Stressed & Overwhelmed

Well, today was quite a stressful day.  During the day I only had one class (I have tonight yet tho), and it was Music Appreciation.  I became very overwhelmed today especially, as I know next to nothing music-wise.   Music is not my "thing".   I don't believe I have an ear to understand music.  And this class, thankfully isn't about notes or anything that music like.  In class today we sat through some teaching of different meters or whatever they are, and then he played big (fascinating to listen to) classical music pieces to have us distinguish what kind of meter or whatever it was.    No matter how many times he explained it I was lost.  When he asked the class if anyone had questions about anything I didn't ask because the rest of the class seemed to get what he was talking about and I was completely lost and confused - it would take him at least a whole semester it seems to bring me to a place where I understand what he started talking about on day one.   Music to me is like English to a 40-year-old Only-Russian speaking man.   I'm lost.    And I got the strong impression that this was some of the more basic stuff and over the next weeks/months we would be doing some more complicated stuff.   I feel like where I'm at with music, I need to be in the class that is 2 or 3 classes before this one . .  . except this is the first class.   Since that class the rest of my day has seemed to be in a daze.  I have been very distracted and my mind doesn't seem to be fully focused - I'm praying I can focus tonight in Biology, during the lab especially.    

In conclusion I dropped the class.     I talked with my advisor to see if I am required to take the class and she said no, but I would need to take another Fine Arts class.   I asked here what the other classes were and she listed off a few, Intro to Film, Intro to video, intro to theater, and a whole lot more.  So I am thinking I will take one of these next semester.

Yet Another Lesson Learned

From one lesson to another.  I found yet another valuable lesson.  This one though, I've learned before, it was just reemphasized.  So the Schlipf's are taking care of a friend's little dog while they are away - this dog is indoor.   --- And might I say this dog is soooo cute, soft and cuddly, also very heavily desires for attention. ---- anyways I too this dog, Bailey, for a short walk to let her have an opportunity to go to the bathroom.  While we were out we did some pretty fast running on the road.   During the return run, as we approached the driveway, unknowing that I was about to do it, I planted the heel of my left foot on a decent size rock.   Normally that wouldn't be a problem, except I wasn't warning shoes.  30 minutes later, I am still feeling the pain in my heel.  

Lesson Learned:   Running + speed + rocks - shoes = pain

Scooping Cups of Water Out of My Car

Yesterday I learned a very simple, yet good lesson:   Never leave a car window open in a rain storm.

When I turned my car off, I saw that there was rain off in the distance (to my left) but I didn't think it would rain where I was.  However just in case, I only opened the windows on my right, and I only opened them just a crack or so - just to let the heat out of my car.    I also left the sunroof cracked - slightly lifted in the back.  Now I've done the sunroof before in many different rainstorms and no water gets in, for some reason.    Anyways when I came out to my car to go to my evening class, I found that the rain, that had been pouring the past couple hours, had been coming down in just the right direction to wet my car.   I had to result to taking a plastic cup and scooping water out of the front of my car.   The area where I put my feet, by the gas/brake peddle, was flooded, an inch or so deep.  By the time I got what I could out, the water had ripped open part of the extra padding on my floor.  Also the sun roof  had let tons of water in - which it has never done.    The whole sunroom top slidey thing was drenched and dripping water on me.    

Lesson Learned:   Car + slightly open widow + rain = wet car interior 

To Drop or Not To Drop: That Is the Question

Well a week has passed since I started college.  And I have tons running through my head.   I feel like I will really enjoy most of my classes - I have great professors pretty much all around.   However I am finding that I am now torn.  I have been praying about what path I plan to do come next semester - do I stay where I'm at pursuing a Teacher's Assistant Certificate, or do I pursue a 4-year degree to allow me to actually teach.  The latter option makes the most sense to me, though I hesitate, as I felt that it was the prior option that I had felt God calling me to back in the first few months of the year.   I still could use prayer on that.   I've also been struggling with some other things.   For one, I believe I need a job as I have no income and I will need money for this fall.   However I am currently taking too many classes to do homework and a job (I am taking 5 classes - 15 or 16 credit hours).   So I have been praying and thinking about dropping a class so I can work some this fall.  The drop date (to still get a refund) is the end of the month, so I only have a couple days to decided.    Heres my thing, it would make sense to drop my Music Appreciation class as that would allow me to work almost all day Monday, Wednesday, Friday.   However I would also like to drop my Childhood Growth & Development class as I have found (based off of my limited knowledge & understanding of only two class periods) that I really am not likely going to like this class, and in fact, out of all 5 of my classes I am dreading it most.   I thought I would love this one and not like the other ones.  But it's flipped.  I really find this one boring and I am not looking forward to what were going to be doing (basses off of what we talked about in class on what were going to be doing).  Any strangest of all, the most enjoyable classes I that I look forward to are Communications & History.   I find this very strange.  Now I don't know if it's just a hard season that I need to push through, or if it's a door closing.   I thought I was sent to Heartland to pursue and complete Early Childhood Eduction schooling.   Though, it is possible that God sent me here to see something else.    My question is, Did God send me down this hall so I could be in this hall, or did God send me down this hall so I could find a different hall or a door?

That is what I'm really praying about and seeking wisdom, guidance and direction on right now.   If I have peace about it and I also feel that God is allowing and/or directing me, I may drop both the Childhood Development class and the music class.    That way I'd have a lot more time for both work and homework.  

I am open to prayers and if any of you have thoughts on this.  Thoughts, prayers, suggestions,   I'm open and I want to hear them.

A Tad Late To Class?

One week ago I was standing outside around this time staring up at the Solar Eclipse.   My Intro To  Music class had been canceled for the occasion.   This morning I went in for yet another Chiropractor appointment - which was great - and then headed to school.   I arrived early and joined some other students in waiting outside the classroom we were in until the class/professor that was in there was done with their class.  When they all left, we flooded into the classroom.   The guy who sat in front of me (who is also in my Child Growth & Development class) turned around a little before 11am (the class started at 11am) and asked, "do you think he'll be late again today?"   Our instructor seems to be building that reputation, that he is frequently late, even though we have only been in class with him once.   I thought he would be a bit late and the guy in front of me agreed.   We were right.   At 11:01 the guy said, "he's late."    11:05 came and went.  11:10 came and went as well.   We were starting to wonder if the if a professor doesn't show up in the first 15 minutes of class, there is no class was real or not.  11:14 came and shortly after it ticked 11:15, a student got up and left.    11:20 came and a handful of students left, still no professor.  We kept checking Blackboard  and the school login and our emails to see if he would say anything - he's suppose to post it online if there is no class that day.   Yet we found nothing, so we assumed that he was just running really late.    11:30 tocked, and a few more students got up and left.   By the time 11:45 rolled around, a good chuck of the remaining students got up and left.   Still no teacher.    As I had some other reading homework to do for another class, I had been using this quiet time to read - and a good thing too, I was able to finish my homework for that class while waiting.  I stayed the hour and 15 minutes of class reading - still no teacher.   I realized the time class was over because the next professor for the next class came in.      .  .  . The day the professor didn't show up for class.  

First Day Of College

This morning first thing, I had a Chiropractic appointment at 9am.   I had a Music Appreciation class from 11am – 12:15pm -> however that class was canceled due to the Solar Eclipse.    Anyways I liked the Chiro a lot more than my previous one.   This guy actually massaged muscles, told me what, why and where he was doing thing (more so than the previous guy).  The Chiro doctor gave me some exercises to do and explained where we wanted to get to (what’s normal for people) and where I actually was (very behind in my movement abilities).    Also, the Chiro Doctor suggested that I come in 2 times a week for 15 minutes for an adjustment.  Unfortunately, I don’t think insurance covers that as my insurance isn’t connected with this office.   Therefore each visit will be $40, plus any other things that come up.    I am hoping that this will help a lot in all the pain that I have. -> I have frequent hip pains, low/mid back pains (and some upper back pains), and primarily neck pains.  I feel pain in my neck 90-95% of the time I am awake.  I’ve gotten use to some of the pain, though it is still there.  But I can’t move my neck much at all without feeling pain spike.    I am hoping and praying that this Chiro doctor can help.  

This afternoon I got to go outside and watch the Solar Eclipse.   The Schlipfs (relatives that I am living with) had purchased 4 pairs of Solar Glasses, but Bethany and Jesses found that their college gave them to them for free, so they had an extra for me to have.  God is so good!  He always provides.     Though we were not in the direct line of the Solar Eclipse, we were able to see most of it, well it was a 93% Eclipse.   The outside felt like it became a bit darker, and the crickets started to chirp a lot more.  But I was disappointed that it wasn’t much darker.  I had expected that since only 7% of the sun was shinning, that it would be quite dark outside.  NOPE!   It just shows how powerful the sun is – it was also a lot cooler outside too.  

This evening I attended my first college class, Biology.    The class runs every Monday and Wednesday this semester from 6PM to 8:20PM.  Though tonight it got out over an hour early! Yeah!    I’ve been reading through all the syllabui for this semester, and I am finding that I will have lots of reading to do.  I am expecting that I will have 60-100 pages to read out of textbooks per week.    That I am not looking forward to.  However I am praying that God will give me an excitement about school this year.  That He will give me a passion and a desire grater than chillaxing to be doing school and homework.    I don’t want the stress, worry and anxiety that comes with all this, so I am asking Him to give me a joy in it, so it is more enjoyable than blah!   

Church "Hunting"

One of the hardest things that I have to get use to no being in Canada anymore, is finding a church home.    I've actually been dreading it as I don't like "church shopping".      With that being said, I have no plans, unless God directs me otherwise, to settle in a church that doesn't believe the foundational core beliefs that I believe.   It's unlikely that anyone will find a church that believes exactly the same as them, and that's expected, as that normally doesn't define if your saved or not.  I also want a church that has a strong belief in the Holy Spirit and actively pursues Him.   One other things that is key for me is a church where I feel free to worship freely.

This week I did a Google search of "Spirit Lead Church near Bloomington Normal, IL".    A handful of results came up that I checked out, but the one that I dug into the most and stuck out to me most was a church called House of Faith.   I read through most of their website and was intrigued.   However I was in debate all week and weekend, where I would actually go for church.    I wanted to go back to Northfield like last week ask I had fun there, especially connecting with old friends from when I use to go there years ago.    However this morning when I got up, I really felt like God directing me to go to the House of Faith -  I also felt a bit of this direction the night before.  The service started at 10am.   One of the things that had stuck out to me on the website of this church was they had a picture of a seemingly very interactive worship service.  

Well, the whole hour on the road to church I was getting more and more excited about being at this church today, especially there for the worship.   However when I pulled into the address that was on their website, no one was there.   There was a sign on the building saying it was House of Faith but no cars were there.   I walked up to the front doors and read the note that was there.  They said that they had relocated.    

Now I had tried maybe a little too much to go a little faster on the way to be able to make it there in good time and have some time to talk to someone and/or find my way around and such.  I had arrived 6 minute early.    

As I walked back to my car, I was felt crushed.  I felt a deep pain and sadness in me, as I was so looking forward to the worship there.  And now, with the other location being nearly 20 minutes away (and I had to stop at Walmart for a potty break), I knew for sure that I was going to miss worship.   I was really sad.  I didn't realize how much I had been longing for a free, true, alive worship service until I realized that I'm going to miss it this week.  

I consulted with God, and He told me that just because something doesn't happen the way I expected it to (or the way I wanted it to), doesn't mean that His direction comes to an end.  He still wanted me to go to this church.     On the way He really worked on me and challenged me to rid my grudge.  I didn't realize it, but right as soon as I saw they had moved locations, bitterness rose up in me against the church as, now I am deeply hurt because they had wrong information on their website.   But God brought me to forgiveness - and thank goodness, as I would of struggled to hear and find God all service and after had I not forgave the church before I got there.  

When I got to the new place, it was a hotel (that it appeared they were renting one of the big "party" rooms or something). The place just happens to be about 3 minutes away from where I go to college.   As I go in, I see someone at one hallway in the hotel, and I asked here where House of Faith was, and she took me in.  

I was amazed, they were still in worship - even though I was nearly half an hour late!   And not only that, I got to be there for at least another 30+ minutes of worship - it may have been longer, I didn't have watch on to see the time.    The pastor is black and has that amazing style of preaching (as does the congregation of about 60 people)!   I really liked it.  I really felt welcomed in and I like the teaching.    I'm not sure about the worship yet, as some of it will stretch me from what I'm use to, but I do know that God moved powerfully through it.  They also seemed to have a strong foundation with the Holy Spirit.    I also loved their prayers - they were so powerful!  

I will continue to pray about it, but I think it may be a church I could call home.

Oh, and the whole situation with the different building was explained.    48 hours prior to when I arrived, even the pastor didn't know that they were going to be in this hotel.    They had just sold their other building, and this week they needed somewhere to go.  Last minute this hotel worked out for them - so the website wasn't able to be changed yet.   They are also planning on using this hotel as there current location for the church.  

A Painful Reality: Heartbroken & Emotional

For those who don't know, I have left a major part of my life out of my blog the past few months.   I haven't talked about it for several reasons, but one being the "publicity" it would draw seemed too much for some all at one time.  However I am free to share this now.

Back in early April of 2017, I was crushed with the news from my parents that they were no longer going to be living together.   This has been really heavy for me and super hard emotionally, and it still is.   I still have a really hard time comprehending that this is the life I am now living in.    They are not divorced, which I am really thankful for, but they are legally separated for the time being.   I was crushed so heavily by this as I, along with my siblings, have grown up thinking my parents marriage was always great.   I had heard them say from time to time that they were in counseling, and I just assumed that was what a good marriage needed, like there is not perfect marriage, so the more counseling you can get the better I had thought.     Other than that I had no further thoughts, really, on that.    However throughout all my childhood, for as long as I can remember, I have memories of random thoughts that would go through my head questioning, "what if my parent's were divorced?"  I always tried to ignore those seemingly strange, false and horrible thoughts as they were not pleasant ones to think about.  Also I just tried to dismiss the thought as I "knew without a doubt" that my parent's marriage was great.  

So when I heard this depressing, life shaking news, I literally felt like I was living my worst nightmare - and I am still living that nightmare.    I do not know fully what to think of it.  Nor how to comprehend it or live with it.    My heart is crushed - I hate thinking about it.    I hate living with it.   I know hate is a strong word and I truly try to avoid using it, but I hate divorce and anything like it.  The best thing for me to do, and pray, not worry, and live on with Christ.  But how???

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) says, "Don't worry about anything: instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.   Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  

I do not fully know the meaning of this now.  I thought I did, but now that I'm living a nightmare that I cannot escape from I really need God more than I thought I did.    I don't understand this now.   I so struggle with how I cannot worry about ANYTHING yet to talk to Him about everything.   He has blessed me with some of His peace, yet I still do now understand it - which now thinking about it, I suppose that makes sense, as it says in v. 7 that God's peace exceeds anything we can understand.   I felt lost and heartbroken, I still do.  Yet I know that is not where God want's me to linger, but to live with it and go on with what and where He has called me/sent me.    I struggle with the "how's?" and the "why's?" and the "What's?" of it all.  

The first person that I talked to it about, told me some valuable words that have really stuck with me.  I don't remember much else that was said by that person in the short conversation, but this stuck out.  It was something along the lines of, 'if you go into relationships knowing people are are not perfect, then you will be less crushed when they fall.'  That is something that I did not do in this case.  I had poorly assumed all my life that my parent's marriage was perfect, and I was painfully smothered when that "reality" was proven false; when what I thought was perfect broke.  

In John 14:6 (NLT), the bible reads,

And Jesus told them, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me. "  

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NLT) says,

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.   God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

Though the past 4.5 months have been the worst and hardest days of my life, especially the few weeks following when I got the news, those days have also been the best and most comforting days of my life.   I have never felt so loved in my life before as I have the past 4.5 months.   I never expected to be suddenly surrounded with so many people who deeply care and came around me and comforted me.  People who helped me talk things out and work through pain.  People who just loved on me.    People who showed me God in it.  People who lead me closer to God in the midst of my pain and sorrow.   People who gave their time and energy to support me in this time.   I am so loved.  I have never felt this loved before and I am so thankful for that.   I pray that God will turn around the love and comfort and blessings that each person gave to me, and give it back to them 10 times over.   They were life changers in my life.    God is Sooo good!

In John 14:27 (NLT) Jesus states,

"I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don't be troubled or afraid." 

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) says,

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.  

15k+ Coins to 6+ hrs Driving to 1 Solar Eclipse

Since returning to Illinois from Texas this week, the past half week has been all over the place.   I arrived back to Illinois last Thursday, August 10^th, and on my way back to my grandma’s house I stopped at my old High School to pick up a copy of my 508, or whatever the papers are called that have the “official” school record and details regarding my dyslexia.  Then I headed back to my grandma’s house.  On the way I stopped at a bank and withdrew $510 in half dollars – 1,020 coins. Upon arriving there I found that my cousin Cristina was also staying there.    Before supper, Cristina helped me go through all the half dollars (at her request) and she found two 90% silver ones and one possible error half dollar.  My aunt asked if I could then bring her home the next day.   That night the three of us, grandma, Cristina, and I played one of grandma’s top games, RACKO.   Then we all headed to bed.  

Friday morning, Cristina and I drove over to Eureka (about a 40-50 minute drive) to meet up with her older sister (also my cousin), Bethany, at Uncle Bobs Ice Cream Shop.    We had some delicious ice cream for lunch (just after 11am) and then took off.   I drove around to some banks on Friday as well.   I exchanged the half dollars for a box of  $500 of quarters – 2,000 coins.    I searched through all the quarters, and found some ones I was looking for, including a proof coin!   I then on Saturday took the quarters in and got cash and some pennies, though the bank I went to would only give be one box of pennies (each box of pennies is $25).  So I had to go to 5 different banks and in total I was able to get $125 in pennies.   Between Saturday and Sunday I went through all of those only looking for wheat pennies.  I had a hard time not pulling out all the other “potentially valuable” ones, but that is not why I got the pennies.   It was on the other hand, a relief and a lot less stressfull not looking for errors or anything like that.  I had one type of coin I was looking for and that was it.   However in the end I did pull out a few others, like Canadian pennies, a clipped coin (and obvious and somewhat valuable error coin) and some more obvious errors.   But mostly wheat pennies.   In all, out of the $125 in pennies – 12,500 pennies – I found exactly 50 wheat pennies, each valuing at about 2-3 cents each.   I made maybe a dollar profit.   Haha, but that’s alright, because I had fun doing it, and I’m super excited that I found a clipped coin so obvious – I don’t think I have found one like this before.   

Anyways I had a wonderful Saturday night!   I met my brother, Jonathan, in Morton at Monical’s Pizza and we had a nearly 2.5 hour talk – it was awesome!  I don’t recall a time that good with my brother in a long time!   I am so blessed that he suggested that we get together!!!    On Sunday I drove about an hour to the old, old church I went to shortly after we first moved to Illinois, back from Texas 11 years ago.   Northfield Christian Fellowship.    I had a great time there, I caught up with some people and had some good conversations.  I enjoyed the worship, though I am still in search for a place that I feel the freedom to more fully express myself to God in worship, which is one big thing I really liked (and miss) about Koinonia.  

Sunday night my dad flew in to town.   He has some meetings this week up in Chicago, but he came a few days early to spend some time in the local office and to spend some evenings with us.   Last night we played Rummy (a card game).  And tonight we also played Rummy.  This time Grandma watched dad a bit more and really caught one quick – she also caught some things that my dad had missed in some of the rounds.  After my dad went to bed, grandma and I decided to play a round – just one J.   But that “one” turned into quite a few.  Each one was followed by a “just one more”.   Haha, it was so much fun.  Even though I was creamed – which seems unusual to me, but that could just be me, haha. 

Monday I drove a dvd that Cristina had left at grandma’s (that was from the library) over to there house.  Then I got to meet all there 4 new kittens – AWE They are so cute and adorable!    I love them!   I’m excited that I will be living there and get to spend some time there with them.    Then I headed to Bloomington to drop off a painting that my sister Abi had sent back with me to give to a friend.  After delivering the painting, I went to my college, Heartland, and dropped off the documents that my advisor gave me to fill out and my dyslexia documents from my High School to the Heartland Disabilities Service department.   They will get in contact with me within a week.   I also made some stops on the way home looking for some Solar Eclipse Glasses to be able to look at the eclipse on Monday the 21^st.   However I found that (at least) 3 Wal-Mart’s, Walgreens, Target, and Hy-Vee are all sold out.  Amazon sells them but they are super expensive.  eBay has them, but If you don’t want to pay a fortune, they guarantee delivery after the eclipse, which does me no good.  Heartland is offering a free “class” on it that includes free Solar Glasses, but the class is full.  I am now on the waiting list.  I might just cheat and take a quick look up in the sky on Monday.  Also I might take a few pictures with my phone and then look at those – either way, I am confident the web will be flooded with really cool pictures of the full eclipse the next day.  

Texas Travels

Last Thursday I left on a trip to Texas to spend some time with my parents and sister.    I broke up the traveling into 2 days and made a stop overnight in Joplin, Missouri.   As I had posted in my one of my previous posts, I was actually driving someone else's car.  Two hours into the trip I made a stop at a Walmart to give the car I was driving an oil change.  When I picked up the car the owner told me to check the oil level (he wasn't there when I picked it up).   I checked the level and it was half way between the bottom of the dipstick and the Low mark on the dipstick.     The car ran great though!

On my driving, as I am on the road a lot now a days, I spend my time doing a variety of things.  I sing, pray, worship, listen to sermons, music and teachings, listen to podcasts and such.  I really enjoy the Phil Visher Podcast (he's the guy who started Veggie Tales), and I also really enjoy the Car Talk podcasts.  

I arrived at my dad's apartment down in Georgetown, Texas on Friday evening.  I spent the weekend with him and then headed out on Monday.   Abi, my sister, had a band lock-in at school that Friday night, so she was unable to make it down to us then.  She came down late afternoon after she woke up (the lock-in ended at 6am I think).   We went to a variety of different restaurant, which was pretty cool.  My dad and I also on Friday evening drove around the area where we used to live,  including out by the school we went to and the house we lived in.  For those who don't know, my family lived in this area for nearly 4 years when we were all younger.    We moved to Texas in 2003, and then back to Illinois in 2007.  We also went out in search for the dinosaur tracks that we always went to when we were kids - yes real dinosaur tracks.  I love hiking to them and looking at them, but we were not able to do it in the time we had.   One place that we use to always go to get to them, was so built up that the public trail to them was now private property.  The whole area is so built up that it's really hard to recognize places.  The town/city we lived in, Leander, is a booming & blooming city now.  In 1990, the population of Leander was 3,425. When we moved to Leander in 2003 it was 13,973.  And last year, 2016, the population of Leander was 46,761.  

On Sunday we went to my parent's/sister's church, Antioch.   I loved it.  It reminded me a lot like Koinonia, back up in Canada.   Great worship, great teaching, great fellowship!  Abi had invited a friend to come to church with us and he came for 1st service.  I was there for both services.  My dad was in first service as he was teaching the grade 5/6 Sunday school class during 2nd service.  My mom came for just 2nd service.    Abi and Alex, after first service went to Barnes & Nobles after 1st service to wait for us until after 2nd service.  After second service all of us, all 5 of us, went out to eat at a stir fry place (kind of like Flat Top).    Afterwards Alex drove home, mom drove home and Abi, dad and I drove back to my dad's apartment in Georgetown (about a 90 minute drive).  

Monday morning at 6am Abi left Georgetown to head back to the town of West, Texas (about a 75 minute drive) for Band practice at her band camp.    Later on that day, after lunch I left my dad's and drove up to West to my mom's place.  We went hiking yesterday which was fun.  I will be with her and Abi until sometime on Wednesday (tomorrow) when I will leave to head back to Illinois.  

Here are some pictures from the hike with my mom along a river in Waco, Texas.

Part of this area has a large amount of Bamboo growing all over.  You can see some of the bamboo growing in the background behind my mom and me.   

The Tale of the Exhaused Car

I spent 7.5 hours today cruising down roads with Texas in route in a 2007 Nissan Maxima.    WAIT!!!  I don't own a 2007 Nissan Maxima!  I own a 2001 VW Passat!   Where's my car?!?! My beautiful VW Passat has always driven great!  Well, except when I almost ran out of fuel . . . and. . . when the battery died . . . and. . . when the battery died again, for good . . . and. . . when the tire blew out . . . and. . . well. . . now.  

Over the past several weeks I've driven my car for nearly 50 hours on long road trips, trekking well over 2,500 miles (nearly 4,500km).  Not only that but I had plans to take it on yet another 30 hours on a trip down to Texas and back, adding an additional 2,000 miles (3,200km).  

On my last journey with my car I was returning from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Princeville, Illinois.  As I was leaving I plugged in my address into my GPS and it asked if I wanted to avoid Toll Roads.  I clicked, "Yes".    As I was pulling out onto the road I stopped to text my grandma telling her when I'd be home.   Though my GPS told me I would be there in just over 5 hours, I received a prompting from the Holy Spirit to tell her I'd be home in about 7 hours.  So I did so, figuring one of two things was going to happen: 1) I would get stuck in 2 hours of traffic or 2) God was going to take me on yet another what I call 'God adventures'.   I figured it was an 'either or' scenario.  Turns out it was a 'neither' scenario.

Several hours down the road I noticed my GPS was suddenly telling me to turn left in about half a mile on a road heading towards a Toll road.   At first I thought it wasn't actually going to put me on the Toll road, but as I got closer to the turn, noticed it was.  I was a bit frustrated at my GPS for not doing what I had told it to do earlier, to avoid Toll roads.  I pulled off to the side of the road and told my GPS to reroute, avoiding Toll roads.  This time it did.   BUT GOD stopped me before I could get on the road again.  He told me He was the one who routed my GPS on to the Toll road because He wanted me to be on that road.    So He had me reroute my GPS again by turning onto the Toll road.    As I got on the toll road I was given a ticket that I didn't understand, it contained a wide range of toll prices with the most expensive being the road I got on at.   As I was pulling up to the toll booth I noticed there was a digital screen in front of each booth stating the toll fee (as there was no previous sign).    I noticed as the car in front of me was paying the toll, that the toll was $8.50.   I was worried.  I didn't know if I had that much.   I dug through my quarters (that God had me put in my car 3 weeks ago - and come to find out it was for Toll charges) and only found about $5. I knew I had a $5 bill buried in my glove box and I really wanted to get it, but God held me back and said not to get it.  I was confused on why I couldn't get it as I didn't have enough in other cash at that moment.    I only hoped that they would change the fee for me as I had a different ticket.  Praise God, they did.  I handed the lady my ticket and the sign changed to $0.70.   I was so happy.  

Most of my travels on Interstates were in the left two lanes traveling between 70-80 mp/h.  My speed was with the traffic, though some seemed to think that speed was too slow.   Later on as I was just coming out of Chicago (about 3 hours from home),  I suddenly felt that my car seemed to lose a bit of power.  The peddle seemed less responsive all of a sudden.   Almost instantly (within 30 seconds) I was in the far right lane struggling to keep 60 mp/h.   As I got off at the next exit, I called my dad and explained the problem.  He asked a lot of questions and had me try different things as he tried to diagnose the problem.  Finally he suggested me to call Justin Koch, the guy who sold me the car a year ago, a friend of our family.  I couldn't get a hold of him, but my dad did.  He told us the problem has happened before and normally fixes itself.  He also routed us to his son, Ben, a diesel mechanic (yes my car is diesel, it's a TDI: Turbocharged Direct Injection).  Ben really help us out and told us lots of useful information and suggested that I turn my car off when it happens and turn it back on.   It was just had too much at one time and was protecting itself by going into a low power mode, or a half power mode.   (When I had first got off the interstate, I put the peddle to the floor, which will normally do a lot, but now I could not get a speed higher than 20 mp/h doing that).  Ben's advice worked, for a bit.  Though it seems that it's something more as it kept happening.  Now my car struggles to keep up at the speed limit and when it can get that much speed, it takes a while to get there.   Over the past year while I've had this car, it's spat out black smoke from the Exhaust less times than I can count on my fingers (at least that I've noticed).   Now it Pours out Tons of black smoke every time I start it up.  

With this situation on hand, Justin offered that I could take his car down to Texas and leave mine for Ben to look at while I'm gone.  I am so blessed!    Praise God!