In the course of this series we have discussed praying together, serving together, reading the Bible together, and seeking out mentors together. All of these topics come down to one word: boundaries. Spiritual intimacy in dating, like physical intimacy, is a matter of keeping healthy boundaries. In order for a couple to have spiritually healthy boundaries, a few factors must be in place. First, the couple must want to have boundaries. When we think we should do something (e.g., eating healthier, going on a daily walk, etc.), but we don’t really want to do it, there is a slim chance that we … [Read more...]

A few years back, a friend of mine began dating a young man from her church. She was out of college and certainly in the age range when most people begin seriously considering marriage. Few people would have faulted these two consenting adults from spending a lot of time alone together and conducting their relationship the way they saw fit. However, they chose to go a different route. Instead of saying, “We’re grown and we don’t need all these people in our business,” they decided to utilize the godly people in their lives and spent a lot, if not the majority, of their time together with … [Read more...]

Obviously, prayer is a huge part of the life of a Christ follower. Some days, I don’t know how I could get through life if I was not able to carry my joy and sorrow to the Lord in prayer. You will never hear me (by the grace of God) tell someone that he or she should not pray; however, before a couple commits to marry each other, I would recommend that they exercise caution in spending too much time praying together. Of the spiritual intimacies discussed in this series, prayer is one of the most intimate spiritual experiences you can share with another person. Whether or not dating couples … [Read more...]

Up until this past June, I have always been a teacher’s kid. When I was in kindergarten, my mom taught the first grade. When I moved to the first grade, Mom moved to Kindergarten. She stayed in kindergarten until I was about eleven-years-old and then she moved to second grade where she remained for the duration of her career. Some of my earliest memories took place at Brinson Memorial Elementary School. Some mornings we were there early enough to see the sun peek over the trees and many nights, we were there as the sun ducked below the trees signifying the end of another day. In other words, … [Read more...]