required reading

Summer 2009
GCC Required Reading List

Rising Sophomores
- the Bible
- Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris

Rising Juniors
- the Bible
- Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris

Rising Seniors
- the Bible
- Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris

----

Like seriously, I am not even joking. Even though Boy Meets Girl is supposedly the next step to I Kissed Dating Goodbye, that is, the latter is for single people and the former is for those about to be involved in a relationship, I truly truly believe that Boy Meets Girl should be read by every person out there, whether you're not ready for a relationship at all, you've been thinking about it, you're in one, you're getting out of one, etc etc etc. THIS BOOK HAS SOMETHING FOR YOU. (I say that with a grain of salt, because yeah, it's a little intense for non-Christians or "Christian" Christians, far-fetched and idealistic even. So, I will pick a secular book to recommend next time.)

After being recommended it by like 3-4 different people, I was skeptical at first - it's like being told to read Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul when you're younger: it's just too popular for it to be cool to read. I was also skeptical because I heard it was really strict and almost outlandish in some of the suggestions that it made (and as square as I am, sometimes traditionalism isn't all too fun.) And lastly, I was most skeptical because I am nowhere near a relationship, so I was like, why? Sure, the people who recommended it are in one or about to be in one, so it makes sense for them, but does it make sense for me?

The answer is a resounding YES. I know, guys might feel uncomfortable picking it up at the bookstore or asking to borrow it from a friend, not only because the title sounds like a girly teen-section-of-the-bookstore Twilight-esque novel, but also because guys don't need books to tell them things about life, (least of all about relationships) - they can just live it, right? WRONG. Why do you read the Bible then?! (Yeah, that's what I thought.) But in all seriousness, it will point out at least one thing that you have encountered in your relationships (both platonic and romantic) and just really makes you think.

It covers topics such as wisdom before/during/after a relationship, trusting God to find someone and tell you when, communication, gender roles, physical and emotional intimacy, and growing in a community. It includes a lot of heartwarming anecdotes that kind of tinge it with a slight sense of cheesiness, but in the end, it's all cute to read. It also has a lot of list-making, kind of like how sermons are mapped out (e.g. the 3 things you need to take from this passage in Isaiah; the 4 things you need to think about for this holiday season, etc etc.) but it's well-organized and well-articulated. There are several asides that acknowledge the "old-fashionedness" of the concept of courtship, but Harris remains firm in his ideas and suggestions for a healthy, Christ-centered relationship.

The book is $12.99 for a new copy, and can be found at your local bookstore, online at probably a cheaper price for a used copy, or in the hands of your loving sisters (because I'm assuming most girls have it rather than guys, though I think guys would greatly benefit from it even more than girls) - so don't waste any time. If you're looking for a break from your other required reading this summer and you're tired of wasting time on my blog (which I hope you don't think of as wasting time, haha) pick up this book as soon as possible. If you sincerely read through all of it and you don't find a single thing that speaks to you, I will buy you ice cream. And that's a legit deal for me, because ice cream is a precious commodity that I only like to reserve for myself :)

Get going! (pg. 64)