Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I don’t know why I thought of this yesterday, but the word “beatitudes” came to mind.

It is not a word used in everyday language these days.

Actually, I do know why I thought of it.

My wife and I try to read a portion of Scripture every day, for it provides lessons for lives such as the ones we lead.  Lessons often arise from the New Testament, but also can exist in the Old Testament, if you persist to find them in books that require more historical knowledge than we have.

So it was that the word “beatitudes” came up earlier this week as read Matthew chapter 5.

The dictionary defines the word this way:

“Any of the declarations made in the Sermon on the Mount.”

• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  
  
• Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
  
  
• Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
  
  
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
  
  
• Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
  
  
• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
  
  
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
  
  
• Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

• Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

For a moment, just ponder these principles for life.  On one hand, in an earthly way, they do not make sense for the way most people life.

But, in another way, if we are “children of God,” they make more sense as principles, even if we do not live up to them every day.