Culture Shock

The wait is over; Christmas break is here! I have finished my first semester of college at Missouri Baptist. It is the third official weekday of break, and it has become clear to me that I am in the grip of culture shock. It is amazing since I am just 100 miles away from what is now familiar. The people are different (my social life has currently dwindled to two people apart from Facebook), the food is different (not everything I eat is all natural, that's for sure), the slang is different (the two people are my parents), and the pace is different (slooow). I used to enjoy the slow pace, but I have become so accustomed to being on-the-go in St. Louis that the outskirts of Fredericktown are boring to me. I never realized how different city life is from country living until I experienced it--until now.

Don't mistake me when I say the outskirts of F'town are boring. I absolutely love living in the country. I grew up in the country, and nature is one of the ways I connect with God. It is not nature that I am talking about here. It's too chilly to sit outside comfortably and take in the beauty of God's creation. I am talking about relationships and activity. It is virtually non-existent here compared to life in St. Louis. I just need to adjust.

I am trying to get something going with my friends from high school. They're bored too. We've gotten a taste of life outside F'town, so life inside F'town just doesn't seem the same home we left. Or maybe it is...

I am sure I will adjust eventually. Of course, then I will have to readjust once I go to Atlanta. That's right. Passion07 is almost here!

I have the opportunity to use these two weeks of downtime to refocus on God. Immersing myself in the Bible, reading Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper, and committed praying are on my list. Of course, writing the list is easier than accomplishing the tasks on the list. If you know me well, you know that reading is not my specialty, and I am not very disciplined. I'll let you know how it goes.

I hope your Christmas vacation is going well. Whether I do or not, I encourage you to use your time wisely and effectively. Merry Christmas, and God bless you.