Oh. My. Word.

Sorry to keep talking about my car, but I feel like I have been on some crazy roller coaster these past few weeks. Guess what? My engine DOESN'T have a recall on it. The shop that worked on Mitchell gave me false information. It's a whole long story of what I've been through the last couple days, but I can sum it up: I am going to have a to buy a new car.

Mitchell - R.I.P. good buddy. You gave me some great years but it's time to let you go.

So, now I am starting this new process of looking into cars, payments, etc and I'm tired. It's been up and down up and down and I'm tired. But the Lord is good and He will be faithful, like He always is.

I really like being an adult, but man oh man....sometimes it's hard. Thanks for reading, everyone. I'm ok.

I both like and dislike the Saturn company

Remember two weeks ago when I posted about taking my Saturn to the shop to get a new alternator? After I got it back, it started acting REAL weird. It was making the WORST noises (drawing looks from everyone I passed), it started sputtering and shaking, and couldn't even accelerate up tiny hills. At one point I could only go to 40 on the freeway. The other drivers loved me, I'm sure.

I couldn't ignore my problem and hope it would go away anymore. So yesterday I took it back to the shop and had them look at it again. My roomie Jen Cope taught me how to drive stick shift in a high school parking lot last night (good times!) and then let me take her to work so I could use her car. The car place called me around 4 this afternoon. Here was our convo:

Dude: "So, hey, I have good news and bad news."
Me: "Um...ok."
Dude: "The problem is your engine. It's in real bad shape. You're going to need a new one."
Me: *fainting in shock at my desk*

(Crazy thoughts running through my head. Ack! I can't afford a whole new engine. What am I going to do? etc etc)

Dude: "Here's the good news...Saturn has recalled it. They will replace it once you take it to their dealership."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!

I whipped myself back into a sitting position and emitted a tiny shriek of joy right into his ear. No way!! What are the chances??? Oh my gosh, thank you Lord!!

So basically all I have to do is tow Mitchell to the nearest Saturn dealership and they will give me a new engine. Yesssssssss. Then my car will have a few more years in it. Yesssssssss. When I sell it, I can get more money because the engine will be newer. Yessssssss. Oh Saturn. Why have you put me through this turmoil? I was going kind of nuts these past few weeks over my car and the alternator and then all the problems after that. I had some naughty words in my mind to describe what I thought about their cars and their company. And now, GLORY BE, they have redeemed themselves to the highest degree by recalling my make and model's engine. How amazing.

The rest of my day I was giddy and blabbing my good news to anyone who would listen. This is such a huge answer to prayer!

What I am learning

I am always learning. That's it. What am I learning? That I am always learning. This is something I am coming to grips with at my job. I am going to make mistakes all the time. And instead of dwelling on them and wishing they never happened, I should be focusing on how I can learn from them and how to change things in the future.

If I never made mistakes, if I always did everything right...how would I grow? I learn the most from my mistakes and that keeps me learning every single day. Although I will gladly admit I wish there were days that I could sail through (the daily learning is super exhausting), I know it is helping me grow and be even better at my job.

I am not sure if that makes any sense, but to me it does. I need to be ok with making mistakes. I need to give myself grace in this area. Do any of you deal with this same sort of thing?

Buckstars

In the county I live in, it is very trendy to boycott all major corporations and support the little independent places. It's our way of "stickin' it to the man!!" And for the most part I do. However, there is one major exception. I cannot boycott Starbucks. I just love it too much. Sometimes I just want to sink into one of their couches, listen to the obligatory Norah Jones CD, "people-watch" to my heart's content, and drink my delicious peppermint mocha frappaccino. Sometimes I'll go with a book, sometimes I'll bring my journal, and sometimes I'll go with a friend (or friends) and have fun conversations. Yesterday was such a day. My good friend Jenna and I walked to Buckstars from my house and we sat for HOURS on the comfy couch, laughing our heads off. It was amazing. I had kind of a stressful week, including working three nights in a row (I usually only work one night per week) so I was in deperate need for some sort of release. And that was it for me. We were laughing so hard we were wiping away tears. It completely made my day and my week. Not to say we couldn't have laughed hysterically like that in Coffee Cat, but C.C. doesn't make my yummy frap. Does that mean I'm a coffee snob? So be it. I love Starbucks.

Mitchell

So, my dark blue Saturn (Mitchell) had a little "episode" Saturday. I was at the mall and he just wouldn't start up. I had him towed and worked on for two days. It was very strange to not have a car Saturday-Tuesday. I never realized how dependent I am on my car. If I lived closer to where I work, I could just bike there. But I work too far away. So I was literally stranded Monday and Tuesday, with no way to get to church. Monday I ended up staying home all day to work on my talk for last night and then Tuesday I took the bus. THAT was an experience all in itself. All I can say is that there are some sketchy people who take the bus, but it was all good fun. One of my co-workers drove me home that evening, which was so sweet because it was completely out of her way. But now I finally have my car back....450 bucks later. Yowzahs. Mitchell needed a new alternator. So, here's hoping I really DO get a fatty tax return this year! =)

Snow?!?

This past weekend was NUTS. It was so cold that it actually SNOWED here. There was snow on the sides of the road, snow downtown, even snow on the beach! Incredible. This picture is in the parking lot of my church. It looks so beautiful-I love it!

lightning and thunder

Hi everyone. While I am typing this, there is an awesome thunder and lightning storm going on. I'll see a flash light up the sky and quickly run outside to hear the thunder boom. It's like the dark clouds are fighting and ramming into each other. I love storms like this!

So, here are some thoughts that have been running through my head this week:

- As of August/September, I might possibly become the College Director at my church. How do I feel about that? Do I want that much responsibility? A whole minstry on my shoulders when I still feel quite new to ministry in general? Can I do it? Am I excited about this?

- Two of the students in our college group just got engaged. They are 19 and 20 and have dated for three and a half months. Ack! I feel like they are so young, but it is totally their decision. Her parents are NOT stoked...

- I am speaking next Wednesday night and I have NO idea how to do this talk. I don't fully understand the topic myself. How am I supposed to explain it to students? And I don't feel like it really fits with our current series. Strange.

- The high school and college group leave for Mexico in a month!

- I sent my tax stuff in the mail and they were SUPER slow arriving, so I thought they got lost. But luckily, they were found. I would LOVE to get a fatty tax return this year.

- Thank goodness for my roomates. I think we help keep each other sane. They make me excited to come home.

Ok, I'm off to go watch some more lightning and listen to more thunder. (One boom just made our windows rattle. Whoa.) Lates!

Looking up

Things are better, thank the Lord. I got to get away this past weekend and I think that really helped. I drove up to Placerville with two roomates to help celebrate the wedding day of a special friend, Kim. I got to see some old friends (don't you just love that about weddings? They are like mini-reunions) which was awesome. We tore up the dance floor and got to chat with the bride and meet her new hubby. It was just nice to focus on other things and enjoy laughter with good friends. I came into work this morning with brightened spirits and a more positive outlook on things. I have been praying alot about all of my work stuff and I will for sure continue to do so. It's easy to trust God when everything is going great. It's a lot harder to trust him when it feels like your world is going crazy.

I wish I didn't think all the time

Man, this week blew. Sorry to put it so bluntly, but it's the truth. This week has been the hardest I've had in a long time. I've been through so much in just the past 6 days. I've made mistakes at work with my student leaders, two of my college girls got hurt Wesdnesday night (falling out the back of a pickup truck as it drove forward, one girl had to go to the ER for a concussion - I was with her till 2 in the morning), there are going to be some MAJOR changes going on with my job that I am not happy about right now (and I feel like I got blindsided and I'm upset with how things went down), I have not been sleeping, I feel like I cry every day, and my mind is constantly in overdrive. Just stop, brain! I seriously just need to get away to rest and sleep for a week and NOT THINK. It's too much for my poor little mind to deal with all at once.