Thursday, March 10, 2011

Welcome to our blog!

JUST KIDDING!


Bye!


For those of you getting this entry by an RSS reader, I'm now redirecting this blog to http://gospellivingmadeawesome.com. I have too many blogs. I'm combining them all into the one. I'll still blog about dating, it will just be mixed with other stuff for awhile.

See you on the other side!

Chas

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The worst date you've ever had

Everybody's got a favorite worst date story. Tell us yours! Be sure to change names in order to protect the guilty :D

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Marrying a Mom for My Kids

Okay, so that title may make it sound like I had kids before I was married. I didn't. But when I was dating, it was important to me that I find a girl who would be a good mother for my future children. I suppose you can never really tell for sure before a person has their own children what kind of parent they'll be, but there are some pretty good indicators - I won't list them here, unless you want to go further into that, I'm just saying you might want to place that factor higher up in what you look for in a spouse. What kind of parent would they be?

Being a dad has been a whole new experience for me. I've discovered good and bad aspects of my character I never could have anticipated before having kids of my own. It's not easy, and it's not always fun, but (sorry, I know this is SOOO cliche) it's so incredibly rewarding. (See my daddy blog for some of my adventures in parenting). I'm not saying I was one of those hard guys that was never big on kids but somehow ended up with some and that they softened him - actually, I was a weird nerdy kid who loved babysitting, playing with little kids instead of friends, and tried numerous times throughout the early years of my career to get a job working at a day care. Unfortunately, they don't like hiring guys to work with little kids. The chauvinistic little... but I'm not bitter...

And I love having kids, but I can tell you - it's not easy, and it makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD having a spouse who loves being a parent. Jenni is INCREDIBLE that way. While all her friends complain about needing "me" time, she starts missing the kids if she's from them for more than a couple hours. I feel like it's because of her that I LOVE being a parent. 

Sure, she'll probably be a blubbering mess when they start going off to school - but that's exactly the point. She loves being a mom. She can't stand the thought of someone else (besides the two of us) raising her children, and she's determined to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ so completely that they won't misunderstand it. They will know the gospel, and by the way she teaches it, I think they'll love it - they certainly do so far. They already love the Savior, and when I see how much she loves the kids, it's so sweet and so beautiful that it just makes me love her even more.

Find someone who will be a good parent to your children - it will pay you back again and again and again.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Three Great Dating Talks

The BYU Speeches website is featuring some awesome talks about love and dating. We've talked about the one by Elder Holland called, "How do I Love Thee?" but the other two we haven't shared on this blog before.

Enjoy!



"Your futures depend on the present. Live life well today. Life passes quickly. Let us not be guilty of hoping that someday we will become happy and contented, after college or after this next semester or after this next test or after this date tonight or after the bills are paid or after the kids are grown or when we are retired. The good will always outweigh the bad--let me say that again: The good will always outweigh the bad."

I realize that not all will have the opportunity to marry in this life, but, with faith and courage, most will. And eventually all righteous men and women will share these blessings. It is estimated that 95 percent of all Americans have been married at least once by age 45. Please don't wait until you are 44 to seriously pursue marriage. Social research reveals that marrying in the 20s somewhat increases marital happiness and reduces the likelihood of divorce. I promise you that if you pursue marriage and family life with sincere intent that the Father will bless you to eventually achieve this blessed state.
If you are just going for pizza or to play a set of tennis, go with anyone who will provide good, clean fun. But if you are serious, or planning to be serious, please find someone who brings out the best in you and is not envious of your success. Find someone who suffers when you suffer and who finds his or her happiness in your own.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Whoah! Check HER Out!

There's no doubt that physical attractiveness is an important part of finding a dating partner (though perhaps not quite as important as we sometimes make it out to be), and we should look for someone we find attractive. But sometimes we use that idea as an excuse to think inappropriate thoughts or let our eyes wander where they shouldn't. I can't speak for girls, but I know for guys this is a real challenge. It takes a great deal of discipline to keep our eyes from wandering where they shouldn't. But we MUST develop that discipline. And the discipline you develop now will serve you well later throughout your marriage. Ultimately it's your thoughts that become the problem, and avoiding letting your eyes wander will help you immensely in avoiding unworthy thoughts.

So where is the balance between noticing a girl's physical attractiveness and letting your eyes wander where they shouldn't?

I once heard a good rule that worked well for me, and I recommend it to every unmarried person. When it comes to checking someone out, stick with the head. Eyes, hair, face, that's all fine. Just don't go below that. Obviously, you'll know if they have an attractive body. You don't have to pan down or stare to figure that out. Just focus on the head, and you'll usually be safe.

After marriage, you trade being able to check out the attractiveness of any girls “head” for being able to check out your spouse head to toe all you want.

Chin up, Brother! (and sister)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

A Plug for Institute



Okay, so the video's terribly cheesy, but the message is exactly right. If you are of Institute age (18-30), and haven't met your Bro/Sis Right, give it a go. You've got very little to lose, and so incredibly much to gain.


Did I mention Jenni and I met through Institute? And it wasn't just from attending - it was from attending AND going to the activities.

Just saying...
 


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