[Following is a reprint of a blog I posted in 2023. You might think of other words that could be added to this list. Feel free to leave comments! God's Blessings - Nancy Johnson]
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"Jesus: Who You Are to Me"   
An Alphabetical List
 
A Absolute, Able, (The) Answer, Almighty, Abundant, Accepting, Anointed,  Alpha & Omega, Advocate, Alive, Apostle, Atonement, Advent, Agape, Author of Salvation, All-Knowing, Ancient of Days, Agnus Dei, Authority, Awesome, Ascended into Heaven on the third day.
           
B  Bridegroom, Beautiful, Believing, Beheld, Beloved, Bold, Bread of Life, Branch, Blessed, Bearer, Brother, Brethren, Banner, Balm, Bearer of sin, Born of a virgin, Benevolent, Bountiful           
 
C Christ, Counselor, Cross-bearer, Comforter, Courteous, Consoling, Courageous, Caring, Caretaker, Communicator, Crucified, Confidant, Carpenter, Cleansing, Compassionate, Confiding, Considerate, Changeless, Crown of Glory, Chosen      
 
D Desire of all Nations, Destiny, Defender, Dayspring, Died for us, Deliverer, Door of the Sheep, Dwelling place, Divine, Discipleship 
 
E  Engaging, Eternal, Everlasting, Eminent, Extraordinary, Esteemed, Evangelist, Elect, Excellent
 
F    Fearless, Favored, Faithful, Forgiving, Foretold, Future, Friend, Freeing,
Fountain of living waters, Fortress, First and last, Foundation
 
G God’s Son, Glad, Glorious, Glorified, Good, Good Shepherd, Great, Generous, Gracious, Genuine, Governor, Gift, Guide, Guardian, Gatekeeper 
 
H Humble, Healer, Helper, Humane, Humanitarian, High priest, Holy, Honorable, Honored, Horn of salvation, Heir of all things, Hallowed, Hiding place, Heavenly host, High tower.  
 
I Immanuel, Ideal, Instructor, Infallible, Inspiring, Insightful, Immaculate, Innocent, Intercessor, Immortal, Incarnate
 
J  Jesus, Jehovah Girah, Joy, Jubilation, Judge
 
K  King of Kings, Kingdom, Kindred, Kindness, King of the Jews, Keeper  
 
L Lamb of God, Lord of all, Light, Love, Loving, Life-giving, Living, Living water, Listener, Lion of the tribe of Judah            
 
M Magnificent, Messenger, Master, Mediator, Messiah, Morning star, Majesty, Man of sorrows
 
N  Near, Nazarene
 
O  Overcomer, Omnipotent, Omnipresent
 
P Pacifist, Patient, Present, Persevering, Perceiver, Prince of peace, Powerful, (Our) Promise, Pure, Peaceful, Paschal Lamb, Preacher, Physician, Prophet, Provider, Passionate, Powerful, Perfect, Praised
                
Q Qualified, Quick to understand 
 
R Radiant, Radical, Rabbi, Redeeming, Righteous, Revelation, Rock, Relentless, Resilient, Real, Resurrected, Revelator, Root of David, Ransom for many, Refiner, Refuge, Reward, Revered, Rose from the dead.  
 
S  Strong, Sweet, Savior, Salvation, Sacrificed, Slain, Son of Man, Son of God, Spirit, Sinless, See-er, Sword-bearer, Shepherd, Sharing, Sought, Sanctified, Sincere, Spotless, Shield, Shelter, Song, Strong tower, Steadfast, Sun of Righteousness, Servant
 
T (Of the) Trinity, Truth, Teacher, Trusting, True vine, True light, Treasure, Triumphant, Transfigured  
 
U  Upright, Unequaled, Unparalleled
 
V Valiant, Victorious, Valued, Virtuous, Virgin birth, Very present help in trouble, (The) Vine    
 
W Worthy, Wonderful, Welcoming, Warrior, Witness, Word, (The) Way, Well of living water, Wise
 
X  Of the Cross
 
Y  Yielding, Yahweh
 
Z  Zealous
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Blog post from 2/7/23 - Nancy P. Johnson  
Photo courtesy of Puwadon Sang-ngern, Vecteezy.com
 
 
 
 
 
 

When I was seven years old, I learned the value of saving my allowance. While on a family vacation in a gift shop, I fell in love with a small "Turtle" coin bank that I couldn't do without.  

I walked up proudly to the cashier with a dollar bill and coins in one hand and the Turtle bank in the other.

“That’ll be $1.78,” the clerk said.

I was perplexed. This was more than what was printed on the price tag.

“Got change?” the clerk asked. “You owe tax.”

I didn’t know about taxes, but I dug into my jeans pocket. Two nickels. Six pennies. Whew. I had enough, and a little left over.

I didn’t realize just how much change would be required. Early life lesson!

The vacation memory stuck with me, so I came up with a backup plan. I'd save all the extra change I could. When my little Turtle bank filled up, I saved my coins in an empty stationery box.    
  
When I became an adult, I saved coins in a gallon jar and kept it half full. The change came in handy if I ran low on money for groceries before payday, or needed to buy birthday gifts.   
 
If anyone said, “Got change?” I had it. By putting money aside, whether in the coin jar or the bank, I got by.  
   
But later, unexpected change caught me off-guard: my first husband passed away, and later our family lost beloved family members, friends, a business, investments, and jobs.     
    
If anyone said, “Got change?” I’d shake my head affirmatively. Yes. I had change, all right--life change. I couldn’t look to the coin jar or the bank account to help me with those things; however, I looked to my faith in God. He knew about the changes I’d been through—and the changes our family would experience.   
 
God knows everything there is to know about cost, too. His Only Son, Jesus, paid the greatest price of all when he gave his life on the cross—to save us from sin.    

The other day, I approached the counter at the grocery store.

“Got change?” the cashier asked.

I dug into my wallet and retrieved the needed coins.

Yes. I have change. My family and I have experienced it firsthand. We never knew just how much of it would be required. But we have a backup plan. We have a bank filled with God’s grace to get us through. We wouldn’t want to be without it!
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"For by grace you have been saved by faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-9

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com     

 You’ve probably heard songs about "running on empty," used the phrase in conversation, and if you've experienced it's effects, you're not alone.   
 
When we're running on empty, we might wonder what happened to our "full tank," when everything was good? Perhaps we reached the top of the mountain. Then the motor quits. There we are—stuck on empty. 
        
We check under the hood. Can we make the repair ourselves? Maybe. If not, we'll need help. If the object of brokenness is a car, we take it to a mechanic or someone with the expertise to fit it. But, if the object of brokenness is us, what do we do? Try to take care of the repair ourselves? Or seek expert advice?   

Before we make that decision, however, there is one simple gesture that could change the outcome for the better, that you might already know about. But first, let's revisit “running on empty,” because there are varying degrees of emptiness. Will we need just a small fill-up? Or a more significant “ful-fill-ment?”

I've experienced running on empty on both a large and small scale. A recent small episode left me feeling creatively empty due to writer's block. My own effort to fix it didn't work. But I knew that “one simple gesture” could make a difference: prayer.

A few days later when an Amazon Prime box was delivered to my door, a phrase printed on the side of the box captured my attention. It began, "Without you…”  Perhaps you’ve seen it? If you haven't seen it, I apologize for not printing the rest of the phrase, but I want to avoid potential copyright infringement. But, I will add that I've touched on the subject of emptiness, so that's all I have to say about that here.  

I’d received other Amazon boxes, but none had contained the “Without you…” phrase. The box came at the right time. Seeing this phrase was the answer to my prayers, for it provided me with a theme for writing the story you are reading.   

Without God in my life, I'd be empty. He is the reason for my faith, my purpose, my hope, and my salvation. 

HE is the answer to fulfillment for the emptiness in this world!

Be filled through Him!.
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Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Jeremiah 31:3 – “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com
 

          “All the answers on your math homework are wrong. You’ll need to do them over again,” my fourth-grade teacher admonished.

          "Again!?" I slumped in my chair. Having to stay after school to work on math became a daily occurrence. To say I disliked math was an understatement.

          Eventually, my stay-after-school days came to an end, but one thing didn’t. I still got problems wrong--life problems. You know how that can go?  (A). Struggle to keep up with everything; (B) Do your best to avoid making mistakes; (C) Find out what you thought was right is wrong, and (D) Go back and do everything over.  
   
          The dilemma! However, there is another way to look at this. We may balk at the number of do-overs it takes to make something right, but imagine Thomas Edison’s frustration after thousands of attempts to create the light bulb. Where would we be if he had given up? Instead, he persevered. His "again and again" attempts paid off. 

          Now, for a little twist on the word "again." If we turn it into two words, it becomes “a gain." Aha! If we don't give up—even if we have to try again and again—we can learn from our failures, which equals a "gain" and not a loss. (I wish I’d realized this as a fourth-grade math student).

          Years later I had to face my fear of math again when I applied to nursing school. “You must pass a math entry exam," the nursing advisor said. I feared failing, but put weeks of effort into studying. I happily passed the exam, entered nursing school, and earned my R.N. degree.  

          Life poses different struggles for each of us. What is an “again” struggle you have faced—or are facing—and what “gain” did you achieve—or will you achieve because of it? 
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          My prayer for you is that you may tackle your “again” moments and discover the “gain” therein!
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“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9. 

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com