Tips for a Homey Christmas Away from Home

Well, folks, the Christmas Season is upon us. The first Advent candles have been lit. The choruses of mankind are singing of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Meanwhile, college students are beginning "dead week," which, here at Oklahoma State may as well be called "I want to die week"  since it is a time when lackluster professors, devoid of all the aforementioned "Christmas Spirit" (Scrooges if you will), decide that they are going to throw the syllabus out the window and rain down their wrath upon students all over campus. Anyway, the beginning of this season of snowflakes, candycanes, sugarplums, lights, etc. is marked for us by Finals.

While you may pity our poor sleep-deprived souls (we're all about pity, so pity away), I am not here blogging today in an attempt to gain that pity but rather to share some fun college student friendly ways to brighten up your December away from home.

• Thrift. Thrifting is a great way to decorate in general (literally everything you see above was thrifted) but Christmas thrifting/garage saling can happen anytime anywhere. When you're out hunting for thrifty treasure, don't avert your eyes from Christmasish stuff simply because it is the middle of July. It will probably be cheaper out of season, so scoop up that Christmas goodness year round and tuck it away for the appropriate, post-Thanksgiving, time.

• Fill your house/apartment with lots of these ^  Everyone loves peppermint sticks and candy canes. They're inexpensive ($0.98 a box at Walmart), making them the perfect addition to any dorm room, apartment, or house. Also, peppermints may help to stimulate brain function and focus , so grab a couple before you head off to your finals for a little boost!  

• Craft. Crafting gets your creative juices flowing, gives you a chance to get out of study mode for a bit, and allows you to save some cash on decorations and gifts. So pick up that Pinterest craft you've been eyeing and get to work.

The Art of Resting

"Rest and be thankful." - William Wordsworth

Rest. It's an elusive concept that seems incredibly desirous in theory, but is rarely attainable in practice.  As a college student, it seems that I am constantly striving for the next weekend, the next break, the end of the semester, when I might possibly attain a brief reprieve from the rat race of university life.  However, as soon as I reach the goal, I am worrying about what work the new week brings: the papers I still have to write, the laundry I have to find time to do, the friends I want to spend time with, the success that I must achieve in all of these areas.  It sometimes feels like a never-ending cycle of working toward but never being fully satisfied with the results.  I am in constant motion: mentally, emotionally, and physically.  Where is the rest and satisfaction that my poor overwhelmed heart so deeply desires???

After much consideration - consideration meaning five semesters worth of exhaustion, emotional break downs, and a self-esteem roller coaster ride  fueled by whatever grades and friends I did (or didn't) have - I decided to endeavor to practice the art of resting.  This is not an easy undertaking. When constantly bombarded by a culture telling you that success only comes through beauty, intelligence, a Masters, PhD, life-consuming career, and maybe a trophy-family stuck somewhere in there between the PhD and career, you begin to believe the mantras like, "You can sleep when you're dead." We college students are often so guilty of buying into these lies in hopes of attaining  our dream of the perfect future - during which there will clearly be ample time for rest, thank you! Sure. - that we drive ourselves right into the ground.

So, in an attempt to truly learn what Rest means, I am taking a break every Sunday.  I know that this concept may not seem so novel, what with the whole idea of the Sabbath being around since the creation of the world and whatnot, but it is a much more difficult discipline than I expected. My desire to over achieve, get ahead, and fill my time is not overcome by simply telling myself, "Don't worry, this is your day off. Chill." As a matter of fact, initially, the break set those impulses into overdrive. But through consistent practice in letting tomorrow worry about itself, the enjoyment of fellowship, and a delight in simply taking a walk or reading a book on a Sunday afternoon (things that I rarely allow myself the opportunity to do during my 26.2 mi. weekly sprint), I am able to truly rest. Although force is sometimes necessary, this Day of Rest prepares me for the coming week, no less full of papers, exams, homework, chores, and social obligations. My heart drinks in Rest and is satisfied.

The Junior Year Slump

College: it's what every ambitious young woman ought to do, right? Choose what she wants to peruse for the rest of her life at the age of 18, commit the subsequent 4 years to study and maybe "finding herself" along the way, and finally come out with a degree and a bright future in her chosen field where she can prove her equality of skill and intelligence to that of any man. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (the nations 22nd largest city) known as a steel town but truly an academic haven that contains over 20 colleges and universities within its metropolitan area, there never seemed to be any other option. Naturally, education was of utmost importance and a successful career was the epitome of feminist validation. How could I ever question the importance of career, the prestige of a doctorate? Of course I wanted to go to law school and move to D.C.!

Recently, though, those thoughts have been challenged. Five and a half years later, as I study at Oklahoma State University, I find myself questioning the relevance of my education to what I, as a woman, am to do with my life.  The more I talk to my peers, the more I am struck with the reality that, maybe, just maybe, being a mom and a wife isn't as meaningless a task as culture has taught me. Mind. Blown.

This is where the slump comes in. As I realize that I am intended to love and support a husband, nurture children, and keep a home, I can't help but think how DUMB school is. Obviously, education is worth while and as a student, I need to strive for excellence in my current stage of life. But in reality, all I can think about is crafting, cooking, thrifting, how I want to decorate my future home, and  the man that I want to care for more completely. Do you know what gets in the way of all these delicious thoughts? School. Dumb old school. It is like an anvil hanging over my head constantly waiting for me to let down my guard just long enough for it to come crashing down and leave me buried under a debris of broken pencils, torn notebook pages, smashed hard drives, and countless pages of assigned reading. Oh! To be assigned a craft rather than a paper! To read a recipe rather than another short story! I should just give up. But, despite the slumpiness of this slump, I shall continue to endeavor to persevere.

It is at times like these that I wonder what has happened to me, to that little D.C. bound lawyer. I think that she has realized that her ambition, although not incorrectly used as a lawyer in God's Kingdom, can affect people just as much, or more so, when directed toward the equally rigorous tasks of being a loving spouse and mother one day.