New Domain

Due to the very rapid growth of this site, I’ve decided to purchase a domain and continue blogging at www.christiandate101.com. With the new domain I can make it more “reader-friendly” and hope to add more pages. I’ll be making all my future posts at that site, and look to seeing you there!!

 God Bless,

Chris

 http://www.christiandate101.com/

So You Want To Break Up

I can’t believe that I have been writing for so long and haven’t realized that I haven’t hit on this topic. It’s safe to say that every relationship results in marriage or breaking up. Regardless, it may come to the point where you don’t believe that the two of you should be together and therefore need to call it quits. I’ve been there before and believe me - it’s not the best feeling in the world.

Look to the Bible - One of the first things to remember when calling it off is Luke 6:31: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” If your idea of breaking up involves anything that you don’t think the other person would appreciate, don’t do it! If you think that it’s time to call it quits, think before you act. It’s always a great idea to know what you’re going to say instead of “winging it.”

Seek advice of others - You should have other couples and mature Christians to talk to throughout your relationship, and this is a great time to get their advice. Do they think that it’s time to call it off or do they think that you should tweak some things and keep going? While they may not know all the information about your relationship, chances are they have a pretty good idea solely through observation.

No need for a laundry list - Don’t bust out with a long list of reasons why you are breaking up. Chances are your boyfriend/girlfriend will also feel like the two of you need to break up and therefore it’s not necessary to point out all of their faults. When sharing that you believe the two of you need to break up, simply tell them that you’ve thought about it, prayed about it, and came believe that the relationship should not continue (of course this isn’t the only thing that you should tell them - just be honest!)

If you definitely know that it’s not going to work, don’t drag it out - This is a big one. If you were dating someone and thought you were going to get married but your partner has different ideas, wouldn’t you want them to tell you instead of having that hope for weeks, months or even years? Don’t stay together just to say that you have a boyfriend/girlfriend. That is one of the worst reasons to be in a relationship since eventually it will end in breaking up (even if you don’t want to admit it).

Don’t expect them to be totally fine - Of course they are going to feel hurt! Give them time to process what just happened and then follow up with them at a later time to see if you can help.

Try your best to still be friends even after the relationship is over - You’ll both be thankful that you are still friends after a relationship. I’m not going to lie - it’s going to be pretty awkward for awhile. But once you both realize that ending your relationship was for the best, you’ll still value your friendship.

I’ll be sure to post about if you are on the receiving end of breaking up. Sadly, I have been on that side of the fence as well and will share some tips on how to handle it.

God Bless!

Learning to Fight Fair

It happens to the best couples around the world. It is simply unavoidable. Can you guess what it is? If you guessed fighting then you’re right. While fighting may mean a bunch of different things, I’m talking about verbal altercations that can cause stress on your relationship. This touchy subject can cause huge problems for your relationship if not handled properly. Couples tell me all the time how they “fight constantly” and they don’t think that they can continue in their relationship. This is always a tough topic to handle, but I’ll let you know tips that have worked for me. So - if, (or should I say when), a fight is coming, what should you do?

Figure out a time that works for both of you - I am a morning person while my fiance is a night owl. I can’t tell you the number of times when she wants to start a “serious” conversation around 12:15 in the morning. Likewise, I occassionally push for doing our “serious” talks early in the morning. So, in an attempt to ease our time preferences, we try and talk in the afternoon or early evening - it works great!

State the EXACT problem - This one is really important. I have had many problems with my fiance because we’re talking about two different things! Chances are this will happen to you if you don’t let each other know what’s going on. If you walk in the room and start blasting the other person, do you think they are going to know what’s going on?

Stay focused on the topic -I have found it best to tackle one issue at a time. You may have multiple issues that you have to talk about, but try and focus on talking through one of them before you get to the next one. Typically if you try and let your partner know “everything” that is on your mind in one sentence, they may feel overwhelmed and not be willing to talk.

Take a step back - This one is important especially for those people who like to get fired up about some things. I know that if my fiance and I are fighting about something, I like to look at the big picture. “Is this problem really going to make me stressed out all day?” Chances are it’s something random that won’t affect your relationship in the long run. Of course there are issues that can cause HUGE problems in the relationship (an example would be having an affair), but it is still important to realize why you are in love with that person.

Don’t think that there has to be  a “winner” and a “loser” - If there was a contest between who was the “winner” and who was the “loser” in my relationship, my fiance would win consistently. She was on the speech and debate team in high school, which makes our discussions much more interesting. Sometimes she’ll say something and I’m completely floored - I have no idea what to say. It’s OK if there isn’t a “winner” and “loser” - sometimes you have to make compromises and that’s a great way to strengthen a relationship.

Avoid generalizations - If you look across the internet about fighting, this one comes up constantly. You shouldn’t use words such as “never” or “always” when discussing an issue. Using these words just cause more problems since the person may go on the defensive and say something wrong about you. Along with this point, DO NOT bring up issues from the past. This is a great way to kill the conversation!

Most of all - PRAY - This one is HUGE. I can’t stress the importance of praying through an argument. I will occassionally pray for wisdom in my arguments with my fiance. Sometimes after the conversation is over, I’ll think about it and realize that God had to have guided that conversation. Pray for wisdom and God will grant it:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Look to God in all your discussions - not just the ones that cause arguments!

God Bless!

Pulling off the Double Date

At some point during your life, chances are you will go on a double date. Usually it’s two really good friends that happen to have boyfriend/girlfriend’s and want to do something together. Can it be awkward? - Oh yeah - but I’m giving you some tips on how to make it a great (or average if you are in that much trouble) night for the four of you.

My fiance and I love going on double dates. There’s something great about going out with people who can relate to what you’re going through and laugh about things that another couple would understand. My fiance and I typically go on a double date at least twice a week with different couples. I’ve found that there are some things that work great and then there are things that turn out to be horrendous.

Things to keep in mind:

1. Figure out where the four of you will go BEFORE you get together -This would seem like common sense, but I’ve been on double dates when all of us stand around asking each other what to do. This usually lasts for awhile until it’s too late to actually do anything. Ask the other couple where they like to eat, where they like to go, etc. You don’t have to have an exact plan, but get a general idea of what you want to do before you get together! 
2. Don’t forget that you’re still on a date - This one is HUGE - especially for all you guys. I’ve seen guys who think that since they are with other people they don’t have to act like Christian men who love their girlfriend’s. Guys - keep opening doors, pay for meals and speak highly of your girlfriend - just because you are out with another couple doesn’t mean that you should stop doing these things!
3. Don’t feel like you have to always include the other couple in every point of the conversation - I know some people are reading this and wondering what I’m talking about, but it really does make sense. It’s OK at times to look to your boyfriend/girlfriend and say something. It will give the other couple an opportunity to talk themselves - remember - BOTH couples are on a date, so it’s nice to do something alone.
4. Show up on time - This one drives me nuts. I’m a very punctual person, and so when the other couple shows up late it can really start things off on a bad note. You especially don’t want to show up late if some people don’t know each other!
5. Be relaxed - Sometimes I feel as if you need to give the impression that your relationship is perfect between you and your boyfriend/girlfriend. I quickly learned that all couples are not perfect and chances are they are dealing with some of the same issues as the two of you!
6. Be yourself - This is a big one. I’ve been on double dates where it’s like the guy I know just turned into some crazy kid. Don’t try and be someone you’re not because chances are people will know.
7. Don’t show too much PDA - For all of you who don’t know, PDA is short for “public display of affection.” This is a big one. I’ve been on dates where it seems like the other couple is all over each other. That may be fine for the two of you, but it may make the other couple feel awkward (especially if they just started dating!).
8. Stay away from “personal” topics - By personal I mean things that can cause a huge division between the four of you. These could be anywhere from politics to abortion (I’m definitely Pro-Life but you never know about other people). Also, try not to bring up “inside jokes” that only you and your boyfriend/girlfriend know about. You wouldn’t want the other couple to do that - so you shouldn’t either!
9. Don’t forget about God - Once again - you’d assume that this would be common sense on a double date between two Christian couples, but I’ve seen people who seem to forget this fact. You should still pray before meals, and can even talk about what is going on at your church. Simply talking about your church (if the other couple attends there as well) is a great conversation starter and can lead to great discussion!

Apply these tips and you’ll be well on your way to pulling off a successful double date. As with everything posted on this site, use judgment when figuring out how to personalize the date. Who knows, you may have found a couple that you become great friends with!

Ways to Pray Together

I’ve received a lot of requests to write about praying together. In one of my previous posts I touched on how important it is to pray together but a lot of people have been wondering how to pray together on a regular basis. I understand how this can be an intimidating activity, so I’ve listed a few ways that can get you going.

Once again, it’s so important in a Christ-centered relationship to be praying together on a regular basis. Across the board, Christian couples who pray together can tell you how important it is in becoming closer to God and making Him the center of your relationship. Is it somewhat awkward at first? It definitely can be, but the rewards are great.

Once you find a quiet area where the two of you can be alone, one of the first things that you should do before you pray together is simply talk. Ask each other prayer requests, joys and concerns. I’ve found that even having a casual conversation before praying can bring up issues that would otherwise not be mentioned.  It’s important to talk before praying, but make sure that talking does not become the focus of your time together! Remember, you came together to PRAY! After you have listened to each other’s prayer requests, go to God in prayer.

I’ve listed a number of different ways that you can pray together. Some couples like to pray different ways, while others prefer to do the same thing over and over again. Either way you look at it, God just wants you to talk to Him! All the ways to pray together have no time limit. You shouldn’t be putting a time limit with God! Feel free to go as long (or as short) as you want with any of these ways. Remember, you and your boyfriend/girlfriend may not prefer exactly the same way of praying and that’s OK - just remember that you need to pray together!

Traditional Praying - The reason I call this “traditional prayer” is that this is how I grew up praying. In my family, we would often list prayer requests and then each take a turn praying. It may not be traditional to you (maybe you grew up a different way) and that’s OK! The way traditional praying is done between a couple is that one person prays, followed by the other person and then the prayer is over. I’m not going to lie - this is the way I feel most comfortable, but my fiance feels differently.

Popcorn Prayers - I’ve been to a number of retreats where this is very popular. If you feel intimidated to pray with the other person, this is a great way to go to God together. The way that Popcorn Prayer works is that you say one thing at a time and then switch to the other person. You switch back and forth until you can’t think of anything more. For example, I would pray about one thing and then my fiance would pray for one thing and we just continue back and forth. I’ve found that by praying this way you are more attentive to your surroundings and can praise God about them!

Praying Before Meals - This is a great way to incorporate God into your every day life. Don’t think that you only come together in prayer in your private life. Whether you are at home or in a restaurant, take some time and pray together before your meal. You can do this separately, or have someone say a verbal prayer for both of you (I really like the verbal prayer).

Pray if there is something that is causing stress - I’ve done this a number of times and found that it really calms me (and my fiance) down. There are a number of different things that can be causing stress, so this is something that is unique to each couple. For example, if you are about to go into the dentist office to have you wisdom teeth removed, come together as a couple and pray. Pray for the doctors, pray that your boyfriend/girlfriend is calm and any other things that you can think of. All situtations are different and therefore prayer is important because every time you pray God is listening!

This is a small list of ways that you can pray together. There are countless ways that you can go to God. If you ever doubt that God is not doing anything, relax, He’s listening! Go to God in prayer on a regular basis and you will become closer to Him.

Make Sure To Say “I Love You!”

“I love you.” Three syllables that can change the dynamic of a relationship. With thousands and thousands of words in the English language, it’s amazing how important these three words are in a Christian relationship.

I remember these three words were the most scary thing I could say to my fiance at one point. No joke - around the beginning of our relationship I once told her “Wow, I really, really, really LIKE you.” Of course we both knew that we wanted to say it, but we weren’t at that point in our relationship. After we went back home, she wrote me an email and then thought it’d be funny to sign her name:

Like,

Lauren

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t find it very funny at first (now I think it’s hysterical).

I can tell you first hand that these three words do not exactly flow off your toungue like any other words! Once you do get them out of your mouth, it’s crucial to constantly remind each other of this fact!

The first time I said “I love you” to my fiance was a winter night as we were dealing with some difficult issues. We both realized that while we were not having the best night together, we couldn’t imagine spending our time with anyone else (there were other reasons too!). To this day, I still remember the look she had on her face (I’m sure I had the same one on my face) when I told her I loved her. She first responded by saying “really?” and then after I assured her that I did, it was like the sun had come out! Ever since that night, we make sure to let each other know that we love them every single day.

Am I saying that you need to say “I love you” every hour, on the hour? Not at all - just make sure that you say those three words every day. I once heard a story about a man who was asked if he remembered all the times he went to church. Since he’d been going to church for so long he clearly responded by saying “no.” He then proceeded to tell the other man that even though he couldn’t remember all the church services, he also couldn’t remember all the meals that his wife had cooked him over the many years of their marriage. The fact that he couldn’t remember the meals doesn’t mean that he didn’t need them! This same principle is applied with saying “I love you” on a regular basis. You’re not going to remember every time they say “I love you”, but it’s always so encouraging!

Don’t think that you can only say “I love you” verbally! While actually saying it to them speaks volumes, you can show them that you love them through actions. There are countless websites out there on how to say “I love you” in a meaningful way. I actually found a website that listed “1001 ways to say I love you” - that’s right 1001. I can’t imagine how long that must have taken to write out!

Simply by writing a small note, surprising them, or giving them something they enjoy says “I love you.” Be creative - every relationship is different!

Make Sure To Say “I Love You!”

“I love you.” Three syllables that can change the dynamic of a relationship. With thousands and thousands of words in the English language, it’s amazing how important these three words are in a Christian relationship.

I remember these three words were the most scary thing I could say to my fiance at one point. No joke - around the beginning of our relationship I once told her “Wow, I really, really, really LIKE you.” Of course we both knew that we wanted to say it, but we weren’t at that point in our relationship. After we went back home, she wrote me an email and then thought it’d be funny to sign her name:

Like,

Lauren

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t find it very funny at first (now I think it’s hysterical).

I can tell you first hand that these three words do not exactly flow off your toungue like any other words! Once you do get them out of your mouth, it’s crucial to constantly remind each other of this fact!

The first time I said “I love you” to my fiance was a winter night as we were dealing with some difficult issues. We both realized that while we were not having the best night together, we couldn’t imagine spending our time with anyone else (there were other reasons too!). To this day, I still remember the look she had on her face (I’m sure I had the same one on my face) when I told her I loved her. She first responded by saying “really?” and then after I assured her that I did, it was like the sun had come out! Ever since that night, we make sure to let each other know that we love them every single day.

Am I saying that you need to say “I love you” every hour, on the hour? Not at all - just make sure that you say those three words every day. I once heard a story about a man who was asked if he remembered all the times he went to church. Since he’d been going to church for so long he clearly responded by saying “no.” He then proceeded to tell the other man that even though he couldn’t remember all the church services, he also couldn’t remember all the meals that his wife had cooked him over the many years of their marriage. The fact that he couldn’t remember the meals doesn’t mean that he didn’t need them! This same principle is applied with saying “I love you” on a regular basis. You’re not going to remember every time they say “I love you”, but it’s always so encouraging!

Don’t think that you can only say “I love you” verbally! While actually saying it to them speaks volumes, you can show them that you love them through actions. There are countless websites out there on how to say “I love you” in a meaningful way. I actually found a website that listed “1001 ways to say I love you” - that’s right 1001. I can’t imagine how long that must have taken to write out!

Simply by writing a small note, surprising them, or giving them something they enjoy says “I love you.” Be creative - every relationship is different!

Do Opposites Really Attract?

When you think about opposites, you usually think of things like “night and day”, “life and death”, or maybe even the Red Sox and Yankees. Have you ever thought that couples can be opposites? My relationship is living proof that opposites DO attract.

Some of you may be reading this because you are in the “friendship” stage and aren’t sure if your differences will prevent you from dating. Some of you may be reading this because you are in the first stages of your relationship and aren’t quite sure if you should work through your differences or simply throw in the towel. Some of you may even being reading this because you are in a long-term relationship and want assurance about your differences. No matter why you are reading this post, I can assure you that just because you and your boyfriend/girlfriend are different doesn’t mean that your relationship won’t work!

You may be thinking, “You don’t understand - I am totally different from this person I’m in love with!” I can honestly say that my fiance and I are pretty much opposites in most every topic. We like to joke that the only thing that is similar between the two of us is that we have two arms and speak English. Granted, that is an extreme exaggeration, but when we are trying to make decisions, it feels that way sometimes! To give you an example of how opposite we are, we once went to Lowe’s and walked around looking for things to put into our future home. I think we looked at about 50 items and agreed on around 6. Common sense tells you that we have a long road ahead of us when it comes to making decisions, however, we tend to look at our differences as a blessing.

I remember when my fiance and I started dating how fast our differences were catching up to us. I preferred the polo shirts while she preferred the hoodies (PLEASE don’t base your relationship on how the other person dresses!). I tended to swing Republican while she agrees with Democrats. I can’t stand dogs, she loves them and wants them in the future (I’m still working on accepting that one…). I love cats, she’s allergic to them. As you can see, we didn’t have many things going for us! We quickly realized that even though we had these glaring differences, we had one thing going for us…

The thing that we did have going for us was our FAITH. That’s right, since this is a Christian dating blog, it’s important to note just how important faith can be in a relationship. You’ll be amazed at how the other things don’t really matter that much once you base your relationship around Christ and His plans. Am I saying that if you both are Christians and believe the same things that life won’t be hard? No - you’ll still have to make some very difficult decisions (the fact that you can come to God in prayer helps in those decisions!), but it’s such a blessing to know that the “important” things are agreed on.

If you are still in the friendship stage wondering if you should pursue a dating relationship, a basic question to ask is “do I like spending time with this person?” I know people who have the same interests as me, however, we usually don’t spend time together because it’s no fun talking to them! Differences can be a great thing in relationships! Why would you want to date someone exactly like yourself?!

If you are thinking about throwing in the towel of your new relationship, ask yourself where the relationship is headed. Do you see yourself getting married to this person while glorifying God in all you do? If your boyfriend/girlfriend isn’t a Christian and you are, it’s going to be tough to make your relationship succeed and therefore you should end the relationship (I’m a strong beliver that BOTH people in the relationship must be Christians). I realize that may be tough for some of you to hear, but it is so much more important to date a Christian and follow God’s plan than risk losing the intensity of your faith as a result of a boy or girl. If you are glorifying God and are content with your relationship, then by all means continue dating that person!

Once again, I can’t stress the importance of keeping God in the center of your relationship. It’s a given that you and your partner will have differences - no two people are exactly alike. It’s how you deal with those differences that make a successful relationship. If you are struggling with the direction of your relationship, talk to God about it, ask for wisdom and do your best to listen to Him!

Being Supportive In Your Relationship

Every once in awhile you’ll find that you need to give your boyfriend/girlfriend some extra support. A random “I love you” or small note can make their day so much better when things look bad. They may be sick, have a bad day at work or have family problems. All of these issues can leave them hurting and needing someone to be there for them - that’s where you as the boyfriend/girlfriend come in!

My fiance was recently sick with a nasty head cold that kept her in bed most of the day. I remember feeling like I wanted to miraculously cure her cold and make it better. It was terrible having to watch her suffer through this cold and all I could do was to “just be there.” I remember leaving her for the night with the assumption that she would call me the next day if she wanted to go to church or choose to stay in bed. After a restless night, she called me the next morning telling me that she felt even worse than she did the night before!

Since we had to lead youth group that night, she was going to try and rest all morning and afternoon in an attempt to gain enough energy for the meeting. Once it was time to go, she could barely make it to the car - much less lead a youth group! We told the other leaders to head out to the meeting while I decided to take her to get medicine. After getting medicine (I probably got more than she actually needed) I returned to her in the car and then took her back home to get her tucked in. I set out her medicine, started a movie for her and then sadly had to leave for youth group.

After worrying through the youth group meeting about how she was doing, I finally had the chance to see her again after the meeting. She told me how wonderful of a husband I will be! I remember thinking - why?! She proceeded to tell me that I was so supportive of her and it made her feel so much more comfortable! The strange thing about this whole incident is that I didn’t do it for recognition, I just wanted her to feel better and was willing to do whatever I could for that to happen!

Clearly there are going to be times that you need to be supportive other than when someone is sick. The ways you can be supportive vary across a wide spectrum. Do something that you know the other person will appreciate, but don’t do it for your own recognition - do it because you love them and want them to feel better!

The Bible talks about being supportive in many instances. As noted in 1 Corinthians 13, love is paramount when it comes to successful relationships. I personally find verses 4-7 useful when looking how to show love in Christian relationships:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.”

This is typically a famous passage on love and for good reasons! Those are some strong words that the Apostle Paul is talking about in this passage! Of the many ways love is described, note how love does not boast, is not self-seeking and always protects. I feel that these three points are crucial when being supportive of your boyfriend/girlfriend.

As a general rule, you should not be boasting to your friends and family that you are being supportive, you should be supportive out of love! It’s easy to feel like you are doing it for recognition instead of doing it out of love for your boyfriend/girlfriend. Be creative when you are being supportive, just don’t boast about it! Along with boasting, I feel that self-seeking can also be a problem when being supportive. As mentioned before, sometimes you want the recognition of being supportive! In terms of protecting, make sure that your life is glorifying to God and is not making your boyfriend/girlfriend’s life harder due to temptation!

Bottom line, being supportive means doing the right things out of LOVE. Just being there during a rough day is being supportive. Writing a note saying how much you love them is being supportive. Get creative, you don’t have to do something “traditional” to be a supportive boyfriend/girlfriend. If you think that they would appreciate it, then do it out of love!

Don’t Ditch Your Friends!

You’re really excited about your new relationship and can’t wait to spend every minute with that special someone - and that’s great! You should want to spend a lot of time with them - otherwise, it’d be a crazy reason to even start dating! I’ve seen relationships that seem to be successful, but in reality they are desperately missing something that is crucial in all relationships -friends.

You’d be shocked to see the impact that your friends can have on you. In my personal relationship, my fiance and I make sure that we always spend a lot of time with our friends. To illustrate this point, the two of us did not have a single meal alone for an entire week once we got back to college. That’s right - a week! Why is this? Because we value our relationships with all of our friends and love spending time with them. Don’t get me wrong, we still find times to be alone to simply be together, but the majority of the time (probably around 85%) we are together we spend with our friends.

Perhaps you’ve seen couples that have great friends before they start dating and then apparently only have each other to talk to six months into their relationship. They feel that they have to put all their time and energy into their relationship and thus don’t have time for friends. If you believe that spending all your time with your boyfriend/girlfriend is a great idea, ask yourself what will  happen if the two of you break up? Will you have no friends and have to start all over in the social world?

I cannot stress the importance of friends in relationships. A great purpose that your friends have is that they can give you a “reality check.” As a youth director, kids constantly come running up to me telling me that they have started a new relationship. Usually the next sentence that comes out of their mouth is that “we think we are going to get married.” Are you kidding me?! Married?! You have been dating for a whopping 7 minutes at this point! Chances are that if a kid believes that the two of them are going to get married they have unrealistic expectations and typically are disappointed in a few months when they break up. In most of these situations (there are exceptions - I have friends who started dating in high school and are now happily married), it’s great to have friends in your life to ensure that the two of you stay realistic.  

In terms of Christian dating, friends are a GREAT way to keep the two of you accountable. If you are a guy, try and get another guy in a Christian relationship and keep each other accountable. The same goes for a girl - get a girl who you feel comfortable talking to. Join Bible studies with other couples and then talk about what you thought of the discussion after the meeting.

Along with keeping you and your boyfriend/girlfriend accountable, having friends around can decrease sexual temptation immensely. If you are constantly around friends, it will be much harder to commit sexual sin as a general rule. Satan has a way to throw temptation at you when you least expect it so make sure that you have friends around you! 

Another great reason for your friends to be close to you is so you can retain your intersts outside of your relationship. I have a huge interest in the area of finance while my fiance does not care much for financial concepts such as opportunity cost and P/E ratios. Before we started dating, I had a great set of friends that also had a strong interest in the study of finance. I am in a great situation currently that allows friends and I to meet twice a week for lunch to talk about the “business world” and other topics regarding finance.  Likewise, my fiance meets with her friends to discuss whatever it is women find to talk about for hours on end.

Finally, make sure you don’t “ditch your friends” when you start dating simply because your relationship will be more fun. My fiance and I LOVE playing board games with our friends and typically end up crying because we are laughing so hard! You can always invite your friends to go to dinner with you or even just to come over and watch a movie!

Bottom line - don’t ditch your friends! You’ll be glad you didn’t when you want to do something that your boyfriend/girlfriend has no interest in or just want a group of friends to spend time with!