Live up to Your Name
Time to write. LOL as I was typing this, it read: time to right! And that it is. It is time to right, and time to write. I love God, he is so humorous! Glorious, but also humorous.
It is time to right every wrong. It is time to be the opposite of weak, BE STRONG.
It is time to write every wrong. It is time to confess, time to truly BELONG.
To Christ.
This year I coined the phrase, “Live up to your Name”. Perhaps it isn’t an original concept, but I made a decision that it is time to live up to my name, my God-given name Julia Novella.
“Youthful Short Story” also known as Julia Novella. Since childhood, I have been writing. Little poems, songs, stories. I always wondered why? Did God intend for me write from birth? Early on in life I “identified” as ‘writer’, and ‘Christian’. Now, later in my life I identify with so many additional things, which is a topic for another story.
In addition to my newly coined phrase, ‘Live up to your Name’ I have been touting rather loudly, “WORDS MATTER! Be careful (appropriate carefully) with your words.” As well as the fact that names are important.
We all should live up to our names, they are called God-given for a reason. Words matter, names are important. So, if you are blessed to name another soul, do so with great care, and much prayer.
My firstborn granddaughter, Josephine, a teenager, has been going through some struggles as we all do and did at her age. Serious struggles. Life-altering struggles. She and I have always had an unfathomable connection. I knew God put me in her life for a purpose, and vice versa. Not just one purpose, of course, but for one very important purpose. To help guide her to her true identity. She has recently declared her name change to Novella. She said she wanted to be named after me. I was shocked. Honored, but astonished. I NEVER wanted her to be named after me. Not from the time of her birth, but that in and of itself is rather a long story!
The name Josephine means, “And God Shall Add”. What a glorious name to live up to.
And what glorious words to live up to. The day of her birth, I was inspired by God to pray over her life. Many times, on the anniversary of her birth, I would also pray these words, and have since prayed these birthday blessings over all my grandchildren. Grandchildren. They are called that for a reason; they are so grand!
But here is the prayer, the “birthday blessing”:
I want to bless you on your birthday with a very special prayer. May you always be blessed by God in all you do. I will always give thanks for you. I pray God to fill you with the knowledge of His will for your life through all Spiritual wisdom and understanding. I pray that you will always live a life worthy of the Lord and you may please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Being strengthened with all might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and that you will joyfully give thanks to God who qualifies you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of Light. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
These are God’s words which never return back void so sweet souls, let’s live up to it. Live up to your name, your God-given name, and your identifier of ‘Christian’.
If you are a human, like me sometimes in life you make mistakes, get angry, make bad decisions, lose your temper in a fight for what’s right. When you do, please confess and apologize if you have hurt someone. But then forgive. Forgive them, forgive YOURSELF, too. Shake the dust off, and keep it moving. Forward.
Words matter, names are important.
Julia Novella Jones Lyle. 😊