Mountains...What's in a name....Yeshu'a...

Have you ever had a really great phrase or original song lyric in your head while dreaming? Then you tell yourself that you'll remember it, convincing yourself not to get up and write it down....then you forget. Last night was different, though! And even though this isn't too profound, I was glad to have been saying it in my dream:

"Our inner valleys will be met with the highest mountains."

In my dream, I was taking this to mean that we are made closer to the mountain of God through our inner sufferings. I guess this is a common idea, but it was new to me in the middle of the night. I truly believe that God draws us to Himself more in our loneliness, brokenness, desperation, sadness, and disappointment with this life. And what a sweet reason to rejoice this is!!!!!!! If not for Christ, all of these hopeless feelings would beget further frustration and heartbreak, but because of His example and His steadfast love, we know that there is light beyond the darkness...beautiful mountains beyond our dark valleys.

Jesus. His name is so sweet.

Beth Moore says this:

Jesus. What a beautiful name. I love to watch how it falls off the lips of those who love Him. I shudder as it falls off the lips of those who don't. Jesus. It has been the most important and most consistent word in my life. Dearer today than yesterday. Inexpressibly precious to me personally, so I am at a loss to comprehend what the name means universally.

I've been thinking about names a lot this year. As I've studied both Spanish and the Bible, I've seen how much more significance names have in other cultures. People and places are named after profound moments of which they were a part, legacies that they are expected to live up to, beautiful truths revealed by God, etc.

My name is Alysse Christine. Alysse means "consecrated one." Christine means "follower of Christ." The dictionary definition of "consecrated" is:

-- made or declare sacred; set apart or dedicated to the service of a deity.
-- devoted or dedicated to some purpose.

As His adopted child, I am set apart as a follower of Christ, and long to be completely devoted to His cause, His purpose of love, mercy and salvation.

I am grateful for this sweet reminder of who I am--my name.

He is Jesus.
The One and Only.
Transcendent over all else.
To know Him is to love Him.
To love Him is to long for Him.
To long for Him is to finally reach
soul hands into the One true thing
we need never get enough of.
Jesus.
Take all you want.
Take all you need.
Till soul is fed.
And spirit freed.
Till dust is dust.
And Face you see.
Jesus Christ.
He's all you need.


the tree of life. :)