Goldilocks and the Dodgers
07:45am
I slept well last night. Although, my sleep tracker claims I was awake for 18 minutes in the middle of the night...LOL I don't recall having been. I do recall going to the bathroom. Just not being actively awake for very long. I also woke from a dream when my white noise app stopped. I'm not normally in a REM phase at that time. So, it felt like a disruption in sleep. But that's okay. My morning prayer time set me back on track...hehehe
I haven't spoken much about food lately. I'm not really on a specific diet any longer. However, I still eat a lot of the same food I did when I was doing the pescatarian diet. I do have some chicken, though. And when I eat out, I sometimes get beef, pork, and chicken. But I'd say the majority of what I eat remains in the vegetarian and seafood realm. There isn't any particular reason other than that's what I continue to crave.
With the exception of possibly eating out a lot next week on my trip, I think I'm going to cut back or cut out eating out for a while. I don't know if it that it's I do it too much, or something else, but it does not satisfy the same desires it used to. Sometimes I'd eat out just to be around people. Other times, it was for the ambience. And, of course, I do enjoy the food at my favorite restaurants. But lately, I've just not been feeling any of it. So, I think it is time to take a break from it. I still eat at home quite a bit. I'm just thinking I'd like to go back to eating at home for every meal. I may still go out when I'm out with a friend or family. Just special occasions instead of the casual thing it has become.
Social media has become less of a thing in my life. I sometimes find myself scrolling out of habit...hehehe I don't post nearly as much and I still don't see a lot of things from people I follow that I engage with. I don't give it much thought anymore, though. It is simply something that is there when I'm bored, I guess. When I do post, it is meaningful. When I engage with others, it is meaningful as well. I do find myself beginning to engage with other's posts and then canceling out. Social media had become a very important part of my life and personality for a few years beginning with the pandemic in 2020. This year, it has sort of fallen back into what it was before. Except this time, I do miss some of the interactions I had with friends. Maybe those interactions will come back after this election cycle. Part of my current lack of motivation is all the political stuff...LOL Actively ignoring posts can be exhausting...LOL
11:10am
Something was dumped on me today that needs to be done by Friday...ugh! Work doesn't normally do that to me...LOL Fortunately, it is something really simple. I was more surprised than anything. I'll have to meet with my boss to go over it because most of it relates to the new things I've inherited this year. It's another I don't know what I don't know situation.
It's another one of those Florida days that started out gloomy and quickly turned into another beautiful day. One thing I truly enjoy about life in Florida is how much sunshine there is. The name The Sunshine State is quite fitting for Florida.
I ran into Maddi and Lavender on my mid-morning walk. I sat with her for a little while to chat. Lavender has a new harness and leash...hehehe She had torn up her old leash by chewing on it. This new one is much tougher and the harness seems to work much better than her previous one. Although Lavender was super excited to see me again, she was a little easier to tame this time. She is still in that puppy stage. But I think she is getting use to seeing me and knows not to be excessively excited now. I've been trying to work with her on that each time we interact. I think it might be working? Or she is just starting to grow out of the puppy-ness...LOL
03:00pm
My earlier statement about social media must have inspired me a little...hehehe I made a few posts today...LOL I also scrolled a little while waiting for something at work. I found this funny meme...well, funny to me at least. I shared it with a few close friends. It says, 60 minutes with the right person, feels like an hour. That kind of dry humor is my kind of humor...LOL It starts out sounding quite sweet. Then it simply states a fact...LOL
My posts varied. A few were on my IG/FB Stories. One was just on the Meta apps (IG/Threads/FB). And I did do a Vitamin G that posted on all of them. They were all things I felt like expressing in the moment. I like how it felt in the moment. So, I'm glad I did it.
I've been doing a lot of thinking today. But not a lot of writing. At one point, I even thought about not writing today and deleting all I had already written. It's just that kind of day...hehehe
I'm currently waiting a process to finish at work. So I took the opportunity to do a little writing here. One of my thoughts today was what is my motivation for writing this blog. Do I write it for my future self? Do I write it for the one person who I know reads it every time I post something? Do I write it for the purpose of eventually putting some of it in a book? In away, it is yes to all of those. That's because I love to write. I love to read. I love it when others read what I write. I love being able to share my thoughts with others. Writing helps me do just that. I've grown in my ability to communicate through writing. And it is helping me grow as a person too. I'm glad I decided to keep writing today...hehehe
The process I was waiting on completed. Back to work! LOL
07:45pm
There was another process of waiting a little later. So, I decided to take a walk instead of writing that time...LOL I actually worked a little past my normal logoff time due to how long those processes were taking today. I even made dinner while waiting on one of them...LOL Not to worry, though! I go it all done! Yay!!!
After work and dinner, I took one last walk this evening. It appears I walked a total of four and half miles today. That's nearly 9.3k steps for me. It was nice being outside. It wasn't too hot or too cold. It was just right. It would have made Goldilocks proud...LOL
One of my new Zen friends, Stephanie, has been a FB friend of mine for a month or so. She has been liking my posts and stories. Today, she commented on one of my posts saying that I'm always so positive...hehehe I appreciated her kind words. It was a pleasant reminder of what I've been told for nearly four years of posting Vitamin G. I'm grateful God called me to spread positivity in a negative world. In a way, its one of the ways I can shine this little light of mine...and I'm going to let it shine!
This week's episode of The Chosen has been bringing back wonderful memories of growing up in the church. The little children songs we would sing are sometimes better at sharing God's love than modern worship music...hehehe I do like the modern stuff. I just miss those oldies but goodies. This Little Light of Mine, Jesus Loves the Little Children, and Jesus Loves Me were a few of my favorites as a child. I've since sang my own version of Jesus Loves Me at a church in Illinois. That was a while ago now. But I was an adult when I sang it...hehehe
I sometimes miss singing in front of the congregation. I can be a little pitchy, I'm not the best singer, and I don't sing all the fancy stuff people like today, but I always sang with my heart for God. I don't know when my heart hardened like it did to cause me not be in worship teams anymore. I can't point to some event in the past or anything. It just sort of happened. And I'm one who will pull away when my heart is not in the right place. I take matters of the heart quite seriously. There was even a period of time I wouldn't take communion because I knew in my heart I wasn't clear to do so.
All of that was years ago. So long ago I don't even remember how long it has been...LOL I still fear it though. I think that is one reason I left physical church. I don't know that I journaled here. But I think I journaled it in The Chosen devotional once. I had been complimented on my singing at church one Sunday and told I belong up on stage in the worship team. I politely thanked the person and in my heart wanted to run away. Eventually, I kind of did since I left the church just before my California trip back in July...LOL
I'm ready to face it all now, heal, and grow. I'm done running away from things like that. God is my strength!
10:35pm
Something that keeps coming up in my mind is that when I look at my troubles, that's all I see. When I look at God, He's all I see. Basically, wherever I focus, that's what I'll find. Focusing on my troubles doesn't mean God is gone. Focusing on God doesn't mean my troubles are gone. I'll give you one guess which of those brings me peace...hehehe
I have a few anecdotes to illustrate that I feel would be relatable to most people. I've thought about writing something someday. I don't think it could be a book or anything lengthy. Maybe an article or something brief?
Something somewhat related is when I try to deal with, fix, or handle my problems myself. This as compared to those times when I truly give them over to God.
There are three "f" words that apply to some of what I'm thinking about today. They are fear, focus, and faith. Where I focus has an impact on whether my response is fear or faith. In my heart, having fear doesn't mean I lack faith. For me, I wonder if it is simply because my focus is misplaced?
11:55pm
Final thoughts of the day...hehehe
WOOHOO!!! DODGERS ARE THE 2024 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!
What a wild year in Dodgers baseball...WOW! It started on my birthday and ended with them being champions tonight!
This was a good day over all. I walked far. I worked hard. I prayed. I thought. I went through a session of the Bible study. I enjoyed an amazing win for the 2024 Dodgers.
Now that today has become tomorrow...I'm calling it over...LOL