Family Relations post #4

Yesterday in class we talked about dating, which has been a huge issue in my apartment lately.  One of my roommates has been going on "not dates" with a guy that she has been interested in for some time now.  We tried telling her that it was a date, but she didn't believe us.  Now, after having taught her the knowledge that I learned in class, she too knows that these "not dates" have absolutely been real dates.  We have learned that the three criteria for a date are - 1. Prepared (he has planned an activity) 2. Paid for (he is treating you) and 3. Paired off (there is no question as to whether or not he is "yours" for the evening).  My fiance and I learned a lot from this lesson too.  Throughout our relationship, we have not been the best at actually taking the time from our extremely hectic schedules to go on dates, however I also learned in class that these 3 P's of dating have a lot to do with the 3 P's of fatherhood/marriage.  In our Church we believe that the father of the family has the role of Providing for his family (Paid for), Protecting his family (Paired off - he would never let any one else in who could be a threat to the well being of the family) and Presiding over his family (he is Prepared and willing to lead and set a good example for his family).  We both liked this learning experience and are grateful to have had it. We have set the goal to go on more dates alone and not just hang out with friends because, as we also learned in class, "being paired off helps you prepare for marriage".  We are grateful to have had this lesson.