Response to “Other Reasons to Wait Until Marriage”

“I’m just scared my coworkers will ask if I’m a virgin.” This and a bunch of other concerns surfaced after I wrote “Other Reasons to Wait Until Marriage,” so I thought I’d respond. What if they ask if I’m a virgin? When someone asks me if I’m a virgin, I smile and say, “You’re gonna

Weight No More – Boundless

In response to a request from our readers to have the male voice represented in the body image and weight discussion, James Forbis offered to give us his perspective on the issue. We hope this continues to spark discussion and insight into a complicated topic.  *** Dating. Why is it that that six letter word

Stop Worshiping Your Virginity – Boundless

When I was 16 years old, a middle-aged guy from my church gave me advice on choosing a woman to marry. According to that man, the most important consideration was the following: “Whatever you do, Josh, make sure you marry a virgin.” I had heard this advice from many others in the church, but not

Why Join a Small Group?

Whether you go to a small church or a large one, it’s hard to find community in a corporate worship service for an hour and a half every Sunday. Enter the small group. I’ve had several different small group experiences over the years, and most have been positive. Sure, it can be hard to find

What Is a Best Friend?

I don’t have a good track record of being a best friend. From childhood through college, I mostly had friends for certain seasons or situations. I had school friends, church friends, neighborhood friends, band friends (haters gonna hate), and several stragglers from other walks of life. It’s not that I was a bad friend. I

How to Plan a No-Regrets Summer

I started my summer the Italian way — in Roma, eyeing the jaw-dropping sculptures of Michelangelo and the Botticelli frescoes. I thought to myself, I’m doing it right; nobody can say I wasted my summer. I’ve explored a new country and sated my thirst for art and beauty. I drank more cappuccinos and ate more

When Christians Hurt You – Boundless

We’ve all had times when we’ve been severely wounded by others. People say unkind things about us, spread harmful lies behind our backs, or even betray our trust in unprecedented and painful ways. Most Christians don’t expect this behavior from fellow believers. After all, Christians should know better. We shouldn’t be capable of hurting a

Married Guilt: On Leaving the Single Life

In my twenties, I formed a sisterhood stronger than almost any other I’ve ever experienced. I met a group of girls who I lived my life with, in its entirety. We laughed together, we cried together, we shopped together, we worshipped together, and mostly we were single together. These were my roommates, my best friends,

Why Marriage Is Better Than I Imagined

I’ve been married for six months. And it’s been six months of awesomeness.  But I wasn’t expecting it to be so awesome. Growing up in Christian culture, I heard the “marriage is hard” message loud and clear. Sermons, books, conferences, even songs on the Christian radio station all reminded me that marriage is hard and

3 Lessons From 3 Weddings

Over the past four weekends, my husband and I attended three out-of-town weddings. Though we’re done attending weddings for the foreseeable future, I can’t get weddings off my mind. At the most recent wedding I attended, the pastor reminded the guests of a truth I had heard before but too often forget: The Bible begins and