The Day That Changed My Name

I started to write this yesterday, on August 16th, but the day kind of got away from me and I never got back to it.  It was a wonderful day, with lots of congratulatory messages on Facebook, and some other special blessings.  So now that it is Monday morning, I will pick up where I left off yesterday and try to get caught up!!

August 16, 1969

The Pastor announced to the congregation: "I now introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. John F. Steiner"

(Written yesterday) So, today is the REAL anniversary day...57 years ago today, August 16, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., and on that day in 1969, my name was changed. I don't know about you, but it took me a while to get used to being called "Mrs. Steiner". It seemed as though my whole identity was changed in a moment, with the reciting of our wedding vows and saying "I Do", I was no longer the girl I used to be for the first 18 years (going on 19 in a few weeks) of my life, Pam Mursch. I was now Mrs. John F. Steiner, Pamela Anne Mursch Steiner, or later I changed it to Pamela Mursch Steiner, which made my initials "PMS", before that was a well-known thing. LOL. I've gotten some looks over my initials throughout the years since. I think the initials have caused some people to give me a wide berth. LOL.

 I still basically go by the name "Pam", although Pamela is kind of my alter ego name...the more mature, elegant and kind of Victorian lady that I picture myself to be...hence the name of my dollhouse is "Pamela's Victorian Cottage", and the actual website name of my blog Closed Doors, Open Windows, is pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com. But in reality, I am still just plain old Pam, a girl who enjoys being outside in the woods and trees and looking at nature more than staying indoors and doing housework or having hobbies that require things like sewing or needlework or other types of hand crafts. Truly, my main hobby is writing this blog and taking pictures of most everything and everyone I see.  And loving my hubby and my family and most all , my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  And I especially love that when I met Jesus, He also gave me a new name...and even though I don't know what it is yet, it is written down in heaven in His book...and some sweet day He will call me by that name and welcome me home to heaven to be with Him forever.

Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’

But until then, I will gladly and proudly still be called by my current name, the one bestowed upon me on our wedding day 57 years ago.  And I am extremely thankful that nothing has happened to cause me to change it, Praise God!!

And so now, I am back to writing on today, Monday...and here's what we did yesterday after going to church.  We knew that our son Scott was coming to the house as per his usual Sunday habit to do his laundry and have lunch with us and then head back to his home in Jacksonville. It's a long drive, almost 2 hours, so we do appreciate the time he spends with us so much.  

Since Benton and Rose both had to work yesterday afternoon, it was just going to be the three of us for lunch. So we stopped by the new location of the Hog Wild Country cafe' and picked up some of their delicious BBQ ribs and a few sides.

This is my plate...and actually, I couldn't eat the whole thing, so I gave Scott one of my ribs, which he gladly devoured!

You will notice that I set the table with our wedding china for the occasion! We don't use it very often, but I thought this was a worthy occasion.  If you wish, you can click on THIS post from the past to see more about our wedding china and other wedding events and memories from the past.

I used our original wedding cake topper as our centerpiece....it's a little worse for the wear after 57 years and many many moves, but it's still standing!  The bell on top used to be white, but I think it's made of some kind of sugar and it turned brown over the years.  I'm just amazed it's still intact!

Here"we" are, from on top of our cake:

Here we are cutting the cake:

And here we are "having our cake and eating it too!" LOL.  You can see that my hubby was a gentleman even then. LOL.  

And here is "the Great Escape" after the reception under a hail of rice being thrown at us...look at my short little dress! LOL. Well, it was 1969, and my navy blue dress was actually quite modest for the times when mini-skirts were all the rage...

Here we are now...same couple 57 years later, but instead of being able to run through the crowd to our car, it looks like hubby is holding me up! LOL.  And my Navy Blue and white dress is a tad bit longer! 

This song keeps coming back into my head as I think about the past 57 years...and I believe the lyrics to this song by Andre' Crouch tell the story pretty well...

"I've had many tears and sorrows,
I've had questions for tomorrow,
there've been times I didn't know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.

Chorus:
Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God.
Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.

I've been to lots of places,
I've seen a lot of faces,
there's been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own

Chorus:
Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God.
Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.

I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I'd never had a problem,
I wouldn't know God could solve them,
I'd never know what faith in God could do.

Chorus:
Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God.
Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word."

Yes, that chorus says it all. We've been through a lot over the past 57 years, but truly, through it all, we have learned to trust in Jesus and we have definitely learned to depend upon His Word to sustain us and teach us in the way we should go.  We are so very thankful for that faith that has carried us through some pretty difficult timess, and  that has given us the hope that only God can give us, for eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.  

Hebrews 12:1-2 says it well:

"1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Without this faith, our story might have been very different. 

"I thank God for the mountains,and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I'd never had a problem,
I wouldn't know God could solve them,
I'd never know what faith in God could do."

Amen.