Hey there! This essay was very concise and interesting to read. However, I have some thoughts to point out so that you may be able to mold it a little better. :)

"And we get divorced because really everyone is human and they don't keep their dirty socks off the floor. Or maybe they lose their hair and become ugly."
I think that in most circumstances, these are not legitimate reasons people get divorced. Should marriage be a lifelong commitment? Absolutely. Should it continue to be a lifelong commitment if either partner is being abused, being unfaithful, etc.? I would say absolutely not. So, it's something to keep in mind that sometimes divorce is necessary for safety and happiness.

"The bride of Christ should joyfully obey, willingly submit (with no back-talk), be meek (teachable), show honor, respect, and love at all times, and always remain faithful to her One Love." This is more of a question, for me, because this part was slightly baffling. The way I was taught to love, especially in a marriage, is with respect for the other person as an equal. The way this is worded, it suggests that the wife is expected to submit to her husband almost like a child submits to a parent. Is this interpretation accurate? I absolutely agree that a wife should honor, love, and respect her husband, and the same should go for a husband toward his wife. But submission and meekness is odd to me.

Again, this essay was well written. :)

This was very good. A couple of comments:

"But that's wrong... Now all of this doesn't mean that I believe it is wicked to look forward to holding hands, serving your husband, or teaching your children to fear the Lord." - I think because of your later explanation that using the word "wrong" is too strong. Those things aren't the primary reason for marriage or what we should look forward to most, but they aren't wrong things to want, and I think your message becomes confusing when you say it's wrong (though you did say that's if "ALL" you want is those things, but it still sent a mixed message to me) and then say it's not if you do look forward to those things.

Divorce. While I agree that biblically divorce is, in almost all circumstances, wrong, I do second Erin's comment that socks and looks are not the root reasons people get divorced.

As for submission, I didn't interpret it the way Erin did because I know where you're coming from. But I do think it would be a good idea to explain how the wife's submission to her husband is different than that of a child to a parent.

Your brother's words are very true. It took me years to pinpoint what I was uncomfortable with in a lot of teaching on purity - it was all about "future husband" and not Christ, which was really no solution to the problem!

This essay was well-written, and I second Erin's opinion that it was interesting to read. I do not agree with all of your messages, but I can appreciate that your writing was good. Essays might be your forte!

I agree with both Erin and Kyleigh in regard to the divorce issue. Although I interpreted your meaning to be more metaphoric and less literal, it should probably be expanded upon. There are a thousand different reasons people get divorced; not all are legitimate reasons, rest assured, but many are. I don't think it's something you should default to--"Oh, we disagree so much, let's get divorced!"--but there are people who genuinely need to, who are in extremely unhappy or unsafe situations.

This is a nice quote, and a good way to transition: I once heard someone say, "Love is the commitment to keep on keeping on regardless of the circumstances around you, the feelings within you, or the consequences ahead of you."

I also wholeheartedly agree with Erin in regard to the submission thing. I believe I get what you mean--that the husband is the authority, the head of the household, and the wife must listen to and obey him--but that's not a principle I share. I believe that negates the equality between a husband and wife which, in my opinion, should be the basis of a marriage: two equals coming together out of love.

Again, your writing was good in this, and I hope you are not offended by us sharing our worldviews. What I've loved about this site is the diversity of its people, and the fact that we all have respect for one another, regardless of our differences. That's so important, and very necessary, in this world!

Thanks!

Thank you all for your comments! Wonderful insight.

@Erin: I have a few verses to back up the statement I made. :) 1 Peter 3:1-2 "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." Ephesians 5:22-24 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

Now since our husbands aren't perfect (like Christ) there will be room to discuss decisions and (respectfully) ask questions about the decisions being made, but for the most part our way gives in to his.
I can understand how that might be baffling to you. I didn't always have this mindset, and my pride kept me from understanding it for a long time.

@Kyleigh and @HomeschooledGirl thank you both for your comments. (Since I can't see them right now I'm forgetting what I was going to say about them) I am going to work on editing soon.