"Your love is my drug"

As I've received an email from one of my best buds here in Chicago about suits for his wedding, I realized, there are a lot of weddings this summer. Bob & Disha Moreau just began their life together. Tim and Karys Lee are on their honeymoon as I write this. Abishek and Jessica Kumar just got hitched like a month ago. Dave Miller and Megan Yoho are about to begin their life together this fall. Maria Luethy is no longer a Luethy (sorry buddy I forgot your last name). Austin and Anna Hand are FINALLY coming together after what has it been, 10 years? No really, I think it was 3-4 years they've been dating...long distance too at that!! Phew!!

To all of you who I just mentioned, you bring so much joy to my heart! You are building for the future lovers, a model of healthy romance that denies the self and looks to the good of the other.

You are essential in that young people now-a-days are being bombarded with a sex-saturated culture. I mean, a 17 yr old Miley Cyrus (probably a girl that many other younger girls looked up to) was pole dancing at one of her concerts. A brief survey of marketing techniques will quickly reveal that companies appeal to the sexual lure to attract customers. In Chicago there is one clothing poster that ipotmizes this I believe, and it portrays a blonde lying on a lawn chair topless (with her arms covering her breasts in a self-hug) with a black mini-skirt all hugged up around her waist. I can't even tell how long the skirt would be if it were pulled down. It's supposed to advertize clothing. No shirt, no shoes, just the skirt. It's ridiculous!

A major mind-shift is happening! A shift that is appealing to the lustful, shallowingly emotional and hedonistic side of the mind.

Kesha's new song, "Your love is my drug" has an interesting line in it. "I don't care what people say...the rush is worth the price I pay" and then goes to sing about having a slumber party in her basement with the "boy" that she's lovesick with....sorry lust sick with. "Luke, you're so narrow minded and old school...how can you accuse her of being lustful, why not just in love? They're just young lovers." To you I'd say, you've misunderstood love altogether. Lust and love have blurred their lines. Love considers the future and makes the best decision for both lovers in the moment; lust lives in the moment and does not consider the future but merely feels the emotions of the moment. Love considers the good and well-being of the other to be goal of their love; lust is selfish and does not give way easily to the good of others.

Today there seems to be a thought that dominates many of our decisions. "Do what feels good." This is basically hedonism. What's wrong with this? I desire an ice cream cone, I'll get one. I want to hang out with my friends, here I go. I love my wife and want to give her a kiss, MMmmmmwah!! Nothing is really wrong with this....except too much of a good thing, is a bad thing! Healthy doses of hedonism need to be met with healthy doses of discernment and reason. Hedonism says "I feel like ice cream right now", and discernment counteracts and replies "hmm maybe you should hold off, you're 475 lbs. as of last Tuesday....you can do without." Hedonism says, "I'm bored I feel like hanging out with my friends" but reason interjects "Ok, do that....if you want to violate what your father said about leaving the house, so if you leave you'll see nothing but being grounded ahead of you for the next 2 months."

It sounds simple doesn't it? Then what's our societies problem? Why are so many young people not waiting to have sex for the first time for marriage? Why are they pretending to be adults and having kids at 15, 16, 17, 18?

We just might not be doing a good job at portraying marriage as appealing and exciting. Instead we make shows that play on broken marriages, unsatisfied wives who sleep around, and highlight the steam of adultery. It's sick, and no wonder our children will copy what is prized, or is held up as exciting.

We need to be an exceptional model to our young people! Marriage is awesome, marriage was intended to safeguard the emotions and general well-being of the other, by way of each other.

Was that a soap box? I'll get down now....thanks for listening!