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Archives for November 2017

Rachel Questions if She’s in Love: EP 5

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Rachel Questions if She’s in Love: EP 5

How to Know if You’re in Love.

In This Episode:

You don’t fall in love, you fall in ditches. Having a loving relationship is not something that just happens. Romantic love is a deep emotional need and an act of the will, based on a clear understanding of the other person. It takes a lot of time and hard work on the part of both people involved. No one can tell you if you are in love. But, I can tell you what a loving relationship looks like, and what some of the ingredients are which make up a loving and meaningful relationship.

Did Today’s Episode Get You Thinking?

It’s very important to know whether you have a healthy, loving relationship or not. If you realize you don’t have some of the ingredients which make up a loving relationship or are not sure if you do, then you need to reevaluate. If you do having a loving relationship filled with respect and kindness then you can think about moving forward in your relationship.

Resources for Overcoming a Broken Heart:

  • Take a look at my blogs: How to Know it’s Really Love, How to Find a Meaningful Relationship, Guard Your Heart Dating Relationships, Finding the Right Guy, How to Show Respect to a Girl, and How to Show Respect to a Guy
  • For more help with relationships, download the free eBook: Understanding Dating Relationships
  • Need to talk about your issues? Sign up for an Email Mentor
  • Need prayer? We have people that will pray for you at ThePrayerZone

Would you consider doing something for me?

If you like this episode and think someone else might too, please share it on Facebook and Twitter.

One last thing,

My podcast, our website, everything we do is entirely listener supported. If you’d like to help us to continue our work, please make a gift right now at our Give Now page.

The next episode is about what to do when you hate yourself.

Remember, whatever you do, Never Lose Hope!
Dawson

Filed Under: Boyfriend, Dating, Relationships, Respect, Self-Care Tagged With: Podcasts

7 Reasons to be Just Friends

by Dawson McAllister

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7 Reasons to be Just Friends

really just friends

Just Friends vs. Dating

Being  “Just Friends” with someone from the opposite sex that you can just hang out with, while avoiding all the boyfriend/girlfriend drama, can be a real blessing. I wish every teenager and young adult could experience a friendship with someone from the opposite sex with no strings attached. It’s possible to have a Just Friends relationship, but so many people are looking for that perfect one. That boyfriend or girlfriend that’s going to sweep them off their feet and they will live happily ever after. In the meantime, they lose out on all the good times a relationship with Just Friends could bring them.

I get tons of calls on my radio show about boyfriend/girlfriend drama and broken hearts. Sometimes, the consequences of bad dating relationships can be hard and life-changing, like unintended pregnancies, STDs, and abuse.

I find myself saying to many of these callers, “You don’t need a boyfriend. You need a boy you can be “just friends” with.” The same is true for guys. We think we need that special girl, but often we simply want a woGuy and Girl on roofman in our lives to help us understand more about the female point of view.

What I’m trying to say is having a friend from the opposite sex is a huge gift to you and can be far healthier than the drama of dating. I wish everyone who dates would have a friend of the opposite sex to help give them a better perspective.

A while back I asked for comments from my readers about the advantages of having a friend from the opposite sex. I read through every comment and came up with 7 good reasons to be “Just Friends”.

Everyone who dates should have a friend of the opposite sex to help give them a better perspective. Click To Tweet

7 Reasons to be “Just Friends”

      Quality Relationships

  1. You tend to respect your friends more than the people you randomly date. People who have Just Friends relationships tend to respect their friend and take care of them more than just random dating that comes and goes. I’m best friends with a guy named Mikey and he’s awesome. We respect each other. We know that we don’t want anything to ruin what we have. (Angelica)guys and girl on bench
  2. “Just Friend” relationships tend to be more like brother and sister relationships. Everybody needs brothers and sisters, but let’s just suppose for a moment that you’re a guy who doesn’t have a sister or a girl who doesn’t have a brother. Or perhaps you don’t relate well to your brother or sister. Just Friends can help fill the gap of those who have never experienced a good brother or sister relationship.  Just Friends’ is like having a brother or a sister for those who didn’t have a sibling of the opposite sex.(Christy) By the way, if you have a good relationship with your brother or sister, you are truly blessed.
  3. You can be very honest and real within a “Just Friends” relationship. When dating, there can be a lot of fear of losing your boyfriend or girlfriend. So many times, people are not honest with one another about their feelings. All this does is make the dating relationship weak and prone to fall apart. But in Just Friends, you tend to be more honest because you feel more secure in the relationship and the stakes aren’t quite so high. Learning how to be honest in a relationship is extremely important. So, what you learn about honesty in Just Friends you can apply someday to your boyfriend/girlfriend. I like having him as friend because it’s nice to have a guys’ opinion when you need it and I know he will truly give me an honest answer.(Rissa) I like what Laura had to say, They keep you grounded, and aren’t afraid to give you a reality check when you obviously need one.(Laura)There’s a cool verse from the wisest man in the Bible. His name is King Solomon and he said, An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. He’s absolutely right. It’s hard to get people to be totally honest with you, but Just Friends can be just that.
  4. “Just Friends” often protect each other. I have always been amazed at how real friends girl and guy with guitarwill protect each other no matter what. “Just Friends” may fight amongst themselves, but if someone else tries to step in against one of the friends, the other will protect his/her best friend to the end. I have noticed how best friends who are guys are extremely protective over their best friend girl. This desire to protect is not some way to control and manipulate the girl. It comes out of real love and friendship. It’s a good feeling to know there is a Just Friend who’s got your back. My best friend is more than a best friend, she’s more like a sister. And she feels that same way. We both have each others back now and forever.(Narda) 

    No Pressure

  5. You can learn much about the opposite sex without the pressure of dating. It seems to me that many people really do not understand the opposite sex. Let’s face it, men and women look at the world differently and react differently to life. That’s one reason why in dating, things get so confusing. Because along with the deep emotion of young love or infatuation comes confusion and frustration. But a friend from the opposite sex can fill you in on what women/men are like. They can answer a lot of your questions about the opposite sex and save you all kinds of grief. I think it’s great to have a friend of the opposite sex because sometimes the same sex won’t understand some things you are going through such as if you have been in a bad break up. A guy can see your point of view when you’re talking about your ex, and it gives you an opportunity to see both sides of the story…(Megan)
  6. There is no sexual pressure. In a recent survey, 61% of all teenage girls say they are pressured to have sex. Guys aren’t pressured to have sex as much by girls, but some still are. Being pressured to have sex can be a very difficult experience. If you’re dating somebody and really like hijust friendsm/her, there are all kinds of fears of losing your bf/gf. In the end, some bargain away their bodies in their attempt to keep the relationship going.That’s sure a crummy way of staying in a relationship. But with “Just Friends”, you don’t have all that pressure. You can relax and just enjoy the friendship with no sexual strings attached. What a stress reliever that is!

    It’s so nice to just hang with guys who are “Just Friends” and not have any sexual stuff in between. It has never been that way between any of us!(Jenn)
     I’m amazed at how many people pressure their dating partner to go against their value system and do something sexual the other partner doesn’t want to do.
  7. Just Friends are comfortable with each other with no need to impress. There is tremendous pressure on teenagers and young adults to impress other people, especially the opposite sex.  They end up not even being themselves, but instead what they think the person of the opposite sex wants them to be. It’s just one big performance. Not being yourself and performing for others is extremely exhausting and never worth the effort. Just Friends helps solve that problem because with Just Friends you can be yourself and not worry about impressing. If you hang out with someone of the opposite sex, you don’t have to try to impress anyone. One of my best friends is a guy, and we talk about almost everything. I don’t have to prove myself, and neither does he.(Kaitlyn) 
You can be very honest and real within a Just Friends relationship. #dating #friendship Click To Tweet

So save yourself a lot of stress by spending more time developing Just Friends relationships. It could be the wisest thing you’ll ever do.

There are so many good reasons to have Just Friends. I’m not against dating, but it can cause a lot of pressure and pain you don’t need. I’m all for Just Friends and who knows, the perfect love for your life may come along when not even looking for him/her. I want to encourage you to keep developing a Just Friends relationship. You’ll be glad you did.


Related Posts:

Challenges of Just Friends

Choose Friends Wisely

9 Tips for Being a Great Friend

Falling In Love With Your Best Friend


If you have had a “just friends” relationship with someone from the opposite sex, please leave a comment below about both the pros or the cons.

 

Relationship Advice for Guys: eBook    Relationship Advice for Girls: eBook

Filed Under: Dating, Dawson's Blog, Friendship, Relationships Tagged With: Dawson's Blog, Friends

Lust Invaded Breanna’s Relationship: EP 4

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Lust Invaded Breanna’s Relationship: EP 4

How to Stop Lust from Invading Your Life.

In This Episode:

Everyone who’s currently dating or hopes to have a relationship, needs to ask themselves this question… Am I allowing desire to take over my relationships or even my life? Lust is extremely powerful and often misunderstood, causing all kinds of confusion. Some people get caught up in the excitement and have no idea where it’s going to take them or how dangerous it is.

Did Today’s Episode Get You Thinking?

The effects of lust can have lasting effects on you and your life. Breanna’s relationship fell apart after she decided to have sex. Have you had a relationship fail because of lust? Maybe you’ve lusted after something, like money, food, beauty, sex, etc. I hope this episode helps you see more clearly where you may struggle with lust so that you can begin to deal with it.

Resources for help with lust:

  • Take a look at my blogs: Am I in Lust?, Why Lust is Destructive, Comparing Love vs. Lust, Guard Your Heart Dating Relationships
  • Need to talk about your issues? Sign up for an Email Mentor
  • Need prayer? We have people that will pray for you at ThePrayerZone

Would you consider doing something for me?

If you like this episode and think someone else might too, please share it on Facebook and Twitter.

One last thing,

My podcast, our website, everything we do is entirely listener supported. If you’d like to help us to continue our work, please make a gift right now at our Give Now page.

The next episode is about how to know when you’re in love.

Remember, whatever you do, Never Lose Hope!
Dawson

Filed Under: Boyfriend, Dating, Love Addiction, Lust, Relationships, Sex Tagged With: Podcasts

Never Once Have You Ever Walked Alone [Video]

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Never Once Have You Ever Walked Alone [Video]

Never Once by Matt Redman

Whatever struggles we are facing …depression, anxiety, cutting, relationship issues, self-esteem, addictions, etc., can often leave us feeling as if we are very much alone. But God promises that He will never abandon us. He will never leave us on our own.

For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5

In this music video, Matt Redman, sings of God’s promise. “Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did you leave us on our own. You are faithful. God you are faithful.”

All you need to do is call out to God. Pray to Him.  Trust and believe that He is with you.

This is where we find our hope. [Read more…] about Never Once Have You Ever Walked Alone [Video]

Filed Under: Dawson's Blog, Faith Tagged With: Videos

Jacob’s Broken Heart: EP 3

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Jacob’s Broken Heart: EP 3

How to Overcome a Broken Heart.

In This Episode:

When it comes to relationships, one of the most asked questions is, “How can I overcome a broken heart?” If you haven’t had your heart broken yet, there’s a good chance you will. To be in love is to be vulnerable to the other person so if they want to hurt us, they can. The deeper the love, the deeper the hurt. All this pain begs for an answer, what can you do to fix or mend a broken heart? If you follow my advice, I’m convinced you will heal more quickly and more deeply. In this episode, I will give you 6 ways to help you overcome a broken heart. This episode also includes Jacob and Nina’s story of heartbreak. They will both get through this and so will you.

Did Today’s Episode Get You Thinking?

It happened…you opened yourself up to love and got hurt. You’ve been left heartbroken and vulnerable. The hurt is powerful, we are not going to pretend otherwise, but you can overcome. It’s only when we feel our pain that we are honestly able to deal with it and move on. You can move on past this hurt and find healing for your heartbreak.

Resources for Overcoming a Broken Heart:

  • Take a look at my blogs: Getting Over A Broken Heart – 6 Steps To Healing, 15 Practical Steps to Help You Get Over a Broken Heart, 5 Ways You Can Move Forward After a Broken Heart, and Stop the Heartbreak – 4 Things to Avoid
  • For more help, download the free eBook: Getting Over a Broken Heart
  • Need to talk about your issues? Sign up for an Email Mentor
  • Need prayer? We have people that will pray for you at ThePrayerZone

Would you consider doing something for me?

If you like this episode and think someone else might too, please share it on Facebook and Twitter.

One last thing,

My podcast, our website, everything we do is entirely listener supported. If you’d like to help us to continue our work, please make a gift right now at our Give Now page.

The next episode is about lust.

Remember, whatever you do, Never Lose Hope!
Dawson

Filed Under: Broken Heart, Dating, Depression, Grief, Relationships Tagged With: Podcasts

Christina’s Father Hunger: EP 2

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Christina’s Father Hunger: EP 2

How to Find Healing From the Damage of Fatherlessness.

In This Episode:

Father hunger is a lack of sufficient fathering which is extremely impactful to a person’s life for good or bad. I will explain to you how you can heal from the damage of an absent father. Then, I’ll give you practical ways to deal with father hunger, including powerful, “I release my father from…” statements of forgiveness. This episode also includes Christina’s story and how the lack of a father in her life affected her. You will hear my advice for Christina, which can be applied to your life as well.

Did Today’s Episode Get You Thinking?

Perhaps you can relate to father hunger in your own life. Have you let a negative relationship with your father define you? Have you held onto anger and resentment from times he’s hurt you? Or maybe you’ve done things you’re not proud of to try to fill the void, left by not having a father. It’s taken a lifetime for you to get to this point and healing will not happen overnight.

Resources for Father Hunger:

  • Take a look at my blogs: How to Deal with Father Hunger, Sex and Father Hunger, and Reaching Out for a Father
  • For more help, download the free eBook: Understanding Abandonment
  • Need to talk about your issues? Sign up for an Email Mentor
  • Need prayer? We have people that will pray for you at ThePrayerZone

Would you consider doing something for me?

If you like this episode and think someone else might too, please share it on Facebook and Twitter.

One last thing,

My podcast, our website, everything we do is entirely listener supported. If you’d like to help us to continue our work, please make a gift right now at our Give Now page.

 

The next episode is about dealing with a broken heart.

See you next week and whatever you do, Never Lose Hope!
Dawson

Filed Under: Abandonment, Abuse, Adoption, Father Hunger, Parent, Relationships, Self-Care, Self-Esteem Tagged With: Podcasts

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