The story of Zechariah’s prophecy of his son John after being mute for doubting the message from God’s angel has me so curious of the event. Did he speak like a man possessed by the Holy Spirit, where his family and friends would say, “that isn’t like his normal manners or speech, it must be the Holy Spirit!”? I envision him holding John like Simba and his eyes lit like crystal balls as he spoke.
The story of Joseph led me to a potential microcosm. The child was not his creation, but he was in love with the creators (both mother and Heavenly Father). When Joseph realized he was chosen to care for this honorable role, he humbled himself and fulfilled his duty.
Microcosm: The closest we can get to creating anything is a child. Even in that, how hard did you physically “work” to create it. I would say, That was actually the easiest and most fun part. In actuality, we have not created anything, but only rearranged and shepherded the things the Lord has made. We were chosen by the Creator to till and tend to his stuff in His house. He’s set up the beautiful, living decor by defining the laws of how they exist. We just need to harmonize with it and play nicely with the over visitors. He invited me to have a relationship with Him even though I break His rules. He just wants what’s best for me.
If I were Joseph, there would be a part of me that does not feel as invested in the success of the child that I did not physically father. Just as, I would not be so grateful and gentle to a garden that I did not spend my life meticulously planning, planting, and growing. Give a child a toy and take it away 7 minutes later and it will cry as if you took away its arm because they own it. Anything outside of that toy, they will gladly throw and stomp on.
How proud was Joseph to bring Peace to the world? I too can contribute by bringing harmony with the Holy Spirit.
Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for being the ultimate Giver.
You gave us a paradise to live in
You gave us rules to be in harmony with it
You gave us your only begotten son, Jesus, to teach us
You gave us a way maker to salvation
You gave us the Advocate to guide us
You faithfully give us daily bread and living water
Phone waiting did not work, but changing the flight in the app surprisingly did work. Nice job United Airlines.
Casually woke up to pack and have breakfast at the lobby. Devine timing that I finished everything, without haste, and made it to their hotel with 2 minutes to spare.
I had the genius idea of holding hostage their luggage since they were cutting it close to their tour time. I dropped them off with 5 minutes to spare. Devine timing continued.
I decided to go get lunch. Finding parking took way too long. Not enough of it even on a non-peak day/hour. $2.30 / hour
Yam noodles at Rice Bar
It was Chipotle style ordering. I liked it. Reasonably priced too
Moved to a garage for $19 for the day. Walked to Natural History museum. Learned that one of our deepest diving submarines goes ~ 14,000 ft down. I wonder how many species of marine life we do not know about beyond that depth!
Christine and Nicole met up with me after their tour ended. We walked thru the ice age to human impact. Dinos. Cousin mammals. Up to climate change and stars. Back down to rocks and gems.
Walked to dinner reservation
Swordfish and meatballs were delicious. Fancy dinner prices…
Walked to Washington monument and saw a bunch of people doing this… So monkey see, monkey do:
Then went to visit Lincoln and MLK.
Earned our Gelato and hung out like cool kids outside
Drove over to Madam’s Organ jazz bar, but there was a $10 cover. Maybe next time. Free tiki bar sounded more fun.
And it was
4 fun types of tiki cups (Panda, fair lady, bathtub ducky, in love tiki-man 😍). Good DJ
Reflection
Maybe it was somewhat silly to extend the day for the opportunity to hang out with a new friend. Maybe not. Mike is a lifelong friend that I will see many a times. I needed to balance seizing the opportunity that God graciously provided, without taking for granted my good friend nor looking too much like the single dude desperately trying to hit on the gal. I could have extended my trip to two days and really crash their whole party, but I think I struck the good balance.
I do so [sarcastically] good at playing 50 chess moves ahead to see all of the possible good/bad interactions in my hypothetical fantasy relationship. I did prophesize, and was mildly correct, about the conflict that would be caused by my close (and large) family relationship would have on my last intimate relationship. Also, the pessimistic outlook of life and the opposite of the “benefit of the doubt” towards people….most hurtfully me.
How much can I gather in two dinners and two tiki bars? Only enough to want to gather more.
So much movement in her spirit. Literally, she has to make a special calendar titled “where am I” to remind her of the tentative plans for where she will be sojourning.
She makes Panda tiki cups dance to music.
She has an AI generated, biblical described angel as her phone background.
She loves weird, creepy looking things because the Bible says we will need to have courage to not be afraid of the angels that look like odd creatures.
She has an idea of maybe what she wants, but will not stress about what to pick until she needs to make the decision.
She carries a metal credit card holder
Getting nails done is usually a turn off for me, but they were tasteful. Eggs tasty-ful. But not too tasty since the point of them is to prevent her from biting her nails
She can laugh at herself
She does not get offended when I give considerations for her plans
She honors other’s choices without judgement. Being a lighting person for food photographer. Just supporting
She takes care of her mother
She helps manage the family properties
I have not been able to ascertain what she actually likes to do
Dear Heavenly Father
Thank You for Your Mercy and Grace.
Whether it is a mere fleeing test to see my response and search my heart for selfish, self-flesh, desires or answering my prayers. You are good and know what is best for me. I will try to listen for your directions. Do my best to discern Your voice over my own (or the enemy’s). Lean into the painful awkwardness and courageously step towards your light.
I pray for my friends as we all seem to struggle with our worldly problems. You perfectly made us to be more than a people dependent on the world. We are only dependent on You. You are the Great Provider and we only need to trust in You. Please continue to reveal yourself to all of us, in our special ways of understanding, that only You know, so we can maybe one day get it thru our thick spirited skull to trust You.
Silly to be so arrogant to say, “If I was a disciple of Jesus that first hand witnessed miracles, I would have walked on water with full Trust in the Lord”. Truthfully, the mustard seed is not found under the hay stack of doubt.
I pray that all our faith can grow to be AT LEAST the size of a mustard seed. Please continue to nourish us with your living water, Lord.
I trusted the Lord would wake me up on time, even in a different time zone. I did not set an alarm, went to bed around 11:30, and asked to be woken up at 6. I woke up at 3, 5, and 6. First two were a… trust, but verify.
Started the daily with a daily refresh Bible app. I think it was about James saying if you know what’s right and don’t do it, you have sinned. I sinned. I tried to justify it by saying that I was fellowshipping with a non-believer…. But I very well could have denied the eating the octopus, knowing very well, because I chatGPT the answer, that I was not supposed to. No one at the table would have judged me. I even semi-set up a game plan before walking in:
“I don’t need to say that it is against my religion or the Bible says not to. I just need to say, I don’t like it.”
The Bible says that it is detestable. Which is just like saying I don’t like it because it’s gross. Maybe doesn’t Taste gross, but because God says it’s gross.
Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned. I did not have the courage to deny the polite offering to share food. It was an easy test, but I failed and I am sorry. I will do better next time.
Rewind…
I went to work and knew it was not going to be very much usefulness in listening to any of the presentations or conversations. So I had one ear bud in and listened to worship music the whole time.
The last meeting, my coworker bud (Christine) were joking about the shameless fishing of compliments the supplier was baiting the room for. I told her I was not going to happy hour and going back to the hotel.
Took a nap. Researched how to make your phone a 360 camera. Failed to fruit. Christine asked for dinner with her travel buddy Nicole at Barcelona Reston.
Well, of course, I am going to cast a wish that she was single. That wish…. Hooked hard and snagged a mega attractive Peruvian, M.D., couch surfing by choice, mutli-property managing, free spirited…. Wait for the punchline….CHRISTIAN. what kind of sick joke this Christine??
I thought I was going to meet your friend that was already married or had a boyfriend. You know I’m single. There’s no way to not fall in love with her.
Well it was terrible. And by terrible, I mean absolutely delightful conversations, with laughter, light conversations, respectful sharing of tapas. Why does This have to go so well?
No plans for tonight? Sure let’s walk to a nearby tiki bar. What’s the name? Tiki Thai? Interesting fusion mix. Oh and they told us to move in 15 minutes because they had a DJ setting up near the bar soon? Ok sure. What’s that yelling over at the closed Thai restaurant side with all the chairs put away on the booths? Oh the guy made a nice beer pong shot. This isn’t a wonderful gem at all. Except for the adorable tiki cow cup. That can’t even be part of the rest of the sarcastic story.
How do we end the night? With me dropping them off at their hotel and me driving away with my cowardly tail between my tires as the last thing I said, before I was upstaged by a young doe on the side of the road, was, “Well if you are ever coming thru Ventura, you have another couch you can surf on”.
Smooth.
Been an hour since I’ve been on the phone trying to change my flight so I can hang out with them tomorrow before going back…
