Hmmm...

...Well, I contacted my "long-lost & M.I.A." spiritual director, and he's still "missing in action."
Either way, I left a message for him to check out the stuff I write here, since I don't want to be stepping on anybody's big toes.
Let's face it: I'm no authority of any kind in regards to these spiritual or religious things I try to explore here.
The only authority I'm following as of right now is my conscience and I am hoping it is (or at least somewhat is) in tune with the Holy Spirit's Will.
Having said that, since I am also just another human being, my thoughts could very well be flawed, or not always explained properly in the sense that I mean it (part of that problem goes back to me being bi-lingual and multi-cultural, so that an expression in one country comes out differently in another) --> hence the search for some input from a trustworthy and experienced source, as well as from someone who knows me quite well.
Not that I want all that I write here to be censored.
I just want the Theological and Historical aspects that I provide within my thoughts or musings here to be more or less accurate.
In part, I really want this because it will continue to educate me as well as you, the reader.
And yet, I want to provide all this without losing authenticity, integrity and my (hopefully) down-to-earth simple approach.....as a "learner", or "disciple", who will never know it all until the day I die.
(And even then it will be up to God to fill in the blanks.)

So I guess we will see if I can get any "authority" figure to help me out here. ;-)

Either way, the spider bite is hardly visible anymore, and I will be walking for a Charity Walk this weekend. The proceeds will benefit the Rett Syndrome Foundation and the walk will be about four and a half miles long.
That's not too bad.
I've done quite a bit of walking lately, and although I personally don't see the physical results yet in regards to my figure, my scale has detected some weight loss, so that's a good thing.
I plan to keep on walking and do some extra exercises as well as keep up with the diet goals I have set for myself.
These aren't major changes to diet, but minor ones which should have a major impact, for example: no extra snacks unless it's fruit or vegetables. Cut down on Caffeine (instead of two to three cups of coffee, I plan on only having one in the morning --> after that: just water, herbal tea, or juice mixed with water), try to avoid restaurant food (which is usually loaded with fat, sugar and salt).
Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that I will continue one of my favorite pastimes: turn up the volume and dance! There's nothing like jumping around the house like a "lunatic" to get your metabolism going and those endorphines up and running! Hahahahaha!! :-)

Obviously, I will keep the blinds down for that. Ahem. ;-)

All fun aside, it just generally feels good to be active, in one way or another. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, and I think that's pretty important.
There's a saying: If you don't use it, you lose it.
If you don't use your muscles, they will eventually atrophy.
If you don't use your skills, you will forget how to use them.
If you don't exercise your rights, you may soon not have them anymore.
If you don't make an effort to desire, want and practice love, you may lose the ability to love.
If you don't strive for eternity and a spiritual life, it will ellude you.
(simply put: you may never understand what it's about until you're faced with it --> and whether you want to or not right now: you WILL have to face it one day).

If you don't communicate with those you've called your friends, they will no longer know how to communicate with you.
I suppose that's okay, if that's what you want (or what God may desire for you), but is it really what you or God wants?

Sometimes (quite often, actually) we have a tendency to avoid things or people which may seem difficult, emotionally or physically "charged" or challenging.
There's a perfect explanation for that: we sometimes DO need to set up boundaries regarding certain people and situations, because if we didn't, we'd be ignoring our own needs (I'm not speaking of "wants" or "desires" here, because a "want" or "desire" could be selfish and not an actual necessity for our functioning as a normal human being).
BUT: constantly avoiding these difficult, "charged" or challenging situations can also make us stagnant and stale....like the story about the salt becoming stale and no longer of any use to anyone. Salt with no flavor is bound to be spat out as soon as it touches the tongue.
So we need to discern when it is "okay"  or even desirable to face these situations and when not.

One good way to try to make a decision: ask yourself what God would probably want you to do. Ask yourself if you would be harming yourself (physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc) or anyone else (your family members should always come first when you make that evaluation), and if the outcome of the given situation or challenge is worth the potential damage, and what exactly are you trying to achieve, and for who?
Ideally, all should be done for the greater glory of God.
Why? Because as a child of God, He's your dad, He's your ultimate Family Member, He's your creator, He's the one who always will be with you. He's the one trying to direct your thoughts, He's the one who only wants the best for you, and He is and always will be your only true friend.
All you do, and ever can do, is only because HE has enabled, and willed you to do it.
So therefore, for righteousness sake, He deserves the credit and your Love.

I realize there are sometimes grey areas in our lives which doesn't make that kind of decision making all too clear. In such a case, if possible, hold off on making any major decisions or acting rashly.
If it is not possible, and you are required to act quickly, then allow yourself at least some time for a quick prayer and ask God for some common sense and some quick inspiration.
Sometimes our Lord will put you in a situation where you have no time to really think through the whole situation.
In such a case, He just wants to see you do the best you can, and He's testing to see where you're at in life.
Of course, He knows where you are at life, but He wants you to know it, too...!

If it was a bad decision, and yet He allowed you to make that decision: rest assured, He only allowed it so He could teach you a valuable lesson.
This may not sound like a consolation, but in fact: it really is.

If you make a correct choice, then all is well, and you may reap some fruit.

But sometimes when we make a bad choice ( even when we've prayed about it and were under the watchful eyes of God), He makes up for what we thought we had lost by allowing even more fruit to be harvested...

So although we should strive to make a correct choice, we should not be disheartened or become despairing just because we made a bad choice (or in the course of a life-time even possibly multiple bad choices)--> as long as we take that situation and hand it over to God.

Because when we do this, He will do the watering and fertilizing of that seed of good will  we have planted in His Garden. Occasionally, He may ask us also to water and fertilize that seed. But He never asks anything which He doesn't oversee or knows we can't do.
That then, results in the abundant fruit.
That "seed of good will" is the Faith, Trust and Love we put into Him, which results in our sharing those virtues, deeds and hopes with others and accepting them also within our own beings.

That's my interpretation anyhow.
What are your thoughts? Please share below in the "comment" box! Your comment will be posted as soon as I read and approve it. I have chosen this option so anybody who wants to leave me a private or confidential message, may do so, without the whole world immediately seeing it all. (If you mention that it's confidential or don't want it to be posted, I won't approve it for posting, but will only read it and proceed as needed).

In line with all I've written lately and today, today's Mass Reading seems to be very fitting (and interestingly enough, I got to read this reading at Mass today....I could have not tried to express myself better; In these regards, St. Paul really knows how to express what I currently feel):
 2 Corinthians 11:1-11 :

"Brothers and Sisters:
If only you would put up with a little foolishness from me!
Please put up with me.
For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God, since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere and pure commitment to Christ.
For if someone comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough.
For I think that I am not in any way inferior to these "superapostles."
Even if I am untrained in speaking, I am not so in knowledge;
in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

Did I make a mistake when I humbled myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the Gospel of God to you without charge?
I plundered other churches by accepting from them
in order to minister to you.
And when I was with you and in need,
I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs.
So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.
By the truth of Christ in me,
this boast of mine shall not be silenced
in the regions of Achaia.
And why?
Because I do not love you?
God knows I do! "

AMEN!!

XP