As I sit here and write this update, I am caught up in the presence of God.  There is nothing like worship, right in the middle of the day, to bring life, empowerment, and a fully engaged preparation to playing your best game, on or off the course—right here, right now.

I am in the midst of preparing for the Florida Senior Women’s Open Championship, which is taking place this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Florida.

I am convinced it was the spontaneous worship I entered into the last day of the Tennessee Senior Women’s Open that equipped me to win the championship by a resounding 13 shots.  In sports performance there is a term called “Ideal Performance State,” that is, I.P.S.  It is an emotional-mental state an athlete creates for herself that enables her to play at peak performance.

You can create it intentionally if you know how.  It is a totally positive mental state where “calm concentration” marks your reality. You are free from opposing thoughts, fear, and the need to control outcomes.  You are totally emotionally present to the shot. The mind is clear.  You see the shot and hit it.  I did that ALL DAY LONG last week and I am convinced it was the power of worship that enabled me to go into this realm as a result of losing myself in the presence of God.  In fact, I was so caught up in worship, I almost forgot I had a tournament going on!  I had to tell myself that morning, “Girl, you better get to the golf course or you’re going to be late for your tee time!”

I am fascinated by the exploration of worship as it relates to competition, winning, and performance.  Many years ago, I had a conversation with Bob Rotella, one of the fathers of sports psychology. He brought to light the mind-body connection in sports.  In our conversation, I brought to light that we are not only two part beings—mind and body, but three part beings:  spirit, mind, and body.  He dismissed my thought as irrelevant.  However, I knew it to be true.  If spirit is a dimension to who we are, then to fully perform, we must necessarily engage the FULLNESS of who we are, all three dimensions.  I just didn’t know how at the time.  I do now.

What I do know is that when we worship, our spirit-man envelopes our soulish man.  Our mind, will and emotions become absorbed by the realm of the Spirit.  My spirit, little ‘s’, becomes swallowed up in the big “S”, the realm of the Holy Spirit.  I know this to be true because there wasn’t even one negative thought to contend with as I took my focus off of myself and onto the Lord.  My mind was clear. My emotions were calm.  My spirit was free and at peace.  What was most remarkable was the duration of my I.P.S.  It lasted the entire round, through all day rain.

As I reflect on that experience, I realize that what we have not apprehended is how to take worship out of the church and into the realm of work, performance, and achievement as MODUS OPERENDI.

I like the words of Phil Driscoll, master worshipper and trumpeter, whose thoughts I quote randomly:

“All worship is in the honor of God.  Worship causes the presence of God to fill the atmosphere anywhere it’s done. I don’t care if it’s in the ball field or in the streets.  Wherever worship fills the atmosphere, God comes.  As the sound goes, so goes the presence of God.  As I give to God, God releases into me.  There is a sound that cannot be rehearsed. There is a frequency in heaven that is coming to earth –new sounds—coupled with men and women who lift up their hearts. Sound was never intended by God to be absent in spirit. Wherever the presence of God is, miracles, signs and wonders happen.”

What he is saying is “when we worship God wherever—in the boardroom, the classroom, the living room, or in the fairway–God shows up in the atmosphere and transforms it!”  He creates an Ideal Performance State for us as we worship Him!  Halleluiah!

It was important for me to express these thoughts because I am asking for your prayers to GO DEEPER into this realm of “swinging unto thee” this week as I enter the final competition of my little tour for now.  I want to experience this realm again and again and again!

Please pray for me to:

1. Continue to dive into my Spirit-inspired curiosity about integrating winning and worship.          2. Put my body, mind, and spirit in a position to win.  Yes, I do want to win again!                        3.Learn the golf courses well. There are two of them. Both resort-ish and totally uninspiring.  4.The one course looks like it has a bad case of the mumps.  Stupid undulations all over the    place. I think someone from Disney World must had designed these courses. Wed. is another    practice round on the Palmer course.                                                                                                          5. Really enjoy myself!                                                                                                                              6.Be a bright light to others.

Application:  Join me in my curiosity.  Take some time out –even if it is in the middle of the day –and worship God for 15 minutes.  Observe the result.  Let me know what happened!