Christ, Coffee, and Cornfields

  I don't think I ever fully realized until yesterday how much I appreciate that Jordan and I share our Catholic Faith. Ever since we started our relationship, faith has been central so it isn't that I never noticed the importance or didn't appreciate it; believe me, I am beyond thankful for it! But Jordan said something yesterday that was very simple but it spoke straight into my heart.   We were sitting in his truck when he said, "Tomorrow is Transfiguration Sunday!"   Yep. That's it. All he did was mention that today is a major feast in the Church. It sounds like a really simple exchange, but it made me realize just how important sharing our Faith is. One could say it transfigured my outlook on the subject.   I have always felt like a nut or a nerd because I love my faith and know a fair amount about it. Nobody in high school shared my excitement when an awesome saint's feast day would come up, very few made the effort to go to Mass on Holy Days,...

  I know I tend to write quite a bit about my love life, but I'm not sorry! I'm passionate about it and about relationships in general, so I keep writing. I have been thinking about how those in romantic relationships, whether it be dating, engagement, or marriage, lean on each other a lot. I'm not saying that's a bad thing; in fact, that's a huge part of relationships. You need to be there for each other. What I have noticed in my own life, though, is the fact that I can't hold Jordan up every time he's down just like he can't do it for me every time. We simply aren't strong enough.   A Christian relationship consists of three entities: one man, one woman, and God. As the Bible says about these relationships, " a cord of three strands is not easily broken ."   Jordan and I are smack in the middle of the most stressful semesters either of us have had, and the strain of school, wedding planning, work, as well as the basic responsibility ...

  What a beautiful and comforting statement. Love is patient . If there's one thing I wish I had more of, it's patience. The so-called "Love Verse" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) is this plethora of qualities that real love has, and I think patience, which is the first thing listed, is connected to all the other qualities Paul speaks of. It takes patience with yourself to change your ways into not being self-seeking, pompous, or boastful. It takes patience when memories of past wrongs or feeling of jealousy pop up and you have to fight them off. And, man does it take patience when the going gets rough and you are trying to persevere or find hope!   Patience is a vital part of loving.   One of the many things I love about Jordan is the fact that he has a never ending supply of patience, especially within our relationship. When I was single, I made a list of qualities that I wanted in my husband someday. One of the first things I wrote was that he be patient. I desired that...

  Life is a fascinating thing. I think what makes it so is the unpredictability, the moments and times that throw us for a loop or catch us off guard. It's especially interesting to reflect on times of trial. My life over the last few months has certainly been tumultuous. Lots of things have been going on and taking place that haven't been very good. However, as I'm sitting in this difficult period and thinking and praying about it all, I have noticed two key things.   1) The good things in life are made better when they come during times of struggle. Think about this: do we appreciate the beauty of a single flower more when it's in a blooming garden or when it's surrounded by weeds and thorns? A single rose is far more alluring when it is the only one on a thorn bush than when it's in a bouquet.   The program I'm in required that I take a class which I wasn't very happy about taking. It met 8 hours a week and easily had another 5 in outside work to...

  I really get a kick out of looking at Facebook's relationship status options. There's the typical "single," "married," and "divorced," but then you also have "in a domestic partnership," "in an open relationship," and even an "it's complicated" option! Oh, the joys of having lots of choices. It seems like Facebook has all the bases covered....well, except for the one I'm looking for.   I want an "in a courtship" option.   Am I sounding medieval yet? Hold on, let me explain. In the fast paced world we are so fortunate to be living in (and we are, I love indoor plumbing and electricity!!), the process of finding a lifelong mate, AKA a spouse, has become quite the challenge. The way most people go about it is not the way God calls us to. Marriage is a sacrament , and therefore should be approached with the reverence and care that it deserves. It's not a decision to be taken lightly because this...

  Guess what?!? Another love post! Yay!!!!   Okay, so my boyfriend, whose name is Jordan, and I are both super into our faith and very into each other. It's so amazing. We are able to challenge each other to grow in our devotion to the Lord and to become the best versions of ourselves, all the while falling deeper in love with each other. I can't even begin to explain how much of a blessing that is. He and I have decided to create our relationship with Christ at the center, which is something every couple is called to do. Really, a marriage (starting with dating) is a threesome: God, the man, and the woman. That said, Jordan and I came up with the idea to do a sort of mini retreat. We called it "Alignment of Devotion."   This mini retreat is to make certain that we are following God's plan for us as a couple and keeping Him at the center of our relationship and of our lives as individuals. In addition to using our time for intensive prayer, we prayed for the...

  Y'all, get ready for this. I am about to tackle writing about one of my favorite topics: relationships!! I honestly can't put into words how much I love talking about the sacred bond between a man and a woman, how it comes into being, my personal love life, and just how God made dating and marriage to be. This post will likely be one of many, and I don't really know what that looks like yet. Anyway, buckle up!   I am a strong believer in most, if not all, of my convictions. Like, I'm one of those people who is either all in or all out. So, that quality makes itself very apparent in my love life because dating is a major step in a person's vocational journey, and you can't walk that path halfheartedly! Something that I believe really strongly about is dating with a purpose. This concept is generally seen as really strange because we live in a fast paced world that thrives on whatever the next thing is, never staying too long on one thing before bouncing...