More Testimonials
What Couples Are Saying
My marriage was at an all time low. We could not talk without sharp words, criticism, defensiveness, and built-up anger. Although we had tools from past retreats and counseling, we did not know how to bring the process back into our marriage. This weekend was a reset. Compared to other retreats or intensives, the process here, along with some individual help, was excellent. Additionally, you gave us accountability tools for a lifetime.
Todd
Married 35 years
We had issues that have been buried for over 8 years. We had built walls and barriers up against one another. This weekend has given us the knowledge and the tools to break these barriers and begin our healing once and for all. We have talked more this weekend than the previous 8 years.
Reid
Married 17 years
Coming into the weekend, we had been living separately with documents finalized and awaiting our signatures. Through prayer, reflection, and constructive communication, we have put this on hold while we work to improve our marriage, using the tools we learned over the weekend. I have hope again that we can rebuild trust, grow with God, and restore the beautiful life we both envisioned when we were first married.
Mike
Married 5 years
I have learned how I should act as a husband. I also learned how to best communicate with my wife. I was able to face troubles within our marriage and seek forgiveness. I learned that the single most important thing in my life and marriage has to be God.
Adam
Married 15 years
This weekend helped very much. It made us both realize we had not been recognizing one another’s emotional needs and we both have to work on learning how to positively communicate words of affirmation. Most importantly, we now realize our marriage was never built on the foundation of Christ.
Tyler
Married 13 years
We came here completely broken and on the brink of divorce after thinking that there was nothing that could cause us to come to a place of divorce. After this weekend, we have been able to communicate with one another and see areas in our marriage where we had left out God. I have full confidence that these tools we have been given, when put into practice, will get us to our 80th anniversary.
Sarah
Married 10 years
Before we came, our divorce was almost final. In fact, all I had to do was sign the decree and it was done. We live in separate places, sold our house and already divided our belongings. Infidelity and addiction permeated our marriage and communication was non-existent. This program gave us immediate tools to use and we were able to accomplish true repentance and forgiveness. We are leaving with a clean slate and a new commitment to God and our marriage. We are going to take it very slow and use the tools we acquired to build a new foundation.
Amber
Married 6 years
Before coming to the retreat, we were very distant. We had lost trust and didn’t know how to communicate at all. We were able to start on a clean slate and forgive each other for our hurts. Now, we have the tools to communicate and resolve problems without getting in a huge fight.
Chad
Married 4 years
I had a tremendous amount of anger and resentment built up in me because we were unable to change the damaging patterns and fights that seemed to be happening more and more often. I now feel that anger and resentment has lifted through proper communication, forgiveness, and learning my wife’s important needs.
Johnny
Married 15 years
We had been going to Marriage Counseling, but it wasn’t working for us because the sessions were so far apart and it just felt like we were ripping open bigger wounds without resolution. This weekend allowed us to move more steadily through the steps of the process without leaving us “hanging” with fresh wounds.
Benjamin
Married 18 years
My husband and I were separated for seven months and divorce papers were filed…
every obstacle stood in our way. We both agreed to go, and to try to renew our marriage and develop skills with Gods’ help. The amount of healing and renewal we experienced is truly supernatural and could only come from God. The leaders of Cornerstone are truly gifted and have been called to help couples renew and restore their relationship to something greater.
Devin
Married 16 years
My marriage was in serious trouble; constant arguing, name-calling, infidelity and talk of divorce. After working through the forgiveness exercise, we experienced a breakthrough. My wife and I have re-committed ourselves to loving, respecting and cherishing each other.
Philip
Married 3 years
We came in with a lot of serious issues and I was ready to end it all. You helped us so much by showing my spouse and myself a way to break down the walls and communicate. This helped us to forgive past hurts and be on our way to a fresh start. I think God so much for you and your ministry!
Cindy
Married 23 years
Before this weekend, things looked very difficult. It seemedcheek-kiss-couple.jpg that there were more problems than solutions, and we would argue almost every day. On our drive here we didn’t talk at all. Now, I see the things I need to work on and we are moving forward. This retreat helped us to get on a plan to restore our marriage.
Jose
Married 18 years
Before this weekend, Pat and I had lived separately for over two years. Our marriage failed and soon after, everything else in our lives begin to crumble. I wanted a divorce. I wanted him to move on, but he refused. In a last ditch effort he asked me to attend this retreat. I agreed, hoping it would finally give him closure so we could both move on. Over the weekend, I made the choice to follow God’s will and we reconciled. We now have the tools to repair our marriage.
Stacey
Married 10 years
We came into the weekend completely broken with no idea how to deal with the wasteland of hurt, sin, dysfunction, and loss we had created. We both had numerous affairs and had so much unresolved anger, resentment, and bitterness. We had unconfessed sins and had not appropriately asked or received forgiveness. We walked away with a miracle of having forgiven one another. We pulled up the roots of our sin, recommitted to one another, and broke the spirit of divorce, brokenness, and all soul ties that we had created through affairs.
Beverly
Married 20 years
We recognized we were in crisis and were in weekly marriage counseling. Our pain was obstructing our ability to open up and one hour a week was not enough to open our hearts to learn productive tools fast enough. This weekend jump started our healing. I learned tools to work through hard feelings and hurts. Having these new tools and being supported by experienced counselors in private sessions to address huge hurt and pain was a God sent blessing. I am recommitted to my husband and looking forward to rebuilding a marriage I want to be in.
Ann
Married 31 years
Before the weekend, my husband and I were separated and in the middle of a divorce. Our marriage got to this point due to the years of unresolved hurts and conflict. We were both afraid to be honest about our feelings as it would create more emotional baggage. We were both disengaged from one another. This weekend, we learned how to finally heal these hurts, listen to one another without fear of retaliation, and put God first in our marriage. We now have the tools to communicate and resolve conflicts in a healthy way.
Karla
Married 10 years
We were continuously fighting. Our fights consisted of yelling and disrespecting each other. We were both seriously considering divorce. We even spoke of how we would divide things. This weekend allowed us to communicate and listen to one another. We expressed our hurts and forgave each other. We have a plan to keep working on our marriage and have the tools to deal with our next disagreement.
Adeliz
Married 11 years
I believe this weekend helped our marriage by allowing each other to convey our needs, hurts, and desires in a safe setting. Our marriage was also helped by confessing all of our wrong-doings to our spouse. It also helped by having “real” non-judgmental counselors. Before this weekend, we did not have a marriage. We have been separated twice, almost 15 months in total, 11 months currently. Love and intimacy was gone. Now, we have a chance.
Zac
Married 6 years
Before the weekend, our marriage was in distress. We could not communicate and the hurts were causing such tension that the marriage was at risk. This retreat has been better than either of us could ever expect. We reconnected like never before and we learned skills to help us grow a strong marriage with healthy love and communication.
Melanie
Married 5 years
Our marriage was a constant roller coaster of highs and lows. We didn’t know how to deal with our problems without a fight. We have committed ourselves to making God and our marriage our priority.
Lindsay
Married 4 years
I was into pornography and other forms of sexual problems. We have been working through this for 6 months. I felt like our marriage was stuck in a rut with unforgiveness and pain. Through this, we were able to heal our wounds, communicate better, and move forward with Christ as the center.
Eric
Married 1-1/2 years
My husband was a porn addict. There was no intimacy in our marriage. After years of pain, I grew hopeless and resorted to having an affair. Through a lot of hard work this weekend, we were restored and truly experienced a new beginning. Of all the marriage counseling programs we have participated in, this weekend has been, by far the most practical and life-changing of any. We want to tell other couples about
Amanda
Married 11 years
Our marriage not only has been restored, I believe there is a spiritual transformation that’s working in both of our hearts now. Before this retreat, we were separated for several years. I was served with divorce papers a couple of years ago. Surprisingly, he dropped the divorce proceedings the day we were in court. I knew Christ had worked a miracle for us then, and now in the Cornerstone retreat. I got my best friend back; a changed man and me, a changed wife.
Linda
Married 32 years
I am so thankful for this awesome ministry. If we continued in this downward spiral of us trying to figure out how to fix our marriage, we would not have lasted too much longer. Now, we have hope and I have re-committed to our marriage. With God’s help we have a bright future and many more years together.
Silvia
Married 18 years
Before this weekend, I could only see my husband’s negative traits and I had defined him by them… Now I am able to see my husband’s positive traits, and I feel a connection to him that I have never felt since we have known each other. We were able to discuss difficult issues with one another, without being critical of each other. I gained more trust in my husband in three days and we now have tools to move forward.
Lesley
Married 4 years
After four months of separation and filing for divorce, God moved in me and my husband this weekend. I forgave him and our marriage was reconciled. We now have the tools to continue rebuilding our relationship and we will celebrate our 25th year anniversary April 7, 2017. We give God glory!
Tracy
Married 24 years
I knew my marriage had gotten into a bad place due to my relationship with God and how I had been trying to do things my way. This weekend helped illustrate that and show me that Satan is the enemy, not my wife. My eyes have been opened to the truth that I have been avoiding and I desire more than ever the opportunity to meet my wife’s needs. I have re-committed my life to serving God to my marriage. Thank you and I will be praying for God’s blessings and protection in His ministry through you.
Corey
Married 9 years
What Is a Marriage Intensive Weekend?
We’ve been married 8 years. If you’d asked me a week ago, “Where do you see yourself in a week?” I would have said, “In a very nasty divorce ruining the lives of our two beautiful children” Instead, I will be able to share with friends and family this amazing weekend and this amazing journey we as a couple are on together. This was a new beginning for us. Your ministry has touched our hearts and given us the strength and tools we need to rebuild our marriage in the right ways.
Jared
We’ve been married 8 years. If you’d asked me a week ago, “Where do you see yourself in a week?” I would have said, “In a very nasty divorce ruining the lives of our two beautiful children” Instead, I will be able to share with friends and family this amazing weekend and this amazing journey we as a couple are on together. This was a new beginning for us. Your ministry has touched our hearts and given us the strength and tools we need to rebuild our marriage in the right ways.
Jared
I was unfaithful to my wife, and it destroyed my marriage. The marriage retreat weekend was the last resort for us, but we both decided to let God decide what He wanted us to do after this retreat. Before coming to the retreat, divorce was our only option, but not anymore. I have a lot of work ahead of me, but my wife is worth it all. She is the one God chose for me and I will practice using the tools given to us to succeed in this holy union.
David
Our Marriage Renewal Weekend with Cornerstone was the best thing that ever happened to us and our marriage. We had been to counseling two different times, but what we learned on our weekend greatly surpassed all of it. The weekend saved our marriage. We now have tools to help us through struggles and trials we may face in the future. We now see a bright future for our marriage and our children. Meeting the presenters and hearing the experiences they shared has given us real hope. We both had infidelity issues in our marriage. Where once, all hope was lost we have gained a renewed and loving marriage. I have already recommended this to other couples that are in crisis. We always knew we loved each other but were not communicating well with each other at all. Now we are. Thank you Cornerstone”
Linda
After 18 years of marriage, my husband and I had so many walls built up between us that we weren’t sure if our marriage would survive. This gave us the opportunity to break those walls down in a constructive way. We can now start fresh in our marriage and experience the fullness of God intended. Thank you for saving our marriage!
Angie
Our marriage was all but over. We were separated for 7 months. Toxins had invaded all parts of our once- Sacred partnership. But a miracle of God happened this weekend– I’ve been saved on so many levels – my life, my marriage, my salvation— I owe it to Jesus. He brought us here (over 1200 miles away) for a purpose. Our marriage truly has a new beginning.
James
My husband and I had been separated for two months when he asked me to go with him to this retreat. We had tried a couple of counseling sessions during the time of our separation, but we had not felt comfortable at all, and achieved nothing. We live in New York City, and I thought it was crazy that we had to go all the way down to Austin, but I trusted him and I am so glad that I did.
Roy and Sue are amazing. Their example, their humility, their compassion and their commitment to what they do truly is a gift of God for whoever has the good fortune to meet them.
I was so disenchanted and disappointed in my relationship that I had started to think that maybe marriage was not meant for me. I was so wrong. After the retreat I was able to see all the love that still exists between my husband and me, and that deserves to be cherished, nurtured and shared.
We will be forever grateful to Roy and Sue, and to John and Joyce for their teachings, their support and their prayers.
Enrica
Without a doubt, this weekend saved my marriage. In fact, it saved my life. After 27 years of marriage, I was ready to quit. I was not sure I even wanted to go to the weekend retreat. Praise God that I did. We had been hurting each other for so many years and had no clue how to truly communicate, even after 27 years. I truly did not think the hurts could ever be healed. How wrong I was. True miracles happened this weekend with God, Roy and Sue leading the way. Them and their additional ministry team, including Joyce and John, truly saved my marriage. Miracles do happen and hurt marriages can be completely restored. God has healed and will continue to help us heal our marriage. God and Cornerstone gave us the tools we need and taught us the most important life lessons in the world – how to save our marriage. Thank you God for this ministry.
Audrey
We recently hosted “Keeping Love Alive,” a marriage enrichment seminar presented by Roy and Sue Milam of Cornerstone Marriage and Family Ministries. Roy and Sue’s practical insights and transparency had a profound effect on our couples. They spoke from a wealth of understanding and personal experience that hit the issues our couples were facing head-on.
They helped us understand the importance of meeting one another’s emotional needs, granting forgiveness, and cultivating love and intimacy through practical methods of communication. There is no doubt that good marriages were made better and struggling marriages were given hope for a brighter future. I am happy to endorse them and recommend them whole-heartedly!
Denny
In the middle of a nasty divorce, 33 weeks pregnant, with a 2-year old at home, we were given the tools to restore a marriage that had become so miserable and full of hate and resentment that I was willing to do anything, just so I could tell my kids someday that I tried everything I could think of. Here at the Cornerstone retreat a real miracle happened – Roy & Sue (through God) taught us how to make this work, gave us invaluable tools that we will use each day to overcome and work through each struggle and learn how to love each other! Really forgive each other & really love each other – enough to call our attorneys and cancel our divorce.
Larry
Lack of communication caused built up resentments which led to anger and eventually the breakdown of our marriage. My husband began to do drugs to cope, and I began to drink. Our teenage daughter was desperately trying to escape our wrecked family. On a Sunday, after 15 years of marriage I told my husband I wanted a divorce. We began the processing of separating our lives. On that Tuesday, while I was at work, God led me to www.marriageministry.org. There just happened to be a retreat beginning Friday in Dallas. I called my husband and asked if he would consider it. He said YES! The retreat saved our marriage, saved us, and saved our family. We are both sober, going to church, communicating, and having fun together. It’s like we’re newly weds, not to mention our dead sex life is now off the charts. We used the same techniques that Roy and Sue taught us to make ammends with our daughter and make our family whole. I have been singing the praises of this ministry to anyone who will listen. I just can’t express how wonderful this program is and how genuine and caring Roy and Sue are. It’s okay to have doubt and low expectations upon arriving at the retreat, like Roy said you just need faith as big as a mustard seed and ask God to show you the way. He will!
Katie
We came here threadbare… honestly believing divorce was an eventual reality for us. We both dreaded it; but knew it was almost
100% assured. The conference was like spiritual surgery. Words can’t describe the transformative experience my wife and I had. We left with a renewed commitment to marriage. Thank you for such a comprehensive, well-planned weekend.
J.A.
This weekend was the best decision my husband and I ever made. Recovering from an affair was something I wasn’t sure was possible, considering all the marital issues we had before it. This weekend gave me the power to forgive my spouse. I have totally recommitted my life to God as well. My husband and I have had our eyes opened that our biggest problem was the lack of God in our lives.
Ashley
Before the the Marriage Renewal Weekend I was absolutely sure I wanted out of my marriage! I would find myself thinking about things I would do and how my life would be without my husband. The weekend for us was nothing short of miraculous. I feel now that I can communicate my true feelings to my husband, and my caring for him as a partner has come back. If I had gotten out like I was so sure I wanted to, I would have wasted a beautiful life with a fine man.
Barbara
About two years into our marriage my husband and I were talking about divorce. The tension and upset got so bad that we could hardly stand sleeping next to each other and nearly every comment either of us would make was taken wrongly by the other. It was utter agony because I loved him very much; each new upset was like a stab in the heart.
I knew I wasn’t going to divorce him but to make it I knew we would have to get help. We went to Cornerstone’s Marriage Counseling Retreat and got our relationship back to a good, stable state, and after using the tools we got for the past four months, now our communication and our relationship is better than ever. There are still upsets and difficult situations we have to work through, but these aren’t disasters—we just handle them! Simple but powerful.
Rhonda
Roy and Sue Milam of Cornerstone Marriage & Family Ministries faithfully served at Grace Community Church for ten years. They developed and implemented a marriage and family ministry at our church and organized a team of individuals to support and carry out the work.
Roy and Sue conducted ongoing marriage skill classes and worked with hundreds of couples in our church and community teaching the basis for a successful marriage and helping them to build strong marriages.
They also worked extensively with troubled marriages. We saw couples who were torn apart due to affairs, financial crisis, step parenting, unresolved conflict, anger and bitterness. Through their teaching, many of the couples experienced restoration and avoided divorce as a direct result. Roy and Sue also taught marriage preparation for our engaged couples.
They also organized and started a parenting program with age specific classes including new parents and adolescents. They equipped couples with the skills and confidence needed to raise responsible children.
We are committed to their current marriage renewal weekends and marriage education programs and will use our resources for promotion and use of facilities. The need in our community for these services is great. I know of no similar program in the Houston area where couples can go when their marriage is in trouble. I highly recommend this program.
Steve