Searching for male advice

especially if you are lonely.

And it's not the woman that you really want as much as friends. Because you know nothing about her. She knows nothing about you.

You need to get involved in your community. Make friends and acquaintances....drink $5 coffee with some guys and solve world problems. Go to a men's retreat with a church group. Get some hobbies. Hunt down your teenage daughter and be a dad. Doesn't matter if it seems like she doesn't want to talk with you...she really is just testing you to see if you want to talk with her. You don't have to shower her with stuff but gift certificates to a jewelry store or clothes store are ALWAYS welcome for her....maybe a gift card for a Starbucks or some other coffee shop. (The girl has friends)
But basically just listen to her talk and ask questions. (Don't lecture her...despite the urge to fill her ears)
You are a rich man if you have a child...and a teenager needs her dad moreso than at anytime before. Never never let a child get away like that. Just hug her and tell her you love her. Tell her you miss her....the normal "of course" type stuff. That's all it takes.[/QUOTE]

She's not that pretty.
Of course all of that is sound advice. But I'm not going to tell my daughter I miss her. I don't want to install bad feelings of guilt.

See? It didn't take long at all for the advice to just start flowing.

I'm very grateful!

I don't recall a time when I wasn't a Christian. You know nothing of my circumstances. Perhaps you should inquire before making judgments.

I asked, no judgement at all on my part.

I'm just curious and now a little confused. Because if you have been a Christian, you must have known about the Biblical writings about divorce and re-marriage? Then I wonder, how it could happen, that you married multiple times?

Ummm
There is no prohibition against getting married again after getting divorced. Just a strong discouragement of the practice.

When the Bible was first translated into English it was by a group of gentlemen who were somewhat concerned about King Henry's thoughts on the subject as well as his behaviors. Henry the 8th had several wives looking for an heir.

And since that time the translation have always followed suit.

Let me put it this way....
You don't need to divorce a dead wife/husband. (Adultery was a capital punishment offense) And a practice of "put away" was extremely common....as in Joseph was going to make Mary a Put Away wife privately instead of publicly. So she could live in sin with whoever got her pregnant. (Jews had 5 levels of being married....we would call being engaged)

I didn't see this since you didn't "reply." I'm well aware of the Biblical writings about divorce and remarriage. Since I said I'm a Christian, your first assumption should be that I followed them, but it seems that's not the case.

That's my understanding. Unfortunately, I can't extrapolate to anyone else's situation, much as I might like to.

Are you saying that you don't believe a man and a woman can be friends?
Paul and Priscilla might disagree with that. As would Jesus and his two very close friends, Mary and Martha...

I got all kinds of family that are female friends as well as other female friends...married and single.
We don't get caught in compromising situations nor do we ever allow ourselves to be in one. Always public meetings in view of spouses and nothing flirtatious so much as breathed.
The closest to a "compromising" situation was when my dad and my niece were with me at a fish fry and the SR preacher's daughter sat with us at our table because the fellowship hall was jammed packed with people. She had some friends with her too....

Yeah...not really compromising but....