Saturday, February 5, 2011

2011...so far so, not too bad

Well my year started off with my trip to Mexico and let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing! God showed up in ways I never expected. So lets rewind to pre 2011 and go back to December 2010. My mom and I always go to the Lambs Farm craft show in Chicago and this year was no exception, well at least that's what we thought.
December 2, my mom, sister and my friend Carrie pile into my CR-V and head to Arlington Heights, IL. Somewhat enjoyable 3 hour drive, with few exceptions. However we get to the Arlington racetrack, where the craft show was being held, and oops, the craft show doesnt open until the 3rd! Ugh are you kidding me???? We drove this whole way for nothing??? Seriously mom don't you look at a calendar to double check dates? Well apparently not. In that instant I was soooo angry with her, how could she be so dumb? But a few minutes later, after we had all decided to head to IKEA, it dawned on me that even though this wasn't MY plan, it was God's plan.
You see I had started to doubt wether or not I could afford to go on the missions trip to Mexico. I had more money going out than I had coming in and I just didn't see how I was going to be able to swing one more thing during the month of December. I had even asked a few people to pray about it and see if I am really supposed to be going. How could this not be for me? I had wanted to go on this trip for 3 years and finally it was in January when I could go, not in December when there was no way in the world I could go. I digress. Well, my mom had given me a good chunk of money to go to the craft show with, it was money that she owed me for miscellaneous stuff. And since I wasn't going to spend it at the craft show I now had enough to pay for my passport, passport pictures and what have you. Amazing how God works!
So I applied for my passport and paid for expidited shipping to make sure it arrived before we had to leave for Mexico on January 9. My passport came on Christmas Eve, there really couldn't have been a better Christmas present. I was ecstatic, it was real, I was going to Mexico. How did I pay for the actual trip to Mexico? My grandfather gives us all checks every year for Christmas and I knew it would be enough to cover the trip, so on December 26th I wrote my check to the Vineyard and I was all set. I just had to wait for January 9.
I don't know how to explain my excitement for the trip. It wasn't like getting excited to go on vacation, it was better. I was going to be the hands and feet of Jesus, I was going to get to do His work. Or was I?
Remember those prayers I asked for? Well no one told me I wasn't supposed to go, thank God! However, the Wednesday before we were to leave, I met a friend of mine before work. She said, Oh I forgot to tell you that when I prayed for you and Mexico I heard No. (What? You didn't think to tell me this BEFORE now????) But not no you aren't going but you aren't going for the reason you think you are, why do you think you are going? I said to be the hands and feet of Jesus and meet the kids I bought shoes for, what else could I go for? My friend replied, I don't know but you aren't going for the reason you think you are. Huh, so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What did that mean? Why was I going to Mexico?
Sunday we all loaded into the van, 10 of us, two to a seat, for a 30 hour van ride. That sure sounded fun in the beginning! HA! Actually, it was a fun ride, as fun as 30 hours in a van can be. You really get to know the people in the van that's for sure and those other 9 people mean the world to me! We hit some snow on the way down, but when we arrived in Mission TX on Monday evening, it was sunny and beautiful. Of course, this would be the only sun we saw the entire week!
Tune in tomorrow for what happened in Mexico!

Friday, February 4, 2011

To Mac or not to Mac....

So I finally got all of my pictures from Mexico uploaded to the important websites like Facebook, Snapfish and Shutterfly, and let me tell you, I absolutely can not wait to be doing that on a Mac. I'm so excited to actually be the proud owner of a Mac. I am going to Best Buy directly after work to purchase a MacBookPro. That's right, the next blog will be written on a Mac (maybe that doesn't excite you as much as it does me). My dad has been telling me for years to buy Apple, but being a single mom, Apple products are pricey, no where near my price range. However I did my taxes exuberantly (is that a word? maybe its spelled wrong who knows) early and my refund is currently in my account. I paid off my credit cards, which makes me HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY and other than car payment (which will be done in May) and student loan payment (I'll be dead before that thing is paid off) I have no debt! WOO HOO! So I'm taking a large chunk of my refund and buying a Mac. I have to say, I don't know a lot about computers, I know how to play on the Internet and create documents, word and excel and what have you, but other than that, I just want one that looks pretty. Yes I am THAT girl! I know, trite and sad at the same time, but at least I'm honest. So for me to invest this kind of money into a laptop there has to be either a really really pretty cover on the thing, it comes in pink, or, and more practical if I do say so, it will last much longer than a PC. Unfortunately, pink and pretty are not options ;)
I've done my research and looks like the Mac is by far a better choice. PC's just don't last very long. I have had laptops since 2001 and I have had to replace them every 3-4 years. So lets do the math, its currently 2011 so for 10 years I have used a laptop and I have had to purchase a new one every 3.5 years I am on laptop number 3! I don't want to continue to buy laptops every 3.5 years, which is what I told the guy at Best Buy a few days ago. Do you know what he said to me???? Macs are built to last 7-12 years!!!! WHAT? Why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner??? 7-12 years people! That's just CRAZY, but in a very good way! So basically what this kid who is all of maybe 22 years old tells me is that if I had just invested in Mac 10 years ago, I would probably just be replacing it now. Huh, good to know.
So with any luck I will plop down my debit card for the MacBookPro tonight at Best Buy and not have to do such a thing again for at least another 10 years. Thank you Apple for being superior to PC's when it comes to laptops.
I should probably add...that the two laptops I had in the past 10 years, ended up costing me more than the Mac because of viruses, repairs and new batteries. So buyer beware, you may think you are saving yourself money today, but in the long run, was it worth it???? Just sayin'