A Piece of the Pie………

It’s Tuesday the third day of April and I’m back in the, “infamous – pie shaped room”, at the Augusta National Golf Club.  It’s the Masters and I’m in Golf Prison all week.  Now before you start feeling sorry for me, fat chance of that, let me share a thought or two.  When you give yourself fully over to God, He does as He pleases with your life.  Even more so, He does with your life, what will bring Him the most glory, or at least that’s the plan, if you co-operate!   The biggest hurdle to get over,  in life,  is seeing that the purpose He has in mind might be something completely different than what you think you are experiencing.

I’m not a big golf fan.  I played when I was younger, and as the old joke goes;  “I gave it up because of all the people that got hurt!”  However, the week at the Masters could hardly be called drudgery.  Hotel rooms in Augusta go for $450 + a night during the Masters, so Nikon is kind enough to rent a large, very nice home, for the three team members to stay in for the week.  The pie shaped room is air conditioned, thank goodness in Augusta in the spring!!!  The Golf Club provides good food and nice facilities for the press, so all is well in that department.  No, all is well in the comfort zone.

Time for a thankfulness check up!  What I do love about this week is the fellowship with people I care a great deal for but seldom get to see! My team for this event at Brien Aho, and Takawuki Abe.  Brien is a new Tech Rep and has hit the ground running, he is going to be a great one!   Abe San is a legend in the golf community, he has saved more photographers bacon than anyone can remember!  It is a pleasure working with them.  While at the Masters we get visits from lots of photographers, many of whom, I only get to see once or twice a year.  this is a dangerous game, because you will always leave someone out, and that is a shame, they are all great people, but a few always come to my mind when you say the Masters!  Dom Furore and J.D. Cuban, both of whom work for Golf Digest, their two best shooters in my opinion, are also great guys who make this week long sentence a lot more than tolerable!  Some day when I hang it up and move onto other things, I will really miss these two guys!  We always make it as tradition to go out and have a meal together and it is much anticipated by all!  Fred Vuich, formerly with Golf Magazine, and now free lancing mostly for SI, (Sports Illustrated) is not only a terrific shooter, but one of the nicest men you will ever meet, and is a brother  in the Lord as well, which is a real joy.  Of course John Beaver and Robert Beck drop by (both from Sports Illustrated), and they are great friends as well.  There are more, but these are some of my very special friends that you can find at the Masters every year.  They make this event something to really look forward too!

I believe God gives us people, people to love for Him.  People to encourage, to listen to, and to learn from, and maybe, just maybe, teach them a thing or two as well.  It’s the wonderful way He works, as we invest in others, it brings back the riches of friendship to us, and, in the end,  He is glorfied!

I may be in prison, but as Paul said, “I’m note really in prison, I’m in Him!”

The words of the song For the Love of God, sung by Kenny Rogers,  seems like the right way to end this entry:

I could follow Him, I could pledge my faith
Bound by duty I could honor and obey
But the love I found is compelling me
To serve Him from a heart that’s been redeemed

I would give my all, everything I’ve got
To the highest call, for the Love of God
Every day I live, I’d give no matter what
I will do it all, for the love of God

May I never serve from a heart of fear
Thinking only that the end is drawing near
Oh but Lord I pray, that in all I do
I’ll be driven only by what pleases You

I would give my all, everything I’ve got
To the highest call, for the Love of God
Every day I live, I’d give no matter what
I will do it all, for the love of God

No greater motivation, there is no higher cause
My one and only reason remains the love of God

I would give my all, everything I’ve got
To the highest call, for the Love of God
Every day I live, I’d give no matter what
I will do it all, for the love of God

Yes, I have comitted my life to him, I will do it all, for the love of God………

the pilgrim

Clever Title????  My wife’s idea!  Thanks sweetheart!