Am I Ready to Date?

What is dating? You regularly go out with a certain member of the opposite sex. Are you dating? You and a member of the opposite sex are attracted to each other. Several times a day, you send text messages or talk to this person on the phone. Are you dating? Every time you get together with your friends, you pair off with the same person of the opposite sex. Are you dating? You most likely had no problem answering the first question. But you may have paused before responding to the second and the third. What exactly is dating? Really, dating is any social activity in which your romantic interest is focused on one particular person and that person’s interest is focused on you. So the answer to all three questions is yes. Whether on the phone or face-to-face, in the open or in secret, if you and a friend of the opposite sex have a special romantic understanding and communicate regularly, it’s dating. What is the purpose of dating? Dating should have an honorable purpose—to help a young man and woman determine if they want to get married to each other. Granted, some of your peers might take a casual view of dating. Perhaps they simply enjoy being with a special friend of the opposite sex, without any intention of marriage. Some might even view such a friend as little more than a trophy or an accessory to be seen with in public to boost their own self-esteem. Often, though, such shallow relationships are short-lived. “Many young ones who date break up with each other a week or two later,” says a girl named Heather. “They come to view relationships as transitory—which in a sense prepares them for divorce rather than for marriage.” Clearly, when you date someone, you’re affecting that person’s feelings. So be sure your intentions are honorable.—Luke 6:31. If you date with no intention of marriage, you are acting like a child who plays with a new toy and then discards it Think: Would you like someone to play with your feelings as if they were some child’s toy—to be picked up for a moment and then quickly abandoned? Then don’t do that to someone else! The Bible says that love “does not behave indecently.”—1 Corinthians 13:4, 5. A youth named Chelsea says: “Part of me wants to say that dating should be just for fun, but it’s no fun when one person is taking it seriously and the other isn’t.” Tip: To prepare for dating and marriage, read 2 Peter 1:5-7 and pick one quality you need to work on. In a month’s time, see how much you have learned about—and improved in—that quality. Am I old enough to date? At what age, do you think, is it appropriate for a youth to start dating? Now ask one of your parents the same question. Chances are, your answer is different from that of your parent. Or maybe not! You might be among the many youths who are wisely putting off dating until they’re old enough to know themselves better. That’s what Danielle, 17, decided to do. She says: “Thinking back two years ago, what I would have looked for in a potential mate was so different from what I would look for now. Basically, even at this point I don’t trust myself to make such a decision. When I feel that my personality has been stable for a couple of years, then I’ll think about dating.” There’s another reason why waiting is wise. The Bible uses the phrase “the bloom of youth” to describe the period of life when sexual feelings and romantic emotions first become strong. (1 Corinthians 7:36) To maintain close association with one particular member of the opposite sex while you’re still in this phase can fan the flames of desire and lead to wrong conduct. True, that might mean little to your peers. Many of them may be all too eager to experiment with sex. But you can—you must—rise above that kind of thinking! (Romans 12:2) After all, the Bible urges you to “flee from sexual immorality.” (1 Corinthians 6:18, New International Version) By waiting until you’re past the bloom of youth, you can “ward off calamity.”—Ecclesiastes 11:10. Why wait to date? Being pressured to date before you’re ready would be like being forced to take a final exam for a course that you’ve barely started. Obviously, that wouldn’t be fair! You need time to study your subject so that you can become familiar with the kind of problems you’ll face in the test. It’s similar with dating. Dating is no trivial matter. So before you’re ready to focus on one particular person, you need to take time to study a very important “subject”—how to build friendships. Later, when you meet the right person, you’ll be in a better position to build a solid relationship. After all, a good marriage is the union of two good friends. Waiting to date won’t stifle your freedom. On the contrary, it will give you more freedom to ‘rejoice in your youth.’ (Ecclesiastes 11:9) You will also have time to prepare yourself by developing your personality and, most important, your spirituality.—Lamentations 3:27. In the meantime, you can enjoy the company of the opposite sex. What’s the best way to do so? Spend time together in properly supervised mixed groups. A girl named Tammy says: “I think it’s more fun that way. It’s better to have a lot of friends.” Monica agrees. “The group idea is a really good idea,” she says, “because you get to associate with people who have different personalities.” In contrast, if you focus on one person too soon, you set yourself up for heartache. So take your time. Use this period of your life to learn how to cultivate and maintain friendships. Later, if you choose to date, you’ll have a better idea of who you are and what you need in a lifelong partner.

How Can I Keep My Mind Off Sex?

What you can do Choose your associates carefully. If your friends and classmates start to talk about immoral sex, joining in will only make it more difficult for you to control your thoughts. Often, you can find a way to leave such conversations without appearing self-righteous and inviting ridicule. A teenage boy funneling trash into his mind Would you allow viruses to invade your computer? Then why invite immoral thoughts into your mind? Shun immoral entertainment. Much of today’s entertainment is designed to arouse improper sexual feelings. The Bible’s counsel? “Let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear.” (2 Corinthians 7:1) Steer clear of entertainment that stimulates sexual desires. Remember this: Sexual feelings aren’t evil in themselves. After all, God created man and woman to have a strong attraction for each other, and satisfying sexual desire is proper within marriage. So if you experience intense sexual urges, don’t think that you’re inherently bad or that you’re just not cut out for moral cleanness. The bottom line: You can choose what you will let your mind dwell on. Both in your thinking and in your conduct, you can be chaste if you choose to!

What If I’m Being Pressured to Have Sex?

“Isn’t it better to give in?” you might ask. “After all, isn’t everyone having sex?” Stop and think! Fact: Not everyone is doing it. True, you may read about high statistics. For example, a U.S. study revealed that by the time they finish high school, 2 out of 3 youths in that country are sexually active. But that also means that 1 out of 3—a sizable number—are not. What about those who are? Researchers have found that many of such youths experience one or more of the following rude awakenings. Distress. Most youths who have engaged in premarital sex say that they regretted it afterward. A painting being used as a doormat Engaging in premarital sex is like taking a beautiful painting and using it as a doormat Distrust. After having sex, each partner begins to wonder, ‘Who else has he/she had sex with?’ Disillusionment. Deep down, many girls would prefer someone who will protect them, not use them. And many boys find that they are less attracted to a girl who has given in to their advances. The bottom line: Your body is far too valuable to give away. Show that you have strength of character by obeying God’s laws against premarital sex. Then, if you do marry one day, you can have sex. And you’ll be able to enjoy it fully—without the worries, regrets, and insecurities that are so often the aftermath of premarital sex.—Proverbs 7:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 7:3.

What If I’m Addicted to Pornography?

What you can do Understand pornography for what it is. Pornography is nothing less than an attempt to degrade something that God created to be honorable. Understanding pornography in this light will help you to “hate what is bad.”—Psalm 97:10. Consider the consequences. Pornography devalues those depicted in it. It also debases the person who views it. For good reason, the Bible says: “Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself.”—Proverbs 22:3. Make a commitment. “I have made a solemn promise never to look with lust at a girl,” said the faithful man Job. (Job 31:1, Today’s English Version) The following are some ‘solemn promises’ you could make: I will not use the Internet when I am alone. I will immediately exit from any pop-up or site that is explicit. I will talk to a mature friend if I have a relapse. Hands being entangled with string Pornography has a cumulative effect—the more times you view it, the harder it is to break free Pray about it. The psalmist implored Jehovah God: “Make my eyes pass on from seeing what is worthless.” (Psalm 119:37) God wants you to succeed, and if you pray to him he can give you the strength to do what is right!—Philippians 4:13. Talk to someone. Choosing a confidant is often an important step in breaking the habit.—Proverbs 17:17. Remember this: Each time you avoid pornography, you have won a significant victory. Tell Jehovah God about that victory, and thank him for the strength he has given you. By avoiding pornography, you make his heart rejoice!—Proverbs 27:11.

YOUNG PEOPLE ASK: How Can I Deal With My Mistakes?

What would you do? Read what happened to Karina, and imagine that it’s happening to you. What would you do in her situation? Karina: “I was driving too fast on my way to school, and a policeman pulled me over and gave me a ticket. I was so upset! I told Mom, and she told me that I’d have to tell Dad—which I did not want to do.” What would you do? Option A: Keep it quiet, and hope that Dad never finds out. Option B: Tell Dad exactly what happened. You could be tempted to select Option A. After all, maybe your mom will just assume that you went to your dad and confessed. But there are good reasons for you to come clean about your mistakes—whether they involve a traffic ticket or anything else. Three reasons to admit your mistakes 1. Because it’s the right thing to do. Describing the standard for Christians, the Bible says: “We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”—Hebrews 13:⁠18. “I have worked really hard to be honest and to take responsibility for my actions—and to own up to a mistake as soon as I make one.”—Alexis. 2. Because people are more likely to forgive those who admit their mistakes. The Bible says: “The one covering over his transgressions will not succeed, but whoever confesses and abandons them will be shown mercy.”—Proverbs 28:13. “It takes courage to admit a mistake, but that’s how you gain peoples’ trust. They see that you’re honest. By admitting a mistake, you turn something bad into something good.”—Richard. 3. Most important, because it pleases Jehovah God. The Bible says: “Jehovah detests a devious person, but His close friendship is with the upright.”—Proverbs 3:32. “After I made a serious mistake, I began to realize that I needed to come forward and admit it. There was no way Jehovah could bless me if I wasn’t doing things his way.”—Rachel. So how did Karina handle her mistake? She tried to keep the speeding ticket a secret from her dad. But she couldn’t keep it hidden forever. “About a year later,” Karina says, “my dad was looking at our insurance records and he noticed a speeding ticket under my name. I got in so much trouble—even my mom was angry that I hadn’t done what she told me to do!” Lesson learned: Karina says: “Keeping mistakes a secret only makes things worse. You still pay for them later on!” How to learn from your mistakes Everyone makes mistakes. (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:⁠8) And as we have seen, it is a sign of humility and maturity to own up to them—and to do so right away. The next step is to learn from your mistakes. Unfortunately, some young people miss out on that opportunity! They might feel the way a teenager named Priscilla once did. She says: “I used to get overly discouraged about my mistakes. I had a low opinion of myself, so my mistakes seemed like a gigantic burden that I couldn’t carry. I would get overwhelmed and think of myself as a hopeless case.” A girl driving a car and looking at herself in the rearview mirror Do you feel that way at times? If so, remember this: Dwelling on past mistakes is like staring in the rearview mirror while driving a car. Focusing on the past will only leave you feeling worthless and make you powerless to face the challenges ahead. Instead, why not take a more balanced view? “Look back at your mistakes, and learn from them so that you don’t repeat them. But don’t dwell on them so much that they pull you down.”—Elliot. “I try to view mistakes as a learning experience by taking away from each mistake a lesson that will help me to be a better person and handle the situation differently the next time. That’s a better position to take anyway because it allows you to grow.”—Vera. WHAT YOUR PEERS SAY Connor “Some people get very upset about their mistakes, while others just don’t care. It’s best to be somewhere in the middle—to care about your mistakes but just enough to learn from them and not repeat them.”—Connor. Dami “When runners fall, they let go of their pride and use their strength to get up. That’s what you need to do when you make a mistake. When you learn from your mistakes and use your strength to recover from them, you become a better person.”—Dami. Zipporah “It’s best to recall your mistakes in a constructive way. Take the lesson you learned, and use it to avoid repeating the mistake. But don’t let the memory hang over you like a dark cloud. Accept the lesson and move on.”—Zipporah.

The War That Changed the World

A century ago, millions of young men left the security of their homes and went off to war. They went eagerly, swept along by a wave of patriotism. “I am happy and full of excitement over the wonderful days ahead,” wrote an American volunteer in 1914. Soon, though, their enthusiasm turned to bitterness. No one foresaw the way those huge armies would get bogged down for years in the mud of Belgium and France. At the time, people termed it the “Great War.” Today, we know it as the first world war. The first world war was decidedly great in terms of casualties. By some estimates, it left about 10 million dead and 20 million mutilated. It was also the result of great blunders. European statesmen were unable to stop international tensions from escalating into a global conflict. More important, perhaps, is the fact that the “Great War” left great scars. It changed the world in ways that still affect us today. MISTAKES THAT DESTROYED TRUST The first world war broke out because of miscalculations. European leaders acted like a “generation of sleepwalkers that stumbled unawares over the ledge of doom during that halcyon summer of 1914,” explains the work The Fall of the Dynasties—The Collapse of the Old Order 1905-1922. Within weeks, the assassination of an Austrian archduke plunged all the major European powers into a war that they did not want. “How did it all happen?” the German chancellor was asked a few days after hostilities began. “Ah, if only one knew,” he sadly replied. The leaders who made the fateful decisions that led up to the war had no inkling of the consequences. But reality soon dawned on the soldiers in the trenches. They discovered that their statesmen had failed them, their clergy had deceived them, and their generals had betrayed them. How so? A statesman, a clergyman, a general, and a globe Their statesmen had failed them, their clergy had deceived them, and their generals had betrayed them The statesmen promised that the war would open the way to a new and better world. The German chancellor proclaimed: “We are fighting for the fruits of our peaceful industry, for the inheritance of a great past, and for our future.” American President Woodrow Wilson helped to coin a reassuring popular slogan that the war would “make the world safe for democracy.” And in Britain, people thought it would be “a war to end war.” They were all mistaken. The clergy supported the war enthusiastically. “The guardians of God’s word led the martial chorus. Total war came to mean total hatred,” states The Columbia History of the World. And clerics fanned rather than quenched the flames of hatred. “Clergymen were unable, and for the most part unwilling, to place Christian faith before nationality,” observes A History of Christianity. “Most took the easy way out and equated Christianity with patriotism. Christian soldiers of all denominations were exhorted to kill each other in the name of their Saviour.” The generals promised a quick and easy victory, but it was not to be. Before long, the opposing armies came to a grueling stalemate. Thereafter, millions of soldiers faced what one historian described as “perhaps the cruelest large-scale ordeal that the flesh and spirit of man have endured.” Despite appalling losses, generals kept throwing their men against barricades of barbed wire and barrages of machine-gun fire. Not surprisingly, widespread mutinies broke out. How did the first world war affect society? One historical work quotes a veteran as saying: “The war . . . scorched the minds and character of a generation.” Indeed, in the wake of that war, entire empires disappeared. That tragic conflict proved to be the prelude to the bloodiest century mankind has ever known. Revolutions and strikes came to seem almost commonplace. Why did the war turn the world upside down? Was it really just a colossal accident? Do the answers reveal anything about our future? PREVIOUS NEXT E-MAIL LINKPRINT DOWNLOAD OPTIONS PODCASTS TABLE OF CONTENTS PREVIOUS NEXT Did You know? Why Does God Allow the Strong to Oppress the Weak? He Endured in the Face of Injustice Bible Questions Answered MORE ONLINE FEATURES World Peace—Why So Elusive? JW.ORG / OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF JEHOVAH’S WIT

INSONIA....

Sem soninho, mordendo a orelha do Huguinho, ele tadinho morrendo de sono, sao 1:36, frio ate no osso, this is London para variar. Tambem hum o ser humano nunca esta satisfeito com nada neh, se esta frio...reclama, se esta calor...iden entao nao sabe o que quer. Olhando o pacote de filmes na Sky, tenho varias opcoes_ The Incredible Burt Wonders, Iron Man3 ja vi, Life Of Pi, vi um pouco mas nao gostei, Cloud Atlas, Argo muito estranho este filme, muita violencia acho que nao gostei kkk, Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship muita magica e eu detesto kkkLiars All, Flight , Jack Reacher, Django Unchained! Sao muitos filmes e eu nao sei o que assistir Lol, se calhar vejo OZ: The Great And Powerful... Maybe, ja estou cansada de mim mesma, risos. Bye.