Friday, January 30, 2009

Question Box Friday

What if the relationship seems boring without sex?

If the relationship is boring without sex, let it die. If the relationship wouldn't last without sex, then it does not have a strong foundation. If a relationship is all about sex, then your boyfriend/girlfriend is probably more interested in using you than loving you. You deserve better than that.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Pro-choice vs. Pro-abortion

While in the classroom and while having an open discussion on the topic of abortion, Thom and I have heard many students take the view that there is a difference between being pro-choice and being pro-abortion. We know that this view is made by many outside our classroom discussions as well and the argument deserves some attention. Bryan Kemper of Stand True, a Christ-centered pro-life organization, wrote a not only a brillant, but truthful commentary on this argument. Click here and look under the link to "Tough Questions."

Monday, January 26, 2009

Weekly Quote

"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Friday, January 23, 2009

Question Box Friday

Will you go to hell if you have sex before marriage?

We know that mortal sins keep us out of heaven. To sin mortally is to greatly offend against the law of love. Having sex before marriage is a mortal sin, if someone knows that it is wrong and freely consents to doing it. God will always love each and everyone of us. Nothing we can do will cause God to stop loving us. But if we freely choose to turn our backs on God's call to love and walk away from Him, He will respect our decision. And we will be held responsiblie for our decisions which could mean spending eternality in hell. I have heard it said that God does not send people to hell, but rather people send themselves to hell by the choice they make to turn their back on God. It greatly pains God's heart to watch His beloved children enter hell.

If we have turned our backs on God and then realize our mistake and desire His mercy, God will always eagerly embrace us back into His loving arms, if we are truly sincere. True sincerity requires that one repent and make a firm commitment to sin no more.

If someone does not ask for forgiveness, only God knows what that person's eternal destination is. We cannot judge another person or assume that certain people are in hell. We are not on that commity. We do know that not living chastly can seriously injure our relationship with God because it seriously injures ours' and others' dignity as human beings, as children of God; creatures to be loved and respected. However, by living chastly we can grow closer to Him and grow in true love of neighbor.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Possible Benefits and Consequences

The decision to keep sex inside marriage or to take it out of marriage is a big decision. Take a fews minutes to journal. List all the possible positive benefits and negative consequences that could come from the decision to take sex outside of marriage. Then list all the possible positive benefits and negative consequences that could come from the decision to keep sex inside marriage. What do you find?

We find that when we take sex outside of marriage the negative consequences greatly outweigh the positive benefits and someone can find themselves greatly harmed. But, when we keep sex within marriage the positive benefits greatly outweigh the (if any) negative consequences and someone can find themselves enjoying life to it's fullest and free from all the harm that comes from sex outside marriage.

Saving sex for marriage and keeping it within marriage is a very wise descision - one that can bring someone's life much freedom and true fullfillment.

Save this journaling and pull it out here and there and remind yourself of all the good reasons why you have made the wise decision to save sex for marriage and to keep it within marriage.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Did you know?

"The average high school student watches more than twenty-one hours of TV a week and listens to three to four hours of radio per day."

Taken from Theology of the Body for Teens

Think about how much time you spend watching TV shows, movies, listening to the radio, reading magizines or surfing the internet. What is the general message of the media in regards to our sexuality?
(a) sex is not portrayed in the media
(b) the media portrays sex as something special for a husband and wife
(c) the media rarely shows the consequences of premartial sex
(d) the media realisitcally shows the consequences of premartial sex

The answer is C.

The media can desensitized us from the true meaning of sex and from the seriousness of premartial sex. It normalizes premartial sex and makes it seem like everyone is doing it. It's important to be aware of the influence the media can have on you and to choose media that is much more realistic, positive and healthy.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Weekly Quote

"There is no relationship between human beings so close as that of husband and wife, if they are united as they ought to be."

St. John Chrysostom

Taken from Theology of the Body for Teens

Friday, January 9, 2009

Question Box Friday: What is the earliest a baby has been born and lived?

Amilia Taylor was born just before 22 weeks in Florida, in October 2006. She weighed about 10 ounces.

A full term pregnancy is 40 weeks so women who are just over half-way through their pregnancy are having babies that are living!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Weekly Quote

"Finally, brethern, whatever is true, what is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Philipians 4:8

Friday, January 2, 2009

Question Box Friday: Why do guys only care about "hooking up" these days?

Not all guys only care about hooking up. There are a lot of awesome guys out there who have respect for women. Unfortunately, I think our society has told men that a real man is sexobessed. Since many of us take our identity from the media, we tend to have misconceptions about real manhood and real womanhood. A real man has the strength of character to say no to sex and to treat a woman as a person and not as an object. There are definitely men with this character out there, but men need to be encouraged by women to strive for this high standard.