Problem: Article: Before you get into a relationship with an older guy, find out what his goals are. Does he have any long-term plans? It's important to know how you will fit into each other's life.  If he already has kids, for example, he may not be interested in starting a whole new family with you. If you don't want kids, this may be fine with you. But, if you do want kids, this could mean trouble down the road.  Don't sacrifice your own goals to be with someone who is already starting to settle down. Or, if his plans are to start traveling the world, and you're still finishing up college, don't drop everything just to be with him. Intimacy is a big part of any relationship. Don't base your entire relationship on sexual compatibility, but take it into consideration. Don't assume that an older man will be less sexually active. The opposite is more likely to be true. An older man has probably had more sexual partners, and is likely to have more experience in the bedroom. More than anything, make sure you can get along with each other. Learn from each other and delight in sharing new experiences with one another. Take some time to assess your compatibility. Find out if you have any overlapping hobbies and pursue those. Find ways to spend time doing things you both enjoy. One big hurdle of dating an older guy is wondering how he will fit in with the rest of your friends. Think about the type of people you regularly hang out with. How will they react to you dating an older man?  Your friends shouldn't dictate who you date, especially if you care for the person. However, you should consider how your partner will get along with your friends. Likewise, think about who he hangs out with, and how you feel about his friends.  Talk with each other about your respective social circles. Make sure your partner is comfortable with your friends, and vice versa.
Summary: Talk about your goals in life. Maintain intimacy. Have fun together. Introduce him into your social circle.

Problem: Article: Read through your chosen passage again, but this time, take notes on its content. You may wish to highlight, underline, or write short notes directly in on the page, but you should also keep a dedicated journal so that you can take more extensive notes. Highlighting ideas can redirect your attention to key elements during later readings, but actually writing notes on each verse will make it easier for you to think through it. Summarizing ideas and responding to them in this manner forces you to think fully on the words in front of you. Even though your space and heart should be quiet, don’t be afraid to think out loud. Talking over the passage can help you process the information and work through its mysteries more effectively.  You can think out loud in the form of a prayer, but you can also think out loud to help yourself work through complex ideas. The Bible is often referred to as the "living word" of God. As suggested by the term "living," the text is meant to be active, which also means that you can (and should) interact with it. Don't be afraid to vocalize your questions, praise God's promises, or respond honestly to the things you read. While this won’t be feasible for meditation on multiple verses or full books, it’s often a good idea to memorize the passage word-for-word when meditating over a short paragraph or single verse. Consider using the building block method of memorization. Repeat one word or short phrase roughly 6 to 12 times. Add new words or phrases onto the first, then repeat the entire thing again. Continue until you work through the full passage. Spend some time writing out the meaning of the passage in your own words. Go into as much detail as possible, drawing out as much meaning as you can find in the process. Paraphrase the passages you read by putting them into your own words, but remember to stay true to the meaning behind God's words as you do this. The idea isn't to alter or twist the truth, but to access it in more familiar terms. Think through the passage on which you're focusing. Try to pinpoint God's desires as expressed through those words, and attempt to align yourself with those desires so you can feel some degree of what God feels. By allowing yourself to feel emotion alongside God, you can make the passage you’re reading seem more “real” to yourself, which should create a richer experience. Instead of merely looking like text on a page, God’s words should seem notably more meaningful—as meaningful as they were always meant to be. Like secular meditation, meditating on God's Word can provide you with a renewed sense of calm, but the blessings of this meditative practice can extend even deeper than that. As you meditate, seek guidance, comfort, joy, reassurance, and wisdom that come from an enriched understanding of divine truth.  As Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) notes, "Blessed is the one [...] whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night." Meditating on God's Word will give you a greater understanding of what God wants from and for you, thereby providing you with guidance. Reading of God's promises and mighty deeds can give you comfort during times of trouble and an enhanced sense of joy. Improving your understanding of God's redemptive love should offer you reassurance. Lastly, by improving your understanding of God's Word through meditation, you can equip yourself with the wisdom you need to navigate through spiritual darkness. Once you understand the depth and meaning of the meditative passage, it's time to take action. Assess your own life and determine how you can apply your new understanding of God's Word to your behaviors and perspectives, then make the necessary changes immediately.  Consider the words of James 2:17 (NIV), which states, "...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Actions are a sign of faith and understanding. Meditating on the Word of God is a practice designed to improve both faith and understanding, so action should be a natural result of effective meditation. That being said, don’t assume that one 30-minute meditative session will make it easier to live by God’s Word for the rest of your life. Meditation is a discipline, and as such, you will need to continually and intentionally work at it to reap its full benefits.
Summary:
Take notes. Think out loud. Memorize the words. Rephrase the chosen passage. Evoke an emotional response. Actively seek the blessings of meditation. Apply the words to your own life.