"How Deep the FATHER'S Love for Us"

"...so that CHRIST may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you...may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of CHRIST and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of GOD." Ephesians 4:17-19

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

As I begin writing this email, it's raining outside, and very cozy here in my den where i am typing...i even have our electric logs "burning" in the fireplace to keep me warm...in May. Even through these logs i am reminded of my FATHER's deep love for me, and how HE gave me my heart's desire in getting them as a CHRISTmas gift from my husband last year. This week I don't have one specific thing to write about, but GOD keeps taking me back to how very much HE loves me. As i was thinking back about just the past few days, i am reminded of just "How Deep the FATHER's LOVE for US,"...is, it is immeasurable. I have had ups and downs, but these are all included in the deepness of the FATHER's love for me.
Last Friday, Hannah Beth and I attended the baseball game of Jordan Pugh. His Mom and Dad have been friends of ours since before we were married. Our FATHER brought Eric and Susan Pugh into our lives before we were married to encourage and disciple us as new CHRISTians, and now 25 years later, the FATHER continues to love us through their family and the blessings of their fellowship...and the blessing of serving the LORD together in various ways. Their youngest son, Jordan, who plays for Athens Bible School, was playing in the state playoffs last Friday, and even though they lost the game we watched, the LORD blessed their team to win the State Championship this week down in Montgomery. While there at the game, we were blessed to see other friends in CHRIST who have meant so much to us through the years, the Browns. We had gone through Growing Kid's God's Way (www.gfi.org) parenting classes together, and we watched their son, Connor, hit two home runs! What a joy and thrill for their family!
As Hannah Beth and i watched that playoff game, we saw Jordan's team get the lead early, struggle, and then the other team won the game by a pretty wide margin. To say Jordan and his team were pretty dejected after the game was an understatement. The same young man who hit the two home runs, struggled in his fielding some, and one of his errors allowed the other team to score several runs. I sure did feel badly for him, but I was reminded of an article that I read several years ago in "World" magazine about the game of baseball. I believe it was interviewing a CHRISTian professional baseball player and the article was sharing that Life is like baseball: When things are going really well and you're on top of the world, enjoy it, but realize that it's not going to last, and when things are going really badly, see it for what it is, and realize it too will change eventually. I thought about that as I watched our young friend hit his first home run, and was on top of the world, along with the fans, then when he made the error allowing some runs to score, I'm sure he felt really down. Then, his next at bat, he hit another home run! Wow, talk about up and down...but isn't that a reflection of life and our FATHER's love for us...how one minute we are on top of the world, things go to our liking, and the next minute, when tough times come, we just want to hurry up and get through it...and we will eventually, but not before GOD's time for us to come through it and teach us, shape us, and accomplish all that HE is doing through the process. The first game, the Bible School lost, and then came back to win the second two to advance to the state championship where they eventually won it in two games. I'm sure the adversity along the way, like being humbled in Friday's playoff game, kept them from getting to "puffed up," when they won the Big One. "How Deep the FATHER's Love for Us," that HE knows exactly what we need in our lives to keep our eyes on HIM, and keep us from thinking it's all us. We're nothing apart from HIM, and HIS wonderful love for us...HE is the one WHO enable us to do everything, including take our next breath.
The next day after the game was Saturday, and my Dad and i got up real early to make the trip to Tuscaloosa to watch my nephew graduate from the University of Alabama...way to go, Dusty, and Praise the LORD!!! What a sweet time that was with my Daddy...just him and me riding and talking together, and we stopped along the way and ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel...one of our favorite places to eat. We both love breakfast, and we didn't have any trouble putting away the eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, maple syrup, apple butter, coffee, etc. We headed on down the road, and it didn't seem like anytime we were in the Coliseum at the University of Alabama watching my nephew receive his diploma. GOD blessed him as the top senior in Communications and he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Afterwards, as we were rejoicing in GOD's goodness to bring Dusty to this point in his life, and eating again:), at a really good hamburger joint with my brother, Joe, and my sister-in-law, Marilyn, and my other nephew Dallas (pictured above), Dusty shared with me the highlight of his college life...it wasn't going to the ballgames, although i'm sure he enjoyed that, or even going out with his friends. It was meeting every Thursday afternoon with a group of middle school guys, playing football or other games and sharing CHRIST with them through a Bible study he led. To say that i was proud and thankful for the work the LORD was doing in my nephew's life would be an understatement....what a way to spend and invest his college years. I wondered how many of those graduating that day would be leaving the same legacy behind that my nephew was leaving...and it was all because of "How Deep the Fathers Love for Us" is...and the work HE is doing through Dusty's life.
Mother's Day came and for our family in the restaurant business, Mother's Day can be a blur...and this one was no exception. After church, the kids went down to the restaurant and helped their Dad, and the rest of the family...it was really a busy day for them. I had planned to help out, but i was not feeling well, so i went home after church. I enjoyed my nice quiet afternoon, but i was ready for them to come in later that evening. My "expectations" were disappointed as they returned to church after working all day and i didn't get to see them. To say that i walked in the flesh for the next several hours, including the next day, would be the truth. Thankfully, even through allergic reactions, thyroid adjustments, and the downright sinful flesh... because of "How Deep the FATHERS Love for Us," is, we were able to forgive each other, eventually,( it didn't happen "before the sun when down on my anger" that night) and celebrate Mother's Day later.
Monday night our family had the joy of watching Hannah Beth in her first ballet recital in four years. We were so thankful for Johnny's folks, Pop and Baba attending, and Johnny's brother, Jerry, along with my brother Joe and his wife, Marilyn. What a blessing to have these family members come and support Hannah Beth! As i sat there and watched my sixteen year old, and so many of our dear friends children also dance on stage, the LORD reminded me of many years ago, when Hannah Beth was four years old and took ballet for the first time at a different ballet studio. After that first recital my heart was so grieved as i watched the older girls perform some dances that were very suggestive. As i walked the next day, i felt so downcast and even "dirty" and knew that wasn't the direction i wanted to go with my little girl's ballet. I had been blessed with watching a CHRIStian ballet somewhere along the line, and GOD had put a desire in my heart for Hannah Beth to be a part of something like that...the only trouble is there wasn't anything around here like that. As far as i knew, all the ballet in our town was regular classes. So, we just didn't do ballet...until, GOD raised up the one HE had to teach it,about 3-4 years later. A friend's daughter had babysat our children since she was 12 or 13 and she had taken ballet for a few years. She was about sixteen at the time and i asked my friend if her daughter would be interested in coming to our house and teaching Hannah Beth some ballet using CHRISTian music. She said yes, and Melody began teaching Hannah Beth at our home...now nine years later, Melody had 60 students in her ballet recital at Trinity United Methodist Church, and it was a beautiful recital that brought much glory to the LORD. The large auditorium was nearly 3/4 full of parents, friends, and loved ones who were so blessed by the music that lifted up CHRIST, the story of "Josie" and her sisters that followed the story of Joseph and his brothers, and the colorful and modest ballet attire the girls wore as they danced. How full my heart was to be a part of what GOD was doing when HE put it in my heart so many years ago to ask Melody's Mom if her daughter could teach Hannah Beth in our home..."How Deep the FATHER's Love For Us" is...Up above, is a picture of Hannah Beth with her teacher, Melody, at the recital Monday night, and another picture with her best friend, Tabatha.
Tuesday came and it was a good day until...i started writing bills and discovered the bank had my balance about 500 dollars less than i had my balance in my checkbook. Not only that, but we had some money missing that had been put in our checking account a few months ago...and i didn't have a clue where it was. If you know me, it's not unusual that i am clueless about our checking account, but it was pretty stressful there Tuesday for a couple of hours. I never did figure out exactly how we ended up with such a discrepancy in our checking account balance ( i did get 300 dollars closer to realizing), but GOD was so gracious to let me have a clue to where the missing money was...turns out it was in another account that we didn't even realize we had until last week when the teller at the bank "happened" to ask me about it. Tuesday, the LORD reminded me of that other account, and i asked about it when i was at the bank, and sure enough, there was the missing money. I felt like Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life" and i was so thankful and happy that the LORD let that money turn up, and let that teller bring it up so i would know to ask...i was praising the LORD in the bank, and Johnny and I had a time of thanking HIM together when i got home..."How Deep the FATHER's love For Us..." HIS love is deep when we have no money, and i praise HIM that HE always supplies our needs in CHRIST JESUS, and we seem to recognize HIS love and HIS hand more when things are "tighter" than when things are more abundant...which HE so graciously gives us times of both.
Tuesday evening HB took me out to our restaurant www.oldgreenbriar.com,( she said she needed me to eat cheap) to celebrate Mother's Day and we had such a sweet time together. Wednesday our whole family went out for supper and we had a special time trying to make vacation plans...we laughed and laughed as we tried to make plans and no one could seem to decide on anything...we were all different in our ideas. For us, it is only "the FATHER's Love for Us," that holds us together, helps us forgive one another, and keeps us going through the hard places with each other to be able to laugh with each other on the other side. Oh we know, just like that game of baseball, things will change, that's just life, but i savor the moments of times like last night when the kids and us laughed all the way home reminiscing about past "bad" times on vacations...times we've had "come aparts" and we've all had them...and i had mine earlier in the week:).
This week in my Morning and Evening devotions, Charles Spurgeon keeps bringing me back to "How Deep the FATHER's LOVE FOR US" in his writings. In the devotion for May 13, Charles Spurgeon shares, "Look at your possessions, believer, and compare your portion with the lot of your fellowmen. Some make their living in the field. They are rich, and their harvests yield them a golden increase. But what are harvests compared with your GOD, who is the GOD of harvests...but when you have GOD for your portion, you have more than all else put together. In HIM every need is met, whether in life or in death. With GOD for your portion, your are rich indeed; for HE will supply your needs, comfort your heart, assuage (to make less) your grief, guide your steps, be with you in the dark valley, and then take you home to enjoy HIM forever." Truly our heavenly FATHER does, "daily load us with benefits," and "crowns us with HIS lovingkindness" if we will but stop and take the time to notice HIS benefits and lovingkindness to us. As Charles Spurgeon said in this mornings reading for May 16, "Oh, that my praise could be as ceaseless as HIS bounty!"
I can honestly say, GOD is teaching me these things, slowly but surely in my walk with CHRIST, as i reflect back on even these past few days, HIS goodness and deep, deep love to me, my family, HIS children, and those who don't know HIM yet. HE loves deeply those who don't know HIM...HE sent HIS SON to die for their sins as well as ours and HE leaves us here to be HIS witnesses to them...it is not HIS desire that any should perish. "The LORD is not slack concerning HIS promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Ii Peter 3:9.
A couple of months ago, or so, Hannah Beth started playing "How Deep the FATHER's LOVE FOR US" on her guitar that she learned at our pastor's Bible Study one Friday evening. I had never heard it before that i remembered and the more i listened to her sing it and paid attention to the words, the more of an impact this beautiful song has made upon my heart. You can watch a video and hear this song "How Deep the FATHER's LOVE FOR US" by clicking on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjD0lv8hx5o.
In fact, as i reflected on just the abundant blessings my FATHER has poured out upon me and my family this week, i am blown away by HIS love and HIS favor for us...and even though things that i so desperately struggle with at times, things that are "Underneath the Mulch," i am learning to walk in faith, and rest in HIS love, as i remember "How Deep the FATHERs LOVE for Us," ...so deep "that HE should give HIS only SON to make a wretch HIS treasure." What a joy it is to be a treasure of the FATHER's love when i was a wretch and deserved hell for my sins. The words..."I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom, but i will boast in JESUS CHRIST, HIS death and resurrection, sure do convict me. Dear LORD, please forgive me for times when i boast in my own efforts instead of giving glory to YOU who deserves all the praise, the honor and glory for everything in our lives...including state championships, graduation from college, ballet recitals, missing money in bank accounts, unmet expectations...that is all a part of YOUR deep love for us and others. Help me, JESUS to boast only in the cross, and the deep, deep love that YOU have for us.

Truly our lives are like a baseball game at times...sometimes our circumstances are pleasing to us and we're up and sometimes our circumstances aren't pleasing and we fail to see our FATHER's love and we're down, but in the midst of it all, "How Deep the FATHER's LOVE for Us," is...As Jacob shared in Genesis 33:11, "GOD hath dealt graciously with me, and ...I have [all things, more than] enough."
With all HIS love,
mitzi

"How Deep the FATHER's Love for Us"

How deep the FATHER's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That HE should give HIS only Son
To make a wretch HIS treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns HIS face away
As wounds which mare the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held HIM there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in JESUS CHRIST
HIS death and resurrection

Why should I gain from HIS reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
HIS wounds have paid my ransom
(repeat)






P.S. I have another friend, Cindy Touchstone Robinson, whose son, Brooks, is also playing for the state baseball title in a another division today in Montgomery- GO Brooks and Opelika High School! Cindy and I had the blessing of playing basketball together at Calhoun Community College where we shared a State Championship together, at a time when I didn't know CHRIST and yet HE so graciously poured out HIS deep love upon me then, and the following year, saved me from my sins. Along with being sisters in CHRIST, Cindy and i were in each other's weddings, and stay in touch through email and CHRISTmas cards...what a treasure our dear sister's and friends in CHRIST are- "How Deep the FATHER's LOVE for US...How vast beyond all measure That HE should give HIS only Son, To make a wretch HIS treasure."