It Only Takes a Spark to Get a Memory Going

Over the last few days, I’ve been attracted to watching some PGA golf (certainly not my usual choice for TV-watching). Maybe it was because my son was playing in a golf tournament this weekend. When I turned on the TV yesterday afternoon and the women’s 2017 Solheim Cup was on, my mind was flooded with so many memories that brought precious “in-the-now” moments. BTW – the Solheim Cup is a biennial golf tournament for professional women golfers with teams representing Europe and the United States. The men’s event is the Ryder Cup which is played on the off year from the women’s Solheim Cup. This year the Solheim Cup was in Des Moines, Iowa. The U.S. won yesterday for the 2nd year in a row – 2015 & 2017. I watched the final shots that secured the U.S.’s win and I saw Juli Inkster, the Team Captain, cry tears of joy.

It was in 2003 when our car dealership manager called to ask if we'd like tickets to the LPGA Tournament the next weekend at Tulsa Country Club. Of course we did -- we loved watching Annika Sorenstam, Juli Inkster, Nancy Lopez, Kerry Webb, among other women's golf greats. He went on to say, "And, oh, by the way, Ron, how about playing in the Mercedes putting contest? We need one more for 50 entrants. You and your wife have a current passport, don't you? You could win a great prize!" We didn't know what it was, but my mission was to get him practicing his putting every day until then. And, Ron's Mom gave him some great advice "When you get up to make your putt, take your time, pray, and picture that hole like Goliath's head, then like David, take aim and sink that ball like David sunk Goliath!"

It was the day of the 50-yard putting contest during the LPGA. There were 50 contestants who putted in alphabetical order. Yay -- at last to be grateful for a name at the end of the alphabet. They had to hit the ball in an upside down L (a dogleg left) to the hole. The closest to the hole was 3-feet when it was finally Ron's turn. Like his Mom told him, he took his time. The Golf Network was televising this whole event. Ron stood there, looked at the course, then looked at the ball. He looked at the course, and he looked at the ball. The announcer said, once again "And now, Ron Wuerch!" Like his Mom told him, he had been praying. When he finally took his stroke, it was as though that ball was on a laser course......it made its L-turn perfectly, and.....that ball went straight into the hole. The cheers went up in a roar, and Ron held his arms and hands up like he was a pro golfer winner. What a moment of achievement and celebration. But the best part? That hole-in-one merited us a prize of an all-expenses-paid 8-day trip, flying on the 747 jet with the entire LPGA Team the next day to Barseback Golf & Country Club, Skane, Sweden, for the 2003 Solheim Cup. where they would be playing the European Team. We were beyond grateful, exhilarated, and truly felt God's favor over our lives. It was one of those “pinch me to be sure I’m not dreaming” moments. I’ll never forget my never-met-a-stranger husband chatting with Juli Inkster on the flight to Sweden and expressing that she had always been his favorite female player. So, of course, seeing her as captain of the winning U.S. team yesterday, played that memory in my head like it was on a giant cinema screen.

Since the official games didn't start until Thursday, we became adventurers and went to Denmark, and if that weren't enough, we decided to adventure to Germany, my husband's country of origin. After riding the bus, the ferry, the taxi and train, we made it to Berlin. It was a thrill to see the remains of the Berlin Wall that heralded not only the last days of communism in Eastern Europe, but also the emergence of a reunified and reinvigorated Germany — a country that is now Europe’s economic leader. What a blessing it was to be at the site of the fall -- to be able to put our feet on the place where history was made and a new day and a new beginning began.

So, thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving me that little window from the past that I peered through with such gratitude. We celebrated life when we could. We didn’t hold back for another day. We took on this day and another day and another, and I continue to live with that mentality.

I'm so grateful for the treasured memories of the past.....as well as the brand new day, today! What a sweet life it's been -- and as sweet as the journey was in the past, I still get a thrill out of God’s surprises and mercies that are new every morning. Stay tuned – I’ll be sharing about the ones I make today, for some time in the future!

I Am My Beloved’s and He Is Mine

Please indulge me as I’m still living in the precious moments of my recent Holy Lands' trip. I spent most of yesterday going through my journal and taking note of God's special blessings. Needless to say, I felt so wrapped up in God’s love because of so many incidents that brought heaven to earth to me. I read the words just before I left on the trip: "I know You are with me -- guiding, directing, keeping my feet on the pathways you are leading me on -- safe and protected! I AM YOURS AND YOU ARE MINE!" Just look at how those words played out!

First of all – just being able to go on this trip with my dear friends, Charles Michie and Sheila Michie, who were my loving guardian angels – yes, I need double-duty from angels (those in the spirit realm and in the natural). LOL! Because they had flown out a couple of days earlier to Rome, I went it alone until I flew into Houston to meet the other travelers. Of course, God, in His loving kindness, provided me with angels there – dear Tony & Ruby Urbina. There was a divine connection the moment we met. It sincerely seemed like a “match made in heaven” for us. They were my Houston to Rome angels. They wouldn’t leave me for a minute. Tony would lead the way and say "Come on, Babies!" What a blessing they were to me, and then we met up with Mick and Sheila in Rome. They looked out for me in so many ways! We had so many laughs -- especially when we decided to go it alone in Rome, apart from our tour group. When Mick told Sheila and I to hide our name tags because we didn't want others to think we were tourists, Sheila and I fell apart laughing so hard. We had our cameras, our handbags and we were looking at a map -- so do you think we DIDN"T look like tourists without those name tags? LOL!

On the way home on Saturday, in the Frankfurt airport, our time was short, considering the long security checks at several different areas. When our last check came up, my carry-ons were held up. One, because I left a water bottle in one bag, and my computer in the other. Oh me. That delay certainly created some anxiety because our flight departure was soon. Mick and Sheila wouldn’t leave me. I told them to go ahead but they refused. They said “If you’re missing your flight – so will we!” Now that’s love. My bags were checked, and of all things, both were detected for explosives! Here came the police with their firearms. This cute policewoman (pictured below) sure eased my concern with her smiles and good English. Eventually I was released with time to spare and my buddies were there to hustle through with me.

Early on in our journeys, I told about the sweet couple that gave me a necklace "from my husband". That was special enough, but "the love" just kept coming. When I walked into a store just outside our hotel in Jerusalem, one of my fellow travelers called me over to look at a necklace he'd found for his wife who had to stay at home. They both are doctors. I was giving him my “two thumbs up” agreement with his decision, when the shopkeeper asked me for my ring size. He came back with this ring, pictured here. It is inscribed, in Hebrew, “I am my beloved’s and he is mine” – the scripture from Song of Solomon 6:3, and the words I wrote in my journal BEFORE leaving home. Of course, the tears flowed like a fountain because my Lord came through for me as I reminded Him in the beginning "I AM YOURS and YOU ARE MINE" and I knew, both He AND my sweetheart were with me on this journey. There were just too many set-ups. Indeed my Father does love the widows so much, that He continues to pour out blessings I can hardly contain. While I thought of the sweet love I had with my husband, I know that this ring represents the many ways that I belong to Jesus. I am my beloved’s by the gift of His purchase of me, paid by His own life; I am His by surrender, because I gave myself to Him. I am His and He is mine now and for all eternity.

You, too, are His beloved and He is yours. Just believe it, give Him your life and receive His love. I promise you, THAT love doesn't disappoint!

Locked in Forever Love

Day 119 of Photo Inspirations -- Locked in Forever Love
Today is our final day of our 17-day cruise. We've entered the Skagerrak Strait which runs between the coasts of Norway and Sweden and leads into the Baltic Sea.  Tomorrow we'll arrive in Copenhagen,  Denmark -- a place near and dear to my heart.  My sweetheart and I were there 10 years ago on our own adventure of a lifetime when he won us an all expense paid 8-day trip to Malmo, Sweden because he sunk a hole-in-one at a golf tournament.  On that trip, we ventured from Malmo to Denmark.

I took this first photo yesterday in Hamburg, Germany. The photo is of locks that lovers sign and place there in commitment of their forever love for each other.   I love that.   I wonder how many locks are there of couples who eventually went their separate ways,  but more importantly,  those who made a commitment and are still together.

How wonderful it would have been if my sweetheart and I could have symbolized our commitment in that way.   But we didn't need to.  When we made our vows to each other, it was forever.  Did we ever get aggravated at each other?  Oh, yes we did, but breaking our vows were never an option.   I'm so glad, because conquering the tough times, made the journey get sweeter and sweeter.

This morning,  as I pondered my blog for today,  I thought about the locked-in-love I have for my Heavenly Father.   Talk about forever and ever love.  I'm feeling His embrace right now as I type this post.   What love are you locked into today?