You know, the concept of dating is relatively new in the scope of human existence. “Dating” as we know it didn’t really begin happening until around the 1950s. Before that, young ladies and young men got to know each other in groups, or in the company of her parents around a meal or piece of pie. It’s interesting to me that the divorce rate started climbing right along with how popular dating became. Why is that?

Keep in mind that I am writing this largely from a Christian perspective. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and that’s okay. I believe that dating has given way to people finding it easier to discard a relationship, rather than working on it. Think about this: if you prayed about who God would have you join your life with, and then God revealed that person to you, there would be no point in “dating” to “try someone out and see if it works”. Assuming you trust God’s choice, that is. Every time we have a serious relationship with someone, we give them a piece of our heart that we cannot get back. Ever. Wouldn’t it be far better to give your whole heart to the person you’ll spend your life with?

Consider this: the Bible says to honor your husband ALL the days of your life. Wait…it didn’t say “…after you meet him.” It says ‘ALL’. So as Christian women, we are called to honor our future husbands before we ever know who they are. Because of that little 3-letter word ‘All’. Spending private time with someone not our future husband is not honoring him. I know…it’s a radical idea, but it’s biblical. I didn’t make this up.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t get to know that person who God may reveal to you. You definitely need to know who they are; their belief system, their morals, ethics, ideas. But you don’t need to know if they’re a good kisser. Don’t get me wrong – I love kissing my man, but it does not define our marriage. Not only that, when you fall in love, that person’s kiss will be intoxicating to you. Don’t fall into that trap of thinking, “What if we’re not physically compatible?” Trust me – if you love them, everything else will fall into place.

Let’s move on to the book and devotional ‘Old Fashioned’. First, the book is awesome! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found myself literally laughing out loud during several parts of the story.

Here’s the synopsis: Former frat boy Clay Walsh has given up his reckless lifestyle and settled down to run an antique shop in a small Midwestern college town. Determined to put his partying ways behind him, Clay has become notorious for his lofty and outdated theories on love and romance. But when Amber Hewson, a free-spirited woman with a gypsy soul, rents the apartment above his shop, Clay can’t help being attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life.

New to the area, Amber finds herself surprisingly drawn to Clay and his noble ideas, but her own fears and deep wounds are difficult to overcome. Can they move beyond their differences and their pasts to attempt an “old-fashioned” courtship?

Clay will not allow himself to be alone with any woman until he marries. It’s old fashioned and it’s chivalry in action. He’s not going to compromise her or himself. This is not a fresh new idea. This is how we used to do things. You know, back when the divorce rates weren’t sky high. Hmmm…maybe there’s something to this chivalry thing! A lot of people are frustrated with Clay’s theories and decisions. Me? I think it’s refreshing!

I have seen this in action. One of my dearest friends is Christy Tebow Allen. You may have heard of her famous brother, Tim Tebow. Christy is gorgeous – I mean, model gorgeous. She prayed daily that God would reveal to her who she should spend her life with. We were on a mission trip in the Philippines and a young man named Joey was on that same trip with us. God started working in their lives. Christy had never dated…ever. But she trusted God. She and Joey began “courting”. Their first ever kiss was when the pastor at their wedding said, “You may now kiss the bride.” Joey and Christy have now been married for several years, have two adorable children and are serving together as missionaries in Bangladesh. Joey never, ever compromised Christy’s reputation, or even appeared to. And Christy was able to give her whole heart (no missing pieces) to her husband. That is precious to me.

Interestingly, the book came after the movie. The book is very real. It’s not preachy and the story is highly entertaining. It would be a fantastic read for young people who are just thinking about dating.

And along with the book, the devotional is a great supplement. This is forty days worth of readings that really drill down and unpack what being ‘old fashioned’ may mean. It gets right to the heart of dating and how you can guard your heart. Because if you’ve dated a lot, your heart has gotten broken. Maybe more than once or twice. And you don’t want to give a damaged heart to your mate, do you? The devotional also has conversation starters that will come in really handy!

One thing that you will learn through the book and the devotional is that even though they are Christian based, these ideas are healthy for any single adult thinking about dating. I mean, it’s not just a Christian idea to try to prevent having your heart stomped on!

Giveaway

Here’s an idea! How would you like to win an Old Fashioned package? The DVD, the book and the devotional! Because along with FlyBy productions, I am giving away this package! Simply leave me a comment below about your idea of guarding your heart – it can be a suggestion, something that worked for you, or just a thought.