“See the Bible not as a repository of abstract doctrines but as a source of timely narratives that continue to shape our world today.” Center for Action and Contemplation

For centuries theologians have debated what it is exactly that Christians must believe in order to call themselves Christians. Typically, “right doctrine” has risen to head of the class. Do you believe in what is written in either the Apostle’s or Nicene Creeds? If so, you too have risen to head of the class. If not… oops… it may be the Highway to Hell.
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“Hell hath no fury like an inconvenienced American.” Unknown

I laughed uproariously when Terry Hershey told me the quote above after about one year of Covid and the quarantines. The reason it is so funny is that it is so true. We Americans do not do well with being inconvenienced.
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“Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow.” Charlie

I am not at all suggesting that you put off that which absolutely must be done today. I virtually never miss a real deadline. I deliver! Although, in truth, there are indeed a very few things that absolutely must be done today. In the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, I rank among those more prone to relying on “guidelines” rather than “deadlines.
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“Nothing sublimely artistic has ever arisen out of mere art … There must always be a rich moral soil for any artistic growth.” G.K. Chesterton 

Oh, to find the comfort zone of feeling settled in a new venue.

So here I am in my nearly year-long wait to return for three weeks to the untainted city of Lisbon, Portugal. I say “untainted” because it has yet to fall prey to the influences of the West, especially the “US West.” The architecture is magnificent without needing to be “restored,” still with the beauty of age and creativity and the influences of several historical cultures, largely from the Moors.
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“There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range risks of comfortable inaction.” John F. Kennedy

I went to a Gala—a significant fundraising event.

Men in stylish suits and woman dressed in high fashion. Dozens of enviable yachts adorned the view of one window of the ballroom and the rest decorated for the fine tastes of the elite. Although the room smelled a bit of big money it also carried the surreptitious odor of insecurity.
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“What we call the beginning is often the end / And to make an end is to make a beginning. / The end is where we start from.” T.S Eliot, Little Gidding, from Four Quartets

Shuttered at home has initiated an expanded breadth of my reading list to books I had little interest in reading previously. Among those books included the poetry of T.S. Eliot, two of whose books are considered literary classics, The Wasteland and Four Quartets.

One of the beauties of great literature is that relevance is not limited to designated times of personal history. They are indeed eternal in their applicability.
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Take Google Maps or Waze. On the one hand, they amplify human ability – you are able to reach your destination faster and more easily. But at the same time, you are shifting the authority to the algorithm and losing your ability to find your own way. Yuval Noah Harari

Okay, I confess. I am addicted… to maps. Yes, I am addicted to maps in my car. I even use Waze when I know where I’m going. Although I may not require directions, I like to know the time it will take to reach my destination.

Obviously, maps offer more than direction. Essentials like predictability, serenity and confidence are common features associated with maps. And when I say “essential,” I mean it.
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“My expectations were reduced to zero when I was 21. Everything since then has been a bonus.”
― Stephen W. Hawking

I write this post on a plane from LA to Maui. Naturally thoughts concerning the vacation have crossed my mind every now and again—but not frequently. I think that is so for two reasons: (1) I travel a lot so this is not unique, and (2) I really have no grandiose expectations of Hawaii. I have been there several times. At 70 years old come Monday the 16^th, the idea of showing my body in swimming trunks next to a pool is not very appealing, the laid back Hawaiian persona is not as attractive as it once was, I have no interest in Hawaiian shows, boat trips, or not even that much interest in snorkeling—which once was a grand joy.

Why Go on a Trip You Don’t Care About?

So, why, I’m sure you ask am I going to Hawaii for vacation? Easy. Pam and I are very busy with our work and commitments. This trip required minimal planning, it is only ten days, and the cost is reasonable—Pam is great at “finding deals!” The wedding of our son Austin and his ever so delightful fiancée Maggie, seems to consume enough time and energy to prevent delving into the details of planning the kind of trip we might usually take—Japan or Europe or even southeast Asia.

Last week, a friend asked if I was excited to go on this trip. He was surprised when I responded with, “No, I’m just going and I’ll wait to see how it turns out.” I have almost no expectations so the adventure can only get better. Since I expect little, something enchanting will be a pleasant surprise.

The Wonder of “Wait and See”

And then that go me thinking: what if we approached life in more of a “wait and see” mode instead of always expecting or hoping that whatever it is we are doing will be great? “Great” is a most difficult expectation to meet. But when we are only simply expect some type of “experience” it is much more difficult to be disappointed because the experience we expect is not laden with hopes or desires.

Your life can be full. It can be pleasant. It can be great or… not so great. Nevertheless, it can still be full once you understand the power of fully embracing the present moment. Things like riding on an airplane and observing people, watching movies, reading or writing, or chatting with my wife as she attempts to connect with Wifi in the sky. (Nightmare.) Hahaha. Just another travel story to tell.

So, I do look forward to this trip after all. Perhaps more than any other to Hawaii because I look for nothing, expect little, and accept whatever may come my way.

Surprise Comes When You Least Expect It

Photo courtesy of MichaelJust at istockphoto