Chaplain's Corner

Chaplain's Corner

Randy Kennedy

A Brand New Year...

2009 ends the worst year in many years. More people have been affected by this than any other time in history. Foreclosures, financial ruin, break up of the home, and a sense of no hope for the future. Things have been so bad for so many for so long. Is there any hope for 2010?

Well, this depends on where you start looking. Some will begin on Wall Street and then move to Main Street. Some will look to the White House and then to the Church house. But when all of the above has been a disappointment, I have found a way to find hope when there is none. It's found in the word we use so much at the end of each year: Happy New Year!

Don't you just love the word "new?" This is such an exciting word to use as golfers and as individuals. Golfers love getting to play

a new round with a new score card and, hopefully, a new attitude. Each person has the same opportunities -- a new day, a new week, a new month. There are several ways we can embrace the word new, even down to a new hour, a new minute and a new second. Often we spend so much of our time dealing with the old, it becomes very hard for us to look at the new. The old is there and filed away in our memory, and the new is just a vision of expectation and hope. As golfers, we look to the next hole... as individuals, we look to another day -- both we take hope in, because they are new and never been experienced before. This is exciting and motivating to us as we make our way to the future.

Isaiah 43:19 in God's Word declares: "I will do a new thing." 150 times in 131 verses, God speaks about the word "new." For someone to repeat themselves this many times must mean they are trying to get a point across. In golf, we learn from our mistakes... in life, we learn from our every-day living, mistakes and all. Being given a new scorecard is like being handed a new day, having the potential to rise above and beyond our expectations. A scorecard and a new day can be seen as a gift... a gift to be cherished and maximized.

This "new" year will be exciting and challenging, and we all must make the necessary changes to make "the best" of what has been given to us. All I can promise is God will help you along the way as we look to Him for guidance and direction. Have a prosperous and wonderful "new" year, and know that something new is a gift from God! drk@randykennedy.org

Mulligan: A Help Or A Crutch

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a mulligan is “a golf shot not tallied against the score, granted in informal play after a poor shot especially from the tee.” For the weekend golfer this is a great way to erase a bad shot and hit another one in its place. We’ve all said the second one is always better than the first. Some have even said I need to hit the second one first. I’m not sure why this is, other than the fact that after the mulligan, there is no second chance and the pressure is on to do it right.

In life we all have been given mulligans from our wife, kids, friends, family, and colleagues. Getting a second chance should be a relief as well as a reinforcement to try harder next time. If the second shot is better than the first, then the mistake has been taken into consideration and improvement made.

Learning from the past is the best way of improving the future. Knowing what you’ve done and making the necessary changes can have a rewarding result. Have you ever said, “why didn’t I do that the first time?” We all have and learning from our mistake should keep us from ever needing a mulligan.

Using a mulligan is good for the beginner, but there should come a time in which we take responsibility for our “shots” and not rely on the mulligan. The mulligan can be both a help and a crutch. Personal discipline along with wisdom can help you understand before you take action. If we could only think before we “swing,” it would save us so much pain and inevitable consequences. It’s not a matter of just hitting the fairway; it’s hitting on the best side for your next shot. Life is not a matter of just living; it’s about living the life that’s been designed for you by God. Making the best of each day and fulfilling the expectations will make a complete and satisfying result.

We all need second chances and thankfully I have had my share. Now it’s time to live and play with purpose and desire. Golf has a desired outcome, so does life. Again it’s not just about going and playing a round, it’s about having a goal and vision to fulfill your expectations. God is more than willing to give us a mulligan. When He does, make the second one count, and make it better than the first.