What's in a name?

I have recently asked God to romance me. Which seems weird and presumptuous and lofty and inappropriate. But  I am doing it anyway. I am trying to keep my heart soft and not hard. Full of love and not bitterness. And I am almost through the fantastic book titled: "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldridge. I have never read a book so well thought through in the topics of femininity, God, beauty and the Question that each woman is asking. Pick up the book to find out about our Question. But one of the suggestions, in the context of a splendid chapter of this book, was to ask God to romance you.

I really believe God is responding and answering and telling me things.

I feel like God has given me the song I posted earlier "How He Loves" to me for a season. I cannot get over it.

An acquaintance texted me Psalm 45. She would have no idea that I have been pouring over this psalm for the last few weeks. It talks about how a King in the Davidic line of Israel is enthralled with the beauty of his bride. (God gives the covenant of Marriage as a metaphor for His love to us)

I just received a letter in the mail from a friend who was praying for me and felt God say: "Beloved." She thought: "Yes, Lord, we are all your beloved!" And then she felt like He said: "Amy is My Beloved."

The name "Amy"  actually means "Beloved."

I've known my  name means Beloved for years - but it feels fresh, new and special right now. In a season where I feel despair - I am strangely filled with an equal amount of hope. Aren't our hearts amazing? So many feelings all at the exact same time.

All of this might seem strange to you and wacky and charismatic. It seems like some of those things to me, too. What an adventure it is to put your hope in the Living God.

"Why are you in despair, O my soul?....All Thy breakers and Thy waves have rolled over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life." - Psalm 42

Speaking of despair - of course we are all struck by the despair of Haiti. I love this organization and I trust them to use my money with all uprightness and wisdom: Another national ministry of Cru, Global Aid Network (GAiN) has containers with 1 million meals in it in Haiti and eight more containers of food and critically needed supplies ready to ship. GAiN’s primary need at the moment is financial resources to distribute the goods they have to the people of Haiti. If you’d like follow Gain’s progress or give financially go to GAiNUSA.org