When on sabbatical, one ought to have both goals and an open questing spirit. There is a "way" into deeper understanding, just as there is a way "out" of our self-created miseries and petty fears.
But, if we hurry, or if we are too certain and determined, we hustle past a way we ought to have considered.
It is good to experience the new and unexplored, for in this we often find a viewpoint on our lives and our ministries that surprises and delights, sometimes inspires us.
But it is also grand to revisit places seen before. Here, the humble wooden cart that carried the slain body of Dr. King.
The old and the very old: Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. Taken on Ash Wednesday, 2012. These cathedrals and ruins are testament to the human quest for the holy and the good, seeking both beyond the world and within the soul. It is no small endeavor, nor does it go away by being ignored.
Here, most of what one needs to find truth.
This is my son, who is also my hero. He keeps working to find his path and he is following his dreams at last. Fishing off the Oregon coast in February is just one. To see him achieve this was monumental.
Spinoza.
It takes most of a lifetime and many false turns to see this....
And it can slip away unless carefully tended.
The Oregon Coast.
Innisfree has been a symbol of my dream for decades. It is a poem, a place, a notion, a fantasy, a vision of peace and harmony, sustainability and wholeness. It is a real place, in Ireland, an imaginary place, and the name of my farm in Washington County, Kentucky. It can never be fully realized, and that is why I love it!
It is also the name of this boat that my son encountered while following his dream. Serendipity and connection are in abundant supply. What is required is patience, discernment, and the willingness to be led rather than the willfulness that deludes us we are in charge.
Actor Mark Wahlberg:
I’m still appreciative of all the things that I’ve been able to do and the things I’ve been able to overcome and getting a second chance in this life is not something that comes easy, so I don’t want to do anything to mess it up,” he said. “People are always saying, ‘Just come out for one night.’ And I’m like: ‘For what? I’ve got everything I want.’ I’m so blessed and so fortunate. I start every day getting on my hands and knees, being grateful and working to do the right thing. If it all went away today, I’d be happy because of all of the things I got to experience and the things I’ve learned along the way.
