Courtship According To The Momma Part 2

This is my new fave.

But I like this one too.

And this one.  Ok, I like them all!

Meg and Ethan's courtship has provided me the opportunity to share with others what courtship actually means.   At least what it means to us.  And really I had no idea that people were watching or cared.  But I should've known... I mean when the Jacks and Hobbs were courting I was all over it!  I wanted to know all the ins and outs and what it looked like for them. 

Its a curious thing and I hadn't even heard the word until Meg was about 4.  I listened to the tape series Courtship: From Toddlers To Teens and was hooked.   Still, when you're oldest is 4 you have a long way to go..but its the best time to start.  In my opinion. 

One of the first things we wanted to know from Ethan was what courtship meant to him.  Because it looks different for every family, and even every kid in the family probably, there was a lot of room for misunderstanding if we didn't clear it up from the start.  Thankfully, his definition matched ours perfectly. 

What courtship is NOT....

~An arranged marriage where my daughter has no choice or say.

~A temporary relationship with an easy out. 

What it IS....

~A relationship that includes all the family praying together for God's will in the matter.

~A relationship that has a purpose...a future marriage. 

Remember we've been working on this since she was 4.  Praying for her future husband and talking to her about the characteristics she would want in a man.  Therefore, when the guy actually came it wasn't that hard to recognize him. 

Ethan has actually set the "rules" here... no touching, no kissing, no being left alone. 

This is to help them keep themselves pure til the end.  The alter.  This is also what both families have agreed to help them with by praying for them and providing chaperones.   So what do they do?  They e-mail, FB chat, text, and spend a LOT of time together with both families. 

And since you actually marry the whole family, its nice to get to know them ahead of time.  Ethan makes that easy.  He's easy to have around.  And he's around all the time.  Even when Meg's not here.  He comes over and eats dinner, sweeps the floor, works in the yard, plays with the littles, and just blends into life.  He's getting to know all of us...not just her. 

And she spends time with his family...at church, dinners, the farm, bowling, etc.  

It's a nice blending/extending of families.