was followed by a Vision Group Coaching session for the ladies. Such a wonderful time with a tremendous group of ladies. Group coaching sessions are small and intimate, allowing each woman to have individual time if need be. Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." These ladies did not lack vision, and they are expecting great things this year. Such a joy to watch them thoughtfully select items that God has placed deep within their hearts for their future.

In March, Heart Builder headed to Bellville, Texas and presented an "EXPLODE BootCamp Experience" at Grace Community Church. This meeting was fantastic. The group of couples were so welcoming to us and what God had planned for them. Whether activities were indoors or outdoors, these couples participated thoroughly. They took notes, asked questions, they were engaged. They CHOSE to INTENTIONALLY invest in their marriages, and we know God was smiling down on each of them. So grateful for this time in Bellville.


We have a couple of new services we will be offering engaged and/or married couples this year. We have become Marriage Mentors through Les and Leslie Parrot. In addition, we are offering Marriage Coaching to couples. We have also been given the opportunity to contract with "After I Do" and will provide Marriage Coaching for them as needed. We are looking forward to partnering with couples and watching them soar to new heights as they continue to navigate their marriages.

As we are stepping up our efforts to share with couples God's Design of marriage, a prayer covering is vital. The enemy does not want any marriage to survive, and he surely does not want couples understanding God's Design of marriage. When we purchase a cell phone, smart TV, vacuum cleaner, etc. they come with an owner's manual. Marriage has an owner's manual as well. It is called the Bible and when a couple starts using it, the devil gets worried. Please pray for Heart Builder as we share God's Design of a Kingdom Marriage and God starts building "Wholly Healthy Hearts" for couples.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Imagine you bought a cell phone believing any time you wanted to take a video, you simply said, "take video" and voile the video started. Not only did it start automatically, but it was catching precisely what you were desiring. My iphone will open to the "photo" tab, but it will not start taking a video.  The phone was not created to function in this manner. Therefore, I am going to be very disappointed because it is not operating as I thought it would.

As I sit here in the coffee house, the place is buzzing with conversation. Little groups of mostly women are gathered, deeply engaged in conversation. A few men are sprinkled about with their computers engrossed in whatever they are working on. I am here as I wait for a call to let me know our sweet little Levi is ready to be picked up from the groomer. As you can see from the above picture, I came prepared. Stanley in hand (a gift for Christmas which has now become my "Wilson") and of course a large cappuccino for the win!

What is it about a coffee house that makes people so relational? Is it the caffeine of the coffee? Most likely not! From my observation here, it is simply connection. Having someone to talk with and being listened to. It is changing up your environment. 

Of course, my mind wanders to relationship. Which then wanders to our relationships with Christ. I wonder if anyone in this shop is speaking of Christ? Do they know Christ? Are they are engaged when speaking with Christ if they do know him? These are not questions of judgment, just curiosity.

How might our conversations with Christ be different if we held them in a coffee shop? Imagine, just you and Jesus having a conversation in a quaint little coffee house. A nice cup of coffee freshly brewed and no one except the two of you sitting at a table. Jesus has your undivided attention and you have his undivided attention. Wait, we have his undivided attention ALL times we call on him. So it might be different because now he will get ALL of our attention.

Perhaps the reason the Holy Spirit prompted me to write this is for each of us to take a few minutes and think how we show up when we want to communicate with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Are we communicating on the fly, making sure we are checking it off our list? Is our communication "one-sided"? Are we FULLY engaged and "All-In"? How are we paying attention to the environment when we are trying to communicate? Have we allotted time to "listen" to what they might have to say? These are just a few questions running through my mind as I sit here.

I believe the enemy does everything he can to keep us busy so we do not have time to truly develop relationship with the triune Godhead. It has been said if "Satan cannot get you to sin, he will get you busy." Boy do we see that in our world today in many relationships. We barely have time for those we can see so it truly makes sense that we would not have time for the One we cannot see.

You might be wondering why this article does not deal with a husband and wife taking time for each other. First, that is not the prompting from the Holy Spirit I received this morning. Second, from my own personal walk with Christ, when I am connected and communicating with Christ routinely and listening to what he has to say to me, I show up as a very engaged wife and a much better version of me to all relationships!

I know where my POWER source is and if I get unplugged, I feel it! Just like we plug a vacuum into the electrical outlet in order to make it function as it was designed to, we are created to plug into our POWER source, Jesus!

Most likely at some point, you have experienced vacuuming and all of a sudden, the vacuum just stops. You turn around and see it is unplugged. The machine still looks the same on the outside, but it is no longer operating as it was designed to. It has to be PLUGGED back into the POWER.  And, if we do not properly care for the vacuum cleaner, i.e., let the bag fill to overflowing, it will stop picking up dirt and in some cases, it will spit dirt out of the vacuum because it is OVERLOADED.
 

We talk a lot today about getting "unplugged" from technology. Honestly, that is a necessity in order that we can get "plugged" into our source, Jesus Christ! Holy Spirit please help each of us to "plug" into our POWER source each and every day while we bring Kingdom impact to this world.

Saturday, April 22 - 7:00  PM 
Smart Financial Centre| 18111 Lexington Boulevard, Sugar Land, TX 


Friday, May 5th at 7 PM
Reed Arena | 739 Olsen Blvd. | College Station, TX
Saturday, May 6th at 7 PM
Ford Park | 5115 Interstate 10 Access Rd. | Beaumont, TX