Marriage

Well, 2018 is almost over and we’ve seen more visitors to the Christian Connection blog this year than any other year. Here are our top 5 most popular articles of the year, in reverse order.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… and if you’re dating, you might be hoping for a little extra under the tree – because Christmas Eve is the most popular day of the year for getting engaged. It’s easy to see why: people are off work, spending time together, giving gifts, and there’s already more than a hint of celebration in the air – plus it’s a great time to announce the happy news to friends and family…

‘Are you afraid to fall in love?’ may sound like an odd question to ask on a Christian Connection blog. You’re on a dating website. You’re clearly looking for a partner. So you’re ready to fall in love, right? If only it were that simple.

If I hadn’t managed to open my rather closed heart and mind, I wouldn’t be getting married in June. When I first began to date my fiancé, I found all manner of things about him to judge and criticise. I’d done the same with boyfriends in the past. If I’d have continued like that, I’d still be alone.

This is a question I received when speaking on dating the other day in a church in London. Online dating, to what extent is it ‘letting Gods plan work out’, and how much of it is ‘forcing things to happen’. It’s an interesting question! And a very ancient one. I’d say the underlying issue here is a theological debate of centuries. To what extent does God lead our lives and does he have a detailed plan on one side, on the other side, free will, how does that work? To what extent do we make our own choices regardless whether or not God is happy with those choices? Can he work with them nonetheless, does he make most of our flawed decision making or has he even calculated those decisions in when planning our lives?

‘I’ve got exciting news, HopefulGirl – I met an amazing woman on holiday,’ my pal told me over a drink. ‘We both think this could be the “big one”. There’s just one problem… she lives in the States.’ Oh, boy. Of course, I’ll be delighted if my friend has met Ms Right – he’s desperate to settle down and he’s been unlucky in love. But 4,000 miles is an awfully long way. I don’t envy him one bit.

Do you recognise Hannah and Jonny? After connecting on CC they shared their story with us and even feature in our #StartsWithFaith campaign. A year after their beautiful wedding we caught up with Hannah to find out how an online wave has become a marriage…

‘I feel God has called me to a specific ministry in the future,’ said the Facebook post. ‘But my girlfriend says it’s not something she’s called to. I love her and want to marry her, but I’ve always imagined myself and my future wife working together for the Lord. Should I break up with her and look for someone who shares my calling?’