What's in a name?

When I was born, my parents could only agree on one thing. This one thingwas to give me the name Samantha. Of all the names they could agree on, I wonder why this was the one. I really don't like this name, but as I get older I am starting to appreciate it more and more.

When I was in Reception (and for those who don't know, that's what they call 'Prep' in South Australia), my teachers stumbled upon a problem. I was not the only Samantha in the class. There was indeed, another Samantha. Now this could easily be fixed by just calling me Samantha S, right? Wrong! Because we both had surnames starting with S!

So when we entered into grade one, the first day, the classroom teacher fixed the problem. After a quick discussion, I was renamed Sammy, and the other Samantha just became Sam.

Sammy comes with a lot of little cliche's added at the end. Sammy the snail, the sea gull, sea slug, sea snail.. you get the picture. Many of which I got throughout my life at school.

My last name is Smedley. Smedley, in old english, means "smooth clearing". In about year six I made my own name for myself, which was Smedles [Smed-ools]. I tried to be Smeds but soon my sister got that title, and it sticked to her better than it did me. I remember kids turning Smedles into snails. And in my early high school days getting the names Sammy Smelly and Sammy Shmell-bad. And I was up for these terrible last names, because when you wrote Smedley into Microsoft Word, and you would click spell check, it would say Smedley: Did you mean Smelly?

Later into VCE, I was called either Shammy my car (I found that one amusing), C-mos (a very long story - and for those who don't know, it's a clock battery in your computer), Sammy Airways, and also, by my IT teacher, I was dubbed Sammy-badger-badger.

Time went on, and I didn't really get many more names. But then suddenly, about a year ago (although it seems so much longer!) I met this girl, who appears has has also been given a few different names. In fact, she quite commonly goes by the name of a cooking instrument.

It all started one night talking nonsense about various food, and it has grown into something greater.

You see, this friend of mine, she really likes brussels sprouts. So one day, after school, I went down to the local fruit and veg place, and brought her a bag of brussel sprouts.

On this bag, I wrote "You will always be my brussels sprout, no matter where you are, even when you're out of season!"

And so there started the new thing. She turned into Sprout, and somehow I was dubbed the name, "Broccoli".

A few weeks later I went to do a bit of stuff for kids4life at a school. I didn't know one of the guys were there, but some how he thought my name was "Flick". It started a new thing. My friend that DID know me began to call me Flick too! Luckily it hasn't stuck too much.

But going back to this Sprout friend of mine, last night we were getting into a very bizarre in depth conversation. I don't even know how it started. But basically, my new name now is Grandma.

But then my question is this: how can I be Sprout's grandma, when I am 2 years younger than her? We were trying to mathematically work this out last night, and I guess what I want to ask, dear blogger, is it possible, to have a grandmother who is 2 years younger than you? I'm interested to hear your responses!

I just wonder what my next name will be!

blog some more...

Most of you should know this already, as you should have got an email. If you didn't email, please talk to me, because I thought I had most of you on my contact list!

As of the 27th of November, through till the 21st of December, this blog will not be posted in. Instead, be directed over here.

Why not just post here you ask? Let me explain.

For one, I have forwarded my new blog to a lot of people, family members. The blog does not link to my profile or to my blog. I don't want that many people reading my blog, where people might become scared of my views or something. Link my parents to this blog? I don't think so!

The blog (as well as this one) is also unlisted on google for security reasons. That means no nasties can google me and find me and hunt me down or anything rediculous.

It's also easier than sending out bulk emails! Yay for blogs - the way of the future! Along with RSS, the way of the future. Thanks to Geoff (whom is the 'other half' of Bec) with this post, I've been converted to google reader - where hast thou been all my life??

So, lo and behold: TRAVELLING WITH SAMMY!

http://travel-with-sammy.blogspot.com

(in the meantime, please keep reading and commenting on this blog for the next 20 days :D)

God has ADD II

Back in February I blogged about God has ADD. This post could almost be called Sammy has ADD.

Tonight, after work, I visited Mez's family (minus Mez). I left at about 10:30 (so I stayed for about 2 hours). Apon getting outside and walking to my car, I realised there was flashes of lightning. I paused and adored the lightning for a few seconds.. then I realised I was indeed standing alone in the middle of Kangaroo Flat. A big no-no.

So I got into my car, and began to drive and admire this beauty! I went from Kangaroo Flat, the back way through the forrest to Spring Gully, and then through the city to find higher land. I then found myself out at Eaglehawk, followed by Epsom, somehow Epsom turned into Huntly, then I got sleepy, and I kinda felt God telling me, have some common sense and lets go home! Huntly then turned into Epsom again, then Epsom went back into Junortoun, becoming Strathdale and finally, Flora Hill.

All throughout this journey, I saw planes (as in, supposedly jumbo jets going in and out of Melbourne): imagine the show they'd be getting!

It's funny, because last time, God was screaming, Look at me! This time, I was yelling, SHOW ME MORE! ... Who has ADD now?

Often the lightning wouldn't be in my view. On numerous occasions I went to look over my shoulder to check a blind spot or what not, and there I'd see a flash of lightning. Yep, God was trying to point out something to me.

(Psalm 139)
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

It doesn't matter where you look. If you look over your shoulder, in the rear view mirror, or actually keep your eyes on the road - I am there!

I was listening to some beautiful, definately 'anointed' music. It didn't have words, it was just instrumental piano and violin (however I know the words anyway). In this time, chasing after the lightning, I started really getting into some of the questions that were on my heart in this post, which I wrote merely yesterday.

"I'm really trying to work out where it is I belong. You would think that after 3 years in Bendigo I would have worked it out... I am finding myself run around in the same circles. It's like this malicious cycle where I end up getting incredibly hurt... My heart is so broken. I need some sort of stability!" (my words yesterday)

I think God really laid on my heart what it is that I actually mean by stability. What am I basing my stability on? While it is fantastic to be stable in a church, and it is highly recommended, I do not think that anybody should just quit somewhere stable, God really put it out to me as to how much emphasis I put on "church" rather than God Himself!

Now, I could go on and on about the politics and my beliefs (what many would say are bizarre and out there) about church are, but I think that I will either bore you, or I will start a fight. But when will we stop turning to "the church" and start turning to God?

Why is it I so long to be having this official prayer doosy whats it for Indonesia? When it's not being up the front that's so important. It's the people who are actually praying!

Going back to the lightning. As I finally turned into my street, I pleaded with God, please, just one last flash of lightning? Please oh please oh please oh pleeeease!!!? But there in that, I really felt the Holy Spirit speak, saying it doesn't MATTER if there's no lightning. God is still as real and is as there - no matter what!