What you really need for college...and what you really don't

It's almost that time of year again.  The time of year where you can't go to Target without seeing at least a few overly excited recent grads and their moms walking around with a cart filled with bathmats and organizational supplies.  Six years ago (SIX?!) that was me.  I probably went to the Bed Bath & Beyond website multiple times a day to scroll through the endless assortment of bedding and shower curtains, not to mention the convenient list they provide you to tell you all the things you really need.  Well friends, if you are that recent grad who is about to go shopping with your mom and attempt to check off all the items on the BB&B checklist, just hold your horses until you check out my list.  I know six years sounds like a long time to speak to what you really need (or not) in college, but trust me, I remember all too well.  With that being said, I have compiled a list of the must-haves and the extremely overrated items. These aren't the obvious items like towels and sheets, but stuff that I either had to go out later and buy at the most inconvenient times or things I didn't ever use.  Share this with a friend, and neither of you will be sorry.

Must-haves

-First aid stuff.  I'm talking Bandaids, Thermometer, Ibuprofen, and even Imodium.  Trust me...when you need it is not when you will want to have to go out and get it.
-Small tool kit.  Something random will break and you will need a screwdriver.
-Mini sewing kit.  I found some at Dollar Tree.  It will save your life when a button falls off.
-Extra pillow.  You never know when a friend will get locked out at night (obviously because their roommate is studying so hard and needs privacy) and need to spend the night at your place.
-Power strips with multiple outlets
-USB stick/flash drive.  If you ever use a computer lab on campus, these will be your best friend. 
-Random bathroom stuff that your mom always had around: Q-tips, cotton balls, etc.
-Batteries.  Again, you will always need some at the most inconvenient time.
-Lightbulbs
-Umbrella
-Simple cleaning supplies.  Things like a broom and Clorox wipes come in really handy.

Totally unnecessary

-Blender.  I can not tell you how unnecessary this is.  You will have nowhere to wash it, unless you want smoothie chunks clogging up your bathroom sink.
-Ironing board.  An iron might be useful, but I would check your dorm's laundry room before buying one.  An ironing board, on the other hand, is pointless regardless.  Just lay a towel down on your desk and you're good to go.
-Too many organizational supplies.  I know the fabric bins from Target are too cute to pass up, but you maybe need 2 large ones and 2 small ones.  I would say wait until you unpack and can't find a place for things, and then go get more as you see the need for them.
-A notebook for every class.  Evaluate the professor.  Some of them read the notes straight from their PowerPoint, which sometimes you can print from their website.
-The textbook for every class.  Again, wait until after the first class to see if you actually need it.  Usually they tell you if you need it or not, or at least what they primarily test over.  After that, DO NOT...I REPEAT...DO NOT BUY YOUR BOOKS ON CAMPUS!!!!! You can find almost all of them on Amazon for a fraction of the price.  One more thing: don't bring your books to class.  It will scream "I'm a freshman!"
-An excessive amount of towels.


I hope this helps!  I'm sure there are more things I'm forgetting on both lists, but if I think of anything, I'll revise. 

House tour- Part 1

I realized a lot of people asked me a looooong time ago to post pictures of our house once we got it all put together.  That obviously never happened, so I apologize.  For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting, welcome to our home...kind of.  This is just the living room, but I will post other rooms sooner or later, and by that I mean whenever I decide to clean.

Perfection is exhausting

The past month has been absolutely crazy.  We took our youth to camp the last week of June, and just got back yesterday from a World Changers mission trip to Philadelphia.  Both were incredible.  Before I continue to share about these experiences, I must rewind.  Months 1-10 of living in Virginia were incredibly difficult.  To be completely honest, nothing in me wanted to be here.  I was resistant to get to know many people because as far back as I can remember, I've avoided vulnerability.  I like to take my time testing the waters.  Are you trustworthy or are you going to stab me in the back?  Are you going to take what I tell you and use it against me?  If you get to know the real me, will you decide I'm not so great after all?  Once I determine the answers to these questions, I can move forward.  Moving to a new place presents all kinds of problems, especially for a self-conscious introvert.  On top of the struggles already in place just because of my personality, I have found myself maneuvering around the politics of feeling like because I'm a pastor's wife, I'm not allowed to have struggles or baggage, or even be honest about how I'm feeling.  No one has told me this, but I feel an expectation placed on me to be perfect.  Unfortunately, the church (not ours specifically) has become a place where vulnerability is not encouraged, and because of that, I found myself remaining silent around the girls in the youth group who deserve my honesty.  Over the past month, I have felt God working on my heart to break down the walls I had built up to the people here.  This past week especially, I made it my goal to start sharing my heart with the girls.  By the end of the week, I was able to share things with them that a year ago I swore I would never be able to share.  I was told things I NEVER thought I would hear from them.  Things like: "You are one of the coolest people I've ever met" and "When you talk to us, it's like how a 7th grader feels when a senior talks to them".  Like.....WHAT?! ME?????  I was blown away, and partly ashamed that it took me so long to let myself open up.  I'm so thankful for God's unending faithfulness and for being patient with me.  So many things are coming up that I'm beyond excited about being a part of, and cannot be done without honesty and vulnerability on my part.  Pretending to be perfect and trying to impress people is exhausting, and can only be done from far away.  It's taken way too long, but now I'd rather be a real person who is able to make an impact from close up and let people see my messy, imperfect life.

"We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us."  1 Thess. 2:8