Backhand Compliment

Daddy got to go to Madison's entire tennis practice this afternoon, which was really nice to go to.  It was great watching the kids hit the tennis balls back, using backhands and forehands and running around playing games.  They really enjoyed themselves, and the class is small enough that the kids had plenty of time to return serves.

The class is indoors, which is actually a good thing as the weather has been a bit chilly lately.  It's a big indoor gym, and a tiny net set up to serve over.  Madison did well, hitting well over 90% of the balls tossed her way, and aiming them into the next court area.  She did better with her backhand, which is really good by the way.  And she enjoyed playing a few extra games with everyone, such as her favorite, "Popcorn."

This was Daddy's big time with Madison and Mommy for the day.  Of course, we all had the morning together as always.  But today was a church day, so Daddy spent much of the day "at the office," preparing for the big day.  Meanwhile, Madison was bringing home some classwork dated from months ago, along with some stories and other writings.  She's come so far, and looking at her daily pictures, she's growing up so fast too.

It was a big night tonight at KidPak, where we continued the "boys vs. girls" thing with the mini-golf.  It was huge, with kids so loud about their team they were cheering for.  And the message portion went over very well too - below is what Daddy wrote out as an outline of sorts for the message, complete with video clips.

It was a longer day today, as always.  And a colder one too.  It was below thirty when we woke up this morning, which is quite a shocker.  Tonight we'll be snuggling under the blankets, trying again to stay warm.  Winter is still reaching out, trying to hold on - but its grasp cannot hold us forever!  Can it?  Right?

HOST walks out with golf clubs once again.

HOST:  “Fore!”

HOST:  “This past weekend was the Masters Tournament, and what a fantastic game of golf it was.  One of my favorite golfers walked away afterwards with the green jacket on.  Any Bubba Watson fans out there?”

CUE SLIDE:  “Bubba Watson”

HOST: “This guy nailed it, leading all the way.  What’s great about him is that he’s from Georgia, and he’s an amazing person with a great testimony.  And one of the great stories this week is where he went out to celebrate afterwards.  Does anyone know where Bubba went to eat at?”

CUE SLIDE:  “Bubba at Waffle House”

HOST:  “Waffle House!  He blended in so well the waitress had no idea who he was.  He even left a $150 tip there, which isn’t bad considering he won well over a million dollars from the Masters.”

CUE SLIDE:  “Bubba Watson”

HOST:  “He’s just a good old boy.  You know, golf used to be a sport for just the super rich – it’s just fun to see a guy like this take the ultimate prize in golf.  It’s sort of an underdog story, which we all love to cheer for.”

CUE SLIDE:  “FORE!”

HOST:  “But that’s the way golf started.  It used to be for only the wealthy folks that went to country clubs.  No riff-raff allowed.  That is, until a guy named Francis stepped up.  He was just a caddy – and he’s what we’ll be talking about in a movie that came out a few years ago.”

CUE SLIDE: “ GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED”

HOST:  “It’s called ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played,’ and it’s about a couple guys who were told all their lives that they could never play a sport like golf.  Let me show you what I’m talking about.”

CUE CLIP ONE:  “Golf is a gentleman’s game” :26 – 2:07

CUE SLIDE:  “GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED”

HOST:  “Not just with golf, but you may hear this sort of thing all your life.  It basically all boils down to this:  you can’t do it.  You can’t succeed.  Why bother trying?  You don’t belong here.  Listen to what Francis Ouimett is told as he asks to try out for the golf championship.”

CUE CLIP TWO:  “Caddies Don’t Play Golf” 18:43 – 20:12

CUE SLIDE: “Francis asks to play”

HOST: “Francis was told no, but he’s still wants a way in.  It’s a good thing he has someone there to help him.  He’s got to play – it’s what he was meant to do.  And that brings us to our first point.”

CUE SLIDE:  “Don’t stay put.”

HOST: “The two great golfers in this game were told to stay put.  They were told all their lives to stop trying, and stay right where they were.  And that’s just what we hear sometimes in our lives too.  We’re told all sorts of negative things that try to dash our dreams.  But let’s listen to what God says.”

CUE SLIDE: “JEREMIAH 29:11”

HOST:  “I know the plans I have for you.  I want you to enjoy success.  I do not plan to harm you.  I will give you hope for years to come.”

CUE SLIDE:  “Fore!”

HOST: “If you walk away from here with just one message tonight, it’s this:  God wants you to win.  He doesn’t want you to fail.  That’s not His style.  So the thing you have to remember is this:  don’t listen to those voices that say no, no, no.  Read His word, and talk with God in prayer – He’s not the God of no, no, no.  He’s the God of ‘You got this thing!’”

CUE SLIDE:  “Francis”

HOST:  “Francis gets it.  The battle is all in the head.  He’s not going to take no for an answer, and neither should you.  Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world, right?  Let’s watch Francis play, and see how he does.”

CUE CLIP THREE:  “Francis Tries Out” 27:04 – 30:10

CUE SLIDE:  “Francis down”

HOST:  “He was doing pretty well, showing a bit of talent.  If only he could play all the time like the others, maybe he would have done better that day.  But here’s the thing – he still doesn’t give up.  There are some older golfers that see his talent, and they want to train him and see him in the biggest golf competition in America – the US Open.”

CUE SLIDE: “ US OPEN”

HOST: “He’s got just one problem.  One really big problem.”

CUE CLIP FOUR:  “Francis meets Eddie” 51:37 – 52:36

CUE SLIDE:  “FRANCIS and EDDIE”

HOST: “ The most amazing thing about this story is that it is absolutely true.  Francis had no caddie and he needed one to compete.  He’s desperate, and he goes with this ten-year-old.  The thing to take away is this:  despite it all, Francis does not give up.  He keeps going, however he can.  And that takes us to our second point.”

CUE SLIDE:  “Just keep putting along.”

HOST:  “Just keep putting along.  You just have to keep trying.  Stuff is going to happen, and obstacles are going to rise up, and try to block you from winning.  But here’s some advice Paul wrote about in the Bible.”

CUE SLIDE: “ Romans 12:12”

HOST: “ When you hope, be joyful.  When you suffer, be patient.  When you pray, be faithful.”

CUE SLIDE:  “Francis and golf club”

HOST: “Be joyful.  Be patient.  Be faithful.  You can win if you don’t give up.  God is right there with you, and so are your friends and family.  Everyone is cheering for you, so don’t let us all down.  Just keep trying.  That’s what Francis did – and let’s see how he is doing with his new caddie.”

CUE CLIP FIVE:  “Eddie the Caddie” 1:00:00 – 1:00:41 spliced with 54:31 – 55:02

CUE SLIDE:  “FRANCIS and EDDIE”

HOST:  “Choosing Eddie turned out to be one of the best things Francis could have done.  In our lives, God can take those weird situations, and turn them into something wonderful.  Eddie is a bright kid – so much that when he grew up, did you know that he became a multi-millionaire.  These two were persistent, and pretty focused on the goal ahead.  This brings us to our final point.”

CUE SLIDE:  “KEEP THAT DRIVE”

HOST: “ Keep that drive.  We talked about Bubba Watson earlier – one of the reasons he won was his drive.  He swings with all his might, and gets that ball out further than anyone else.  He blazed a trail that everyone else had to keep up with.  And that’s just where God wants us – right there with the champions.”

CUE SLIDE:  “Francis”

HOST: “ Let’s see how Francis does at the US Open.  You think he can win it?”

Let audience answer.

HOST:  “I do too.  Let’s watch.”

CUE CLIP SIX:  “Francis is a Champion” 1:21:02 – 1:22:15 cut out scene of guy taking a swig at this point, then continue with 1:22:21 – 1:24:06.  But cut out Ted Rey’s words at 1:23:38.

CUE SLIDE:  “FRANCIS VICTORIOUS”

HOST:  “Francis Ouimett became one of the greatest golfers of all time, and one of the most influential ever.  He, a lowly caddy, defeated the world champions.  It is the ultimate underdog story.  Back then, golf wasn’t as popular in America.  It was a sport for the super rich, and for those folks across the pond in England and Scottland.”

HOST:  “But Francis had a victory that inspired folks.  Because he won, that said pretty much anyone can play golf, right?  It’s because of him that people in America started liking golf more.  And because of him, a lot of big names started playing, names like Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus.”

CUE SLIDE:  “MASTERS LEGENDS”

HOST: “ This brings us to our last thought.  Let me show you a scripture in Proverbs.” 

CUE SLIDE:  “Proverbs 31:8”

HOST:  “Speak for those who can’t speak for themselves.  Speak up for the rights of those who are poor.”

CUE SLIDE: “Francis”

HOST:  “Francis blazed a trail and inspired people.  He represented the poor.  He represented everyone, and his message was simple:  I did it.  You can do it to.”

HOST: “God wants you to win.  And He wants to use you to tell others that same message:  they can win too.  All we have to do to have that victory is simple:  don’t stay put.  Just keep putting along – and keep that drive.”

HOST:  “Let us pray.”