Before You Move In: Dorm Shopping

This is by far the biggest undertaking you'll under go before you move into your dorm. So, I figured it would be a good place to start in my 3 part series "Before you Move In."

I see my dorm as an extension of myself and my "safe zone" when I'll be on campus. When you're missing home, feeling stressed, or just plain exhausted, your dorm is going to be your place of refuge. That is why it's super important to make sure you love it! Now, it's hard to fully decorate your dorm the way you'd like because of many decor rules, but there are still plenty of things you can do to your dorm to make it look great!

Let's start with your BED. 

Your bed is the focal part of your room. It's typically the biggest piece of furniture that you have full control over decorating. Your bed is not only a bed, either!

Buy it here!

It's your study space, you couch, and even your kitchen table sometimes! My biggest tip for decorating your bed is pick a neutral comforter. One of the exciting things about having a roommate is planning out an adorable room together. But, if you buy that hot pink comforter to match hers and you switch roommates sophomore year, you're kind of in a pickle. The best route to go is to get something super plain and dress it up with some fun accent pillows! I got this grey and white chevron comforter for my dorm. 

I cannot think of a single color that would look bad with this comforter. If your roommate decides on pink, simply buy a pair of pink sheets or some pink throw pillows. So much easier than buy a new bedspread every year.

Next is your "kitchen" supplies.
You don't have much space in your dorm, so if you don't absolutely need it don't buy it. With that said, you really don't need many food prep supplies. Most of your meals will either be in the schools cafeteria/food court or you will go out for food. You rarely will have legitimate meals in your dorm room. You simply have to prepare your dorm for snacks. I would recommend buying one full dinner set. So, a set of silverware, a dinner plate, and a bowl. (Make sure they are all microwave safe!) I have actually bought two bowls, one cereal bowl and another larger bowl for popcorn/chips. Also, another item you will need is chip clips. When you're thinking about storage, don't forget to factor in where you are going to put a box of pop tarts and bag of pretzels. A small bin will probably do the trick.

Scrub-a-dub-dub: Living life without a tub.
Things you will need for your shower kind of depends on what type of facilities your school offers. Most schools have community bathrooms (yuck). But, some schools (like mine) have a bathroom between two rooms. Some basics you will need are one full set of towels. That means 2 body towels, a hand towel, and washcloth. If you're not comfortable walking around in just a towel, I would invest in a robe. It doesn't have to be fancy, you'll just use it for transportation purposes. Personally, all of my dorms are strictly females, so a towel would work for me. (It's also one less thing you have to lug with you to the bathroom.) Something I bought this year is a bag dedicated to holding my toiletries. I have a sister, so I know the pain of desperately needing a supply and the box being empty. If you have your own storage, you'll know when you're running low.

Where are you going to put everything? We're talking about storage.

Storage is super important for keeping your dorm organized, but you don't want to go overboard. It's okay to buy some items after you move in. You may even find some great discounts after traditional "college shopping" time is over and they have to clear their inventory. Once you are ready to tackle organizing your smaller items, work on organizing within your drawers. You want to save precious floor space, so if you can use the furniture you're supplied to organize you'll be much happier. Soon your dorm will be a sea of storage boxes and canvas bins. Start off worrying about storing your larger items. If you can think of a place to put all of your clothes, shoes, and books you're good. Something I bought is a cute ottoman! It's perfect small size is great for a dorm. It opens up for extra storage space and can also be used as a place to sit. Other than that, figure out the rest once you are on campus.

Now, to focus on why you're actually going to school. You're going to need school supplies.
The last time I had a backpack was probably my freshman year of high school. I only carried two or so books home and so it was never a problem. Well, college is not going to be that easy. When you make a quick pit stop at the cafeteria in between classes, you're not going to want to worry about balancing your plate of food on your science textbook. I got this adorable one from Vans. It's girlie, but not in your face. You're also going to need a laptop. I got a 13 inch MacBook Pro with the storage upgrade. It's so amazing. I was previously a PC person, so I was scared for the transition. It was pretty smooth! I am going to invest in Microsoft Office for Mac, however. Don't waste your money on pages and numbers from the Apple store. I have a little more information about some extra stuff for your Mac that isn't completely necessary, but will most likely save you a few headaches once you move into your new dorm home!

Everyone needs some extras! First, I'm talking futons! I looked everywhere for a good futon. I have a good sized dorm, so I decided to purchase a full size one. www.walmart.com had the biggest selection and they really had the cheapest prices. They are also offering free shipping for college students. However, we just had it shipped to our local store to pick up. I went for this one! It looks nice and can hold a lot of weight. (Not that my roomie and I are fat....) but I'm hoping it'll be sturdy! Dormco.com also offered mini futons! They're really mini, so I don't know if you could sleep on one, but it's good for extra seating in those smaller dorms. My advice is if you find a good, quality futon for cheap just get it! Even if you don't have room freshman year, you'll want one for the rest of college and beyond.  Now, as I promised I also want to mention a MacBook extra! I got this great skin for my laptop from Gelaskins.com. It not only is super cute, but it's protective. It keeps scratches off of your computer. Also, you don't ever have to worry about someone accidentally grabbing your computer in the crowded hang out areas.Another item you should purchase is an area rug! Even if you have carpet in your room already, those are nasty. And who doesn't love a bright rug! I'm buying this plush one so it'll be nice to sit on. 

Need a good shopping list? Well, this one helped me out the most. 

www.collegepackinglist.com

Have any more tips? Comment them below! Also, I will include some dorm projects soon! I hope this gets your creative juices flowing for your new dorm!



Can you guys tell I love chevron yet? (;

Hello, My Name Is...

As a Christian, we are looked at like we are perfect. The outside world watches us follow all of the rules and are often turned away from our "religion" because of this holier than thou attitude most Christians have. We, myself included, begin to look down on those who have "bigger" sin. Whether they are an alcoholic, drug addict, adulterer, murderer, or thief we mentally put ourselves above them.

You see, we sometimes take God's forgiveness too lightly. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" Which, praise to God, is so true. However, just because you are no longer the sinful person you once were does not mean you can forget your sins. Whether you want to accept it or not, YOU ARE A SINNER. Your pastor is a sinner, your mom is a sinner, your dad is a sinner, your teacher is a sinner, and on and on. But, God looks upon your sin with disgust. The same disgust for your little lie as with the man who murdered someone. Sin is sin. Romans 3:10 says "As it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one." 

So, who are we, as a body of Christ, to look down on someone who sins. I don't care what the sin is. We need to approach these people with empathy because YOU were in their shoes at one point in time. You may not have committed the same sin, but you both shared the same fate. You both were destined for Hell. Jesus was perfect and yet He still chose to be amongst these people we so easily disregard. "Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near [Jesus] to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." says Luke 15:1-2. 

You don't need to wallow in your past sin and mistakes. That is not my point because in God's eyes, those sins have been wiped off of your record. However, we need to take time to reflect upon our sin to truly appreciate God's grace. We are so quick to get used to God's forgiveness and not recognize the power behind it. Don't be so fast to judge. Use that past sin to connect with those who are not yet a part of God's family and show them they can overcome. 

My inspiration behind this is Matthew West amazing song "Hello, My Name is." It has another amazing story behind it, which I included below. 

"Out of the Darkness of addiction and into the light of recovery….

“Hello, my name is Jordan and I am a drug addict.”  That was the first sentence of this young man’s story that he sent to me.  He went on to tell me how for years that was how he identified himself.  A two sport all star athlete in high school, Jordan received a college scholarship to run track and play football at a university in Kentucky.  But during his sophomore season, Jordan broke his ankle.  That is when he received his first prescription to Oxycontin.  He wrote about how addiction quickly took a hold of his life and sent him spinning out of control.  After two failed drug tests, the university kicked him out and removed his sports scholarships.  Jordan had lost everything he had worked for.  He landed at a place called Teen Challenge in North Carolina.  Teen Challenge is a Christian rehabilitation center in the business of restoring lives with the hope of Jesus Christ.

Jordan said it was during his time in Teen Challenge that he began to realize that God wasn’t done with him yet, and that all of those defeating titles like “addict,” didn’t have to be attached to his name the rest of his life.  His story is far from over.  He told me that in the years since his recovery, he went back and got his master’s degree from the very college that kicked him out.  Now, he is a teacher and a coach and a newlywed.  And he has recently felt God calling him into full time ministry.

He closed his story by saying, “These days I introduce myself a little differently than I used to.  Hello, my name is Jordan and I am a child of the one true king!”

What a powerful example of God at work in someone’s story.  I read Jordan’s story and couldn’t help but wonder how many people in the world are walking around defined by the defeat and the regret of past mistakes, believing the lie that they will never be able to kick an old habit or move on from yesterday’s mistakes.  Jordan’s story is powerful proof that we are not defined by our past.  God can restore, redeem, and renew our hearts and lives.  He can set our feet on a new path that will lead our lives to a destination far greater than where we used to call home.

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old is gone and the new has come!”  Jordan is standing in the light of a new beginning, forgetting what is behind and taking hold of his new name."

Twisting Words

As I was casually scrolling through my facebook timeline, I came across the post of this picture. (Take time to read it before continuing). It seems that more and more people are misunderstand the Bible and Christians.

My response to this picture is that what has been said is farther from the truth.

1. Yes, God hates divorce. God hates divorce just as much as He hates homosexuality. You wanna know what else God hates? Gossiping, lying, stealing, sexual immorality, and countless others. I committed one of those sins, haven't you?
2. We don't have to stone people anymore. Stoning is within Mosaic Law which we, as Christians, do not have to follow. The reason we do not stone is not because we, humans, decided "Well, you know, that's wrong to do so we better not do it anymore." NO. GOD sacrificed His Son so that we could be forgiven. When the veil was torn, the old Mosaic Law was no more. GOD decided we could now be forgiven and we are saved by His grace. People didn't decide that.
3. The consequences of a homosexual lifestyle are the same as the consequences of me lying. God will judge us ALL when we join Him. I am just of guilty of sin as the adulterer, the homosexual, the murderer, and the thief. We are all equal, there is no "big" sin. They are all equally terrible in God's eyes.
4. We should love our neighbors. We should love ALL people. That means I need to love the homosexual as much as I love my best friend who lies. And, I try to. That is the true Christian. We must love each other despite our differences, because I am no greater than anyone else.

Now, with the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage. I do not support same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is a sin, and if I were to support same-sex marriage I would support sin. That's like a Christian saying that it is okay to lie. Let's pass a law that it is okay to lie. Well, no... it's a sin. We all do things that are wrong, and I will still love my homosexual brothers and sisters in Christ. But, I will not say that what they are doing is okay because it's not.