So you’ve decided to try Online Christian Personals. Great! Now let’s talk about safety dating tips to keep you from ending up in some whacko’s trunk!
Most online Christian personals, dating sites and Christian chatrooms provide some online safety dating tips, and do their best to ensure members’ privacy and safety while using their particular dating services. However, since none of these Christian dating sites can 100% guarantee that your next date will not be Ted Bundy II, Christian singles need to be proactive when it comes to dating safety. Here are our five top safety dating tips:
Safety Dating Tip 1
The Bible says it’s a wise and safe thing to have many counselors. So seek out several respected Christian friends and family members who would be willing to offer dating tip advice and accountability. These folks should be seen as a dating safety resource only, not as people you let run your life. While all dating decisions should be yours, hearing other opposing views can help you come to a right and godly dating decision.
Safety Dating Tip 2
Don’t be in a such a rush to meet your potential soulmate in person. Take it slow. If the Lord is really leading you in this relationship, there will be plenty of time together. Instead, use your online chatroom or e-mail experiences as a great way to get to know each other better. Ask questions about the other party’s beliefs, interests, jobs and family, always being on guard for inconsistencies.
One of my good friends who recently got engaged after initally meeting through eHarmony waited over six months before meeting his date in person. By that time, the two had already built great emotional and spiritual communication bridges.
Safety Dating Tip 3
Never publish or give out your real full name, address, home telephone number or private e-mail address to someone you just met online. This precaution will go a long way toward precluding any potetial harrassment or stalking. Quite a few Christian dating Services like Christian Cafe, for example, provide private in house e-mail accounts. If the partiuclar Christian matchmaker site doesn’t, simply create a free account with Yahoo or Hotmail and use a nickname or first name only.
Are we being overly cautious with this safety dating tip? Yeah. But your safety and that of your family’s (especially if you are a single parent dating) is more than worth it. Yes, you can be loving and wise simultaneously.
Safety Dating Tip 4
When you do decide to meet your Christian Date, make sure the location is a public place you know is safe. And while you’re at it, consider bringing along a trusted Christian guy or Christian girlfriend to assess the dating safety situation. Yeah, I know this dating tip could dampen the excitement of the initial meeting. But you could also pre-arrange a plan to have your friend split when things appear kosher. If your date has “a problem” with this arrangement, it should send up a red flag to you.
An alternative to the above dating tip is to arrange for a friend to call your cell phone 20 or 30 minutes into your date. If things are going well, great! If your senses tell you this date is not safe to continue, you could use the phone call to cut short the night.
While we’re on the subject of cell phones, you may want to consider purchasing a Global Positioning System (GPS) cell phone, that will be able to track your location wherever you go.
Safety Dating Tip 5
Seek the Lord for discernment and leading. This is wisest safety dating tip of all, even though it is the simplest. Pray for wisdom and guidance, and Jesus will direct you. (Proverbs 3:5+6, James 1:5). If at any time during the dating process you feel uncomfortable deep down in your heart, this could be the Holy Spirit prompting you to move one. Don’t feel embarrassed or worried what the other person may think. Your safety must come first, since no one else can take care of that.
Do you have a safety dating tip to share? Help other singles by sharing them on our site. In future articles we will be addressing more dating tips for Christian guys and girls.
Posted: Dating Tips, Christian Soulmates, Single Christian Network, Eharmony, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: none
Writing your online dating profile is the first and most important step when using online Christian Dating Services. However, while almost all the top internet Christian matchmaking services offer free trial memberships where you can post an online dating profile, very few offer dating profile writing tips. The purpose of this article is to gve you some practical steps toward writing a successful dating profile.
Before beginning to write your dating profile, consider what your actual goals are. For most Christian singles, an online dating profile serves as a “resume” used not only to attract interested singles, but most importantly to attract the quality of person you desire in a soulmate.
Top Dating Profile Tips
Considering the following online dating profile tips when writing your own profile will help you find the dating relationship you are seeking.
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Start by being honest. Being honest when writing a dating profile means not exaggerating on topics like physical appearance, job or financial staus. As my one friend stated; “His profile stated he was 6′1″, but when we met it was more like meeting a Hobbit.” That’s funny but sad. The lesson here is that writing a truthful dating profile can save you time and embarrassment. Be yourself and remember that you are looking for the person who will accept you for who you are, not for what you think they want you to be.
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When describing yourself in your dating profile freely express your values and interests. This is your opportunity to separate yourself from other dating profiles by telling people not only what you like, but why you like what you do. For example, many profiles state that the person loves the beach, but most don’t expound on what they like about the beach. Writing your dating profile this way makes for much more interesting reading. and lets the reader see part of the real you.
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Write to your target audience. What do we mean by that? Write your dating profile as if you were addressing an actual person, that particular soul mate you have been praying about meeting. Writing this way will instill passion in your writing, and save time by weeding out those single people who you would have no interest in dating anyway.
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Practice using a sense of humor in your dating profile. Having a sense of humor breaks down barriers and lets those reading your dating profile sense that you are a real and fun person.
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Don’t make your dating profile too long, because that can be boring and tedious for a reader. They told me this in seminary, and we can apply this to a dating profile: Always leave them wanting more! Dating profile experts (yes, there are such things :)) suggest a profile no longer than 250 words. The breakdowen should as follows: 150 words should describe yourself; 100 words or so could describe the mate or spouse you are seeking.
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Use a nice photo of yourself in the dating profile. That usually means a close up with not much flesh revealed. Research shows that those folks who include a photo in their profile get 15 times the amount of readers than those who choose not to use them. A couple words of caution here. Do I need to remind you to make it a recent photo? Did you know pics with sunglasses are not cool, but make people think you are hiding something? Okay, I’m done preaching.
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Finally, make sure you use a spell checker (I should talk). By using a text editor you can also cut and paste your profile on different sites, saving lots of time and hassle in case you want to modify it.
If you are single, please consider helping others by leaving to leave your comments on writing a dating profile.
Posted: Yahoo Personals, Dating Tips, BigChurch, PerfectMatch, Eharmony, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: none
A little over a decade ago, most Christian singles sought a soulmate through more traditional means. Looking for a soulmate online was taboo, and dating services had not yet grown into the $400+ million dollar business industry it is today. Back then, if a Christian guy or girl did not find their Christian soulmate through church singles groups, friends, colleagues or relatives, the only other options would have been to try out the bar scene (never a good idea).
While the traditional approach of how and where a Christian can meet his or her soulmate is still viable, seeking a soul mate online also has many benefits:
Highly Targeted Soulmate Search
You can choose criteria you feel is most complementary in a soulmate. Many times we are at the mercy of our well intentioned friends and relatives who try to set us up in matches we know would never work. With online date sites, compatiblity tests and vast databases gives you more control and a head start in the soulmate search.
Online Soulmate Searches Save Time
Okay, you’ve put the word out to several friends and relatives that you’re in the market to meet a soulmate. You attend singles outings and different events at various churches in your area. These are all good, traditional ways of finding a soulmate, but they take a huge investment of time with no guarantee that you will even meet one potential mate.
However, when you look for a soulmate through a Christian matchmaking site, you can do so 24/7 at your convenience in the comfort of your own home. You also have a huge pool of soulmate prospects right at your fingertips who are looking for the same things you are. This saves you much time and effort while in the date search mode.
Looking for a Soulmate Online Saves Moulah
A typical Dating site for single Christians can cost anywhere from $150 to $200 dollars per year. That sounds pretty steep until you compare that with what it’s been costing you in money and time to go out several nights a month.
Overall, looking for a soulmate online and the more traditional ways of dating should not be couched as an either/or proposition. Using both approaches can be complementary as you seek the Lord for a Christian marriage partner and soulmate.
Feel free to share your comments regarding seeking a soulmate online.
The most popular Christian dating service in the world
Posted: Single Parents Dating, Dating Tips, Christian Singles Soapbox, Yahoo Personals, Eharmony, PerfectMatch, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: soulmate, singles
Senior dating online is all the rage among among singles of all types including senior dating Christian singles. Yet, the perception of many senior dating single men and women is that only young adults would be adventurous enough to use an online dating service. Hello! According to a Pew Internet and American Life Study, senior dating online (senior dating defined as 40+ years old singles) accounted for over 50% of all internet dating between September 2005 and December 2005. That’s a whole lot of Baby Boomer senior dating going on! And the predictions among online senior dating service industry experts is that these senior dating figures are just going to keep growing. Why is online senior dating growing?
There are several reasons why single Christians above the age of 40 would use a senior dating online service.
Senior Dating Online
For starters, the number of Baby Boomers entering the “senior dating” age brackets grows with each and every year. But while this group of people is getting older, they are not surrendering to the concept of old age. Since Boomers have always been avid consumers of new and exciting gadgets and fads, it should come as no surprise that senior dating online has become an accepted way to meet a mate.
Senior Dating and Time
Many senior dating men and women at this stage in their lives are very busy people. Some are at the zenith of their careers. Others may be single parents dating with a bunch of combined responsibilities. As one senior dater put it to me: “After working all day and taking care of the kids and home, I don’t have time to go out looking for a senior dating relationship. It’s much more convenient and quicker supplementing my search with online senior dating services”
Senior Dating During Mid-Life Changes
Many single men and single women in their 40s and 50’s are coming out of long term relationships. Whether they were recently divorced or widowed, questions and doubts about senior dating abound: “How do I do this dating thing again?” “Do I still have what it takes?” Many singles into online senior dating feel starting the dating process online is safer because it is done in the comfort of their own home, and they will be meeting people online who have similar backgrounds and dating goals.
If you are a single Christian interested in senior dating online, we recommend the following senior dating site, which offers a FREE seven day trial of the senior dating site:
Sign Up At Prime Singles for FREE
All of the below dating services offer free trial memberships and search databases that can help you zero in on senior dating singles in your area with similar interests and values. If you use an online senior dating service, please consider helping others by sharing your dating comments on senior dating.
Christian Mingle Singles
Christian Cafe
Christian Cupid
eHarmony - Free Personality Profile
Perfectmatch
Related Articles:
Thirty-Something Singles and Online Dating
40s and 50s Something Dating
Read Reviews ofOther Free Trial Dating Sites Used by Christians:
AmericanSingles
Christian Cafe
Christian Mingle
PerfectMatch-PerferctMatch.com
SingleC-Single Christian Network
BigChurch
Christian Soulmates
EHarmony
Specialty Christian Dating:
Top Black Dating Sites
Hispanic and Latin Dating
Single Parent Dating
See Our Favorites Matchmaking Sites
Posted: Senior Dating, Dating Tips, Single Parents Dating, Christian Singles Soapbox, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: senior dating
Need a brush up on First date do’s and don’t’s? Going on your first date with someone you met though one of the online dating services like eHarmony can be fun and exciting, but also a little scary. Let’s face it, the primary purpose of a first date is to assess whether there is enough chemistry to spend even more time together. There are a number of first date “do’s and don’t’s” questions to consider:
- What will we do on our first date?
- What should I wear?
- What should be the topic of conversation?
- How do I end the first date?
While each first date is as different as the number of singles in the world, there are a number of “first date do’s and dont’s that can help you have a great time:
First Date Dating Do’s and Don’ts
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This first dating step should occur before you step out your door. Make sure you are familiar with online safety dating tips, and plan accordingly.
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Choose activities where you will be able to speak with your date. I know movies and concerts are popular dates, but what good is it if you spend three hours together, but are not able to verbally communicate? Remember, great conversation causes sparks to fly, and is also a way to ascertain where your date’s heart is.
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Be totally centered on your date, even if there are numerous people nearby. This means giving your utmost attention to them by listening intently to their words and body language. This will not only help you interpret how the first date is going and when to call it a night, but will also make the other person feel more confident and relaxed.
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Your dress should be casual and attractive, but not sexually provocative. I’m sure you know what I mean (:
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Use humor and light-heartedness to relax yourself and your date.
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As Christian singles, it is totally appropriate and attractive to end the evening holding hands in prayer to the Lord, asking Him to guide you in this dating relationship.
First Date Dating No-Nos
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Never spend your first date speaking about your previous relationships and dating partners. Nothing is a bigger turnoff or more boring. Yuck! ):
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Don’t monopolize the conversation by centering too much on your own stories and needs.
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Don’t share your deepest, darkest secrets (and everyone has some) on your first date. We are not saying to not be honest and open, just allow some time to get to know each other in person.
- Make sure that you end your date in a way that makes your date want to go back out with you.
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Don’t overstay your first date, but always leave them wanting more. Spending too much time on your first date is similar to a preacher who had a great sermon for the first 30 minutes. Unfortunately he stretched it out for 60. Yawn! The lesson: Always leave your date wanting more of you, not less.
In future articles we will be discussing places to go on your first date. If you are a single Christian with first date stories to share, help other singles by commenting here.
Posted: Dating Tips, Single Parents Dating, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: first date, date, dating, online dating service, Christian singles, singles
New and creative dating ideas are difficult to come by, but essential in order to keep your dating relationship with your potential christian soul mate fresh and exciting.
Most singles find it a breeze to come up with their first few dating ideas; however, it’s the fourth dating idea and beyond that dating couples usually find difficult to plan. That’s why we put together the following dating ideas arranged in categories:
Romantic Dating Ideas
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Go on a picnic in the park, at the lake or beach
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Go for a nice. slow drive in the country
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Take a nature walk hand in hand
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Go to the Boardwalk or Carnival in your area
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Go to seasonal festivals (Strawberry, Lobster, etc)
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Enjoy arts and craft shows together
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Horseback riding
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Go to a concert or play
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Star gaze together. Look up when metor showers are prevalent, and wish upon some “shooting stars” while enjoying the summer breeze
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Prepare a dinner together, and eat by candlelight
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Go ice skating together
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Go to a theme park
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Go antique hunting
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Go shopping at a mall you have never been to together
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Take a trip to the city and window shop
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Go to a movie and share a bag of popcorn
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Go ballroom dancing, or take ballroom dancing lessons together.
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Take a bike ride in the country, mountains or along the beach
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Go to the zoo
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Work on a puzzle toether while enjoying great conversation
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Go out for ice cream at a quaint shop
Group Dating Ideas
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Throw a fun themed (say Hawaiian) party
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Have a barbecue
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Get the board games out and play couples against couples or guys against girls
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Play a sporting event like bowling or volleyball
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Plan a progressive dinner at different friends’ homes
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Miniature golf
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Skiiing or tobaggoning
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Camping
Feel Good Dating Ideas
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Going to church services or church related activities together
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Volunteer together at a local charitable organization like the Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity
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Visit a mutual friend or church family that needs encouraging, meals, etc.
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Visit a nursing home
Educational Dating Ideas
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Do a Bible book study together
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Visist a museum or historical sight
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Take a guided tour of a nearby city
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Take a couple of lessons at the local community center on something that interests both of you
The above dating ideas are not exhaustive, but simply a way to get you thinking in “out of the dating box” ways. Please feel free to share your dating ideas with other singles by adding your comments.
Posted: Dating Advice, Senior Dating, Dating Tips, Single Parents Dating, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: dating ideas, dating, dating relationship, singles, romantic, soul mate
Most Christian singles dating advice experts suggest that the primary purpose of a dating relationship is to determine whether or not the relationship is a match that willl lead toward marriage. The problem is that many singles stay in potentially harmful dating relationships they should have ended long ago.
Reasons For Overstaying a Dating Relationship
Whether the single people involved include a senior dating couple, single parents or college students, the top three reasons daters give for overstaying a romantic or dating relationship remain unchanged:
- Fear of being alone
- Fear and/or guilt over what the other person wil feel or do
- Fear of exchanging the the familiar for the unknown
Dating Tips: Relationship Red Flags
The dating advice here is that if you have one or more of the following dating relationship red flags, you should seriously reconsider whether this person is your lifetime soul mate:
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Does your dating partner verbally and/or physically abuse you? An abusive relationship works in a cycle like this: The abuser commits the act, but then apologizes profusely. The other dating single forgives the incident, and the dating relationship continues. Unfortunately, the abuse cycle repeats itself over and over again.
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Is your guy or girl overly controlling, possessive or jealous? An example of this type of behavior: She wants to go out with her girlfriends, but he “won’t allow it”, or makes her feel guilty for doing so.
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Do most of your family members and friends think you are making a huge mistake? Harmful dating relationships are easy to spot–unless you are the one in them! That’s why it’s important to listen, however difficult, to what the people close to us are saying.
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Does either dating party lack trust in the other? No dating relationship, let alone a marriage, can survive without implicit trust and faithfulness.
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Have you caught your dating interest lying about insignificant details? Remember, if your date finds it easy to lie about “little things”, he or she will certainly do so about the biggies.
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Does the other person never seem to have time for you, or make excuses why you cannot be together? If this is the case you can be sure that there is either boredom or disinterest in the dating relationship.
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Is he or she helping you get closer to Jesus, or causing you to sin and fall away? Have you fallen into sexual sin and/or lost your passion for Christ and His word?
Overall, remember the Lord is the one ultimately in charge of your dating relationship, and He promises to meet your every need (Phil. 4:19). He will lead you to the right person as you surrender to Him, but He also wants us to use our common sense. So use the above dating tips as common sense advice to help guide your dating relationship.
Are you a single Christian with other dating relationship red flags to share? Please consider helping others by sharing your dating advice here.
Posted: Dating Advice, Dating Relationships, Senior Dating, Dating Tips, Christian Singles Soapbox, Single Parents Dating, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: none
The best dating tip we could give Christian singles seeking a dating relationship is to learn how to fight. That may sound like whacky dating advice unless you know that the top reason both dating and married couples break up is a lack of communication in the area of conflict-resolution.
This is very important, so let me reiterate this dating advice a different way: Learning how to fight and argue successully is the best way to a lasting and happy dating and/or married relationship. Why? Because conflict in this life is inevitable, so you better learn how to deal with it.
Single Christians who never learn the art of fighting and arguing will most likely fail in any romantic dating relationship they enter. This is true whether they seek a soulmate through an online Christian dating service such as eHarmony, or any other way.
Additionally, ever meet that dating perfect match who looked so good together, and claim they never argue or fight? Don’t believe it. That romance made in heaven will be headed south soon unless they acknowledge the reality of conflict and arguments, and learn how to fight.
Whether you are a single person already dating or only hoping to, the following dating tips on learning how to argue and fight will be helpful:
Dating Tip 1:
Honestly and lovingly confront the problem, but leave out the personal attacks on your dating mate. If the argument or fight devolves into attacks on personhood, the battle (and possibly the dating relationship) has been lost.
Adam did this in the Garden after God confronted him with the problem of eating forbidden fruit. Instead of honestly acknowledging the problem, he put personal blame on both Eve and God: “This woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.” (Gen. 3:12)
Honestly addressing conflict sometimes means swallowing our pride by admitting we are part of the problem. Ever wonder what God would have done if Adam honestly admitted his part?
Dating Tip 2:
Listen to what the other person is actually trying to communicate. That means having earnest eye to eye contact as you open up your ears and heart, because communication can take place verbally, by action or body language. So, it’s important that you understand all these forms.
Many dating singles have a lack of communication in the area of conflict-resolution because they’re too busy thinking about their argument response rather than listening from the heart.
Don’t forget there was a reason God (James 1:19) told us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. He wrote it in part to help us avoid the pain of making further jackasses out of ourselves. This is what happens when we are clueless and careless about what others are thinking and feeling. Which brings us to our next tip.
Dating Tip 3:
Rephrase your boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s feelings and words back to them. Rephrasing accomplishes several important things:
1) It’s lets your date know that you are really listening, and are in touch with their feelings.
2) It ensures you that there is no mis-communication. Afterall, if you have to have a fight with your date, make sure you are arguing over the same things.
Here’s an example: “Sue, what I hear you saying is that you are feeling upset and hurt that I went out with the boys instead of with you Saturday night. It makes you feel sad that I would rather be with them than you. Is that right?” Sue’s response back will then give you further information on how to address the problem at hand. Of course, if a rolling pin pops out at this time, you may want to run to the hills!
Dating Tip 4:
Commit to solving the problem together, which often calls for compromising on the non-essentials. This also means going over “fighting ground rules” with your dating partner before a conflict actually arises. It may sound silly now, but it will save you heartbreak in the future.
Some suggested helpful dating ground rules on problem solving together:
1) Putting a time limit on “the silent treatment” and/or anger. Remember, the Scriptures in Ephesians 4:26 encourages you to “not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” It’s your choice, but prolonged anger will destroy any romance in a hurry.
2) Winning an argument should never be the goal, but forgiveness and reconcilation is.
Overall, please understand that you do not have to agree on every little issue. In fact, could you imagine how boring that would be?
Finally, even if not currently dating, singles can still benefit from these dating tips by going over scenarios on how they would react in given circumstances in the future.
Posted: Dating Tips, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: none
This dating tip advice is about how to avoid dating married men. Don’t laugh, the sad but true fact according to an MSNBC dating tips survey is that 30% of men using online dating services such as eHarmony are married! Surprised by the number of cheating, married rats? Don’t be.
In fact, whether a single woman meets her date through an online dating service, or at off line places like church or the market down the street, the 30% rat ratio remains constant. With this being the case, the chances are good that somewhere down the dating road, she will run into a dating married man.
Ladies, are we depressed yet? You don’t have to be because we have some practical Christian singles dating tips on how to spot a dating married man before becoming captivated by his lies. But before continuing with this little bit of dating advice on marital cheaters, let me say something to the guys. Guys, as one of your kind myself, let me say that we are not picking on you. We are just addressing an MSNBC dating survey that concentrated on married dating men. Yes, tons of research indicates married women cheat as much as men cheat. They just cheat for different reasons, and we will be addressing dating married women in a different article. Feel better now? Okay. 
If more than one of the following are present in your dating relationship, you probably have a dating married player.
Dating Advice on Spotting a Dating Married Rat
Dating Tip 1: A dating married man will rarely share his real last name with you.
Most cheats know that if they ever share their real names, they open themselves up to the possibility of exposure. In order to ensure you are dealing with the “Real McCoy” (no pun intended), our advice here is to take out your driver’s license, and playfully ask to see his. If he recoils at the idea, you may have a dating married rat.
Dating Tip 2: A dating married man will not tell you where he lives and/or you will never visit his home.
Of course, it’s natural and understandable on the first few dates if he does not share such information, especially if the man is a single parent dating with kids at home. However, as the dating relationship goes on, a cheat will come up with many creative reasons why you can’t even see the residence. Note: Getting hold of his licesne will solve this issue as well.
Dating Tip 3: A married dating guy will never share his home telephone number.
The invention of the cell phone has made it easier for marital cheats to hide their real lives from from those they are dating. Sharing his home number with you opens up the possibility that you will call when “wifey-poo” is at home. Our dating advice here is to listen to his reasons for not sharing or having a home number, and determine if it rings true or not.
Dating Tip 4: A dating married man has strange phone habits
Does he hang up unexpectedly at times, calling you back later with excuses as to why he could not speak? Do you only get his answering machine at certain times of the day when you know he should be home or available? Does he call you at whacky times? These are signs that he may be busy with his family.
Dating Tip 5: If dating married posted an ad online, he would not have posted a photo with a full face view.
The reason for this obvious: He doesn’t want that puss in full view for the whole world to see.
Dating Tips 6: You will not meet a dating married man’s immediate family.
That is, unless they are all “in” on the dating deception. A decent single guy will be more than happy, even honored, to have his family meet you. Not so with a dating married guy.
Overall, dating is a wonderful, fun experience, and you only end up marrying those whom you first date. However, there are lots of risks out there whether a person uses online dating services or goes the traditional dating route. The key is not to be naive , but to use the wisdom God has given you. Remember Jesus’ words: “Be as wise as serpents, but as gentle as doves.”
Are you a single person with dating advice tips to share? Anything further to share about dating married men? Feel free to leave your comments.
Posted: Dating Tips, Christian Singles Soapbox, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: none
Here is some needed dating advice: Creating a great online dating profile without a dating picture of yourself is like having a nice, shiny new car with an empty tank. Huh? Yep, singles who see your picture on dating service ads are over 12 times more likely to click on your dating profile to find out how wonderful you really are.
For better or worse, while single guys are generally much more visual than girls, both sexes tend not to click on personal ads unless they first check out the potential soulmate’s dating picture. You probably already know this is true because you do the same thing.
Of course, if the dating picture itself is unflattering, most singles will pass by the profile as well. This brings us to the point of our whole dating tip article. What makes a good, online dating picture?
Dating Picture Tips
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Make sure your dating pictures include a nice, clear closeup of your face, without the shades. That’s a definite no-no, because it makes people suspect you are trying to hide something, like your true identity! If possible, include a number of photos that show a full body view. The reason for this is made clear below.
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Your online dating pictures should be an accurate and truthful representation of the real you. By doing so you take pressure off yourself when you finally meet your date in person. Accurate, up to date pictures will help you relax and just be yourself when you finally meet your dating partner in person. He or she will have already accepted your physical appearance. Wouldn’t that be neat? No pressure to please or to keep that hair piece in place makes for an enjoyable first date.
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Stay away from group shots. How many times, have you seen an online dating picture, but you weren’t sure who was who? The worst scenario would be for the guy to be attracted to your friend in the pic instead of you. So just go solo, okay? Afterall, you’re the person they want to see.
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If you are a single parent dating, please don’t put your children in the picture. There’s a time and place for your potential mate to see your kids, but this is not it. For safety’s sake, it also not a good idea to put your kids’ sweet faces online. Too many crazies out there, so why not err on the side of safety?
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Let trusted friends see your dating picture before placing it online. They may give you advice that saves you from putting a bad dating picture on your dating service ad.
Are you a single with different dating tip advice for putting your picture online? Help others by sharing your dating picture ideas.
Posted: Dating Tips, All Recent Singles Posts Tags: dating picture, dating pictures, dating tip, advice, dating picture tips, online dating, singles, dating profile, personal ads.
A famous 50s break up song gives us this little bit of dating advice on how to break up: “Breaking up is hard to do.” No, ya think?
Whether you are a Christian single couple in a courtship or an online dating relationship, how you break up a relationship will be emotionally painful for both of you. If you are contemplating a break up of your dating relationship, considering the following dating advice may help you avoid a wrong decision, while making it as easy and painless as possible.
6 Dating Advice Tips on Break Ups and Ending a Relationship
Ask the Lord for wisdom ( see James 1:5)
As a single Christian, praying for guidance and wisdom in the matter of a break up should be the very first course of action before making any dating decisions. You will be less likely to make a mistake if you do so.
Discuss the break up possibility with family and friends
God often leads through our parents’ dating advice, even if they are not Christians. Proverbs teaches that there is wisdom in using a multiplicity of counselors, so also discuss the possibility of a break up with trusted Christian friends. They may very well give you some much needed advice that helps you make a decision, or puts the relationship in a completely different light. Be sure to use these valuable resources.
Be honest, but speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)
Never bash your dating partner personally, which will only hurt them even more and affect their self worth for quite some time. Do you really want to do that? Instead, tenderly explain why you feel God’s leading you to end the relationship. As you do this, remember the “Golden Rule”, and how it would feel if someone was breaking up with you.
While face to face conversation allows for far better closure, if that is not possible, a handwritten letter is the next best thing. A typed or emailed “Dear John” letter is seen as cold and mean.
Don’t delay the inevitable
Okay, you’ve prayed over the break up. You’ve discussed the issues with family, minister and friends. You know what you need to do. Delaying the obvious now will not only cause more pain for both of you, but will delay the healing process. By acting now, you give the Lord opportunity to begin leading both of you to the soulmates He has in mind.
Many delay break ups because they may be using the other person until “something better” comes along. Another reason for delayed break ups is that the other person is manipulating by putting the person who wants the break up on a “guilt trip” to remain in an unhealthy dating situation.
Make a clean break
Right, this is going to be hard, but you must be strong here because it is in the best interests of both to move forward. This means after the break up there should be no face to face meetings (if possible), no emails, telephone calls, letters, etc. While some couples may agree to remain friends, the data suggests that in over 90% of breakups, this fails miserably, and only lengthens the healing process.
Learn from the dating experience
Use this dating experience to learn from your mistakes, and build on the future. What has the Lord taught you about yourself? What has he taught you about what you need in a husband or a wife? If you’ve sexually sinned in this relationship, remember Jesus forgives and cleanses (1John 1:9). Finally, thank Him for the bright plans He has for you (Jer. 29:11).
Are you single with dating advice to share about break ups? Feel free to comment here.
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Christian Singles Secrets
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You’ve decided to give online Christian dating a try. Great! But unless you’re really sold on one particular online Christian dating site, the dating advice here is to diversify by using several dating services. There are several positive reasons why you would benefit by using more than one Christian dating service.
Why Try Several Christian Dating Sites?
Dating advice: You can compare sites for FREE before buying
You have nothing to lose by way of money because most online Christian dating sites offer Free trial memberships that allow you to test out their services without obligation. Taking advantage of free trials alllows you the opportunity to test drive before buying into one Christian dating site. (In fact, all the sites listed on our sidebar offer some form of free membership).
As you compare dating services, take into account such things as the cost, the number and location of Christian singles in the database and how user friendly the service is. For example, unless you’re into long distance relationships, what good is a dating service to you if the nearest potential soulmate is half way around the world?
By checking out each service, you will become educated on what makes a good online Christian dating site, and save yourself heartache and time in the long run. This also makes sense when you think about how expensive full membership costs are on some of these sites.
Dating advice: You will meet more available singles in your area
It’s really simple: The more you expand your base, the greater the chance of meeting that special mate. By putting your “eggs in one online dating service basket”, you limit the number and quality of potential matches. For example, one Christian single friend of mine got completely turned off after using eHarmony because they only matched her with one person, and he lived 3000 miles away! Take advantage of the online Christian dating sites that allow you to search the databases for singles in your area.
Dating advice: You can tweak your profile and picture layout
Two of the most important things to get right is writing your dating profile and submitting a decent picture of yourself. This is really a science and an art. If you fail in any of these areas, you will get few responses and have a poor online dating experience.
Joining up for free trial memberships at various Christian dating services allows you the ability to test out your profile and picture layout in different ways. This will allow you to determine which works best for you.
Are you a single person with online dating advice about Christian dating services? Please help other singles by sharing your online dating experiences.
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Dating after divorce for Christians is wrought with theological and emotional minefields. So before discussing dating tips for the newly divorced, let us express our simple views on what we feel the Bible teaches about divorce and remarriage. A future article will discuss this in depth.
The bottom line is God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16), and desires couples to reconcile if at all possible. However, under certain circumstances where there has been unrepentant infidelity, the offended party may divorce and remarry. Of course, no one remarries without first going through a dating or courtship process.
Finally, we believe dating after divorce should never be an end in itself, but should be part of a process that leads toward a lifelong commitment in marriage. Okay, ready to talk about some dating tips?
Dating After Divorce Tips
Take it Slow
Hello? You’ve just experienced the death of a relationship that you thought would last forever. You NEED time to grieve and heal. What we teach folks in Family Divorce Court classes is that they should do their best to avoid a dating after divorce relationship for at least one year after their divorce. Why?
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Because you need to reacquaint yourself with who you are as a single person. For so long you may of thought in terms of “us”, but you are now alone. It’s a time for soul searching, taking stock of what went wrong and seeking the Lord for new direction in your life (Proverbs 3:5,6).
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Not dating during this period of adjustment will save you from making stupid, impulsive mistakes. Remember, whether you admit it or not, you are in a vulnerable, needy state, and your self esteem has taken a beating. You could be taken advantage of during this time, and hearts could be further broken.
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Even though you may be doubting your appeal to the opposite sex at this time, getting into rebound relationships will only delay your healing process. That’s a fact. Furthermore, statistics show that the vast majority of people who date shortly after a separation and/or divorce have a difficult time remaining sexually pure, make regrettable moral choices and tend to repeat prior relationship mistakes.
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When you are finally ready to date again, you may want to consider the benefits of online dating. By starting online, you can proceed at your own pace in the safety of your own home.
Think of your children first
If you have children, the very worst thing you could inflict upon them is dating before you and they have properly healed and acclimated to a new way of life. Most kids dream about mommy and daddy getting back together again. That’s why they need time to face reality. When the time does come to introduce the children to your dating partner, this article on single parents dating and their kids may help.
Join a support group
There are many Christian singles groups specifically designed for the newly divorced, whether they have children or not. These can be a wonderful help to you and your family. Groups like DivorceCare.com meet all over the world and offer emotional and spiritual support. Here you can also meet people in your area who are struggling with similar dating issues.
If you are a single divorcee or Christian with views to share on dating after divorce, please help other singles by voicing your comments.
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Having good conversation starter skills are key to any successful dating or marriage relationship. Have you ever seen a dating couple enjoying a great conversation? You can just see and feel those sparks flying all over the place! Learning how to have good conversations with your potential soul mate will not only help you both grow closer, but will also make for a much more enjoyable dating experience.
Yet, how many of us seem at a loss when we try to start a conversation? Later on, we kick ourselves for not saying that funny thing or timely word. Duh! However, if you put into practice the following conversation starter tips for dating, you are on your way to succeeding in the future.
Conversation Starter Advice
Conversation Starter Tip 1: Don’t Hog the Ball!
We all hated that when we were kids, and as single adults we hate it when someone hogs a conversation. Remember, a good conversation starts with a dialogue, not a monologue. That means allowing your date to get in some of his or her thoughts as well.
Ever meet a person who asks you how you are doing, but then before you can open your mouth they spend the next 10 minutes droning on about their stuff? The bottom line is it’s boring and annoying all rolled into one, so don’t do it, okay?
Conversation Starter Tip 2: Show an Interest in Their Passion
Everyone enjoys speaking about themselves and their interests. So discover what your boyfriend or girlfriend is passionate about, and ask them sincere, open ended questions about the topic. You will see your date come alive, and a nice and easy flowing conversation will ensue. You may also find out something interesting and surprising about your single friend that you didn’t already know.
Conversation Starter Tip 3: Be Prepared with Topics
Think about some interesting topics to discuss from daily events, news or funny things that have happened to you recently. Just remember to avoid boring or controversial topics, like talking incessantly about the ex-girlfreind or boyfriend. This happens to be the number one complaint singles give about their dating partners.
Conversation Starter Tip 4: Give Them Undivided Attention
When you are having a conversation with your friend, make sure you concentrate solely on them. Look intently into their eyes while they are speaking. This not only makes them feel important, but will give them the impression that you really do care about what they are saying. And you do, right?
Conversation Starter Tip 5: Be Vulnerable
It’s hard to start a conversation with an overly guarded person. Hanging out with such a person is also a huge turnoff. Hey, we’re not saying you should be giving away your bank account number to strangers, but opening up your heart a little bit by sharing your feelings helps the other person relax, and makes them open to sharing as well.
Conversation Starter Tip 6: Understand Body Language
Did you know that 93% of communication is non-verbal? So when you are starting a conversation with your date, take cues from their body language to assess if you are communicating well.
Good signs to look for when having a conversation: Leaning forward to you, dilated pupils, revealing palms and wrists, smiling, or uncrossed arms and legs. As you might have guessed, a dating tipoff that your conversation is not going well would include: folded arms and/or legs, rolling eyes, smirks, yawns, leaning back and looking away from your eye contact. A smart communicator will gauge body language, and adjust their conversation accordingly.
I’m sure there are many other conversation starter tips we haven’t shared. Feel free to share and help others if you have any other conversation dating tips.
Related Article:Â
Conversations to Avoid with Your DateÂ
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What are some signs of a good Christian dating relationship? What qualities would you look for in the “right one” for you as a Christian single? Generally, the following list of signs should be present in your Christian dating partner if you are considering a lifelong commitment in marriage.
Good Christian Dating Relationships
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Your dating interest (we assume he or she is a Christian) is growing more and more in love with Jesus. Just as important, he/she has not caused you to stumble sexually, but has also had a positive spiritual influence on you.
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He or she has a good sense of humor. Why is this important? Life is full of valleys and tribulations, but a good sense of humor will help keep things in perspective. People who can see humor in their circumstances generally have a cheerful outlook on life, which is very important to a successful relationship. Proverbs 17:22 states “A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”
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He or she respects your feelings, needs, interests and dreams. They are not “control freaks” or overly possessive, but give you the personal space to succeed by being your own person.
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He or she is able to converse and be vulnerable with you. This means being able to be intimate and communicate on the heart level. They can honestly share true feelings, whether they be positive or negative.
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Your guy or gal possesses good conflict resolution skills, and knows how to argue constructively.
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Your dating partner has loving relationships with their family members and friends. Watch how they treat those closest to them, beacause this is how they will most likely begin treating you.
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Your single friend is financially stable. This does not mean they need to be a millionaire, but they should be able to support themselves.
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Your dating partner is “over” their past dating relationship. If they are constantly bringing up the “ex”, you can assume this is not the case.
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They take care of themselves physically and emotionally.
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They have a good relationship with your parents and friends. Note: If your parents and closest Christian friends feel something is wrong with the dating relationship, proceed with great caution.
Of course, the above is not an exhaustive list of good signs to look for in your Christian dating relationship partner. If you can think of any other positive dating relationship qualities, please consider helping other singles by sharing your views.
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What Christian Single Girls Want in a Guy
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