It's Friday morning around 9:30 AM (snow day). Candice had a trip to Columbia, SC (left around 7:30 AM). My lite work schedule for today afforded me the chance to stay home with Keeley. I only had to move one appointment and in anticipation of this new 4 to 5 inches of snow we received yesterday, I went ahead and called him to request we change our appointment date.
I have now had a brownie and two cups of coffee and decided I would take advantage of a little quiet time (while Keeley is still asleep) and yield some time to God by reading, meditating, talking and maybe even create a new post on the blog.
After reading a couple of pieces of literature, I decided I was ready to turn on the computer and there sitting on the coffee table was "Tee to Green Pocket Guide" by Golf Genie. Inside the cover it says "Master your game...as you play". This was a stocking stuffer I received at Christmas and I was like okay that's it - that's my blog for today.
This Tee to Green Pocket Guide is designed for on-course play and off-course preparation. It gives you expert instructions on just about every aspect of the game of golf and helps to give you quick fixes to your swing problems. In summary, if you use this guide you will become a better golfer. Sound familiar?
As is in GOLF so is in LIFE. You can not build a new life in a day and you sure can not become a bogey golfer in a day. We all need pocket guides for life like the Bible, a church, daily talks with God and small group studies. There is no perfect way to do this. My suggestion is to take life and golf slowly, a little at a time. Building a new life and a golf game are slow processes, but if done properly with a strong foundation of techniques and principals then we can enjoy life without fear and a golf game that will be with us for the rest of our life.
Give this some thought. There are so many examples of ways that golf and life mirror one another. I never really saw this until about a year ago. I may refer to the Tee to Green Pocket Guide in the future. I love drawing parallels between golf and life.
Keep it in the fairway.
Chris
Friday, January 21, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Walking with God
Rarely do we slow down and walk (at a slow pace) anywhere in any aspect of our life today. This morning has begun at unintentional slow pace. Apparently last night I set alarm #1 instead of the weekend alarm #2. So at 6:00 AM this morning I laid in bed a few minutes and thought about my situation. I could go back to sleep. Then I laid in silence for a few minutes and this urge came over me to get up and take advantage of an hour or so of quiet time. Because once we leave the house this morning around 9:30 the rest of this day is packed with activities.
So, I did and of course it has proven to be a great hour or so. A beautiful blanket of snow has joined us over night (maybe 3 inches). I also read some great literature and in reflecting on this week this theme of "walking with God" has been in the fore front of my mind.
Primarily because a couple of friends and I began the study of "Walking with God" by John Elderege this week. In the first session John beautifully describes that our goal in life must be intimacy with God. In John I, chapter 1:7 John says "But if we walk in the light, as He is the light, we have fellowship with one another".
I have probably read this verse a 100 times and it was not until this week that it hit me square between the eyes, John is talking about a walk with God. Like a friend. That is so cool!!! I don't think I have ever looked at this relationship between God and I and thought we can actually be friends. I seem to have always had a distorted view of this relationship like God is the shepherd or this punishing God that makes you go through all of this pain and then after you have been beat down- he says comes to me and if you will pick up your pants and ask for forgiveness I will make things better. I know this is not a very theological theory. But, in many ways I think we all could lessen the emphasis on theology and bring the scriptures to life in 2011. Make them relative to today.
This week I was sharing with another friend that for the first time in my life I feel like God is walking next to me instead of a 100 yards or a mile behind me. Of course I had to be the one to ask him to join me, but the key is he was always there I just might not have realized it.
I'm beginning to see and feel his presence in my life everywhere. Examples of this are as small as a text from my wife saying "Hi, I love you", hearing a bell ring and thinking of Clarence in It' a Wonderful life, when the voicemails and emails are piling up and I'm just about to lose my serenity (by 9:00 AM at work) and in walks a friend who was in the neighborhood and wanted to say Hi.
I know I know ..... coincidental. Well I now believe everything happens for a reason. Do I think God approves of everything, NO, but there are events preceding up to or events to follow that I do believe God has a hand in. This discussion can be saved for another blog.
I'll end with this....God, thank you for waking me up early this morning. I have enjoyed the beautiful scenery outside, some warm cups of coffee, great readings and an opportunity to improve our walk, not run, together. Help me to be constantly reminded we are friends.
Keep it in the fairway!!!
Chris
So, I did and of course it has proven to be a great hour or so. A beautiful blanket of snow has joined us over night (maybe 3 inches). I also read some great literature and in reflecting on this week this theme of "walking with God" has been in the fore front of my mind.
Primarily because a couple of friends and I began the study of "Walking with God" by John Elderege this week. In the first session John beautifully describes that our goal in life must be intimacy with God. In John I, chapter 1:7 John says "But if we walk in the light, as He is the light, we have fellowship with one another".
I have probably read this verse a 100 times and it was not until this week that it hit me square between the eyes, John is talking about a walk with God. Like a friend. That is so cool!!! I don't think I have ever looked at this relationship between God and I and thought we can actually be friends. I seem to have always had a distorted view of this relationship like God is the shepherd or this punishing God that makes you go through all of this pain and then after you have been beat down- he says comes to me and if you will pick up your pants and ask for forgiveness I will make things better. I know this is not a very theological theory. But, in many ways I think we all could lessen the emphasis on theology and bring the scriptures to life in 2011. Make them relative to today.
This week I was sharing with another friend that for the first time in my life I feel like God is walking next to me instead of a 100 yards or a mile behind me. Of course I had to be the one to ask him to join me, but the key is he was always there I just might not have realized it.
I'm beginning to see and feel his presence in my life everywhere. Examples of this are as small as a text from my wife saying "Hi, I love you", hearing a bell ring and thinking of Clarence in It' a Wonderful life, when the voicemails and emails are piling up and I'm just about to lose my serenity (by 9:00 AM at work) and in walks a friend who was in the neighborhood and wanted to say Hi.
I know I know ..... coincidental. Well I now believe everything happens for a reason. Do I think God approves of everything, NO, but there are events preceding up to or events to follow that I do believe God has a hand in. This discussion can be saved for another blog.
I'll end with this....God, thank you for waking me up early this morning. I have enjoyed the beautiful scenery outside, some warm cups of coffee, great readings and an opportunity to improve our walk, not run, together. Help me to be constantly reminded we are friends.
Keep it in the fairway!!!
Chris
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year (2011)
One of my new years resolutions is I want to improve my communication with God. I feel like I did a good job of opening up the lines of communication with God in 2010, but now I want, even more than ever, to develop intimacy with God. I want to live as though he is sitting on my shoulder at all times.
One way I'm going to do this is, starting Wednesday, begin a book study with a couple of friends. We are going to study "Walking with God" by John Eldredge. I participated in a men's small group last winter and this proved to be very beneficial for me. It was something I looked forward to each of the 12 weeks we gathered together. I'm excited for what God has in store for me in 2011.
It's a new year so let's get started with my first post of 2011.
I read this week in Hebrews chapter 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". Our faith in God may appear, on the surface, to be a blind faith. But, I'm convinced blind faith in God is a better way of living for everyone.
Before getting sober I had a soul-sickness. I may have been doing all the right things on the surface of life, but deep down in my soul I was sick and crying out for help. I just did not know how to ask for help. Hopefully all of this darkness is in the past and in the new year I'm going to make each day a preparation for better things to come. I'm not going to dwell on the past or the future. I'm only going to concentrate on the present and doing the next right thing.
I'm excited about the new year and what God has in store for me. I pray that God will guide me one day at a time. I pray God will supply me with the wisdom and strength I need to learn how to improve my daily walk with Him.
I not only want to keep it in the fairway, but I want to soar with the eagles!!!
Let's all aim higher in 2011.
Keep it in the fairway,
Chris
One way I'm going to do this is, starting Wednesday, begin a book study with a couple of friends. We are going to study "Walking with God" by John Eldredge. I participated in a men's small group last winter and this proved to be very beneficial for me. It was something I looked forward to each of the 12 weeks we gathered together. I'm excited for what God has in store for me in 2011.
It's a new year so let's get started with my first post of 2011.
I read this week in Hebrews chapter 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see". Our faith in God may appear, on the surface, to be a blind faith. But, I'm convinced blind faith in God is a better way of living for everyone.
Before getting sober I had a soul-sickness. I may have been doing all the right things on the surface of life, but deep down in my soul I was sick and crying out for help. I just did not know how to ask for help. Hopefully all of this darkness is in the past and in the new year I'm going to make each day a preparation for better things to come. I'm not going to dwell on the past or the future. I'm only going to concentrate on the present and doing the next right thing.
I'm excited about the new year and what God has in store for me. I pray that God will guide me one day at a time. I pray God will supply me with the wisdom and strength I need to learn how to improve my daily walk with Him.
I not only want to keep it in the fairway, but I want to soar with the eagles!!!
Let's all aim higher in 2011.
Keep it in the fairway,
Chris
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