Strange Days, Indeed...Well, Strange Night, Anyway.

There were 12 of them...and a couple that couldn't make the ceremony. It still strikes me as odd.

See, there's this student ministry program I've been teaching for 9 years familiar to many as True Love Waits. It's what newspapers call "abstinence-based." Our is what I call "knowing-God based." Yes, I read where the government sponsored "abstinence based" programs don't "work"...and the reason is even though they're "abstinence based" they don't tell you anything about a God you can know personally and intimately. They seem to be saying "say no" but really only for the reason of being a "good kid."

We teach them that it's all about a relationship with the infinite omnipotent omnipresent God of the universe, that He loves you and cares for you and that not having sex before you're married is because God is faithful, pure and loving and wants to bring out those qualities in you through your dependency on Him and allowing Him to manifest Himself through you in the form of fruit of the Spirit.

Anyway, on a Friday night in Double Oak, Texas, 12 kids stood up in front of a crowd of about 100 friends and family at our church to tell the world they agree with God and want to have an authentic relationship with Him, and one of those areas that will be affected will be their sex life..."on hold" until marriage. 148 teens have done that since I've been at my local church.

Some make it, and some don't. I didn't say the course was magic or perfect. But of all the options they had to spend their time over the last 3 weeks, and all the options they had to spend their time last night, they chose to be there with friends and family...and tell God they agree with Him and want to honor Him.

All at once, it was strange...and beautiful.