Topic(s): Christian Life, Youth

Harold Chugani, a neurologist at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, has done
research that reveals the great capacity of growing human brains to absorb information. He discovered that, by age 2, an infant’s cortex is operating at adult levels. At age 4, that child’s brain is twice as active as the adult brain and continues at that rate until age 10, when it begins to slow down. By age 16, it has slacked off to the pace at which it will continue through adulthood.

God’s wisdom is seen in His stressing the importance of instilling in children the truths of His Word at an early age (Prov. 22:6; Deut. 6:4-7). By exposing them to a large quantity of Bible teachings in their early years, we can be instrumental in programming their “mental computers” so that they know the mind of God and think as He does. As they reach adulthood, they can then choose to have good, honest hearts that will make them faithful followers of the Lord.

(Lk. 8:15). —Mike Mays

A Hundred Dollars Only Buys So Much These Days....

Topic(s): Humor, Marriage

During a wedding rehearsal, the groom approached the preacher with an unusual offer. “Look, I’ll give you $100 if you’ll change the wedding vows. When you get to me and the part where I promise to ‘love and honor’ and ‘forsaking all others, be faithful to her forever,’ I’d appreciate it if you’d just leave that part out.” He passed the minister a $100 bill and walked away satisfied.

On the wedding day, the bride and groom got to the part of the ceremony where vows are exchanged. When it came time for the groom’s vows, the preacher looked the young man in the eye and said: “Will you promise to prostrate yourself before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life and promise eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will not ever even look at another woman, as long as you both shall live?”

The groom gulped, looked around, and said in a tiny voice, “Yes.” He then leaned forward and hissed, “I thought we had a deal.” The preacher put the $100 bill into his hand and whispered back, “She made me a much better offer.”

Happily Married Women

Topic(s): Marriage, Women

Health, happiness, and money are common benefits of marriage, a University of Chicago researcher found. Findings by Linda Waite, a professor of sociology, contradicted conventional wisdom that marriage is bad for women but good for men. Marriage brings benefits to both women and men by lengthening life, boosting physical and emotional health, and raising income over that enjoyed by people who are single, divorced, or living together, Waite said. She presented her findings at an annual Smart Marriages Conference in Washington. She said, “...The idea that marriage damages women’s emotional well-being derives from the 1972 publication of The Future of Marriage (Yale) by sociologist Jessie Bernard, The New York Times reported. She reported that married men are better off than single men on four measures of psychological distress, but that married women score higher on these negative traits than single women. Bernard’s findings were never replicated and were disputed, but entered the culture at large and helped spread the idea that “marriage is an oppressive institution for women,” said William Doherty, a professor of psychology at the University Of Minnesota.

—Religion Today, email news service, 8-4-98

Serious About Those Vows

Topic(s): Marriage

What are some “do’s” and “don’ts” about avoiding sexual temptations?

• Do keep visual reminders of your marriage contract. Always wear your wedding ring when in public. Keep pictures of your spouse in your wallet, as a desktop screensaver, or in your workspace. Frame your marriage certificate and keep on a prominent wall.
• Remember the contract you made with God, your parents, friends, church, and nation to be faithful to your partner. When you placed that ring on your mate’s finger, you promised your heart, affections, loyalty, and faithfulness “until death do you part.”
• Don’t be overconfident (1 Cor. 10:12). Recognize your weak points. One study showed that one is vulnerable after a major let-down, or a major success. Those who are depressed or are having marital trouble can easily fall into illicit relationships.
• Do avoid flirty people. If a flirtatious woman is in the break room, go outside to drink your coffee. If a man tries to flirt with you at a ballgame, find another seat. A wise person sees evil coming, and avoids it (Prov. 22:3).
• Don’t send mixed messages to those around you. Avoid prolonged stares, lingering touches, and any joking that might be construed as flirting.
• Do be on guard when out of your normal routine (1 Peter 5:8). Business trips, vacations, a new job, new membership at a gym or sports team, and similar changes are times of vulnerability. When away overnight, call home and talk to your spouse and children at least every night—and if you feel tempted, call home immediately. Take their pictures and put them in your motel room. Don’t hang out in the lobby or bar. Block out the TV sex channels—or just leave it off altogether (there are sexual images on most channels).
• Don’t let friendships cross the line. Never do anything when your mate is absent that you would not do in his/her presence. Most affairs begin by “just being friends.” One study shows that “friends” are those most likely to be adulterous companions (followed by “co-workers”). If things are heading toward adultery, it is important to put some emotional distance between you and this person...right now! Whatever you do, don’t express your feelings to him/her. It is also important to keep the right kind of friends. Those who tell you dirty stories or flirt with you are not really your friends. Avoid them! This is not because you are too good for them but because you are not good enough for them.
• Do be aware of the power immodest dress has on you and others. Don’t pick up the magazine; don’t click on the web link; sit with your back toward an indecently dressed female in a restaurant or at the office. Don’t wear a garment that sends a message you don’t want received.
• Don’t let a person of the opposite sex confide in you about marriage problems.
• Do take drastic action if a line has been crossed: quit a hobby/sport, change jobs, break a friendship, change congregations, move to a new city (completely avoid the place you see this person). When you reach your silver and then golden anniversaries, you’ll be glad you kept your vows.

“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? ...whoso committeth adultery... lacketh understanding:he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul” —Prov 6:27, 33