Blessed.

It was a BEAUTIFUL Florida vacation beach day, both facing “the Gulf” at Siesta Key and inside the “intercoastal” at Casey Key, with an “old Florida” feel of open air restaurant and tiki bar buzzing with activity in this “snowbird” season. I loved the atmosphere and the people, it’s like vacation time for everyone and you expected a Jimmy Buffet loving character to be chatting it up everyday everywhere… (I even navigated a sticky conversation about the naming of the gulf, but I wasn’t here for an argument, and the Lord gave me an apt witty reply. Thank you Lord for restoring the peace.)

Yes, I am enjoying this decompression week. I came to Florida for peace, yes to BE the flamingo, and be pretty peaceful in pink like a feathered friend fluttering along, while sunblocking not to get too pink in skin. I was fine in the water once I got used to it. Actually it was great, white quartz sand, smooth high tide tiny waves, safety in lifeguards and flat beach that stretched out gloriously. 

In the water, looking at the horizon and the sun and the blue sky, I said to myself and in Praise to the Lord: “Jesus, You Calmed my Sea, here in Sarasota Key.”

I know the Lord gave me this peace. 

The Lord also gave me a good few chats with snowbird people in the water, we are people who like to connect… and at lunch I got to chat with another (a local) and actually give my testimony (7 minute version) of how God changed my life… it’s in that moment when God opened a window of opportunity, I could hear God say: Hey Flamingo, witness while you walk…

Yes.

Yes, a flamingo is striking in the visual in pink, even when quietly walking, or at least being one of the birds which the Lord takes care of. God takes care of us too, very much so. We are also to walk in JOY, the JOY of the Lord.

I wrapped up my vacation day in the pool and hot tub. My friend mentioned that Flamingos need to walk, that if they don’t move enough they will get depressed and die… oh… yes we also need to move, to interact, to be, to praise, to know God gives us good stuff, grace too.

And let us witness our JOY while we walk.

Amen 

Also the farmer’s market is awesome.

Mark 4:35-41 NIV Jesus Calms the Storm
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”