URL's in Email Templates Change Automatically

I am having an issue with the email templates. I have everything working properly except for one very annoying problem...

1. I have a menu item for membership renewals that is "/membership-renewal". It works properly.
2. In my "reminder" emails I have put a link directly to the above menu item so that the user can easily renew right there.
3. The link in the email is websitename.com/membership-renewal
4. The email with URL is formatted as:

ABDA Membership Renewal
websitename.com/membership-renewal

HOWEVER, when I actually make the above URL into a link (using any editor or via code - I tried), it automatically changes it to JUST the menu item alias "membership-renewal' by removing everything before it ( websitename.com/ ). This completely breaks the link and it is happening with all website URL's in all email templates. No matter what I do, it will not allow me to have a link including the preceding websitename.com/ etc.

What am I missing?

Hi Bryan
My guess is that you use the JCE editor. If so do like this:

In backend go to Components -> JCE Editor -> Profiles
Probably you are using the default profile so click on that.
Click the tab "Editot Parameters" and set the Relative URL's to "No"

Hope this help

Regards
Stephen