This week RTF  editors B.J. Hamrick and Halee Matthews played a short game of Truth or Dare. They both opted for truth… from paying for meals with quarters to being mistaken as drunk at a Bible study… you can find the whole truth here.

(To read Part I click here.)

• BJH: What’s your Favorite color?

HM: Green, of various shades. My kitchen is lime-y green, but I love dark green too, along with various shades of blue-green (teal, turquoise, etc). Yours?

We have this weird connection — obviously — because we both love green. Or maybe we’re just artists. Yeah. We’re just artists. (Because to be honest, I embarrass Halee too much for us to have a soul-connection. Just ask her about the time I invited her to lunch and paid entirely with quarters.) (more…)

By RTF Editors BJ Hamrick and Halee Mathews

Our new partner at Real Teen Faith, Halee Matthews, agreed to humor me by answering some questions…. under one stipulation:

I had to answer hers, too. I guess you could call it sort of like a really rough round of Truth or Dare.

Which wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t shared some of my most embarrassing moments ever with her…

• BJH:What drew you into RTF?

HM: See, I have this really crazy friend (*cough* BJ *cough*) who said, “Hey, you like to write. Wanna help me with this?” And being the wonderful friend that I am, I of course said yes because it was clear she needed my help. At least, that’s my interpretation. How about you? (more…)

By RTF Staff Writer Jamin Goeker

Is it possible for a girl to be “just friends” with a guy, or will he read into it too much and think she likes him? It depends on a lot of things, but generally we guys read into things too much and see a green light where none exists.

It’s a sad fact, but guys have a hard time keeping their relationships from shifting to the romantic side and eventually he might talk to you about it. If you’re not interested in him, be 100% honest. (more…)

By Staff Writer Judi Weiss

Father, I’ve been waiting
For you to reach down
And show them who you are
And turn this mess around (more…)

Guest post by Tricia Goyer

… I’m proud that Kourtney Kardashian carried her baby … and that she chose to speak out about it.

My hope is that many young women will get the same message: “You may regret not having the baby.”

Kourtney Kardashian’s unplanned pregnancy forced the shocked reality TV star to make one of the most difficult decisions in her life: Would she have the baby or terminate the pregnancy?

“I definitely thought about it long and hard, about if I wanted to keep the baby or not, and I wasn’t thinking about adoption,” Kardashian, 30, who was shooting E!’s Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami at the time, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I do think every woman should have the right to do what they want, but I don’t think it’s talked through enough. I can’t even tell you how many people just say, ‘Oh, get an abortion.’ Like it’s not a big deal.” Read the rest here.

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Tricia Goyer is the author of twenty books including From Dust and Ashes, My Life UnScripted, and the children’s book, 10 Minutes to Showtime.

By RTF Editor BJ Hamrick

In the stillness of the quiet
You whisper in my ear
And everything surrounding me
Begins to disappear

You take my disappointment
My anger and my fear
You hold me in your gentle arms
And wipe away my tears

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

Psalm 103:13

By RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp

Could the way society presents dating be messing with God’s ultimate plan for relationships? Is the media so in love with the idea of dating that we forget it’s supposed to be a special experience?

Since eighth grade, I’ve prayed God will help keep me pure and wait for the right guy to come along whom I would eventually marry. I even made up a list of characteristics this special man of my future would have.

Making a list is a great thing to do while you’re still single. We all think we know what we want in a dating relationship, but very few of us write it down and really think about it. I talk with many girls in the middle of “boy drama” who wish they’d made a list.

Guys, this isn’t just for girls. Let’s give it a try!

1. Pray. This is the most important step to creating the list. God knows exactly what this person is like and would love to assist you in your list-making.

1. Dream. I imagine you already have an idea of what you want in a relationship. Looking at my list, I worry I’ll never find him. At those times, God gently whispers, “Wait for him. I’ll bring him to you when you’re ready. Don’t settle for anything less.”

1. Raise the standard. Chat with couples who have remained abstinent until marriage. What did they do to keep their purity? Raise the bar higher than you think. Temptation likes to sneak in and grab you. Talk with God about it. Ask Him how he wants you to protect your body and heart.

1. Take a look at your closest friends. What is it you like most about them? Add those personality traits to your list. I noticed my closest friends are outgoing, which offsets my introverted personality. They’re talkers, and I’m a listener. Imagine what it would be like if we were both listeners or both talkers!

1. Don’t be afraid to change your list. As you mature, you’ll gain a better idea of what your future spouse may be like. You’ll change it and add to it numerous times. Be flexible. It’s not written in stone. It’s in pencil on paper. There are these awesome little things called erasers…

1. Remember humans aren’t perfect. Finding the perfect person doesn’t mean he or she is without mistakes. Look through the characteristics on your list, and find places that may be his or her weaknesses. For example, since my man is an outgoing talker, I imagine his big mouth would often get him in trouble.

So go ahead…start writing! Have fun with it. Isn’t it awesome to think of your future spouse?

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Sarah Rupp is a freelance writer who loves God, reading, and music, as well as writing of course! You can find her over at her blog: http://sarahswordsofwitsdom.blogspot.com. She enjoys connecting with readers and other writers though comments.

Like trees and their wardrobes, as cold weather arrives,

So nothing remains,

Change touches our lives.

Spring’s gentle innocence, unexplored summer air,

Fall’s changing colors,

Winters cold and bare.

Like trees in a forest, Lives rub against our own,

Each life and each tree,

Stands where it was sown.

Leaves turn as seasons do, and close knit lives may change,

Brighter colors come,

We could not arrange.

New come as old trees go, a different midnight voice,

The first autumn leaf,

Drifting down by choice.

- By Ethan Hamrick (a.k.a. BJ’s Guy)