Record of Lessons Learned

Our Ebenezer 

BRETT's REFLECTION OF MTI

During SPLICE God did not let me sit comfortably in my sin! I am amazed at God’s pursuit after my heart. He was relentless during these 3 weeks of Splice at revealing my heart. I truly felt like I was an onion in the hands of the Master chef. As he pulled layer after layer off to get to the core of who I am. I am amazed at the way that not only did he reveal my sin but he granted me forgiveness and has promised to enable me fight it. Seeing what God has done makes me wish I would have been through this 10 years ago and I would be miles ahead of where I am now.

            During splice I finally learned my wife's conflict style and the ways that I can meet her in that. Along with that the understanding of the way in which my conflict style hurts her and makes her feel uncared for, which was heart breaking, but also exciting that there is hope for that to change.

            I stand in awe in the way in which God used the whole splice community to teach me so many things. To go deep with one another and hear people utter things that I felt, but couldn’t find words to explain. Was a beautiful way in which God spoke to my heart.  Thanks for the most sanctifying 3 weeks of my life!

-Conflict Styles and the affect it has on others

- Everyone acts in a logical/ reasonable way to themselves

- What must we protest and redeem

- CHAOS awaits!

- Depth of relationships in such a short time

- Sabbath a gift from God

- No shame in rest and relaxation

SOME OF LIV's TAKE AWAYS

The entire experience of MTI (both PILAT- language acquisition & SPLICE- Culture training) we're transformational!! I have discovered so much about who I am under stress, in conflict, in marriage, how I handle griefs and goodbyes. 

- I discovered I am a "Lion"- Highly assertive, and sadly, low on caring about relationships in conflict. 

- Since I am a "lion" (Brett, is a teddy bear, the opposite of me, HIGH relation, LOW assertive--- YIKES---) I must ask Brett ways that I hurt him and specific things for me to work on. Facilitate my sanctification:)!

- I learned that one of the number one ways to preserve your marriage is to tell a lie that you believed that day and the scripture that combats it.

- Rhythms and routines can be a savior to stress and vital for children to feel safe and secure.

- A healthy family has 3 parts 1. Husband and wife that display love one another, and is evident to the children 2. Family that eats meals together 3. Able and are having fun together

- Marriage is built with bricks of asking and extending forgiveness

- 3 parts of asking for forgiveness 1. Take complete responsibility (no ifs or buts about it) 2. Express how your sin made that person feel. 3. Ask for forgiveness (put the ball in their court)

 -GRIEVING IS A GIFT FROM GOD!!!! If you don't grieve well, and instead stuff, you can be setting yourself depression (scary)

- A new prayer for me is that God would make me cry a lot in saying goodbye