“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44)
Dear Praying Friends and Family,
It's been a while since i've written...we've celebrated CHRISTmas, our son and his bride were married in a very beautiful and CHRIST centered ceremony, and we enjoyed Hannah Beth home for over a month. She was blessed to go to Passion 2013 in Atlanta after the wedding and stay with her old roommate at Mobile who is now at Liberty University. So thankful for her safe traveling journeys to Atlanta and back, and to Mobile and all.
I want to thank all of my dear family and friends for coming to the wedding. Your support was amazing! Thank you, Tracy and Cheryl, Lee and Nick for coming in from Texas, Jill and Dennis, Lizzie and Jonathon, coming from Mississippi, Daniel and his girlfriend from Auburn and below B'ham, Dallas and Laurie from Florence... So thankful for my brothers and their families from here being a part of our celebration. Joe and Marilyn, thank ya'll for housing our out of town family who were home for the wedding and the holidays. May the LORD richly bless you for your kindness and your hospitality. I am very thankful that my Mom and Dad were able to be there along with many of our friends. Thank you for your very generous gifts to our children as they began their new life as one in CHRIST. The past three weeks have been "crazy," as my son's wife said on her FB page yesterday trying to get settled in to being married, and for Amanda, a new apartment in B'ham, a new job at UAB, and a new place to do clinicals. Please remember the newlyweds in your prayers as they study and work, and love each other and CHRIST and others. Last night i talked with my son for just a few minutes as he called to ask about a wedding gift. They were working on thank you notes...so please be patient with them as they get the notes out.
The wedding for me was a lot of fun...once i got there. That morning my nurse called and asked if i wanted an IV. She said it was weird, she had some cancellations and i was further down on the list but she went to my name first. It was a little earlier than i usually get it but i did feel out of gas so i said yes. I'm thankful the LORD provided it for me so that i could enjoy the wedding more. The IV went well and I thought i had left myself plenty of time to get ready. When i started to get ready i realized i couldn't find my strapless bra. My dress wasn't strapless but it had these little skinny straps so i bought i REALLY NICE high dollar bra to wear under it at David's Bridal. It would also hold parts of me in that are a little "rolly." Well, i just could not find that bra anywhere when i started getting ready, and was clueless to what i had done with it. I prayed and ask the LORD to show me, to guide my eyes to it, and HE didn't. I'm not sure why. I could have gone and bought another one, but i was supposed to go by my gal's house that does my hair, and the place to buy the bra was after that. I wanted to be dressed and ready to go after i left her house. So the LORD put it in my heart to see if i could borrow one....and within 30 minutes, i had 3 strapless bras to take with me and surely i thought one of them would fit me.
We were supposed to be at the church for family pictures at 4:00 p.m. that afternoon. Well the bra trouble put me behind about 30 minutes so i was running late. By the time i got to my friend's house for her to help me with my hair and makeup, i was pretty stressed. Walking in her house was like walking into peace, as she loves CHRIST, and her home and her countenance was just what a needed at that time. She let me get dressed in the nursery where her sweet little baby boy sleeps, and i enjoyed looking at the prayers and encouragement she had written on the wall for her young son. I told her when her son gets to be my son's age, she will still have those same hopes and desires for him, and she will be able to see some of them come true, as i was seeing my son's dreams come true, and the long time prayers for his wife since before he was born were being answered. It was a good reminder to me, and brought tears to my eyes. I started trying on the bra's and thankfully one of them fit, and along with the spanks that i have never one before, it held everything in pretty well.
Sarah, my hairdresser, started curling my hair with her curling iron, and she helped me with my makeup, while her little baby boy laid sweetly in his little seat and played. It was funny in an odd way...her little guy in his baby seat, and my little guy was getting married...today was his wedding day!
Once i left her house, i was running about 20 minutes late, but thankfully got to the church safely in downtown Huntsville and we had plenty of time for pictures. I want to apologize to my family for not getting a family picture together with us all. I just didn't have my head on straight, and i regret that we didn't get a big family picture when we were all there....please forgive me. Once the pictures were over, we had a little time to just relax before the wedding. I was so thankful my Mom and Dad were able to be there and they came right on time so that Mom could be seated first. She looked so pretty in her red sparkly jacket my sis had bought for her. She had had her hair fixed that day and Mom looked really pretty. I really appreciate the effort my Mom and Dad made to be there. I know she doesn't feel well, and it was a real sacrifice for her to come. Daddy looked so proud that Mom had come with him.
By wedding time, we were all in line ready to be seated and everything was going well except at the last minute, i didn't have my bouquet i was supposed to take down. Amanda's Mom sent her son down to see if i had left it in my seat up front and sure enough i had....so after that it was FUN!
We all got to walk down the aisle and it seems like a dream now. My son looked so happy and handsome as he stood up there waiting for his bride to come and join him in marriage. My husband was his best man, two of Amanda's brother's were groomsmen, my nephew, and a friend of JM's from church. The bridesmaids were beautiful in their plum dresses, and HB was one of the bridesmaids, along with Amanda's sis, and some others friends.
Amanda was the most beautiful bride as she walked down that aisle in her white dress on her Daddy's arm, and JM couldn't have been more radiant and pleased. He had waited a long time for this day, and GOD had given him the desire of his heart.
After they repeated their vows to one another, they had a parent's prayer where we walked on the podium with them and Johnny and Amanda's Dad prayed for their marriage, while Lauren Haynes sang, "In CHRIST Alone." It was a very special time for me and Johnny prayed a prayer of blessing from Numbers 6:24-26: "The LORD bless you and keep you, the LORD make HIS face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Johnny also prayed for them what the preacher prayed when we got married, that GOD would bless them with enough adversity to keep us humble, and enough happy times to keep us from being discouraged, or something like that. Sometimes i wish Br. Mike hadn't prayed that adversity part for us:).
It wasn't long after the prayer that they were pronounced husband and wife and JM laid a big kiss on his new bride. Br. Andy was so funny. He asked them if that was their first kiss. Who said homeschoolers didn't know how to kiss:)?
The reception was a short distance away at an older home in the historic district. It was really decorated beautifully and the food was overflowing with all kinds of sandwiches, cakes, cookies, cupcakes, hot chocolate bar, etc. The wedding party came in and was announced to everyone, and then the fun began with the dancing. I was sitting at the table with Br. Andy and his wife, and my friend Gena Spearing and her husband, when all of the sudden Gena said come on let's go dance! Before i knew it was between her and her husband and several of the young folks attempting the "Cupid Shuffle." http://www.youtube.
Apart from the bra troubles, I had a ton of fun dancing, and being with all of you who the LORD blessed us with to share this special time in our family. There was a photo booth set up at the reception and everyone seemed to enjoy getting their pictures made in a crazy way for the scrap book for the bride and groom. I was blessed to get mine made with my nephew Nicholas as we dressed up in crazy hats and glasses!
The bride and groom cut the cake and they got away fairly early and it was fun watching them walk down the hall together as everyone blew bubbles and begin their new lives together as husband and wife.
They spent their honeymoon in New York City, another longtime desire of John Mac's heart, to go to NYC. They were there for New Years Eve and were able to see the ball drop. I think they had to wait 10 hours out in the cold to do that....without bathrooms!
We were thankful when they returned home safely and enjoyed getting to spend much time with them the following weekend hearing about their trip before they returned to school the following Monday to begin their news lives as one in CHRIST together.
Please remember the newlyweds in your prayers as they settle in to school and work and as they look for a church home in B'ham.
My son sure did remind me of the love that CHRIST has for HIS bride the church, when he married the desire of his heart. You could tell, they both treasured one another, him her, and her him. CHRIST does treasure us and loves us so much HE left HIS home in heaven, as King of Kings, as the CREATOR of ALL, to humble HIMSELF, and be nailed to a wooden cross so that we could become HIS treasures, and be redeemed from our sins and the flames of hell forever and ever. HE asks us to forsake all, to count all things loss for the sake of knowing HIM....and TREASURE HIM. Have you done that? You can do it right now by confessing your sins and asking CHRIST to be your great TREASURE, forsaking all to follow HIM.
HB returned to school this past Monday, and we enjoyed having her home so much over the long break.
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| Hannah Beth babysitting her cousin Melissa's baby, Caleb |
It's already been a stressful week for her....she had to make a perfect score on a Math test to be able to proceed on, and thankfully she did,but her roommate and some other friends haven't been able to pass it yet. She has Med Surg 2 this semester, her last semester of nursing school! Wow...please pray for her and her classmates as you read this. She is planning to do a 5 week practicum in the emergency room. She has accepted a job for the summer as Camp Nurse at Camp SAMBICA in Washington State...www.sambica.com. This too, is a longtime desire of her heart, to go to camp. When she was young, we didn't let her go to overnight camps...she went to day camps, and some overnight GA events, but never a full fledged camp. Well, over CHRISTmas, my niece, who had been a counselor there mentioned she ought to go to Camp Sambica. I didn't like where this was going...this was the same niece that said she ought to go to school in Mobile! HB talked to her Daddy, and decided to apply for a camp counselor job. Before she got out of bed the next morning, the camp director who doesn't usually do the hiring called and asked her to be the Camp Nurse! She didn't feel confident about accepting that position since she doesn't have any experience but they reassured her she could do it, and there is a nearby hospital. I have a wilderness first aid book she can take a crash course in when she gets closer to time to go. She has a lot of schooling left before she starts thinking about all of that....but i am happy for her, and once again, as her Daddy explained, this is GOD giving her the long time desire of her heart.
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, and HE will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart." Psalm 37:4
I like to say "Treasure CHRIST," spend time with HIM in HIS WORD, in prayer, obey HIM, and HE will put HIS desires in your heart. HE loves to fulfill those desires that HE has placed within our hearts to accomplish HIS plans and purposes.
As i have written this GOD has led me in a completely different way to write than i thought i was going to when i started. But HE has ministered to my heart, as i reflect and see the ways that HE has given both of my children long time desires of their hearts as they delight in HIM. I know that you, like me, can reflect back on your life, and be thankful for desires of your heart the LORD has given you after many years of waiting...as i write, one pops in my mind, the Publix right down the street. Many years ago i drove to Madison and further to get organic food, and i used to wish we had one in Athens. A few years ago, GOD had one built down the street from our house and it has been such a blessing. Like me, you still have some of those desires unfilled, and that is where faith comes in, and waiting on the LORD, and trusting in HIM, to do and see and fulfill what we cannot. I ask you to pray for me tonight, as there is a desire of my heart that has been there for several years, and i have prayed countless prayers for GOD to bring it to pass. There are times when it seems GOD is about to do it, and then, i have to walk by faith and trust HIM when the bottom seems to fall out. Thinking about GOD giving my son the desire of his heart, and my daughter the desire of her heart, sure does increase my faith. It is always such a blessing to reflect on GOD's faithfulness in the past, to help us to trust HIM for the future.
This Sunday, the choir at our church is singing, "Knowing YOU," for the choir special. As i was practicing it on the drums tonight and watching the video i was so blessed and i wanted to share it with you- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rl45JnnRSw .Over CHRISTmas i have started using my IPad during my Quiet Time to look up the images of verses i'm studying. You can do that by googling a verse, and just hitting "image," at the top. One of the pictures i came across in my studies is of a great big beautiful diamond. I look at that diamond and i think about CHRIST, our greatest TREASURE, and how i want to know HIM and love HIM more and delight in HIM. I pray this song will be a great blessing to your heart as JESUS is to mine..."There is no greater thing, You're my all, You're the Best, You're my Joy, my Righteousness, and I love you, LORD."
I have enjoyed a new blogsite i found over the holidays called "Treasuring CHRIST." I love the name of the blogsite...and i highly recommend it. The site is www.treasuring-christ.org and it's all about helping us to treaure CHRIST above everything. I also found a great website to help you do Bible Study. Its called www.preceptaustin.org and it has a fabulous library of conservative godly men like Charles Spurgeon, John MacArthur, and so many more. It also includes some daily devotions. Just a great site to help us "Treasure CHRIST," deeper and deeper.
As i write this first email of the new year, i want to "Treasure CHRIST," deeper and deeper this year. I have been discouraged a bit with my health because i haven't felt like getting off the couch and doing a lot, but in this time of not being energetic, i have spent much more time at the feet of my SAVIOR, learning to treasure CHRIST and count all things loss for the sake of knowing HIM. That is a blessing, and i thank GOD for this time to sit at HIS feet. While i hope to get more energetic, i know that GOD knows the measure of health i need to "Treasure HIM" and to accomplish the plans and purposes HE has for me at this season of my life. Please pray for me, and for the wisdom of my doctors who are trying to help me.
I love you and i really appreciate you taking time to read this email....and to be our friends and family. Thank you so much for showing us the overflowing love of CHRIST to us through your dear lives.
With all HIS love,
mitzi
P.S. Here is another beautiful song we are singing this Sunday....the video of this one really touched me. LORD, help me to stand (sit) amazed in YOUR presence, help me to TREASURE YOU above my health, above everything else, to " consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things"....."I Stand Amazed in the Presence" http://www.youtube.
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