Vibe, anyone?

Okay, so 3 weeks ago, I had a rental car for almost a week while my car was getting some body work done (A girl backed into me at work-minor though). The rental car was an 05 Pontiac Vibe. Now mind you, I had been playing around with the idea of leasing a new Civic (I have a 97 Civic) sometime within the next year or so. I'd prayed about it, and I really didn't need a new car-mine is fine. So, when I rented this Vibe, it wasn't no time before I began to fall in love! By the end of the week, I had definitely decided that instead of a new Civic, whenever I did get a new car-it would be a Vibe!

That was three weeks ago. About a week later, my dad tells me that a guy he works with is interested in buying my car! (My dad sometimes talks alot, and I'm sure he told the guy I was going to look for a new car). So, I took it over to him, and he test drove it and looked at it. He liked it and told me he was going to go to the bank and talk to them about it! I was a little excited until it hit me-I had to find another vehicle!!! So, I began the exhausting search of finding the right car, with the right amount of miles, that was the right color, the right year, and the RIGHT PRICE! 4 times in that week, I contacted someone about a car who told me "We just sold it yesterday" or "It just drove off the lot."

So, finally I found one in NewCastle, which is about 50 or 60 miles east of Indy. I drove out and looked at it, test drove it, and loved it! I got a carfax report and everything came out fine! I went to the credit union and was approved for a loan with great low monthly payments! The entire time, I'm praying, "God, I surrender this situation to you. You know what I need, not I. I'm grateful for the transportation I have-please show me what I should or shouldn't do. If this is not your will, please prevent it. Thy will, not mine be done." I couldn't believe things were happening so fast when I wasn't even planning on it right now! So last Friday at 5pm, 2 weeks after I turned in my rental car, I drove off the lot in my own 03 black Pontiac Vibe!!! I was so excited, until...

Friday 6:00pm-No horn. Airbag light on.

Saturday 3:30pm-Car overheats and I'm stranded.

Saturday 4:00pm-Notice antifreeze spewed all inside the hood.

Saturday 4:15pm-Locked myself out of the car. $45 bill.

Saturday 4:30pm-Fan on engine coolant system not working.

Saturday 9:30pm-Noticed no taillights or inside module lights.

Saturday 1:55pm-Air conditioner stops working.

Sunday 2:00pm-Overheats. Stranded again.

Monday 8am-Water pours onto my left thigh...while driving! Leak!

Monday 8:15am-Drop off at my mechanic's.

Monday 9am-Called Attorney General-not covered under Lemon Law.

Monday 11am-Talked to dealer.Said he would make it right.Thank God!

Monday 3pm-The wiring needs to be completely redone.

Monday 5pm-Waiting for authorization from dealer to get work done.

Tuesday all day-Still waiting...

Wednesday 9am-Authorized. Mechanic begins work.

Wednesday 5pm-Still not done...

Thursday 9am-Car is done, but needs more work. Take elsewhere.

Thursday 10am-Get authorization from dealer to have more work done.

Thursday 12noon-Found remaining problems, will be done at 4pm.

Thursday 3:30pm-Need a part not in stock. Needs to special order.

Thursday 4pm-Part will come in at noon tomorrow. Left car overnight.

Friday 8:30am-Picked up car & took to NewCastle to fix leak.

Friday 12:45pm-Returned to mechanics to finish work.

Friday 1:15 pm-Drove new car home!!! Finally!!!

Friday 4:15pm-Leak not fixed!



Meanwhile, the guy who wanted to buy my Honda has decided he's not sure (my parents were going to buy it for my little sister anyway if he didn't), so I've had it all week to drive while my new car has been elsewhere!

Two morals to the story:

Our God is faithful! He provided so much for me this week! I had my Honda to drive, and the guy I bought the car from has been so willing to make sure things are working right! I've been so upset about things all week until on Thursday I finally realized that it was all just because things weren't going my way-I wasn't getting what I wanted when I thought I should have got it! That's it! So even though things definitely didn't go as I planned this week, God was still in control and provided for my every need and much more!

And the hurricanes and those devastated by them have left me quite humble this week. Even after Katrina, when they started really talking about Rita and evacuating the Gulf in Texas, I began to see things differently. Here I've been whining about my car all week, and people are fleeing their homes for their lives! If car trouble is the biggest problem I've had this week...I think I've got it pretty good. Thank God I have a car! I pray that I would use it, and all the countless other gifts that God has given me, for one purpose-for His glory.

I'll post a pic of my new black beauty when I get some...

Vibe, anyone?

Bump, Set...Spike!

I just got back from camping all weekend, and what a blast! Those of you who know me know that I love camping and most sports! We were at Lincoln State Park in Lincoln City IN (way down by Jasper), and the park was beautiful. God's creation is always beautiful! Although I wouldn't call this REAL camping-we slept in cabins. None the less, I was with tons of friends and we had a blast! I must say that one of the things I look forward to most when I camp is being able to play some volleyball. I get way too psyched about it and I finally figured out why this weekend-I only get to play two or three times a year, so I soak up all I can! One of the regrets I have was that I didn't pursue playing in high school. I let way too many girls initimidate me. I was also a softball junkie in high school, and devoted most of my to pitching. I still love softball too, but nothings like playing fast pitch...something that's just not available for recreation.

I went camping in late July/early August of this year, and we spent three or four hours playing volleyball on that Saturday...I was so sore the next morning I could hardly move-but it was worth every bit of it! It was at that campout that I realized something had changed...I was shocked to find out how much weight-lifting had improved my serve! I think I'll keep lifting! So anyway, I woke up this morning as usual the day after a good hard day of volleyball-SORE! But I'm excited because the light bulb went off...I can join a league in Indy! So sometime soon, I'll be looking into that! How fun!

Some pics...finally

I finally figured how to post pictures. This is me and my adorable beagle-look-alike Katie (for those of you who don't know, she was a birthday present to me for my 8th birthday, and she is now 17!) She poses so well, doesn't she?




This is her and I again. Please disreguard the bedding-I went through a flower/frog phase a while back...just glad it's over!




This is me and Niki Nowell, the wife of our former youth minister who is now in Colorado. I think this pic is from one of the first years I counseled at camp Zenith in Oklahoma. Miss you guys!




And finally, this is me and our former pulpit minister and his wife, who are now in Tulsa. Miss you guys too!