The End

The blog that stands out to me the most is the assignment we had to do with the promiscuous advertisements. The advertisement that Brooke did seemed very interesting to me - it was super vulgar and inappropriate. Her photo was the photo of the boy in the bathtub (I'm assuming you know what one I'm talking about). I guess that advertisement was allowed because many people overlooked it. However, it was extremely gross and I was not very happy when I realized what the picture was actually showing. In another blog post, Tara agreed with me that a serious relationship and or marriage should be both self-sacrificing and self-fulfilling. I'm happy to know I am not alone! I have learned facts about dating and marriage. I have much more self confidence than I already had to stand up for myself and say no to any situation whether it be sexually related or not. My goals and hopes still remain the same than when I started this class - they have a bit more clarity now. I hope to find an ideal husband that I will be happy with for the rest of my life. My goal is also to be smart as well as stick to my values for as long as I can - and that should not be a problem for me since I am not afraid to say no! From this class, I will take the information I have learned about divorce, and the Church's view of contraception and dating. I have always been interested in divorce - since many of my friends parents are currently divorced. I want to live a happy life without divorce and live in harmony with my husband, children, and eventually my grandchildren.

Secondly, on Holy Saturday this year, I will be in Indianapolis visiting my grandparents and cousins. Visiting my family has always been a special time for me because I do not see them very often. Since I will be with my family, I plan to spend time with them. In doing so I will think of how grateful I am to have a wonderful family who loves and supports me.

The time of waiting for the resurrected Christ throughout my lifetime thus far has been an interesting ride. I am only 18 years old and I have gone through periods of withdraw and periods of intense prayer. Now that I am more mature, I plan to stay faithful to God and Christ and continue to follow my morals and values. Saint Marys College is very religious and has plenty of opportunities for me to be involved in. These past 4 years at MSJ have really flown by so quickly - whether it deal with religion, friends, school, or sports. I hope to live my life to the fullest and will not let college pass me by.

Religious Freedom

We declared our independence from Britain in 1776. We declared independence and freedom through The Declaration of Independence. But recently, the Catholic religion as well as other religions have been challenged and have the potential to be stripped of their freedom and beliefs. Freedom of religion is the First Amendment and any American has the right to choose the religion of their choice. However, with a possible new healthcare bill, it is possible that Catholic hospitals will have to provide things against their religion such as contraception. In my opinion, I believe the Catholics should be able to support their beliefs and the bill should not be passed. If the bill is passed, the United States Government is violating the first and most important amendment. They are contradicting themselves by following the amendments yet forcing Catholics and possibly people of other religions to go against their values. There is always going to be conflict between the church and government - there always has been. In my home I have always been allowed freedom - to an extent. I need to be respectful and obey the rules my parents set for me. If something is to go wrong or one of my friends or sisters interferes with the rules my parents have set for me, they get angry. In the same way, the Church has rules that people must follow. If we do not follow them we have sinned. God does offer forgiveness. However, we should not just participate in the act knowing that God will forgive us. We should respect him. The government is interfering with out religion. In the same way, the government has laws too - and one of their laws is to have Freedom of Religion. In conclusion, I believe, as a Roman Catholic, that we should be able to have religious freedom without the government intruding. 

To Show Love is to be Loved

The article I read was very interesting and very true on many different levels. Like I have said before in my Love Story paper, showing love does not consist of buying new jewelry, clothes, or cars. It is caring for one another when they are up and down. My grandparents show this love all the time - 24 hours a day. They are older and do not necessarily have the ability to buy the latest luxuries. They show their love by saying good morning, holding hands, and having a great conversation. In addition, my parents also show this love to one another. My parents are currently paying for tuition's as well as some apartment charges for my sisters and me. Therefore, they are not always buying the latest items. They may have busy lives, but at the end of the day they lie in bed together and talk about their days - the good and bad parts. In conclusion, love is not buying new rings, cars, bracelets, or clothes. I believe love is learning how to live with your soul mate without all of the amenities. Living a simple life with the one you love should be all one needs. We can all admit it is nice to receive gifts; however, a strong relationship will always last if a couple can live without the luxuries.

My Home as a Church

I am very fortunate to have a loving and caring family. Like any family, we have our issues, but no matter what we will always have each others backs and will do anything for them. My family is very united and close and we show support in just about everything we do. My father is currently stressed out as he has twice as much work as he has ever had. It is almost too much for him to handle. However, we support him and encourage him to keep working hard because it will pay off. I was not in class when the clip of “Parenthood” was shown. However, there are many pros and cons of changing structures of marriage to family. Through marriage a couple moves in together and needs to find a schedule that both fit – a time where they will see each other and spend time together. With a family, the parents need to care for the children, especially if they are young because they are very helpless – it can be a very stressful time. It is very good news that people with college degrees are less likely to experience divorce or multiple marriages – knowing that I am going to college next year and will graduate. By achieving a college degree, one knows how to work hard as well as respect people since they had done so in the classroom. Their work in the classroom will show in their relationships with other people. I hope to someday live in a home that is nurturing and can be called a domestic church. I hope to have the same values and morals and will raise my children as my mother and father have raised me. I hope my home can be looked at as a sanctuary – just as the Church is looked at.

Love and Marriage : They Go Together Like a Horse and Carriage!

It is evident in the article we read that the psychologists thought marriage is self fulfilling and an expansion on ones self. However, I tend to disagree. I believe marriage is self satisfying as well as self sacrificing. While married, or even in a serious relationship, one learns new information every day about their significant other. They may also learn new strategies or a new way at looking at something - from a different perspective. In addition to learning and expanding one's own qualities, one also cares for their partner and will put them in front of himself or herself. They care about one another's feelings and values. Sometimes, if one really wants to make the other happy, a sacrifice has to be made. I believe marriage and even dating includes self expansion as well as self sacrifice. As for me, relationships with friends, including boys is very important. I need to be friends with a person and need to know them fairly well before anything significant or serious happens. I hope to find a man who is very similar to me. It does not take much for me to open up, but it takes a while and an awesome person to be serious with. I want someone who can make me laugh and is active. I am not sure who it is - I could be completely wrong. After all, some people say opposites attract! I believe my values do not reflect modern society. In today's world, it is very casual and laid back. Sometimes couples move too fast - and I am the complete opposite. I need to know the person before I can commit to a relationship. I do not believe I am a picky person - I just feel that when I meet the right person, my instincts and intuition will tell me it is time for a relationship.

Dating Now A Days

Dating is a time for new and different experiences. Dating is not a practice for divorce. It is a time to explore different people, personalities, backgrounds, and lives. It is a time for people to discover themselves as well as the type of person they want to marry later on in life. My peers see dating as a stage in adolescence. There will be a time in a person's life where they will most likely date one person, if not more. The hookup culture is always a constant. The hookup aspect is looked at as strictly having fun for one night and nothing more - no emotional attachment. The hookup culture involves drinking alcohol and kissing one or multiple people in one night. College is a time for having fun - maybe they will have regrets - but we learn from our mistakes and regrets and that is what makes us who we are.

Tis the Lenten Season

I have always given up something during Lent. Although the past few years I have not given up anything at all. I always thought that I did not have enough time or I did not put enough thought into my sacrifices. This year, however, will be different. In the past month, my father has gone through a lot - he is beyond stressed. He has 5 times the amount of work he had last year (he has his own business and is the only man in it). My dad also lost his dad, my grandpa, within the last week after battling a long illness of lung cancer. Through this stressful and sad time, I have noticed he has a short temper and is rarely happy. During the Lenten season, as well as for the rest of my time home before I leave for college, I will try to cut him some slack. I will be nice to him, be less dramatic, and try to make him laugh every once in a while. Everyone needs to laugh. Along with helping my dad, I am also going to help my mom during Lent. My mom has been unhappy about her weight for a long time now. She works out all the time and tends to lose some weight but gains it back shortly after. I plan to workout with her every day to help her gain her confidence back and work for the body and weight she wants to be. I feel everyone works better when they have a partner. I plan to be a helpful and useful partner to both my dad and my mom during this Lenten Season.

The Greatest Fan of Your Life

We can all admit that we listen to songs on the radio all the time. Music is a part of our culture and our generation. Much of the songs now a days are about partying or sex. However, there are many that focus on the importance of finding that special someone - a soul mate. I believe that soul mates exist. One can find a soul mate sooner or later in life. There is someone out in the world for everyone; we just need to be willing to search for them. We need to look in the right places to find that person. We should have an idea of a person we want to have as a soul mate, but keep all options open. A person who is caring, loving, funny, amiable and has a great and outgoing personality are all qualities I admire. Below are a list of five songs that correlate to love in our lives today.

Honeybee - Blake Shelton

This song is perfect for the quest of a soul mate. The lyrics state that whatever you may be, I’ll be the opposite and we will balance each other out. Even though they may have differences, they will make it work and find a common ground.

"If you'll be my soft and sweet, I'll be your strong and steady. You'll be my glass of wine, I'll be your shot of whiskey. You'll be my sunny day; I'll be your shade tree. You'll be my honeysuckle; I'll be your honey bee."

We Found Love - Rihanna

Rihanna’s song begins with sad lyrics. She is helpless and has lost her love interest. It then drifts into the chorus and states, “We found love in a hopeless place.” When I listen to the song, I think Rihanna has found a “rebound” from her last boyfriend. She is vulnerable and feeling sad and believes any source of affection is actually love. This is not a good example of a quest for a soul mate. To find a soul mate, one needs to get to know the person first.

Give Your Heart A Break – Demi Lovato

This song is about taking the chances and risks of falling in love. The lyrics state that when Demi first met him, he said he would never fall in love. But they have apparently come a long way and are ready to take the next step. She wants to stay with him. She does not want to break his heart. She wants to give his heart a break. They might make a mistake, but there’s only one life to live. This song is an example of young love and taking chances and being spontaneous. Although this song may not be a good example of finding a soul mate, it is a good example of young, flirty, love.

I’ll Be – Edwin McCain

This whole song by Edwin McCain is complementing whomever he wrote the song to. The song states that the color of the person’s eyes is wonderful. He is captivated and will hang from her lips. In the chorus, it states “I'll be your crying shoulder, I'll be love's suicide. I'll be better when I'm older, I'll be the greatest fan of your life.”  This song is worshipping and adoring the other. McCain is saying he will do anything for the other person.

So Small - Carrie Underwood

This song is a perfect example for finding a soul mate as well as friendship in general. It is basically saying that love is the answer and love will conquer all things. Everything spurs off of love. Our actions, our words, are out of love (when we are in a good mood of course). Everything is minute and small once we realize that love is all that matters.

“When you figure out love is all that matters after all, It sure makes everything else seem so small.”

Media & Sexuality

This advertisement is for Abercrombie and Fitch, a clothing company. In my opinion, there is no product featured because there is hardly any clothing shown in the picture. The girl model is wearing a shirt, in which one cannot see the design very well and the boy model is not wearing a shirt at all. I do not think this ad is appropriate because it is not advertising anything. It is showing a sexual attraction between a girl and boy and not showing the real purpose for the advertisement. There are other ways to portray the product by actually showing the clothing Abercrombie and Fitch wanted to sell. There is no reason to even show a clothing advertisement with sexual attraction because the consumer would just like to see the clothing. I think this advertisement does not have an impact on the consumer. The advertisement is completely unrelated to the company as well as the goal to make it a clothing advertisement.

 This advertisement is for Gucci Guilty Perfume. This image is very sexual because it shows a man and a woman with little or no clothing on. This advertisement is not appropriate because there is little clothing and much skin showing. There are better ways to portray a perfume ad – one does not need to be naked. The image is sexual and gives many people the impression that if a person smells good, they will find a partner. Although I do believe that all people should bathe themselves and have personal hygiene. Many advertisers and companies believe that sexual images in their advertisements will result in more business. However, there are better ways to sell a product. For example, instead of showing intimacy, one could show happiness.

Finding My Identity

When many people think of Maddie Kohler, many think of an athlete. When I think of myself, I think of an athlete along with many different characteristics as well. I have been involved in sports since the day I was born. Whether it be attending my siblings’ games or attending my own, I have been surrounded by athletics. Through sports, I have been able to express myself and impress people, as well as find joy and happiness in teamwork. As I entered high school, I had to choose what sports I wanted to play; I simply could not play them all. As a result, I chose to play tennis and basketball. In my senior year, I am a captain for both sports. I found joy and happiness in leading my team to victory. I find happiness in encouraging people to do their best. I am not the tallest person on the court, but once people see my abilities, they are surprised. I prove people wrong when they believe I will have a hard time playing because I am so short. Sports have helped me become competitive, compassionate, and a leader.

I also found part of my identity when I went on December Unitas Retreat. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I reflected on my life, my family, and my friends. I shared many things with people that others would not know. I became confident. I made best friends with my group including someone in this class, Brook Sabia! We have always been friendly, but on retreat we really connected. We comforted each other and asked each other for advice. Our friendship grew stronger as well as my individuality. I now realize that many girls, especially in this school, are going through the same events I am. I realize I am not alone in this world even when sometimes it feels like I am.

My family has also influenced my life since the day I was born. Although we are related by blood, many of my family members do not have the same views. However, we are still a family. My family has encouraged me to be an individual and do things that others have not done before me. Each one of my sisters is an individual in their own way. My family, most especially my parents, pushes me to my best potential. Even though it may be annoying at the time, everything will pay off in the end. Being the youngest child, I am constantly observing my family as a whole. My sisters are very successful and happy in their lives. With hard work, I believe I will be just as successful as they are. I am a hardworking individual and my family has helped me get to where I am today.