You, Me, and Zebedee…

OK, so I was reading a book this morning; and it got me to thinking about a dude in the Bible who is mentioned all the time, but never really in any depth…Zebedee.

Yeah, the famous fisherman papa of James and John. I guess sometimes we simply think that Zebedee must have welled up with pride to know that his two sons ended up being two of Jesus’ inner circle. No one else could really claim that. I mean, Peter and Andrew had a dad; but Andrew wasn’t present at the transfiguration or asked to pray for Jesus in the garden. James and John both were. They were the sons of thunder. So, oftentimes, I think of Zebedee as the proud papa.

But, then I thought about the fact that Jesus was walking on the beach that one day and invited them to follow. Was it ALL of them? Was Zebedee invited? All I know is that the sons went. Zebedee did not. Zebedee’s legacy [besides being the modifier that we use to describe one James in regard to the other James (James "the Less"...bummer!)] is as the man who stayed. The man who kept untangling the nets. He had work to do. He didn’t have time to follow.

Well, I think, at times, in my life I have been like Zebedee. I have said to Jesus, “Yeah, I know that You want me to follow; but I have this or that.” Sometimes “this” or “that” has even been youth ministry related stuff, good stuff. But, I don’t want to do anything at the expense of following Jesus. I don’t want to be left simply holding a net. I don’t want to miss the boat. Or, I guess more appropriate to the analogy, be left standing in a boat.

That’s one of the reasons why I am going to seminary now. Why now? Because Jesus asked me to. I could have waited until I was more secure financially. I could have waited until I had my feet wet in California for awhile. I could have waited for a lot of things. But Jesus never stopped while He gave the invitation. Either they hopped out of the boat and followed, or He was moving on.

So…I’m hopping.

I signed up for my first semester of classes yesterday:

Learning to Interpret Scripture (4 hrs)

This one’s going to be a beast. My class is from 6 PM - 10 PM on Monday nights. It should be hard work, but I can’t think of anything that I would enjoy learning about more than the Bible.

Thinking Theologically about Ministry (2 hrs)

This is a class that I’m taking online. By the end of this class, I’m going to be able to write out my ministry philosophy. This will be helpful whenever I get to the pastoral hiring process. It’s also cool because I’ll be able to learn about all these church “movements.” I hate labels, but I also get frustrated when people talk about all this stuff that I don’t understand. So this should be a good one.

Growing Disciples Intentionally (2 hrs)

This is an “In-Ministry” class. In other words, I go to class intensively for a couple of days (think 9 - 5); and then my assignments are to apply what I am learning in my existing ministry context. Hmm, now if only I could find some people to disciple… He he he…just kidding. I am excited for my “guinea pigs.”

Maximizing the Church’s Redemptive Influence (2 hrs)

This is the other “In-Ministry” class. I don’t really know what to expect from this one. But, when you can take the opportunity to only have to commute to Sacramento for 3 days, you take it! So, I’m open to whatever God is going to teach me through this class.

Anyway, don’t be a Zebedee!

The only nets worth holding on to are the ones you get to cut down when you win the NCAA Tournament. And that comes from playing the game! (Um…I know, kinda cheesy. Cue “One Shining Moment” by Luther Vandross.)

[Oh, and a little update on my workout schedule. 8 out of 11 days. Not bad!]

Four!

OK, so it’s been awhile since I’ve written an entry. Apparently, my friend Chris Denning is a little annoyed by this fact and believes that if I “twittered” that it would help. Oh no, my friend. I’m a WordPress guy. I’ve just been doing a lot of thinking and working and thinking and working.

So…why call this entry “Four!”? Well, a lot of things have been building up to me making a lifestyle choice. A lot of things have been whizzing by my ears and eyes, and I am finally starting to take them in.

1. I had to go to the doctor for the first time in a long time because I have been feeling really cruddy recently.

2. My pastor just did a series called “From Burnout to Balance.” Figure out what it was about.

3. I just lead a Confirmation Retreat where I talked about spiritual maturity with a group of teenagers.

And what have I realized about myself?

1. I’m way out of shape. Sorry if you’re more out of shape then me. I’m not trying to offend you. We’re both out of shape. We need to take care our our bodies. It is a mandate from God. For some reason, though, I haven’t taken that seriously in a long time. So, I don’t exercise; and eat way to much junk. I was a svelte 157 in college. I weighed in at 217 at my doctor’s visit last week. That would be sweet if I was bulking up to try my hand at pro wrestling; but, I’m sure very little of that weight is muscle. So…unless I want to ride one of those scooters around at Wal-Mart (like many of the other people who just got too big to walk around a store), I probably need to do something about it.

2. I am burning the candle on both ends. I am trying to do way to much. I realized this, and I realize that it isn’t healthy. Yeah, being a youth pastor affords many opportunities to get a God complex; and apparently I took the bait. I do have my mental breaks that I take throughout the day (Fantasy Baseball, Facebook Wrestling, etc.), but I don’t have rest as a part of my lifestyle. Not good, homie. I would prefer to keep my hair brown.

3. I might know a lot about God, but I can hardly say that I place my days at His feet. I rush through everything like a mad man; and, even though I am seeking God throughout the day, I’m not really thinking much before it all begins (the time where it could probably help most).

Well…I did something about it.

On Monday I did some things that (all together) I probably haven’t done in 8 or 9 years.

1. I got up earlier than I had to.
2. I went to my workout facility to cardio and strength.
3. I listened to a Rob Bell sermon on my iPod.
4. I wrote in my journal, dedicating my day to God and considering how I can do that.
5. I ate breakfast.

Yeah, a great combination. And I was at work by my normal time of 10 AM.

Oh, and I did it on Tuesday…

…and Wednesday…

…and this morning.

So…I’m trying to change my lifestyle. I’m not “picking up habits.” I’m trying to change my lifestyle.

A more disciplined lifestyle.
A healthier lifestyle.
A stronger lifestyle.
A more contemplative lifestyle.
A more submissive lifestyle.
A more “filling” lifestyle.

Let’s see how it goes…

Art…

I don’t even really know what to think about all the controversy swirling around the new Miley Cyrus photo spread in “Vanity Fair.” Ironically, the cover of the magazine says, “Miley Cyrus takes off…”

She’s fifteen.

Some quotes from the “Hannah Montana” star:

“I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. I never intended for any of this to happen…”

Why do we, as a society, have this idea that if something is done “artistically” that what is in front of us doesn’t matter? Are we supposed to have sort of cognitive dissonance when we see “art.” For example, in a movie like “Sweeney Todd,” there is a ton of violence; but since it is meant to be “artistic,” it doesn’t count. Really? And if a fifteen year-old-girl is looking ruffled, topless in a bedsheet, if it is “artistic,” we are not supposed to think about the fact that a high school girl is in a bed with no shirt on? I am embarrassed that Miley Cyrus thought that it being “artistic” could make a difference. Does it? Where did she get that message?

I do believe that she didn’t intend for any of this to happen. But, then again, did she plan for it NOT to happen? What would that look like?

“I think it’s really artsy. It wasn’t in a skanky way. Annie took, like, a beautiful shot, and I thought that was really cool. That’s what she wanted me to do, and you can’t say no to Annie.”

Again, here’s that “artsy” word. Why is it artsy? Could it have been just as artsy if she was wearing a shirt? I’m just very confused about this. I thought art was all about composition, lighting, color tinting, and expression. I simply don’t understand why lack of clothing and a risque pose play into it. If those things do play into the art of it, what is the “piece” communicating?

Miley said that she could not “say no to Annie [the photographer].” It’s almost as if we deify artists and allow them to determine what is appropriate in our lives. This is all really sad to me.

A quote from the photographer:

“I’m sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted. Miley and I looked at fashion photographs together and we discussed the picture in that context before we shot it. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful.”

It may be “fashion[able]” or “beautiful,” but that doesn’t mean that it’s right.

I’m creeped out by all of this. Note to self, “Self, when you have a daughter, make sure that she knows that it is not ‘artistic’ to take nude, semi-nude, or topless photos of herself for all the world to see (and even in ‘private’ because they never stay ‘private.’).”

But I think that there’s a more practical application to all of this than that. Ladies, young ladies, please, THINK. Ask someone you trust (not a boy…and probably NOT a girl who is the same age as you…think youth leader, parent, older sister) to look at your pictures (on Facebook, MySpace, whatever…) and see if they see something in those photos that maybe you didn’t see. Sometimes we don’t want to see the truth about a picture. Sometimes we lie to ourselves and say that it isn’t there.

Questions to ask…

1. Could my pose be considered “sexy”?
2. Is my tongue sticking out, and would this lead other people to stumble?
3. Is it wise to have a picture of me with so few clothing items on for guys to see?
4. Can you see down my shirt in this picture?
5. Can you see my underwear?

You might think this is silly, but I GUARANTEE that guys (Christian or not) don’t even have to consciously go through that check list. In fact, guys look for that.

“Whoah, she looks ‘hot’ in that picture! I didn’t know she had that ’side’ to her.”
“Dude, I can think of what I’d like to do with that tongue!”
“Yesss…so that’s what she looks like in a bikini!”
“Sweet, cleavage shot!”
“He he he, I can see up the leg of her shorts.”

Now, instead of feeling guilty or dirty, I think it’s important to understand that our society places a lot of pressure on young ladies to be “eye candy” for men. But, I do believe, that the Truth can set ladies free from this demeaning pattern…

John 8:10-11 puts second chances this way…

“Jesus straightened up and asked [the woman who was caught in the act of adultery], ‘Woman, where are [your accusers]? Has no one condemned you?’

‘No one, sir,’ she said.
‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’ “

She was probably a topless girl too, having nothing but a sheet to cover her up. But Jesus didn’t condemn her. He told her to get on with her life.

Jesus didn’t want to see someone precious to Him be used by men.

I’m thankful to serve a God like that.

Going to Strip Clubs for Bachelor Parties…

Does anyone else find it interesting that it is a tradition for a man to go and spend time ogling naked women within a week of showing his commitment to one woman at a wedding?

The reason I bring this up is because of that story about the young man, Sean Bell, who was killed in New York. He was shot exiting a strip club the night before his wedding. It’s such a part of our culture that no one seems to even notice that this guy was being unfaithful the night before his wedding. Bell was shot by the police because they thought he had a gun. The driver of the car was either hostile or intoxicated because he allegedly tried to run over one of the cops. So, the cops shot the guy. Yes, they made a horrible mistake.

I know that this story stinks on so many levels; but, for me, it exposes an issue in our society that is disgusting…

Why do women allow their fiances to go out to strip clubs before the wedding? What is that supposed to prove? What good could that accomplish?

I feel bad about this man’s death, but I feel worse that no one seems to care about where he was when he died.

Check out this verse…

Job 31:1

“I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look lustfully at a girl.”

Have we gotten to the point where we laugh at God and simply say, “Yeah, I’ll keep a covenant with my eyes (except for at my bachelor party…I mean, come on, God).”

Women should not feel guilty about saying “no” when fiances want to do this. I’ve got your back, and so does God.

Do you want to marry a guy who won’t respect you enough to end this tradition?

Homeless People…

Is anyone afraid of them? Why?

Violent Movies…

Yeah, so I watched the beginning of a really violent movie this morning. I couldn’t “take it,” so I turned it off. I’ve always had a weak stomach, so I guess that’s no surprise. I’ve actually intentionally chosen to not watch movies like “The Saw” or “Hostel” because I know that I can’t handle it. So why did I watch it? I thought it would be different.

I watched a person have their head ripped off. (Some of you might be thinking, “Oh, please, I’ve seen that so many times before that it doesn’t even increase my pulse rate anymore.”)

I saw that same person have all their limbs be ripped off in one single motion. (Again, some of you might be thinking, “Yeah, so?”)

I saw a human being ripped out of a vagina and split into pieces. (”What?!?!?”)

And it was real.

I was watching a documentary, and I saw a human being be executed right in front of a camera. I saw the doctor reassuring testify that, now that this person is dead, a girl will get to go to college! Yay. Sounds like an even tradeoff, right?

I was watching the first few minutes of “Lake of Fire,” a documentary about the abortion controversy. And I didn’t expect to see what I just saw.

The doctor has used some form of suction to rip the child out of the woman’s womb. I was just getting over the awkwardness of seeing that with my wife right beside me, when WHAM– the a pool of chunky blood landed into some containers.

Then, I forced myself to watch the doctor empty the contents from those containers into some pans to make sure that all the body parts had gotten out. Like a man panning for gold, the doctor pieced together a foot here, a hand there.

The executioner explained, “Now this mother will be able to continue her college education.” So matter of fact. Numbingly, matter of fact. I had to wonder how many of these “procedures” this particular doctor initiated per day. I wondered if he simply gave his hands a good scrubbing, picked up some flowers for his wife and a bucket of chicken for the kids on the way home, and sat around with his family and watched new episodes of “American Idol” after a day like THAT.

A couple of years ago, someone shared me this “super conservative” abortion tape. I watched it in horror; but, in the back of my mind, thinking, “It can’t be this bad.”

Well, I just watched a child that had been inside a young woman’s womb for 22 weeks get sucked out violently more violently than a Quentin Tarantino film. And it was that bad.

I’m not even going to talk about whether or not abortion is bad. That’s a silly conversation, if you ask me. Would you really look God in the eye and say, “I was a little unclear about what you said about murder, God. Can you elaborate?”

When did we decide that we had “rights”? Look at this verse.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

You are not your own. You were bought. This isn’t “Memoirs of a Geisha.” We’re talking about our lives being paid for by the death of Jesus on the cross. If you take that, you are supposed to understand that a transaction has taken place. We are no longer supposed to call the shots.

So why all this talk about “a woman’s right to choose”? I think God should do the choosing.

My friend, Mike, is a doctor at the Alpha Pregnancy Center. Before you do anything rash, I would recommend talking to them. If you can’t find a place to go near to you, I would love to pray with you and offer and help and any connections that I can.

People don’t like to call sin “sin.” I’m not sure why. I guess because it makes us all feel a little bit better when we screw up. But, I would definitely say that you can call something sin, commit a sin, and still be forgiven. Even if you have made a mistake in the past, God can still offer you life. But, please, the worst thing that you can do is lie to yourself to make yourself feel better. Believe me, I’ve done that before; and it is much healthier to give yourself to God with all your brokenness.

Let God choose your direction.

Resurrecting the Champ…

OK, so I watched “Resurrecting the Champ” last Saturday night with MK and Courtney; and I thought I would share the insights that I gained from the film.

It’s ironic because I am reading the book, “Wild at Heart” with my college guys small group; and we are talking about the desires of guys. And I think that this movie really illustrated a point that John Eldridge brings up:

“This is man’s deepest fear: to be exposed, to be found out, to be discovered as an impostor, and not really a man.”

In the movie, two men struggle with the idea that they aren’t good enough. Each has their own reasons. Both Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett’s characters feel the need to create an alternate persona (as if the real version of themselves are just not good enough). Samuel L. Jackson’s character fakes it for everyone. Josh Hartnett’s fakes who is to his own son.

I can’t figure out which is more poignant. I mean, someone who lies to the whole world is one thing. But, a man who is so uncomfortable with who he really is that he has to lie to his son? That’s really sad.

I want to be real to the world. I guess that’s part of the reason that I share my thoughts like this. If you saw me just preaching or just praying or just doing successful things, you might think that I’m some kind of ministry Superman. Sad, because that’s definitely not true. But, I could be tempted to make you believe that. He he he…

Anyway, I want to be the kind of guy who is real to my kids. I love what Andy Stanley says in his book about prioritizing family, “Choosing to Cheat”:

“At least twice a week at bedtime I ask each of [our kids] this series of questions:

* Is everything okay in your heart?

* Did anyone hurt your feelings today?

* Are you mad at anyone?

* Did anyone break a promise to you?

* Is there anything I can do for you?”

I like that because it seems so real to me. So much more real. It’s like I’d be inviting my kids to tell me where I messed up as a dad. And I’d be ok with that. Anyway, I just thought that was cool. It kind of reminds me of this verse…

Proverbs 22:6 (The Message)

“Point your kids in the right direction—
when they’re old they won’t be lost.”

One way would be to real to them. To model what it looks like to be real. The tragedy of “Resurrecting the Champ” is that both men felt it was easier to make something up…

Handling It…

So…last night I did a little experiment.

The youth ministry that I lead has a couple of weekly environments in it: small groups, Sunday morning, and Sunday night.

On Sunday night, we try to craft a thought-provoking program that causes students who might not know anything about God to be propelled into a deeper relationship with Him. Sunday night sets up the small groups. Small groups are a place where students are looked in the eye and provoked to own their faith in God. Sunday morning is kind of a hybrid of the two.

Anyway, on Sunday morning, we had been doing some Bible trivia games (and it was extremely successful); so (since I had almost no time to plan any kind of program this week) I decided to see what would happen if “Bible trivia” made its way into a Sunday night program.

Now…keep in mind, Sunday night is the place where we play stupid games, active games, trivia games, watch silly videos, and the like. Yeah, there is worship and a message; but we try to break our young hearts into the night by lightening the load on their hearts. So…something kind of “spiritual,” like a Bible trivia game would be kind of weird (I guess).

Things we have had a trivia about in the past that were successful:

1. Action movie stars
2. Famous friends
3. Word puzzles
4. Holiday trivia
5. Faces morphed together
6. You get the idea…

OK, so I figured that Bible would be just like the rest…

Well…it wasn’t.

There’s something about the Bible (and Bible knowledge) that turns off high school and middle school students. It’s weird. I’ve asked questions about all the Gryffindors in Harry Potter. I’ve asked questions about all the members of the Justice League. I’ve asked questions about all sorts of things. But, when it came to Bible trivia, there was a different vibe. There seemed to be more vacant stares, less guessing, and an overall weird feeling. Yeah, the Bible wizzes seemed to like it; but even they seemed tense during the game. So…without further adieu, here are my theories…

1. The Bible is different than anything else. Maybe, deep down, we know that, so trivia doesn’t seem as trivial when it pertains to the Bible.
2. There is a stigma attached the Bible knowledge, as if, somehow, by the rendering of facts from this book, you are more spiritual (dare I say “better”?) than everyone else.
3. Most families don’t teach their kids the Bible anymore, even Christian families. Whether that is from apathy or from lack of knowledge (and therefore, shame of lack of knowledge), I don’t really know.
4. When I think of Bible trivia, I think of geeky kids sitting in a circle in out of date clothing, listening to Point of Grace (thinking it’s AWESOME!), and not being allowed to watch the Smurfs (because they are demons). It almost seems irrelevant to “real” life.

I guess I’m scared, a little bit.

Here’s why.

I think that high school kids and middle school kids should be reading the Bible (not for “trivia,” but to understand who our Great God is.) The “trivia” will come. But, there is something so much more valuable in the Bible than sweet random facts.

Check out what the Bible says…

2 Timothy 2:15

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Most people use this as the poster verse for Bible study (and, maybe I am indirectly). The King James says “study” instead of “do your best” or “strive,” as other versions put it. But, I like “do your best.”

Here’s a paraphrase that I like…

“Do your best to act like a Christian, one who doesn’t have to be afraid of who he is because he understands what the truth is all about.”

The fear (or boredom from) the Bible is because we don’t understand that it points us towards who God is and what He expects from us (”What, God expects something from me? I thought all I had to do was pray a prayer?”).

It’s all about life change. It’s all about standing before God, unashamed. It’s all about knowing the meaning of life.

Read.

Freedom…

I was invited to a birthday party last night for one of the guys in my my youth group, Logan. I try to attend birthdays as much as I can (it’s hard because there are a lot of kids), but I knew this one was going to be special.

Logan was only having guys come over. We were going to have “a customary tea and a customary white cap” (if you don’t know what they means, don’t worry, you don’t need to know), eat meat, play video games, and just be guys.

It was a great night. Yeah, a lot of the boys from my church youth group were there; but there was also a strong representation of Logan’s school friends, kids who, quite frankly, I had either never met or had no idea where they stood on spiritual issues. A total cross-section of teenage guys.

And I discovered something…

Guys want to be free. They want to be free to act silly. They want to have a safe place where they can be themselves. They want to giggle (yeah, high school guys!). And they want to sing, dance, hug, and be real. How do I know that? Well, I saw it. In a way, I helped create it.

I was talking to the guys about our experiences on the Ensenada Mission trip last year, and Logan got a great idea. He wanted everyone to see our video of us doing the “nooma dance.” It’s basically a video of high school guys (and a couple of men) acting goofy to a Romanian dance song.

Anyway, after viewing that, the guys became “inspired.”

I told everyone that I had my Mac, and that we could film music videos through my iSight. Everyone was excited. What ensued was a group of high school guys acting ridiculous. Yes, we filmed music videos for “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred, “Wannabe” by The Spice Girls, “Who Let the Dogs Out” by The Baja Men, and “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys. And, they are quite hilarious. But I also realized that guys want to be free to not have to impress anyone. They want to be free to relax. There’s so much pressure, all the time, for teenage guys to be cool, attractive to girls, and independent that sometimes they forget that they are still young. They can act dumb.

Check out what the Bible says…

Genesis 3:10

“I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”

You know, a byproduct of us being in this fallen world is that guys get scared to be who they are. They hide. I think it’s cool to see the smiles on these kids faces for just being able to be themselves. I hope Logan had a great birthday, and I hope his friends felt way different about it afterwards than they would have anywhere else. There’s freedom to be yourself in Christ. We didn’t do anything shady. We didn’t do anything wrong. And, yet, these guys were locked in and didn’t want to leave. Very cool.

Comparing…

[Quick note: For all you guys who are finding this site by searching for "pornography," "women," or whatever, please read anyway. You might find what you're really looking for...]

So…I got into an interesting conversation with my wife this morning. First of all, let me preempt all this by saying that we had a wonderful date last night to Amici’s Pizza. Mmm…hmm… They have awesome crust. Nuff said. MK put on a cute dress, and even wore a shirt with a collar. Interesting conversation abounded.

Anyway, this morning we were talking about marriage; and somehow we got on the subject of guys “noticing” and making comments about other women when they are married. MK said that she felt really secure because I don’t make her ever feel like she could use an “upgrade” here or and “upgrade” there. And it got me thinking? Why do guys do that?

Why do guys notice characteristics of women that they are not married to and try to project it on their woman?

“Man, I wish you were as fit as her.”
“Man, check out her boobs.”
“Dude, she’s hot.”

I think that this could potentially be one of the most self-destructive things a guy can do to his marriage. Even if he thinks that his wife is “cool” and that he can talk about chicks around her, I think it’s horribly unwise.

It makes me think of two things. One, a woman’s basic desire is to be revealed as beautiful. This is a God-part of her. God wants the world to see how beautiful He is. And, if you read, some of the old testament prophets, you get the feel that God sounds a lot like a woman who is wondering why her husband is “checking that other girl out.”

Secondly, it makes me think of how sweet the Garden of Eden must have been, pre-fall of man. Think about it. One dude. One woman. 100% nudity. 100% intimacy. 100% no distractions. It was just Adam and Eve. Only Eve could make Adam feel that feeling, and vise versa.

So…here’s my quest, since I live in a broken world.

First, I want my wife to know how beautiful she is all the time. She’s funny because she’s always dying, cutting, and changing her hair; and I don’t even think she knows why. She likes to transform. But, somehow, through all these transformations, I want to be so careful for her to know that her beauty really doesn’t lie in her current appearance but what I see IN her. Anyway, sometimes that’s easier said than done because we are tempted to always recognize the exterior; but I want to always draw out that beauty, recognize it, and celebrate it.

Second, I want the whole Adam and Even dynamic with Mary Kate. That requires discipline. Because, as I’m sure all of you know, MK and I are not the only people running around in this “Garden.” When you throw in the sinfulness of this world and the fact that many “other Eves” are doing a whole lot to get noticed, you can see where this world can be distracting. But still, if this single-mindedness can be achieved; and, at least in my mind, MK is truly the “only” woman in my world, think about the single-minded intimacy that can come out of that. Only she can give me that feeling, and vise versa.

Check out this verse…

Proverbs 5:18-19

“May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe, a graceful deer—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be captivated by her love.”

I wish you all blessings. To rejoice in that woman you fell in love with. Think about your first date. Think about how she looked on your wedding say. Think about that glow when she first brought a child into this world. Let her body be the only body that satisfies. Let her love be the only one that even makes sense! Just you and her. Adam and Eve.