Due to the upcoming Veterans Day holiday on Wednesday I present to you a very special Monday night edition of ‘My Fantastic Journey’.
8 years ago during the weeks and months following the terrorist attacks of September 11TH 2001 P.O.D.’s “Alive” was emerging on the radio airwaves as the ‘feel-good’ song of the season. It was sort of like the anthem to our recovering and reunited nation at the time. We felt so alive as a free nation after being brutally attacked by cowardly terrorists.
8 years later as a follower of Jesus Christ I look at the lyrics to this song in a much different perspective:
Sunshine upon my face
A new song for me to sing
Tell the world how I feel inside
Even though it might cost me everything
Now that I know this is beyond my control
‘Cause I could never turn my back away
Now that I see You
I can never look away
I’m chasing daylight, and I’m truly alive now with The Holy Spirit deep within my mind, heart, and soul. I’m sharing my Life via this blog to anyone who cares to follow along even though I’m routinely labeled as an extreme radical right-wing religious nutjob by the mainstream media and its puppet followers. Lord Jesus I will never look away. I will always follow You !
- The ongoing ‘Misfortune Cookie’ message series continued this morning.
- It was all about kids and the parents that lead them.
- Many kids today are not led, as they are left to fend for themselves.
- These unled kids are likely to be lost to the world as they grow up.
- God calls all parents to lead their children to be wise and godly.
- God calls all children to be wise and give joy to their parents.
- “Do as I say – not as I do” is not leadership, but rather a lame cop-out.
- Lessons are caught – not taught.
- Some people of the world would love Jesus if it weren’t for His followers.
- Many of His followers are simply not leaders in their families or their jobs.
- Any given church is a mere one generation away from being extinct.
- Lead your children.
- If you have no children then lead a ministry in God’s Great Kingdom.
Today’s message was based on the following Scriptures out of The Good News: Proverbs 23:24-25, Matthew 19:29, 1 Corinthians 7:6-7, 35, Psalm 78:1-8.
1 Corinthians 7:6-7, 35: 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.
This morning was the unexpected final appearance of Jesse and Reina Santoyo at Life Pointe Church.
Jesse – I remember when you first arrived here and joined our church family some 29 months ago. You eagerly took over as the new leader of our ’Praise & Worship’ band. Your leadership as the leader of the band, a leader of our church family, and a leader in God’s Great Kingdom has truly inspired me to grow to be a greater Disciple on His fantastic journey for me. Thank You for being a friend and a leader to me, and Thank You for sharing your Life with me via your blog. Go forth to something bigger and better. Let God show you the way like only He can and will. Lead Reina, Diego, Zion Max, and the rest of Los Santoyos to a brighter daylight. May God Bless You and Yours forever mi amigo. Keep in touch dude !
Whenever the first two weeks of November roll around I think of cooler and drier weather, the upcoming holiday season, and The United Kingdom.
Cold fronts from the northwest are sweeping through America’s Riviera for the first time since last Spring dropping temperatures down below 72°F on a nearly nightly basis.
Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day are all within the next 8 weeks. Season’s Greetings Everyone !
These first two weeks of November also remind me of my two-year stint living in The United Kingdom serving as a young airman in the USAF. It was 24-years-ago this weekend that I departed stateside and arrived on British soil on my own to begin duty at my first permanent duty station. I served my country for two years in the U.K., and I took in all of the mid-1980s British and European culture at the time. It was a fun fun time for me and my friends that I spent it with. Good Times Forever.
22-years-ago next weekend I left the U.K. behind en route to my follow-on duty station at the original Homestead Air Force Base. Some time later on in my Life I plan to return to the U.K. to check up on the land across the sea I left behind.
Back in June of 1987 English novelty act The Firm scored one of the most unusual songs to ever hit # 1 on a major national hit music chart. It was a # 1 radio smash for 2 weeks all across The British Isles, and its unprecedented mainstream success reached deep into the European continent eastward into Asia and southward into Australia.
Here’s the original-length music video of that multi-continental # 1 smash, and it’s all about the legendary “Star Trek” television series from 20 years earlier:
31 years ago towards the end of 1978 Disco singer-songwriter Alicia Bridges was the star of one of the hottest hits on the radio and in the roller discos. She co-wrote this long-running gold-certified TOP 5 Disco smash that spent more than 7 months on the Billboard Hot 100.
Here now are the spiritual lyrics to “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)”:
And here’s Alicia Bridges performing it via an early-form music video:
- It’s been a dark and gloomy day thus far here in America’s Riviera.
- One-third to two-thirds of an inch of rain has already fallen.
- It’s because of a cold front that’s currently draped over us.
- On the other side of the cold front it’ll be sunny, windy, cool, and dry.
- We could actually see wind gusts in excess of 35 MPH this weekend !
- Hold on to your wigs and keys !
- As you probably know by now I’ve been sick at home with a bad cold.
- I haven’t gone outside since I came inside from work on Tuesday afternoon.
- After a lot of laying and sleeping around I am now vertical and upright.
- I am on the slow road to recovery.
- I don’t expect to be 100% fully recovered until perhaps Sunday night.
- I hope to venture out later today to take the trash out and check the mail.
- This is the weekend of our big air show at the air base.
- It’s our first air show since the Spring of 1992.
- Check out all of the news that you can use at wingsoverhomestead.com.
- Yes – The USAF Thunderbirds will be there putting on a show.
- At the same time as the air show it’s the Miami-Dade Parks Ribfest 2009.
- See Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Blue Oyster Cult LIVE in concert !
- There’s a lot to do and see right here in Homestead this weekend.
- Go check them out and support our local businesses down here.
- You won’t regret it pal.
During the early weeks and months of my fantastic journey late in 2006 (once I actually realized and confirmed that I was on such a journey) I knew that I was stepping in to something really big. It was huge. It was radical. It was life-transformational. Call it what you will, but there’s just one clarification that I’d like to make before I move on any further. The word ‘was’. It ‘was’ back then, and it still ‘is’ today. It is really big. It is huge. It is radical. It is life-transformational. It is today, and it shall always be infinitely.
That euphoria that I experienced when my previous life died and a new Life – a Rebirthing – began ? That euphoria is today. The fact of the matter is this. No matter when you were rescued and saved by our Lord Almighty above – whether it be last night, last week, last month, last year, or 25 years ago – if you’re not even more excited about this life-transformation today as you were in the beginning - then you’re only fooling yourself. You’re certainly not fooling God. If there’s no overwhelming excitement and passion for our Lord Almighty Jesus Christ today – then you’re not really living. You’re dying.
Never ever forget where you came from – no matter how dark and evil it was. Reveal it all to God, and ask Him for His forgiveness. With both eyes on the road ahead proceed moving forward with vigor towards the light ahead on the fantastic journey that He created especially for you.
You gotta run from yesterday
Turn away from past mistakes
And leave them all behind
You’re holding on too tight
You gotta run from yesterday
Turn away from past mistakes
And just make up your mind
There is no better time
1. This was originally going to be a quick tweet from me, but then I decided to upgrade it to a full-blown ‘Grab Bag O’ Thought’. This happened on the way home from work this afternoon on Speedway Boulevard (Miami-Dade County’s SW 137TH Avenue in Homestead). One slow-moving vehicle (in this case a ’soccer-mom minivan’) can disrupt the normal flow of traffic on a single stretch of roadway for miles affecting dozens of motorists. I generally drive on the slow side. Typically out of every 10 vehicles on the road today 8 will pass me at any given time, and I will pass 2 of them. When I make note of a slow-moving vehicle then it must really be a slow-moving vehicle. These drivers are generally oblivious to the rush hour world around them. Just because you’re driving real slow does not necessarily mean that you’re driving real safe. It usually means that you’re being distracted while driving. Oh yeah - get out of the left lane !
2. Speaking of my car by chance this past Saturday morning I checked out that brand new car wash that recently opened up on Useless-One caddy-corner to The Big Cheese. I was their only customer at the time, and I got my car washed on the outside and cleaned and dressed on the inside. They took their time and did it right. My 6½-year-old car looks nearly sparkling new now on the inside. The ultimate results far exceeded my overall expectations. I plan to be a regular customer of them in the future. After I return home from my upcoming road trip I’ll be going back there for a wash and wax !
3. It’s Election Day here in Homestead, and I’m so glad that I’ve already voted via absentee ballot. I do it that way in lieu of being insulted at the voting precinct (inside and outside). It’s just so much more civil voting in the privacy of my own living room. On this day we’ve got the incumbant Mayor who’s a loose cannon, says what’s on her mind, and publicly degrades people along the way who she doesn’t agree with. Running against her for the job is a guy with a lot of experience in Homestead politics who’s (allegedly) got a short temper and gets into street fights with citizens (allegedly). I hesitantly voted for one of these candidates – not really for the person but really more as a vote against the other person.
4. Last Tuesday night in the ‘Grab Bag’ I mentioned the fact that I picked up several of 8 colds in 12 months from November 2007 to November 2008 at Starbucks. Once I stopped going there I stopped getting colds. This past weekend I went back there to pick up a package of VIA Ready Brew (instant coffee). I did so because it’s the most delicious instant coffee that I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. Fast forward to this afternoon, and I believe that I now have my first genuine cold in about a year. In defense of Starbucks though I don’t believe that I picked up this cold from there. I think I got the nasty germs earlier today from either Publix or our base gymnasium. I’ll be able to confirm the mere existence of this cold as soon as later tonight or tomorrow morning – especially if it gets worse.
5. Get ready for more seasonal (normal) temperatures around these parts of the free nation starting on Thursday and continuing through the weekend. Expect mid-afternoon high temperatures right around the 80°F mark and early-morning low temperatures deep down into the lower-60s with wind chills into the upper-50s. The humidity will be low, and the winds will be brisk and cool. Later in November I’m forecasting a major continental shift in the weather pattern (induced by El Niño) that will surge much colder air deep into Florida.
Be sure to check out my ‘Thursday Night Mini Thoughts’ in a mere 48 hours or less, and until then stay up-to-date with what I’m thinking and doing via my Twitter account.
Late this morning I enjoyed a hot and delicious Lunch courtesy of my all-time favourite take-out Chinese Food joint in the neighbourhood – Shanghai.
Here’s this week’s fortune cookie message:
- ‘Spectacular accomplishment is never preceded by less than spectacular preparation.’
I disagree somewhat with this one. You can over prepare for an event. The result can sometimes be just as bad – even worse – than a lack of sufficient preparation. Sometimes a little spontaneity can be that added touch that lifts something from standard to spectacular. Spectacular preparation is not always the key to success.
- Daylight Saving Time is done and over with, but some didn’t get the memo.
- A lot of people showed up an hour earlier than normal.
- Some people who normally attend the 2ND service went to the 1ST service.
- Hardly nobody was fashionably late for the 2ND service.
- 34 years and 8½ months ago I celebrated my first Communion.
- This morning during the 1ST service I led Communion for the first time ever.
- I was nervous while leading it, and I stumbled a few times.
- I think I over-practiced for it in a few areas.
- The next time you see me on stage at the 1ST service I’ll be hosting it all.
- That’ll be in two weeks on the 15TH of November.
- It’ll take me the next two weeks to prepare for it.
- Lead Pastor Travis J. led this week’s message.
- Jesus Christ is the Lord of our Life – and our Lifestyle.
- When a lot of us were saved by Him we suddenly got boring.
- We were once party animals, and then we became hermits.
- We should be just as jovial and outgoing today as we were yesterday.
- Everyone’s got excess baggage they don’t like to talk about.
- God heals all broken hearts and dreams.
- You’ve just got to reveal your baggage to Him so that He can heal you.
- If there’s no trust in a relationship then there’s no passion.
- If you totally trust God then you will be totally passionate towards Him.
- ‘If that doesn’t light your fire then your wood must be wet.’ – Travis quote
- It is never acceptable to degrade anyone on this journey.
- God made us exactly how He wanted us to be made.
- If you degrade one another then you are degrading God.
- Never hang your head down low in shame.
- Treasure yourself, and treasure God for creating you like so.
- I’d been personally degraded / abused many times during my previous life.
- I was told over and over again that I was nothing more than a reject.
- It happened as a little kid, as an older kid, and even as an adult.
- The degradation collectively affected who I was in this world for over 30 years.
- It shaped the man that I used to be.
- But then I was saved 38 months ago, as God pulled the dead man out of me.
- I’ve never been so alive.
- Thank You Lord Jesus for all that I have – and all that I am.
- It is all because of You !
Exactly 47 years ago on Halloween of 1962 the U.S. was engulfed in the Cuban Missile Crisis with the U.S.S.R. Luckily it was drawing to a close as the Soviets began dismantling and removing their missiles in Cuba as a result of a deal struck just a few days earlier by President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev.
Meanwhile on the radio Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers had the hottest smash on the airwaves, as their “Monster Mash” was riding high atop the Billboard Hot 100. Every year since then it’s been an annual tradition on the radio to signal the arrival of Halloween.
It hardly ever snows in Miami, but one time it did – and it made International news headlines. It was the notorious Winter of 1977 – statistically one of the coldest, windiest, snowiest, and most brutal winter seasons in modern recorded history east of the Mississippi River. Below freezing temperatures invaded virtually the entire great state of Florida, and snow dusted the ground deep into South Florida. Flurries were swirling in the air as far south as Miami, Miami Beach, and even Homestead on the morning of the 19TH of January of 1977. Snow mixed with freezing rain was even observed in The Bahamas on that historic morning !
The next day Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as our 39TH President Of The United States on a cold and sunny day in Washington D.C.
High atop the Billboard Hot 100 during both of these momentous events was this gem from British singer-songwriter Leo Sayer. It’s the biggest smash of his still-going 36-year music career, and it’s a Grammy Award winner. Here’s his gold-certified # 1 Disco smash - ”You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”.
- Let’s get spontaneous.
- Let’s be extreme.
- Only 56 more hours until Daylight Saving Time ends and Standard Time begins.
- I’m lookin’ forward to that.
- I’ll appreciate the hint of daylight on my way to work shortly after 6 AM.
- I wish we stayed on Standard Time all year long.
- It was another meeting-filled Thursday at work.
- I was in our conference room for about 3 hours of various meetings.
- It’s sort of like the boardroom on “The Apprentice“.
- I dig it because I never get fired.
- If you adore the hot and humid weather then this is your last gasp to enjoy it.
- More normal temperatures return next week with a series of cold fronts.
- I’m also expecting a major cooldown in about 2 to 3 weeks.
- I hinted about that on my Twitter account last night.
- Are you ready for an unusually chilly and wet winter season ?
- December, January, and February could be ridiculous around these parts !
- I’m lookin’ forward to much lower electric bills this winter.
- They typically average as much as 60% lower than during the summer months.
- I’m hoping to kickstart ‘The Major’s Walk-A-Thon’ on Saturday December 05TH.
- That’s where I walk around my neighbourhood early on Saturday mornings.
- I pray for my neighbours, enjoy God’s creations around me, and get healthy.
- Those are 3 things that I never did prior to the start of this fantastic journey.
- 3 weeks from tomorrow morning my long road trip to and from Texas begins.
- I plan to start packing up my car with odds and ends to take with me soon.
- The best part of it all is that I can bring whatever I feel like bringing.
- There is no charge for my luggage, and there is no weight limit.
- Sat. is Halloween for those of you that care enough to send the very best.
- I’ve got a special double feature for you here on the big scary blog.
- First in the morning it’s a special ‘Halloween Morning Shenanigans’.
- Then at night on ‘Retro’ we’re gonna do “The Monster Mash”.
- But before that tomorrow night is Disco night.
- I’ve got the # 1 smash in the U.S. the day Jimmy Carter became President.
- Be sure to check that out, and enjoy your upcoming weekend !
- Be safe, and turn around – don’t drown.
Are you loyal and faithful to God all of the time, most of the time, or some of the time ? If the answer is not ‘all of the time’ then you are cheating on Him, for His love for you is totally unwavering and unconditional – all of the time. His guidance and direction is always available – not just for a few hours on any given Sunday morning. You can always count on God to lead you by the hand and guide you to make the right choices in Life on your fantastic journey. You just have to believe in Him – not some of the time – not even most of the time. If you’re truly going to follow, obey, and believe in Him deep within your heart, mind, and soul then it must unquestionably be all of the time - not just when it’s convenient – not just when there’s people around to witness you – not just when your world is falling apart all around you. All of the time. Through the good times and the bad times. Always.
Lord Jesus. Up in Heaven. Begging. Pleading now. Intercede please. Show me how. If I could survive. If I was innocent. Would You take the blame for me ?
It’s the 102ND edition of the weekly ‘Grab Bag’ of my miscellaneous thoughts:
1. It’s not supposed to be in the lower-80s outside when we wake up early in the morning, and we shouldn’t have heat indices way up into the mid-90s late in the afternoon – during the final week of October ! This is not normal South Florida weather for this time of the year. If you want more normal weather then stick around. I see a very gradual cooling trend beginning this weekend with a noticeable cooldown in about 10 days. How much cooler ? Stay tuned !
2. I tend to accumulate a lot of loose change in one of the small compartments of my car. Sometimes it gets totally out-of-hand where if I were a real annnoying person I could actually buy an entire fast food meal for over $5 in all loose change – but I would never do that. What I try to do is to pick out about $0.75 or so in quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies so that I can use it for exact change whenever I walk in to a fast food joint or store. Whenever I do that it always seems like the total cost of my bill is so many dollars and 98 cents, so I end up using no change at all. When I don’t prepare in advance with loose change I end up getting a bill for something like so many dollars and 2 cents – or 14 cents – or 26 cents – or whatever so that I end up getting another pound of loose change. Make cents sense ?
3. For a whole year from November of 2007 through November of 2008 I suffered through 8 colds. It’s been nearly an entire year since then, and I can only remember one minor cold over the past 12 months – and even that one cold may not have actually been a real cold. There have been sick people and their nasty germs all around me everywhere I go, and yet I’ve miraculously stayed on the healthy side. I know though that it’s only a matter of time before the germs gather strength and invade my body like there’s no tomorrow – when I least suspect it no doubt.
4. One of the places that I now avoid as much as I can is Starbucks. It’s where I picked up at least several of those 8 colds from 2007 into 2008. Once I stopped going there (both locations – Homestead and Florida City) – the colds stopped. Nevertheless I have a dilemma to deal with now. Yesterday morning I tried this for the first time ever, and it was outrageously scrumptious. It was perhaps the most delicious instant coffee that I’ve ever tasted in my entire life. I want more now ! I may eventually find myself at a nearby Starbucks purchasing some more of them, or I may even buy some online.
5. 4 years ago this week we were dealing with the aftermath of the surprisingly devastating Hurricane Wilma. It was the most destructive hurricane to affect South Florida since Hurricane Andrew 13 years earlier. Water, power, and telephone service (mostly cell) was out in some areas in a wide swath of South Florida for up to a month, and traffic jams lined up at the rare gas stations and grocery stores that were actually open for business. Due to a blatant lack of preparation on my part I waited in line for gas for about 8 hours on one of those early days of the aftermath ! It seems like it’s been more than only four years since that chaos.
Be sure to check out my ‘Thursday Night Mini Thoughts’ later this week !
Thank You Mr. Gorbachev for your work leading to the teardown of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago today. YOU deserved YOUR Nobel Peace Prize ! Sent 36 minutes ago
It was a really hectic first day back at work since last Tuesday, but THAT'S where I belong during the work day - workin' for a livin' ! Sent 1 hour ago
Due to Veterans Day on Wed. I'm moving 'My Fantastic Journey' to Monday this week only. Tomorrow I've got a hard rocker from P.O.D. Sent 22 hours ago
I'm lookin' forward to goin' back to work in the AM. It's an unusual week due to Veterans Day on Wed. It'll be like 2 short 2-day weeks. Sent 22 hours ago
After an unplanned 5-day weekend from work (more like 'sick week' rather than 'weekend') it's back-to-work time for me in just 15½-hours. Sent 1 day ago
The first song I heard on the taxi's radio on the final miles to the air base ? - "Road To Nowhere" from The Talking Heads. How appropriate. Sent 1 day ago
This is the Sat. night every Nov. that I remember that long Transatlantic flight to London en route to my new home 90 miles west of there. Sent 1 day ago
