Preciousssss

How creepy is that?
Many of you have heard this revelation in my life recently. For those of you who have not, I'm not done learning it yet so I'll continue to beleaguer the point. The Lord has really been revealing to me how much I covet. I never really understood the way this sin had presented itself in my life...I always thought "I'm just comparing myself" or "I'm just not content" but really it boils down to coveting.
Coveting my friends' size four jeans, or another friend's cute clothes, better stuff, cuter shoes, perfect bag etc, etc, etc.
It's nauseating how materialistic I am...really.
Well, obviously I was struck with the perfect image of what I feel like I become when I covet these things...(Lord of the Rings certainly has some redeeming value if nothing else than for spiritual analogies you'll soon learn). Anyways, this picture of Gollum, holding the ring hissing the word "preciousss" and holding on to it for dear life strikes my mind and I realize...I absolutely am like that with the many things I begin to covet in life.
I'm not content. (Certainly this can be a good thing when it comes to not being content with my pursuit of God, righteousness etc) When it comes to being un-content (is that a made up word? Maybe it's discontent?) with the things I have and the body I have etc. it's just destructive.
This morning I was reading in Luke and I read this:
Jesus told his disciples "Do not worry about your life, what you will EAT; or about your body, what you will WEAR. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes." (Luke 12:22-23)
I know this is referring to the disciples not worrying about whether they would eat or be provided for, but it had a much different meaning to me sitting at my kitchen table this morning.
Life is more than food....
That means life is more than calories, diets, ideal weights, favorite jeans, "summer legs" and "Kate Austen" (the girl from LOST) ripped arms.
Certainly it honors God to exhibit self-control and not be gluttonous (and this is something I pray that he will help me to realize and not obsess over) but it really is such an insignificant pursuit to agonize over pounds and fat grams.
How futile.
How unrewarding.
Later in that chapter it says, "Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink, do not worry about it, for the pagan world runs after all such things." (Luke 12:29-30)
It's true! It is a pursuit of those who do not know God to set their hearts on what they will eat and drink (low carbs, diet pills, etc etc). Our only pusuit and that which we seek is not cute clothes, comparing to the models, our friends, wishing, wanting, craving, comparing, struggling, envying, obsessing, striving.
It is to seek the kingdom of God....first....only...simply.
Just
that
alone.
Whoa! What a revelation that was to me. Now, the disclaimer is that certainly it is honorable to be healthy and have discretion etc. But it is not to be what I set my heart on.
And that my friends...is a very liberating thought being a woman in the century we live in.
Free at last, Free at last.
Thank God almighty! Free at last!

"I can Guarandamntee it"

Guar-an-damn-tee [gar-uhn-dam-tee] noun
1. a promise or assurance, with profanity added to emphasize seriousness

-Okay, store that one in your brains cause I've got a great story for you...trust me you'll need it later.
First let me tell you about my perfect mother's day weekend.
Yesterday morning, John paid for me to go to breakfast with my friends and then we went shopping. I didn't have any money to spend--but that's never stopped me from looking...so fun.
After that, the Schmitty 3 went to the park and got a pizza and then played on the playground...so fun! It became affectionately referred to as "pizzaindehperk"-an all one word combo said with a canadian acccent for fun.
Here is a pic for your viewing pleasure--note: pizza goodness all over our little ceasar schmitty's face.

After that we went to the drive-in (and as a mother's day bonus Linc slept in the back seat) I ate cheese fries (YUM!) and we saw "Next" with Nicholas Cage (which was an unfortunate drawback to the night....I'm sorry I just can't take him seriously, but it was worth the comedic value of seeing him dodge a bullet a la Keanu Reeves).
Today, I got two cards, one from Linc and one from John and saw a beautiful vase of flowers cut from my garden on the kitchen table.
John offered to make breakfast, but I saved him (me and our smoke detector) the trouble and cooked. Then I got a shower and got ready for church UNinterrupted.....nice.
At church they gave us mamas a rose (awww) and then we came home.
Here is a special family pic:



So then we biked to the park and took a picnic lunch...yay! More photos (and trust me I'm getting to the best part)





So then we went for a nice long bike ride (down to get ice cream....I have to balance things out here) and along the way we got another Mother's Day bonus....mama geese with their little baby geese. So sweet. It was God's mama's day gift to many women I'm sure.



Okay here we go,
we get to DQ and there is a large parking space reserved for bikes in the middle of the other normal parking spaces. We park the bike trailer in the space and John's bike was leaning against mine. Right next to the bike parking was a b-e-a-utiful shiny red convertible with the top down (if you're really concerned about getting your car scratched....don't park next to the bike parking). We get in line and this grumpy fat man comes up to us and says "If one of those bikes falls on my car-we're going to have a big problem I can guarandamntee it".
A few things of note:
1.) this is not actually a word...please don't perpetuate the mockery of the english language by ever repeating it
2.) I do not condone swearing...but how could I leave this out?
3.) our bikes were far enough away that even if the bikes fell and then the wizard of oz tornado came ripping through...his precious red tin can still would not have been hurt by them.
Here's the best part....
I go move the bikes all the while stewing and steaming about the way this mean man came up to us and confronted us like that (he could have politely asked up to scootch--also a made up word, but much friendlier--our bikes over). I'm muttering under my breath, just wishing I didn't have to be on good behavior and I could let him have it. I'm even praying "God help me to love this man like you do so I don't tell him to get over himself like I want to". I get back in line and all of the sudden about a million tiny little leaves dump from the trees (everyone in line was turning their heads and pointing) and it starts dumping rain all over his pretty convertible interior.
I WISH you all could've been there. I mean I couldn't have planned it better if I was Carrie from that Stephen King movie.
This guy was scrambling to get the top up like I've never seen.
I know I know, we're not really supposed to rejoice in another person's troubles...but oh sweet Georgia brown....
I was so happy I wanted to skip (horrible...but true).
I'll tell you this much...that guy is going to have a happy old time cleaning all those wet little sticky leaves off the inside of his nice leather interior....
I assure you...better yet--I guarandamntee it!

Honestly people...

Is it just me or do rude people always seem to get hired to work in customer service jobs? I was walking with some friends yesterday and we were, admittedly, a caravan of strollers (a reality I have come to embrace in my outings) but the looks we were getting from people that worked in the shops we were walking by were unreal. You'd think I was the bearded lady or something. Top that off with the appalled stares we were catching from single women or teenage girls (maybe we could be hired to prevent teenage pregnancy?) and I was honestly ready to get the rage virus and start smacking people.
I know...why should it bother me? Well it just does. It makes me downright grumpy.
Seriously grumpy.
I was at breakfast this morning with a few other friends and we had a bit of a wait. I asked the hostess if I could get a cup of coffee like the other two customers waiting outside and she said "No, we're too busy". Not a "sorry" or "could you check back in a few minutes."
Just, "No."
Needless to say I wasn't very happy.
So in honor of you Snipey waitress, and all you other grumpy butt people out there that have a life mission to ruin my day and take things overly seriously here is my tribute to grumpiness:

He sure is cute...but Grumpy nonetheless.

The softer side of grumpy.

He's a little creepy...don't look at him too long.

He never really was that threatening.

Also, for the next time you're out and about and someone really hacks you off--
don't jump over tables and turn into the Hulk.
Go to this website http://www.planetfeedback.com and complain to all the other unsatisfied customers around--you'll be in good company.
Of course, I guess you could always get over it (but that's much less satisfying)