Photo By Master Sgt. Chuck Broadway | Chaplain (Capt.) Douglas Dixon, 4th Fighter Wing chaplain, leads a marriage enrichment...... read more read more
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The class, titled “Fighting for Your Marriage,” aimed to help couples strengthen their relationships through faith based principles.
The class was led by Chaplain (Capt.) Douglas Dixon, 4th FW chaplain, who opened with a harsh statistic…military couples lead the country in divorce rates. Many couples, ranging from fairly newlyweds, to more than 30 years of marriage, dwelled on the statistic and discussed topics such as communication and forgiveness.
“There’s a commitment in our marriage that’s rooted in our faith,” Dixon said. “Marriage is a beautiful, wonderful thing, but it takes work. I hope couples get concepts and tools to strengthen their marriage and connect these skills to their personal beliefs and core values.”
Couples watched videos, played team-building games and worked in groups, using their experiences to help each other.
“Listening to other peoples’ stories shows us you’re never too old to learn,” said retired Lt. Col. David Klinkicht, a contracted flight instructor for Delaware Resource Group assigned to the 4th Training Squadron. “After 31 years of marriage I’m still learning. [My wife and I] have been through trials and tribulations, but I’ve married my best friend. It’s not easy coming to these classes, but you have to step out of your comfort zone and find what works for you.”
Dixon also led discussions on enhancing marital communication. He touched on individual expectations, distractions and emotional states and how all these can detract from reaching communication goals in a relationship.
“You can never have enough opportunities to be a better husband and love your wife more,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Hopkins, 372nd Training Squadron detachment chief, who attended the class with his wife Shannon. “[Marriage] is ensuring the other person is happy and satisfied, not about our own selfish needs. It makes us the person we need to be, not who we want to be.”
Along with communication, Dixon discussed forgiveness in marriages and how holding out on forgiveness can drive a relationship apart.
“When you don’t forgive your spouse, it attacks you to your core,” Dixon said. “If we don’t forgive our partner, it can weigh you down and beat you.”
Using illustrations such as layers of clothing and hand sanitizer, Dixon simulated the burden of forgiveness and the cleansing of finally lifting the weight you’ve carried by not forgiving.
“It’s important to realize things [holding you back] and bring them to the forefront of our marriage so we don’t lose sight of what’s important,” said Shannon Hopkins. “We’ll take the tools we’ve learned tonight and use them going forward.”
Dixon said he will follow up with all the couples who attended the event in approximately a month to see their progress. His hope is that their marriage is stronger.
For more information about classes offered by the Chaplain Corps, contact the 4th FW chapel at (919) 722-0315.
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2016 09:46 |
| Story ID: | 199137 |
| Location: | SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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