Lessons To Take With Me

In the past eight weeks, this class has been an escape for me. An escape from the craziness of the halls and the hectic schedule of the start of senior year. I have enjoyed beginning our class with a prayer everyday as well as watching some reflection videos. The articles on Busted Halo were my fav. I enjoyed reading them because it was something different, opposed to reading straight out of the textbook. The blogs (another fav) and other activities such as the newspaper and brought variety into the classroom which I think is important, especially in religion class. 

Throughout the lessons and activities of VHS, I have come to understand that everyone has a vocation, or a path or a journey, created by God for us to follow in our lives. This life journey can have many ups and many downs. If you keep your faith in God and are willing to let God's light shine through and trust that His ways have meaning, then you will overcome the “downs” of the life journey. Another thing I have learned from this class is to stay true to myself, especially when I go off to college next year. It is important to stay true to your beliefs and values and to not feel pressured into doing things that go against these standards. Overall, I have gained many valuable insights from this fun little eight week class. 

The Changing Face of Marriage- Response

My experiences in the “domestic church” with my parents as the first preachers of faith by word and example have been good. My parents raised my siblings and I as Catholic and have instilled many values in us that are important and have truly become important to us such as “treat others how you want to be treated” and “do not judge a book by its cover.” My parents not only sent my three siblings and I to Catholic grade school, but three of us, so far, to Catholic high schools. My parents have set a great example for my siblings and I to follow because they treat each other how spouses should be treated and they show us that they stay true to their Catholic faith. A pro of the changing structure and composition of marriage and family is that we are breakaway from the “old school” traditions such as women being seen as “house wives” and men being the “breadwinners” of the family; however, a con to this principle is that many families are losing the values and standards of faith and are settling for less than they deserve. To me, learning that those with a college degree are less likely to experience divorce and multiple marriages than those without a college degree is enlightening because I, hopefully, will be earning my college degree in the near future. However, I believe that people without a college degree can have successful marriages because I think that it depends on the people in the relationship and the situations they may come across. The future will determine whether or not I will establish the “domestic church” in my home, but as of now, I do believe that I will teach my children the same principles I had the privilege of learning from my parents. 

Marriage and Vatican II

At the Second Vatican Council, many influential teachings about marriage were formulated.  Many of these teachings and ideals are different than the views of marriage in our society today. The article states, "The Second Vatican Council’s 'Constitution on the Church in the Modern World' expresses 'high esteem' for marriage and family life, and speaks of the 'lofty calling' of spouses and parents." In our society today, marriage is taken for granted; divorces are very common, as well as affairs. This constitution describes marriage as a vocation. As learned in previous chapters, vocation means a calling or pathway that God has set for us in our lives. Nowadays, people do not feel that marriage is necessary in their lives and that it is possible to be independent without a significant other. The constitution also suggests that overtime, the love of a husband and wife should "grow and ripen." This element of love is ideal in most marriages. People wish to grow and strengthen their love with their spouse. 

"Love, Reason, and God's Story"

I do not agree with the claim regarding to dating as something you should not do. I think that dating is a good element in the process of finding your 'true' love; however, I think the choice is a personal choice and each individual person has the choice to date or to not date. Within my group of peers, dating is a normal thing, but not everyone does date. The hook-up culture in colleges and universities is a very big deal because at almost all the parties, people are doing it. Also, amongst most friends groups, people are involved with it as well. In the graph in the article "Conflict Over Hook-Up Culture," most people who are told their friend "hooked up last night" interpret this message into that their friend "had sexual intercourse" last night. If this is true, then many college students are sexually active, probably with many different people. This is bad because it can lead to STDs and STIs. According to the article, when a "hook up" occurs, in the days following, the women "should expect" nothing because the hook up was just casual. Only less than 10% of the time should the women expect a relationship.

"When Will He Propose?" Article

I believe that the article made some valid points. Times are changing and girls should now feel that they have the opportunity to propose to their boyfriends in reverse to the boyfriends proposing the the girls. I feel that the author of this article seems to be pushy when suggesting the new modern take on marriage proposals. Females are still allowed to wonder "when will he propose?" and I don't think he understands that. I think women feel this way because of their tendencies to be hopeless romantics, like myself. Also, he mentioned that the couple should discuss marriage before becoming engaged. I agree with this statement because it is good to plan ahead so there are not as many bumps down the road of the marriage; however, I love the element of surprise in proposals. I must admit, I love the sappy romantic movies where in the end, the man gets down on one knee, surprises the woman and proposes. In regards to the reader's question, I believe that men have some expectations in the process of becoming engaged. I think that men feel a sense of "manly-hood" when they "win the girl" when they propose. Also, I think that most men feel the need to fulfill traditions or they think that this is what they're "supposed" to do. In my family, I have not heard a story of a woman proposing to the man. In terms of discussing marriage and preparing for marriage, my sister, Tarah, and her husband, Mike, dated for 5 years before they got married. They waited because they wanted to be financially stable and prepared to start a life together. They had lived in an apartment for almost 2 years and felt that they were ready to begin their new journey together. Mike still was able to surprise Tarah when he proposed to her! She was not expecting the proposal until about a couple of months or a year down the road! 

Human Sexuality: 'Wonderful Gift' and 'Awesome Responsibility'

In this article, several themes were familiar to me such as the Catholic church's position on teaching about sexuality. Also, I recognized in the article that the church teaches that human sexuality is a wonderful gift and must be treasured and respected. However, I did not know that the Catholic church believes that homosexual orientation is not morally wrong. I was not aware that the Catholic church was accepting of homosexual persons in the church community. They claim that they are accepting of all people, but I always thought they weren't truly because the Catholic church is against gay marriage. This article seemed to cover the important themes pertaining to this topic and I did not see or notice anything needed to be added. 

My Mission Statement

I will strive to conquer what is deemed "the impossible," because I am determined to create the possible. I will take responsibility for my actions, even when there are consequences. I will not assume things about other people or judge them, because you never know what a person could be going through. I will be a good listener and someone who my friends confide in. I will stay true to myself and who I am. I will give my best effort in things great and small. I will not take my blessing for granted.

Three Factors Contributing to Who I am

In my life, the three main factors that contribute to who I am are my family, my friends and my sport. My parents, siblings and I are very close. Also, we have an Alaskan Malamute, Lilly, who is always apart of the craziness in our house, or usually causing it. My sister, Tarah is 30, my brother Sean is 25 and my sister Kelly is 13. My siblings and I have a huge age gap, but in a way, it brings us closer. Yes, we argue just as all siblings do, but in the end, we all truly love each other in the end. I know I can go to Tarah and Sean for advice on anything, and I try to be that "advice" for Kelly. We are all so different, which I like because it is never boring. Even though Tarah and Sean have moved out, we are constantly communicating. I love the daily pictures I receive from Tarah of my 7-month old niece, Claire, and her little tiny puppy, Chloe. I love my crazy family and wouldn't trade them for the world. 

Along with my family, my friends have helped shape who I am. Coming into high school, I was very nervous that I wouldn't find the right friends and that I would lose the many friends I made at my grade school and parish, St. Rose. As a senior at the Mount, I believe that I am figuring out who my true friends are and who I am most likely to stay friendly with throughout the rest of my life. Along with the new friends I've made, I still remain closest with my friends I made in grade school, Rachel and Lisa (who goes to Mount). I am very grateful to have such great friends. 

Lastly, the third factor that has shaped me into who I am is my sport, track. Somedays, track seems like my best friend and other days, it seems like my worst enemy. I love having good days in track, but in order to get there, you must stay dedicated and train hard. I have been doing track since I was 6 years old and it has definitely become a huge part of my life since. When I was younger, track was "just for fun," then it continued to grow on me. In grade school, I was on one track team, until I joined two. Now in high school, I am on three teams. You can say I'm obsessed, but I'll tell you that it has become my life. I have met many friends through track and many people I consider my family.