All Roads lead to Rome

And here I set my face towards home,

For all my pilgrimage is done,

Although, methinks, yon blood-red sun

Marshals the way to Holy Rome.

O Blessed Lady, who dost hold

Upon the seven hills thy reign!

O Mother without blot or stain,

Crowned with bright crowns of triple gold!

O Roma, Roma, at thy feet

I lay this barren gift of song!

From Oscar Wilde

Reflections Day 1

Spending most of the day flying and getting through customs was not what I would call exciting, but not as painful as could have been.   The Rome airport did not resemble anything to what we picture from map and internet searches, still finding Lauries was easy as she was right near where we discussed, once I found it.

Our driver was excellent, he gave us a mini tour as we drove to the hotel.  His English was Moderate but his Italian was impeccihleable, My Italian is horrible so its was more than a fair trade.  I am still sort of in awe as this is a promise I made to Laurie 30 years ago and it is finally happening.  Who would a figured eh!

Rome is mazing as there is such a mixture of modern and ancient, pagan and Christian, so busy, traffic sounds, police sirens, horns honking.

We arrived at the hotel, Antonio our host is magnificent, he is an Italian born and raised in London but he has lived in Rome the last 16 years, he makes us Cappichinos and we have a 45 minute conversation, he guides us as what to see, what to avoid and finds us maps and contact info for various activities.

The room is small but plush and gorgeous.  It is evening now, so after unpacking we take a small walk, the Colosseum is just a block away and it is our first stop.  There are a group of actors portraying centurions and Laurie is made Queen for an hour, it was very fun and entertaining.  We walk up towards the forum but most everything is shutting down for the day, it is getting cold, and I have been in the desert for the past months I have forgotten how cold feels. I am very quickly reminded.

We find a small café called the Gladitore, it is wonderful, the staff are very hospitable and we converse eat and drink tea.  Laurie is fading as she had the 20+ hours of flight.  Time to take her to rest and charge for day 2.

Roma

All ahead
Flight behind
Weary bones, Hungry eyes

A dream becomes Reality
As we discover Rome

The world once ruled
With a Roman hand
The home to which all roads lead

Majestic city of old
Stone cold and powerful
With a wealth that turned to dust

Yet rebirthed and rebuilt

You’ve become the city Eternal

I want to see the ancients
To hear about their lives
And see their work
What can I use today?

I will walk the streets
Smell the smells
build this journey
Into a masterpiece
That I can filter and relish
For many years to come

Mine

The rest is still unwritten

Life

So very often Life is difficult, life is unfair, life is challenging and sometimes painful. There are frustrations, tragedies, disappointments, setbacks, heartbreaks, and absurdities.

BUT when you really weight the balance it will show that the majority of the time life is so very good. Take a minute, turn off the tube, the phone and just listen to the silence, in that moment you can realize the simple joy of just being, which  outweighs them all.

 Life is good, because within its realm, anything is possible. Life is good, because no matter how far you fall, there is always a way to climb back up again. It’s uniquely good for you in your very own way. The possibilities for expressing your purpose are limited only by your imagination.

 You can complain, fret and worry about all the problems in your life, but you’ll be wasting your time. Or, you can choose to focus on why and how life is so good, and on what you can do to take that goodness and make it even better. Life is good, and in this moment that’s bursting with possibilities, life is yours

So I pose the question, the question “What makes life worth living?” 

I think there’s a resistance to answering a question like this honestly but it strikes me as a really important question. What does make life worth living?

family, friends, work, etc. ?  these answers aren’t necessarily trivial, they strike me as very unsatisfying answers to the question .  Why are so many  people – who have families, friends, and jobs – so unhappy? Why, indeed, do we live in a society where anti-depressants are among the most profitable medications?

Instead, I think we need to address the question with our own actions, the things we do that make life worth living. Verbs, not nouns. When I think of how I would answer the question, the following behaviors come to mind:

It’s not “family” that makes life worth living, I think, but the relationships we create with members of our family, and the way we maintain and build those relationships. Same goes for friends, lovers, business partners, students, and everyone else.

Creating: Writing, drawing, painting (though I’m not good at it), playing music (though I’m not especially good at that, either). 

Helping: Being able to lend a hand to people in need – however drastic or trivial that need may be – strikes me as an important part of life.

Playing: Maybe this is a kind of “relating”, but then, play can be a solo affair as well. Letting go of restraints, imagining new possibilities, testing yourself against others or against yourself, finding humor and joy.

Growing: Learning new things, improving my knowledge and ability in the things I’ve already learned.

Those seem like more satisfying answers to me – they strike deeper into what it is I want for myself, what makes it worthwhile to get up in the morning. What about you? What makes your life worth living?

Answer the question for yourself and you may find  God has a way of blessing us when we least expect it. What makes life worth living?

Attitude Is The Key To Life

The past few weeks have seen the demise of many of my fellow compatriots in this Abu Dhabi Adventure. It appears that the approaching three week break may see the failure of many more to return as they have found the dream has become a nightmare.  But is it a nightmare or is the perspective of the challenges the problem?  Perhaps the only person who has taken something from someone is themselves.  It may well be the attitude not the circumstances that has determined the current state of affairs for each and every one of us here.

Victor Frankl once wrote, "Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitudes in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Frankl was right. Attitude is a choice. You could be faced with a thousand problems, many or most over which you have absolutely no control. However, there is always one thing you are in complete and absolute control of and that is your own attitude.

When you surrender control of your attitude to what appears to be a negative situation, you will react to that situation. More often than not, reacting is inappropriate. On the other hand, if you were to remain objective, you would respond to the situation appropriately, thereby creating a winning situation.

If attitude is such an important word, why do so few people understand it? To be honest, it wasn't until I was in my late 30s when I finally understood its full impact. All through my teens and into my early adult life, I can't tell you the number of times that I heard, "David, if you'd just change your attitude, you would do a lot better." In retrospect I can easily see the cause of my problem. I didn't know what attitude was, let alone know how to change it!

Attitude is the composite of your thoughts, feelings and actions. Your conscious mind controls feeling and ultimately dictates whether your feelings will be positive or negative by your choice of thoughts, then your body displays those choices through action and behavior.

Attitude is actually a creative cycle that begins with your choice of thoughts. You do choose your thoughts and that choice is where your attitude originates. As you internalize ideas or become emotionally involved with your thoughts, you create the second stage in forming an attitude; you move your entire being - mind and body - into a new "vibration." Your conscious awareness of this vibration is referred to as "feeling". Your feelings are then expressed in actions or behaviors that produce the various results in your life.

Positive results are always the effect of a positive attitude. Attitude and results are inseparable. They follow one another like night follows day. What I mean by that is: one is the cause, the other, the result. There is a term we use to distinguish this "cause and effect" relationship, it is called The Law of Cause and Effect. Simply stated, if you think in negative terms, you will get negative results; if you think in positive terms you will achieve positive results. Ralph Waldo Emerson reiterated that same point when he said, "A person is what they think about all day long." The results you achieve in life are nothing more than an expression of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Take a close look at your life and evaluate the results you are achieving in various areas. See if you are able to relate your attitude to your results.

Winning and losing are opposite sides of the same coin - and that coin is attitude. There are many things wrong in this world; unfortunately that is all some people are able to see. Those who view the world in this light are often unhappy and somewhat cynical. Usually, their life is one of lack and limitation and it almost appears as if they move from one bad experience to another. I know people who are like this and I'm certain you do as well. It would appear as if they were born with a streak of bad luck and it has followed them around their whole life. These individuals are quick to blame circumstances or other people for their problems, rather than accepting responsibility for their life and their attitude.

Conversely, there are others who are forever winning and living the good life. They are the real movers and shakers who make things happen. They seem to go from one major accomplishment to another. They're in control of their life; they know where they are going and know they will get there. They are the real winners in life and their wins are a matter of choice.

You can experience that kind of life as well, you only need to decide. Making that simple decision is the first step to a new life. Dorothea Brand once said, "Act as if it were impossible to fail," and the challenge is to do so. By simply becoming aware that you can choose your thoughts each and every day, you change your entire outlook. You have the power to choose an abundant life no matter your circumstances. That active choice will allow other positive people and opportunities to be attracted into your life. Don't wait to experience all the wonderful things the universe has in store for you. Start today by working on your attitude and welcome the abundant life that you were meant to lead.

Reflection on the Sabbath

On the way to church today I had the opportunity to help someone who said he was in need; maybe he was maybe he wasn't, it doesn't matter because I made a change, I gave of my self, he gained something new. Maybe you can't change the whole world, but if you have love in your heart you can make small differences every day, which really does change the world, one life at a time.

How appropriate that the sermon was on Psalm 103 and the importance of praise and attitude.

In an area that is so maligned with the depiction of violence, intolerance, and hatred: I could walk down the street past a Mosque, a Hindu Temple, a Catholic Church, smiling greeting people of all races and nationalities to a church of my choosing to worship how I believe, no feelings of animosity or danger, and I have to wonder why can't the rest of the world figure out that this is what God is truely about.

The favour and protection of God are the only sure rest and comfort of the soul in this evil world, We are dying creatures, all our comforts in the world are dying comforts, but God is an ever-living God. It is a short and quickly-passing life, as the waters of a flood. Man does but flourish as the grass, which, when the winter of old age comes, will wither; but he may be mown down by disease or disaster. (Ps 90:7-11)

 “God, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” (John 17:11)

All too often “us and them” seems to come more naturally than simply “us.” And so Jesus prays that we might all be one -- not sameness, not uniformity, but community, connection, relationship. God’s desire is that everyone is included in the abundant life to which Jesus is pointing us. “. . . since you have given Christ authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” (John 17:2) The unity for which Jesus prays is a universal unity -- a unity where we recognize, honor and celebrate our connection with each other.

Martin Bell once wrote a story about this quest for unity, and the difficulty of reaching that goal, and the patience of God in the process. It was written almost 40 years ago, so the imagery for God is very male-oriented. But his point is powerfully hopeful nonetheless.

I think God must be very old and very tired. Maybe he used to look splendid and fine in his general’s uniform, but no more. He’s been on the march a long time, you know. And look at his rag-tag little army! All he has for soldiers are you and me. Dumb little army. Listen! The drum beat isn’t even regular. Everyone is out of step. And there! You see? God keeps stopping along the way to pick up one of the tinier soldiers who decided to wander off and play with a frog, or run in a field, or whose foot got tangled in the underbrush. God will never get anywhere that way. And yet, the march goes on.

Do you see how the marchers have broken up into little groups? Look at that group up near the front. Now, there’s a snappy outfit. They all look pretty much alike -- at least they’re in step with each other. That’s something! Only their not wearing their shoes. They’re carrying them in their hands. Silly little band. They won’t get far before God will have to stop again.

Or how about that other group over there? They’re all holding hands as they march. The only trouble with this is the ones on each end of the line. Pretty soon they realize that one of their hands isn’t holding on to anything -- one hand is reaching, empty, alone. And so they hold hands with each other, and everybody marches around in circles. The more people holding hands, the bigger the circle. And, of course, the bigger circle is deceptive because as we march along it looks like we’re going someplace, but we’re not. And so God must stop again. You see what I mean? God will never get anywhere that way!

If God were more sensible he’d take this little army and shape them up. Why, whoever heard of a soldier stopping to romp in a field? It’s ridiculous. But even more absurd is a general who will stop the march of eternity to go and bring the silly soldier back. But that’s God for you. There will be no endless, empty marching. God is going somewhere. God’s steps are deliberate and purposive. God may be old, and tired. But God knows where he is going. And he means to take every last one of his tiny soldiers with him. Only there aren’t going to be any forced marches. And, after all, there are frogs and flowers, and thorns and underbrush along the way. And we are only human. And most of us are afraid and lonely and would like to hold hands or cry or run away. And we don’t know where we are going, and we can’t seem to trust God -- especially when it’s dark out and we can’t see him! And God won’t go on without us. And that’s why it’s taking so long.

Listen! The drum beat isn’t even regular. Everyone is out of step. And there! You see? God keeps stopping along the way to pick up one of the tinier soldiers who decided to wander off and play with a frog, or run in a field, or whose foot got tangled in the underbrush. God will never get anywhere that way!

And yet, the march goes on. . .

                                               (“Ragtag Army”, The Way of the Wolf, by Martin Bell)

Fajr Adhan Sheik Zayed Mosque

The Eagle has Landed

"If you can believe, all things are possible to those who believe." - Mark 9:23

As we began our descent into Abu Dhabi I felt that twinge in your gut that signals you are about to be very pleased.  After 26 hours of travel I had arrived.  No adjectives can adequately describe my emotions. I had not slept since this began, my body ached from the cramped seating, but none of that mattered now I was here! Abu Dhabi. I exited the plane, laptop bag in tow and my cell phone camera running.  I wanted to record the event likek I was MacArthur returning to the Phillipines, after all this event was just as historic and important to me and my family. The tunnel seemed to go on forever,  but it was the cleanest tunnel I had ever walked up! Then I saw the opening to the gate, a welcome to Abu Dhabi sign and a small Filipino girl dressed in a red business suit holding the plaquard ADEC welcomes our new LT’s, there was a second similuarly dressed girl “Mr. Daweed?  Welcome here is your visa.” It was official I was now in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and working for ADEC. The ladies asked me to move into a line off to the side and they began to collect everyone else. 

After handing out the visa and checking to see if everyone had arrived, they moved us through the airport. It was spectacular, I began to record as we walked through then a security guard appeared from nowhere, very kindly and politely informed me that photography in the airport is not allowed, smiled, and walk on. I stopped recording and moved on with the group.  We next stopped at the eye scan desk, looked at a dot on a mirror for 30 seconds had my passport stamped and on my way 5 minutes later, eyes scanned, we walked through customs, where I was greeted with “Asalamalakum, Welcome to the UAE Mr. Nelson”. That was it, no search, all smiles and we went to luggage pickup, we were given a cart for our bags and it seemed there was a porter for each of us. As I tried to reach for my bag they politely and quickly grabbed it and loaded on the carts for us. The whole time smiling and calling me “Sir”.

The first really negative thing of the trip was when my second bag had been torn the entire length of the end. But that was all nothing lost. No harm no foul.

After everyone confirmed they had their luggage we were escorted down a winding corridor to the parking lot where our bags where loaded on a flatbed truck and we boarded a nice air conditioned bus.  Now I forgot to mention the heat and humidity, it felt like the monsoon in Phoenix as we walked out of the airport, it was funny to hear the various reactions of my companions as they expressed their shock at the weather. I couldn’t resist saying feels just like home.

The bus was loaded and we were finally on our way. We got on the freeway (a 6 lane expressway that blows anything we have away) and headed towards the motel. We first passed the Ferrari land theme park all lit up in red and white lights, and then we passed a huge stadium that was hosting the Gulf States Soccer tournament. Then the first sign of western influence, a large and very packed Popeye’s Chicken, 2:00 in the morning and it was packed.  I think the guys at my old job would have thought they had found heaven! We then passed the Sheik Zayed Grand mosque, what an impressive and beautiful structure, lit with soft green lighting, it was and impressive sight.

Finally we approached the skyline of downtown and found ourselves at the Intercontinental Hotel.  Our luggage was unloaded and we identified what was ours and away it went. We walked into the hotel where we greeted with smiles and welcomes, fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, water and coffee. We were given our keys and a welcome packet and directed towards our rooms.  I arrived at the 7^th floor door of my room to find a porter waiting with my luggage, opened the door for me and turned on the lights unloaded my luggage and turned down the bed.  I felt like royalty.  I tipped the man the $15.00 I had in my pocket, he deserved it.

I began to unpack.  Hooked up my internet, skyped home to let my wonderful wife know I had arrived, gave her a tour of the room, (technology is wonderful) and spoke a while.  I finally unwound and laid back on the bed, it was now 4:30 AM.  Then I heard the Fajd Azhan (call to prayer for dawn) it was beautiful and I found myself expressing thanks to my God for this wonderful opportunity.   I have not felt this good about my future as I do now.  As I went to sleep I thought of something I had read by Tony Robbins concerning dreams becoming reality.

 

“You're in the midst of a war: a battle between the limits of a crowd seeking the surrender of your dreams, and the power of your true vision to create and contribute. It is a fight between those who will tell you what you cannot do, and that part of you that knows / and has always known / that we are more than our environment; and that a dream, backed by an unrelenting will to attain it, is truly a reality with an imminent arrival.”   

Sleep then ONWARD!