What We can Learn From Marriage in Bosnia Herzegovina

My heart broke for marriages in Bosnia Herzegovina. 

Dan and I were blessed by the dear ones we came to know and love during our two week stay in the beautiful country of Bosnia Herzegovina. But our hearts broke because we saw couples facing marriage woes that husbands and wives in other countries know nothing of.

Please pray for couples as you consider these stories:

 Four years he sat under artillery fire. Now, that fire explodes in his mind piercing his tender heart with fiery darts. He suffers with PTSD in a country that offers no counselling, no Purple Heart, and no compensation for his wounds from the Bosnian war. His wife cries to God to restore her broken man.

Forty percent unemployment leaves many couples unable to afford shelter. They have no choice but to move in with their parents. In some cases, the young wife is expected to do all the chores of the household as well as care for the aging parents, her own children, and work outside the home.

Women do not receive equal pay in BiH.  Consequently, men can't find jobs and women are an employer's choice. Wives work for little wages to support the  family which may include the extended family. The husband stays home, but he is not considered a house husband or a stay-at-home-dad as he continues his endless search for employment or some way to bring income into his home.

A couple spent their wedding night fleeing from parents trying to kill them? When a Muslim couple believed in Jesus Christ, their  parents sought them. To murder them.

The horrors and pain of war complemented with the cheap availability of drugs, left many Bosnians turning to drugs as their only recreation or happiness. Drug addiction is prevalent and many reformed and not reformed addicts carry the lure of addiction into their marriages.

Dan and I visited the Bosnian war museum and learned of the horrors that took place on the streets where we walked.  Soldiers placed a 3 month old baby in an oven while the mother helplessly watched  her baby bake. A mother gave birth on the street while soldiers killed her husband by her side.

What do these events do to a person, to a culture, to a marriage?

I know what it does to me? It breaks my heart for marriages in BiH. Please pray that God will heal   these dear people who stole my heart with their love and generosity to me. They deserve the abundant life that Jesus promised.  Let's pray to that end. Thank you.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; 
I have come that they may have life, 
and have it to the full." 
~ Jesus

John 10:10 (NIV)

We have much to learn from the Bosnian marriages as well. The divorce rate in Bosnia Herzegovina is 5 percent. They practice commitment  and love, perhaps because they know loss and hate. Americans (and most of the rest of the world) are too quick to throw away marriages that God intends us to keep. May we learn from our dear Bosnian brothers and sisters.

Please pray splashes of serenity on all marriages today.

Strengthening Military Marriages

Congratulations to Lt. Col. Tony and Penny Monetti on today's release of  their new book, Honored to Serve: Guidance and Encouragement for Military Families in Transition.

http://www.amazon.com/Honored-Serve-Guidance-Encouragement-Transition/dp/1572937572/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370030114&sr=1-1&keywords=Honored+to+serve

Lt. Col. Tony and Penny Monetti know the difficulties and transitions of military life. I can say this, because I watched them. The Monetti's attended our church during the Gulf War when Tony was stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, NY. My husband had the honor of baptizing both Tony and Penny.

The day Tony left for Desert Storm is etched in my mind. I could not imagine my husband going to war and leaving me alone to raise our family. For Tony and Penny, this was their life.

My review: "Powerful! Practical! Personal! Tony and Penny Monetti know the difficulties and transitions of military life, and point you to the God Who goes before you and stays with you in the battle for your marriage, your children, and your country. Learn from their experiences how to be a person of honor, integrity, and valor maintaining physical, mental, and spiritual balance. Every couple needs to arm themselves with Honored to Serve as their survival guide for military families in transition." ~ Elaine W. Miller, Author and Speaker

From the back cover:

"IT IS A RARE SORT OF VALOR THAT CAUSES SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO SACRIFICE FOR THEIR COUNTRY. THEY LIVE LIVES PUNCTUATED WITH UNCERTAINTY TO DEFEND THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM.

Tony and Penny Monetti have known this uncertainty. "In 24 years of military service we deployed for war. We experienced the fear of combat against an enemy and mustered the courage to fight. We refit the family puzzle pieces when their shapes changed with each mission, deployment, and reassignment."

Military families are constantly in transition, but transition does not have to be unmanageable. Honored to Serve provides tools to deal with issues such as combat-related stress, financial hardship, wounded relationships, reentry into civilian life, and more. Written from the perspectives of a military service person and a spouse, this insightful book not only encourages military families but also provides a wealth of resources for soldiers and their loved ones."
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Lieutenant Colonel Tony Monetti (USAF, Ret.) is a Distinguished Flying Cross recipient and a former B-2 bomber, B-1, and B-52 pilot who has written numerous articles for military publications. Penny Monetti is an inspirational author who speaks nationwide and is certified to help military families with post-traumatic stress. The Monettis have shared the message of their first book, Called to Serve, on various television and radio programs.
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Honored to Serve is available today online and at bookstores everywhere.

Thank you, Tony and Penny, for opening the doors of your heart and your marriage so other military marriages are strengthened.

Hey, and thank you for loving We All Married Idiots and recommending my book in your Marriage Resources list.

Splash! That's what I call serenity!!!