Earlier this month we had a very special guest show up at the Weekend to Remember in Frisco. Ney Bailey walked in Friday night with a young lady who is engaged and soon to be married. We want to share with you just a glimpse of her story and what God can do when a heart is burdened and an individual is obedient to carry that burden through.  

The story of God’s work in bringing FamilyLife into existence really goes back to the early 1970s. Ney was part of a leadership team working with campus staff and she began to observe that marriages were suffering and these young married couples were married more to ministry than to each other. She was burdened by this to the point of tears and something had to be done.

In 1975, Ney was sent to St. Louis to a meeting called the Continental Congress on the Family. There were many seminars to attend and Ney attended at least two—one led by James Dobson and another by Dr. Howard Hendricks. Dr. Hendricks spoke on three reasons that marriages fail. 

When Angie spoke to her at the Weekend to Remember, Ney still remembered those three reasons from Howard Hendrick’s talk. One, inadequate teaching, two, unrealistic expectations and three, inadequate preparation. He said, “Today in Dallas, Texas, if you want to become a garbage collector you have to go through two weeks of intensive training to become one. But today, in Dallas, Texas, if you want to get married you just have make a sound, ‘Uhh’—at the altar.”

Out of this a marriage preparation and family emphasis was started and every engaged staff member had to attend. This then grew into what is now FamilyLife and the event called Weekend to Remember. For almost 50 years, these teachings around the Biblical basis of marriage and the blueprints for marriage as God designed it has changed people’s lives around the world.

When once asked “Ney, you have been single your whole life. Does it strike you as ironic? Millions of marriages have been impacted, and it might have never happened had you not wept the way God prompted you to weep. Have you thought about that?” She responded “I have. It’s been such a God thing from the beginning…after it was launched I remember…I just thought, “Now I can die.” It was like the vision—I mean, the burden was so great that it just seemed like it was over. God had done it. And He’s still doing it, and when I read…the testimonies and I always choke up and I always am so grateful for what He has done. It’s all what He has done through you.”

God loves to birth things through people of faith. Don’t discount the burdens He lays on your heart and how He might use that to reach those around you.

To hear the rest of Ney's story click here.

• • • • • • Please pray for Rachel as she awaits her first placement as a respite and emergency care foster parent.

          • Pray for our daughter-in-love, Morgan, as she enters her last month of nursing school. She’ll graduate in early June. 

          • Pray for health issues that some of our family are facing. 

          • Pray that we’ll notice those we can pray for and encourage as we serve at each event. 

          • Praise for 7 salvations that were recorded at the Frisco Weekend to Remember event!

This spring we have 13 events remaining, check the website for the locations and current information. Register now for the spring and fall events - call us today for discounted registration.

• • • Branson - Hilton Convention Center - May 3 - 5

    • Columbus - Marriott Northwest - May 3 - June 2 

    • Orlando - Caribe Royale - June 7 - 9

More event locations and information at familylife.com/weekend-to-remember/#where.