Both the products of broken families, Brett and Jan were stuck in the same cycles of arguments, anger, and depression that they grew up in. When they were willing to take the log out of their own eye first, the Brusters were able to fall more in love with Christ, and in turn, love each other well.
Brett & Jan Bruster • Mar 13, 2019
Ben and LK OrtizNov 29, 2023 • Dallas |
Bobby and Shari JohnsNov 8, 2023 • Dallas |
Monte and Marsha DunnNov 1, 2023 • Dallas |
Julie and Mark NicholsonOct 25, 2023 • Dallas |
Jerry and LoriOct 18, 2023 • Dallas |
Steve and Amie BradleyOct 11, 2023 • Dallas |
Marcus and Carol BrownSep 20, 2023 • Dallas |
Nancy and Mark RovenstineSep 6, 2023 • Dallas |
Kyle and Lucina ThompsonAug 23, 2023 • Dallas |
David and CaitAug 9, 2023 • Dallas |
Mandy and Leonard BagdanovAug 2, 2023 • Dallas |
Michelle and Nate BallJul 26, 2023 • Dallas |
Nate and Megan MickishJul 19, 2023 • Dallas |
Wes and Angie TalleyJul 5, 2023 • Dallas |
Jen and Alex LeskoJun 21, 2023 • Dallas |
Alissa and Shane MauldinJun 14, 2023 • Dallas |
Daniel and Cynthia CostaJun 7, 2023 • Dallas |
Sheri and Brett JohnstonMay 31, 2023 • Dallas |
Robert and Linda GreenMay 24, 2023 • Dallas |
John and Jeanie CoxMay 17, 2023 • Dallas |
Wade and Betsy NowlinMay 10, 2023 • Dallas |
David and Tara JensenMay 3, 2023 • Dallas |
Jim and Judy WimberleyJim & Judy Wimberley • Apr 12, 2023 • Dallas |
Jimmy and Michelle ComeauxApr 5, 2023 • Dallas |
Kevin and Kelli MainzMar 29, 2023 |
David and Manuela AcostaRe|Engage • Mar 26, 2023 |
Rob and Haley ThomasMar 22, 2023 • Dallas |
Robbie and Teri VedrenneMar 15, 2023 • Dallas |
Rick and Michelle HowardMar 1, 2023 • Dallas |
Matt and Jenn FarlowFeb 22, 2023 • Dallas |
David and Lauren KinneyJan 25, 2023 • Dallas |
Jared and Leigh Anne SullivanJared & Leigh Anne Sullivan • Jan 11, 2023 • Dallas |
Markus and Mary Kay JabekJan 4, 2023 • Dallas |
Neil and Jody CurranDec 7, 2022 • Dallas |
Scot and Michelle BuchananNov 30, 2022 • Dallas |
David and CaitNov 16, 2022 • Dallas |
Wes and Angie TalleyNov 9, 2022 • Dallas |
Tobin and Christina MillerOct 26, 2022 • Dallas |
Michael and Melinda ParisiMichael Parisi, Melinda Parisi • Oct 12, 2022 • Dallas |
David and Denise RenkenSep 28, 2022 • Dallas |
Bobby and Shari JohnsSep 14, 2022 • Dallas |
John and Debbie WingfieldSep 7, 2022 • Dallas |
Mark and Nancy RovenstineAug 31, 2022 • Dallas |
Todd and Julie AndersTodd Anders • Aug 24, 2022 • Dallas |
LaDale and Cynthia BuggsAug 3, 2022 • Dallas |
Chris and Katie SherrodJul 27, 2022 • Dallas |
Kyle and Lucina ThompsonKyle & Lucinda Thompson • Jul 20, 2022 • Dallas |
Simon and Katrina SaugierJul 13, 2022 • Dallas |
Willie and Gigi HornbergerJul 6, 2022 • Dallas |
Mark and Julie NicholsonJun 22, 2022 • Dallas |
Nate and Michelle BallJun 15, 2022 • Dallas |
Robbie and Teri VedrenneMay 25, 2022 • Dallas |
Paul and Kelly RutherfordMay 18, 2022 • Dallas |
David and Tara JensenMay 11, 2022 • Dallas |
John and Jeanie CoxMay 4, 2022 • Dallas |
Steve and Amie BradleyApr 27, 2022 • Dallas |
Chris and Michelle DishmanApr 20, 2022 • Dallas |
Kevin and Kelly MainzApr 13, 2022 • Dallas |
Jim and Judy WimberleyJim & Judy Wimberley • Apr 6, 2022 • Dallas |
Dean and Tawney MacfarlanMar 30, 2022 • Dallas |
Rob and Haley ThomasRob and Haley Thomas • Mar 23, 2022 • Dallas |
Shane and Alissa MauldinMar 16, 2022 • Dallas |
David and Lauren KinneyMar 9, 2022 • Dallas |
Markus and Mary Kay JabekMar 2, 2022 • Dallas |
Martha and Ivan IllarramendiFeb 16, 2022 • Dallas |
Ryan and Callie NixonRyan & Callie Nixon • Feb 9, 2022 • Dallas |
Alex and Jen LeskoJan 19, 2022 • Dallas |
Jared and Leigh Anne SullivanJan 12, 2022 • Dallas |
Selena and Michael ThompsonJan 5, 2022 • Dallas |
Russ and Karen FleigDec 15, 2021 • Dallas |
Phil and Beth BrinkmeyerDec 8, 2021 • Dallas |
Leonard and Mandy BagdanovDec 1, 2021 • Dallas |
Glenn and Desiree NewblomNov 17, 2021 • Dallas |
Michael and Melinda ParisiNov 10, 2021 • Dallas |
Bobby and Shari JohnsNov 3, 2021 • Dallas |
Brett and Jan BrusterOct 20, 2021 • Dallas |
Wes and Angie TalleyOct 13, 2021 • Dallas |
Mac and Sophie MacfarlanOct 6, 2021 • Dallas |
John and Debbie WingfieldSep 29, 2021 |
Brett and Chrisey BillmanSep 15, 2021 • Dallas |
Nate and Michelle BallSep 8, 2021 |
Mark and Nancy RovenstineAug 25, 2021 • Dallas |
Divorce PanelJun 23, 2021 |
Trey and Shera O'NealJun 16, 2021 • Dallas |
LaDale and Cynthia BuggsJun 9, 2021 • Dallas |
Shane and Alissa MauldinJun 2, 2021 • Dallas |
David and Tara JensenMay 26, 2021 • Dallas |
Jared and Leigh Anne SullivanMay 19, 2021 • Dallas |
Jim and Judy WimberleyJim & Judy Wimberley • Apr 28, 2021 |
Ivan and Martha IllarramendiApr 28, 2021 • Dallas |
Billy and Amanda PorcheApr 21, 2021 • Dallas |
Steve and Amie BradleyApr 14, 2021 • Dallas |
Griffin and Kami StroopeApr 7, 2021 • Dallas |
David and Lauren KinneyMar 31, 2021 • Dallas |
Rick and Michelle HowardMar 24, 2021 • Dallas |
Glenn and Desiree NewblomMar 17, 2021 • Dallas |
Markus and Mary Kay JabekMar 3, 2021 • Dallas |
David and Tara JensenFeb 24, 2021 • Dallas |
Brett and Jan BrusterJan 20, 2021 • Dallas |
Bobby and Shari JohnsJan 13, 2021 • Dallas |
Ryan and Callie NixonAug 28, 2020 |
Steve and Amie BradleyJun 2, 2020 |
Testimony- Brian and Morgan BuchekMar 4, 2020 • Dallas |
Testimony - David & Tara JensenMar 2, 2020 • Plano |
Blended Family PanelFeb 26, 2020 • Dallas |
Testimony - Greg & Jennifer SutherlandFeb 24, 2020 • Plano |
Testimony - Jacob & April NeelyFeb 17, 2020 • Plano |
Troy and Julia BussmeirFeb 7, 2020 |
Nick and Rachel KleinFeb 7, 2020 |
Mike and Shelly AhlemeierFeb 7, 2020 |
Matt and Andrea WalkerFeb 7, 2020 |
Luis and Kaylee CaceresFeb 7, 2020 |
Graham and Stacey RobbinsFeb 7, 2020 |
Andy and Jenny MarshFeb 7, 2020 |
Jared and Leigh Anne SullivanFeb 5, 2020 • Dallas |
Griffin and Kami Stroope TestimonyJan 22, 2020 |
TestimonyJan 8, 2020 |
Divorce PanelBrett Bruster, Bobby Johns, Alissa Mauldin • Nov 20, 2019 |
TestimonyLaDale & Cynthia Buggs • Nov 13, 2019 |
TestimonyNov 6, 2019 |
Testimony- Glenn and Desiree NewblomOct 23, 2019 |
Michael and Selena ThompsonOct 21, 2019 |
Testimony- Greg and Emily GoodinOct 16, 2019 |
Re|Engage Large Group TestimonySep 18, 2019 |
Re|Engage Large Group TestimonySep 11, 2019 |
Brandon and Brittani TravelsteadSep 7, 2019 |
Re|Engage Large Group TestimonyShane & Alissa Mauldin • Aug 28, 2019 |
Re|Engage Large Group TestimonyRyan & Callie Nixon, John & Pam McGee • Aug 21, 2019 |
Re|Engage Large Group TestimonyDru & Amanda Guillot • Aug 14, 2019 • Plano |
Martin and Lenore GaoJul 24, 2019 • Dallas |
Testimony - Shera and Trey O’NealJul 10, 2019 • Dallas |
John and Debbie WingfieldJun 12, 2019 |
Alex and Jen LeskoJun 12, 2019 |
Tim and Kalyn GeregJun 5, 2019 |
Jimmy and Michelle ComeauxMay 29, 2019 |
Raeul and Susan CoxMay 15, 2019 |
Jason and Mandy CastroMay 15, 2019 |
David and Robin HowardMay 15, 2019 |
Ivan and Martha IllarramendiMay 1, 2019 |
Robert and Linda GreenRobert and Linda Green • Apr 10, 2019 |
LaDale and Cynthia BuggsApr 10, 2019 |
Markus and Mary Kay JabekApr 3, 2019 |
Billy and Amanda PorcheMar 27, 2019 |
Brett and Jan BrusterBrett & Jan Bruster • Mar 13, 2019 |
Greg and Emily GoodinMar 6, 2019 |
Charles and Karen BundrenCharles & Karen Bundren • Feb 6, 2019 |
TestimonyNate & Michelle Ball • Jan 30, 2019 |
Testimony - Jared and Leigh Anne SullivanJared & Leigh Anne Sullivan • Jan 23, 2019 |
Bobby and Shari JohnsBobby & Shari Johns • Jan 9, 2019 |
Testimony - LaDale and Cynthia BuggsLaDale & Cynthia Buggs • Dec 5, 2018 |
Re|Engage Spanish Night Testimony - Manuel & Elvia LemusNov 14, 2018 |
Re|Engage Spanish Night Testimony - Ivan & Martha IllarramendiIvan & Martha Illarramendi • Nov 14, 2018 |
Ivan and Martha IllarramendiIvan & Martha Illarramendi • Nov 14, 2018 |
Testimony - Alex and Jen LeskoNov 7, 2018 |
Testimony - Raeul and Susan CoxRaeul & Susan Cox • Oct 31, 2018 |
Simon and Katrina SaugierKatrina Saugier, Simon Saugier • Oct 10, 2018 |
David and Denise RenkenDavid & Denise Renken • Sep 10, 2018 • Plano |
Testimony - Robert & Linda GreenRobert and Linda Green • Sep 5, 2018 |
Testimony - Martin and Lenore GaoAug 29, 2018 |
Shane and Alissa MauldinAug 22, 2018 |
Testimony - Markus and Mary Kay JabekAug 15, 2018 |
Testimony - Charles and Karen BundrenCharles Bundren, Karen Bundren, Charles & Karen Bundren • Aug 1, 2018 |
Testimony - Bobby & Shari JohnsBobby & Shari Johns • Jul 18, 2018 |
Testimony - Ivan & MarthaIvan & Martha Illarramendi • Jun 27, 2018 |
Testimony - Tim & Kalyn GeregJun 20, 2018 |
Greg & Tonya GilmerGreg & Tonya Gilmer • May 30, 2018 |
Testimony - Ryan & Callie NixonRyan & Callie Nixon • May 23, 2018 |
Paul and Kelly RutherfordPaul & Kelly Rutherford • May 9, 2018 |
Nate and Michelle BallNate & Michelle Ball • May 2, 2018 |
Kevin and Kelli MainzKevin & Kelly Mainz • Apr 18, 2018 |
Testimony - Greg and Emily GoodinGreg Goodin, Emily Goodin • Mar 28, 2018 |
Testimony - John and Debbie WingfieldJohn Wingfield, Debbie Wingfield • Mar 14, 2018 |
Testimony - Shane & Alissa MauldinShane & Alissa Mauldin • Feb 28, 2018 |
Brett and Chrisey BillmanBrett & Chrisey Billman • Feb 21, 2018 |
Todd and Alex WagnerTodd & Alex Wagner • Feb 7, 2018 |
Teaching - CommunityScott Coy • Jan 24, 2018 |
Teaching- CompletionJohn & Pam McGee • Dec 6, 2017 |
Testimony - Markus & Mary Kay JabekMarkus & Mary Kay Jabek • Nov 29, 2017 |
Testimony - Dave & Denise RenkenDave & Denise Renken • Nov 15, 2017 |
Robert and Liz WhiteRobert & Liz White • Nov 8, 2017 |
Testimony- John and Pam McGeeJohn & Pam McGee • Nov 1, 2017 |
Testimony- Charles and Karen BundrenCharles & Karen Bundren • Oct 25, 2017 |
Testimony - John & Debbie WingfieldJohn & Debbie Wingfield • Oct 18, 2017 |
Testimony - Greg & Tonya GilmerGreg & Tonya Gilmer • Oct 11, 2017 |
Testimony - Ryan & Callie NixonRyan & Callie Nixon • Sep 20, 2017 |
Kyle and Lucina ThompsonKyle & Lucinda Thompson • Sep 13, 2017 |
Testimony - Jared & Leigh Anne SullivanJared & Leigh Anne Sullivan • Aug 30, 2017 |
Testimony - Bobby & Shari JohnsBobby & Shari Johns • Aug 23, 2017 |
John Paul and RenaAug 16, 2017 |
Testimony - Paul & Kelly RutherfordPaul and Kelly Rutherford • Jul 26, 2017 |
Trey and Shera O'NealTrey O'Neal , Shera O'Neal • Jul 19, 2017 |
Testimony - Kevin & Kelli MainzKelli Mainz, Kevin Mainz • Jul 12, 2017 |
Erick and Gina FrankJun 28, 2017 |
Martin & Lenore Gao TestimonyMay 31, 2017 |
Tyler and Jenny O'NealMay 24, 2017 |
Mark and Kathy ThomasMay 17, 2017 |
Peter and EleanorMay 10, 2017 |
Testimony - Shane & Alissa MauldinMay 3, 2017 |
Eric and Catherine CouchEric Couch, Catherine Couch • Apr 19, 2017 |
Bill and Ann DalyMar 29, 2017 |
Testimony - LaDale & Cynthia BuggsMar 22, 2017 |
Testimony - Nate & Michelle BallNate Ball, Michelle Ball • Mar 15, 2017 |
Michael and Stefanie SantiagoMar 6, 2017 |
Steve and Natalie HammRe|Engage • Feb 20, 2017 |
Testimony - Brett & Chrisey BillmanBrett Billman, Chrisey Billman • Feb 15, 2017 |
Chris and Charece RobbinsFeb 8, 2017 |
Testimony - Charles & Karen BundrenFeb 1, 2017 |
Klein and Holly SwannieJan 18, 2017 |
Dean and Tawney MacfarlanJan 11, 2017 |
Mark and Nancy RovenstineDec 21, 2016 |
Testimony - Kevin and Kelli MainzNov 30, 2016 |
Testimony - Robert & Liz WhiteLiz White, Robert White • Nov 9, 2016 |
Testimony - John & Debbie WingfieldOct 26, 2016 |
Testimony - Mark & Kathy ThomasOct 12, 2016 |
Testimony - Bobby and Shari JohnsOct 5, 2016 |
Testimony - Simon & Katrina SaugierSimon Saugier, Katrina Saugier • Sep 28, 2016 |
Testimony - Shane & Alissa MauldinShane Mauldin, Alissa Mauldin • Sep 21, 2016 |
Teaching - The Importance of Fun in MarriageJohn & Pam McGee • Sep 14, 2016 |
TestimonyPaul and Kelly Rutherford • Aug 24, 2016 |
Teaching - Sexual IntimacyRobert and Linda Green • Aug 17, 2016 |
Rick and Michele HowardRe|Engage • Aug 10, 2016 |
Scott and Laura DeBowRe|Engage • Jul 27, 2016 |
Zech and Kim LumpkinRe|Engage • Jul 20, 2016 |
Tyler and Jenny O'Neal TestimonyRe|Engage • Jul 13, 2016 |
Scott and Kristen KedershaRe|Engage • Jun 22, 2016 |
Bill and Ann DalyRe|Engage • Jun 15, 2016 |
Bobby and Shari JohnsRe|Engage • Jun 8, 2016 |
Newly and Karen SpikesJun 2, 2016 |
Jon and Kathy FlamingRe|Engage • May 11, 2016 |
Brett and Jan BrusterRe|Engage • Apr 27, 2016 |
Reid and Jenny GriffinRe|Engage • Apr 20, 2016 |
Kyle and Lucina ThompsonRe|Engage • Apr 13, 2016 |
Chris and Charece RobbinsRe|Engage • Mar 23, 2016 |
Brett and Chrisey BillmanRe|Engage • Mar 9, 2016 |
Dee and Roddy ElliottRe|Engage • Mar 2, 2016 |
Derek and Stacy BrazielRe|Engage • Feb 17, 2016 |
Greg and Tonya GilmerRe|Engage • Feb 3, 2016 |
Adam and Brooke FishRe|Engage • Jan 27, 2016 |
Shane and Alissa MauldinRe|Engage • Jan 13, 2016 |
Everett and Emily AlexanderRe|Engage • Jan 6, 2016 |
Mark and Kathy ThomasRe|Engage • Dec 16, 2015 |
Divorce PanelRe|Engage • Dec 9, 2015 |
Matt and Amy LevyRe|Engage • Nov 18, 2015 |
Robert and Liz WhiteRe|Engage • Nov 4, 2015 |
Bryce and Elizabeth EricksonRe|Engage • Oct 21, 2015 |
Greg and Tonya GilmerRe|Engage • Oct 7, 2015 |
Chris and Charece RobbinsRe|Engage • Sep 30, 2015 |
Dru and Amanda GuillotRe|Engage • Sep 23, 2015 |
Dee and Roddy ElliottRe|Engage • Sep 16, 2015 |
Warren and Angie WrightRe|Engage • Sep 9, 2015 |
Derek and Stacy BrazielRe|Engage • Sep 2, 2015 |
Chris and Dana AdamsonRe|Engage • Jul 10, 2015 |
Jeremy and Mindi PattyRe|Engage • Jul 8, 2015 |
Bobby and Shari JohnsRe|Engage • Jun 17, 2015 |
Jim and Judy WimberleyRe|Engage • Jun 3, 2015 |
Kevin and Kelli MainzRe|Engage • May 20, 2015 |
Brett and Chrisey BillmanRe|Engage • May 11, 2015 |
Jason and Mandy CastroRe|Engage • May 6, 2015 |
Kyle and Lucina ThompsonRe|Engage • Apr 29, 2015 |
Reid and Jenny GriffinRe|Engage • Apr 22, 2015 |
Greg and Tonya GilmerRe|Engage • Apr 1, 2015 |
Raeul and Susan CoxRe|Engage • Mar 18, 2015 |
Dee and Roddy ElliottRe|Engage • Feb 25, 2015 |
John and Meredith HallRe|Engage • Feb 18, 2015 |
Ryan and Callie NixonRe|Engage • Feb 11, 2015 |
Adam and Brooke FishRe|Engage • Jan 28, 2015 |
Shane and Alissa MauldinRe|Engage • Jan 14, 2015 |
Bobby and Shari JohnsRe|Engage • Dec 3, 2014 |
Bobby and Shari JohnsRe|Engage • Dec 3, 2014 |
Greg and Tonya GilmerGreg Gilmer, Re|Engage, Tanya Gilmer • Nov 19, 2014 |
Robert and Liz WhiteRe|Engage • Nov 12, 2014 |
A.C. and Debi NdindjockRe|Engage • Nov 5, 2014 |
Mark and Nancy RovenstineRe|Engage • Oct 22, 2014 |
Reid and Jenny GriffinRe|Engage • Oct 15, 2014 |
Bryce and Elizabeth EricksonRe|Engage • Oct 13, 2014 |
Bill and Kathryn BuntynRe|Engage • Oct 1, 2014 |
Nate and Teresa GraybillRe|Engage • Sep 24, 2014 |
Robert and Lou Ann McMillenRe|Engage • Sep 17, 2014 |
Dee and Roddy ElliottRe|Engage • Sep 17, 2014 |
Kirk and Cathy McJunkinRe|Engage • Aug 27, 2014 |
Adam and Jackie Tarnow - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Aug 13, 2014 |
Kyle and Lucina Thompson - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jul 30, 2014 |
Joey and Christian Rider - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jul 2, 2014 |
Jason and Mandy Castro - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jun 25, 2014 |
Jeff and Martha Sharrock - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jun 18, 2014 |
Scott and Kristen Kedersha - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jun 11, 2014 |
Zech and Kim Lumpkin - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jun 4, 2014 |
Chris and Charece Robbins - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • May 7, 2014 |
Robert and Linda GreenRe|Engage • Apr 30, 2014 |
Everett and Emily Alexander - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Apr 23, 2014 |
Bobby and Shari Johns - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Apr 16, 2014 |
Neal and Ann Holford - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Apr 9, 2014 |
Les and Desi Brown - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Mar 26, 2014 |
Simon and Katrina Saugier - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jan 22, 2014 |
Mark and Nancy Rovenstine - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jan 15, 2014 |
Chris and Dana Adamson - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jan 8, 2014 |
Rick and Michele Howard - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Dec 18, 2013 |
Divorce Panel - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Dec 11, 2013 |
Bryce and Elizabeth Erickson - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Nov 20, 2013 |
Dee and Roddy Elliott - re|engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Nov 13, 2013 |
Mike and Laura LabunskiRe|Engage • Nov 6, 2013 |
Robert and Liz White - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Oct 30, 2013 |
Eddy and Rachel Badrina - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Oct 23, 2013 |
Shane and Alissa Mauldin - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Oct 16, 2013 |
David and Denise Renken - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Oct 9, 2013 |
Reid and Jenny Griffin - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Sep 25, 2013 |
A.C. and Debi Ndindjock - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Sep 18, 2013 |
Joey and Christian Rider - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Sep 11, 2013 |
Scott and Kristen KedershaRe|Engage • Aug 7, 2013 |
Jeff and Martha SharrockRe|Engage • Jul 31, 2013 |
Neal and Ann Holford - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • May 29, 2013 |
Wes and Brandy Butler - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Apr 3, 2013 |
Andy and Jennifer Bailey - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Mar 27, 2013 |
Lance and Mandy Sisco - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jan 16, 2013 |
Leonard and Mandy Bagdanov - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Dec 19, 2012 |
Blake and Rebecca Holmes - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Oct 10, 2012 |
Chris and Dana - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Aug 8, 2012 |
Catherine and Tom - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Apr 25, 2012 |
Angie and Warren Wright - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Mar 28, 2012 |
Teri and Robbie Vedrenne - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Mar 21, 2012 |
Tawney and Dean Macfarlan - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Mar 14, 2012 |
Brooke and Adam Fish - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Feb 29, 2012 |
Judy and Jim Wimberly - Re|Engage TestiomonyRe|Engage • Feb 22, 2012 |
Kim and Zech Lumpkin - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Feb 8, 2012 |
Mary and Ted Randall - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jan 11, 2012 |
Susan and Raeul - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Dec 21, 2011 |
Katie and Brandon Lokey - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Dec 14, 2011 |
Mindi and Jeremy - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Nov 30, 2011 |
Lisbeth and Hil Bowman - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Oct 19, 2011 |
Meredith and John Hall - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Sep 28, 2011 |
Tanna and Rick - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Sep 14, 2011 |
Cathy and Kirk McJunkin - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Aug 24, 2011 |
Crystal and Anthony Obey - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jul 27, 2011 |
Rachel and EddyRe|Engage • Jun 29, 2011 |
Lucina and Kyle Thompson - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jun 22, 2011 |
Adam and Aleks Stewart - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jun 15, 2011 |
Linda and John Berry - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • May 25, 2011 |
Lora and Jeff Strese - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • May 11, 2011 |
Julie and Todd Anders - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Apr 27, 2011 |
Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Apr 20, 2011 |
Jackie and Adam Tarnow - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Mar 23, 2011 |
Ann and Matt Piper - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Feb 16, 2011 |
Cindy and Mike Homsher - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Nov 3, 2010 |
Julie and Scott Sedberry - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Oct 13, 2010 |
Rebecca and Chip Dickens - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Aug 25, 2010 |
Missy and David Leventhal - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Aug 18, 2010 |
Carrie and Troy Patterson - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Jun 30, 2010 |
Sheri and Brett Johnston - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • May 19, 2010 |
Tanna and Rick Wisner - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • May 12, 2010 |
Anna and Kavon Moradi - Re|Engage TestimonyRe|Engage • Mar 24, 2010 |
Brett My name is Brett Bruster and this is my wife, Jan. We have been married 38 years and have two sons. Garrett is 34, and married to Alex. They have a 2 year-old who is our first grandchild and are expecting a second soon. Our younger son is Travis. He is 30 and married to Robin. Jan and I are high school sweethearts who are today grateful for God’s grace in saving us and our marriage. In 2005, we were on the verge of divorce, but thanks be to God today we have a much stronger relationship now than we’ve ever had.
Jan and I both come from broken homes. My parents divorced when I was 9 years old. All I remember of those earliest years was the constant arguing of my parents. There was lots of yelling and my childhood was not one of peace at home. Though my mother was the daughter of a Baptist preacher and a believer, when she left home she found the world more enticing than following Christ and married my father who was an unbeliever. Her parents had tried to get her to see that it was a mistake to marry an unbeliever, but she wouldn't listen. So, when the worst of the turmoil at home was going on during the divorce, my sister and I spent lots of time with my grandparents. They were wonderful Christians and my grandfather led me to a profession of Christ.
However, my mother remarried within a year and a half. He was a very decent man but also was an unbeliever. My new stepfather’s job caused us to move, so I saw my grandparents only occasionally after that. I had no adults in my life who were discipling me and really had no examples in my life of anyone who lived an abiding relationship with the Lord.
Jan I grew up in a house in which my father was basically never at home. He was an alcoholic, as were his parents and didn’t become sober until long after I was an adult. He was constantly gone on the professional rodeo circuit or busy doing anything but being home with his wife and three daughters. When my parents separated, it took 3 weeks before any of us girls asked where our Dad was. That’s how unaccustomed we were to his involvement in our daily lives.
One of my most painful memories is when I was a young Girl Scout and my father failed to show up at a Father/Daughter dance. I was the only girl at the dance whose father didn’t show up. The father of another girl there felt sorry for me and offered to dance with me, but I didn’t want to. I can still feel that sharp sense of humiliation that overwhelmed me that night. When I compared myself with the other girls there, all I could think about was that they must be worthwhile because their fathers had shown up, and I, on the other hand, must not be worth much because mine didn’t.
My mother took my sisters and I to church occasionally when we were young, but she was not a believer and she found some imagined reason to get mad at the church and we quit going. After that, there was virtually no recognition of God in our house.
Brett As Jan and I began our married lives, we were both products of our environments. Neither one of us had any idea what a real marriage was supposed to look like. We got married while we were in college. We were young, in love, and just assumed we would make each other happy. And in many ways we did, but we were both broken and selfish, so problems began to manifest.
And though we didn’t really understand it, both of us were subject to depression and I, in particular, developed the habit of relying on alcohol as a way of coping with that depression. We would fight, and when I had been drinking, I would become very verbally abusive sometimes erupting in rage. I had grown up in an environment where all conflicts were engaged in with anger and yelling. I had never seen my parents resolve conflict in any kind of a constructive way. So when Jan and I had conflict, I would say terribly hurtful things and try to control the conversation with fits of rage. When this happened, I would later feel very ashamed and apologize. Jan was very forgiving, but in spite of my shame over my behavior, eventually the cycle would repeat itself.
Jan After our children were born, Brett and I began to attend church. During that period, I attended a “Walk to Emmaus”, a weekend Christian spiritual retreat. There. I accepted Christ as my Savior. However, we still had problems in our marriage.
I convinced myself that all the problems in our marriage were his fault. It was easy to blame him because I could point to his drinking, but the truth was that I too had lots of sin that was contributing to our problems. I would just hide behind the fact that his sin was more visible.
The truth was that I had been reared in an environment where no one ever admitted when they were wrong and where feelings and emotions reigned supreme and were never to be challenged. So, in retrospect, there were many times where Brett would be right in challenging me on my thinking or my actions, but I would not allow it. It was extremely rare for me ever ask for forgiveness. I would simply withdraw from a conversation if I didn’t see any way to blame him. Anything was preferable to admitting that I was wrong or that I needed to ask for forgiveness. That was something I just didn’t do.
Brett Jan and I have come to understand that we were created, not just to believe in Christ as our Savior, but to love Him supremely, to center our very lives on Him above anything else, and to build our identities on Him. When we build our lives on anything else, Jesus tells us that we are building on a foundation of sand and that the storms of life will destroy what we have built. God says, in the very first of His 10 commandments, “You shall have no other Gods before Me.” The Bible tells us that sin is not just the doing of bad things, but also the making of good things into ultimate things. It is seeking to establish a sense of self by making something or someone else more central to your significance, purpose, and happiness than our relationship to God. This is what happened to us. Jan and I had both entered our relationship very needy. We both had childhoods that left us feeling insecure and looking to others for our sense of value. As a result, we were both looking for someone to fill what we perceived was missing in our lives. But neither of us was even close to having the ability fulfill everything the other needed. We loved each other very deeply, but because we did not rely on Jesus for our respective identities, our relationship was crumbling.
Jan In Pastor Tim Keller’s book, “The Reason for God,” he quotes another author who says: No human relationship can bear this burden of godhood…. If your spouse is your “All” then any shortcoming in him or her becomes a major threat to you…. What is it that we want when we elevate our spouse to this position? We want to be rid of our feeling of nothingness… to know our existence has not been in vain. We want redemption – nothing less. Needless to say, humans cannot give this. This is exactly where we were as a couple. We wanted each other to fulfill our every need, and neither one of us could live up to that expectation. In fact, both us fell way short of that expectation.
Brett My reaction to this state of affairs was to abuse alcohol as a way of coping with my depression and frustration, and to rage in anger when Jan didn’t meet my every expectation. We had a very negative pattern of communication. If there were any kind of disagreement between us, I would escalate. Sometimes that escalation would take the form of anger and yelling. Sometimes, it was just me not letting go of a subject when it wasn’t anything to have conflict over. Meanwhile, Jan’s reaction to any conflict was to withdraw. So, when we had a disagreement, even a minor one, it could very quickly turn into terrible argument.
Jan As our marriage deteriorated, I began to suffer so badly from depression that I began to struggle with very dark thoughts, even contemplating what a relief death would be. I never actually had suicidal thoughts, but I was in a very dangerous place emotionally and spiritually. During that time, it never even occurred to me that any of our struggles were my fault. I considered it obvious that all our problems were due to his drinking. And when I went to see a psychiatrist to get help with my depression, he just basically reinforced my belief that none of this was my fault. His solution was to prescribe antidepressants and to tell me that the real source of my problems was twofold: first, brain chemistry, which the drugs were supposed to help, and second, that my husband was at fault because of his drinking and anger. He never even suggested that I look at my own shortcomings. For my part, I looked at the overt sin of Brett’s drinking and told myself that this was the sole source of my problems - that all of our marriage problems were entirely his fault.
Brett All of this led us to a point in 2005, that when I came home from a business trip Jan informed me that she wanted a divorce. I was devastated. I tried to get her to give us another chance but she said she had already talked with a divorce lawyer and that her decision was final. Our kids came home from school and we sat them down, and amidst many tears told them what was happening. It was a horrible day. That evening I gathered some clothes and went to my mother’s house who lived nearby. That night, I had a dream. I will tell you that I had never put any stock in dreams. In fact, I rarely remember my dreams and if I do, they definitely don’t seem to have any significance. But this dream was different. I was on a ship at sea. There was a terrible storm and the ship was being destroyed, and me with it. There was broken glass everywhere and I had shards of glass imbedded in me and I was bleeding profusely. It was very graphic. Suddenly, I heard God telling me that not only was I being destroyed by the storm, but that I was the storm. By living for myself with no regard for God’s will, I was destroying both myself and my family. I woke up aware of how broken I was and begging God to forgive me and to give me another chance.
Jan From that day forward, Brett began to change. I could see that he was different and we began anew. We both turned our lives over to God and decided to make Him our first priority. We recognized that if our lives and our marriage were going to be put back into order, Christ would have to be our King. It was not an immediate process. We both had to learn how to abide in Christ daily, and I had much yet to learn about my own sinful patterns. I had to work hard to humble myself and learn to admit when I was wrong. I had to learn to ask for forgiveness, because as Brett began to change, it became more and more obvious to me that not all of our problems were his fault. I saw that I too was broken and needed to submit myself to the transformation that only Christ could bring.
We now had real hope. We had belonged to a church for years, but as we began to search for God anew and to read the Bible daily, we realized that the church we were involved in did not treat God’s Word with the authority that it merits. We found a church that did see the Bible as the final authority over our lives and began to apply it.
Brett The process of learning to follow Christ and trust Him was not an immediate thing. It took time as we studied the Bible and applied it to our lives. But gradually, as we did, change took place. I entered a Bible-based twelve-step program, and with God’s help I am completely free today of any desire to escape difficulty with alcohol. As Christ began to work change in me, my anger began to subside. It is a weakness that I still, sometimes find myself battling.
Jan and I don’t want to pretend that we have a perfect marriage. We still have struggles. But there is such a difference in our lives and marriage. We each abide daily in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have a community of believers who are as committed to God and His will for their lives as we want to be and they keep us from returning to the isolation that dominated our married lives for so long. We are both committed to our marriage in such a way that we cannot even imagine seeking to escape from it anymore. We are working on drawing the circle around ourselves and removing the board from our own eye before we seek to remove the speck from the other’s eye. I say we are working on it, because we both still fail. We know that God’s work in each of us will not be finished until He calls us home, but we trust His word which tells us that “He who began a good work in us will perfect it.” And thanks be to God, our marriage is the strongest it has ever been.
Jan Brett has become a servant leader in our household and because of His commitment to the will of God which can be seen in every aspect of His life. Our two sons have been transformed by the change they have seen in the lives of their parents. They and their wives are wholly committed to God. We are blessed so much at the mercy God has shown us. We want to close our testimony by encouraging you to trust God. We know that many of you here tonight are in great pain and feel completely hopeless. We want you to know that we understand how you feel. We have been there. The Bible makes it clear that God allows difficult circumstances in our lives in order to help us realize that He is our only hope. If you will respond to the painful period that you are going through with a decision to trust Jesus Christ to be both your Savior and your Lord, then everything can change. You can experience the same transformation that we have.
Brett I close our testimony tonight with one of my favorite passages in Scripture. God is speaking to us through His prophet Jeremiah. He contrasts the person who rejects God with the person who puts his trust in God. Jeremiah 17:5-8 reads this way:
This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,
who rely on human strength
and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,
with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness,
in an uninhabited salty land.
7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.
Thank you for letting us share our story with you tonight.
This series contains teachings and testimonies of God's transforming power in marriages at re|engage. re|engage is designed specifically to address needs in marriage by helping couples move towards oneness in their marriage through stories of grace, teaching and small groups. Whether your marriage needs to be reignited, or is in need of a complete resurrection, re|engage is a safe place for couples to reconnect. It is a 16-week experience which includes a time of praise and worship, a teaching or a testimony by a couple who has experienced victory in the midst of hard times, and small group time which follows a specified curriculum. We meet every Wednesday night, 6:30-8:15 p.m. in The Loft (7540 LBJ Freeway @ Park Central, Dallas). Childcare is provided and registration is not required.
Re|engage is a weekly ministry for married couples to find help, learn, and grow in their marriage through a small-group setting.