Today, I pause before the Sabbath to gather my thoughts, so that tomorrow my heart will already be open.

The Lord has shown me, time and again, how even something as simple as a name can carry spirit. In my family, the name John has traveled through generations — fathers, sons, grandfathers, uncles — and even my husband and my son bear it. My own father John baptized me, just as John the Baptist baptized Jesus. And though each John has been different, the name has always reminded me of covenant and witness.

But here is the truth I hold closest: a name does not save us — choice does.
We live today because Christ died for us yesterday. We live today because He lives too. His resurrection makes every day a gift of grace.

So whether or not we act like the names we carry, we are called to act like the disciples of Christ. To choose the right not because someone else expects it, but because the Spirit teaches us why it matters. Our independence is not distance from God, but the very gift that allows us to choose Him freely.

Tomorrow, as we gather in sacrament, I want my heart to remember:

  • To honor the names I carry.
  • To walk with integrity in the choices I make.
  • To see my Father’s hand guiding me, and my dad’s reflection in those around me.
  • To testify that Jesus Christ lives, and because He lives, so can I.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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