What's in a name?

After almost two months, my daughter finally solved the mystery of how to load my pictures to my blog, so I will share a few with you now. 

Don't you love the tiny shoes?💗 

"Pretty little (home) mades in a row." 😋

& I must add two of our preciouses!

Our sweeticums Miss Patsy. She has adopted many of the small stuffed animals & carries them around or pummels them with here back feet. Every night she makes the rounds of sleeping with every one of us for at least a little while. We are her pets you see & she wants to make sure she shows no favoritism. She is such a dolly. 😘

Adorable Clooney. & color coordinated too!! This guy has personality plus & then some. Such a character. He is mostly my kitty & if my lap is available, he's in it. Unless he's running laps around the house at top speed! He's my sleeping buddy & loves to snuggle around my neck. Aren't those green eyes hypnotizing?

These were my anniversary roses.

So lovely. & even dried they looked phosphorescent.

But the bright colors outside at the end of November are mostly gone now, like the leaves.  It looks barren, waiting for the first snow to cover the brown, bare bones of the landscape, however they are not bad looking bare bones. This month to me is the gentle month, not usually weather wild, actually very graciously exiting from the riotous all-encompassing panorama of crimson, scarlet, gold, burgundy, burnt orange & amber into soft & muted shades of brown & gray. As we have watched the day by day transformation, the days have been mostly warm with cool & cold nights. We have had a few frigid days & nights, but mostly pleasant. 

We had some of our kids & grandkids come over the Thanksgiving holidays which 

included lots of feasting,

& of course,

Sometimes pictures really are worth a thousand words!

🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃
Fireworks to initiate the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving, games, lots of laughter, uplifting & inspiring fellowship & conversation (we tried to avoid politics!) Such a good time was had by all! 

Yet the month of November also had it's losses & griefs. There were several 'crossing overs' of friends, to heaven, unexpected  that rather took our breath away. Because there were so many, It stirred my heart to thinking, while they were on their earthly journey, how did they represent Jesus? Understand I was not judging, I was curious. I mean, how did others see them? Say, when someone heard their name, what was the first word that came into the listeners mind? Our name is our reputation & our reputation is our name. It is also our identity to others.

Think of the different words of identity that the Bible says in describing different people.

Abraham , the friend of God.

David, a man after God's own heart.

Judas, son of perdition

John & James, sons of thunder.

Peter, the rock

John, the beloved disciple

Nathaniel, one who has no guile

Herod, that old fox.

Mary, highly favored one. 

King Solomon, full of wisdom. 

Job, blameless & upright.
These words were each one of these person's identity, their reputation, their names.

Then I thought, what was the 'name' legacy each one of my friends left behind?  & what name will history give me? & most importantly, what name does Jesus give me? Does he call me friend? beloved disciple? a Rock because He knows He can depend on me? His heart seeker? Does He call me a good & faithful servant? I guarantee when we see Jesus face to face, we won't care what anyone from the beginning of our time called us. But we will care what name Jesus calls us. He does love everyone. However, He is not proud of everyone. & while you may not care right now, I promise you will when you stand in His presence. But maybe your name, because of your reputation,

is not something you want to be remembered by. Well, it's in your power to start making choices that will make your name a sweet-smelling fragrance to Whom it makes the most difference. & you will never hear sweeter words than your name on Jesus lips followed by, "You did good. I'm so proud of you. Come on in to my joy!!"

So, what's in a name??

Eternity

& how sweet that Forever will be... 

Raintree Perk of the Day:

"I have called you by name. You are mine." !!!!!

Isaiah 43:1

Don't you just love it?!