Kissing and dating are pre-mating rituals. Parents should not encourage children to engage in pre-marital rituals until they are prepared (emotionally and financially) to marry! Teens and pre-teens are ill-equipped, emotionally and financially, to deal with the responsibilities of long-term relationships. Teenage emotions change with the winds. Most teens have great difficulty discerning true emotions from base mating instincts, especially males!

With hormones raging, males have great difficulty thinking clearly. Consequences of mating are far from the male mind. There is no real way for a female to know for certain that a male is serious in his expressions of love. He may merely be expressing his lust! The only way for her to know for certain is to watch his actions. It is also reasonable for her to expect him to demonstrate his love by refraining from all mating rituals until he is fully prepared to accept responsibility for supporting her and their offspring, financially and emotionally.

Why would any female lend herself as a willing accomplice to having offspring with a male who is incapable of caring for her and supporting her children? I firmly believe no person (in their right mind) should expect anything, except sex, from a person who is in a relationship only to satisfy their lustful appetites!

Responsible parents protect their children. Responsible parents protect their children from long-term (heavy) relationships until their children are capable of fully assuming responsibility for their choices. Otherwise, parents will have to assume the costs and responsibilities for their child’s poor decisions. When the child is mature enough to make his own choices, let the child also assume full responsibility for consequences of those choices. (See my blog titled, "Responsible Children".)

Are you ready for kissing? Not unless you are preparing to marry! Kissing is very personal. It leads to dating. Dating leads to marriage. Why kiss unless you are prepared to date seriously? Why date seriously unless you are preparing for marriage, with all its attending responsibilities?

There are different kisses. There is nothing wrong with a "peck" on the cheek or a hug with the arms locked around necks, cheek-to-cheek. There should be NO other body part in contact with the other person’s body below the neck! No kissing on the lips. No going beyond the stage of friendship until both are mature enough to engage in serious, long-term relationships. For teens, I recommend all serious relationships be put on hold until after graduation from high school (12th grade).

Just K.I.S.S., Keep It Simple Sweetie! And, listen to your conscience until God has your heart.

I was born into a Christian family with a deep heritage in a particular Christian denomination (though they would call themselves non-denominational). Because of my religious heritage, I had to wade through generations of traditional church teachings from family members who were “big name” preachers and teachers.

When I started studying Scripture for myself (had learned how to properly study and exegete Scripture), I questioned many traditional family and church teachings. Instantly, I was labeled a "heretic" for questioning accepted “truths”. I was no longer welcome to teach or preach in my family church. I was also ostracized by certain family members.

This was tough, but I knew that I had to question EVERYTHING or settle for a relationship with Christ merely based in a learned religious “system.” I didn't want that. I desired a "personal" relationship with Christ, not a traditional one.

Over the years, my relationship with my earthly father and family was mended. My family became more open-minded. They began to question themselves. I became less confrontational. Maybe we all just grew up.

Or, maybe we each began our personal journey to discover "the Christ of Scripture" rather than "the Christ of family and church tradition."

There is a way to move joyfully and lovingly through life as the universe collapses around you.

There is a way to be moral and responsible though all the world turns against you.

There is a way to have absolute peace in the midst of total conflict.

There is a way to be confident in who you are when no one understands you.

There is a way to say "no" and stick to it though all your friends and everything inside you screams, "yes!".

There is a way to be loving when no one else is loving you.

There is a way to be fed without eating.

There is a way to do church without a pastor.

There is a way to be happy without guilt.

There is a way to great pleasure from simple things.

There is a way to be honest when everyone is lying.

There is a way to have a home without television.

There is a way.

"Enoch walked with God..."

God took Enoch because Enoch walked with God. Enoch never presumed to ask God to walk the way he was going. He sought after God, discovered the way God was going, and joined him.

God did not go the way Enoch was going. He expected Enoch to discover him and join him in the way he was going.

This speaks volumes to me.

If there ever was a potential "religious dictator” in Christ's church, Peter would have easily stepped into that self-appointed seat. But Jesus took care of that little problem right before he ascended into heaven.

In John 21, Peter appears to be fed up with all the hype surrounding the resurrection. Maybe he's just tired. Regardless, he wants to return to what he knows, fish and fishing. He's a leader, so others follow. They fish all night. Nothing! Jesus appears.

Jesus asks them if they caught anything. Obviously, he already knows the answer. He then instructs them where to cast their nets. The nets are filled. Peter then recognizes the inquiring man on the shore as Jesus. He dresses and immediately jumps into the water. Surely he knows that he's in BIG trouble!

When Peter arrives on shore, Jesus sits at breakfast. He is cooking fish. He doesn't need Peter's fish.

Jesus questions Peter's love for him: “Do you love me more than these?” Then follows with a stern instruction: “Feed my sheep!”

As leaders, we need this constant reminder when we are tempted to view ourselves as "God's gift to the church". The church already has a King. The King already has someone in charge. He is the Spirit. The church does not belong to the pastor, deacons, elders, or the one making the largest donation! The church belongs to Christ.

He bought us with his blood.