Talking sexuality with teens and my new book release!

With religious education, and the way I have witnessed so many of our teenagers lack of interest in their faith, I was doing some real deep thinking on the subject; trying to figure out how on earth we can reach these kids.

"Annie? I was thinking...would religious ed. class be any different if the boys and girls were separated?"

Cup o'Noodles in one hand and her phone in the other, without looking up, she responded, "It would be worse."

"Really? Because I wonder...next year you will be doing the Chosen Program, where you see a video and then have small group discussion, and this is what we do at Walking With Purpose...and I don't know, but...the conversations we have as women together are so good and life changing, and so I was thinking...I wonder if you were not in a circle with boys...maybe you would feel less pressure to look good, or flirt or act silly...and maybe you girls would be able to share your real thoughts and feelings openly."

She paused.

Looked up.

And said...

"Sooooooooooo....you want us to all be lesbian?"

Yes. Yes, Annie. That is exactly what I am saying. That you all be lesbian.

Our swimming pool has become a mating arena for every frog in Newtown.

Annie spent some time at the pool, before jumping in the car to pick up her sister and brother.

While driving, she was telling me about her grades. When she said she got a C in a subject, I said, "That is fine...you worked hard, and that is all you can do. You know I never put stress on you about your grades, right?"

Because the truth?

I don't care.

I really don't.

There is so much stress on our kids today, it is both crazy and concerning.

"No, you don't", she agreed.

"What do you think really matters to me the most? What do you think my greatest wish is for you and your brothers and sisters? Good grades? Or something else?" I asked.

She said, with a sly smirk, "Jesus."

"What about Jesus?"

"Love Him so that we can all go to heaven and be together."

"Yes!" I shouted louder than I should I have.

"And so what do we need to do to go to heaven?"

She didn't even hesitate....

"NOT HAVE SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE!" she shouted back.

"Yup, that is important...and do you understand why we should not do that?"

And just as I was about to give her my very best theology of the body talk ever, reminding her that her body is a gift she should protect and cherish, and how sex is ordered to have children, and how when we break that order, when we just give ourselves away.... she interrupted.

"Soooooo.... there are no frogs in heaven? !!!!! Because those frog in our pool are having a lot of sex, and they aren't married, right?"

I did not see that coming.

"That's right. No, the frogs are not married."

And that was the end of the discussion.

I will be releasing my book on how to talk to your teens about sex this Fall.

Every parent, frog and lesbian should have a copy.