It hurts the way you lie.....

HONESTY

It hurts to lie, even if its just one!




Capital's State Team 2008

I have been golfing since I was in third grade. It has been the only thing that has come naturally to me. I absolutely love golf and all of the experiences I have gained from it. The first day on the High School golf team, I made a goal. I wanted to make it to state. My school had not done it in 18 years, and so I wanted to change that. Together, our team practiced hard every day. We did everything we could to do our best because we wanted to go to STATE!

Qualifying Tournament for State

In one of the bigger tournaments, our team was not doing very well. I was defiantly doing the worst that day. I had already hit like 6 balls out of bounds, and my game was totally off. We came to the 15th hole and our four some was already behind. We decided to do quick play. One of my opponents got up and hit her ball out in to the rough grass. The two other girls went to help her find her ball while I went to hit mine. I had put my bag up just right in front of my ball. I got all set up to hit it, when I heard the girl yell  "I found it!" I had jerked up to look and in the process my club hit the ball and it moved about two inches forward. I looked around as fast as I could. Then I quickly looked around and hit the ball onto the green. I thought YES, no one saw, I don't have to count that hit. As I walked the remaining 150 yards to the green I had an internal struggle. To tell the truth or not. I was trying to rationalize it, no one knew, it was only one stroke, and it was a HUGE tournament. When we finished the hole, I did it, I lied. I told them I got a 5 when I had shot a 6. We continued to the next hole when I realized I had the worst feeling inside. I had this thought come into my head, you will be blessed for telling the truth. So with that in mind, I told what had happened and to change the score. Some of the girls said it was not a big deal and they wouldn't count it, BUT I knew I needed to that day we did not finish even close to first, but I knew that my Heavenly Father would bless me, I did not know when or how.

I received my blessing only weeks later. We were in the qualifying tournament for State. I was playing with the top two golfers in Idaho, and I was nervous. I was playing okay but these girls, were rockin' it. I was not doing well enough to qualify individually, but I knew my team could. My group was the last ones on the course. I had heard that my team was only 5 strokes away to qualifying, and my last hole was a par 5. All I could think was I need to get a PAR! It was the 18th hole, and I got up and drove the ball, it was my longest drive ever. I was getting pretty excited, my next shot I got up and hit it with all my strength hand had put it right above the green. When I got up to the ball again, I was scared. All that in front of me was the hole and then the lake. I said a little prayer, and then this thought came into my head, you will be blessed for telling the truth. My coach turned his back, I closed my eyes and I chipped the ball.......IT WENT IN!!!!!! I had shot a 3 on a par 5, which is basically a hole in one. I fell to my knees and said a silent prayer of gratitude. My team made it to state for the first time in 18 years. I can tell you, that being honest pays off and that Heavenly Father will bless you!

FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUTH