The Festivals of Marriage sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources began with a single event in 1979 at Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, N.C. -- subsequently expanding to multiple Festivals of Marriage throughout the country each year.

Nearly 10,000 husbands and wives participated annually during the festivals' "heyday" in the early 1990s.

The festivals continue to be a time for couples to work on their marriages, have fun and just escape the busyness of life for a few days.

"We get training for our jobs, and if we have that training, we're in a tough position to be able to perform," Festival of Marriage coordinator Mark Satterfield commented. "Well, it's the same thing with our marriages as well. You've gotta be able to take some time and energy and train yourselves."

A truly healthy marriage requires that God be a part of the relationship, and Festivals of Marriage take that into consideration especially during the general session time, Satterfield said in an Inside LifeWay podcast.

"e really want to create an experience that, whether it's a believer or non-believer , he says, 'Wow, God is here in this place, and He is all-powerful and almighty,'" Satterfield said.

The festivals' workshops, meanwhile, focus on practical, daily helps for couples to improve their marriages.

"Marriage, in one sentence, I would say, is designed to be lived for the glory of God," Satterfield said. "Don't settle for less. Marriage can be so beautiful, and God's given it to us. Let's make it all that we can for His glory."

Toward that end, about 400 people attended a Festival of Marriage in Panama City, Fla., Sept. 25-27, with conflict resolution in marriage as a breakout session, led by Jerry and Bayne Pounds of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is assistant to the president and professor of discipleship and she is assistant professor of Christian education and director of institutional reports.

"Conflict is a natural life fact," Jerry Pounds said. "It results from different needs and interests. Many people look at conflict like it's an unusual thing, but it isn't."

They offered several tips for resolving conflicts:

-- Focus on prevention. Be proactive and try to keep a problem from escalating into an argument.

-- Uphold personal integrity. Keep your spouse's feelings in consideration and avoid ugly personal attacks.

-- Stop the explosion before it happens. If things are getting out of hand, agree to a break to cool off before continuing the discussion.

-- Practice "I" messages instead of "you" messages. "I" messages express how you personally feel, while "you" messages generally are accusatory.

-- Avoid destructive patterns such as criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling. Use tools/resources that can lead to a resolution of the conflict.

Bayne Pounds acknowledged that anger is a by-product of conflict. Continued...