Okay I’m in love… how do I tell if they’re ‘the one’?! – FREE Article for kids + Freebies

A couple of my older sponsored girls are doing their final high school exams this year, so I wanted to talk to them (and to my older boys) about choosing a Godly partner. Not all of our sponsored children are culturally able to choose their own partners, but if they can, it’s never too soon to start thinking and praying about it. Here is an article that I made up for them plus some freebies to go with it. There’s a FREE Bible poster, wallet cards and matching stationery with Bible verse, a red heart with a soft green and yellow mottled background… enjoy!

FEATURING BIBLE VERSE

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart… [why?…] for everything [!] you do flows from it.

CHOOSING A GODLY PARTNER ~ ARTICLE FOR KIDS ~ FREE PRINTABLE (A4)

Okay, I’m in love… how do I tell if they’re ‘the one’?! That’s the dilemma that we all face sooner or later. Here is an article that I made up for my older sponsored children to help give them a heads up to… ‘Pray and choose wisely. Your future happiness depends on it! From this one decision will come 90% of your happiness or misery! A Godly partner is worth waiting for!’... from everything that the rest of us have learnt the hard way. :) You are welcome to download and use this article – it’s kind of like a tick sheet – for your own child. Scroll down to read the article text and let me know your thoughts and what else you might include. Or if you prefer, simply use the ideas to make up your own. As normally happens whenever I make one of these up for my children, there is so much more I could say. I start out with twice as much information and have to ruthlessly taper it down to make it fit to one page, so I don’t end up with an eye-glazing dissertation. :o

Download

LAMINATE / PRINT AN EXTRA COPY / OTHER LANGUAGES

You may like to laminate the article to keep it looking nice for your homeschool students. Print an extra copy for a friend. For sponsored children who are NOT English speaking, articles can still be sent to them but you may like to make sure to include all relevant text in your letter so that it gets translated. If you would like to do this for your child, you are welcome to ‘copy and paste’ any of my text (scroll down to the bottom of this post). Add a short note and some hugs and kisses and that’s your letter done!

PROVERBS 4:23 ~ BIBLE POSTER ~ FREE PRINTABLE (A4)

Print on photo paper and laminate for best results. This can also be printed on 4×6 photo paper if you prefer a Bible verse card ~ simply choose ‘fit to page’ before you print.

Download

PROVERBS 4:23 ~ BIBLE WALLET CARDS ~ FREE PRINTABLE (A4)

Print on photo paper, cut, and laminate for best results. There are 6 per page. Print extra to share with family and friends.

Download

PROVERBS 4:23 ~ STATIONERY ~ FREE PRINTABLE (A4)

Download

RELATED LINKS

Proverbs 4:23 – FREE paper gifts: this complete series is also available in blue.

ARTICLE TEXT

OKAY I’M IN LOVE… HOW DO I TELL IF THEY’RE ‘THE ONE’?! CHOOSING A GODLY PARTNER

Here are some questions to make you think. Tick those that are true. Think carefully about those that are not. Marriage is a very serious covenant before God. It is forever. Once you choose to enter, the key should be thrown away. So it is never too soon to start thinking and praying about it. Look for a Godly partner who has these special qualities in their character. Watch them carefully before giving them your heart. Their character will be revealed by how they act, especially when they do not know you are looking. Pray and choose wisely. Your future happiness depends on it! From this one decision will come 90% of your happiness or misery! A Godly partner is worth waiting for! And remember, success in marriage is more than finding the right person. It is being the right partner. Ask the Lord Jesus to help you become this person!

They love, respect and fear God—and want to please Him—more than anyone or anything else, including me. (As they grow more Godly, you will love them more and more dearly).
They want ME to love, respect and fear God—and to want to please Him—more than anyone or anything else, including them. (Being able to pray from the heart—and read God’s Word together—brings an incredible intimacy to your relationship).
Whether I am excited or sad, this is the person I want to talk to about it.
They treat everyone they meet with respect, kindness and compassion—no matter who they are (including their family and people they do not like).
I highly respect this person. Other people respect them, too. I would be proud to have them as my life partner and would feel sorry for all the other girls/boys who are missing out on spending their lives with this fabulous person.
They have a great sense of humour. We play and laugh easily together. (This builds romance and intimacy; and later, it will help you through the rough spots in life—because yes, there will be rough spots!)
Their focus is on others. They are willing to put others first and themselves last. They encourage, inspire and serve others; play fairly; do not always need to win; do not always need to be right; do not need to always be the centre of attention; or to have their own way. (Imagine how unpleasant it would be spending your life with someone like that!)
They work hard; make good decisions; have wisdom and courage; and will not give up easily when things get tough; they freely forgive others (because someday I will need it!); they are faithful and responsible; others can rely on them; they are grateful for the little things and have a thankful heart. They will listen to others, but don’t let others boss them around. They are 100% honest, trustworthy, responsible and transparent in everything they do. (Hint: someone who will cheat others in small matters, will cheat you in large ones).
They protect my purity and only want God’s best for my life. They are disciplined and are able to control themselves—and their desires. (Hint: True love is happy to wait for you, because YOU are worth it! When we say yes to purity, we say yes to greater joy—eager, anticipatory, guilt-free joy. This is a huge test of character that—if you fail it—will affect your whole life. Physical intimacy is God’s special wedding gift to a married couple. Open this gift early and it will turn sour like a lemon. Even if you are promised to each other, wait until the gift is rightfully yours and blessed by God. You’ll be so glad you did!)
This is the person that I want to be the mother/father of my children. They would make a great parent; and I would be so proud to have a son or daughter exactly like them.
I want to grow old with this person. They love me passionately and sacrificially. We inspire and encourage each other and have similar goals and dreams. [One young friend who has just gotten engaged and not stopped glowing(!) added this suggestion and described the antitheses of this as two people meeting at an airport and catching two entirely different planes, travelling to two entirely different destinations – but I ran out of room to put that in. It’s a great analogy. Perhaps you may like to mention it in your letter!] I know this person would give their life to protect me and would stand by me, no matter what. I feel comfortable with them and want to wake up every morning for the rest of my life looking at them—tousled hair, no make up, dirty socks and all.
Other people that I respect (e.g. my parents) would also tick the same boxes as me.

SIDE BAR QUOTES

I could only ever marry someone who loves Jesus more than me.
The greatest thing you can do for your true love is to encourage them to grow closer to God than to yourself…
Because the closer you both get to God the closer you will grow to each other.
Trust God with your relationship. Put Him first and everything else will fall into place.
If it’s not making you a better person, then it’s not true love. True love makes you more of who you are, not less.
Your true love is not someone you could live with; but someone you could not live without.

And when you write to your sponsored child, don’t forget…

*¨*•.ღ.•*¨*

Collect your FREE BONUS GIFTS when you sign up to follow me. What will they be? Click here to find out. If you like my work, please tell others and ‘like’ this page. Your kind comments make my day! You can also follow Paper Gifts for Estefany on…