How is your depth perception?

Any golf course that i have ever been on (I sound as if I have been to several.........about 10 or 11), there will be undoubtedly a tee off box that gives you a depth perception problem. They are usually, but not limited to, par three holes. No matter how many times you play that hole, it looks either closer or further away, depending on how your day is going.

What matters most is that the next time I play the same hole, I will have made progress. I now know what club to pick, which ball did I use, did I pitch it off a tee? or on the grass? I probably could think of more, but you get the idea. We have all been there. All this adds up to my goal of golfing; to progress each time I play and strive for excellence as an all rounded golfer-wanna-be, yet knowing that perfection will never happen (at least in my lifetime).

I will never be perfect until I see my Lord and Savior face to face. Only then will I understand what perfection means. On the other hand, I am expected to strive for spiritual excellence. In doing so, making progress along the way will not only reduce the depth perception issues , but I can rely on Jesus Christ to go through them with me.

Rules. Are they really necessary?

Rules. Are they really necessary? Are they there for our punishment? Don't they exist just to irritate us? Rules are meant to be broken, aren't they? I don't think so. Good try.

What if there were no rules or ettiquette on the golf course? Utter chaos would preside for a little while until some traumatic incident happens. Golf carts could go wherever you wanted them to, some bent golf clubs to give reason to buy the latest model of the most expensive set.....anything could happen.

Rules are necessary. How would you be able to play golf if no one knew how to use their clubs? Keep score? Keep the greens nice? Keep the fairways in the condition they were when you found them? Some courses require dockers and a polo shirt. Cutoff shorts and sandles may not be a problem in some areas where in others they are not allowed.

God has commanded us to obey the rules, even when they are borderline rediculus. If dockers are required on a golf course, I know ahead of time that I can choose to wear them and play or don't wear them and go somewhere else. Yes, even golf courses have dress codes.

Rules were designed with our safety in mind. Think about that the next time you are caught in a radar trap for speeding. God designed gravitational laws to keep us from self destruction and for golf balls to come back to earth. The next time you are taken back by a rule that rots, thank God for your safety and protection on the golf course.

Golf Ball Evangelism

Prior to our league the other night, I was practicing on the 10th tee. Drove some balls, walked to pick them up, and then do it again. It was my personal driving range. So I walked both ways about three times. As I was picking up my golf balls (I even found the ones in the woods), it occurred to me that I was playing with six different makes, and not a one of them was truly mine, but they were ones that I found. Most were pond balls that I cleaned up and wire brushed to death, rinsed them off and they were as good as recycled. Some needed surgery but I do not bother with those.

Looking closer at them, I noticed that some of them had a stamp of some event, whether it was the name of a golf course, the name of a tournament, or even stamps of someone's initials. My mind started to churn as I was walking to keep warm, what if all golfing believers were to have golf balls that had like "Jn. 3:16" stamped on to it, or even the worn out yet still around "WWJD".

Did you ever wonder where a golf ball has been before you got it? How many ponds and golf bag pouches it has been in? Not to mention, I will lose it within the same week I found it. Tracing the genealogy of a golf ball is almost like researching the genealogy of an alley cat.

Wouldn't it be awesome if someone found your "Jn. 3:16" stamped ball you lost last month and they accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord of their life? Your worthless loss and someone's soul a gain.

If you ever have the opportunity to stamp your own golf balls, consider golf ball evangelism and stay on course with God.

It Is All In The Grip

Whether you are addressing the golf ball at the tee box or you are lofting the ball with an iron (for those who might not know.......this has nothing to do with ironing dresses or verbally greeting the ball), it is all in the grip. The probability of the grip truly being all there is to hitting a great shot is very high, but you also need to be focused. Then before any other mechanical method or routine or swangling, the grip has to be correct. I am not about to tell you how to grip no more than you would determine what is best for me. However, every grip should be consistent and everyone knows that the only thing consistent in life is inconsistency. Because I am left hand challenged, I make sure that the left hand grip is firm and the right hand grip is not as firm.....a little loose, in fact. If all the other rituals you have are in place, you will notice (I usually notice after it is too late.....shank to the left or hack to the right) that the back swing and on to the downward swing, your right hand is only a guide. The right hand let's the club swing with just enough tension to guide the club head for solid ball impact. It is as if the ball was in your way, creating a smooth follow through. Grip it too tight, you better go look in the woods for your ball.

With God guiding us, we realize that every day is full of possibilities. God is our reality in every moment, the source of wisdom, and the understanding that sustains us and guides us.

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
John 16:13

It is all in the grip if you want to stay on course with God.

The Ulitmate Oxymoron

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Jared Meier in September, 2008. I take no credit for it and I did not ask if I could use it. Hopefully, he doesn't mind.

"AN ENJOYABLE ROUND OF GOLF" - "The Ultimate Oxymoron"

"Let’s be honest, if you are a hacker like me, then you know
as soon as you lace up your spikes that you are about to experience the most
fulfilling yet frustrating 4-5 hours of your week. You tell yourself the
same exact thing every time you walk up to the first tee: keep your head down,
swing smooth, let the club do the work. In your Zen-like state, you
approach the ball and take your swing . . . then you look to see if you’ll be
able to get away with a “breakfast ball” without the starter
noticing.

Week-to-week things always change, and not
necessarily for the better. Maybe this week your Putter decides to take a
vacation so you decide to 3-putt everything in its absence. The next 18
you might as well as throw your ball from the tee to the fairway because your
Driver just doesn’t want to keep anything in play. Then there is the
infamous “beach” round, where just about every hole your ball seems to find its
way into a sand trap or a water hazard."

There are all kinds of word phrases in the English language that are oxymorons.....we just don't think of them that way, yet used just the same: wise fool; almost exactly; found missing; same difference; clearly misunderstood; act naturally; random order; new and improved; half full; constant change; less is more.......you get the idea. I am sure that you can think of plenty more.

The ultimate oxymoron is found in God's Word, II Corinthians 12:9 - "...My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Perculate on that one at your next tee box and stay on course with God.

Every club in my golf bag has a certain amount of forgiveness to it. Sure, there is the sweet spot that every golfer wannabe desires to encounter on every swing. But most of the time, the club head forgives your ball location and still gives you a pretty decent lie for the next stroke. It is when the forgiving part of the club face has been missed and the sweet spot is no where near the ball that we get pretty disgusted or frustrated with ourselves. I have very few options. Either I work with the clubs that I have and review the fundamentals mentally, or, I can give the clubs a time out and bring out the reserves from the corner of my garage.

After our first league night of nine holes, I drove home thinking of what mental or mechanical fundamental was I missing that would elevate my score so high? Upon revisiting the course today, I realized that I could get more forgiveness when I added more control to my strokes. As a matter of fact, when I step back and take a look at the terrain and obstacles and mentally control every shot........only then am I back to my game.

That came right from the Israelite playbook, 101. Well, sort of. When they wandered and complained to Moses, all control is lost, God was pretty disgusted and frustrated with them time after time. They would miss God's sweet spot and the forgiveness He desired. God's chosen people would forget the fundamentals of God's forgiveness.......only to be disciplined and punished. They would then step back from their sinful ways and give God back the control of their lives in order to face the challenges of tomorrow. I can relate to that.

I am ready for next week's Golf league challenge...Staying on course with God.