One question was about my name. My given name is "Saranne". I never knew whence that name came. The only person who ever called me that was my Aunt Florine. She was my father's sister, and she insisted on calling me "Saranne". Everyone else, including my parents, has called me "Punky". Do I know why I received that name? No, I really do not. One story is that I was jaundiced at birth, and someone made a remark about my pumpkin colour. Another is that by the time I was born, my parents' friends' children were all older, and I was everyone's little "pumpkin", which transformed into "Punky". All eight of our grandchildren except one call me "Punky" or "Punk". One of them said, "No one else has a grandmother with your name, Punk."

To this day, no one calls me "Saranne". I am well over 80, and the name "Punky" remains. But more important than that name is the fact that I am called a child of God because I declared that Jesus Christ is my Saviour.

John 1:12 – But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (ESV)

Isaiah 62:2b-3 – You shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (ESV)

Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Simon, and Saul were all given new names to reflect the changes that God would be making in their lives. We, too, are given a new name — child of God — when we are adopted into God's family. Will we surrender to His lordship and live up to the transforming power of that new name?

Prayer: Lord, You tell us, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1 ESV) Help us to believe that and to live in accordance with it. Amen.

"What solar eclipse?" said I.

Since then, much of the conversation in our small town of Clifton, Texas, USA, has been about the total solar eclipse which will engulf our county on April 8. I found out that the shadow of the moon will move from the South Pacific Ocean diagonally across North America from the southwest at Mazatlán, Mexico, to the northeast in Atlantic Canada. Because our town is in the centre of the shadow of totality, the eclipse will last about four minutes. Apparently, there is a higher chance of good weather here. The number of people who follow such eclipses is apparently amazing, and we know that there is a tour group coming from Japan. Clifton is about a two-hour drive south from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so we do not know if there will be a few hundred or several thousand coming our way. We were warned to stock up on groceries at least two weeks in advance and to be sure to keep our gas tanks full. There will be four ambulances available instead of the usual three, and the hospital emergency room will be open 24 hours in both its county locations. We have had meetings with the local sheriff and police chief. At the end of his meeting, the police chief said, "Here is my personal cell phone number. Call me if you need me." I thought, Where else in the world would the police chief give out his personal cell phone number?

Then I began wondering how many people who follow this sun event are aware of the true Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God? To view the solar eclipse fully without damage to the eyes, it is imperative to wear solar eclipse glasses. The real challenge, though, for all Christians who live in the path of the eclipse, is to live so that by our actions, visitors will also see the message and good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for which no special glasses are necessary. What is necessary is that those of us who know the Son of God to be our Saviour will demonstrate in word and deed to everyone what it is like to know the true Son, Jesus Christ, and to know the peace which that knowledge brings.

Deuteronomy 4:19a – When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars — all the stars in the sky — do not be led astray to bow in worship to them and serve them. (CSB)

Prayer: Gracious God, in the midst of all the publicity and hype over the solar eclipse, help us to remember to be Son worshippers and not sun worshippers. Amen.

Do we have an internal drive that turns us to God? When we are faced with strife, trouble, or joy, what is our response?

This week, I had lunch with some friends, several of whom have young grandchildren. Nearly to a person, these friends said something like, "Well, our children had our grandchildren baptized, but they don't go to church nor do they see that their children attend any kind of church-related activities."

That discussion causes me to ask where our young people turn when they face life's most difficult problems. If they were raised in a practicing Christian family, does their internal drive cause them to consider seeking God's help, His strength, and His answer?

The answers to that question will probably vary from family to family, and from child to child. For those of us who were raised with the idea that the ultimate answer to all our pain and questioning is given by God, we cannot imagine life without the comfort of knowing that God is ultimately in control. We take this Scripture to heart:

Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Where else can we turn but to God? We know that all human answers are frail and incomplete.

Prayer: Father God, hear our prayers and help us to turn to You always. In so doing, may we set the perfect example for families and friends. Amen.

This year, we purchased a hummingbird feeder that attaches to the window. It is great fun to watch the hummingbirds drink the sugar water which fuels them in their hunt for sustaining food. Our cat is also mesmerized as he watches from the other side of the window. One of the screws failed that is attached to the plastic device holding the feeder. While my husband was fixing the feeder, the hummingbirds kept coming back to the spot again, again, and again, even though there was no feeder on the window. They never gave up and remained totally persistent in their search for the nourishing sugar water. Their persistence finally paid off, as the feeder is now fixed, and the hummingbirds are happy.

I've been thinking about the various biblical stories concerning persistence. My favourite is the story of the persistent widow:

Luke 18:1-5 – One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" (NLT)

How often we give up on projects, ideas, friends, family, prayer, even the church, just because quitting is the easy way!

The persistent widow and the hummingbirds should inspire us to pray and not give up because God will hear and answer the prayers of those who submit their petitions to Him.

Then, Jesus goes on to ask THE question, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8 NIV) Let us strive to be persistent in our prayers and in our lives of faithfulness, so that the Son of Man will indeed find faith on the earth.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, may we follow the example of the persistent widow and never give up on our faith in You and on our efforts to speak to You, and to listen to and act upon Your Word. May we express our faith in our thoughts, words, and actions. Amen.

When the organizer of the tournament called me about something, I mentioned that there were some people who had not come by the stand to pay. A bit later, she called again to say that those people were there to watch the practice of some six-year-olds who were to be in a tournament the following week. And then, the memories came!

We were new residents of Houston, Texas, and our son was in the first grade. My husband was asked to coach a team of six-year-olds that had not won a single game the previous year. He accepted the challenge, and he and some others began to work with these children. Over and over they went, explaining the rules and demonstrating the skills required to play. It was not easy, but the efforts were productive. The team won half of their games. The next year, it was the same thing, over and over and over, as one-half of the team had never played tee-ball at all. Even though there was no guarantee of success, those coaches kept working with the young boys. That year, they won the league.

After the tournament, on the ride home through our beautiful rural countryside, I reflected not only on the beauty of our area but also on God's grace and patience with each of us.

Psalm 86:15 – But you, Lord, are a compassionate God, merciful and patient, with unending gracious love and faithfulness. (ISV)

Coaches of six-year-old teams everywhere show infinite patience with their young charges, and sometimes, the children continue to make mistakes. Like those coaches, over and over and over, God is longsuffering with each of us, forgiving us for our many sins and constant in His love. God continues to show infinite patience with each of us — even when we are over six years old and continue to make the same mistakes over and over and over.

Let's practice the same patience with others' mistakes as God does with ours!

Prayer: Our Father God, we so easily forget how You show patience and persistent love for us on a daily basis. Help us to remember Your graciousness to us and remind us to practice this same patience and persistence in our lives as we deal with life's challenges and problems. Amen.

The day after I graduated from high school in Nebraska, USA, my family returned "home" to Arkansas where Dad started a new business. While there were family members in Little Rock, there were none of my own friends, and not even any siblings, as I was an only child. So, leaving for university in Texas was exciting and long-awaited.

My first trip back home was at Christmas. When I walked in the front door of our home, there sat a Christmas tree with blue lights. I had always wanted blue lights, but my wonderful mother, a traditionalist, never wavered from her belief in using multi-coloured lights for the tree. The blue lights filled me with the warmth of being home and being loved, and signalled to me that this Christmas would be special. That Christmas was indeed special, but not in the way that I had anticipated.

It was "against the rules" to open presents before Christmas morning, so it was probably 10 a.m. or so when my parents and I gathered around the Christmas tree. I was shocked to see one present and only one. When I opened it, there was an orlon sweater, which, at the time, was nothing special. Although the sweater was trimmed with sequins, that didn't help much. I am sure that I tried to have a stiff upper lip, but this only child was not used to such a sparse Christmas. I soon found out that while I was having a wonderful semester away, both our home and Dad's business had been robbed, which meant little extra spending money. That afternoon, we gathered with aunts, uncles, and cousins for a joyous family Christmas, and some of the sting and disappointment began to dissipate.

Why is it that more than sixty years later, that "orlon Christmas" stands out among the tops so vividly in my memory? That time was the beginning of my realization about what really matters in life. In spite of adversity, my parents' faith in Jesus Christ never wavered. Never before had we been close enough to celebrate this special day with family, and on Christmas Eve, our whole family worshipped together at Westover Hills Presbyterian Church, our new church home. There, we felt warmth and friendliness and were reminded once more that no matter what happens, God has given us His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Lord and Saviour, and God is in control.

Wherever we are during this Christmas season and whatever restrictions are in place, we all have within us the ability to share the love of God as shown to us in the gift of His Son. We can show that love through our actions both within and outside our families, so that everyone can know that Jesus Christ is indeed the light of the world. Sharing that gift is no doubt far more important than the gifts, the family meal, and blue Christmas tree lights!

Prayer: Father God, You gave us the greatest gift in Your Son Jesus Christ, the source of our love for one another. May we live that love every day, and not be shy about sharing Your great gift with others. Amen.

In the Bible, ashes are mentioned several times as a sign of mourning, mortality, and repentance. For example, in the book of Esther, King Xerxes of Persia decreed the death of all the Jewish people in the Persian Empire:

Esther 4:1 – When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. (NIV)

After the series of disasters that happened to Job, Job 2:8 tells us that he sat among the ashes. Tamar and Daniel also used ashes as a sign of mourning and repentance.

The use of ashes to denote mourning and repentance continued through the years. Eventually, the use of ashes was adapted to mark the beginning of Lent. Receiving the ashes reminds us to repent humbly before God, and encourages us to renew the promises of baptism and to live out the kingdom of God now as we look forward to its fulfillment in heaven.

Ash Wednesday itself is only part of the picture of Lent. It is the beginning of a special opportunity to spend forty days examining our own lives, as we consider the cross and the sacrifice our Lord made for us — a sacrifice unequal to any in the world. The challenge for us is to make the forty days of Lent a time that brings us closer to the Lord. To help accomplish this purpose, I share a list of forty things which I came across on the Internet, offering them in a spirit of freedom as ideas one might try during Lent as expressions of faith:

• Try to understand another's point of view
• Make someone laugh
• Praise someone honestly
• Say, "I'm sorry" and mean it
• Act like Jesus
• Clean up an eyesore in your neighborhood
• Respond the first time someone calls you
• Send a crocus to someone from whom you are estranged
• Ask God to do what is best for the person you dislike most
• Help someone realize his or her self-worth
• Cement a friendship
• Try not to waste anything for one whole day
• Call someone who is lonely
• Drive patiently today
• Resist trying to be the centre of attention
• Be a shoulder to cry on
• Expand your horizons — go to a lecture, read a book, see a play
• Be patient with others
• Refuse to gossip
• Refuse to whine
• Readily forgive anyone who hurts you
• Surprise yourself
• Make someone else the centre of attention
• If you love someone, say so
• Thank God for the gift of life
• Pray for a friend
• Pray for an enemy
• Start something good
• Visit a shut-in
• Give away all your "extras"
• Resist judging coworkers
• Examine your conscience
• Stop a label or stereotype in your workplace
• Refuse to judge or categorize others
• Be a sign of hope for someone who is depressed
• Spend some silent time alone
• Be a peacemaker at work or school
• Recognize the truth about yourself — no matter how good it is
• Participate actively in Holy Week worship
• Sing a hymn or chorus

Prayer: Today and every day, Lord, we need to be reminded of the great sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to be mindful in every hour of every day of the gift of eternal life which You have given to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In His name, we pray. Amen.