Daniel and I were working on the computer together the other day, and I had to log into one of the sites we use. My login includes my maiden name. When typing the login I used my married name. It obviously wouldn’t let me in. I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong.
When we finally figured it out—it was like, wow, I finally feel like that Lanning is my last name and that Whitley will always be a part of me, but Lanning is my new identity. In fact, when Daniel and I were first married, I would forget to sign my new married last name and would have to fix it.
When I said ‘I do’, it was official… I was Candice Lanning… but I didn’t feel like it was my name initially. I think the same can be said about when we accept Jesus into our lives. We get a new identity and we become a new creation. At times we can forget, revert to our old ways, but then the Holy Spirit gently reminds us who we are in Jesus and reminds us of our new identity. Over time, the more we live life striving to serve Jesus, the less we look like our old identity, but rather the new creation we have become. We then identify with our new life and new life alone.
Refreshing to say the least….and I thank the Lord for his patience as we learn our new identity in Him daily…and praise be to Him who no longer sees what we were, but what we’ve become because of His name.
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Congrats to my GREAT friend Lisa...she finished her last chemo today! I am so thrilled for her! She's been sharing her story on a blog of her own. Please check out this fantastic woman here. She is truly an inspiration!
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I’d like to give a special shout out to my staff homie, Spencer Tucker (www.spencertucker.com …coming soon…keep looking for it), who got us free lunch at Chipotle today. So good. Thanks to Jeremy Scott for making sure, along with Shannon, that I got invited to this free lunch. Ahhh…great food!
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Went out with the small group homies to Mert’s Soul Food on Tuesday. Amazing time…I love sharing a meal with friends….I think it draws us closer to people. Our waitress, Paris….is the bomb and part of the reason we keep coming back.
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Birthday shout-outs to our friend Joel, and bro-in-laws Jason & Matt….you guys are as old as dirt!
2 comments:
Candice, excellent post about the name & our identity in Christ. Sandy has a really good one too about the Clemson game.
You don't know how much you truly bless others when you post like this.
-Gail
I was thinking the same thing the other day when someone addressed me by my maiden name. I haven't been that person for over 6 years! It made me think our past shapes but go changes are made and make a bigger impact on us. The same is with Christ...without our past we cannot be drawn to him but withour future he changes our name and makes us his own.
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