We are heading into the second half of 2021, and I think it’s a good time to check in with our expectations for this year and see if anything needs to be re-adjusted. Some of us have had a better year than we expected; some of us have had it worse. All of us have certain plans and expectations for how the rest of the year will go. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the next five months?

Pastor Daniel D. Chambers learned an expression from a college professor: “Expectation is the mother of regret.” Think about that for a moment. Evidently that professor was a pessimist. Evidently some of the things he expected to go well didn’t turn out like he expected. How do you react when life doesn’t meet your expectations? (1)

Some of you will remember the story of a man who had a nephew, and t…