1.  Work on your spiritual self.  Everyone is tempted to meet their body’s needs and their emotional and mental needs, but don’t overlook your spirit.  Your spirit drives all else.  Learn to love, respect and be comfortable with yourself.

2.  Be wise in financial matters.  You will never have more financial promise than you have right this moment.  That’s because right now you have the most time that you will ever have.  Yes you will get better paying jobs than you have right now, but $10 earning interest today will earn more than $10 placed into service tomorrow.  Here are a few other money thoughts:

                        Don’t make a habit of getting into debt.  Save up and buy.  You will almost surely need to borrow for a house and maybe for college.  But beyond that, always look with skepticism at someone who wants to loan you something.  If you get a credit card, pay it off every month!!!!!!

                        Put 10% of every paycheck you receive into a savings account!  Pay yourself first.  Make a habit of saving and you will be wealthy.

                        Don’t loan people money.  That’s why God made credit unions.  If you want to help people, give to charitable causes.  Develop a cheerful heart about giving to others, but be wise as well as gentle.  Many, many, many people are out to take all of your money and leave you spent out!  Make sure you know to whom you are contributing and do it quietly so only God knows you’re giving.

                        Learn to invest your money.  Open an IRA and fully fund it as soon as possible.  Learn about mutual funds.  Learn about real estate.

                        Buy a home.  You have to have some place to live.  You are either going to pay rent or you’re going to pay a mortgage.  The latter is preferable!

                        Learn to delay your gratification.  You can have everything you always wanted and you can have it right now, but it will cost you DEARLY in the long run.  Slow down, save up and buy quality items when you can afford them.

3.  Choose your friends wisely.  Choose Christian friends and look them over carefully before you get too close.

4.  Date wisely.  The most important decision you will make in life will not be what your career will be, where you will go to school, what kind of house you will buy, or how much money you will make in a lifetime.  It will be your choice of your spouse.  Here are some thoughts on dating and marriage.

                        Ask yourself, would this person make a good spouse?  If the answer is “perhaps so,” then allow the relationship to move ahead slowly.  If the answer is no, but _______, then turn around and go home.  No matter what the blank is, it is not worth it to go on.  I don’t care if he/she is gorgeous, really fun, a little bit naughty and therefore exhilarating. I don’t care if you think he or she will change or you believe you can bring him or her around.  Good looking people get old too, all the fun in the world can’t make up for incompatibility, naughtiness is always wrong, and you can’t, no how, no way, change that guy or girl into what you want him or her to be.  You’ve got to find the one that already fits.

                        Ask, is this person a Christian?   You will have enough trouble and challenges in a marriage if you are both Christians, please don’t start off with this basic difference.

                        Ask, Is this person serious about growing in Christ?  You both need to be serious about God.  We are either growing closer to God or farther away from him.  Standing still does not happen.  It is the same way in marriage.

                        Stay away from “way-to-serious” commitments before marriage.  This includes but is not limited to: buying major purchases together, living together, entering a business partnership together, and yes, sex.  Being able to say you played the field does not compare to knowing that you and only one other person in the world have been truly intimate.  Even the most serious engagements have been know to fall apart.  Wait for the “I do.”  Stick to things like going steady, being engaged, attending church, communicating about EVERYTHING!!

                        Learn to talk to one another.   While you’re single, take a communications course.  When you’re dating, take a communications course.  When you get engaged definitely talk about husband/wife roles, expectations, church preferences, spiritual beliefs, political beliefs, children, sex, money, who will keep the check book, who will take out the garbage, likes, dislikes, employment, life’s goals, a lifetime commitment, everything.  Visit a preacher or Christian counselor you trust to help you process these things.

                        Plan now to be married to one person for all of your life.  Don’t even entertain the idea of divorce.  Stay away from dating partners who even entertain the idea of divorce.

                        Don’t elope!  The wedding is as much for your church and your family to witness as it is for you and your spouse to tie the knot.

5.  Be people of unswerving integrity.  Do what is right and when you make a mistake, take responsibility for your actions.  Have a code you can live by and by which you may judge the choices you make (this includes your choices about friends.)  If you don’t have a code, adopt the Boy Scout’s law.  It is a good one.   Be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

6.  Get to know the Bible.  It’s really quite interesting reading.  It is full of good wisdom.  It will lead you to peace.

7.  Pray, Pray, Pray.  Pray about everything.  It will draw you closer to God.  It will give you clarity of insight.  It will teach you about yourself.  It will lower your blood pressure.  Start praying now for your future mate.

8.  Go to Church!!!  If you don’t like the one you’re at, find another one.  You need to be around other Christians.

9.  Decide today not to gossip.  Be known as a person who does not spread rumors.  Practice taking what you hear and never telling anyone.  People will come to trust you yes, but more than this, you will never have to face a betrayed friend if you practice keeping your mouth shut.

10.  Pick a godly person whom you admire and emulate them, pray for them, and thank them.  You need a role model.  You can help your role model by praying for him or her.  Your role model will be blessed by knowing that you are thankful for them.  By the way, make a habit of being thankful.

11.  Remember that I will always love each of you!