Does anybody read these?

The marriage of the month club?

Perhaps I'm dreadfully old-fashioned, but I'm getting a little pissed off with society's blatant disregard for marital vows. Not that Britney Spears has ever been a poster child for love and commitment, but I just read an article about her breaking up with her boyfriend. You know what? I didn't even know she had a boyfriend. Because last I heard, she still had a husband. I double-checked. She's still married. Just because you're separated doesn't mean that your free of the obligation to your spouse. I think I last raised a big fuss over this when the media were celebrating the whole Brad and Angelina thing. I don't care if Jennifer Aniston is a big old bitch, as long as Brad was married to her, he had an obligation. And furthermore, finding someone "better" isn't a good enough reason to get divorced. Why do the media act like marriage (especially among celebrities) is no big deal? Why does our culture think it's as acceptable to change spouses as it is finger-nail polish. Why on God's green earth would anyone think that it's OK to break up a marriage? Why on earth would someone get married if they weren't sure they wanted to be with the person? Who tosses their marital vows aside like a dirty shirt?

Or am I just idealistic and totally out of touch.

Part of the reason I'm 30 and I'm not married is because I'm only getting married once. So, if I'm not positive that you're the person I want to marry, I'm not going to marry you. Any doubts, and it's not going to happen. Yeah, at one point I thought I might get married, but I didn't. And you know what? I'm OK. I don't need to be married.

That is, until I'm married. You see, my church takes marital vows very seriously, as all good churches should. I would like to get married someday, because I think that the bond between Man and Woman in matrimony is one of the best gifts that God gives us. After all, the Bible does say "What God has joined, let no man separate." (Mark 10:9) There are times when someone has to get divorced. I understand that. No one deserves to be abused. Folks in that situation shouldn't even look back. I don't tolerate cheating, so infidelity is another good reason to get divorced. Other than that, I'm just not sure. People need to spend more time getting to know each other before they got married. Sometimes I think people spend more time deciding on a new car than a spouse.

I'm just sick of it. I don't care about Britney's endless parade of boyfriends and husbands. I don't care about Brad and Angelina's torrid affair. I don't care about Denise and Richie or Jim and Jenny. I don't care about the revolving door of celebrity marriages. Too many people see this stuff and think it's normal and it shouldn't be. It should be far from it.

Why don't we celebrate the folks who truly believe that marriage is until death? On Sunday, I went to see two residents at a nursing home get married. That's the kind of wedding that should get publicity. How about a couple that's been married for 68 years?

Marriage is a big deal, folks. It's for life. Or at least that's what Jesus tells us. The minister on Sunday said that it's no coincidence that Jesus' first public miracle was at a wedding. God wants marriage to be a big deal. He wants us to treat the ones we love as we would treat Him. Are we so quick to discard God? Is there something better than God out there waiting for us? Nope. So why would we treat our spouses that way.

We shouldn't. Plain and simple.

Yet, I'm the single one. Yeah, maybe I'm just dreadfully old-fashioned.

posted by Laura at 1:08 PM