Team Gray!

Last year one of the basketball mothers sidled up to me and said they were trying that teen dating thing for the first time. Her oldest two daughters had started dating a couple of boys from the homeschool community. Her younger daughter had been a wild child, and she had hooked up with something of a player. I was worried. I saw them tonight, still together, and the two mothers were sitting together. Who knows? This might end in marriage.

Another family I talked with had a daughter who wanted to date so desperately that they worked out a system. The boy had to come to their house and they could only see each other in the presence of the family. They dated for a few months, and got married.

A third family didn’t do dating. Their son graduated from high school and then asked a fellow graduate out. They dated for a few months.

We don’t believe in dating. It has become sport, completely devoid of its original purpose–to get to know someone and see if they would make a good mate.

It’s hard on teens in this culture to accept that view. We have been working hard to instill it in our children. We like the idea of getting to know and watch a potential suitor, so when our daughter was asked to the prom, we invited the boy over.

He came on Superbowl Sunday, along with some of our friends. No pressure, right?

He came right in and gave me a hug, and joined the grown-ups watching the game for a little while. He even had the gumption to root for the team that my husband and I opposed.

Then he went in the kitchen and kept our daughter company while she made these amazingly hot appetizers and chocolate chip cookies.

Eventually all the teenagers (including our son’s friends) ended up watching the end of the game with all the adults. It was a nice picture.

After the game, my husband and I talked to the boy to find out what this boy had on his mind. He looked my husband directly in the eye while he talked about his plans for the future. He talked about the organizations he has started, awards he has won. He sounds like a young man of purpose.

We invited him to come again soon.

What are your thoughts about teen dating?

All he said was that it was the best movie he’d ever seen. My husband is already good at keeping a movie secret; he hates to have it spoiled for him, so he wouldn’t spoil it for anyone else.

Even so, my husband was more cryptic than usual about The Book of Eli. I assumed it was some sci/fi fantasy that I couldn’t get with.

Just from the look and feel of the movie, I shouldn’t have liked it. But based on the story? There’s no way I couldn’t have loved it.

I really don’t want to say anything else about the movie, except, Run, don’t walk to go see it! Anything else may give it away.

Have you seen it? What did you think? Would you recommend it?

When Duggar baby #19 was born, I knew someone would ask if they were done. So I wasn’t surprised to see a People Magazine with the crass question, “How many kids are too many?”

People followed the Duggars to the NICU, asking and answering many questions. A cool thing about the Duggars is that they are debt-free and self sufficient, so a lot of arguments about who is going to pay for all these babies are already answered.

I wonder why they choose to live their lives in the public eye, exposing themselves to so much criticism. Being out there on that lonely limb, they are bound to hear the question, “are you done, yet?” magnified 1,000%.

But Michelle wisely says she’s the only one who can live her life.

They are the ones who must raise their family, and then answer to God for their decisions. I applaud them for not backing down from their beliefs because someone else thinks they should. It is between them and God what happens next.

What do you think?