Joyous Thirst

The weather was perfect and the ball field was prepared.  The Marlins were in the World Series and it was the final game.  The bats came alive early and they went up, but soon the Royals clawed back.  The perfect season was put on the line.  In the last inning, with the sun shining down into the first baseman's eyes, the Royals hit a beamer right down the first base line that got lost in the sun.  The Royals have won the World Series.  This wasn't supposed to happen!  The Marlins had prepared, the Marlins were ready for this and were playing great.  The Marlins were the best team all season long! None of us are immune to defeat.  It is a part of life and something that can either hinder your development or teach you far greater lessons than winning will.  Why is it sometimes though that certain defeats feel worse than others?  Is it because we put pressure on a situation, an event, or even a person?  Many times in the Bible w...

This past weekend I was blessed to get to go down to Orlando to meet with an advisory board for College Golf Fellowship.  CGF is a group that ministers to college golfers and being a past college golfer I certainly know the importance of having people around you in such a major time in your life to lead you spiritually and help you seek out the Lord.  I got to play golf with 2-time U.S. Open Champion Lee Janzen, and of course I asked him question upon question.  There is something about seeing someone in their "element" that I just truly love.  At dinner one evening I asked Lee: "What is the difference between a really good golfer and one who makes it?"  He told me that there is one major difference:  Great Self Image Great Self Image I am fortunate enough to have been teammates and roommates with Dustin Johnson in college.  I can tell you this, there is no one more positive in himself than that man.  In anything he does, he believes with 100%...

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  Therefore I run thus:  not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. " 1 Corinthians 9:25-27. This past week, I've really been in the state of finishing.  It could be because I'm remodeling my house, but my focus has been on completion.  But why is it that we want to finish something?  Is it to show ourselves that we can do it?  Is it to achieve a level of accomplishment or prize?  Above in the passage, Paul is sharing to the Corinthians that we all are in a race, but the reason for the competition is the ...

As I stood on the 4th tee at Jacksonville Golf and Country Club playing with at the time one of the best professionals on the PGA Tour, I learned one of the most important lessons in golf.  For most of my golf career I always liked curving the ball from right to left.  The 4th hole requires you however to hit it from left to right.  After knocking my golf ball into the woods, Len Mattiace asked me why I didn't play my golf ball from left to right to avoid the trouble.  I replied that I don't do that and that I don't like that shot.  He then asked me:  "What do you do on holes that you have to hit that shot?"  I replied that I typically don't like those holes and I hope to not do too much damage to my round on them.  He then showed me that I needed a "go-to" shot.  A go-to shot is one that you can always rely on.  It is one that if you're under pressure and you have to hit a shot that you know you can always hit, this is the one to use....