Storms, Tacos, and Gratefulness
Stormy Weather
I've lived in Florida for almost 2 years. That means I have experienced all seasons already. When I live in Indiana, the seasons were all about the same each year. However, in Florida, I can't seem to figure out the seasons just yet...hehehe When I moved down, I was told about rainy season, and about hurricane season. But what about this weird stormy season we are currently experiencing in Winter!?! Last Winter, it seemed liked paradise! And although I still believe that the worst days in Florida are paradise compared to everywhere else, I'm still uncertain how I feel about these stormy days. Feels very Indiana in the Spring right now in the Winter of Florida...HAHAHA
But like I said, any stormy day in Florida is paradise compared to the few places I have ever lived. I figure the subtropical climate here has a lot to do with the unpredictability of the weather in Florida. In Indiana, I could tell you what the weather was going to be like a week from now. It was almost like I was a weatherman because I could predict the weather almost perfectly. But down here in Florida, I can't tell you what it will be like an hour from now...hehehe
Taco Tuesday
So, today is Tuesday. Over the past few years, I have been experimenting with tacos quite a bit. Today, I decided to try 2 different styles of tacos; one for lunch and another for dinner. As I mentioned in another entry, I sort of replaced making hamburgers with making tacos. This new passion of mine has me taking the making of tacos quite seriously! So much so that I no longer use cheese on tacos...LOL I had stopped putting cheese on them already. But when I started talking to my Mexican friends, it turns out "real" tacos never have cheese! Who knew!?!
For lunch, I made "chicken" tacos. The plant-based "chicken" I used was designed for fajitas. So, I also used fajita veggies like bell peppers and white onion. I tossed on some hot sauce called Freak Show. These tacos were so good. So, naturally, I posted on social media about them. I did forget to mention how good they were. So a few people asked me how they were. I replied that they were fantastic.
For dinner, I made "chorizo" tacos. This plant-based "chorizo" was the same brand as the "chicken" and equally as fantastic. The texture and flavor were spot on. For these, I topped them with red onion and cilantro. Before I put on the "chorizo" and toppings, though, I tossed on some hot sauce that was garlic based and had home grown peppers for the heat. It is locally made and I'm certain isn't available outside of my area. They were fire both in how well they tasted and in the heat from the sauce. Again, I posted about them on social media. I'd say it was a very successful Taco Tuesday!
Trinity
Now that I'm in this 21 days of fasting and prayer, I'm finding myself with some extra time due mostly to not watching TV. I'm absolutely enjoying this time! Today, for example, I began doing a trinity of scripture and prayer time. I started my day like most for the last 100+ days with prayer and scripture reading. I followed that up with the 21 days devotional. Combined, that makes the first of the trinity. Then, as I was eating my lunch, I went through today's "Bible in a year" reading plan as the second part of the trinity. After work and before dinner, I concluded the trinity with a Bible reading plan I'm doing with a friend of mine, Kerry. He and I met through my church here. With that one, we are doing part of the book of Acts and discussing the origin story of the Church.
Anxiety
There was a moment today that I was honestly worried about something. As I mentioned above, a storm system rolled through that had the local authorities sending out notifications warning of the potential for devastating conditions. I live so close to the ocean that I get these sort of alerts anytime there is a tropical storm or hurricane heading my way. However, this Winter, today was the second time there were storms that triggered similar notifications. I went ahead and let my boss know about the potential I would be offline due to the storm system. Deep down, I was pretty concerned about it. I had been following the system all through the Gulf of Mexico and it looked pretty bad. Yes, it was bad. No, it wasn't any worse than normal stormy weather here. I prayed about my anxiety and He gave me peace about it. He reminded me that He always keeps me safe. With Him as my lighthouse, He will always guide me through the storms away from the rocky shore and into streams of living water.
Grateful
I'm so grateful for my life. I have been through so much trauma that now even the simplest happiness seems like the best thing ever. I no longer expect bad things to happen. In fact, when bad things do happen, I sort of chuckle because I've been through far worse. And even if I go through something new that is worse than my past, I now have new coping skills to weather those storms of life.
I truly believe this will be the year I finish my first book. I feel so inspired now. I am so grateful...so very grateful!