I’m a fan of rhymes. For instance, what rhymes with thrive? Well, here are a few options. Which of them would you say best describes your marriage at the moment?

• Survive
• Deprive
• Arrive
• Revive
• Alive

I certainly hope it’s one of the more positive words! But none of those words is quite like the meaning of thrive. Don’t we all long for our marriages not to simply survive or arrive, but thrive? One definition of thrive is flourish, and that brings to mind the sense not of getting by but rather bearing fruit.

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:8

What a Marriage Needs to Thrive

Several aspects are key for a marriage to thrive. You need two good-willed people; not perfect, but reasonably good-willed. You need time to make changes, because—in spite of some marketing to the contrary—going from meh to marvelous doesn’t happen overnight. And you need wisdom. You can work really hard, but if you’re working at the wrong things, you won’t get the right results.

Obviously, my entire ministry is providing whatever wisdom I can, based on biblical principles, evidence-based insight, and practical tips. With a bit of humor thrown in whenever possible!

But I’m certainly not the only one with good advice. Which is why I’m happy to turn the spotlight on others when I learn about a good resource.

Thrive Christian Marriage Conference

The Thrive Christian Marriage Conference is a 4-day virtual event, February 15–18, 2022. It’s hosted by Equipping Godly Women and brings together over 20 professional counselors, bestselling authors, speakers, bloggers, podcasters and more—all sharing their best advice to help you build a marriage that flourishes.

While I’m not speaking at this conference, I know several of the presenters, and the lineup looks really good. Among the topics are:

• Empowering Women to Find the Hero in Their Husbands (Juli Slattery, Ph.D.)
• Are You in an Emotionally Destructive Relationship? (Leslie Vernick)
• The 5 FUN-damentals of Dating Your Spouse (Tara Carson of Dating Divas)
• How to Overcome Sexual Trauma and Find Healing (Jay Stringer)
• Unlocking the Power of Prayer in Your Marriage (Mike + Carlie Kercheval)
• And many, many more!

And here’s the kicker: This event is FREE! However, you do need to register in advance.

Also, you can upgrade to an all-access pass, which adds:

• One Year Unlimited Access to all Videos
• Printable Conference Workbook
• Printable Marriage Conversation Cards
• Free One Month Trial to Better Help Counseling
• Free One Month Trial to Covenant Eyes Accountability Software
• One Month Free Equipping Godly Women Membership
• Printable Year of Dates Binder from the Dating Divas
• Roadmap to Recovery Workshop by Natalie Hoffman

The pricing on an all-access pass is:

Early Bird / Before February 14: $35
During Conference / February 15 – 21: $45
After Conference / February 22 and after: $79

So basically, for $35, you early birds get hundreds of dollars’ worth of marriage insight and resources!

How to Attend a Conference

Having been to more conferences than I can count, let me share a few tips so you can get the most of your experience.

Take stock of your needs. Which sessions address what you’re dealing with now? Which ones have little or nothing to do with helping your particular marriage thrive? Few presentations are for everyone. And that’s good, because tailored information is often what we need to navigate our own journey. That said, you might try watching at least a few minutes of the sessions you’re not sure about, because you might find something is your cup of tea after all.

Embrace the good stuff, don’t worry about the rest. Some people complain if they attend a session and find one or two things they disagree with. Learn to look for the golden nuggets, let go of what doesn’t work for you or what you disagree with, and just move on. Look, I don’t agree with everything my colleagues say, but if we share the same biblical foundation and we’re in accord, say, 80% of the time, that’s a good deal.

Discuss the sessions with your spouse. Assuming your spouse is watching with you, talk about what you learn. As always, don’t just share your own opinions, but ask for your spouse’s take and really, really listen to what they say. (See Are You Listening to What Your Spouse Says about Sex?)

Jot down action items. Too often, we gain insight but don’t put it into practice. But knowing how to do something and actually doing it until it’s an ingrained habit are two entirely different things. (Just ask any athlete or musician.) Be sure to write down what you want to work on based on what you’ve learned. It might be a 10-step to-do list, 3–5 overall goals, or just that one next baby step you want to take. But make a promise to yourself by writing it down and following through.

Revisit the material as needed. I’ve gone back to old conference materials months and years after and discovered reminders and epiphanies. Keep your workbook or notes and refer back to them weeks or months later. Ask how it’s going and what else you might be ready to work on next.

Share your insights with others. Did you gain some fantastic insight or learn a wonderful tip? Don’t hoard your wisdom. Share it with that other wife, husband, or married couple who could use some encouragement! And if you think that couple might benefit, share about this conference with them.

Do Something for Your Marriage This Year

If you don’t sign up for this conference, do something else for your marriage this year. Take an intentional step by attending another event, reading a marriage book, listening to a podcast, and/or taking or facilitating a marriage class.

If we want to thrive at anything, we have to make an effort. Prioritize your marriage and help it to fluorish this year and beyond.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This post includes one or more affiliate links, meaning if you click on the link and purchase an item, I receive an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.

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