It's fun to aim higher!

Surprised at myself after a great round!

Ah... Sunday morning. It's been quite the week, hasn't it?


In light of all that's happened in the past seven days, it made perfect sense to schedule a golf outing for Saturday - my first in a couple of months. So I headed out with my friend Gerard, and we enjoyed possibly the most perfect golfing weather I've ever experienced. Sunny, mid-60's when we started, and around 75-degrees when we walked off the 18th green.

For some people, golf winds them up and adds tension. For me it's the opposite. Play well or play poorly, I simply enjoy the experience. What's not to love? A relaxing walk, good conversation, smacking the heck out of a little ball, beautiful surroundings. It's all good.

This time I was so mellow I scored well too. Didn't realize how well till we added up at the end. Now I'm wondering where I could have saved that one shot and carded a 79! To be honest, though, I dropped so many unlikely long putts (30-40 footers or more) that my low numbers were more accidental than a reflection of finely honed skill!

SO WHAT: So what's my "Life-Charged Life" point here? Well - and my parents will confirm this - I've always loved to play games. For as long as I can remember I've enjoyed the challenge of looking at anything and everything with the view of how I could make a game out of it... do it better than last time... improve my score... make it more fun, more interesting, more of a challenge.

Now I'm not proposing a "quest" theology, where mortals are set a series of tasks to accomplish in order to prove ourselves worthy... but I am suggesting that there is merit to the idea that we are all created with a built-in desire to improve, to push the envelope, to live to (and beyond) capacity... and that we miss out to the extent that we are satisfied with the kind of systemic mediocrity that defines too much of the way too many people approach too much of  life.
................

Naomi and David - work the camera!

Take a look at Naomi, trying to get the perfect angle for a photograph of little David Henry Campbell. I want so much for him; I dream on his behalf so much more now than I had the energy to do when our children were that young; I see his story stretching out into the future and I am so excited for what is possible....

But I'm excited about what is possible for all of us; each one. Live. Live forward. Live this life-charged life like we mean it!
- DEREK