Doughnuts and Departures

I don't know what it is about people wanting me to eat with them when I serve at Olive Garden, but last night was another one of those sweet moments. This precious old couple invited me (with lots if persausive force!) to share their desert (Zeipple-- little Italian doughnuts). "Oh honey, you need to have another one" as we sat and chatted and later a $20 tip! Couldn't belive it.

So my brother enlists in the Army today. His wife is as well. Scary stuff. Between their apartment leases and departure date (3 mos.?) they'll be living at home which will be cool because we can spend lots of time together. Of course a lot of patience will be needed as well, but I'm looking foward to it.

And it's now looking like my adventure to Costa Rica might be prolonged a few months. Hum, lifes on a wim at this stage.

Paid Reality Show

I know if Olive Garden had their own reality TV show it would be a hit- or at least I would like it! (I do actually, because I live it!) Filled with dramatic/funny/odd characters, there's always something entertaining and something to catch you off guard. I like to gamble with Mike (I've lost 20 cents so far- looking for a rematch) on whose food will come first in the window. Jorge's always ready to tell you 'ey luv you bebe', and laugh overly hard when he can't understand your English. Then there's Asian Mike who breaks out in full blown seriously loud opera singing to the costumers, and older Debra, full of ornery spunk who will tell you unfiltered how life is. If rambunctious Charlie finds you oblivious, he'll slip onions and lemons in your pouch, and if he has a towel in his hands, someone can expect a stinger on their behind! (I got one the other day and the whole restaurant heard about it! "CHARLIE!!!" Woops!) My friend Jen and I look a lot a like, and he have a great time tricking coworkers and costumers on whose who, and it often works!

I'm enjoying the show and enjoying them... most days.

Today I'm feeling restless.

Right now I have no desire to be settled or to start a family. I don't get excited about planning a wedding or decorating a house or being domesticated. I'm sure it will be enjoyable when the time comes. I guess it's easier to say this being on the outside, but I feel like it's easy to be pulled into all the little cares and concerns of those things and I see people turn in and get consumed with them. I don't want to do that. These people have so much potential to do bigger things. I never want to lose sight of the big things. Ever. I want to be turned out. I love what my aunt told me the other day, "you know, my house is rarely clean, but I love spending more time at the soup kitchen." I don't want to get more excited about new brownie pans then getting the chance to help someone out. I don't want to stress about my daily to-do list when there are people dieing of hunger. I don't want to get angry about late garbage pick-up when children are being abandoned. I don't want my priorities to be on nothing when they can be on something.

Go Thunder! Tee-Ball

Coach Emily/Third Base Coach/Me: Alright Sean, as soon as he hits that ball you gotta run lightening speed to home plate.

Sean (5 years): Have you ever seen Sonic the Head Hodge when he goes so fast he turns black?

Me: (Laughing) Is that what you're going to do?

Sean: (Big grin) YES!

(This little boy also runs with his arms straight for the same reason!)

Overheard...

Coach: You're playing short stop this inning.

Player: (5 yrs) Okay! Where's short stop?

Coach: Between 2nd and 3rd Player: Okay! Where's 2nd?

Pictures of Purity

During worship today a picture was painted so clear in my mind and it had nothing to do with what we were singing about. I imagined the reaction of an owner of a 14 carat diamond would have if someone wrongly accused them of it being fake. This diamond was a very special thing to the owner, something they took time to save for, it was an investment, and they spent a great deal to get the real thing. With lots of emotion stirring inside of them, I imagine this owner would have adamant rebuttal to the accusation. This is the same with my purity that Jesus gave me. Satan cannot belittle what I have as not being real or enough to cover the dark parts of my life. NO. I have the most expensive, high-end purity/blamelessness/righteousness and it is mine and it is more than enough to cover me.

Olive Garden Blessings

Blessings bursted out yesterday at work. In the afternoon I had a 7 top table of manly, ornery police officers and between our sense of humors we were cracking up the whole time, teasing about looks, schools and farting. They even invited/made me sit down (picture me with my full blown Olive Garden uniform, not exactly camouflaged in my surroundings!) and eat a piece of cake with them while talking about life and the struggle to push against the overwhelming amount of crap in the world to try to do some good.

I loved this experience so much and it made up for the mean outbursts of the salad lady and being yelled at by my trainer for carrying a salad bowl out with my hands and not a tray... I'm sorry Olive Garden for not having 'excellence in my tray service'. Oh brother.

Then during my break before the dinner shift, I was sitting and chatting with 4-5 other servers when talk of faith came up and I honestly couldn't get a word in. It came out that several people had their own faith in Christ and they started telling me how real God was and how burdened they felt to tell others about Him. As I heard how God was working in people's lives I got teary eyed. What an encouragement. People bring this up and talk about it more often.

Longing.

Hispanic cooks pretend fighting over who's my 'novio', a phone number mysteriously left for me on a ticket, but today beats them both... a high school boy child waiter told me in all seriousness, "The strangest thing happens when I bump into you, it makes me feel like I can fly." This was the icing of the cake of gag reflexes for me, especially after last shift when I gave up counting how many times he tried to tie in cutesy compliments and pokes on my waist. Believe me, it is only the tiniest, minuscule amount of flattery, with a massive amount of annoyance and desire to ask him if his moms okay with him working this late.

It's all in good fun. I enjoy the people I work with a lot, my heart just aches.

I see cute couples out every night I work. I notice how they've dressed up and are just so jubilant to be out with their date, it's obvious its a special occasion to them. I ache for the time when I can be on the other side of the uniform.

This is and has been a daily normal occurrence on my mind. I absolutely cannot wait to meet "my man" for life. I am beyond excited and know this waiting has just built a huge reserve of how much I will treasure him and the time we get to share. I hope this will make me look beyond little flaws and respect just being able to have him, his manliness, his perspective, his company.

Sometimes I feel late- seeing a lot of my friends already married. Sometimes I feel early, knowing I've got most of my 20's in front of me. I'm great with "soon", I'll be great with "later" but right now I'm just filled with longing!