“Walking not only strengthens the muscles and bones and is good for the heart and digestion, it also relaxes the mind and soothes the spirit. And it doesn’t cost a thing. All you need is a pair of comfortable shoes (essential) and a dog (optional). So what are you waiting for? Take at least three long walks a week, and you’ll be hooked” (Anonymous).

I know from my own experience that walking ‘is good…for the digestion’ of food. I have also discovered that drinking a cup of water before a mug of tea aids digestion to, or to put it more specifically, helps overcome constipation. By the way, I am ‘hooked’ on tea, I drink a lot of the stuff and so, well I won’t go into the finer details…

Experience tells me that I agree with the anonymous quote above but it doesn’t help those who can’t do as said because of their being housebound for some reason, perhaps through physical disability or a phobia of some sort.

It seems to me that the experience of walking by those able to could be used as a blessing to those who are not, especially the housebound. The caring person then becomes their eyes and ears for a while by visiting the person unable to go out for and benefit from long walks. It’s a mystery to some extent, yet none the less true, that a feeling of happiness can transfer to another person when shared.

Yet, I do not believe that a person ‘with’ physical disability or a phobia should be labelled as ‘miserable’. Those I know like this have blessed me/made me happy by the sharing of their experiences of using their gifts with me, these in some way ironically fostered by their condition, such as by their positive outlook on life, determination to get what they need and to give what others need to them, their humour or realistic ironies shared, and their creativity of craftwork, such as: poetry, needlework, painting, music and other forms.

Our gifting of skills, talents and experiences are from God and are surely of God in their proper use. If we realize, LORD God help us, that every person has something to give and receive and then do something to actualize this, then, are we not in fact walking with God? By blessing others you know that God is with you as sharing our blessings multiplies blessing Jesus’ parable of the talents like, and the source of all blessing is God.

I do hope that you have found this article interesting and if you give what I have said some further thought I will be very pleased because I believe that you will be blessed if you do. I have not always shared my thoughts because of anxiety problems and low self esteem. But I have come to realize from experience that people have benefited when I have shared my thoughts with them and I know also that the act of sharing breaks down barriers between myself and others that had caused isolation between us, and my self-esteem rises when I share what is going on inside of me with others.

I hold a certain level of positive esteem for the human right to respect for who we are and what we do and for the freedom of speech to share this with others. I do not, however, respect acts of terrorism, but wonder that if all people afforded one another the time and space to share what is going on inside them, they could get to the root causes and negotiate contracts that peacefully respect and meet one another’s needs, that terrorism might become a thing of the past. By the same token war might become a thing of the past.

I would like to hear your views on these matters and I will pray for your needs whatever they are.

I am soon going to meet my fiancée and take her for a Valentines day meal. I may pay for it totally or perhaps we will share the bill between us, I don’t know, we will talk it over.

I wish you a happy Valentines day.

May you know Love deep within you and may God give you grace to share this with others.

God bless.