Lord of the Rings

I definitely have a cheap hippie vibe about me.  I shop at the Goodwill (but only on holidays when everything is 50% off), garage sale, grind my own wheat, make lentil soup, a lot, spread the word that I will take any and all hand me downs, go far too long without a hair cut (I am going on 10 months right now), and always figure out a way to get a deal.

I am not sure if cheap is the right word.  More like thrifty, frugal & earth friendly.  Here, here, & here are a few more examples.

But there is one very fancy and worldly thing I own that I just LOVE! My wedding ring.  It's a 1 karat super sparkly diamond that I am unashamed to say I absolutely adore.

If my nails are done (by me of course) and my ring is clean, I could be wearing sweats, no make up and a pony tail (aka, my everyday look), and I feel super put together.

Other than my kids, it's the only thing I have to keep track of.  Seeing how I am a scatterbrain it really works out well for me to not own anything nice.

But even keeping track of one thing in my life can apparently be a little overwhelming.  I have lost my Ring ....... twice!!!

The first time was in 2003 a few months after we moved to Temecula.  It was my birthday and I had the afternoon to myself while Glenn watched our 2 little girls.  I got a massage and then went to the library.  I was just enjoying the peace of walking the aisles and reading grown up books.  In the library bathroom I was washing my hands when I realized something wasn't right.  Didn't I usually catch something on my finger.  I looked down and gasped out loud.  My Ring!!!!  It was gone.

I ran out of the library and sped with screeching tires back to the Spa where I had gotten the massage.  The girl at the counter interrupted the masseuse and she looked in the room for my ring.  As she was looking I felt it, I knew it wasn't there.  She came out and apologized that she couldn't find it.  Thanks & bye, gotta go.

I sped back to the library, running a very yellow, slightly red light and like a crazy woman ran up to the front desk (just ignoring the long line and person she was helping).  I am not even sure what I babbled.  Something along the lines of  "My ring, I lost my wedding ring, Wah!!!"  In an instant she had it in her hand and told me a lady had just turned it in a minute ago.

How much do I love Temecula?  Soooooooo much.  People here are good & honest.  I never got to thank that lady but I will always be grateful to her for bringing back to my life my one cherished possession.

The second time I lost it in my house.  I looked EVERYWHERE, except where it was.  I was crushed.  I prayed so hard (again, although not while speeding).  I went to bed that night so sad.  The next morning I got out of bed, walked straight to my sink, opened the cupboard underneath, took out the bag that held the clasps to my hot rollers, and there inside was my ring.

The strange thing about this whole experience is I was just led to it.  I didn't even have a plan as to where I was going to look.

Both of these experiences absolutely strengthened my faith in prayer.

Of course God cares about us making right choices.  Serving, being obedient, following the commandments, being faithful, just, moral, patient, prayerful, committed, and honoring what we know to be true.  He wants our priorities to be on our family & faith and not on worldly possessions.

But He also wants us to be happy.

My ring is not going to get me into heaven, but it makes me happy. If I concentrate on all I know I should do in this life, if I put importance in all the right places, then sometimes....... sometimes He lets us enjoy a little sparkle.