Subscription Lists

My how the times have changed. Just thirteen years ago a young man from Texas named Tom Kite was the all-time leader in money earned on the PGA tour for a career. He did it while serving as the reigning U. S. Open Champion. On this date in 1993 Kite cemented his all-time lead with a stirring victory in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic at La Quinta, California. The Hope is one of those marathon tournaments that is played over five days and ninety holes.

Twice over the previous ten years Kite had lost the tournament in sudden death playoffs. In other words, he came to the end of…  ( Click for more )

In five years in Upstate New York (Cortland to be exact) I cannot remember more than a couple of times that school was ever called off for snow. Cortland lies on the southern edge of the New York "snow belt" and usually averages somewhere between one hundred and one hundred and twenty inches of the white stuff a year. Our first year there snow covered our balcony continually from November 8 through Easter. Now I live in the Blue Grass where even the mention of a pending snow can cause cancellations.

Weekend before last we had snow and ice and, as a result, a number of churches…  ( Click for more )

There were times over the last fifty-five plus years that I dearly wanted to change my last name. At least the spelling of it. For years I have had to endure the constant barrage of mailings and listings with my name spelled wrong. So here it is for all of you to see. My last name is spelled, K-E-L-L-E-Y. That's Kelley with two E's. Not Kelly. Since the first grade I have told teachers how my last name was spelled and they would correct me.

I can remember giving some information for an order one time at national department store chain. The clerk asked for my name…  ( Click for more )

This is a reprint of an earlier column. It is one that has not been on Study Light. I hope that it brings back some fond memories for a certain person who was involved.

For some inexplicable reason I relate well to animals. Yeah, I hear the remarks. But, strangely, I do. I once had a chipmunk run up my leg and perch on my head to escape a cat. But that's another day. This past evening (July 17, 2003) my wife and I went to Blue Grass Camp to hear our oldest son's praise band in a worship time. We also got to hear my good friend Brian Gorman, a fellow preacher/golfer,…  ( Click for more )

They lost. Yep. No doubt about it. They lost. They could have won it, but they lost. They squandered too many opportunities through penalties, poor play or indecision. And they lost. Yeah, I know. It's been three days and you were wondering when I was going to say something about the Super Bowl. I just said it. They lost. There I said it again. Ah, but the other team won. Nah. The other team didn't lose. The first team? They lost. Pure and simple. They lost.

There is a concept here with which some people are familiar but most are not. It is the difference…  ( Click for more )

First ABC gave us "Dancing With The Stars." Now, from FoxTV, we have "Skating With The Stars." I feel like I have to side with a few of my friends on the opinion that "Skating" is a much more difficult situation for stars than "Dancing." The majority of those who are on "Dancing" have, at one point or another (with the exception of Master P), danced in a formal setting what with all the awards shows and red carpet venues that they have opportunities to attend.

However, with the exception of Dave Coulier (of "Full House" fame) who has a background in hockey, most stars'…  ( Click for more )

Professional golf has its showcases. Most are what have been dubbed, "The Majors," four tournaments which have evolved to represent the finest of what championship golf is all about. Two of those are the national championships of their respective nations (The U. S. and British Opens), one the championship of the professional tour itself (PGA Championship) and the fourth the result of the greatest player at that time (Bobby Jones) asking his fellow golfers to come and find out who is really the best (The Masters).

There is a championship that has become one of those "don't…  ( Click for more )

Guano. Know what that is? No it's not what native bearers called the person for whom they worked. That's Bwana. Guano is bird droppings. Yes, the stuff that you see on the sidewalks and on your deck in the peak seasons for birds. I know. It's nasty stuff and probably doesn't belong in a spiritual column. Bear with me and I will explain. By the way, you can be happy that the birds that live around you are not the kind that inhabit a certain area for generation after generation. A little enlightenment.

Fish-eating birds have been depositing their droppings…  ( Click for more )

I can't remember if it was Buck Owens or George Jones who used to sing the song, but one of those two had a hit some twenty-five or so years ago with a little tune called, "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail." The basic gist is that the singer was in a situation that was about to turn around and eat him up. You don't hold a wild animal at bay by holding their tail. Rookie PGA golfer, Nathan Green, didn't have a tiger by the tale over the weekend but he did have a Tiger on his tail.

Going into the final round of the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines near Sand Diego,…  ( Click for more )

Sneezing. No, you're not seeing things. That's the word. Sneezing. I was told one time that it is physically impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. Guess what? I don't want to try. The thought of all that pressure and then having my eyes open when it gets cut loose; well, I just don't want to try it. However, I have another little nugget of info concerning sneezes for you. If you feel a sneeze coming on and you're at the top of the staircase heading down, sneeze first, then head down the stairs.

This past Saturday morning I was getting everything…  ( Click for more )

Guess who turns seventy this year? Let me give you a hint. They were once German but now they are American. They were given a name that came to mean the entire family but more commonly went by the name of a household pest. They died off for a number of years but have recently been resurrected. Still not sure? Okay, one last hint. What motivates them used to be in the back but now it's in the front. Give up? Believe it or not, the Volkswagen Beetle turns seventy this year.

On February 15, 1936 a car company in Germany came out with a new car. It was small and very…  ( Click for more )

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. That's one of those Biblical sayings that isn't really in the Bible. It is drawn from the Book of Ecclesiastes as Solomon reflects on the nature of man at death and what happens to the body when left to decompose. But all Solomon says is, "all are from the dust and all return to dust," (Ecclesiastes 3:20) and "then the dust will return to the earth as it was." (Ecclesiastes 12:7) I'm not sure who originally devised the other statement but it has become a part of our funeral culture over the years.

That "dust to dust" part is the…  ( Click for more )

This past weekend I got to watch a couple of episodes of Bonanza. You know, with Ben Cartwright and his sons, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe. Got a quick trivia question for you. Every time Ben Cartwright introduces Hoss he calls him Hoss. What is Hoss's given name? Time's up. It's Eric. Just thought I'd throw that in for those of you who remember Bonanza. I remember when it first came out we had a black and white TV. It was advertised that Bonanza was in living color, which a lot of programs weren't at that time, and Dad kept saying that it would be great…  ( Click for more )

As the 1950's belonged to the hard charging knight from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Arnold Palmer, so did the 1960's belong to the burgeoning talents of the chubby kid from Columbus, Ohio, Jack Nicklaus. As the 70's began people wondered who would step forward to challenge the Golden Bear as the new kid on the block for the decade. A number of golfers were poised to have what were thought to be break out careers. Some rose to the occasion from time to time but none that truly challenged Nicklaus, or even Palmer.

Then it happened. A tall blonde haired skinny kid started…  ( Click for more )

Before Christmas I remember watching a commercial on television about a company that offered something wireless. I can't remember right off hand what the product was but I do remember that one of the key figures in the advertisement was a marionette. A marionette is a puppet that is controlled by a gaggle of strings held aloft of the puppet and manipulated so as to make the puppet's extremities move like those of a human. The gist of the ad was that the puppet was impressed by the concept of being wireless and imagined himself as such.

It is from the marionette that…  ( Click for more )

We have reached a time in our society where old is not so much an age issue as it is a technology issue. Granted people still celebrate birthdays which means that each year a person is getting older. However, their aging factor is compared against that of the technology around them. Let me use myself to illustrate. This year I will be fifty-six years old. In some places I am considered a Senior Citizen. In others I am still almost a decade away from being able to merit "the breaks" of advancing age. I rub elbows with people twenty and even thirty years my senior who wish they…  ( Click for more )

I love football. No, not soccer. And not rugby or that stuff they play with Australian rules that is a combination of rugby and football without the pads. I love football, American style. Good old rock 'em, sock 'em, smash mouth football. Especially when the games are as important as they are now where the National Football League is playing its Super Bowl tournament to find who will compete in Super Bowl XL. However, my enjoyment of the games this past weekend was marred. Let me explain.

Because of the physical aspect and timing of football there are abundant…  ( Click for more )

Sidekicks. Maybe you remember them. They used to be fairly common sights. From prime time to Saturday mornings they were readily seen. Even the comics had their fair share of them. Sidekicks. That team of two that worked like one, thought like one and acted like one. Not sure just exactly what I'm talking about? Then take this quick little quiz. Complete the phrase: Laurel and ___________; Rocky and ___________; Batman and ___________. Now do you remember sidekicks?

Funnymen Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy brought physical comedy to new levels. You always got the…  ( Click for more )

Price. What something costs to have it. A local business here in the Bluegrass uses the word price in all its advertising claiming that, "Price sells cars." Of course it does. All things being equal who wouldn't want the product with the lower price? Ah, but there's the rub. There are those who would. There are those who are so product name conscious that price means nothing in choosing the right article for use. It's the name of the brand on the object that means everything.

I have played a lot of golf with guys who buy high-priced golf equipment. Many…  ( Click for more )

This past Monday morning as I was heading up to the local coffee house, the Lock 'N Key, I took my usual route. I headed toward the downtown area of Georgetown by turning left onto Champion Way and then out to U. S. 62. Something odd happened as I got to the junction of Champion Way and 62. I was following a school bus which stopped at the light and let a car go by before turning right. As I was approaching the traffic signal I noticed that the light was still red and that nothing at all was coming from the left on 62. I happened to glance in my rearview mirror and saw a…  ( Click for more )

Back in professional golf's fledgling years there were no big money tournaments. Instead there were exhibitions in which a small purse was offered to try to entice the elite of golf to come and participate. In fact, the practice was to invite (from which the term "invitational tournament" arises) those golfers that were felt to be the best players of the day. Such was the subject of the movie, "Bagger Vance," which pit Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen and the fictional Rannulph Junah against each other for ten thousand dollars.

However, as such exhibitions grew in popularity tournaments…  ( Click for more )

New Years are all about resolutions. That's what a friend of mine concluded as we were talking the other day. His succinct statement was something along the lines of, "Yep, everybody makes their resolutions and then nobody follows them." I guess the appropriate question to raise here is to ask how many of you have ever made a resolution and not kept it? Raise your hands. C'mon, Frank, you know you blew last year's resolution in the first day. For some reason, resolutions are a lot like promises for many people; they just simply aren't kept.

Ever wonder…  ( Click for more )

The Heisman Trophy Award was handed out recently with the naming of Reggie Bush of the University of Southern California as the recipient. This was one of the more hotly contested trophies in years with three players running neck and neck. Bush's play in the last few games of the year kicked him over the top in most sports writers' minds. Odd thing is that winning the Heisman doesn't always mean superstardom in the pro ranks. There is an overwhelming body of evidence that advises the pro football teams to look elsewhere for their stars of tomorrow.

True, recently…  ( Click for more )

Christmas draws ever the closer to us. I try not to show too much excitement about Christmas but I can't help it. I love the holidays, but I especially love Christmas. I think anyone who has been through the rigors of having children, or even just one child, can somehow understand the wonder of that very special night. My oldest child is a male. He was born at 5:59 P.M. on December 13. It was dark out at that time. I remember going to the lobby to call my parents and seeing all the lights outside the hospital there in Huntington, West Virginia.

Our doctor told us that…  ( Click for more )