Waking up and deciding on what church to go to is one of the coolest things that I think we are allowed to do. Something I never have had to do, as I have always just walked 20 feet behind my house, found a pew and sat down to listen to several different men over my life. However, being on your own, you have to chose to do this, and I am glad I live in a place that allows me to do just this.
Today I attended Coral Gables Congregational church for the second Sunday in a row. I really do like this church. It is the most like home, which can be a good thing or a bad. Today, as we walked in, we were told it was "Green Sunday" as they practice things to save the environment such as not using paper bulletins and reducing light usage. However, when we got there it bulletins were handed out and the lights were glowing. It was a surprise service for the pastor, as it was the 30th anniversary for her ordination. Her family, friends and past colleagues were all present to celebrate this occasion. It was a great service, but I think it would have been even better had I known the pastor a bit better. One of the speakers and her close friends was the President of the University of Miami. She was the U.S. Secretary of Health with the Clinton administration. It was cool to see someone with this power coming to church to recognize and celebrate such a great mark in this pastors life.
After a longer service than normal and sitting through service with a broken flip-flop, I slid out of church because I could not walk normal. The flip-flop "popped" during a hymn not allowing me to walk normal. It was rather embarrassing to try and walk to great people, but I did what I had to do.
Our house, along with Miss Alicia, the other Caucasian at YLC, cooked lunch at our house. Chicken Shishcabobs (or however you spell it). It was an awesome lunch followed by an awesome afternoon at the beach. Several of us spent the day in South Beach, walking through the city and laying on the beach while the others stayed back and watched the Dolphins game with some old friends. The beach was awesome, as it was not hot enough to be miserable out. Sometimes the sun is so direct there that you just fry. It was a prefect day to lay out there though and watch people. People such as the lesbian couple that was kissing, the homeless women laying on the sidewalk and calling the policeman that was trying to move her some profane words, and a man carrying a 5-foot albino python. You always run into some different people in that part of the city, but it is awesome to see the different cultures and people represented in such a small area. You never have any idea the stories or lives that have been lived that are now crossing paths with your life on the beach.
Right at sunset, I saw some dorsal fins swimming out in the water, telling my room mates to watch out for the sharks out there as they were taking off for the water. Of course they didn't believe me, yet, when the people sitting around us started saying the same things, they watched for a bit. Suddenly, groups of dolphins were jumping and swimming as they and the pelicans were feeding there close to the beach. What an awesome night to see God's creation as the sun rays were coming over the buildings in the background and the lightning bolts were coming out of the heavens above the ocean. All forms of natural light were just being illuminated over the water, and it was a spectacular view. God is so good!
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