I continue to be amazed at what many people call coincidences but I view as God trying to get my attention. Certain songs, sermons or readings feel like they occur with me in mind. This past Sunday upon entering church here in Connecticut I was greeted with a quiet organ rendition of Amazing Grace. Many of you know the strong link those notes hold to special memories of my mom. While my thoughts were bursting with anxiety about the upcoming birth of my grandchild, my mom quietly whispered that things would be fine. She reminded me to turn it over to God. He was with me!
So it is with Teddy’s Bible verse for today. His paper manger tells me to read Matthew 1:23. A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Immanuel (which means, “God is with us”).
Teddy’s two questions are “Do you know why you were given your name? Do you know what it means?’
These are slightly more difficult questions than yesterday, yet fun to tell friends and companions. I was named Janet after the youngest Lennon sister. My parents weekly watched the old favorite The Lawrence Welk Show where a quartet of talented siblings crooned away. The youngest was named Janet. That is the closest thing I have going for any musical talent. My middle name is Lu, after my dear mom, Lucille. I love that the meaning is “light and lovely”. Once again, the name is the closest thing I have going for anything light (other than our holiday checkbook) or lovely.
Meanwhile, I wait to find out the name of my soon-to-be grandson. Chris and Stephanie have compromised to learn the gender of the infant but want the name to be announced upon their son’s birth. Stephanie had quite a list of rules needed to be met for her new offspring. The name should be three syllables, have multiple shortened versions, not start with letters C, S, T or L and have a definition suitable for this young lad. Bob has continually baited Stephanie with questions in the hopes of an inadvertent reply. I don’t like MY grandchild to be IT or BABY, so I somehow came up with the name FESTUS. The name is now well known and often seen in our church bulletin’s prayer list supplied by multiple people besides the Ichida clan.
How comforting to know that God is with us. I remember one of my first nights at the rehab institute when pain still racked my body following my back fusion. I was past frustration with the strong limitations placed upon me. I closed my eyes to pray and was astounded to not be able to find the words. I couldn’t come up with the phrases for the Lord’s Prayer. I had said that prayer since a young child. How could my memory also desert me?
Gradually, a sense of peace filled me as I felt the presence of Christ. The Holy Spirit whispered, “God is with you.”
When has God been with you? Where are you the closest? Are you as close to God as He is with you? Ponder that awhile.
MY NAME "MICHELLE" MEANS "ONE WHO RESEMBLES GOD".
ReplyDeletePARENTS WANTED A "DIFFERENT NAME" MY MIDDLE NAME IS JOY AFTER MY MOM JOYCE CALLED JOY BY FAMILY. I ALWAYS USE MY MILDDLE INITIAL TO CELEBRATE AND HONOR MY MOM. RECENTLY WHEN HER HEALTH BECAME POOR AND SHE MOVED IN WITH US WE NEEDED TO SIGN SEVERAL BANK & LEGALE PAPERS, I ASKED MOM IF SHE USES HER MIDDLE INITIAL OR NOT AND SHE SAID "NO". THEN QUICKLY ADDED "WHY DO YOU" I TOLD HER I HAD SINCE HIGH SCHOOL AND WHY. SHE KINFD OF LAUGHED AND SAID ITS NOT NECESSARY. I TOLD HER IT WAS AS I WAS RAISED TO SEE THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY AND HAD A STRONG LOVE AND ADMIRATION FOR THE WOMAN SHE IS AND THE VALUES SHE PASSED TO ME.
FOR A LONG TIME I DID NOT FEEL GOD. AFTER MY FIRST HUSBAND WAS KILLED MY JOY IN HYMS AND MUSIC STOPPED, I NO LONGER HEARD HYMNS IN MY HEAD. (FOOT NOTE, RECENTLY I HAD A BLOOD PRESSURE CRISIS AND MY DR. TOLD ME TO THINK CALMING THOUGHTS AND HE WOULD RECHECK IT. I HEARD THIS IS MY FATHERS WOTRLD, BORNING CRY, AMAZING GRACE, THE LORDS PRAYER. WHEN THE DR CAME BACK HE ASKED ME WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT, I TOLD HEIM I HEARD THOSE HYMNS IN MY HEAD, HE ASKED ME IF I SEE THE WORDS, HEAR THE WORDS IN MY VOICE OR WHAT. I INFORMED HIM I HEAR THE SONFS IN FULL HARMONY. HE THEN SAID NOW I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT YOU CAUSE THERE ARE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD) I WAS AT MY END CONSIDERING SUICIDE AT ILLINOIS STATE BEACH ON HANK'S BIRTHDAY AND I SAT ON THE ROCKS THINKING ABOUT HOW LOST AND ANGRY I FELT, ANGER AT GOD FOR TAKING HANK AND ALL MY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS 5 IN A 4 MONTH PERIOD, MY MOM HAD SEVERAL CRITICAL HOSPITALIZARTIONS AND I CAME NEAR LOOSING HER AS WELL ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. AND I LOST MY SON TO HIS OWN GRIEF, FOR HIM HANDLING IT MENT THROWING HIMSELF INTO SCHOOL AND 2 JOBS, NEVER BEING HOME. I FELT I LOST HIM TOO.I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY GOD WAS GDOING THIS! WHY WOULD HE ALLOW THIS, IT'S TOO MUCH, I TEARFULLY SAT PLANNING TO GO BACK TO MY TENT AND TAKE ALL MY BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART & DIABETIC MEDICATIONS THIS COMBINATION WOULD SURLY PUT ME OUT OF MY PAIN. I WAS UNKNOWINGLY PLAYING WITH THE STONES IN THE DSAND (MORE ON THIS SOON) SUDDENLY THE SUN CAME OUT FEELING LIKE ARMS AROUND ME GIVING ME WARMTH AND I COULD HEAR THIS IS MY FATHERS WOTRLD. AS I CRIED, I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE PILE OF STONES, 1 WAS MUCH LARGER THAN THE REST! AND THERE WERE MANY OF DIFFERENT SHAPES, COLLORS AND SIZES. TO ME THE BIG ROCK REPRESENTED GOD AND THE OTHERS EVERYONE WHO LOVED/ CARED FOR ME. IT WAS THEN I DECIDED LIFE WOULD GO ON! SEVERAL MONTHS LATER I MET MY HUSBAND OF 12 YEARS, MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY SON IS STRONG AND I AQUIRED 2 MORE SONS THRU MARRIAGE. I TOOK THOSE STONES HOME. SOMETHING I NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE AS I TRULY RESPECT THE CAMPERS PLEDGE OF TAKE ONLY MEMORISE & LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS. BUT THIS WAS TOO BIG, THOSE STONES ARE IN A JAR IN MY OFFICE WHERE THEY REMIND ME DAILY I AM LOVED!!!! I DID RETURN TO ILLINOIS STATE BEACH WITH SEVERAL STONES TO REPLACE THE ONES I TOOK .
THAN K YOU JANET FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL WORDS AND MAKING ME THINK ABOUT MY LOVE FOR GOD. BEST OF LUCH TO STRPHANIE, MY PRAYERS ARE WITH HER& THE WHOLE FAMILY.