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| See . . . Lots of coffee! |
Oh my goodness, there are only 3 days left! I can hardly believe how fast time has went!
My dad recently bought us a new coffee pot to have here at the house. It uses the same type of coffee pods that a Keurig uses, but the machine itself is MUCH cooler! Unfortunately, the coffee is ridiculously expensive here in town, so we decided to make a trip to Grand Forks.
Well . . . We got a little carried away, and we ended up picking out A LOT of coffee. I mean, a lot! We went to 4 different stores solely looking for coffee, and we found different flavors at each place. It's a good thing we had tons of coupons, and now enough coffee to last us a year.
By about 2:00 p.m. we were starving, and I still had a good deed to do. We decided to eat a Buffalo Wild Wings, which is one of our favorites. We made the mistake that he and I always seem to make, and we ordered much too much food. It sure was delicious though! As we were chit-chatting back and fourth, dad started to talk about how much money he had spent today. As soon as he said that, I decided to snatch up the bill and pay for our meal. Dad never lets me pay for our meals, and don't think he let me get away with it easily this time! However, that was not my good deed. Our bill came out to around $35.00, and I decided to tip our waiter $15.00.
He was a fairly average waiter. Nothing too special, but he wasn't terrible by any means. I couldn't help but notice he had a wedding ring on, and I found myself thinking about if he has kids, and how costly the holidays can get. I know that $15.00 isn't a lot, but coming from a girl who was a struggling college student and waitressing to make ends meet . . . I know that extra tip that you are not expecting really makes a person feel good.
I am a true believer that a person has no idea what it's like to be a server at a restaurant, until you have done it. We really do rely on those tips to pay the bills. There is nothing worse then putting your every last ounce of enthusiasm into a table, and many times only receiving a $2.00 or $3.00 tip. If you have a good server helping you out, tip them well! If you think they are really great, leave them a note. If you had a bad experience, lets say your food wasn't cooked right . . . Remember, that is not your servers fault. We servers, always do our best to make sure you have an enjoyable meal. If you do not tip your server because of something like that, we usually take it very personally, and that can really ruin a person's night.
Tonight, I would like to say thank you to all of the servers out there trying to make ends meet. I know that it may not be the most glamorous job, but it can sure be a great one!
Sarah
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| My favorite serving job! Lonestar Steakhouse and Saloon.
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Icicle lights were just becoming popular and I absolutely loved them. I thought it was cool the way they just trickled down from the top of the roof like frozen icicles do. I love icicles and when the rooftops are lined with them, if I can reach, I like to take my hand and sweep them off the roof line. It makes the coolest sound and I feel like a little kid again. The icicles hanging from the roof are simply stunning as the light shines through them and they sparkle and shine . I remember the day Cal came home with the boxes of icicle lights, he put them up, and I thoroughly enjoyed them for the entire holiday season . . . ahhhhhhhh . . . they were so beautiful . . . sigh
The lights were never put up again, but I remember so fondly that one solitary year where the lights adorned our home. I think it is the search for light which has really driven Sarah and I throughout the holiday season on the quest to spread some Christmas Spirit. I feel like through the spirit of giving, we bring the lights we long for into our own lives, kind of like the Christmas lights that were on my house that year. I wanted them that year, I had longed for them for a long time, and finally the lights were there sparkling and bright. I have to tell you, against the darkened skies of my life, I have found the lights in the people who I have briefly touched. However, make no mistake, it was THEM who brought the little twinkling icicle lights into my life . . . my home is alive with the brightest of lights.
Today my act of kindness was simple. I had stopped at the gas station to fill up with gas. I had to look around for a couple of little things, so instead of paying at the pump like I usually do, I opted to head on in. While I was in there I decided that I would buy a gift card, not for anyone, but for someone who was inside. I purchased my items, my gift card, and I looked around. I spotted two young men around the same age as my kiddos are and decided they were it. They were chatting like brothers or good friends while they were scoping out the coffee and some snacks. I thought about how my kids would feel if they got the the counter and someone had left them money to pay for their stuff. It made me smile.
I told the lady at the counter that I wanted her to give the gift card to the two young men at the back of the store. WHAT she said? I repeated myself . . . um, I would like you to give this gift card to those two gentlemen and tell them Merry Christmas! Are you serious she questioned . . . well, yes, I actually am I responded. Oh . . . do you know them she asked. Nope! Oh . . . she looked confused. The two young men were heading to the counter with their goods in tow and I needed to make my escape. Just please tell them Merry Christmas! I told the woman to have a Merry Christmas too and thanked her for fulfilling my request. I don't know what happened next, and really, it doesn't matter. Just doing it turned on the light of the spirit for me.
Throughout the last 22 days, as I am sure you can tell, some days were easy and some were painfully difficult. It is funny that giving extra time, energy, and things to others can awaken feelings that we have perhaps struggled to keep down. There were days that were filled with tears and others that were full of laughter and joy. However, never ever were the lights off . . . not once.
So my prayer tonight is this. No matter how dark and dismal your earthly home may seem, I pray that you can find the lights of Christmas in the people that Christ works through and in.
Lights and Love,
Sheila
Love that house!
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