CMO 66: 61 Years Old. Now what!?

 

Sixty-one years old and what do I have to show for the blessing of living this long? How much, if anything, have I done to truly glorify God and advance the greater good? How much have I truly loved, known, and served God by loving, knowing, and serving my neighbor? How many friends or family did I turn away because of sin beginning with pride?

How do I reconcile what my middle son recently told me when he said, "You're always busy!" Do I give the appearance that I am so busy that I cannot or would not make time for my children or anyone else for that matter? I thought I made it clear that I am never too busy if and when they truly need me and if it is within my capacity blessed to me by God to assist them.

I have no intention of wallowing in self-pity as I have been prone to do in times past. I want to learn from my experiences so I may witness the opportunity that is being provided at this moment and move forward in accordance with God's plan--not backward.

Prayer and the sacraments, the Church, and the wisdom of the saints are what I need to push through this muck and fight the good fight. This may sound cornball, but..."My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord...His truth goes marching on!"

It does me no good to claim that I trust in Jesus and then do everything but trust in Jesus. How does that prayer go...

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

"Trust often results from consistency. We tend to have the most trust in people who are there for us consistently through good times and bad." (H. Craig, 03/04/2019, Ten Ways To Build Trust In A Relationship.)

I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus has remained consistently at my side during both the good and challenging times of my life journey. God has never let me down. 

Never.

It was me who let myself down. But that can change. I can change. I start by NOT looking back at who I was but who I am and thinking (and praying) about where I can go from here.

So, I messed up. What sinner doesn't on his or her way to becoming a saint? I need to stop measuring success against the success of others because where they are and where I am is always in accordance with God's will. 

Instead of focusing on the misfires or the fatigue or whom I have unintentionally not made time for in the pursuit of my understanding of God's will for me, my focus must be on the trust I have in Christ that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing, and trusting that, in the end, He will say to me, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

That has to be enough for me.

THIS N THAT!

1. Congratulations to my brother in Christ, Diogo, on the purchase of his new home. May God continue to bless him and his loved ones as he marches forward in the service of those neighbors God brings into his seasonal journeys in accordance with God's will. Amen.
2. I continue to pray for the safe return of a cherished "relic" that was accidentally removed from a group meeting on Saturday, April 1st. 
3. Bro. G left on a business trip to Utah on Sunday. He is scheduled to return Thursday evening. Safe journey, brother!
4. Praise Report: I am happy to report that the following items at home have been repaired: The front porch light, the front doorknob and deadbolt, and the toilet in the guest bathroom. I wish to thank our neighbor Randy for assisting with these projects.
5. Speaking of projects: I plan to begin the exodus of "having too much stuff" from the garage and attic soon. I also plan to relocate all the books that I have in the house onto shelves in the garage. They may get dusty over time but at least they will be in one location where I need them when I want them. The goal is to read as many of the books as I can before sharing those books with others and keeping back just the ones that are truly meaningful or personal to me. I also hope to repaint the guest bathroom and if possible, replace the sink cabinet, the vanity lights above the sink, and the tub faucet and fixtures. 
6. I am praying that we will find a way to finance a small storage building and gazebo in the backyard complete with landscaping and a cement pad for a permanent barbecue so we may finally enjoy the beautiful backyard we have been blessed with. I am still praying for a storm shelter to be put in the garage and a small pool that we can enjoy during the summer months. God's will be done.
7. Woo Hoo! First weight loss goal met. I was attempting to lose 2 lbs. I lost 2.6 lbs. The next goal is to lose 3.2 lbs. in order to get back down to the weight I was on April 5th. After that, the race is on! Dr. G asked during my April 27th to lose 15 lbs. I still have an uphill battle but I know I can do this [with the grace of God] of course!
8. The Website: I know Bro. G believes I should continue with the website, but I cannot help but wonder how much good having a website is serving the end goal? I suppose it is because I want to be a good steward of what little financial assistance I receive by investing those finances in areas that will yield some sort of a return. I will pray on this matter.
9. TMI? Maybe, but I am going to say it anyway? It is time to refresh the unmentionables drawer. Simple, basic, and fresh out of the package is my preference. It is always the little things in life that provide the biggest smiles. At least for me, they do.
10. I am happy to report [a second praise report] that prayers have been answered. My youngest son [Josh] is feeling better. May the Father in Heaven always be praised in good times and during challenging times? Amen.

Monday Night Movie: I had an opportunity to watch "Cimarron" (1960) starring Glenn Ford and Maria Schell on Monday evening. According to Mattias Thuresson, "Cimarron" is an epic saga of a frontier family, which begins with the Oklahoma Land Rush on April 22, 1889. The Cravat family builds their newspaper business (Oklahoma Wigwam) into a business empire and Yancey "Cimarron" Cravat is the adventurer-idealist who, to his wife's anger, spurns the opportunity to become territorial governor since this means helping to defraud the Native Americans of their land and resources. 

I enjoyed the movie. On a scale of 1-10 reels, I give "Cimarron" 8 reels. According to the IMDb website, In her memoir "Intermission," Anne Baxter said Glenn Ford and Maria Schell had become very close during production, but by the time the movie premiered in Oklahoma, the two were not speaking to each other. Actors! You gotta love them!

Yes, that is the same Anne Baxter who played "Neferteri" In Cecil B. DeMille's, "The Ten Commandments (1956).

Friend's Challenge:

I think the better way to respond to my friend's challenge is via this online journal and the WordPress blog. That will save production time and pointless musings on my part. The challenge was to speak about whatever is on my mind or in my heart but to do so unscripted. 

I attempted to meet that challenge in the last couple of videos by answering my friend's question about who I was [in the past], who did I want to be, and who am I today. I didn't really know if I answered his question(s) to his satisfaction in the first video but he seemed fairly satisfied with Monday's video.

Let me see if I can answer those questions here.

Who was I [in the past]?

The short answer to this question is true today as it was in the past--I am me...Carlos Salcido Padilla Jr. While much has happened over the course of 61 years and two additional names, not to be confused with the multiple nicknames I have been called over the years, I am still the same Carlos today that I was when I popped out of my mother's womb.

Poor mother. She said that my birth caused her the most pain of all of my siblings. It figures (he says with a chuckle.) I felt horrible about that when my mother first mentioned it to me years ago. But all is well. She told me not to take it to heart because that was what happens during childbirth. Mom said that she saw it as an "omen" later on in life meaning that I was most likely going to struggle through life; have a rough road ahead. Man, was she spot on. Still, it has been a good life.

Now, if my friend is asking if I am the same Carlos that I was back in the day, the answer is yes and no. But isn't that true for all of us? What I thought was important back in the day oftentimes isn't so important today.

However, some things don't change.

I still believe in punctuality and doing one's best to keep their word. I still believe that a handshake is just as good as what is written in a contract but the way the culture is today, it is probably best to have a good attorney and a contract (he says with a smile).

I still believe in arriving to any appointment on time or early which means I usually leave an hour before just to be on the safe side. I believe in showing respect for all people, especially those in a position of authority [I am respecting the office or institution sometimes more than the person in the position because you know how we humans can be sometimes]; and those older than me because they possess wisdom or experience that I have not yet attained, acquired, or experienced. I learn a great deal when I listen to their life journey experiences.

I still enjoy [today] as I did in the past listening to people share their stories and experiences, especially the elderly which I now am.

Faith and the Catholic Church are just as important to me today as it has in the past. The difference is that I understand my faith a little better today than I did in the past. My belief in and love for God has never wavered except for that time in 1984 following the suicide death of a very close friend whom I met while in the seminary. Not to worry, God intervened and set me straight and all has been well since that time. Well, except for stupidity and sin. Thank goodness for the sacrament of Reconciliation.

I still believe in dressing well [in accordance with the occasion] from head to toe. Everything, including my underwear, must be clean and in good condition. If not, "Houston, we have a problem!"

I still believe that I am entitled to nothing that has not been earned through experience, education, training, the wisdom of others, etc. I have always believed that when an employer accords me the privilege [and that is what it is] to work for them it is with the understanding that our relationship can come to an end at any time for whatever reason and because of that, I always thank them for the opportunity to have worked for them, the new skills I may have acquired while on the job, shake their hands and move on.

What was it Dad told me one time, "When you lose, lose graciously." He was right.

Anyway, I can go on but why put you to sleep. Let's just say that who I was (yesterday) and who I am today (are one and the same) except that the "today" me is a much better Carlos than the "yesterday" me because of all the lessons learned and wisdom gained over the course of this life journey.

Who I wanted to be was me...Carlos, except professionally I wanted to be a doctor, teacher, or priest. In many ways, I actually believe I became or am those three professionals just not in the way that I thought I would be. See, it's all in how you look at things.

Who am I today? Well, I think I answered that question. Okay, moving on to the next question.

Carlos, of all the chores you had to perform back in the day, which is the one chore you disliked most, and which, if any, do you dislike today?

Those are easy to answer. The one chore is had a strong disdain for back in the day was pulling weeds. If I disliked anything, it was when Dad would tell me or my brother Frank and me to pull weeds. As for today, I dislike cleaning the bathroom and doing laundry, but hey, if I don't do it, who will?

If you have a question you would like me to answer on the air or in my blog post, feel free to write or text me at 918-280-8920 or carlosmichaelcommunications@gmail.com

That's it for today folks! Have a great today. Remember to love God with all your everything and be a great neighbor.