You can't take the car out of the parking lot until you pay for it.

So it can be done!

This is a refreshing story from the Chicago Tribune - Practicing abstinence, bride and groom have never kissed.

When the officiant tells Claudaniel Fabien he can kiss his bride at the altar Saturday, no one will fault the couple for a little "should I tilt my head this way, or that way?" awkwardness.

It will be the couple's very first kiss.

In his Song of Solomon series, Tommy Nelson answers the question, "How far can we go?" by using an analogy of a cliff.  We don't want our kids to ask how close they can get to the edge.  Let's just stay away from the edge.

Of course there are the folks who think this is crazy, those who ask how you know he/she's right for you unless you try her out, the live together before you get married just so you know crowd.

To them, Melody responds, "You can't take the car out of the parking lot until you pay for it."

Read the whole story.

What's More Valuable - Your Cell Phone or Your Virginity?

Jeremy Berg, a youth pastor from Minnesota, makes a bold statement during a conversation with a friend in a post at youthworker.com.

With these thoughts floating around in my head, I blurted out a provocative statement to my pastor friend across the table that struck us both as...well...something worth pondering. I said: "Many teens will give up their virginity easier than they'll give up their cell phone."

Huh, that's an interesting observation.

They both have to do with connectedness, with relationships.  Giving up your cell phone takes away your connection with others while giving up your virginity has to do with drawing close to someone.  It seems to me both illustrate the desire we have to be connected and know people intimately.  It's a God-given desire.

I don't disagree with Jeremy.  He makes a good point.  It does make me think, however.

1. What can we be doing to help our teens feel connected better with those around them?  Are we helping them connect both with and without technology?
2. What can we do to help them distinguish between appropriate levels of connection?  How can we help them properly live within good, authentic, Godly relationships?

Ironically, I think the answer to both is good communication & connectedness.  When we take kids to Young Life camp, we take their cell phones away.  It is hardly a struggle anymore, because we do a good job of communicating the reasons and the benefits.  More often than not, they are excited to have a week without being tied down to their mobile networks.  Of course, we are providing them with tons of opportunities to be connected face-to-face throughout the week - modeling good community relationships.

Likewise, talking and talking and talking to them about the benefits of saving yourself (or re-saving yourself) for marriage is key.  And, not just for the sake of saving yourself, but with the explanation that sin always impacts other people - drawing it back to connectedness.  If we can help kids see how the choices they make affects others in the community they care about - even in the future - we will be helping them tremendously.

On a side note, but somewhat related.  Did you catch the Newsweek piece called Unattainable Beauty?  Good grief.  It's no wonder our kids have such a messed up view of how we should look.