So here's a few things we've learned....
Why not date? Dating has only been a concept for the last 100 or so years. Before then it was courtship. Given the rampant promiscuity, teen pregnancy, teen rebellion, etc, I would ask Why not court? Greg proudly wears his Dads Against Daughters Dating shirt and the girls know he is living by the message on the shirt.
Most people think we are over protective and shielding our children from the "real" world and thats a bad thing. Duh, we are over protecting our younger children and shielding them ~ have you really looked at the real world lately?
We've heard they can't find Mr. or Mrs. Right unless they date around and have something to compare to. I would rather the Lord lead them to Mr. or Mrs. Right and not have their hearts and minds involved with many other people. There is less emotional baggage that way.
So here is what this looks like right now in our family........
It looks like a young man asking permission before he presents a gift to our daughter.
It looks like 2 families involved in a caring, loving, protecting manner.
It looks like brothers & sisters that are the "on the scene" chaperones.
It looks like hearts being knit together in the Lord's perfect timing & Will.
It looks like 2 sets of parents ernestly praying for the Lords guidance.
It looks like the young man & woman rising early each day to read & study the Bible together while 100's of miles apart.
It looks like long telephone calls. Recently these calls have included figuring out budgets for monthly expenses. (What a great, grown up aspect of this relationship)
It looks like a young man, going to school full time and working full time so that he can support a wife and family.
It looks like a young woman sitting at the kitchen table ~ talking about menu's, shopping lists, etc. for groceries to learn budgeting.
It looks like long talks that involve all the parents and the couple.
It looks like this.............
BEAUTIFUL! We pray the Lord's blessing upon your family as you follow God's leading. Just a forewarning though - I will be calling you in about 8 years for advice on courting!! lol!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Stephanie! I'm glad you are posting about this, I plan to let LB read it and to talk to her about it now. She knows how we feel about dating in the modern sense, so she won't be surprised later on, but I love the idea of her having a "model" to see going through the process.
ReplyDeleteBTW... Blogger won't let me sign in and post my comment, so I am going to post it anonymously.
Jennifer
Gosh, that pool looks inviting! Are they allowed to go swimming at the same time? Swimming is great exercise! They can play non-touching games like volleyball, swim races, etc.
ReplyDeleteI would hope that having fun is a huge part of getting to know each other. Laughing and playing games brings my hubby and I together, even in the really tough times. What kind of things do courting couples do for fun?
Yes, they've played board games, played games of pool, read together, lots of talking, been to a museum, out to get ice cream. He went swimming but she decided not to this time. The main thing is, everything is chaperoned. Either the parents or siblings. He is one of 8 children and she is one of 7, so there are always plenty of "spies" keeping them accountable. Its been lots of fun watching the Lord work in their lives.
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