Moving Day!

I am officially moved to my new website www.organizedimperfection.com! See you there!

My Relationship with Rest

Resting, relaxing, whatever you want to call it. I have a complicated relationship with rest. I am by nature a doer- I am also a severe asthmatic that spends way too much time sick. So, even though I want to be up and about all the time, I need to rest a lot, especially when I am sick.

I feel like there's a lot of college students out there that know exactly how I'm feeling. There are always five more chapters of that history textbook to be read, but dang it I haven't had eight hours of sleep in a week! Anyone else know the feeling?

But the Bible is very clear on the subject of rest. After six days of creating, God rested. If even God rests, it is a safe assumption to say that rest is really important!

So, this semester, I have decided to spend deliberate, intentional time resting. Where I am going to find that time, I'm not sure, but it's certainly worth a shot! Now, by rest I do not mean napping necessarily, but I do think that some activities are restful and some are not, depending upon the person.

For me, vegging and being on my phone on Pinterest is not very restful. There are too many things I find on Pinterest that I immediately want to try to do! But journaling for me is extremely restful. So is reading. So these will be the things I will try to do when I need rest.

What do you do to try to relax?

What I'm Reading This Month

Hello everyone!! For those of you who don't know, I am an absolutely avid reader. Granted, I am in college, so reading time is limited. But, in what free time I do have, here is what I've been reading lately!!

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I am a huge classic/ historical fiction fan, but for some reason I've never gotten around to reading this book. I only picked it up because I happened to see the last half of the movie a few weekends ago!! There is a reason that this book is a classic. It doesn't have the typical happy ending. Scarlett O'Hara is a fabulously sassy and sarcastic protagonist (She killed a man?! Guess she will have to think about that tomorrow!) who manages to grow on you, even though sometimes you hate her. But, this is definitely not a finish-in-a-weekend kind of book- it's huge!

Getting Things Done by David Allen

Speaking as a college student who has a job/blog/boyfriend/family/church/etc, I do not know how I managed to get everything done before reading this book. Now, this is a skimmer, because there are plenty of things that don't apply to an eighteen year old college student (reference filing system, group project planning? What?), but the idea of corralling all of the "open loops" in your life is sheer genius. The basic principle of the entire book is to write everything down. Simple, right? It totally is, and I love the logic behind Allen's theories. And, if you don't want to read the book but could use some time management help, just google it! There are entire blogs and websites that are devoted to "getting things done" for you to check out!

Living Well, Spending Less by Ruth Soukup (also a blog- check out here!)

I read Living Well, Spending Less two or three times at the beginning of this month! Soukup's Christian perspective is so refreshing in a world of getting more and more and more. Her book is what inspired me to start this blog!! Everyone should read this book- or at least check out Soukup's blog- if they are stuck in a spiritual or mental rut. It has just the advice to get you up and going!

5 Lessons I Learned My First Semester or College

Hello everyone! With a new semester beginning, I thought I would share some of my insights from last semester that might help you out this semester! College has new challenges and difficulties every single semester- sometimes every week- but there is plenty of excitement and joy to find as well.

1. Always double check how many hours you are really taking.
Not all labs count for "credit hours" but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I spent half of a semester thinking I was taking sixteen hours when I really had eighteen. Oh, that's why I'm so busy!! Also, feel free not to overload yourself with hours. Personally, I think fifteen is as many as I am comfortable taking. It all depends on your priorities- how much time you want to study versus socialize basically.

2. Wear whatever you want to wear within reason. 
Wear what you are comfortable with. There is no reason to wear two inch heels to class. Unless you love them. Then go for it!! If you love sweats, wear sweats. There are so many different people on campus that there is no real way to "blend in," so just go ahead and don't bother trying. That's right. I'm giving you permission not that you need it to not care (I'm talking to the other type A's like me!). At the same time, you never know who you are going to see, whether it be your on-campus boss, the president of the university, a professor you respect, etc. So, when you choose to be comfortable over "cute," know that you might will probably see one of these people. Again, it's all personal preference as to what you are comfortable with. Minus being almost naked. That's never okay.

3. Networking, networking, networking. It's not as important as you think.
All we hear these days is that networking is more important than your GPA. I would disagree with this statement. You can do all the networking in the world, but if you do poorly in certain classes, it doesn't matter at all. School comes first. Knowing the right people can be extremely helpful (Trust me. I'm a reporter. I know.), but God is in control. Not networking well or at all is not going to ruin your life! God will open the doors for you whether or not you know the cousin of your English professor who helps with the advertising for your dream company. Let's get real here. God has been, and always will be, bigger than networking. But, it's still something to participate in every now and then. Sometimes God opens doors through people!

4. A community of believers is one of the best things that could happen to you.
College can be an extremely hard season of life, and doing it alone just isn't fun. I had a lot of struggles with anxiety last semester (but that's a story for another day) and didn't connect very well with the BSM I was attending. In retrospect, that was a mistake. I could definitely have used support and prayers in that season. But, I wasn't brave enough to put myself out there. Don't make the same mistake I did. These other Christians will be the ones to walk with you in the good seasons and bad. You'll grow together, love together, and spread the Gospel together. It's important. If you are shy or aren't sure how to go about this process, email me! I'd love to pray for you and help you connect on your campus (because loving Jesus with other people is always better than loving Jesus alone).

5. College is hard. That's okay.
A lot of people don't realize that going to college requires an adjustment period. You've probably had mostly the same schedule, same friends, same church, etc. for most of your life. That all changes, and it can be scary and confusing. Trust me, I live at home and attend the university in the town I grew up in and it was still confusing and scary (another reason #4 is important!). I felt like I didn't really get used to my new world until about November. That was almost a whole semester. And you know what? That is completely okay. Literally everyone experiences this season of life at their own pace. So, don't compare yourself to those around you. Sure, they might be having the time of their lives. They might also go back to their dorm and cry themselves to sleep tonight. So, there's no point in trying to figure out if you are adjusting too slowly or quickly. Give it to God and let yourself go to sleep!

Preparing for a New Semester

Hey everyone! I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas break, but, with the start of a new year, it's time to reenter the world of classes, exams, and lots of homework. It's easy to want to spend these last few days of vacation scrolling through Facebook and Twitter or binging on Netflix, but it's important to get your ducks in a row for the start of a new semester. Here are some important steps to prepare for a new semester that are often forgotten.

1. Get your car a tune-up.
Especially for those students who live far from home, making sure your car is running well is so important. No one wants to end up stuck on the side of the road when driving home for a weekend visit or speeding home Monday morning to make it in time for that 2 p.m. test. Just do yourself a favor and get that blinking light on your dashboard checked now.

2. Find out what textbooks you need.
I know, I know, textbooks are expensive, and half the time the professor tells you on the first day of class that you don't need them. I'm not saying buy textbooks. Know which ones you need and start price comparing now so you don't get screwed by the university bookstore when you find out what books you do need. Chegg is a good rental textbook site, but nothing beats Amazon. I ordered and bought an 85 dollar textbook for FIVE dollars this semester. It just doesn't get better than that.

3. Clean your room.
If you come home for Christmas break, do not leave for college with your room a mess. You come home on the weekends to get away from stress, not add to it. Also, your parents don't appreciate it, and they feed you when you come home.

4. Clean out your bag and raid Staples.

 Your Starbucks receipts, old wrappers, pencil stubs, and old homework papers have no place in your backpack at the beginning of the semester. It's a small thing, but cleaning up puts you in a great mindset for a new semester. Also, go buy the supplies you need for the semester with the money you have leftover from Christmas. Pretty notebooks always help with the midsemester blues. 

5. Start praying for the semester.

This is the most important step to start off a new semester right. With God, every day is a clean slate and a new opportunity to follow Him. So pray that you follow Him each and every day of the new semester. With Him all things are possible- including passing all of your classes!

Confessions of a Serial Blogger

I have a confession to make. This is not the first blog I have started, and it probably won't be the last. You see, I've always loved writing. Always. Even before I could actually write, I would dictate stories for my mom to write down, and, because she was awesome, she did.
Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of not finishing what I start. Having great ideas and not following through. So, I've started blogs, imagining wild success for myself and ultimately being able to work from home. But, that's not how reality works. It's also not a good idea to take on a new project the week before you start college.
Anyway, I have come to realize that, every time I have started a new blog, I have expected perfection from the get go. Obviously, there are flaws to this theory, starting with the fact that technology and I usually do not get along. Also, who the heck is perfect at anything when they don't know what they are doing? Not me. So, after a few weeks of sucking all the fun out of blogging with my pursuit of perfection, I would give up.
So, with a new year comes a fresh start and blog for me. And a new philosophy based on the idea that everything in life is a journey, including this blog. So, I will not set a premise on what I am and am not going to write about. I am a Christian, first and foremost, and a reporter, aspiring author, college freshman/ junior ( a story for another day), knitter, avid reader, intensely introverted, and plenty of other descriptive words. So, my interests vary widely and so will my blog posts. Happy reading! Hope you enjoy!