Considering the fact that the divorce statistics cross every economic and social line, one can only hope for the best. That is, unless they have done their engagement homework! Only then will they have the best.

Jason Kennedy and Lauren Scruggs, like everyone else getting married, need to ask some serious questions:

1. Do they know what marriage is? Most people marry based on emotional whimsy. They never stop to ask the bigger, and more important, questions about their choice of mates or future plans. In the romantic case of Jason and Lauren, we all want them to succeed. They seem so down to earth and storybook! But real-life marriage requires a combination of love and practical application. Marriage is not like what we see in movies, moving from one scene to the next. It is a living thing, shared by two souls.
2. Did Jason and Lauren take premarital counseling courses? The Marriage Foundation, the leader in marriage education, stresses the importance of marital education as the number one marriage insurance policy. Most people plan their wedding day, but they don’t prepare for their marriage.
3. Do Jason and Lauren share the same values? They appear to share some values. However, sometimes people ignore their differences because they are on the high that comes from being appreciated. Many people pretend the differences will work themselves out. That is very dangerous thinking! People have to work out their differences, they don’t work themselves out.

Marriage is a natural setup for success. Unfortunately, most people have no idea how to be married. The chances for Jason and Lauren making it are the same as anyone else, which is not too good. But they can ignore the odds if they studied marriage and recognized the importance of doing so. Only then would they be fine.

Most people get married for the wrong reasons. Some get caught up in desperation, a desire to conform, or infatuation, none of which spells long-term happiness. But it isn’t their fault! Schools don’t teach life principles nor how to get along with others. Growing up, we were not taught how to select friends and build relationships. In order to survive in society, students only learn job skills and how to stay out of trouble with the law. But the one thing everyone does — get married — is left as a taboo subject to talk about!

Jason and Lauren need to take a course in premarital education to really understand marriage and how to be prepared for any bumps in their marriage road. The best gift you can give to yourself, a friend, or family member is the gift of marital education.

The Marriage Foundation is a nonsectarian, nonprofit foundation dedicated to codifying and teaching scientific marriage principles