How Deep the Father's Love for us...

I saw this picture on a friend's FB page.  Evidently this is something she saw while she was at the beach.  The first thing that came to my mind was the song, "How Deep the Father's Love for Us."  The first line of this song blows my mind.

How deep the Father's Love for us, how vast beyond all measure

I mean really?!  I look at this picture and see it's at the beach.  When I look at the beach and the ocean I'm overwhelmed by how vast/big/huge/massive it is.  Then I think, man, I KNOW it's deep.  This ocean that I'm looking at, doesn't even compare, or shouldn't even be put in the same sentence as MY Father's love for ME!  I can't even begin to grasp it in this puny brain of mine.

That he should give his only Son, to make a wretch His treasure

I cannot even fathom giving the life of my only child for someone so vile...so wretched. 

How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns his face away

As I grow in my Christian walk, I've learned that the worst and most painful time for Jesus was when his Father turned his face from His Son.  That Holy Father couldn't even LOOK at his Son because he/Jesus, was bearing MY SIN!  The Father cannot be in the presence of sin.

  "He who knew no sin became sin for us!" 

As wounds which mar the Chosen One, bring many sons to glory.

From the beginning of time Sovereign God KNEW this was the way things would play out.  He knew his Son would be "wounded for OUR transgressions" and that "by those stripes will (will) be healed!"

Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders

I cannot even begin to fathom the WEIGHT of sin that Jesus carried.  I mean, he didn't just carry MY SIN (and I know that's enough to put him flat on his face!) but he carried the weight of ALL THE SIN OF EVERY HUMAN!!!

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers.

This line breaks me every time!  And I still hear my voice everyday when I am not living my life wholly/holy for Him.

It was my sin that held him there, until it was accomplished

He could have called 10,000 angels, but he didn't.  He went all the way.  He obeyed and submitted to the Father's plan.

 

His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished.

SHEW!  Thank you Lord Jesus!

I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom,

Lord, forgive me when I do.

 

But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and Resurrection.

What he has done for me and what he can do for others is worth shouting from the roof tops! Please Lord, give me boldness!  

Why should I gain from his reward?  I cannot give an answer.

WHY?  I don't know why, but I am so grateful that he chose ME!

 

But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom. 

Praise the LORD!

July 5 - "Burglers, Robbers & Stealers..."

This is what I came home to in our bedroom.  Open drawers and open jewelery box. 

This is looking down in my box.  As you can see all my rings are gone, several necklaces- things I wore in my sister's weddings.  And as I was posting these pictures I realized that a little black velvet box with my wedding jewelry (that maw-maw gave me) is missing too.  I have these flashbacks where I realize that something ELSE was taken. = (

Here's our playroom door that was damaged beyond repair.  You can see the moulding on the outside of the door where they tried to kick the glass in.

Here's another view.  The whole door was kicked and pushed and the inside seal was broken where it wouldn't close flush with the other side door.

Here's the locking mechanisms at the top of the door.  You can see how bent and destroyed it was.

Here's the bottom lock.  The wood on the door is all cracked and seal broken.

Here's the door in our TV/family room.  It's believed that this was the actual entry point.  The only door with out a deadbolt. You can see the inside trim got knocked off. 

Here's all the finger prints that were taken off our door.  You can also see the dent under the door handle.  Do you see a vertical line just to the left of the handle?  We think he kicked the handle and it opened the door.  The door handle is actually kind of "sunken in" to the door.

Another view of the door jamb damage.

I don't know exactly what this part of the door is called - jamb? or lock hole? I don't know but you can see the split and crack right down the trim that SHOULD keep the door from opening under "normal" use.

Here are a few pieces of wood from the door jamb that came off.  Thank goodness my favorite "handy-daddy" was able to secure our door until it gets replaced. =)