Here is another blog I wrote in 2006 while living in Lake Tahoe. It feels good to re-read it and realize I have made significant strides in my life that have lead to positive changes. Although I have hardly followed Christ as closely as I would have liked over the past 4 years, I have at times followed God's will and that has led me to a happier place. Since writing this blog I have moved to a town that is closer to family and friends, taken a job that I truly feel is my calling for a career, and met a woman that makes me happier than anyone else ever has. I have also found a church that I truly enjoy being a part of and can't wait to get more invovled in. The challenge now is to continue down the path Christ has for me and see where He takes me in another 4 years.
Here is what I wrote 4 years ago:
As I continue to meander through this world without accomplishing much I learn more and more about myself and life everyday. The problem is that I only learn about myself through struggles and not triumphs. The great David Feherty once said, "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." I also continue to realize how experiences from the past are preparing me for the future.
My current revalation and discovery is something that I have always known but always had incredible difficulty following. In order to be happy in life, one must be happy with nothing before you can be happy with everything. If I continue seeking pleasure from secular things, my happiness is limited to a short amount of time before I am right back where I started. This holds true for where I live, what my job is, who I am dating, and how well I play golf. I know it may sound ridiculous to group golf in with those major issues, but I learned through golf that the only way to play great golf is to not care about the outcome and play like you don't have care in the world. The same holds true for the other 3 topics. As much as I want to find the right place to live, a great job, and a wonderful wife right now, I know that if I only seek those things I will never find them. I must first be happy without any of them before everything will fall into place. This is very difficult for me because I have such a deep caring and passion for many things in life. Unfortunately, the more I want something like success in golf, a great job, or a girlfriend, the less likely I am to get that prize.
The underlying theme here is that I have to put my strength and trust in the Lord and understand that no matter how tough life can be at times, He has something better waiting for me if I will just trust Him. I have understood this many times, and acutally followed this for brief periods in my life, but unfortunately I always fall back on secular things to determine my happieness. Therefore, it is now my goal to serve God from this day forward like I know I always should have. I don't have any idea where this will take me in life, but I hope I can have the patience and wisdom to wait for God to show me His will. If I truly believe that Jesus is who He says He is, which I do, then it is time to follow His teachings and make a difference in this world. I am so fed up with trying to please myself and make myself happy, when I know that if I can focus on making God happy then I in turn will find true happieness.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Golf & Life
This is a blog I wrote back in 2006 when I was still living in Lake Tahoe. I just noticed that the Bible verse I reference at the end of this blog is one I have read recently and still consider one of my favorites. It is also interesting that when I wrote this blog I had no idea I would take a job as a golf professional only one year later.
Here is what I wrote 4 years ago:
During the PGA Championship there were several commercials with an old man teaching the lessons of golf to young children. My favorite was his comment, "If you can't handle golf, how are you going to handle life?"
This game of golf I play is truly much more than a game. At times it can be enjoyed as a game, but for myself it is always more than a game. It is a test to see if we are ready to handle the challenges of life. Nothing in golf comes easy anymore, every shot is a struggle in the mind as well as the body. The parallels of golf and life are too many to be numbered. My favorite is that when playing great golf, I honestly can't tell you what it is I am thinking about. But when struggling, I can't seem to do anything else but think. The same can be said for life. When things are going well, I move through this world without thinking about what is going on, but when adversity strikes, I am left to contemplate everything about myself.
My hatred for this game has almost become too much to bear on a couple of different occasions. Fortunately, I have had friends there to help me get through those times, and God says in the Bible that He will never give us more than we can bear. Golf has taught me so much that I have no idea where I would be without this game. It took me a while to realize that this "game" is only preparing me for difficult circumstances in the future that will be far more important than a number on a scorecard. Therefore, I know now that I can never quit this grand game. This game has given me so much, and I know there are more lessons and prizes for me in the future. The Bible says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance." (James 1:2-3) The game of golf has shaped my character and tested it at the same time. I now enjoy the tests this game brings at me, and welcome the challenge of improving, both my score and character.
Here is what I wrote 4 years ago:
During the PGA Championship there were several commercials with an old man teaching the lessons of golf to young children. My favorite was his comment, "If you can't handle golf, how are you going to handle life?"
This game of golf I play is truly much more than a game. At times it can be enjoyed as a game, but for myself it is always more than a game. It is a test to see if we are ready to handle the challenges of life. Nothing in golf comes easy anymore, every shot is a struggle in the mind as well as the body. The parallels of golf and life are too many to be numbered. My favorite is that when playing great golf, I honestly can't tell you what it is I am thinking about. But when struggling, I can't seem to do anything else but think. The same can be said for life. When things are going well, I move through this world without thinking about what is going on, but when adversity strikes, I am left to contemplate everything about myself.
My hatred for this game has almost become too much to bear on a couple of different occasions. Fortunately, I have had friends there to help me get through those times, and God says in the Bible that He will never give us more than we can bear. Golf has taught me so much that I have no idea where I would be without this game. It took me a while to realize that this "game" is only preparing me for difficult circumstances in the future that will be far more important than a number on a scorecard. Therefore, I know now that I can never quit this grand game. This game has given me so much, and I know there are more lessons and prizes for me in the future. The Bible says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance." (James 1:2-3) The game of golf has shaped my character and tested it at the same time. I now enjoy the tests this game brings at me, and welcome the challenge of improving, both my score and character.
Starting My Blog
I have officially decided to start a blogging website. Blogging has been around for a while and a couple of my good freinds have blogging sites that I enjoy visiting and keeping up with. I don't really think my thoughts will be that revolutionary, but I do enjoy putting my thoughts to paper to further analyze what I believe and see in our world today. Please, always feel free to make comments about my thoughts, as I always enjoy a good discussion. I sincerly hope my blogging website helps others to think about things in a different way and either get some enjoyment or introspective thoughts out of their time on my website.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
