Boy Meets Girl

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Romance
Author:	Joshua Harris

AN INTRODUCTION

When I was single and twenty one years old I wrote a book called "I Kissed Dating Goodbye". It wasn't your typical book on relationships. It encouraged singles to be radically comited to honoring God in their relationships - even if it meant dumping the dating game. It was my own story of learning to trust God and wait on romance till I was ready for commitment.

To my astonishment, God provided a publisher willing to print my oddly titled book. To everyone's astonishment, the book actually sold. It turned out that many people besides me were rethinking romance. I have received thousands of emails, postcards, and letters from singles of all ages from all over the world who wanted to share their stories, ask questions, and get advice.

As the letters poured in, I realized that while God had graciously used my book to help some people, it had also raised a lot of questions. For example, if you don't date, how exactly do you end up married? One girl wrote, "I want to avoid the pitfalls of our culture's approach to romance, but how do I get close enough to a guy to decide whether I want to marry him? What comes between friendship and marriage?"

"Boy Meets Girl" is the answer to these questions - ones I eventually had to wrestle with myself when I felt ready to pursue a girl with marriage in mind. It's a book about courtship, or what I like to call "romance with purpose". It is filled with stories of ordinary people who are choosing to honour God in the real-life details of their love lives - from the agonizing questions about the timing of a relationship, to challenges like communicating well and remaining sexually pure when you're deeply in love.

Here's what you'll find in the books's three sections

Part One defines the basic principles of courtship. We'll see how when we allow wisdom to guide our intense romantic feelings, our relationships are blessed by patience, purpose, and a clear grasp of reality. One couple's story will help us realize when we're ready to start a relationship and with whom, and we'll see how God intends to use this process to make us more like Him.

Part Two jumps into the practical issues of what to do as the season of courtship unfolds. we'll learn how to grow closer, but still guard our hearts in important areas like friendship, communication, fellowship, and romance. We'll get spesific about our roles as men and women. We'll look at the importance of community during this time. Then we'll alk honestly about sexual purity and how we can prepare for a great sex life in marriage.

Part Three helps couples who are getting more serious to move toward marriage in a God-honoring way. We'll see how God's grace can help us face sin from our past. We'll ask some tough questions before engagement, including the all-important one: "Should we go forward together into marriage, or should we call our courtship off?". Finally, we'll be reminded that God's grace is our ultimate source of confidence for joining our hearts and lives in the vows of marriage.

As an added feature, you'll find a section at the back of the book called "Courtship Conversations: Eight Great Dates", developed with the help of my editors and friends, David and Heather Kopp. Our purpose has been to sugest activities and conversations that will help you get to know each other better, consider a possible future together, honor God in your relationship, and have plenty of fun.

Whether you're currently single, casually seeing someone, or in aserious relationship, I hope you'll take the time to read and wrestle with the ideas in this book. There's a good chance they will stretch your thinking and challenge your assumptions in healthy ways. If you're in a relationship, I encourage you to read this book as a couple. Many have used this book to help understand how to grow their relationship and to set a clear course for deeper commitment.

As a single man, I wrote "I Kissed Dating Good Bye" to challenge the world's approach to romance. Today, as a married man, I write "Boy Meets Girl" to celebrate God's way in romance. I've seen just how good it is. And I want you to know that as you entrust your dreams of finding true love to His care, you will too.

CONTENTS

Part 1 : RETHINKING ROMANCE
1. What I've Learned Since I Kissed Dating Good Bye
From waiting to knowing - a personal story
2. Rediscovering Courtship
A return to purposeful romance
3. Romance and Wisdom: a Match Made in Heaven
Why you need more than just intense feelings
4. Tell Me How, Tell Me Who, Tell Me When!
How God guides you to the right thing at the right time

Part 2 : THE SEASON OF COURTSHIP
5. More Than Friends, Less Than Lovers
How to grow and guard in friendship, fellowship, and romance
6. What To Do With Your Lips
Practical principles for great communication
7. If Boys Would Be Men, Would Girls Be Ladies?
How to embrace your God-given role as a man and a woman
8. Courtship Is a Community Project
How to gain guidance, support, and strength from your church and family
9. True Love oesn't Just Wait
How to be passionately in love and sexually pure

Part 3 : BEFORE YOU SAY "I DO"
10. When Your Past Comes Knocking
How you can face past sexual sin and experience God's forgiveness
11. Are You Ready for Forever?
Ten questions to answer before you get engaged
12. That Day
Living and loving in light of eternity
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Prinsip-prinsip yang ditulis Joshua Harris di buku ini tu bagus banget, walopun ga semua contoh-contoh atau langkah-langkahnya cocok untuk diterapin buat setiap orang / setiap pasangan, coz kondisi kita kan beda-beda, trus ga semua juga bisa diterapin mentah-mentah di Indonesia, coz budaya kita kan rada beda ama budaya Barat. But prinsip-prinsipnya bisa banget diikutin!