Am I Third? (God, others, me)

This is a tough one for a self-centered guy like me.

My reading this morning really hit me square in the face!! "When we come to the end of our lives on earth, we will not take any material things with us. We will not take one cent in our cold, dead hands. The only things we may take are the things we have given away".

If we have helped others or if we have given of our time and money, some of this will continue to work on earth after we are long gone. Looking back over our lives, what are we most proud of? Not what we have gained in financial wealth or material things but what few good deeds have we done for others? Those are the things we should be most proud of and every day we should try and think Am I third?

Keeping with the golf theme, what is it I'm most proud of?

1. That I have played many fantastic golf courses?
2. That I have been to Augusta?
3. That I won my flight in a golf tournament?
4. That I had a hole in one?

All of these are great in my eyes. But, should I not be more proud of the fact I started an annual fundraising golf event 16 years ago and it is still alive and benefitting young men at Transy or when a friend was having a really tough time in life and invited me to play golf and all he wanted was for me to simply listen OR the fact that through golf I have been able to develop many great relationships and learned a few life lessons.

These are the few good deeds that I have accomplished in golf and that I should be proud of in the long run. Not the putts made or the drives hit, but the fact I put another person, and God, in front of my own desires.

Am I third today? How about you?

Keep it in the fairway.

Chris

Wear "LIFE" as a loose garment

I have now turned what once was an occassional habit for 30 years into a daily routine. I spend a few minutes each morning reading from different sources of material, do some brief meditating on what I have read and then I journal. This is an example of a "journal entry", today's actually. The funny thing is it always seems to either relate directly to something that is presently going on in my life or someone close to me. Today is no different.

Friday, July 16, 2010 6:45AM

My readings this morning reminded me that because I do have faith in God, that no matter what storm might present itself in my life today, thatI can wear the World and my problems as if they were lose garments. By doing this I'm telling the World that I'm really not going to let these things bother me. This is not to brag and say my life and my emotions are free of issues, anxiety, fear and anger (I temporarily seem to experience one or all of these emotions every 24 hours). The difference for me today is that when these "issues" or "emotions" creep into my mind I try to briefly stop, pause and pray and remind myself that I have a relationship with God- who is my higher power - and that he is my "rock".

God's grace has given me a 1,000 second chances. So, today when change, anxiety, fear, anger or depression creep into my world I quickly remind myself how grateful I'am to be here, alive and in good health. I also remind myself to hold on tight to that relationship with God as if it were a life preserver. On the other side of any storm I might face today, if I keep my faith in Him, will be something greater than I ever imagined. Because of Him I can face any storm, wear it as if it were a loose fitting garment and trust that on the other side is going to be something greater than I ever imagined!

Keep it in the fairway.

Chris

Emotional Transformations

I Corinthians 13 is a popular reading at weddings. We all recognize it beginning with verser 4 "Love is patient, love is kind, etc.". This morning, what caught my attention was a little further down in Verse 11. This scripture the tells me "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me".

Unfortunately for me and those around me that I love, I did not wake up one morning at say 21 or 22 years of age and announce to the world I had entered into manhood. This emotional and psychological change for me did not occur until I was like 40 years old. In many ways, up until I got sober, I was a walking around in a man's body with the mind of an 18 year old.

Today, because I have put childish ways behind me and rely on a faith in God to guide me, I can say with confidence that I do not regret my past nor do I want to close the door on it. Hopefully I can use it to share my experience, strength and hope with others. If I can over come my self-fish, self-centered nature then so can you.

Keep it in the fairway.

Chris