Worth The Wait

Purity and it's "problems"

So first off, let me just apologize for taking forever to post! My life has been super crazy; so, sorry for neglecting you bloggers! 

To get back into the swing of things, I've come across a topic that I think goes perfectly with this time of year: purity. 

I have been blessed with possibly the world's best boyfriend (sorry ladies, he's taken). He always answers my phone calls (for the most part); he listens to my awfully dramatic stories (as in the "can you actually believe she said that?!"); he buys me chocolate when I'm stressed and plays The Walking Dead for me on his Netflix; he lets me sob on his bed for twenty minutes "just because I'm upset." Really, he's awesome. But what makes him so amazing is the fact that above all of these things and treating me like a princess, he protects me. And not just in the I'll-kill-the-spider-in-your-living-room kind of way; he protects my purity. 

What that means. It wasn't until him that I realized how important and meaningful that can be. He is literally protecting my heart, and what more can a girl want? Not only that, but it is something we do together. He protects my purity, and I protect his. I know purity can be a pretty scary word, so let me break it down for you. I have this problem where I don't always say the nicest things. My boyfriend and I have an incentive program for every curse word I utter. Protecting my Moral Purity, part one. Whenever I happen to be judgmental or make a bad choice, he talks me through it. Protecting my Moral Purity, part two. 

Now, don't jump the gun -- I know what you're thinking. I don't need a babysitter. And don't worry, my boyfriend is nothing like that. He is simply doing his job as the male in my life. He protects my moral, spiritual, and sexual purity. He makes me a better person simply by being himself. He encourages me to pray about it as much as I've talked about it; his example of faith inspires me to do better; the boundaries we set keep our relationship from becoming lustful. 

Lust vs. Love. And that's the main point I'm trying to make here. I read once that, "Your purity is worth defending, and the person who's worthy of you will defend your dignity by protecting your purity." WHAT? That couldn't be more spot on. Defend your dignity. BOOM. That's the problem with today's society; they interchange "lust" and "love." Not true. Lust impairs your ability to love. Love requires sacrifice and lust takes that love and makes it an object. Protecting someone's purity is hard, but totally worth it. Don't settle for someone who isn't willing to make your purity a priority; and don't settle for someone who only wants your body and not your heart. Does this mean be completely modest and find the next guy wearing an "I love Jesus" shirt and instantly date him? No. It means realize how important your purity is. Realize that protecting that purity doesn't mean just being chaste; it means being pure of heart. 

Eventually you will find someone who is worth the wait. They will have an amazing surfer body and instantly fall in love with you; you will know from the start that you are meant to be and no obstacles will be in your way; you will never argue and it will never rain; you will never mess up and Starbucks will never have a line...

Yeah, right. Life isn't like that. Being pure is hard. Trust me, protecting my boyfriend's purity isn't easy. We mess up. I have bad days and so does he. It's not always rainbows and butterflies (contrary to popular belief, the rainbows only come out on Saturdays). But if you get down to the deep stuff -- the really, really deep stuff -- of our relationship, you'll see that it's not based on lust. It's based on a mutual love and morals that we have for each other. We have the same values and wants for each other: pure of heart. And that's what keeps our relationship strong. (And there you have it -- the secret of the universe). 

I know there are times when you feel you "need" to be loved. Stop. Needing to be loved is part of our nature as humans, but think about how you want to be loved. Don't settle. I promise you, one day it will all be worth it. 

Happy Valentine's Day, bloggers. 

All my love,

Melanie 

It's NOT Christmas... yet

Put down the Christmas tree! Advent comes first. 

Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday. I love gingerbread houses, ice skating, presents, penguins, snow, and the magical feeling that comes with this time of year. How can you not? I mean, it is the most wonderful time of the year! 

And although I have Christmas decorations up in my apartment (against my will), I am a firm believer in NOT celebrating Christmas until at least after Thanksgiving. I believe that each holiday deserves their own special celebration (except for maybe Sweetest Day--who invented that?). However, Christmas is even more important. Why, you ask? Because Christmas has a four-week holiday preparation leading up to it. Go ahead, name another holiday that has that! Yeah, didn't think so. This four-week preparation is known as Advent, and has so much meaning behind it that is normally swept under the rug.

What's the deal with Advent? 

Growing up, I didn't really think Advent was of any importance. Yeah, yeah. So we light a couple candles and read a couple prayers. No big deal. Boy, was I wrong. But, like most things in life, I didn't realize it until now. Advent is so much more. 

If there's anything you know about Advent, it's probably that there's a wreath with candles. No judgement -- I learned the order of the candles like mid-post. As each Advent comes and goes in my life, I learn so much more about myself and my faith, not to mention our Lord. I did some research for this post and came across the meaning of each candle and why it's important to our faith journeys, and I just had to share it with all of you, because it is so unbelievably awesome (No worries; I'll keep it short). 

-First candle (purple). The candle of hope. This candle symbolizes that our hope comes from God. During this first week of Advent, focus on hope and how God instills it in your life. 

What it means. There's a reason this candle comes first. Hope is the most important. With hope at the beginning of our Advent journey, we are inspired the rest of the weeks. Hold onto hope. 

-Second candle (purple). The candle of preparation. Preparation means "to be ready." So although all of Advent is preparation for Jesus, this week is especially emphasizing preparing your lives for the coming of our Savior.
What it means. "Let every heart prepare Him room." This is one of my favorite lines from one of, I think, the best Christmas carols. It has so much meaning. Are you preparing Him room? Are you ready for Him? Our Savior is coming; are you ready? 

-Third week (pink). The candle of joy. This candle reminds us of the joy that Jesus brings into our lives. The angels sang a message of joy when Jesus was born; and Jesus continues to bring joy into our lives, daily.
What it means. We are reminded of this joy every time we go to Mass. "Glory to God in the highest; and on Earth, peace to people of good will." The angels were filled with such joy on that day, and we should be overjoyed for the birth of Jesus, and every day after that.  

-Fourth week (purple). The candle of love. In case you forgot, God sent his only son to save us from our sins. This candle reminds us of this great sacrifice.
What it means. Christmas is Jesus's birth, obviously. This is a reminder that Jesus was born unto us because God sent him, His only son, to Earth to save us. How awesome is that? Can you imagine the love that God has for us? 

-Fifth candle (white). This last candle is the Christ candle. It's in the middle of the wreath and is lit on Christmas. This candle reminds us that Jesus, our Savior, is a spotless Lamb and washes away our sins. "His birth was for his death; his death was for our birth." 

I know that was kind of a lot of information, and if you want more, I got the info from this website. But just read through those on your own time. Each candle and each week has its own meaning to prepare us for our Lord. They are more than candles and a wreath, and I can go on forever about their meaning. But, next time you're at Mass and they are lighting the candle, think about what it means. It's so much more than wax and a flame. 

And if you want some more advice on advent, check out lifeteen.com's blog about Advent.

Yes, Christmas is exciting and I love everything about it. But remember that Advent comes first. We have to be ready for Jesus. Slow down; embrace Advent. Take each week as it comes and remember what it represents.

It's not Christmas yet, bloggers. It's still Advent. 

All my love,

Melanie 

Thanksgiving

Time to give thanks! 

Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberries. It's that time again. Thanksgiving! This is one of my favorite holidays, once I get past the idea that my meal is over 3,000 calories. But YOLO, right? This is my favorite holiday not because the food or the fact that I get a three day vacation; it is because of the real meaning behind the holiday, and of course because of family.
I know that this post has already turned as cheesy as my mom's famous casserole, but just bare with me. One of the things that totally irritates me about this time is that everyone decides now is when they post their thankfulness to Facebook. Yes, I agree that this is the time to give thanks; but no, it is not the time for all of the world to know about it. Giving thanks is not something that suddenly becomes public solely because it is November. Sure, you can be thankful your boyfriend brought you soup, or for random phone calls with an old friend; and I'm all about posting your life on the Internet (to an extent). But, why does November suddenly mean that every day we have to find something to be thankful for? Shouldn't we always be thankful, regardless of the season?

I'm sure at this point, I may seem like that one girl who always looks on the bright side of life. You know, that annoying girl who tells you to turn that frown upside down, and the one that you want to punch in the mouth when your day just couldn't get any worse. 

Yeah, don't worry; I'm not. I'd want to punch me in the mouth, too. Anyway, the point of this blog post is to show you that there is always something to be thankful for, especially the days where it seems like all is hopeless. Look back to those horrible days -- the days you wanted to just lay in bed and never see the sunlight -- and think. Those are the days I'm talking about. 

Be thankful for sleeping in too late and missing class. At least you have a bed to sleep in, and an education to miss. 

Be thankful for clothes that are too small. It means you're well fed. 

The awkward conversations and annoying arguments you are bound to get into this weekend - be grateful. Some people don't have a family to spend Thanksgiving with. 

Fail a test that you worked really hard on? It can only go up from here. Be thankful you have more chances. 

Can't stand our government? Can't stand everyone complaining about our government? Keep in mind that we live in America, and all of these complaints just show that we have freedom of speech. Be thankful we don't live in a dictatorship. 

As I write this, my puppy is currently walking all over my laptop. However, I'm thankful because it means I'm loved. 

Be thankful for that holiday traffic, those noisy customers, cold weather, and obnoxious Christmas music because it means you can see; you can hear; and you are alive. 

It may seem like a stretch, but this post is just a little reminder that things are never as bad as they seem. I know it's hard to be thankful for things that drive you crazy. I have the worst road rage ever and I avoid stores from now until Easter, but there can be joy in any situation. So next time you're freezing as you walk to your car, remember that it could be worse -- at least you are heading to a warm place. When the Camry in front of you doesn't use his blinker and your brakes begin to slide, remember that cars are a luxury, too. It can always be worse, and there is always something to be thankful for. 

I started a journal at the beginning of this year, and every day (almost) I write something that I'm thankful for. I realized quickly that it really changes the mood of your days. Start one; it will really open your eyes. It really makes you think about what you have in your life. 

Now, get off the computer and go spend time with family. It's Thanksgiving, ya'll! 

Happy Turkey Day bloggers. 

All my love, 

Melanie 

About Me!

Hello bloggers!
Just to be typical, I believe my first post should be a little bit about me, the author behind your computer screen, if you will. So, here we go! A small peek into the wonderful life I like to think I lead.

First and foremost, my name's Melanie.

I'm your typical college student. I'm a journalism major and spend most of my time making/editing movies, that is when I'm not writing something (clearly -- check out some of my articles). I procrastinate on papers; I stay up too late and order bdubs on random Saturday nights; my apartment always contains wine; I get stressed and have mental breakdowns; I hate going to class (most of the time); and mainly, I just want to graduate. 

I have three wonderful roommates. 

(Check out Rachael's blog! She's the pretty awesome blonde who has gotten me through this semester and listens to all of my boy problems, and trust me, she picked the wrong semester to be my bestie!)
Although we're a pretty random group, I love these girls and am currently enjoying a movie night-in with them on a random Saturday as I write this post.

I'm a sorority girl.

Don't close out of that browser just yet. It's not what you think! I'm nothing like Elle Woods! First off, I'm not even blonde! Secondly, I'm part of this wonderful sorority, Alpha Phi. 

I love each and every one of my 85 sisters, and I wouldn't be who I am today without them. I didn't think I'd be Greek, either, but it has literally changed my life. I know, I know, everyone says that. But hear me out. It's so much more than "paying for your friends." Alpha Phi has taught me about leadership and organization; heart health and philanthropy; budgeting and time management; resume building and team building; but most importantly, Alpha Phi has taught me about myself. Cheesiness aside, Alpha Phi is the greatest thing that has happened to me. These girls are my support system, my work out team, my study buddies, my shoulder to cry on, my cheerleaders, my family. 

I'm Catholic.

I mean, that one was kind of a given. But I was born and raised Catholic. I went to a Catholic school for nine years, public high school, and then a very Catholic university for a year and a half. After transferring to a Christian school for their Journalism program I am now getting ready to graduate. Catholicism has always been a part of my life, even before I knew what it meant.
I love being Catholic (I mean, how can you not, right?), but it took me a long time to get to this point with my faith and I am still growing. I still find things every day about my faith that I fall in love with, and that is what I want to share with all of you.

I have this blog to help you out, because we all know that being Catholic today can be a little rough. This world gives us every reason to abandon the faith and not be Catholic, but this blog is designed to help you through those struggles, the best I can. From drinking and sex to relationships and prayer; from daily Mass and friendships to modesty and evangelization, I'll do my best to cover it all. But keep in mind I'm only human -- I make mistakes the same as you. I forget to pray, and sometimes miss Holy Days of Obligation; forgiveness is not my strong suit and God tests my patience almost every day. We aren't perfect, but God doesn't ask us to be perfect; He asks us to try.

So, bloggers, let the sharing begin. Pull up a chair and a notebook, and let the journey begin.

All my love, 

Melanie