What Is In A Name

The last few years the importance of naming things - giving things a name - has become something that I am more attentive to than ever.  I am sure there will be more on that to come... For now, I will talk about my blog.  Naming it.  Why I named it what I did.  I explained earlier the reason why I wanted to start a new blog.  This is the way I came up with it's name.

If you look simply at the names of my 2 primary blogs, I think that it is easy to see the tone of the names of them is different.  For What It's Worth was written at a time in my life when that was my attitude.  "Here's what I think.  Here's who I am.  Take me or leave me.  This is me.  For what it's worth." I kinda needed to assert myself, I guess.  And I am not saying that that was all bad.  There are many reasons that I needed to speak my mind.  The fact is, sadly, that many of those posts were written in an effort to make someone - anyone - understand me.  I wasn't finding my identity and acceptance in Christ.  I was looking for someone to relate to me.  Empathize with me.  Accept me.  Just the way I am.  Even though my heart was not always right in my writing, the Lord used that sweet blog in my healing.  In spite of me.  He brought me heart-friends through my blog... despite my selfish motives.  And I am so thankful.  He is good to me.  Always.

So, today when I felt inspired to start blogging again, I didn't want it to be for any self-serving reasons.  I questioned myself.  Asked the Lord to search my heart and let me know if there was a reason to not do what I was thinking of doing.  And I feel good about writing a blog again.  I didn't have to really think of a name for my new blog.  It popped (literally) into my mind as I was driving along.  Much of why I wanted to write again was to record the things that I am thankful for.  My one thousand things.  The fact is, there are so many more than one thousand things that I am thankful for.  And the family that God has given me is at the top of that list.  When I think of my family I think of us as a family of five in some contexts and a family of seven in others.  Five kids.  That is how many I have.  3 on Earth, 2 in Heaven.  There is nothing that I am more sure of.  So, with all of that thinking combined, in a blink of an eye, I came up with the title One Thousand Five Gifts.  I just love that name.

And I love writing.

I feel like someone gave me an early Christmas gift today (or a late birthday gift, since my special day was just 2 days ago) when I figured out how to blog from my phone.  I was giddy.  Am giddy.  That might be evident, as this is my 5th post today.  I am sure that there will be days in the future that I don't post one single solitary thing that I am thankful for... I might, literally, not have a thankful thought in my head for a day or two.  I know myself, people.  Just being honest.  But there will be days that I will feel like I am overflowing with thankfulness, and on those days I will unapologetically blog away.

I hope that in writing here that I can record God's goodness to me and my family for us, primarily, to look back on and remember His faithfulness.  I hope that by writing it down, it will solidify it in our memories. I hope that by sharing the joy that I have found in being thankful, I can point others to the One that has brought me any little bitty ounce of joy that I have ever felt.  I hope that the things about my life that are dark and sometimes sad can be used as a way to connect me to someone that is experiencing the same feelings. Something that makes me relatable and real.  And in that, I earnestly pray that I can bring glory to the One that has given me hope to make it through hard those times.  The One that will help me through the hard times that are inevitably to come.

If you are reading through this blog, I'd love to know it.  I'd love to connect with you, if even only in thought.  I am thankful for you.