No Other Name

My name doesn't carry much authority with it. When my kids were young, and my name was 'Mommy', there was a measure of authority in that name... "Because Mommy said so!!" was often the last word in a dispute way back then. But other than that, 'using my name' wouldn't get you special treatment at a booked restaurant, or leniency from a speeding ticket. In fact, my name is somewhat non-discript... I know a woman who can't ever remember my name, and when she sees me, she always calls me "Janet". I answer to it anyway :-D And, the Social Security Administration reports that there are children in our country named "Gouda", "Veal", "Adonis", "Denim", "Dung" and even "ESPN". Hmmm.

Bruce & I are once again involved in leading a small group study at our church. It's an adaptation of Experiencing God (Henry Blackaby) for couples. One of the points Blackaby makes is that God reveals Himself to individuals who seek Him, and as a result, they (we, me, you) come to know Him by a special and unique name. For example, He identified Himself to Abram as El Shaddai (God Almighty) when He told him that his 90 year old, barren wife would have a baby, --something so impossible, only a mighty god could accomplish.

There are many other names of God recorded in scripture, and in my mind, as He has revealed His nature and His character to me at various times in my own life. But one divine appellation that I find most interesting is Hashem.

In Hebrew, it means "The Name". So many times in the Bible, that's what He is referred to...
David and Solomon talked about building a temple for "The Name". We're told that Jesus came in the name of the Father. Psalm 20:1 says "may the name ... protect you." Our Lord is so mighty that just the name has the power to protect us and authority to do what He says.

This is significant to me because it doesn't imply that God is an ambiguous, out-there whatshisname. But it tells of a personal God... one whose name can reflect meaning to each individual as God reveals Himself by name and we experience His nature.

He knows my name, and I know His.

Don Quixote, Eat Your Heart Out

Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Greece, and one of my favorite places was Mykonos. It's a very small island in the Aegean Sea, famous for its whitewashed buildings, and its windmills. The windmills were used long ago to power grinding mills for grain, but actually no longer serve any purpose other than lending their charm.

About 90 minutes east of here, along the PA Turnpike just outside of Somerset, is a sight that always fascinates me every time I drive through the area. Huge, modern windmills, which do serve a purpose (generating electricty), majestically line the mountain ridge. The six Somerset windmills along with 10 companion wind mills in Mill Run, PA comprised the largest source of wind-generated power in the US when they went online in the fall of 2001. Generating energy from windmills can be adapted to both rural and urban areas, and can impact overall availability of electricity.

A friend of ours, Jackson Ndizeye, is stepping out, using his talent, ingenuity and physical resources to make an impact in his home nation of Rwanda. We met Jackson several years ago when he was a student at La Roche College. He is currently on the cusp of implementing a great plan to exploit wind energy in the nation of Rwanda and provide electricity to both rural and urban areas for intellectual and economic growth and improved health services. Jackson started the non-profit company, Rwindalectric Inc., for that purpose and is gaining support and attention worldwide. He and his efforts were recently featured in an article in BBJ, a Hungarian based business journal. Read about it here: http://www.bbj.hu/news/news_36012.html.

We are very proud of our friend, Jackson!

Stop! In the name of the law!

Long ago, when I was about 10 years old, I remember lying awake one night, unable to sleep because I was worried. I wondered if a 10 year old could be put in jail for removing the tag on her new pillow. You know... the tag that said, “DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW”! In a moment of weakness, because I was annoyed at the unsightly protrusion, I cut it off. I read the ominous label, but thought... "who would know"?? It didn't occur to me until afterward, that I could have just adjusted the pillow case and tucked it away in the other end (but it still would've made that crinkly sound!!).

Since then, as a means of repentance, I never cut those goofy tags off pillows, comforters, sofa cushions, etc. Until this weekend. We got some new bedding and EVERYTHING, even pillow shams and sheets, has these unsightly tags sticking out of the seams. Except now... the tag says, "UNDER PENALTY OF LAW -- THIS TAG NOT TO BE REMOVED EXCEPT BY THE CONSUMER." So, I did a little research, and found that it was always OK for the consumer to cut off the labels; it was assumed that the consumer would know this. Turns out I didn't break the law after all. Whew!

Laws requiring these tags were passed to let consumers know whether the stuffed article they bought contained new or recycled materials. This is important because recycled stuffing material can be contaminated.

Way back when... clever men devised crude mattresses by sewing animal skins together, stuffing them with straw, and placing them in a wooden frame, cross-strung with rope. Because the ropes would eventually sag, they needed to periodically be re-tightened. Thus, the saying, "Sleep tight". In the early 1900's, laws were instituted to regulate 'stuffing', because it was a common problem for even new mattress to be vermin-infested, with bugs, bacteria and mildew. Thus, the rest of the saying, "...and don't let the bed-bugs bite!"

So, this was the reason for the goofy tags... and to protect the consumer, it was a law that all stuffed items had to have a declaration of what was inside. The ominous wording was to ensure the manufacturers complied. And, sometime between the time I was 10, and now, they changed the wording to clarify that the consumer may remove them. I went through the house yesterday and cut off those labels everywhere I found them, and I felt, ... redeemed.

Laws are usually made to protect us, from each other and from ourselves. While the law and governmental warnings may restrict us at times, in the proper perspective, they are for our good. A friend of mine recently sent me this photo which explains the reason for the U.S. Governmental Health Warning: DO NOT SWALLOW CHEWING GUM.

'Nuf said!

(Thanks, Jacque!)

Ode to a Stud

If we'd had a son, I'll bet he would've looked a lot like this... This is Bruce as he looked 50 years ago today (1st grade photo). Happy Birthday, Bruce!

When Bruce was in college, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. They were a lively bunch of guys! Bruce and his closest friends always sat together at meals, and they dubbed their table in the dining room, "The Stud Table".

I am, by nature, a conservative person. I like to 'blend in', and usually, I don't intentionally draw attention to myself. Not so these guys!! They were a fun group of friends who often got attention, which often was intentional. I was intrigued when I met Bruce, and found that being around him made me want to kick-up my heels.

Bruce was 25 when we got married, so I've been his wife for more than half of our lives!! He has calmed down a bit since those days at the Stud Table, and he has come to live as a man dedicated to Jesus Christ, and purposefully pursuing the furtherance of His Kingdom.

The initial 'intrigue' has grown to an abiding love and respect for Bruce. He has brought out the best in me, has been a magnificent husband and an exemplary father.

This is my ode to Bruce.

I now pronounce you...

OK... so, I'm STILL talking about this wedding ;-D

Bear with me...

One of the fun things about this wedding story, is Leah's new name. It is somewhat of an... alliteration! Leah Leach. It's like, Leah Leah, with a "c" slipped in there. One of her friends commented at the reception that her new name sounds kind of like a comic book hero! Leah would like that.

When our kids were born, we spent a lot of time and prayer 'giving' them their names. In fact, they were all "Baby Girl Edwards" for several days in the hospital nursery. And tho' we've since come up with many affectionate 'nicknames' for each of them, their given names are meaningful. Our 'surname' linked them to our family. Now two of our girls have new surnames which link them (and us) to new families!!

Author, Margaret Feinberg (The Organic God) tells of a time she took a class taught by the famed poet, Maya Angelou. Rather than delving right away into African-American literature, Ms. Angelou spent several classes having students learn each others' names. She even gave them a test in which the students were called upon to name each other. Her reason was "because your name is a sign of your dignity."

Often in scripture, we're told that people called upon "the Name of the Lord", and Jesus told us to pray in His Name. God reveals Himself to us by many names so that we can understand His character. We read in the Bible of several times that God changed someone's name to reflect how He saw them, and to challenge them to become what He intended them to be.

I know that I know that God has given our daughter a new name. I know that it is a name that is a sign of dignity, and delight. I know that she will embrace the challenge to honor her name and to become all that He has intended her to be as Brad's wife.

Here's a picture of that moment in time...

"May I now introduce...

Mr. and Mrs. Brad Leach!"

Isaiah 43:1 "...I have called you by name; you are Mine!"

There are some additional pictures and reflections posted on Kim's blog.

Check them out!! (Thanks, Kim!)

Prepositional Phrases

I spent some time a few years ago teaching 8th grade English. We spent a lot of time on grammar, which seemed somewhat 'dumb' to the students, but which was essential to learning how to communicate their thoughts in writing. One of my favorite units was on prepositional phrases. We did a few exercises in which the students had to go through sentences, and pull out all of the prepostional phrases, and then realize how important they were to the meaning of what was being communicated. The prepositons clarified the relationship of ideas within the sentence by 'pre-positioning them'; changing, re-positioning, or omitting them changed the meaning . Such little words as 'in' or 'on', and 'by' or 'for', when switched around, were powerful catalysts to communication.

A few weeks ago, our pastor, Jeff Leake, gave a sermon message about pre-positioning ourselves to be in line with God's plan for our lives. In the Saturday evening service, he recapped the 'story' of how our daughter, Leah, and her husband, Brad, purposefully pre-positioned themselves to learn God's Ways, to listen to His Voice, and to trust His Direction, even when it didn't make sense, or wasn't easy. Over the years, I watched Leah take God at His word, not changing it around to suit her own meaning, but waiting and trusting that His plan for her was best, even in times of fear, discouragement and disappointment.

That's one of the reasons why their wedding a few days ago was significant. It was a living representation of Matthew 6:33... seek God's ways first, and He'll take care of the rest. The whole story really does sound like a good romantic comedy/chic flick, but the best part about it is ... it's true.

A good friend, Mary Beth, has a blog posting with a great photo from the wedding, and some of her personal thoughts. Here is a photo of Leah and her bridesmaids. Samantha was Maid of Honor, Ashley was Matron of Honor, and the others were Betsy (sister of Brad), and Megan and Jen (very special friends of Leah)... look at all of those prepositions!!

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

*Click here to listen to Pastor Jeff Leake's message http://www.allisonparkchurch.com/%2ffiles%2fSermons%2fJeff_January_12_Moving_Forward.mp3

Party Time

This past Saturday I attended a party. I refer to it, most sincerely, as "God's Party".

It was a the wedding of our oldest daughter, Leah, and the man of her dreams, Brad Leach.

By referring to the wedding as "God's Party", I don't mean to sound pompous or self-righteous. My intention is to declare God's goodness, and faithfulness to His promises. Months ago, when I first started praying about wedding details, I believe that God spoke to my heart and said,... "I made the match, I'll throw the party!" From that point on, we watched as amazing plans came together, and so much favor was poured out by such kind and generous individuals to bring it all to pass. I know that God will bless all those people for taking part in His party. Tho' I, too, was very much involved in executing details, I often felt as if I was watching God at work, and joining Him. So, by the time the event arrived, I was able to thoroughly enjoy it and be personally blessed .

I don't have any photos right now, but will be posting them periodically in future blog entries as I get them. Many friends and family members were able to join us in this celebration of answered prayer and new beginnings, and the atmosphere was charged with joy!

Leah and Brad wrote their own vows, and drew us into their special commitment to one another. Pastors Jeff Leake and Jay Passavant gave profound wisdom, with just the perfect touch of humor and humanity. And, our other two daughters, Ashley and Samantha, blew me away with their musical rendition of "In Christ Alone".

When our first child, Leah, was born, our "normal" became different, but good! Now, once again, normal will be come different, but it is good.

January 1, 2008

And so another year begins! I was just getting used to writing 2007 on my checks ;)

Many traditions and resolutions are associated with the beginning of the new year. Some people bang pots & pans or shoot off guns at the turn of the year to ward off evil spirits. Some people have special menus for their holiday meals... When I was growing up, we always had pork and sour kraut on New Year's Day. It was a tradition, but I'm not sure why.

This brings to mind an interesting fact about pork that Samantha told me recently. She had a course this past term on cultural anthropology, which she really liked. But she shared the tidbit of information that pigs weren't indiginous to the "new world" when the first Spanish explorers met the residents of Latin America. The natives were cannibals, and the new guys felt it was in their best interest to introduce an... alternate meat... for them to enjoy. So, they gave them... the other white meat. While just about everything else in the animal kingdom tastes like chicken, it turns out that in both appearance and taste, pork is most like, uh, ... people.

Who knew?

So anyway, on that note, I wish you a Happy and Blessed New Year. Hope your New Year's Day is filled with fun, football, and food!! I think we're having tuna fish for dinner tonight!

Happy Christmas!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.
Hmmm.... seems like the last time I posted was.... almost 6 weeks ago. And, it's not because I didn't want to, but it's been a very busy season around here.

About this time last year, I had a posting about a message I had heard, based upon a book I had read (and re-read), by Jack Hayford (The Mary Miracle*). I heard the broadcast again this morning. And I thought back to 'where' I was last year and I truly marvel at how God's Divine Design has played out in my life over the past year.

Hayford recounted that several years ago, he was very 'busy' and it came to Christmas Eve, and he didn't have his sermon prepared for the church service. He says he was praying and asked God for a 'word', and God spoke to him saying... "Tell them I wish them a Mary Christmas", ... and the sermon, and subsequent short book, was birthed.

I can't adequately capture the essence of Hayford's message, but it is certainly one of encouragement, hope and joy. In Luke 1:37, the angel tells Mary,... "For nothing is impossible with God." Hayford says that the implication is that no word of God is absent of the power to bring it to pass. He emphasizes that what God did for, in, and through Mary, He will do for, in and through you and me.

It's significant that the miracle isn't only about a virgin conceiving a child. It's about God Himself entering into the midst of our situation, to bring whatever salvation we need to us. Right here, right now. Like a pregnancy, His plan may take a while to grow and develop. For a while, you don't see any 'evidence' of the miracle, and as time passes, you get stretched to the limit. The process of giving birth is hard work, and often intense, seeming to 'take forever'. Yet, God rhetorically says, " Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" (Isaiah 66:9). He will 'deliver the goods', again.

So, as I extend my most sincere wishes for a blessed and happy Christmas season, this year I once again wish you a Mary Christmas.

*The book is published under two titles: The Mary Miracle and The Christmas Miracle.

Crazy For Samantha

I never grow weary of watching my kids use their God-given talents!! This past weekend, we had another opportunity to be delighted, as we watched Samantha sing and dance and make the audience laugh as part of the cast of Grove City College's musical production of Crazy For You.

It always blows me away to hear her sing! She has such a unique and beautiful voice. In this production, she played the part of Irene, and really showed off her acting ability as well. Her character personna was very different from the real Sam, and she really pulled it off exceptionally well! I marvel at how Samantha has blossomed into such a lovely, muti-faceted, talented young woman.

The musical was high-energy, funny, and clever. Everyone was superb! Samantha's roommate, Kaitlin did an amazing job choreographing the entire show. And, there was a LOT of dancing!! This photo is of Samantha (in her red dress) and Kaitlin, after Friday evening's performance!!

Weddings, Part Deux

I've read that our bodies are comprised of about 75% water (give or take, depending on body fat). I've also read that our bodies were fashioned from the earth... around our house, that's mostly clay. So, is it much of a stretch to say that we are big clay pots filled with water??

I'm still thinking about weddings, and still pondering that one so long ago at Cana, at which Jesus and his friends were guests. This is the first of many stories that suggest Jesus was welcome in the midst of people having a fun time. I'll bet he loved weddings!!

However, the 'good time' at this particular wedding was in jeopardy. They ran out of wine. I've read that wine was a rabbinical symbol of joy, and also scripturally symbolic of the influence of the Holy Spirit. So, they weren't just concerned with washing down that dry cake with something. Joy was gone. Spiritual life had taken a hit. So, it is particularly significant that Jesus was the One to fix it.

John 2:6-8 says, Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.

Jesus took the clay jars full of water (us), and transformed them into vessels of joy. In the midst of the wedding celebration, He symbolically gave new life, better life, filled with His Spirit. The old ceremonial washing water was somehow transposed into good wine. The old way of doing things, the old covenant, was made into a new covenant. This event marked the onset of His public ministry, of the path set for our Salvation, and the ultimate Wedding Supper written about in Revelation 19:9.

The wedding master of ceremony tasted the new wine, and he proclaimed... you've kept the good wine until now! God's timing often escapes our understanding. But it's always worth the wait.

John also says that his pals saw this, and they believed. If they were wondering what was so special about this guy, they now had some inside information. It's my guess that the symbolism may have been evident to them as well. God does something great in our lives, and our faith, and joy, is renewed.

I love weddings!!

Weddings

With the upcoming wedding of our daughter, and also due to the fact that Bruce & I are leading a weekly class on marriage enrichment at our church, I've been digging through the Bible, reading passages concerning marriage... seeing what I might be able to midrash.

One of my favorites is in the Gospel of John (2:1-11), the wedding feast at Cana. This is reported to be the first public miracle Jesus performed. John says that it occurred 'on the third day', giving it an almost unspoken spiritual significance. We're told right off the bat the wine was gone, which was a serious social disgrace in a society known to value hospitality.

Jesus' mother told Him about the problem (a prayer). And she left it up to Him how to fix the problem. He cared about it because it was important to her, and to the wedding host. I even speculate that the wedding involved a family member or someone close the the family, because Mary not only was in on the 'secret', but had the authority to instruct the servants to do whatever He tells you to do. Jesus didn't make a big deal about it, and while He could've done it, like..."Poof! Oh, look, here's more wine!"... He instead used men as vessels to connect Heavenly resources to Earthly needs. He didn't pray any eloquent speech or even touch anything. Somehow, beyond understanding, He just provided.

Jesus told the servants, who likely knew of the problem, to take some of the stone pots which were used for ceremonial washing and fill them with water. Wash water! They must have had some expectation, because it says they filled them to the brim... as much as they could fit. Then, He told them to take a cup of it to the master of ceremony... probably a risky thing if the cup still contained water.

But somewhere between their obedience, and the taste test, something suddenly happened. Jesus miraculously turned the wash water into good wine. I've heard it said, "Obey God, and leave the consequences to Him." I've been telling myself that a lot lately as I pondered this passage. Mary surely knew Jesus could do something... He even said to her, "... you know my time has not yet come...". Yet, regardless of what she knew, she trusted that He was compassionate, generous, and willing and able to help.

As I am involved in helping with the planning of this upcoming wedding celebration, I've been doing a lot of praying. I am intentionally not telling God how to answer my prayers. Small acts of obedience and faith have been leading us step-by-step to men and women whom He has tapped to fill the pots with water. And I have been blessed out of my socks, time and again, to witness His provision as we obey, and we see Heavenly resources meet our needs.

Driving Force

When someone greets me, and says... "Hey, howzitgoin'??", I often answer, "Good!" , usually meaning something like, "Oh, it's Ok, you know.... could be better, could be worse". It kind of becomes a patterned response.

I like to drive. And when I drive on highways, where I have opportunity to put my mind on cruise control, my car becomes many things... a think tank, a prayer closet, or where I blog in my head. As I was driving this morning, I was thinking about the word, good. And I realized I really don't have a clue how good good really is. My notion of good has become somewhat generic.

And then, I remembered that good is a word from God's vocabulary.

When God created everything there is, He said it was good. In Hebrew, the word used is towb,and means pleasant, valuable in estimation, and happy. It also stands for excellent, better, and best. While we seemingly have the need to qualify 'good' by degrees -- good, better, best -- God's word for 'good' included them all. Jesus said, "No one is good -- but God alone." That makes being good a pretty high calling, and wishing someone good, a great blessing. In fact, the original Old English word for 'good' was 'god' (lower case g).

So, I am more thoughtful now of what I call good. Telling someone to 'have a good day' takes on greater implications. The term good-looking is even a greater complement; a good-natured person is someone I really want to hang around; good-to-go is a confidence builder.

But, I got tripped up on this one... good-bye. I don't like good-byes. They mostly make me cry and usually don't leave me feeling very, ... good. Except that I've learned the word's origin comes from the Old English phrase, "God be with ye", which eventually became... good-bye. It helps a little.

Risky Business

I've often found myself in situations that really stretch my comfort zone. There are times when I'd rather say 'no' to the offer of doing something that challenges my perceptions of my abilities, or requires me to trust in God's provision, or is just plain hard to accomplish. But when I take a deep breath, give myself a pep-talk, and assure myself it's God's will for me, I'll be like Gumby and streeeeeeeetttttttcccccch.

For example, the first time I was invited to lead a small group at our church, I actually prayed that no one would come, so I'd be 'off the hook'. But some came, and we joined in a lasting and fulfilling relationship for many years to follow. Long story short, I'm glad I did it for many reasons.

So, when I was reading in my Bible this morning, and a parable I've read many times hit me in a 'new' way, I got to thinking... uh, oh. Now what?? The story I read was in the Gospel of Matthew, 25:14-30. Nestled between the parables of the Ten Virgins (some of whom weren't ready) and the Sheep and Goats (some of whom weren't willing), is the account of the man who takes a journey and entrusts his property to some of his servants (all of whom were able).

The guy gives 5 talents (about $10,000) to one servant, 2 talents ($4,000) to another and 1 talent ($2,000) to a third, according to their ability. This means it wasn't a flippant distribution; the man knew something about his servants'... talents... and he gave them what would challenge them, but not overwhelm them. Then, he left them for a long time.

The first 2 fellas took what they were given, and used it. In fact, the effectiveness of the resources doubled when combined with their ability. And even though the first guy had a bigger ROI, the master praised both of them equally and identically, invited them to celebrate with him, rewarded them, and... gave them more to do.

The third guy, who claimed to be afraid of losing the investment, played it safe and buried it. He apparently didn't trust his master's assessment of his ability. His boss berated his reluctance to take a risk. He called him wicked, and lazy. Then he took away what he had given him, and had him thrown off his property, into the darkness where there will be weeping and 'gnashing of teeth'. In New Testament times, the idiom 'gnashing of teeth' signified disappointment and agony of spirit. Kind of what you feel when you realize you missed your chance, and there's no going back.

I know this parable speaks of many things, but to me, today, it was a call to be ready, and willing to take a risk, as I am able. Though I'm tempted at times to dig a hole and crawl in it, thinking I'll be comfortable, or safe, I realize that's being lazy. It's actually wicked to not use what He's given me, and to not trust that He knows what He's up to.

I think Gumby is a bit goofy looking. But, he's always smiling.

Maggie

I really struggled with writing this post.
I hate that I even have to.
But sometimes we do hard things, even when we don't want to.

Some of my previous postings have mentioned our dog, Maggie. I've told some funny stories about her, and how she was impacting my daily routine and life. So, it only seems appropriate, now, to tell that this past week, Maggie died. And I've been very sad, and I miss her much. I confess that I never imagined that losing a dog would impact me the way it has, or that after 5 days, I'd still be tearful about it.

Maggie was 14 years old, ...I'm told that's an equivalent to 98 human years for a dog. And, she was struggling getting around, and needed our help to even get up. At least she struggles no more.

Earlier this year our pastor answered a child's question about pets going to heaven. It made me feel a little better. Can you guess what my prayer is?