At the ripe old age of fifteen, a well-meaning gentleman in my life decided his nephew and I would make the perfect match. Okay, maybe he did not think we would be perfect, but he definitely had high hopes for success. After all, he was active in his church. I was active in mine. He was a fine young man (as I was told repeatedly by his family). Some considered me a fine young woman. We both had brown hair. You know, we were clearly a Billy and Ruth Graham in the making. ~smile~ Over the months, however, we began to grow weary of each other. He thought I was moody. I thought he was the … [Read more...]
Experiencing Confidence (Necessary Dating Experiences, Part 5)
As this series comes to an end, we simply must mention goals. ~smile~ Yes, I know, we've spent a good amount of time at the beginning of this year recommending that couples create and strive after common goals. We have done so because we believe couples need a vision to guide their decisions in order to keep them working towards a reward which is much larger than themselves. (So, for one last time for a while...) Today we have one simple question for you to ponder which will lead to big things: Can you envision setting and completing mutual goals with your sweetheart if you get married? … [Read more...]
Experiencing Laughter (Necessary Dating Experiences, Part 4)
One of my favorite experiences in life is seeing Eric laugh. A few years ago, Eric and I attended a Tim Hawkins concert and I watched Eric laugh harder and longer than I’d ever seen him laugh. He was doubled over, falling out of his chair laughing. It blessed my heart so much because he works so hard and does not get to let loose and have fun as often as I wish he could. Laughter Heals In my thirty plus years on this planet, I’ve found few methods of therapy as mood boosting and healing as deep, belly laughter. As a teen, my friends and I would get tickled over some silly comment or … [Read more...]
Experiencing Your Personal Cheerleader (Necessary Dating Experiences, Part 3)
The best couples are cheerleaders and teammates. It’s pretty obvious that marriage requires teamwork – especially after children come along; but, marriages are also enhanced when a husband and wife take an active interest in each other’s lives. When I’m reaching for a new goal that does not explicitly involve Eric, I still want him there to cheer for me and encourage me. I love a “Good job!” and ”Way to go!” A few months ago he said, “When you meet your goal, and you totally will, ...” His vote of confidence in me was so endearing! When most of us think of cheerleaders, we think of … [Read more...]
Experiencing Trust (Necessary Dating Experiences, Part 2)
To say that trust is essential to marriage is a gross understatement. Trust may be easy to give in the beginning, but once it’s lost, it’s incredibly hard to regain. Not impossible, just incredibly hard. When choosing a mate, there is one very important question to ask yourself: “Do I believe this person is basically good-willed toward me?” Basically Good-willed In his amazing book, Love and Respect, Emerson Eggerichs touched on the concept of good will. This means that even though your sweetie does not always hit the mark, occasionally hurts you, and sometimes fails to treat you lovingly … [Read more...]