Tom & Laura

Friday, December 16, 2011

Spring Weekend to Remember Events

Spring seems a long way off now that winter has arrived but it's time to mark your calendar for the Spring Weekend to Remember Events.

In April and May there are three Events to choose from in the state of Washington:

Bellevue Hyatt Regency, April 13-15, 2012
Pasco Red Lion Hotel, April 20-22, 2012
Redmond Marriott Town Center, May 4-6, 2012

Remember, if you register with the group code "thecliftons" you save 50% off the cost of registration!

Also, if you are a partner in ministry and you have misplaced your gift certificate, please contact us and we'll get one in the mail to you ASAP. Your rate is even better than the 50% off price...just a little way to say "thank you" for standing by us in ministry!

If you would like to attend a WTR in another state check out the dates and locations at www.familylife.com

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Advent Calendar

This Christmas we are using an Advent Calendar to prepare our hearts for Christmas.

I got the idea from another blog and loved it! Each drawer contains not a treat, but an object that represents the Christmas story and a verse that goes along with it. Our children had so much fun running around the house collecting various objects to place inside. (If we didn't have it, they drew pictures of what we needed!) On our other blog I am detailing (almost daily) what is inside each drawer and the verse that goes along with it. You can see it at A Snap Shot of Motherhood. What are you doing this year to prepare your hearts for God's Greatest Gift?

*If you want step by step instructions of how to put this all together check out the first link above. Merry Christmas!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Coeur d'Alene Weekend to Remember Comments

Coeur d'Alene Weekend to Remember®
October 18-20, 2011
Prayed to Receive Christ: 23
Asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit: 92
Recommitted their family to Christ: 87
Attendance 476

Comments from the Weekend:

This was our first time away overnight without kids in 6 years. We have been struggling for the past year. My husband lost his job 6 months ago. My husband admitted this weekend he had give up on our marriage. I have been looking for an excuse to leave. We are going home fully committed to restoring our marriage not to just what it was…but better! (wife, married 6 years)

We’ve been married 18 years and have been separated for 1 ½ years. Our divorce was to be finalized just weeks from now. We’ve made the choice to stay married and grow old together. Praise God. (wife of husband below, married 9 years)

I believe it saved our marriage. We are very close to divorce and now we want to make our marriage work. I want to grow old with her. (husband of wife above, married 9 years)

Closer to each other. Every relationship needs needs a tune up to keep it running great. We try to go to this each year and our church or marriage conference. (husband married 16 years)

Gave us understanding to issues we have dealt with all our married life. Reminded us we need Christ in our lives and in our marriage because without him we are driving blind. Great tools, great resources. (wife, married 16 years)

Touched me deeply. With God’s help I can change to the man God wants me to be. (husband, married 28 years)

My wife and I have now attended seven Weekend to Remember conferences. We look forward to this time every year. It began with us working on our junk, but now it is an equipping tool for the people around us. Thanks. (husband and pastor, married 12 years)

Although this conference helped save our marriage 3 years ago, we still managed to lose focus. We used to think, as I’m sure most couples do, that we were untouchable, we had something not many couples possessed. Little by little, we realized we were missing something. Satan was whittling away that security we thought we had. We truly needed this refresher to combat the evil that ends so many marriages today. Thank you. (wife, married 6 years)

We had just separated 2 weeks ago and my wife moved out. This weekend really helped and I think we have a good shot at working this out. Thanks. (husband, married 13 years)

The power of God is amazing! A miracle happened here this weekend! (wife, married 7 years)

Monday, October 17, 2011

Weekend to Remember Update

Below are comments reflecting each of the Weekend to Remember Events held this past weekend. It is so awesome to see God's transforming work in the lives of these couples...

*I was at the end, ready to throw in the towel. Not divorce, just give up. I have recommitted myself to our marriage.

*If I'm willing to die for my wife, like Christ did for the church, then how much easier should it be to rub her back, or rub her feet, or fold laundry.

*We're a young married couple (19 & 21) and it was just a blessing to start off on a good foot, surrounded by couples doing marriage right. This getaway was a straight up blessing from God.

*We were ready to separate, this was our last ditch effort for hope & strength. We fought on the way to the conference through Saturday afternoon & my husband was too angry to attend. Sat. afternoon something changed . God spoke & softened our hearts. My husband has turned back to God. I see my failures. We are going to make it.

*My husband and I haven’t spoken in 7 months prior to coming this weekend. The divorce had been filed and it was ugly. I didn’t even know why I agreed to come. But I’m glad I did. A miracle took place here. My marriage and family haven been saved. My life has been saved. Amen!

*“This weekend was our final attempt. We already had the divorce paperwork and were basically living in two separate households. In fact, we went to file the paperwork but decided to do one last thing before throwing in the towel. I am so glad we did! We have both been convicted and recommitted our lives, marriage, and family to the Lord. For the first time in years, I have hope for our marriage! I had forgotten that there is nothing too big for God to fix.”

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Raising Dead Things

God is in the business of brining life to the things that are dead and without hope...

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Weekend to Remember

I am always amazed at how God can give hope in a situation that seems hopeless. He is in the business of restoring broken people and broken lives.

If you would like to attend a Weekend to Remember Event use the code "thecliftons" and save 50% off the cost of registration.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Spring Weekend to Remember Quotes

A Few Comments from the Spring 2011 Weekend to Remember Season:

• This weekend helped me more and more to open up as I give my whole heart to my husband. Marriage felt like a chore, a burden – now I know marriage as a precious gift from God. I see my husband in a whole different light – it’s bright and will forever shine!!

• We found forgiveness!

• I had made up my mind and heart to walk away from my marriage because I thought there was no hope. I was burned out with trying to make it work. Now I see I can stop trying my way and do it God's way. I found new hope in the marriage covenant.

• As a military wife, my reason for planning a trip to Florida was to leave my husband, because of an affair. After this weekend, I plan on going back home with my husband, giving my marriage to God, along with my hurt, pain and put God first in my life and my husband 2nd and pray our marriage will be better, but mostly godly! Thank you!

• I came with the hope that God would speak to the heart of my husband and work wit him to see my needs. The most wonderful thing happened. God opened my eyes and worked on my heart to show me all of the ways that I was lacking in providing for my husband’s needs. Leaving here a newly devoted wife.

• My husband and I are currently in the process of a divorce. However this weekend has changed the way that we have been looking a each other. We have started to put the principles that we have learned this weekend into practice and it feels like we are learning to fall back into love with each other.

Join us for a Weekend to Remember this fall. Use the code "thecliftons" and save 50% off the registration price. Register today at www.familylife.com

Our Heart for Marriages and Families...

Early in our marriage God put a burden on our hearts for marriages and families.
We were elementary teachers and we saw first hand the effect of divorce on the children in our classrooms. Our hearts were broken.
We also had several close friends that were getting divorced and we wanted to help but we felt powerless.
In 1995 we attended our first FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Conference. As we sat there and listened to God's purpose and plan for marriage we thought, "This is it!"
On Sunday afternoon we had the chance to find out what it meant to join staff with FamilyLife. When Laura heard, "Raise your own support and move..." she immediately thought, "no way." Tom however knew this was God's call. Laura listed all the reasons why there was no way we could do this. God used her Bible study the next two weeks to show her this was His plan and He was calling...so we went.
It has been an incredible adventure to see lives transformed and marriages saved when people hear and apply the truth. You can see many quotes from the conferences we serve in our blog list.
As missionaries with FamilyLife, we are responsible to raise and maintain 100% of our support. If you would like to join us to make a difference in lives and families for eternity click on the link below. Thank you!

How So Many Families Today are Like a Sand Castle...

Have you ever built a sand castle on the beach?

The beach is one of our favorite places to go as a family. So for our daughter's fourth birthday, it was only natural to have a beach party theme.

Laura decided the perfect cake for the party was a sand castle cake. She found a similar cake in a cookbook and decided it would be easy. All was well until it was time to put the cake together. The cake acted just like a sand castle - it fell apart during the building process. Laura finally got the cake to hold together by using toothpicks and freezing it until the party. The cake lasted throughout the party and no one knew that it was literally crumbling from the inside out.

Unfortunatley, so many homes today are in the same condition as the sand castle birthday cake in this story. They are crumbling from the inside out. Families today need the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word! It is only by His strength and power that families can be changed, challenged and strengthened.

Here is an example of a marriage that was crumbling until it was transformed by the power of God...

"This conference has helped to open my eyes in many areas. I not only realized how much I was doing wrong, but I also realized how blind I've been. I opened my eyes and prayed for the first time. I accepted the Lord into my heart and into my life. We went from talking about divorce
already to actually sitting and talking for hours on end!! I strongly believe that we are going to thrive!"

This marriage had already ended in divorce. The couple came anyway and God worked a miracle...

"For every reason on God's earth we should not have come to this conference. We are divorced, our children have been shattered and our home
destroyed. Satan had complete and total victory in our family. His destruction was thourough...or so he though. This conference has restored
our relationship, our faith in God, and in His power to heal. We have given back to each other our heart, we have forgiven each other, we have set aside all the pain and the tumultuous history between us and we are moving ahead. We look forward to the joy of our family together, our hearts joined and to being married again. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!"