THE JOURNEY VICTORIOUS

I know … I was supposed to update this blog the day I arrived in Houston/Galveston. It was my plan to update the blog immediately, but for anyone who knows me, the ocean trumps all other activities. There was an ocean, folks …

Getting there

Okay, so I arrived in Houston one week ago today. It was May 5^th and I arrived late in the afternoon. The reason I visited Houston was to attend a career fair at Lakewood Church in Houston. I had applied for a job with the church a few weeks prior but I was not selected for an interview.

I stream Lakewood Church services live through YouTube, and it was at the end of service three weeks ago where I saw the announcement for the career fair. I knew I had to book a flight and get to Houston because a normally closed door was going to be open for a very short amount of time.

As for sleeping, I was going to the beach. I stayed on Galveston Island where I enjoyed every minute of my days and nights listening to and looking at the ocean.

The ocean addiction

An ocean girl from the womb, I am attached to the great sea. Nothing reaches in and grabs me like the ocean. It is not even the beach. I am not a sun worshiper and I rarely lay on the beach. It is the ocean all the way with me.

When I was a kid, my parents and my siblings and I were always at the New Jersey shore. I later lived 13 years with the ocean as my front yard at the Torrance Beach in Southern California. I pray with all my might that one day I am again blessed with living at the ocean.

So that is why I did not update this blog while I was in Galveston … I was at the beach!! I was at the ocean day and night, as my laptop sat lonely.

During the four days I was in Texas, I was in Houston only during takeoff and landing and then while I was at Lakewood Church.

The amazement of Lakewood Church

My Lakewood Church experience was amazing. I met a couple of very nice women at the career fair and I was blessed with a second row, right in the middle seat during service. It does not get a whole lot better than that, let me tell you.

As service began and the worship band appeared, I learned quickly that this band is even better in person than through an Internet connection. And of course, being up close with Pastor Joel Osteen was an incredible experience.

The picture of all pictures

After service ends, Pastor Joel meets with any person who would like to meet him. He will sign anything a person would like for him to sign. He does not personalize the signature, but he signs and that is what is important. I had him sign my new pink Bible on the inside page.

During the brief conversation one gets with him, security agents take photos of him speaking to who is next in line. He does not pose for the pictures, because there are just too many people waiting in line.

The agent takes the person’s phone or camera before Pastor Joel reaches the next person and the agent snaps away during each conversation. My phone is a Samsung Galaxy 7 Edge and anyone who has a phone with a curved screen knows the screen can be difficult to control if one is not used to the curves.

I remember telling the security agent when he took my phone that the screen was very sensitive, and this is especially true because the agent handles more than one phone/camera at a time. It is a well-run function of these services.

It was such a pleasure to speak with Pastor Joel and to get to say the things I have wanted to say to him for a number of months. His wife Victoria, who is also a pastor, was not in attendance during service. I asked him to tell her that I was sorry she was not feeling well. It was a disappointment not to see her, but I understand life happens.

Before I left the building, I wandered around for a few minutes to take some pictures and I decided to take a look at the pictures the security agent took of Pastor Joel and me. Well, low and behold, there were no pictures on my phone.

I ran back and the security agents let me go to the end of the line.

“Oh, it’s you again,” Pastor Joel said with a big smile when he reached me for the second time. I told him what had happened and he posed with me for new pictures. I was the only one that night to get a posed picture with him. Naturally, I will cherish the picture forever.

Pastor Joel’s weekend message was about receiving the “Commanded Blessing.” I had received the commanded blessing Saturday evening, right then and there. All night I felt like a rock star and thankfully my very good friend Lisa was watching live and got to see me a number of times.

Having to go back home

I arrived in Houston on a Friday. Saturday evening was the service and I left Houston Monday, almost early evening. I was fortunate enough to have spent an incredible amount of time at the ocean.

Now, a week later, I am dreaming of Lakewood Church and Galveston, and I am wishing there was a way for me to move to Galveston. I would love to either work for Lakewood Church or work for myself on the Island. We will see what God has in mind for me and if Galveston is a place He will allow to live and work.