Name Changes.

The time is close and Adam & I are getting married in a few days!! To say that we are excited is a big understatement! As of now, I am not nervous. I believe that God is sovereign and He has known that Adam & I were to be married, and all the when and how of each part of it! These past few days have been a little surreal for me as I think about God's timing, perfect plan, and the vows we will make before God. This is real life and I am thankful to be able to trust the Author!

My name has been Shawna Joy Kelly since the beginning of my time. I was actually supposed to be named Melody Joy, which sounds like a singer's name (which I am not.) I was named after a girl in the church my Mom & Dad had attended and I'm pretty happy with what Mom & Dad chose.

Even though marriage was not in the picture when Mom was alive, we talked about it a LOT. Mostly Mom would tell me that I needed to find a Godly guy first, and then we could begin planning. She was a realist. I needed that. My plan was always to become Shawna Kelly ........ I would keep the Kelly and drop the Joy in my name. My mom had a different plan. She wanted the Kelly dropped and the Joy kept. She was pretty adamant about it and even expressed it to my aunts when she was in the hospital. They made some kind of promise to her to make sure it happened as she wanted! :)

So, this Saturday, March 10, I will honor my Mom and keep the Joy (and keep my aunts from having to get on to me). My name change will actually be Shawna Joy Johnson, which I am quite excited about! In just a small way, it honors the memory of my Mom. She will be greatly missed on this special day, but I am so thankful that she now experiences the joys of Heaven.  

"The memory of the righteous is a blessing..." -Proverbs 10:7a