The Five Levels of Intimacy

Written by Barbara Wilson

Does God care about your love life?

First comes love…or sex?

“First comes love, then comes marriage, then here they come with a baby carriage.” You may recognize this little rhythm my generation used to sing to embarrass each other.  Based on today’s culture the rhythm could go: “First comes sex, then comes living together, and the baby carriage could happen anytime or with anybody, as does the sex.”

Casual sex has changed the landscape of relationships and marriage.  Before 1960 most people saved sex for marriage, but now according to a recent survey, most people have sex before marriage. So how has this new trend impacted today’s marriages? First, the divorce rate: prior to 1960 the divorce rate was less than 25%, today it’s closer to 50%. As the rate of promiscuity has risen, so has the divorce rate. But secondly, and what this article will discuss is how casual sex has inhibited our ability to build emotional intimacy into our relationships, and how this emotional deficit is impacting marriages today.

You Are Defined by God and God Alone

by Jon Walker

He has identified us as his own by placing the   Holy Spirit in our hearts . . .  2 Corinthians 1:22 (NLT)

You are not defined by your feelings. You are not defined by the opinions of others. You are not defined by your circumstances. You are not defined by your successes or failures. You are not defined by the car you drive, or the money you make, or the house you say you own (even though the bank really owns it).

You are defined by God and God alone. He identifies you as his own (2 Corinthians 1:22).

The thing is, if you don’t know who you are, then you are vulnerable to other people telling you who you are. But the concrete, solid, gospel truth is that you are who God says you are and no one else has a vote in the matter.

Pregnancy and Cell Phones

Do cell phones harm unborn babies? With more and more women using mobile phones to remain connected with other people, it's becoming a topic of concern.

There has been a great deal of debate for several years surrounding whether or not cell phones are dangerous to use during pregnancy.

Studies Into Pregnancy and Cell Phone Use

In July 2008 in the Journal of Epidemiology published a study of mothers of 13,159 children in Denmark. The researchers from the Universities of Aarhus, Denmark and California, Los Angeles asked mothers questions about their use of cell phone during pregnancy and the behavior of their children.

According to these studies, the mothers who said they used their cell phones during pregnancy reported more behavioral problems in their children. The behavioral problems included difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, and an increased risk of impulsivity.

The study may be concerning to pregnant mothers, but it's unclear whether the study is accurate.