Golf mirrors Life

I never thought I would hear myself saying this, but one of the most exciting things that happended to me this week was a friend introduced me to a new "Bible App" for my Iphone. My old one stunk. I was so excited that I helped Candice put it on her Ipad and Keeley on here Itouch. I especially enjoyed having my new App this morning at church. This App allows for bookmarks and community comments on just about any scripture. It is so cool to receive another person translation, perspective, etc. on the word of God right there at your figure tips.

Golf and Life. When you hit the golf ball all over the place like I do, several times per round I'm left with choices. Punch out? Lay up? Go for it? Pitch it? Putt it? Everyday in life we all are given the freedom of choice. Sounds great, but free will can cause some folks lots of issues. In some cases, our free will choices are the difference in life and death.

Our minister talked about this today and I liked how he used Deuteronomy,Chapter 30. Verse 11 - "You know God's laws, and it isn't impossible to obey them". Verse 15"Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster".


Man I wish Life was that easy. I wish I would have made better choices 25 years ago. In golf you make a bad decision and go for it and maybe you end up with a double bogey. You go for it in life and put the wrong substances in your body or allow jealously, anger and greed to make decisions for you and the next thing you know (maybe 10, 15 or 25 years later) your sitting in jail or rehab and banging your head against the wall saying how the hell did I get here.

I know my bottom was not as low as you can go and maybe my bottom was not as low as yours, but let me tell you, you have a choice today and that is to choose life and success or death and disaster. I have experienced enough of the later and today I choose life.

Keep it in the fairway,

Chris

Walking with God

It seems like it has been a while since I made a post to this blog. But that does not mean my spiritual life has been short on activity. I believe I have mentioned that I have been meeting with a small group of men for the past several weeks. We are studying a book by John Eldredge "Waking with God". This is the second book I have studied written by John Eldredge. I must say I admire and have a little jealousy of the intimate relationship he has with God. It is almost as if he has this selfish relationship that God is only here in this universe for him. I actually used that analogy yesterday in our small group when one of my friends said he has a hard time bringing "little things" to God. He said he is almost ashamed to bring up some of the minor issues he has in his life compared to some of the real suffering that people are experiencing in his community, our country and the rest of the world. I shared that I really do think we must all treat our relationship with God in a very possessive, selfish manner as if he is here walking right along side us and he is here to guide us through this day.

I know we are taught to serve God serve others and then ourselves. But I truly do believe in my heart that God wants us to have an intimate relationship with him to the point where we have daily conversations with him just like we do our spouses, our co-workers and our friends. I have not always felt this way but do believe this today.

I'm going to wrap this up with the homework that Eldredge gave us this week and suggest you also give these questions some thought:
1). Why is it hard hard for you to hear from God?
2). What would you love to ask God?
3). What would you love to hear from God about?

Here is a little insight to my answers:
1). I can not differentiate between "my will" and His will. I second guess lots of impulses because I'm not sure whose will I'm listening too.
2). What really happens to us when we die?
3). Is He proud of me and has He really forgiven me?

Well that is a little update of where I'm at today. I continue to look forward to seeing what God has in store for me in the future.

Keep it in the fairway.

Chris