I kissed dating goodbye!

I became curious as to where I should stand with regards to dating. It was clear to me that I couldn't have a physical relationship with a man but I wanted to know what the alternative was. I found out very quickly that a relationship with a man who was not a Christian was out of the question. Why? Just think about it. You're going to church on Sundays. Your taking your kids with you. You're going to Bible studies and getting involved with church activities around Christmas/Easter/Summer etc. Youre serving in the church. Perhaps greeting at the door, perhaps teaching women or children. You marry a man who has no interest. Giving you no support and who eventually will most likely resent your involvment. But worse than that, he cant' understand the reasons for the choices you make in certain areas of your life. And lets be honest, it will be easier for you to be pulled away from your church life and relationship with God than you think... I asked a woman from the church for advice and she recommended I read a book that other young women in the church were reading. When I started to read it I realised that the author was suggesting that Christians shouldn’t date at all, and that they shouldn’t even kiss! He recommended people meet and go out together in groups, and get to know one another properly before even thinking about being together. I thought this was ridiculous, a bit laughable adn couldlnl't see myself doing it, but as is my habit, I continued to read the book and see if I could get something out of it. By the time I finished it, I found (to the amusement of my friends) that I agreed with a lot of what it said and decided that this was for me! The idea of not having to meet someone, date for a while, find out that we are not suited and then go through the awfulness of breaking the relationship appealed to me. I didn't want to see myself in a couple of years looking over my shoulder in church one Sunday morning thinking to myself, "I dated him, and him, and him..." No thanks. I was happy to go along with what this book was suggesting but knew that the proof of the pudding would be in the eating, so to speak, and I would have to wait and see how it would work out in real life.