Prepare, don't make flight...

Several times in the scriptures it talks about leaving in flight or going by haste (D&C 133:15-But verily, thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him not look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.), but let all things be prepared in the Spirit.

In another verse, the scripture speaks of the "gathering in" of the saints: D&C 58:56-And let the work of the gathering be not in haste, nor by flight; but let it be done as it shall be counseled by the elders of the church at the conferences, according to the knowledge which they receive from time to time.

I have found though, the voice of authority on "moving too quickly" when Joseph Smith Jr. wrote in 1832: "I do not care how fast you run on the path of virtue... There is no danger in going too fast in that path" (spoken to a newly formed Relief Society in the upper room of his "red-brick-store").

What am I so defensive about? Am I fighting a war in which there is no opposing side? Do I seem like I'm going over the edge a little bit? I don't know... I hope that I haven't left the circle-of-saneness and ventured beyond those walls!

I'm not so much "justifying" myself or my actions as I am laying a framework where anyone who enters in can feel safe and protected from the comments coming from outside (even if the comments are only in my head...) Ok, it's me!!! How can I not feel self-conscious about aggressively chasing after a girl when I'm 31 (32 next month... :( and the girl that I'm actively pursuing (even though she is currently half-a-world-away) is only 23.

The thing is... I'm not in a panic-mode or acting like a crazy obsessive man (I don't think...). Things are just going to play out as the should and nobody is going to get the feathers ruffled as they witness the events play-out.

JPS