TESTIMONIALS
"Ours is a marriage of two older individuals, so premarital counseling was a must. Elder Woods patiently guided us through the process, soothed our fears and gave a realistic expectation of what to expect after the honeymoon. His godly advice kept us focused on a lifetime of service to each other and not to self.
We found out quickly that the blessings of marriage and family come with a host of responsibilities that are never anticipated. Soon a child and life were taking precedence over our relationship and we were resolved to struggle through a typical marriage. We were looking to God for direction when the opportunity to be ministered to about a Thriving marriage was offered.
God truly provided what we were looking for. Each session was a breath of fresh air. Elder Woods, using the Word of God and a wealth of experience, guided us to a place where we can see what God truly wants a marriage to be. Sharing with and learning from other couples allowed us to see that God truly rewards those seeking to do his will in and with their relationships. We were reminded that we are not alone and you truly do get what you put into your relationship.
Now we have a wealth of resources and a better attitude regarding what a Thriving marriage is and can be. Each day is providing us with another step towards each other and the joy that is in a godly marriage.
Elder Woods is truly a blessing to us and his ministry has only enriched our marriage.
Thank you, Elder Woods."
Janice and Leois Holloway - married 10 years
"The accountability sessions were impactful in our relationship to illuminate relationship issues and provide stimulating engagement to produce a change in our relationship perspective.
The coaching from Elder Woods helped us identify the need for change within ourselves that negatively affected our marriage. In addition, the coaching helped us overcome hindrances within ourselves which ultimately resulted in our ability to prevail over the issues in our marriage.
We recommend Elder Woods as a coach to other people because he is transparent, sensitive to the needs of his own wife of 43 years and family, and he’s very insightful in the delivery of his teaching. We highly respect him and have observed him to be passionate in his delivery of knowledge to enhance the marriages of others.
What we have gained most from Elder Woods’ teaching is hope.
The virtual THRIVES course allowed us to attend each class while managing the daily demands of parenting active children. Thank you so much!!!!"
Al & Lois Merrick - married 19 years
"We had the opportunity to meet Elder Woods from a friend of ours who was good through premarital counseling at the time. Based on the information she shared with us and how excited she was with what she learned we asked if Elder Woods counseled couples who've been married for some years.
By the time we met him we were married for 16 almost 17 years. We loved each other and did not have a desire to leave the marriage, but at that point we were pretty much going through the motions. Unfortunately, our marriage had gotten stale and mundane. We were practically roommates. Again, we never discussed or even thought about leaving our marriage, but we weren’t thriving as a couple.
Elder Woods opened our eyes to who we are individually and as a couple. We dealt with things that were extremely difficult, but necessary. We learned to have hard conversations for the greater good of our marriage. We learned to be friends again. Most importantly, we learned to be intentional about our love for one another. We are still becoming the couple God intended us to be, but the best thing about it is we have the tools to get there. Elder Woods was open and honest with us and we are forever grateful for him.
We would recommend all couples regardless of how long they have been together to go through the program.
Forever grateful"
Ray and Quen Sams - married 18 years
"One of the primary tools Verdun provided was to never use the “D” (divorce) word. He challenged us to never use this word when communicating with each other. This principle forced us to work through our trials and not look for the easy way out. Verdun and Vanessa’s marriage is an inspiration to anyone. Their willingness to be transparent about the work they must put into their own marriage, is an encouragement to us. Verdun’s coaching has motivated us to put the hard work in to accomplish a thriving marriage. Our commitment in marriage is not only to ourselves and our family, but also a commitment to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We’re learning that a thriving marriage is becoming an extinct example in our communities.
Often people stay in a marriage for convenience or for reasons other than those that bring lasting joy. Our marriage thrives as a result of Verdun’s coaching on honest communication between the two of us. He showed us that in order to have honest communication with each other, we must remove our personal feelings out of the way. We were forced to come to terms with ourselves and recognize the need for self-improvement. As a result of Verdun’s coaching on “the five love languages”, we were able to identify and understand our own love language, as well as that of our spouse, which proved to be an essential part of our relationship.
Verdun’s coaching has made it possible for us to remain happily together in marriage, by using the many tools he’s given us. We can truly say that without his coaching, it is highly unlikely our marriage would have survived. As a result of the growth in our marriage, we’re continually telling others about Verdun’s relationship coaching. We have referred him to family members and close friends for his coaching. We have seen how his coaching is even impacting our children’s marriage. In addition, he provided pre-marriage preparation to a young couple we love dearly. His coaching has proven to be beneficial in pre-marriage as well as existing marriages.
The greatest lesson we have gained from Verdun’s coaching is, the most difficult relationship to develop is a marriage. It isn’t just what happens during the wedding day, it takes continuous work of both of us, therefore, his type of coaching is essential for any marriage to thrive. Having Verdun as our marital coach was, (and still is), both a blessing and an honor. We are encouraged to get great coaching as an athlete or executive. How much more should we pursue quality coaching for our marriages?"
Edmond & Michele Williams - married 16 years
"We are so grateful for Verdun and Vanessa Woods. It is through their premarital coaching, counsel, accountability, and friendship that we have a marriage that thrives. We were blessed to have the Woods in our marriage life from the beginning by giving us some foundational tools and as a result we have been able to avoid many of the pitfalls that keep couples from having a thriving marriage. Every time we have a question about our own or someone else’s marriage, we reach out to Verdun and Vanessa. We recommend them to other couples every chance we get."
Rodney & Andrea Loewen - married 17 years
"Our course with Elder Woods was nothing short of amazing. He led us to reflect on ourselves and not our spouse's actions. By doing so it required us to be accountable for our actions in the relationship, keeping God as our mediator leading us closer to one another.
Elder Woods provided us with a guided tour towards a thriving marriage which assists us even to this moment when obstacles arise. We have told multiple couples who are struggling with issues in their marriage that there is something different in the approach Elder Woods takes with couples. He doesn’t provide a quick fix, but rather a long term goal to strive to be the best for one another and give the best version of you to one another.
Elder Woods did not allow us to put a band-aid on issues; instead he challenged us to look at the root which we found was in our personal expectation and perception of what marriage really looks like rather than a Godly marriage. Even now when issues arise we can hear his voice of wisdom and can apply the THRIVE tools provided and have a conversation with each other unlike before when we would talk at each other.
Even with our counseling being online we could feel Elder Woods spirit and energy as if he were right in front of us. His ability to listen beyond the surface and lead you towards the root of the issue is a true gift that God has provided to him that is matched by none. In addition he was straightforward and honest. If you find you marriage is a place of need, we strongly recommend you allow Elder Woods to guide you through his counseling so you can THRIVE in your marriage."
Richard & Maria Wilson - married 8 years
"The coaching provided by you prepared us for the better or worse that we would inevitably encounter after all the fuzzies from the wedding day fade and the marriage life troubles start popping up. We truly believe it taught us how to effectively communicate when problems arise because we learned how to communicate from the root of an issue through the counseling you provided.
The accountability you provided motivated us to work on our relationship through keeping an open line of communication at all times when we discussed something that was a potential red flag. It helped us remain honest about it quickly so that we would know how to handle a similar situation if we encountered it down the road before we said I do or afterwards.
Your coaching has inspired us to pursue a thriving marriage because it was based on 43 years of knowledge and your own personal experiences of what happens after the I do is done. It has truly been the blueprint and standard we use as a foundation when it comes to an ideal marriage.
We would recommend your coaching to other couples because it comes without biased opinions and biblical truths to support the content that is provided. We admire the fact that you have 43 years of marriage under your belt and trust we were provided with sound wisdom during our pre-marital counseling.
What we've gained most from your coaching is learning to look in the mirror and be accountable for our own actions within our marriage. We were able to identify our issues as two singles prior to entering into our covenant which has made all of the difference in our marriage.
Your pre-marital counseling gives us confidence that we will be able to celebrate 43 years of marriage and counting one day ourselves. We are eternally grateful.
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Thank you!"
Lorenzo & Amanda Ferguson - married 2+ years
"You have been a pure blessing, not only to our marriage but our family. God's grace, mercy, and understanding have always been shining through you and your wife... We can't thank you enough!"
Claison & Seymone Brutus - married 10 years