What's in a name?

I'm thinking this will be short tonight. Usually when I think that, I am wrong. Ha! I don't intend to write as much as I sometimes do. I suppose the saying is true-- out of the heart the... hand writes? Err, types.

I received a couple of my long-awaited & anticipated books in the mail today, one of them being The Name Book. My lovely friend Tasha started my obsession for this piece of literature. I love the meaning of names! (Facebook me if you want to know yours!) In the Old Testament (and I guess the New, too) the Jews made a big deal out of the names of their children. In the stories that are coming to my mind, the main reasoning for naming their child what they did was to tell a testimony of what God had done-- like with Hannah and Samuel. Hannah had been earnestly praying & asking the Lord to open her womb. So after a while, He did! And she named her son Samuel, "because I asked the Lord for him," (1Sam 1:20). With the few names of my friends that I've looked up, it totally fits them. They really are their namesake! Now, for some, not so much. But it seems to me like it is a piece of their destiny. That sounds corny, but it honestly gives me hope that it was not just our parents picking out a name that sounded cute. The Bible says that God has always known us, that He is the one who knit us together & brought our very lives into existence. I like this version much better than the whole "we all originated from a form of explosive bacteria," or whatever Darwin believed. I love the thoughtfulness of this huge Person taking the time, effort, and love to form each and every human that ever was or ever will be. If people reject that idea, I am forever confused why. It's so lovely. HE is so lovely.

Back to the subject: This is my name :)

Candice

Inherent meaning: Unblemished

Spiritual Connotation: Shining

Scripture: Isaiah 62:3

"You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God."

Mae

Inherent meaning: Gift of God

Spiritual connotation: Blessed

Scripture: Psalm 92:4

"For You, oh Lord, have made me glad by what You have done. I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands."

Do you think it's a coincidence that my two favorite books of the Bible have always been Psalms and Isaiah?!? Ok, maybe that's taking it too far. But it's true! I think it's so great!

I also wanted to say this, and then I'm done. Today/ tonight was so good. Not because dramatic, awesome things happened, but because God is just so good. After a lovely visit at Foley Elementary, I went by the Peters' house, as usual. I love them, by the way. Later that evening some ladies from a local college got together to learn about Global Child Rescue and how they could possibly get involved. In the middle of the meeting, I had another moment. And I love these kind of moments! It's like everything stops. I'm not thinking about what I need to do, who I need to talk to, or how my hair is so frizzed out from this humidity. I call these my eternity moments. They don't happen too often, but just enough to remind me of what truly matters & that there is a much bigger picture being painted, a much larger puzzle being fit together, than I could ever comprehend. It's hard to explain... but as I listened to these women talk about practical, efficient ways to reach their community, to save the hurting, to better protect our children, I was in awe. It seems so simple, and it really is, how God is carrying out His works through all of us. I just thought to myself, "Wow. You really have it all together, Lord." If that's not enough to amaze you, just think for a second about how he has brought each and every one of us through what we have been through, how we are still here, how we are here in this place, right now, and we are together. It's for a reason, I promise. Because I felt it in that room. It wasn't the heat of a summer's night, or the ache of the popcorn and slushy I previously consumed-- it was a keen awareness that God is God, no one is like Him, and His plans will succeed. His Word will go forth. His righteousness will be lived out. His hope will be passed on. And His love will change the world. My world. My hometown. As the Hillsongers say, We're all in this together. And if we start living out that opportunity, this terrific responsibility, can you just dream with me how great it could all be? Too awesome for words!!!!

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me...

O Lord Your mercy endures forever!

Do not let go of what Your hands have made.

Psalm 138:8