Deployment Goals: Marital

Greetings in Christ Jesus, Fellow Soldiers.

I was thrilled to see many of you today at Phoenix. I certainly miss you all and pray for you all when we are apart.

As I mentioned before, it is good to have deployment goals--not only because it recognizes that God has a purpose for you beyond mere survival, but also to help orient your time toward a greater purpose and give added meaning to your days.

One goal you may want to create is "marital" (or for you unmarried types, a "relational" category with a significant other or family member).

Your overarching goal should deal with "Where do I want my marriage/relationship to be at the end of this deployment?" This will be your main goal.

Then ask "What do I need to do to get there?" And that will for your secondary goals. For example:

Main Goal: I want our marriage to have better communication.

Secondary Goal: Read and discuss a book on better techniques for communication in marriage.

Secondary Goal: Pray specifically each week for a better ability to listen and understand my spouse.

Secondary Goal: Memorize the passage in James 3 on "taming the tongue."

Secondary Goal: Practice the principles I learn in my phone/online communication with my spouse.

Secondary Goal: Have a weekly AAR on successes and areas for improvement.

In this way, you can build your marriage up, rather than try to rebuild it after a stressful deployment. And by maintaining a healthy and growing marriage through a deployment, you are showing a watching world how God loves His church despite her ugliness and sin. And reminding yourself and your spouse, as members of the church, of God's love for you in Christ.