For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6 New
King James Version )
When I was a kid, dreaming of
someday being a writer, I knew I always wanted to write under my maiden name.
At the time, I think that I mostly never imagined getting married and changing
my name in the first place. After getting married twice and changing my name
twice, more than ever, I wanted to recognize my maiden name. But not for
myself.
My dad, Paul Loehmer, was the
smartest person I ever knew. He dropped out of school after the eighth
grade to work to support his family. But
he read everything he could get his hands on. He self-taught himself anything
he wanted to know. His most amazing gift was that he could pick up almost any musical
instrument and play any tune on it by ear. That is certainly a gift I didn’t
inherit.
My sister, Patricia Loehmer,
was the second smartest person I knew. She too read everything she could
find. She’d inhale books like the rest of us inhale the air around us. On top
of her massive intelligence, she was stubborn. Maybe a more positive synonym to
use is tenacious. If she was given any task to do, she would work day and
night until it was finished and done to perfection.
And so everything I write is
in tribute to these two people. But I would be remiss if I didn’t also pay
tribute to the one on this planet, in this present life, who supports me the
most. That would be the hubby, Mr. Kincaid,
Ricky to my Lucille Ball. My other half, my better half.
I would’ve stuck with my
given first name, Christine, but I thought my handle was becoming long enough
the way it is. And so I write as Chris Loehmer Kincaid.
The
angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event
that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s
town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a
baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12 The Message Bible
The shepherds had been told about a baby born in Bethlehem and
the angel was there to convince these men to go visit the infant. The angel
told them several of the names that the baby would one day be called. In Isaiah
9:6, there is an even longer list of names: Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Throughout Scripture, Jesus has even more
titles – the Anointed One, Redeemer, Emmanuel.
Why so many names for one person? Well, why not? There are not
enough superlatives to describe Jesus. There is not just one name that
expresses who He is. He is the One.
Do you have a nickname? Does your spouse call you
"sweetheart,” or "honey,” or some other affectionate name? Did your
mom call you by your full name when you were in trouble? The name we were given
at birth is important, but sometimes the names that we go by matter just as
much.
From The Christmas Story
in 40 Days, out by mid-November. Currently available for pre-order from the
publisher, Life Sentence Publishing.
1 comment:
Just Denise from most. One boyfriend many years ago got away with calling me Red ( for some reason it sounded nice coming from him).
Q
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