Happy Positive Thinking Day
8:00am
Good morning...hehehe
It has already been an interesting morning. I went to bed around 1am and woke a little before 6am...LOL I woke up praying again today. That happens sometimes. It starts as a dream and then becomes an intentional prayer as I'm waking up. I cannot really say I understand how that happens. But I can say that I'm very grateful for it. It is such a wonderful way to wake up!
I physically got up shortly after. I was able to do my daily devotional and prayer walk early as a result. And was able to begin my work day early as well. I'm taking this short break to start another timestamp journal entry. It felt right to do this again today considering the oddness of having very little sleep and the manor by which I woke today. It seems as though something amazing may happen again today.
Honestly, though, every day can be amazing if I simply find Jesus in everything. I don't mean that passively, of course. I genuinely mean this. Having such focus on Him lately has been life changing!
By the way, today is my workiversary!!! I started with my previous company on this day in 2021. I had been a contractor before that from June of 2020 until September 2021. So, I've been with the company for 4 years, technically. I've been an employee for 3. When I transitioned to the new company in July, they transferred the start day and tenure as part of the contract. I'm basically back to being a contractor without having lost the years of service for HR purposes. Pretty cool, eh?!
10:15am
I had left over Bulgogi fried rice for breakfast...LOL I was super hungry when I woke up today. I am out of sourdough for toast. So, I went with what I had. It was basically steak and eggs with vegetables and rice. And it sure was tasty!
I got a late start on my coffee today. Actually, I almost skipped it altogether. Which is really weird considering how little sleep I got last night...hehehe I suppose I must have had enough sleep to not feel tired today. I count that as a win!
I sent my grandmother the videos of It's a Small World I took last night. That is her favorite attraction at Magic Kingdom. 75% of the reason I ride it is for her. The other 25% is nostalgia...LOL I can't wait to see the original at Disneyland in November.
I need to remember to ask her if she has ever ridden it there. Although they lived near Disneyland for a few years, the park was pretty new and I'm not sure if they ever actually went. It's my understanding their house was pretty close. I think they may even have been able to see Disneyland from their property. I've thought about driving by the house to see it...hehehe Actually, I wonder if the park was finished by the time they moved back to Indiana...hmmm...questions to ask grandma! LOL
11:45am
Should I mention where I am at right now!? Is it Disney World? Is it Zen? Either one would be an easy guess...LOL Also an indication I might be addicted both. Well, I'll go ahead and tell ya...hehehe I'm at Zen again. And I'll likely have lunch here again tomorrow. I confirmed they source wholesome ingredients.
I spoke with grandma. Yes, they visited Disneyland when it first opened and before they moved back to Indiana. No, she has never ridden the original It's a Small World. The original attraction didn't open until long after they left California. And she never made it back to Disneyland. I'll be sure to take some videos and send them to her when I go in November.
It has been fun talking to her about her time in California. Had I not gone to Magic Kingdom last night, and had I not been journaling today, I might not have asked her those questions. Had I not gone to California in July, I might never have known her and grandpa danced at the pier. Nostalgia is a beautiful thing. And it is helping her reminisce while I learn more about her and her life ❤️
12:45pm
I just met a tattoo artist from the local area. She's pretty good. It got me thinking about how I was going to get a tattoo or two myself. I'm still not sure that is something I want to do. In my third marriage, we were going to get matching tattoos. Not truly matching. It was more of a matching theme. Once our marriage ended, I was glad I never did that...LOL Then the option came up again with the crew I did the Starcruiser experience with last year. We never got around to getting matching tattoos either.
My grandfather had a tattoo he got while in the Navy. I think he regretted it later in life. He never did get it removed, though. Perhaps today was a reminder I shouldn't get my skin permanently marked up like that. Every opportunity I've had to get one never worked out. I've paid for tattoos and know they are expensive when they are good. The artist I met today is really good. But again, perhaps today's meeting is the reminder I needed to finally decide to never do that. I see nothing wrong with it. But I don't think it is something I see myself doing now.
It's funny to see how my interests have changed over the years. Some have been influenced by friends and family I spend a lot of time with. Right now, doing so many things solo, I'm beginning to see what truly interests me. Things like what I did last night are very much me...hehehe I mentioned my adventure to Stephanie (from Zen) and she was surprised I would do something like that. She is only just now getting to know me...hehehe It was an opportunity to talk about something that interests me. And it gave me the opportunity to help me think about how I feel about it. Yes, I'll happily go to Magic Kingdom for a random evening just to get a hotdog and fries...LOL And yes, I'll share my experience with people I love...hehehe That's who I am.
That reminds me, I sent the photo of the castle to my mom. Cinderella is her favorite Disney princess. So, I always send her a castle photo when I go to Magic Kingdom. In that photo, I framed it in such a way it looked like Walt Disney (from the partner's statue) was waving to the camera. In her response, she mentioned he was waving at her...hehehe Plus, I sent those videos of Small World to my grandma. Yes, what I did last night is very much who I am ❤️
Ooh! I'm working on a new 4x4 inch mini painting for my mom. It is a Cinderella painting. I made her a Gus Gus one a while ago. Gus from Cinderella is one of her favorites too. He's one of the little mice...hehehe She still proudly displays it in her living room. My dad still proudly displays a Batman painting I made for him. But back to the Cinderella one I'm currently working on. I'm really excited about it. I hope to get it finished before their up coming trip. That way she can take it home with her. Perhaps that is one of the projects I can work on at Zen...LOL
2:15pm
At work, it is Positive Thinking Day. Seems like a holiday I made up...LOL As it turns out, after a quick Internet search, it is apparently one of those national day holidays. It originated in 2003, I guess?
I received a wonderful video message from Cherie today. I won't go into why it was so wonderful for me. I think she knows...hehehe But I also got to spend some time with Stephanie from Zen. It was a few things from my day that bring some positivity to my life. I love the positive things in my life ❤️
3:30pm
I was thinking about how often I've been going to Zen lately. I'm not addicted. I'm realizing how short my time is here...hehehe In the back of my mind, I'm trying to get in as much of the place as possible because I have such a short amount of time left to enjoy it.
I'm not entirely certain yet where I'll be next year. I just know it won't be here.
I'd like to revisit something I said earlier about going to Magic Kingdom last night. That statement wasn't specific to Magic Kingdom, or Walt Disney World in general. It is more of a statement of not concerning myself with such things as the drive it takes to do those things. It is more about how I'm willing to forego a little inconvenience to do something I truly love. Or to be with people I truly love.
My trip to Indiana in June was all about doing something for people I love. I wanted to celebrate my son. And I wanted to see my grandmother. That's the only reason I did that trip. It may seem obvious because that is family. But as I've stated before, I don't adhere to the blood is thinker than water mindset. I truly love my son and grandmother. I don't do those things out of obligation.
I don't go to Zen out of obligation. I truly enjoy spending time with the folks there. The food is fantastic. But it's the people that keep me going back. Walt Disney World is amazing. But there again, what I love most is seeing people enjoy the magic that is Disney. Last night, I denied the offer to receive a free Lightning Lane pass. Had there not been a long line of people behind me, I would have likely shared with the Cast that I was there to enjoy them and the other guests. It wasn't about doing the attractions. I disguise my joy behind the craving of a hotdog and fries...LOL So full disclosure: As much as I was craving Casey’s, I wanted to enjoy seeing the Cast and other guests enjoying the magic of Disney °o° No hotdog or fries are worth 4 hours on the road (2 hours each way). But enjoying absorbing positive energy from others is well worth it ❤️
4:30pm
My last pen ran out of ink as I was journaling today's devotional...LOL I had to finish with one of my paint pens. So, I'll be going to Hobby Lobby this evening to search for new pens. I'll also be choosing my next journal book while I'm at it.
This weekend marks six months of Cherie and I doing a devotional together. It was mid-March when we began the fellowship aspect of our relationship. Our friendship has truly been a blessing. The devotional time has been one of the most impactful things of my entire life.
In a few weeks, we'll be completing book four of The Chosen devotional series. Book five hasn't been published just yet. I imagine they are working on one and it will likely come out next year when season five of the show is released. I've been praying about our next devotional. I've also considered stepping it up a notch and going fully into a Bible study. We'll see what God has in store for us ❤️
I order a Bible study to check out this weekend. I only ordered one copy to see what it is like before deciding if it is one I'll suggest for Cherie to join me on. It's also from The Chosen library. However, some of the reviews mentioned it is a great companion for the show. I'm hoping it doesn't require one to have seen the show in order to go through it, though. The four books we have already done from The Chosen were not tied to the episodes of the show whatsoever; which was perfect.
I love the show, personally. But I prefer resources that do not require someone to have seen a TV show. Not everyone enjoys watching TV or movies. With the other four books we've done, I can easily recommend them to anyone. So, we'll see if the Bible study I ordered will work out the same. There are also four of those studies; one for each season. Fingers crossed!
If that doesn't work out, I can still go through the Bible study on my own and continue to search for the next one Cherie and I will do together. There is still plenty of time...hehehe
8:20pm
I found some new pens and a new journal book! Yay!!! It had been a while since I last visited a Hobby Lobby. Probably since before the pandemic? I also looked for something to put my books in. Now that I've got quite a collection of physical books, I would love to put them into something nice. I didn't find that perfect pick, though. It's something to keep my eyes open for.
Although I didn't go to Disney World today, I felt like today was just as amazing as yesterday. A lot of positives came out of it.
This weekend, I think I'll work on the painting I'm making for mom. I'm still working on the digital concept art. I should be able to finish that tomorrow. It won't take long to paint it on canvas after that. Doing the initial work on my iPad prepares me for when I actually do the canvas. I can play around with it on iPad and sort of practice before I commit to the final work. Plus, it's so much fun...hehehe
I'm watching the Dodgers game. It's one of the Friday MLB games this week on Apple TV+. They are playing the Braves in this series. I use to be a big fan of the Braves. So, I don't mind if they win these games. But I'm still rooting for the Dodgers over all. That's how I felt in the last series because they played the Cubs. I was a big fan of the Cubs too.
A few days ago, I reached out to one of my cousins in Southern California to see about visiting with her while I'm there in November. I still haven't heard back yet...LOL I hope to visit. But I'm okay if it doesn't work out. I'd like to think we'd hangout if I live close to her. But I haven't visited with my cousins here in Florida...LOL I wasn't able to visit with my cousin in North Carolina either. I always find it interesting that a lot of the family I grew up with are now scattered all over and we never see each other anymore. We were so close when we were all younger...hehehe That said, my cousin in California isn't someone I grew up with. She's always lived there as far as I know. I only saw that part of my family at a few reunions.
9:30pm
These timestamp entries seem to be longer...LOL Thinking about stuff and then journaling throughout the day lends itself to babbling...LOL Is that okay? Yeah, it's my journal...but if it is nonsense, it becomes less okay...hehehe I have no idea if it is nonsense, though. I don't reread the entire entry when I do this. I do my best to proofread each time slot as I go. But that's it.
When I write in other formats, I do end up rereading the whole thing. I still miss typos and whatnot. But I try to see that it all makes sense at least...hehehe One of my friends who blogs professionally gave me an idea. He uses Apple Safari's text to speech feature to have his posts read aloud. He says that catches a lot of typos and ensures it reads/sounds well enough to publish. I may start using that feature myself and see if that improves my writing. I should definitely do that for anything I want to put out into the world formally...such as books.
I think I'm going to call this entry finished. I still have some time left in my day. But I'm ready to be done with this for the day...LOL