Amendment to "I Love my Saturn"

Last night when I wrote the original post, I neglected to tell you that, upon arrival at Costco, I realized that the key fob on the rental car key did not work—at all! It is broken, as in it looks like someone smashed the fob in a door or something. Which meant that I had to use the key to unlock the door and the trunk. When I returned to the car after my Garden Ridge experience, I went to load my purchases via the passenger door...which does NOT have a key hole on it! Imagine that! How spoiled am I to my remote control locks????

Another oversight in last night's post deals with the issue of time. As I exited Garden Ridge, I intentionally looked at their "hours of operation" sign and noted that they were open until 9:00...."Gee," I thought, "no wonder it seemed as though the cashiers were anxious for us to all get checked out, it must be time for them to close." And I looked at my watch and it claimed that it was only 8:20. Not trusting my watch, I looked at my cell phone, which we know is "always" right! And it, too, said 8:20. The clock in the car was obviously never changed.

Fast forward to this morning....Upon waking, I discover that my head is still throbbing and the kink in my back is worse...and inflamed. I get my stuff together and head out the door for work, grabbing the car keys as I leave. I do my daily run through McD's and am 5 minutes from work when I realized MY keys (house, car, work) were at home! Inside the locked house. With no "spare" key anywhere outside the house, as the one the neighbor had mysteriously was given to the landlord who, on at least 2 occasions, entered the premises without prior notice or even knocking, which led to the locks being changed. Thanks to a friend I was able to find a locksmith to come open the door and let me in. Needless to say, this "free" recall service trip has been costly—not only do I have the cost of the locksmith (yes, my own stupid fault for being a creature of habit), but I am certain that a trip or two to the chiropractor will be in my near future.

Just a few minutes ago the wonderful guy at Saturn called to let me know that Aerie is ready to come home. I am so thankful! God has provided way beyond my needs, again!

Please note that this rant was not intended to flaunt the few luxuries that I have been blessed with, but to demonstrate just how spoiled we can become to them. In this very difficult economic time for our nation, we are still a very blessed people. And honestly, we don't deserve the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

I love my Saturn, or I'm Spoiled and I Know It!

Aerie Zephaniah
DOB 10-24-07

In the summer of 1983 I learned to drive on a 1979 Buick station wagon, my mom's primary mode of transportation. A couple of weeks prior to school starting, I was given the keys to "Granny Dart" (Mom's 1963 Dodge Dart) and told that she would be my wheels to get to school and work and back. Mom bought Granny Dart in 1964 for $400. She had a manual transmission—the old three on the tree—the heater was slow to warm up, and the radio worked only when it wanted to. You wouldn't think that driving Granny Dart would be an issue for me, as I'd been shifting gears for Dad as he drove for years! I could "hear" and "feel" the point at which the gear needed to switch, and I'd become a passenger seat expert on shifting.

But sitting in the driver's seat and having to coordinate the clutch and shifting and brakes and gas was nearly more than I could manage. There was a railroad crossing about a half a mile from my house, which was on top of a "hill", and the only way to get to Butler Stadium, the place Dad chose for me to learn to drive Granny Dart. The problem—I had to drive her there. Ok, so we putzed and stalled and ground gears and finally got to the railroad crossing. OH NO! HOW do you get the car to move forward from a start at the base of the hill when you have no clue how the synchronization between the clutch and gas (to say nothing of removing the foot from the brake and getting it ON the clutch in a timely manner)? We sat at that crossing for what seemed to be eternity. I was in tears when Dad finally switched places with me and got us to Butler (did I mention all the cars behind us who were less than patient with my incompetence?). Another lesson was given at another time by Mom. That was not productive, either! One of my good friends drove a Chevy Chevette with a 5-speed manual transmission. Aimee to the rescue! I don't recall how many times we went out together, but Aimee patiently helped me learn how to master the ballet that must be danced between the clutch, brakes, and gas.

When I graduated from high school I got a red Mustang that had previously been owned by a kid from Highland Park—a ritzy part of Dallas. Later I learned that there had been a "fire under the hood"—apparently this young man was a bit of a hot rod. After rear-ending a woman in a full-size car my junior year in college, the Mustang was sold (you should'a seen that car "frown" from the low-speed accident!) and Dad's 1981 Buick Park Avenue was mine to drive.

April 11, 1997 Bessie, my first Saturn, joined our family. Bessie is a beautiful gold 1997 Saturn SL1, four-door sedan, with 5-speed manual transmission. Shortly after we got her, Ryan and I made one of our annual trips to the Texas Hill Country to see the bluebonnets. Ry was properly seating in "his" seat in the back, and somehow we managed to get his hand stuck in the door or the window—I know he could straighten me out on the details, because it hasn't been that long since he brought it up! In March 1998 Bessie took Ryan and Charlie (our dog) and I from Houston to Dallas to Santa Fe to Denver to Cheyenne to Farmington, Utah. She was patient with her driver/owner as we travelled through the mountains between Santa Fe and Denver (going 35 MPH and hoping and praying that we'd make it to straight level roads safely—and SOON). Fortunately, Ryan and Charlie were asleep in the backseat during that ordeal. Did I mention that I'd never driven in the mountains before?

Bessie has been really good to me. She's had very few mechanical issues, with the most critical being the need to have the whole under the hood rewired the first spring I lived in PA. Bessie kept coughing and sputtering and trying not to start. When she was examined, it was discovered that "something" (either a chipmunk or groundhog) had chewed through all of the wires! So that was not really her "fault".

September 24, 2007 Aerie Zephaniah, a sleek silver 2008 Saturn Outlook became part of the family, at least for two years. Aerie is one hot dude! He's my main man! He has brains AND brawn! And yes, he spoils me! Aerie is equipped with a butt warmer, XM radio and GPS system, and a wonderful sunroof that keeps me singing (when others are not around, I PROMISE!). In addition, Aerie has LOTS of room! Not only for hauling stuff (and people) but for the humans that sit up front. There is a lot of leg room...everywhere! Recently, Aerie hauled food to feed 320 people, and will soon be doing so again.

I recently received two recall notices for my beloved Aerie. The first has to do with the windshield wiper assembly for Outlooks in very cold climates—climates prone to snow and ice. The second for potential leakage in the sunroof. So I called the dealership to make an appointment to have the service performed. Today was the day to take Aerie in for his procedures. The gentleman who scheduled my service offered to take care of a rental car for me. When I dropped Aerie off, he told me that they usually try to provide a car "comparable" to the one you are leaving.

The agent from the rental car agency finally arrived after dealing with rush hour traffic. She took down all of my information and we went outside to inspect the car. Ok, remember that Aerie is an SUV? Well, the rental is a red Pontiac G5. When I was in Dallas in September I had a G6, which wasn't bad, so I thought we'd be ok. But we're not. And that's the purpose of this post....to compare my beloved Aerie and his fine qualities with this itty bitty rental that I'll be driving for 24-48 hours. Let me preface my rant with the statement that this rental car company (which I will not name) is the one I've used the last several times I've had to rent a car, with great satisfaction. Um, today, I'm not satisfied.

As I started to get into the car, I wanted to put my computer bag in the trunk, so I tried to open it with the key fob. Nope, didn't open. Had to use the key. The agent informed me that sometimes the key fobs don't work on the trunk. Ok, whatever. I am 5'9" tall....so it is necessary to have the seats moved way back in order to get in and drive. The passenger seat was all the way forward, making the driver seat look like it was back all the way...but still not much room. After folding my body into an accordion and still getting my legs jammed under the steering wheel, hitting my head on the frame, and wrenching my back as I twisted my body, I finally was in the car...it took me a while to get the seat belt working and buckled, and adjusting the mirrors was its own challenge....along with the interior lights, and I bumped my head again on the rear view mirror as I moved the passenger seat back. To top it off, the car reeks of air freshener...some fruity or floral something that made me want to gag. As I drove the short distance to my local Costco warehouse, my very discerning nose sifted through the air freshener and started to smell the reason for said gag provoking odor—a disgustingly heavy smell of smoke permeated the whole interior. My rental car is something like a sardine can turned ashtray.

You know how nice it is to have music playing while you're navigating traffic? Well, one down side to the Burgh is it's lack of "good" radio stations. I admit, I'm a bit particular about what I listen to. We have one Christian radio station—it is full of talk shows during the week, with infomercials on Saturday morning, and finally, after noon on Saturday, you have a few hours to listen to contemporary Christian music. As for the "smooth jazz" I enjoy...nope, nothing close to that here in the Burgh. I've spoiled myself with my XM radio the past year....I don't have to listen to advertisements or people talking (until they recently merged with Sirius and now there is some sort of DJ type guy on there getting on my nerves....thank heavens for CD players!)

Into Costco I go....love to shop, especially at Costco or Sam's....I ALWAYS come out with more than what is on my list, and tonight, I was unable to find one of the things that was on the list. After I checked out, I realized that my frustration over not finding the one item I was looking for distracted my brain and caused me to forget to look for the last item on my list. So I left my purchases at the register and went back to find the other item. Even though they had it online, they did not have that particular item in the store....so I opted for Plan B...two of them. And on the way back to the register, I happened upon a couple of other items that I simply must have, so arms overflowing, I checked out again.

Fortunately there is a GFS (Gordon Food Service) on the other side of the parking lot. They carried the item I was looking for—shrimp egg rolls. When I got to the section of the freezer where they should be, the slot was empty. There were pork egg rolls and chicken egg rolls and vegetarian egg rolls, but no shrimp egg rolls in their allotted space. As I started to leave the store, I opted to stop at the customer service desk and ask if they had any in the back. Back to the back of the store we go, where I waited about 5 minutes for the young man to go find some. My head is throbbing from the beatings it's taken and my lower back is starting to scream, "I'm twisted!". Mission accomplished—I have the egg rolls in hand and move on to the check out, where the one cashier is stuck with a couple of slow pokes in front of me. I finally make it to the sardine can/ashtray and decide that I really should eat dinner. The clock in the car told me that it was nearly 8:00 p.m.....where did the evening go?

I make a beeline to the Chick-fil-A that adjoins the Costco parking lot. My evening is starting to look up. Chick-fil-A is one of my favorite restaurants, without even considering the fact that they are a Christian-owned company, they play Christian music in their restaurants, and they are closed on Sundays in honor of the Lord's day. You know how you say "thank you" to the folks at the drive through window who hand you your food? I just love how the team members reply with "my pleasure" EACH and EVERY time! I realize that this is part of their training, but they always have been polite and at least appeared sincere. I really appreciate that!

By 8:05 sardine can/ashtray time, I am sitting in the parking lot of the new Garden Ridge that opened nearby a couple of months ago eating my sandwich and fries. During my last few years living in Houston, one of my favorite stores was Garden Ridge. I could find nearly anything I wanted related to arts and crafts and home decor there, at a wonderful price. And during the holidays, they were always chock full of Christmas decorations and make-it-yourself supplies for wreaths and floral arrangements and other crafty items. So this little girl's mood is changing for the better! My goal—to find containers for Christmas gifts.

I was a bit surprised when I walked in the door to see a large portion of the store outfitted with Christmas items, but also many of the shelves were empty. Ok, so they just opened, they're still in the process of stocking the store. I wandered around hoping to find what I was looking for at a reasonable price. I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for...I had some general ideas...nor did I have any idea what the price would be, but I did have a "dream price" in mind. I wandered through the maze of merchandise until I finally happened on the area where the possible solutions were located. Oh my, they were more than what I'd hoped to pay for them. I wandered some more until I found some other items, which were 50% off. But they didn't really work for what I wanted, so I wandered around some more, eventually back to the first section of possible items....and lo and behold, there is a sale sign advertising these items for 50% off, too! Whooo hooo! I hit pay dirt! I was able to get all of the items I needed and not have to give up body parts in order to exit the store! And then I remembered that I was going to look for that "other" item went back for at Costco and couldn't find....so back around the huge store I go....thinking it's got to be nearing 9:00 and I am still 45 minutes away from home....I saw a young man who worked there and asked him where it would be. He said he didn't know, but go ask "that" lady (as he pointed her out)—she would know, as she is the main manager. How delightful she was, and helpful, too! In the 10 years since I regularly shopped at Garden Ridge, they have changed their merchandising to exclude the arts and crafts items that they used to carry and now carry primarily home decor and furnishings. Oh yeah! LOVE those kitchen items.....drool, drool, drool! So I'm sad that they no longer carry some of the items that I would love to be able to get there, but I'm still stoked that Garden Ridge has made its way to Pittsburgh!

As I drove home, the ashtray smell became nearly unbearable....it was getting difficult to breathe. So I cracked both windows in order to air it out a bit....it was 29˚ outside...which led to an increased circulation of the air freshener, nearly triggering the gag reflex.

Back to my original statement and the rant that followed. My beloved Aerie, I hope you have a nice warm evening at the Saturn dealership tonight, and that they take really good care of you tomorrow as they fix the "defects" you were "born" with....and I can't wait to have you back home with me! I miss your spacious interior, the ease in which I climb into your comfy seat, the ability to warm my backside during cold weather—and to be able to auto-start you on cold mornings. I'm looking forward to being able to shop without fear of having enough room to haul my purchases home, and the ability to listen to the beautiful sounds you emit through your sound system. I love the fact that you have a "clean" smelling interior, and that when you elect to have an air freshener to combat the food smells that you sometimes get from the stuff you haul, you have a very chic taste in scents. I hope that we will be reunited again tomorrow, and I promise not to take you for granted!

Prayer and Worship

Years ago I was blessed with wisdom shared by a young girl, now a beautiful, godly young woman. She shared that "God always answers prayer—either yes, no, or not now." I believe she was 8 or 10 years old at that time—what wisdom for one so young! Many times I've had to remind myself of her well-spoken truth, and many times, I've had to accept His "no's" along with His "not now's".

Lately, I've been waiting through a long period of "not now" in relation to some of life's most troublesome issues. Issues that I would never wish upon another person, but unfortunately, many share in similar troublesome issues.

In September, Provident Films (creators of Facing the Giants and Flywheel) released their latest film, Fireproof. My enjoyment of their previous films, as well as my belief that marriage is sacred and should have the time and energy put into it that is required to be successful led me to see the movie the day it was released. I was so blessed by the music, as well as the music that was featured in the film.

Please pardon a tangent, but I grew up a devoted Country music fan. You might say I was "country when country was uncool." I spent my high school and college days listening to country and classic rock, which merged with light rock and smooth jazz in the early 90's. In the mid 90's I was introduced to KSBJ, a listener-supported station in Houston, Texas. My limited exposure to Contemporary Christian music (Amy Grant and the Imperials) grew into a passion for the genre. When I moved to Utah, I was "lost" musically, until I found K-LOVE, another listener-supported station out of Sacramento, CA, with translators in the Salt Lake City, and then Cache Valley, areas, as well as across the country. During the course of listening to those two stations, I became a huge fan of artists such as the late Rich Mullins, Twila Paris, Caedmon's Call, DC Talk, the Newsboys, and the list goes on and on! I first heard of Mercy Me during the last weeks of my father's life, completely relating to I Can Only Imagine, as I imagined my father's soon passing. So many of the songs within the genre today have such deep healing messages.

And that's what led to this post. As I mentioned, I was moved by the music in Fireproof, much of it I was already familiar with, and I even thought of one song that should have been included in the film, but was not. However, I was also introduced to a new song, by a new artist, which led to my purchase of his first CD. This artist is John Waller, and his CD is The Blessing. Amazingly, when I first listened to the CD, I realized that I was familiar with some of the songs. The song that was featured in Fireproof, and the one that speaks the loudest to me during this "not now" time of my life is While I'm Waiting.

Here are the lyrics to this song:

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

While I absolutely love this song, I have to say that the entire CD is filled with the most wonderful praise and worship songs I've heard in a long time! Maybe it's where I am in life right now that draws me so to this artist's music, but I truly believe that this man has been given words of truth and a talent to present them in a way that is healing for so many. So my thanks to the Lord for gifting this man, and to John Waller for being willing to be a vessel for His light!

By the way, the young lady I mentioned at the beginning of this post, well, she's all grown up now. A beautiful young woman married to a fine young man. And the two of them are very visibly doing marriage God's way. What a beautiful reflection of His love when I see the two of them!

God ALWAYS Provides!

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

—Phillipians 4:19

God's Word says that He shall supply all our needs...and He does! Always! Over the course of the past many years, I've come to know my Lord as a Professional Provider. He has always made certain that my very basic needs have been provided for, but tonight I want to share with you what I would call a "trivial provision"—yet a BIG deal for me!

Recently I even thanked Him for a flat tire...that my friend's second grade son helped me change, in the dark. But that is not the subject of this post...pardon my tangent...

Last weekend I spent Saturday prepping 21 hors d'oeurves and desserts for a cocktail party that I catered Sunday evening. Needless to say, by the time I got home and to bed Sunday night, I was exhausted. I happen to have another catering job this coming Monday—feeding 300 for a fundraising banquet for Youth For Christ. I generally don't have such labor-intensive jobs so close together, and I knew that I needed to find a way to make the most of my time.

For the first time ever I used the Fax 'n Pull option at Sam's for the bulk of the food...from the meat (wonderful butcher who cut my chops into specific-sized portions!) to the salad to the veggies and other produce. When I arrived there tonight after work to pick up the order, my eyeballs nearly bulged out of their sockets—there were two flat-bed carts full of boxes....how in the world would I get it all in the car?

I am blessed to have a new Saturn Outlook to drive (another of His provisions!). I knew that I had outgrown my "little" Saturn—Bessie—but never did I think that Aerie (the Outlook) would be on the "small" side for my needs. Tonight, Aerie was packed FULL! Fortunately, a couple of kind Sam's employees were "provided" to assist me in loading up the car. See, a trival provision, but to me, HUGE! But God's provision does not stop there!

After loading up at Sam's, I headed to the church to unload it all and put it in the cooler. As I arrived, one of our maintenance guys was walking down the hall and went to get a flat-bed cart for me to use. When he met me out at my car, he was with the other maintenance guy working tonight. The two of them not only helped me load the cart and take it to the kitchen, but they also helped me unload it onto the rolling food cart that we put into the cooler. WHAT A HUGE BLESSING! What would normally have taken me about an hour or more to do alone—especially as tired as I was to start with—we did in less than 30 minutes. Many thanks to Dan and Rich for their time and muscles, and for allowing the Lord to use them to "provide" for my "trival" need! I am continually amazed at how He provides for needs that I not only do not expect, but that I often don't realize I have! Thank You, Lord, for always being in control!