"So there's this boy...." :)

Have you ever been in love? You know what I'm talking about, the butterflies in the stomach, the incessant daydreaming, the smile you get on your face every time you talk about the person...any cliche you can think of basically. I know a lot of us have, and if not, you will have it at some point in life. Now onto a more profound question: Have you ever loved someone so much that both of you made a conscious decision to make it work and never let each other go regardless of the circumstances? I'm sure many of us also have had that, but fewer than those who just fell in love. I know for sure that I have had both. I've fallen in love a few times and kissed many frogs-could-have-beens and have-beens (not directed at anyone in particular; just a generalization)- but my current relationship-which I'm celebrating the four-month anniversary of today (! :) ) -is the only one where the latter question has come to light and been happily answered.
For those who are wondering what current relationship I speak of, I have an amazing boyfriend and his name is George. We met over the summer when I came home for summer break and he had started coming to my church and hanging out with some of my friends from youth group. Naturally, since I remembered almost everyone from youth group except him when I came home, I had no idea who he was. But I saw how much fun he was and how much he clicked with everyone at my church, my youth group friends and the older adults alike, and I thought he was kind of cute. I became curious and friended him on Facebook. Soon enough we started talking and before long he asked if I wanted to hang out with him. I knew I really wanted to support one of my friends -my soprano diva partner-in-crime in youth choir in fact- at her chorus concert, so I invited him to go. Even though he could only be there for the first 15-20 minutes or so, we had so much fun goofing off and singing along with all the Disney songs being performed. So much fun in fact, he asked me to hang out again. We spent some time helping our friend choose a tux for his prom, then spent time catching some sun and waves at the beach, then the next day we decided to watch "The Prince of Egypt" (which he bought!) and my "Toy Story" VHS after my orientation at work, where I was so cold he gave me his sweatshirt, which I have kept ever since. That night I had a feeling something good was coming-he referred to me as "someone special" in his status on facebook-and I was right: That night, right before he was about to leave, he gave me a note with the first verse of "A Whole New World" and afterward read: "So tell me princess..Would you be my girlfriend??" with checkboxes next to yes and no. Of course I couldn't resist his charm, so I said yes..and I kept the note as well. :)
For the rest of the summer we kept dating and spending a lot of time together, and he showed me what I really needed in a relationship. I loved (and still love) that he wanted to keep God in our relationship and that he is so open about sharing his faith and passionate about living it through words and even more through actions. He never once wanted to change me, but his drive to succeed and his openness and courage make me want to be a better person. His goofy personality and willingness to laugh at himself, while amusing to me a lot of the time, also made me not afraid to be myself and made it very easy to be comfortable around him. I'm sure that he's the only one to whom I said "I love you" and actually meant it. We've been able to be completely honest with each other when something in the relationship needs to change, and along the way we've made some awesome memories. I've met much of the scout troop he worked with back home and his scout friends at the Boy Scout Jamboree and one or two of his second mothers. When he graduated from Navy school I met his Nana and one of his influential high school teachers. Even if we weren't meeting anyone, we just made great memories just hanging out at the house watching "Family Guy". It just felt like the summer would never end.
However all good things must come to an end eventually. The summer was bound to be over soon enough as I had to return to CNU for school; luckily we still loved each other and it was easy to decide to stay together while I was at school. Then, after less than a week at school, we got some news that wasn't exactly the best: he had gotten orders to Florida because the Norfolk orders he could've gotten were given to the married guy in his class. We really wanted those orders to Norfolk so he could stay close, so when that didn't happen he was livid, and I was devastated. But after getting texting George that I still love him no matter what and he texted back saying he knew we could make a long distance relationship work, I was instantly comforted and relieved. It's still amazing to know that George loves me enough to never let me go no matter what; I really began to feel God's blessing on our relationship even more than ever.
Four months after the night he first asked me out, I consider my decision to be with George one of the best decisions I have ever made alongside deciding to go to CNU. We really bring out the best in each other and are also each other's best friend while keeping each other's minds and hearts in tact. I know God has the best plans for us, and I am so blessed and lucky that George is in my life. Now that we are making it work long distance, I am constantly reminded that even though we may be far apart, we are still close in heart. As long as that saying holds true I know we will make this work. <3 :)

Wake-Up Call

So I know I haven't contributed to this blog in a lonnnnggg time, but due to recent events in the news I simply cannot keep silent. As you all may have heard by now, Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide after being outed on the Internet by his roommate. Today I saw a link on my friend's wall that a Johnson and Wales student also committed suicide, making him the fifth gay youth to take his own life in three weeks. As Ellen DeGeneres said in a video on her talk show website, one suicide is tragic enough. Five is a crisis. And these are just the incidents we heard about: there were also two suicides at my high school this past year, and who knows how many more have gone unreported and how many more teenagers have suffered or continue to suffer in silence.
The fact that the majority of these suicides have been caused by bullying is a crisis in itself. Seriously, I'm well-aware that the Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin-however nobody said anything about condemning homosexual PEOPLE, human beings, brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. That said, the attitudes up in this peace towards people that are different are just absurd. Whatever happened to loving your neighbor as yourself? Have we forgotten that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and that only God has the right to judge and we do not? Haven't we realized that telling people that they will burn in hell is not the answer? Aren't we called to treat others the way we want ourselves to be treated?
I don't say this to shove my personal beliefs down other people's throats. But I do want this to serve as a wake-up call: to end the hatred and harassment, to put a stop to harsh judgment, and to love others as Jesus would love. That doesn't mean we have to agree with people's opinions, lifestyles, sexual orientations, etc, and that doesn't mean we have to like them, but it does mean we should accept them as they are and treat them as we want to be treated, and leave the judgment up to God.
Gays aren't the only ones who are being bullied and suffering. This can happen to anyone, regardless of race, gender, religious affiliation or sexual orientation. We need to wake up and reach out to those who are suffering, recognize that we are all imperfect and all sinners, because God's children should not have to take their own lives to end the hurt. We need to make a change, and I hope we can all be alive to make it happen.

Below is a website for "I Need a Lighthouse", a nonprofit organization founded by Kathy Wakefield several years ago to raise awareness about suicide/depression and suicide prevention. If you or someone you know is dealing with issues relating to depression or suicide , please look up the phone numbers on the website.

www.ineedalighthouse.org