The Question I Often Get Asked

As I'm building my website design business, I've been talking to a lot of people and one of the most common questions I get asked is "why should I hire a professional to create my website?"  Many people want to know what sets a professional from their friend who has an interest in websites or their neighbour who knows the basics.  That's a fair question.  There are a lot of people out there who advertise their services and at first glance when it comes to the price it does look appealing.  

But here is my answer to "why should I hire a professional website designer?"

You Get What You Pay For

If you want a site that looks fabulous no matter what device it is viewed on and makes use of the most modern tools, you need to hire someone who invests in their skills and not only stays on top of, but ahead of, trends.  And with that comes the old adage, you get what you pay for.  Someone who is constantly upgrading their skills and who uses the latest technology (and thus has to buy the latest programs, gadgets, etc) isn't going to be able to afford to work for you at minimum wage.  Like any business, their rates have to not only cover their cost of living, but also cover the overhead.

This is becoming even more important as more people are accessing the internet on their mobile devices than are accessing it from desktop computers or laptops.  If your website is not coded properly it will not appear correctly on all devices and this will become a major problem for you.  This is also the reason why I no longer will create websites that are not "responsive" in design, meaning they display graphics and text according to the device that is being used.  Yes it's more programming hours at first, but imagine how you'd feel if you knew half the visitors to your website were leaving because they were unable to view the content.  That is sadly the case for many websites right now.

There Are People Who Will Bail On You

I wish it wasn't the case but I can't tell you how many people have approached me, frantic for help, because their webmaster left them high and dry.  Sometimes in the actual sense that the person quit with little notice and didn't provide them with what they needed to get someone else to take over; but often in the sense that they got in over their head and started a project they couldn't finish correctly.  Then they bailed (or were unable to do anything) when everything went downhill.  

Programming a website can be complicated and if the person doing the work isn't comfortable with that level of programming, the results can be disastrous.  I love getting new clients and helping people achieve their goals, but I really dislike getting a new client because they were messed over by someone else.  Not only is it unfair to the client, but it gives a bad name to the industry.

Bringing Visitors Back Isn't A Thing Of Chance

Professionals know how to bring visitors to your website using things like search engine optimization, but just as important, they know how to make a site into one that people want to visit time and time again.  I'm involved with one website right now who gets just as many return visitors as they do new visitors and for what they do, the amount of both is impressive in my opinion.  And here's the secret: it wasn't anything too costly or complicated that turned their visitor trends around.  It was all about knowing why people were coming and knowing why they would want to come back.  You might not know the answer to that, but believe me, if you hire the right person they will and you will reap the benefits.  

Don't believe me?  Want to put this to the test?  Contact me and for no charge I will do an analysis of your website and give you a few tips to help you out.  If it works and you want to hire me, great, but I'll leave that up to you.  I just love helping people make their websites into tools that actually work for them!

Turn Around Time & Availability 

Someone who does websites on weekends or after hours might be able to give you a lower rate, but they also aren't going to be able to make themselves available to you like a full-time professional could.  When you hire a professional doing websites is their job and it's what they have chosen to invest themselves in.  Those kind of people aren't usually the kind to make you wait for days to have your site updated or the kind that won't pick up the phone when you're calling because there is an emergency.  If you have a website that is essential to your business, church, or organization you're going to want someone who makes your business their business and is committed to making sure your site is accessible and accurate at all times.

Final Thoughts

While I could use this space as a great opportunity to promote my business, I'm not going to do that.  Instead I'm going to encourage you- if you rely on your website as an essential part of what you do, please do yourself a favour, save yourself headaches and hire a professional.  A professional who can not only program a website that works for this moment in time, but who has the vision and knowledge to be able to create a platform for you that will attract new visitors and keep previous visitors coming back time and time again!

Learning To Stand Still

"If there's a road I should walk

Help me find it

If I need to be still 

Give me peace for the moment

Whatever your will

Can you help me find it?"

Sidewalk Prophets - Help Me Find It

Our lives move at a very busy pace and I've noticed that if I'm not careful my decisions can move at that same pace.  Maybe it's because if something is happening it makes me feel better than if I'm in a standstill, I don't know.  But what I am learning is that often there's great value in doing nothing about a situation and instead allowing ourselves to stand still for a moment or two or more.

In his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan wrote:

“I wrote this book because much of our talk doesn’t match our lives.  We say things like, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”  Then we live and plan like we don’t believe God even exists.  We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God doesn’t come through.  But true faith means holding nothing back.  It means putting every hope in God’s fidelity to His promises.”

I don't want this to be me.  I don't want my life to be about trusting my backup plans instead of trusting God.  Or even worse, I don't want to have my life so figured out that I leave no room for God to take care of me or lead me.  After all, following Jesus should be just like that- following Him.  Not expecting Him to follow us wherever we decide we want to go.

So right now I'm standing still.  I'm making the choice not to jump ahead and figure out this section of the road by myself.  Instead I'm going to be still, wait, and not move a muscle until I know that I'm walking where God is leading.  Because what a tragedy that would be to reach the end of my days and find myself anywhere but right next to Him.

The Bible

I don't often get that excited about tv shows, but there is one series I can't wait to see: The Bible.

Roma Downey, start of Touched by an Angel and her husband Mark Burnet, the guy behind Survivor and Shark tank, have worked together to put together this 10-hour mini series that tells the story of the Bible from start to finish.  Through this series they attempt to tell "the grand sweeping embrace, the love story that is the Bible."

The series premiers this Sunday at 8 pm on the History Channel and will re-air Monday nights on Lifetime.

Oh How He Loves

My small group and I are going through the book "Crazy Love" from Francis Chan.  It's a mind blowing book that spells the truth that not only does God love with an intense love like nothing we've ever known, but He invites us to become part of the greatest love story of all time!

A love story that loves people away from the lure of that which will destroy them.

A love story that transforms hearts, lives, communities and nations.

A love story that would cause millions to abandon the pursuit of the American dream in order to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty and live for something greater than themselves.

God's love is incredible and indescribable.  It's deep and it's wide.  It's personal and yet all-encompasing.  It's something that when it takes residence in your soul, leaves you so changed that life never looks the same again.

That's love.  And that's what God offers us.  Oh how He loves...

Learning To Ice Fish

Living in the north we do strange things like cut holes in ice and stand there for hours hoping to catch fish.

Last weekend our whole family did the annual fishing derby in Cochrane and this was my nephews first time fishing.  At two years old he did rather well, wouldn't you say?

Dear Daughter

Years ago my first book "Walking Through A Fallen World" released. Since then I've done quite a bit of writing, but not as much publishing. That is about to change with the publishing of my second book sometime in the coming year. And already God has given me a third. 

As someone who grew up without a father in the home, I'm very much aware of the kind of challenges that can bring and how it can very much change our perception of God, our heavenly father. So this next book is for people who find themselves in a similar place. And while it's aimed at daughters, I believe that sons can also learn a lot from what their heavenly father has to say. It's in a letter format, letters from God to His children. And today I thought I'd share one of them with you. Here we go: 

Dear daughter, 

I designed time and all of life to move in seasons.  But unlike the weather those seasons aren't limited to spring, summer, fall and winter.  Seasons go far beyond that and effect every part of your life. 

There is a time for life and a time for death. 

A time of pain and a time of healing. 

A time when everything falls apart and a time when all things are made new. 

A time to cry your eyes out and a time to dance the night away. 

A time of seeking and searching and a time of finding those answers you sought after. 

A time of deathly silence and a time when you can't stop talking. 

Those seasons roll in like the waves and retreat like the tide.  But unlike the tide, they don't always flow on a set schedule.  That's because they flow on My timetable and My plans for you are far beyond what you can even comprehend right now. 

That doesn't mean you'll never know times of difficulty or never wonder 'why'?  But it does mean that if you hang on when the season passes you will rejoice in what that time has brought you.

Just like the whole world awakens to a symphony of spring after a long winter, so will your seasons of winter come to pass and lead you into a season like the celebration of spring.  

Don't turn away from any one of these seasons in your life, but instead embrace each one as a gift from Me. 

Winter, springtime, summer, fall.  If you look closely you will find Me in them all. 

Love, 

The conductor of the seasons and your heavenly Father.

I'm With You

Crazy Love

With my small group I'm reading the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.  It's a very challenging book and one you can't just skim over and think you got the message.  It takes deep thought and radical change.

No one likes change.  Change isn't easy.  But if we're not growing, we're dying, so change is essential to not just the human experience but for our spiritual lives as well.

I don't want to look back on my life and see a long list of wasted opportunities and superficial spirituality.  I want to build my relationship with God into something so deep and powerful that it doesn't take moments of disaster to get me to my knees crying out.  I'd rather be there everyday.

But that kind of relationship can't happen without change.  Change to my attention span.  Change to the way I spend my time.  Change to the way I view myself.  And largely change to the way I view God. 

If I look at my relationship with God like He's only a DJ there to take my requests, my prayers are going to be shallow and selfish.  But if I approach Him based on who He is, the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of heaven and earth whose holiness is unmatched and whose love can't be defined, then something is bound to change.  My prayers start to reflect the reverence that should be there and my faith gets a lot more bolder as I realize who He is and what He can do not just in my life but in the lives of those around me.

Some quotes from the book that have me thinking:

“But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through.” (Francis Chan)

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.” (Francis Chan)

“It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace.”  (Francis Chan)

“The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don’t really want Him most of the time.  He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him—and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by.” (Francis Chan)

Many Ways To Save A Buck

Over the years I've learned a lot about how to budget and make a dollar go much further.  I often get asked what my "secret" is  The truth is I don't have a specific secret, but rather some "rules" I've learned along the way and have implemented into my buying practices.

Watch The Flyers Before, And After, You Buy
While most of us are great with watching flyers before we make a purchase, how many of us look for the items we have bought in a flyer after its already been paid for and picked up?  You might not do it, but it's a great way to save money.  Most stores have a policy that if the price drops within 30 days of your purchase they will give you the discount.  So after making a purchase I'll keep my eyes peeled on the flyers for the next couple of weeks.  Last summer I got $50 back on one thing I bought and another time got a whole bunch of free accessories for a camera when they offered the deal two weeks after I had bought it.  It pays to keep your eyes open.

Know Your Prices
Many people don't realize that there is something called the scanning code of practice that can be a consumers best friend.  Here's how it works: some of the big box stores, such as Walmart and Canadian Tire, signed the scanning code of practice as a way of keeping themselves accountable for accuracy when it comes to the prices that are "scanned in" for items you're buying.  That said if you are in the checkout line and you notice the price that has been scanned is wrong all you have to do is mention the scanning code of practice and if the item is under $10 you get it free.  If it's over $10 you get $10 off the purchase.  I can't tell you how much money I've saved with this.  I've gotten free DVD's, money off fishing equipment, even free groceries.   It's a great system because not only do get the item for the price it should be, but you get up to $10 off.  Plus by saying something you let the store know that something is wrong with their system and then they have incentive to fix it for other shoppers who might be unknowingly paying more for their purchases.

Make Your Credit Cards Work For You
While I'm not an advocate of using credit cards when you can't pay the balance when the bill is due, I do use them regularly for my everyday purchases.  When you have the right cards you can make them work for you when you do this.  It all comes in choosing the right cards to use for your purchases.  For example, I have one card that gives me a discount every time I fill up my gas tank at their pumps.  So just by paying at the pump and using their card to do so I save a couple of dollars every time I fill 'er up and it does add up.  Another card I got gives me a certain percentage of cash back at the end of the year.  Where with points you might never get enough to cash in, with this system I get actual money back every year.  This year I got enough cash to cover two roundtrip tickets of airfare- no complaints there!

48 Hour Rule
I have a "48 hour rule" that I live by.  So what is the 48 hour rule?  If I see something that I want in the store or online that isn't an essential purchase I make myself wait 48 hours before buying.  This reduces a lot of regret purchases as after time passes often the excitement or impulse disappears.

Ask Myself The Best Question Ever
In his series "The Best Question Ever" Andy Stanley teaches how to avoid making foolish decisions and much of it wraps around a very simple question: is this the wise thing to do?  I've found asking myself this question before making purchasing decisions especially saves me a lot of heartache and regret.  When the time came for me to buy my first vehicle I asked the best question ever and decided that instead of using my savings as a down payment on a new vehicle the wise thing for me to do at the time was to save up until I had enough for the full price of a second hand vehicle.  For me in the place I was financially at the time, that was the course of action to take and I've been so thankful many times over that the only payment I have to make as far as my vehicle is concerned is insurance and gas.  For you the wise thing to do might be different.  That's why it's the best question ever- it's something that we can apply to our own lives based on our past, present and future circumstances.

So do you have any secrets to saving money?  If so, please share!

A Look Back On 2012

2012 was certainly quite the year for me.

Unexpectedly I got to do quite a bit of travelling. Chicago in March, Northern Quebec in July, Daytona Beach in September and time at camp in between.

There were sad moments. The loss of a family member and the closing of two doors that I would have rather have stayed open, one professional and the other personal. And then there were the severe forrest fires that threatened the area around my hometown.

There were a lot of changes. Our church hired a consultant and as a result of his recommendations and the Lord's leading we've made drastic changes to the way our church functions and operates and it's only just begun. I got to watch as God furthered the ministry reach of the MAD Christian Radio Show and see Him bring it to places I never thought possible.  I went from being an employee to an employer. And I re-arranged big portions of my life and schedule to pursue this dream of becoming a business owner.

I scratched some items off of my bucket list. Including buying a DSLR and pursing photography, inventing something, stepping foot on a submarine, and getting my boating licence.

And I've had the privilege of investing in and seeing relationships around me grow. With my family, with my small group, and with my friends. It's so true that the quality of our lives are hinged on the quality of our relationships.

There were some tough times, it wasn't perfect, but it was a good year. Not because of the trips or highlights, but because I can look back and say I'm not the same person January 1st of this year that I was January 1st of last year. And I consider that to be the milestone I look for in the passing of time.

That said, growth is my goal for 2013. Some great things lie ahead, including opportunities that are bigger than my wildest dreams, but my goal isn't just to grab the next big thing. There is also quite a bit of uncertainty regarding events that lie ahead, but my goal isn't to have a life that is shielded from uncertianity.  My goal is to be more like Christ with each year that passes and to keep my eyes focused on who He is and where He is leading me.

After all, awards and accomplishments amount to nothing. My life isn't about building acclaim for my name, but for His. And if one day I can look back over all of my years put together and see more of Him than me that will be my definition of a life well lived.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

A Hallelujah Christmas by Cloverton, enjoy!

HTML5, The Future Is Here

It's official- HTML5 is feature complete, which means they've added all the features that are going to be included and it's something that web designers and app makers can rely on.

As someone who does website design for a living I have to say HTML5 truly is the future of website design.  Where once for everyday websites developers were pushing things like flash and php, now the standard for websites is clearly HTML5.

So what does this mean for those who use the internet but don't design for it?  You can come to expect websites that are across the board compatible with your browsers, rather than you having to download plugin after plugin.  You can also expect to see more and more multimedia incorporated into websites and features like drag and drop for uploading files.  You can also expect, with a little help from jQuery, a lot more websites that are mobile friendly, meaning you won't have to squint to see text and images on your smartphone.

As a designer HTML5 required new learning yes, but I love what I'm able to do with it.  Want to see an example?  Check out this website I recently completed.  It was my second project done in HTML5 (the first was retracted after the client decided to go in a different direction with the layout and features) and I can't wait to work more in it!

Perfect Circumstances Don't Make For Better Holidays

If there's anything to learn from the plethora of Christmas movies out there, it's that the perfect circumstances don't make for the best Christmas holidays.

We see that when Clark Griswold bends over backwards to give his family an old fashioned Christmas, only to be stopped with obstacles at every turn.  By the end of the movie though Clark realizes, while standing in the midst of his destroyed home and surrounded by police, that sometimes the most joy and sweetest memories are found when things go not quite the way we planned.

Think about your own memories of Christmas.  Chances are the ones that stand out most to you are from Christmas' when things didn't go according to plan and it was that obstacle that made that year all the more memorable.

I know that's the case for me.  One example that stands out is our tradition of every year going as a family to get the McNulty family Christmas tree.  The year that stands out to me isn't the one where we drove out into the bush in a nice SUV that had four wheel drive and all the amenities.  The year that I'll never forget is when we trekked into the bush with an old Ford sedan that needed the "check engine" light to go on in order to run in the right gear.  Partway on the drive the heater kicked out, followed soon by the defroster.  So not only did we have no heat, but we actually had to roll down the windows or we'd have too much frost and wouldn't be able to see outside the front windshield.  We laughed more on that drive than we had on all others combined.  And it was then that the message hit home that perfect circumstances don't make for better holidays, or better lives for that matter.

Chances are this Christmas that's going to be the case.  Things aren't going to work out exactly like you or I had planned.  But the beauty comes when we look past our ideals and instead embrace every moment that we're given, whether that moment is in front of the fireplace surrounded by loved ones or stranded on the side of the road alone, as a good gift from above.

After all if Christmas was about perfect human plans, Jesus would have been born in a palace, not a stable.  Herod would have been none the wiser about His arrival, rather than angered by it.  And as for Joseph and Mary?  They would have returned home to a warm embrace by their family, rather than being forced to flee to another country with a newborn.  The first Christmas was about God's plans, not ours. And this Christmas it's my prayer for myself and my prayer for all of you that it's about God's plans, not ours.  God may bless you with the hallmark moment you envisioned or He might bless you with an the unexpected moment you'll be talking about for years to come.  We can't know which is coming, but we can start our celebrations by surrendering our plans to Him and welcoming any "obstacle" with open arms and expectant hearts.

Learning From The Best

Over the past year I've been learning a lot about what it takes not only to open up your own business, but to make it succeed.  I've been blessed to have people who have been there mentor me and allow me to learn from their knowledge and experience.  I've also been reading a lot on the subject and while I won't recap those books here for you now, I will post links to a few online articles that I've found to be favourites and are good not only for those running a business, but for employees as well:

9 Things That Motivate Employees More Than Money

Winning the Next Wave of the Internet: Mobile

How To Close More Sales Without Being Pushy

And then a couple that are related to website design:

The Top 10 Web Design Skills You Will Need

How much do you charge for web design?

Website Mistakes To Avoid

Any recommendations on articles I should be reading?

Why Church Matters

The last two weekends for me have meant work and lots of it.  Normally I try to keep my work schedule confined from Monday to Friday, but when a big project comes my way, I'm left with little choice.

And while working on the weekends means less social time, a delay in getting the Christmas decorations up in the yard, and less time to spend unwinding, one thing it's not going to mean this weekend is me missing out on church.

While some people have said that church is our way of showing obedience to God, for me it's that but it's more than that too. Church is like having the fire fanned so I can keep running the race with passion from Monday to next Sunday.  When I miss out on either Sunday morning service or meeting with my incredible small group, I feel it. And I don't like the way it feels.

I want to live my life with passion and purpose, not with mediocracy.  So meeting together with other people who get that is like giving water to a thirsty soul.

Yes church is about worship and teaching and obedience, but if you haven't found a congregation or small group where it's also like an incredible family who has your back, picks you up when you are stumbling, and cares for you, you're missing out.

So where are you going to be this Sunday morning?  It's my prayer for you that it's in a community who gets what the Christian life is all about and equips you to run your race with endurance.

Business Learning

As I'm in the process of transitioning from "employee" to "entrepreneur" I have been learning a lot about what it takes to captain your own ship and build a business that is going to not just stand the test of time, but be an environment in which I can truly thrive.  While it's impossible to share all I've been learning in just one blog post, I wanted to share some of my favourite quotes on the subject:

"The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it." – Debbi Fields

"Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming." – Richard Branson

"There is no royal, flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it. For if I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard." – C.J. Walker

"Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations." –Steve Jobs

"To the degree we’re not living our dreams; our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves." – Peter McWilliams

"People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps." – Mary Kay Ash

"I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages." – Robert Bosch

Where We've Come From

I think too often we get so caught up in where we are right now that we forget where it is we came from and what God has brought us through.

Life gets busy, we have bills that need paying and people who need calling and we can get so caught up in the urgency of today that we overlook the miracles of yesterday.

I had somewhat of a wake-up call in that department myself this weekend.  It started Friday when I was reminded it was 7 years to the day that I had one of my surgeries.  This was a very defining moment in my life as those who have been following this blog for a while or know me well would recognize.  It wasn't just a moment that passed by in time, it was a defining event in my life as I experienced pain like I had never known before (or thankfully since) and as it set the course for my health (or lack thereof) for years to follow.  As I thought back on those days and made a point of going back and re-reading some of my journal entries I had a hard time believing that I actually walked through those days.  And not only walked through those days and survived, but emerged on the other side stronger, better connected with God, and so refined that my life will never be the same again.  At the time all I could see was pain and suffering and destruction, but in hindsight God was writing a different story.

On Sunday morning I got another reminder of just where I came from.  My brother was giving his testimony at his church and invited me to attend.  Sitting there listening to his story, which in a lot of ways is also my story, I was floored as I realized just how much God brought me through and just how different my life would have ended up if I didn't have Him in my life, creating purpose from the pain.  My childhood in a lot of ways was not an easy one, but when I look back today that's not the way I see it, neither do my siblings or my mom.  When we look back and remember we see the hand of God, protecting us from harm and providing us with the kind of love, support and community that we needed to walk through those days and emerge strongly on the other side.  Yes we all have our wounds, but as the years have passed I've seen firsthand those wounds turn into healing in a way that only God can.   I've also seen God cement my relationship with my family as a result into a very powerful thing.  With God, who we are today is not where we came from.  Who we are today is who we became with the God of Redemption writing our story.

As I looked back this weekend and took the time to remember, both the good and the bad, I realized that looking back is something that we all should do more of.  After all, how much stronger would our faith be for the circumstances we face today if we looked at them in light of what God did yesterday?

13 Years

Today marks 13 years to the day that I made the best decision I've ever made and that decision was to surrender my life and heart to Christ and choose to follow Him.

Some people think that surrendering means giving up something.  In this sense I don't agree.  Looking back over the last fifteen years I don't see loss, I see trading for gain.

I've exchanged,

Feelings of unworthiness for unconditional love.

Regret for forgiveness.

Wounds for healing.

Bitterness for grace.

Loneliness for belonging.

And ultimately, death for life.

That choice 13 years ago, that decision to allow God to start working in my life set off a domino effect in my life and I've seen His Hand bring healing and redemption.

Does that mean my life is perfect?  No, far from it.  What it does mean is that I don't walk alone.  Following Jesus brings purpose, but it also provides His Presence and having that with me in this life is just as valuable as what is now waiting for me in the next.   It's an experience that not only brings me peace, love, joy, grace, and comfort, but has transformed me so that I can extend that kind of gift to others.

Does that mean I have arrived?  Hardly.  I like anyone have a far way to go when it comes to being perfect, but with Jesus I am on that journey and every year it is my goal to become more Christlike than I was the year before.

That's the Christian life in a nutshell, less of me makes room for more of Him.  And when you've experienced what having more of Him looks like, you're willing to clear up the space in your heart that's needed to allow Him in, because there's nothing on this earth that can compare to what He brings.

Something To Think About

A good reminder that problems like running out of gas or having to wait in line at the grocery store aren't actual problems...

 

Florida Trip

I had booked a week off in September months ago and had full intentions of using that time to go to a cottage nearby and relax close to home, but Someone had a different idea.

At the end of August I found out that due to circumstances beyond anyone's control the cottage would not be available and just when I was ready to cancel my holidays my Mom and I were presented with the idea of spending a week in Florida and after one thing after another fell into place, we headed out on September 15.

It was a long day of travel with flights from Timmins to Toronto then Toronto to Charlotte, North Carolina and then Charlotte to Orlando, followed by a shuttle ride to Daytona Beach but I loved every minute of it.  Charlotte has the nicest airport I've ever been to, complete with rocking chairs free to use, and it was no sacrifice to enjoy a real southern lunch there complete with sweet tea.

In Daytona Beach we stayed right on the water and our room was bumped up to one with a fantastic view of the ocean.  What a view to wake up to every morning!


On Monday we spent a magical day at Walt Disney World.  The last time I was there was at the age of 8 and I was concerned that as someone in my twenties it would no longer live up to the hype, but it surpassed my expectations.  We spent a whole day exploring the Magic Kingdom and re-visiting some of my favorite childhood rides, along with some new ones like Pirates of the Caribbean.  The day ended off with the electric parade at night, followed by the fabulous Wishes Fireworks display which hands down is the best fireworks display I've ever seen and was quite a moving show with the combination of fireworks, music, and narration.



Most of the rest of our time there was spent lounging by the pool and playing in the ocean waves.  I loved riding them on my board and the water was so warm that it was like being in paradise.  


I'll be honest, it was really hard coming home at the end of the week.  And had it not been for the people and church I love luring me home, I definitely could have stayed there forever!


I'm very thankful for that trip.  

I only realized it after being there a few days, but I really needed that time away.  I'm heading into a period in my life where I'm facing a lot of changes and while they great ones, they still are changes and change can take its toll, especially when you know that some one of your upcoming decisions is going to be an unpopular one (MAD listeners worry not, I have no intention of stopping the show!).  That said it was so fabulous to be able to have a week where the only decisions I needed to make were which wave to hit or which pair of flip flops to put on.  

God knows what we need even when we don't and I praise Him for presenting me with this unexpected blessing.