Everyone give a Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor Grunt!

I am a man. *insert manly grunt

Just in case you didn't get that...I'll type it again but in all capital letters. I AM A MAN. **insert two grunts

I don't know if it is because this is the way God made us, but guys always have this need to exclaim their masculinity. I always have this urge to pull out my "man card" when people are talking about love or romance. If someone brings up the Notebook or A Walk to Remember, I walk away grunting because I am a man and I don't need to hear about that love stuff. Well honestly, I watched A Walk to Remember when I was in high school, but I only did it ONLY because a girl made me. Therefore, that adds to my manliness because I was hanging out with a chick.

Crying is another issue where some guys draw the line at manliness. Personally, I think it is okay if a man cries in certain situations. If a man's dog dies, crying is perfectly acceptable. Crying is permissible if a relative passes away. When Bubba dies and Forest is sitting there holding his now dead best friend, tears can acceptably fall from man's tear ducts. Crying does not always make a guy less of a man.

The reason I bring up this whole idea of "manliness" is because lately it seems like I have been bombarded by this idea of love and romance. It all began about six months ago at Carterville Christian Church where we went through a Marriage series called "The Vow." It was a very insightful sermon series that looked at how couples can connect their relationship with God to their relationship with each other. During this time, I was actually called out twice from the stage because I was single and hadn't found my "better half" (So if you are out there "better half" please come introduce yourself. That would be ideal). Then we did a short series in chapel at my school, Ozark Christian College, about guys and girls and our relationships with each other. And now as soon as I arrive in Indiana, I go to the Post (the college age ministry at Southeast), and they are starting a series called, "The Story of Us." I'm not exactly sure what this series is going to be about, but the first night dealt with love and romance. Right away I wanted to tune out but just screaming "I am a Man!" at the top of my lungs, because I have heard so much on this subject lately that I feel like I could co-write the next Twilight movie. But reluctantly, I held in my screams and listened to Kyle Idleman as he preached through the first chapter and half of Song of Solomon.

Kyle did an excellent job of connecting the bridge of the author of the Song of Solomon to college students in the 21st century. One key thought that really stood out to me was that in chapter 1 verse 3, Solomon's lover says, "Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder maidens love you!" Our culture places way too much on image and physical attraction. The lover in this verse doesn't bring attention to Solomon's physique but to his name. In that culture, a person's name embodied that person's whole being. So if a person was full of integrity and lived an honest life, their name would be a good thing. However, if a person was just evil and was not a likable person, their name would mean nothing. Kyle just kept bringing out certain truths like this one throughout the entire passage and it was refreshing to read Song of Solomon with a new perspective.

There were many more truths Kyle brought to our attention, but I was a goofball and didn't have anything to take notes on. That is one thing I am going to start doing...I'll bring a notebook and pen to every sermon I hear so I can actually remember what I'm learning! I want to leave you with this one truth....Men can learn about love and romance and still be a man. Now if they start reading romance novels, then their masculinity might be brought into question before the great Board of Men (BOM for short), of which I am the head honcho.