New Beginnings
We I was a boy I would often play games with my brothers. Since all three of us have a competitive streak, our game playing often became intense. If we would play games outside we would each jockey for an advantage – in tag we would want the sun in the eyes of the person who was “it,” in hide-and-seek we would want the person counting to count slow, etc. If we played board games inside, we would often roll dice. The count on the dice would, more times than not, determine the winner. So we would each talk to the dice, imploring them for high numbers. There would be times when one of us would roll a low number and immediately cry out, “Do over.” A “Do over,” meant that we would have a second chance to roll the dice to see if we could improve our number. We had to use the “Do over,” sparingly, however, since we were generally limited to one “Do over,” per game and we did not want to waste it. We also were taking a chance, since anything greater than a “2” ment that the “Do over,” could be lower. “Do over’s,” were final, there was no appeal, no second chance. Once the “Do over,” was invoked, the person had to live with the consequences.
In one way, that is why I love the game of golf. Golf has “Do over’s” built into the game. In golf they are called, “Mulligan’s.” A Mulligan is an opportunity to hit another shot when the first one was bad. Depending on who one plays with, there may be one or multiple Mulligan’s allowed. Football has tried to institute a form of the “Do over” rule, only they call it, “Review of the Play.” The coach who is unhappy with the call may throw a flag, signaling the fact that he wishes a “Do over” of the ruling – a review. Sometimes the coach wills out, sometimes not, but the :Do over” feels good. Baseball was founded on the “Do over” rule – the pitches has four “balls” before he walks the batter and the hitter has three opportunities to hit the ball. That is my kind of game.
New Year’s Eve is a type of “Do over.” We have the opportunity to review our past year and take stock of our actions – good and not so good. We than can resolve to repeat our good actions and improve our not so good ones. Each year we have an opportunity for a “Do over,” a new beginning.
I like new beginnings. This past December I was privileged to ask Carol Bacon to be my wife. She said “yes” and we each have the opportunity for a new beginning – a new life. We will honor and respect the past and have an opportunity to begin a new life together.
New Beginnings are what God does for each of us – daily. Daily our Old Adam – our sinful self – is drowned in the waters of Baptism and we awake each day to a New Beginning – a new day filled with opportunities for service to the Lord.
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life
We I was a boy I would often play games with my brothers. Since all three of us have a competitive streak, our game playing often became intense. If we would play games outside we would each jockey for an advantage – in tag we would want the sun in the eyes of the person who was “it,” in hide-and-seek we would want the person counting to count slow, etc. If we played board games inside, we would often roll dice. The count on the dice would, more times than not, determine the winner. So we would each talk to the dice, imploring them for high numbers. There would be times when one of us would roll a low number and immediately cry out, “Do over.” A “Do over,” meant that we would have a second chance to roll the dice to see if we could improve our number. We had to use the “Do over,” sparingly, however, since we were generally limited to one “Do over,” per game and we did not want to waste it. We also were taking a chance, since anything greater than a “2” ment that the “Do over,” could be lower. “Do over’s,” were final, there was no appeal, no second chance. Once the “Do over,” was invoked, the person had to live with the consequences.
In one way, that is why I love the game of golf. Golf has “Do over’s” built into the game. In golf they are called, “Mulligan’s.” A Mulligan is an opportunity to hit another shot when the first one was bad. Depending on who one plays with, there may be one or multiple Mulligan’s allowed. Football has tried to institute a form of the “Do over” rule, only they call it, “Review of the Play.” The coach who is unhappy with the call may throw a flag, signaling the fact that he wishes a “Do over” of the ruling – a review. Sometimes the coach wills out, sometimes not, but the :Do over” feels good. Baseball was founded on the “Do over” rule – the pitches has four “balls” before he walks the batter and the hitter has three opportunities to hit the ball. That is my kind of game.
New Year’s Eve is a type of “Do over.” We have the opportunity to review our past year and take stock of our actions – good and not so good. We than can resolve to repeat our good actions and improve our not so good ones. Each year we have an opportunity for a “Do over,” a new beginning.
I like new beginnings. This past December I was privileged to ask Carol Bacon to be my wife. She said “yes” and we each have the opportunity for a new beginning – a new life. We will honor and respect the past and have an opportunity to begin a new life together.
New Beginnings are what God does for each of us – daily. Daily our Old Adam – our sinful self – is drowned in the waters of Baptism and we awake each day to a New Beginning – a new day filled with opportunities for service to the Lord.
Romans 6:4
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life