Joy of Marriage

Congratulations Zach & Lori!

It seems like just yesterday Zach was writing home about this young woman and now she is his beloved wife. Weddings are always special, but just thinking about Zach & Lori brings tears of joy to my eyes because they have sought to hononr God first in every aspect their lives individually and as a couple. I pray my children will be able to get to know their aunt and uncle and follow their Godly example. God bless you two!

Have you met my wife...I mean wives?

UGH!!!!
I am once again DISGUSTED! I have been out of the loop I guess for a while, but today I was searching a bit, wanting to find some info on the YFZ Polygamist ranch - wanting to know what it was like for women who escaped, left, what a former member would say. Alas, my search for that has not been very frutiful. BUT I found something that made me want to PUKE!!!

It's this TV Show called "Big Love" on HBO. Now HBO has been raunchy since its beginning, so it's not shocking. But it reminded me of my college days (my major was Radio/TV Broadcasting) where we heard for the first time in ethics class "The medium is the message." We debated that thought and never came to conclusions, but instead to these questions:

1. Does the media simply give a picture of life as it really is or does it create a reality that the world then reflects?

2. Does media influence reality or reality influence media?

*side note* Francis Schaffer had something to say along these lines.

Here's my query - why is being "gay" considered acceptable to most people today? 20 years ago most homesexuals were still "in the closet" but now it's no problem. How about single parents? Living together? Divorce?
Dare I say remember Murphy Brown? The nation was aghast at her pregnancy....
How about the 80s show "My 2 Dads" or "Perfect Strangers" hmm...were they or wern't they...
Then suddenly it was "Will & Grace" and everyone loved it....

So I ask is the medium the message? Or is it just a reflection of reality?
Because This Show "Big Love" is about a polygamist family - living in Utah, of course - and looking like your typical upper middle class white, anglo-saxon respectable folks - just trying to work out family issues like everyone else only with 1 man and 3 wives.

So at the moment we are all utterly shocked at this YFZ Ranch in Texas, but what about the TV show? Well, these wives are all ascenting, 20-somethings, what's the big deal? That's just it. You present something you know people can deal with...oh aren't they so happy? Then slowly things spiral downward until marrying 13 year old girls to 50 year old men doesn't seem so bad anymore. After all, it's a free country and they're free to leave at any time. Um hmmm....

I say all this as a reminder (to myself and others) to filter everything through the TRUTH of scripture. Do we just say "Oh, I just watch it because it's funny..." Is it funny? Can we truly find something funny that derives its humor from things so clearly unbiblical? Today we laugh, tomorrow we think maybe it's ok, and next year we see no problem at all because our minds become numb through the constant messages of the world that we think we can handle because it's just "funny."

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in h=me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Philippians 4:8