FRODO SEVEN : TEAMS

Kingwood Team 8

(Top from left) Greg & Jane Miller, Ron & Jennifer Farace, Dom & Christy Villareal

(Seated) Michael & Michelle Rouselle, Chris & Alice Doyle

(MIA) Ray & Nellie Guillory

It's almost a cliche to say that marriage takes work, but anyone who says differently is either lying, not married or living in denial. Everything in our fallen world tends toward ruin. Any homeowner has experienced this truth as he works to maintain his property with much labor. Is marriage any different?

One way Chris and I decided to care for our marriage was to join a group at our church called Teams of our Lady. TEAMS is a Catholic lay movement under the protection of the Blessed Mother designed to strengthen marriage and build community. Couples work on five key endeavors and meet once a month for a meal and discussion. We have been with Kingwood Team 8 for two years now and really love it. I have to admit that at the beginning, I didn't really look forward to our TEAMS meetings. It felt a little too serious for Friday night. Since we've gotten to know our team better though, things have loosened up, and our discussions have gotten more personal and helpful.

This past Saturday was our annual team retreat. Chris had volunteered to organize it. He needed a facilitator and, in a fit of nepotism, asked my parents. With all of their experience with Marriage Encounter, mentoring engaged couples and teaching NFP, they were well-qualified and did an excellent job. Their theme had to do with treasure. They used the metaphor of the pearl, the opal and the diamond to talk about our relationships with God and with each other. We learned a lot and had good discussions as individual couples and as a group. I was proud to introduce my parents to the Team and the Team to my parents.

In talking about the TEAMS movement, one of the guys commented that if it were just a social club, it wouldn't be a priority for them, and that is so true. All of us have young families and busy lives but we've carved out the second Friday of every month to celebrate our shared faith, enrich our marriages and be a support to each other. Chris and I feel blessed to have such amazing friends.