The "Shay" in all of us

This story that you are about to read made me think of my niece Abigail who made great strides this past week in taking her first steps and is now walking. Abigail has some physical disabilities like Shay that make doing things we take for granted a little more difficult but she has the best siblings in Will and Cambria to cheer her on.

We all have disabilities in one way or another. My wife would say mine is listening. I would agree with her in that listening is not my best quality especially when I'm watching an Iowa football game. God has given each one of us qualities that make us who we are and he accepts us as we are. The world may laugh and make fun of our disabilities, but we know through God's love that the good qualities and strengths we posses far outweigh the disabilities.

I urge each one of you that read this story to look at everyone's good qualities and overlook the disabilities. The past couple of months I have been very busy managing a family fun golf facility and I have an awesome staff and each one of them has great qualities that make Swing Right the best place for people in Springfield to come and enjoy bringing their family to enjoy themselves. If we stop looking at everyone's weaknesses and focus on their strengths, the world would be a much happier and positive place.

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning
disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that
would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school
and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered
with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with
perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.
He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural
order of things in my son?'
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was
mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to
realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other
people treat that child.' Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing
baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that
most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as
a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would
give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the
boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The
boy looked around for guidance and said,'We're losing by six runs and
the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and
we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over
to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I
watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys
saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but
was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the
right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic
just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I
waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's
team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the
potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at
bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win
the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all
but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat
properly much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to
the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting
winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to
lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher
again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As
the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the
ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have
been the end of the game.Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over
the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from
the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to
first!'
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first
base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath,
Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to
the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right
fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his
first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball
to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's
intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over
the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the
runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming,
'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him
by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to
third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both
teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run
home!
Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as
the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
into this world'. Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that
winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy,
and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero
of the day!

Best Memory with my Grandpa

I want to introduce you to a man that taught me about life, love, and having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Grandpa was my confirmation teacher, mentor, and friend. My grandfather Stanley Blaine Saunders, passed away a couple of weeks ago so he could be with his Lord.



The best memory I have with my grandpa was when I took him golfing at Sioux City Country Club on a perfect fall day. Grandpa always loved the outdoors as he would sit outside on his porch for hours watching the birds. We had such a wonderful time that day on the golf course. Grandpa wasn't a golfer but he sure enjoyed watching me play.

We got up to the long par 5 hole on the front nine, which is way up high where you can see all of the beautiful trees and golf course. I helped grandpa up to the tee box so he could enjoy the view. I hit one of the best drives of the day down the fairway. I looked over at grandpa and asked him if he saw the ball. He was busy looking at the birds and wild life on the other hole. I realized after that what was important in life and that was the time I got to cherish with him.

Grandpa taught me a lot through his actions and words. The best advice he gave me was on our wedding day when he said, "Walk with the good Lord". I'll never forget those words for the rest of my life. Grandpa is walking with the good Lord today and I look forward to the day I can walk with him again in Heaven. I bet he is enjoying a quite the view right now.

In God's Care

My little niece is going to have her 4th surgery coming up this week. She was born with a rare genetic disease called Carpenters Syndrome. The story that follows reminds me of when she was a newborn and every breath she took was difficult. She was born with a hole in her heart and she didn't get the proper ventilation to her lungs. When Jess and I met her for the first time, we felt hopeless because we didn't know what to do or say to help our little niece. Abby has taught us so much about ourselves and how God gives us life and take care of us. I laugh at those people that think they are in control and they decide what the future holds. I have learned quickly that you are only in control if you let God take the reigns and put everything on HIM! Abby has grown up to be quite the pistol and Jess and I and her brother Will and sister Cambria adore her. We know she is going to continue to surprise everyone with her personality, drive, and intelligence. Please say a prayer for our little niece as she is about to take on another tough journey. With God holding her and keeping her safe, her parents and all of her family and friends can be at peace and know that our little Dabbers is going to continue to grow and be a blessing to us all! Enjoy this wonderful story!

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery. Her husband, David , held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver the couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing. At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature. Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. 'I don't think she's going to make it,' he said, as kindly as he could. 'There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one' Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived. She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

'No! No!' was all Diana could say. She and David , with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger. But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there. At last, when Dana turned two months old. her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time? And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted. Five years later, Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving , Texas , Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby, when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, 'Do you smell that?' Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, 'Yes, it smells like rain.' Dana closed her eyes and again asked, 'Do you smell that?' Once again, her mother replied, 'Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain.' Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, 'No, it smells like Him. It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.'Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along. During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

'I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.' This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, He saw me, and He asked: 'My child, what is your greatest wish for today?' I responded:'Lord please, take care of the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much'.The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginning, but not its end.

Expecting Fathers

I have to take a break from the golf talk because I'm going to be a father! Jess surprised me with a bib that says "I LOVE DADDY". We are both very excited because we are at that time in our lives where we want to take that next step and be parents. It also comes with a huge responsiblity. Not only is that little baby going to be time consuming but is also going to be very expensive! We just got back from visiting the hospital to see how far along we are (8 weeks). We have to plan our budget accordingly to pay for the upcoming medical bills and how to keep Jess from feeling that wonderful morning/afternoon/evening sickness. I must say she is a trooper but I don't think we will have more than two kids because I'll keep reminding her how she felt. =)

When we talked to the nurse for our first checkup and we told her the baby was planned, she laughed and said that is a first. She told us how many teens come in pregnant and act like it is no big deal. They never have any questions. Jess and I thought about what it would be like to be 16 and expecting. I would be in shock and fear of not only my future but the future of the baby and not being able to support him or her. Many teens have this unrealistic view of babies and how much fun they are. They don't get to see them when they are really sick and crying in the middle of the night. The financial responsibility would have to be left up to their parents or Government because their is no way they would be able to pay for the medical bills let alone the daily necessities such as diapers, clothes, food, & medicine. If the teens were to quit school and work full time, they would probably only be able to cover daycare and maybe food because they wouldn't have the education to get a good paying job. That means living with their parents till their 30 (ouch!). I am afraid our society is creating more situations such as these where the children are going to suffer and their is going to be a vicious cycle.

The problem I see in the future is the people who are having more babies are a lot of the same people I just explained. They are accepting welfare checks from the government because they receive more money from the government by staying home with their babies rather than going out and getting a job because the only jobs they are qualified for are just above minimum wage due to not having an education. Are their children going to do the same? Unfortunately, the statistics say there is a very high percentage that their children are going to repeat the same cycle. Children act and eventually behave like their parents, especially the daughter who doesn't have her father around to be a male role model. These children that come from broken homes and lack of good role models as parents will probably end up giving up and following the same path because they don't think they can do any better. The number of poor uneducated people who are getting pregnant at an early age are going to outnumber the people who are paying for their welfare check by a number that doesn't add up.

Ok, enough of the ranting. I sound like my dad. Now I know why I am a conservative. Hey, I took another job cleaning an office every morning so I can put money away for our future and our soon to be childs future. We have a plan to be successful and to teach our child about making good decisions. As long as God fits into that plan and is the focus of our decision making, we will be just fine.

This baby we are about to have is going to be such a blessing! That pic of Jess and I and our little nephew Jackson shows how a happy baby should look like that is blessed with a loving mother and father who would do anything for him. Thats the way God meant for it to be! Wish us luck and keep us in your prayers in order to be the parents God wants us to be.

In His Grip,

What's The One Thing

My Friend and brother in Christ, Steve Burdick, wrote a wonderful devotional about following God with your whole heart! I felt compelled to post it on my blog because many of us put our passion, whether it is golf, hunting, rock climbing, sky diving, music, etc. in place of God. We get totally immersed in this activity and we don't make time for what is important in life such as our relationships with God, family, & friends. I was a prime example of someone who put sports as my god, especially in college when I played golf. After I met Steve Burdick at a College Golf Fellowship event, I learned the importance of putting God first in my life and letting everything else fall into place. Once I made Him a priority, I found myself at peace. I have never been happier and I know money, fame, and golfing success doesn't compare and can't replace my relationship with Jesus Christ, my wife, and family. If you have a similar story, I urge you to check out www.cgfonline.org and contact one of the CGF staff. Also, if you would like to subscibe to Links Daily Devotionals go to www.linksplayers.com. Enjoy!

Burdick Family

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Mark 10:21, NIV)

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Mark 10:21, NIV) I was fortunate enough to play college golf at Stanford University with Tiger Woods. He was a freshman when I was a senior, and I have many fond memories of that year--like when Tiger would carry our luggage at the airport and sleep on the rollaway bed in the hotel. Those were the days!


However, one memory has stood out above the others and took place when Tiger came on his recruiting trip to Stanford. While eating pizza together one night, I asked Tiger what he did besides play golf. I will never forget his response, as he looked at me with a dead straight face and said, "Eat and sleep." How sad. Golf had become his god.


Now, obviously his hard work, dedication, and incredible talent has allowed him to become probably the greatest player ever, but there is so much more to life than the game of golf. When I think about Tiger and this memory, I cannot help but compare him to a man in the Bible who had a very interesting encounter with Jesus (Mark 10:17-31). The Bible tells us that this man was extremely wealthy, powerful, and successful at a young age. Does that not describe Tiger?


When this high achieving young man came to Jesus searching for eternal life, Jesus literally looked into his heart, expressed deep love for him, and then dropped the bomb. He told this materially rich yet spiritually bankrupt man that he was holding on to "one thing" that kept him from eternal life. In summary, Jesus told him to sell all, give all, and follow Jesus. This man was left with a choice to respond to God's initiative.

Unfortunately, the Bible tells us that this man walked away from Jesus sorrowful and grieving. He had made his choice. The things of this world were more important to him than what Jesus was offering--an intimate relationship with God and eternal life.

At some point in all of our lives, we are faced with this same choice. Sometimes we face this choice on a daily basis as things creep into our life and become "gods" to us. Will we choose to sell all, give all, and follow Jesus? What is the "one thing" that is keeping you from following Jesus with all your heart? Is it money, power, success, a relationship, a job, a ministry...something else?


Remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1). Let go of anything that is keeping you from experiencing the freedom that God desires for us as we follow Jesus and experience eternal life!

Defeating the Obstacles in Golf and Life!

Have you ever heard someone say that golf is mostly a mental game? As a teacher and player, I would agree with this statement for the golfers that play competitively and understand the game. If your a beginner or recreational player and you are starting to get addicted to this game, you will find out soon! Unfortunately, golf is a game that can be very difficult if you don't understand the fundamentals and the cause and effect of a golf shot. This is especially true for those who are unfortunate enough to have come down with the two dreaded words in golf called the "YIPS" and "SHANKS". Terms that we don't repeat on the golf course because of the results they cause to your game. For those of you who are lucky enough to have never heard or experienced these terms, the yips take place when your putting and you can't get yourself to make a smooth putting stroke. Right before you make contact, the putter makes a jab at the ball resulting in a horrible miss. A shank is when the player makes a quick swing with one of their irons. It is usually caused by lunging into the ball resulting in hitting the ball off the hosel part of the club, which makes the ball go straight right.

I love it when a player comes to me for a lesson because they have the shanks. The student thinks it is mostly mental, but I have come to find out through watching video of students and my own personal experiences that shanks are the tendency to come too steep or too flat of a path into the ball. The player then becomes a mess because they usually don't know what is causing the ball to go straight right and they lose all of their confidence because they keep making the same swings. The shanks can come out of nowhere and ruin your golf game and possibly cause a player to quit the game alltogether.

Rom 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


I think the shanks and yips are like the sin in our lives. They can come out of nowhere and cause us to do things that we weren't set out to do or planned on doing. Without Jesus Christ in our lives, the shanks or yips (Sin) can cause us to play a bad round of golf (Life), which can keep us from achieving our goal of playing good golf (Heb. 11:6 Pleasing God) & (Happiness). Sometimes, the shanks or yips (Sin) can also cause us to quit (Death). I know when I had the shanks (Little Faith), it wasn't fun to play golf (Live) because I would lose my temper and walk off the course. I quit playing for awhile because I was afraid. Finally, after practicing (studying God's Word / Scripture) I learned the cure (Jesus Christ) of how to beat the shanks (Sin & Death) and achieve my goal (Heaven) of playing good golf again. I love helping others learn the game of golf (Life) by teaching the fundamentals (Gospel) so that they may enjoy life to its fullest and not be scared of death!


1 Cor. 9:24-25 - Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; bet we do it to get a crown that will last forever.


Thanks to God, we don't have to worry about having to shoot the perfect round of golf (Works & Without Sin) because Jesus shot the perfect round for us (Sanctification - lived without sin, died on the cross, and rose again from the dead) so that we never have to worry about the dreaded shank (Death) and we can shoot the perfect round (No Sin) and be with God in Heaven. Because we are human and we live in sin, we will never master the game of life. All we can do is keep our hearts and minds on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and we will be blessed! We may even get a hole in one with God as our caddie on the golf course (Life)!

Matt. 22:37-38 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind. This is the first and greatest commandment."

In His Grip,

Sean W. Saunders