Grab a cup of coffee, tea or your favorite drink – maybe some chocolate too – this is going to be a story. So sit back, take a load off and enjoy.

The name Trinity’s Angels speaks volumes to me but apparently it is not the name that God is choosing for this organization. You have read that we have had an uphill battle with trying to get approval from the state for a name. Until we have that we cannot apply for non-profit status from the IRS. Over the course of the past several weeks, I have submitted to the Secretary of State multiple organization names, sometimes 5 per day, trying to find one that had not been registered. Each name came back as either totally unavailable or too close in wording to an already registered name. We were invited to send letters to the latter asking if we could have permission to use a close derivative of their name. Well as you can guess – none of them said OK. Even the one who had already registered the name Trinity Angels (not Trinity’s with an apostrophe “s”).

Frustrated I woke up one morning and being the organized person I am and not having boatloads of patience I felt a need to find a name immediately. I wanted to get “on with” the process of non-profit status. Yeah I know I wanted it in my time not in GOD’S. Huge detail ! So I sat down and asked out loud for HIM to please, please, please give me a name that we should use. Honestly I didn’t expect an answer so quickly. I was led to open my bible to the book of Matthew. Hmm. OK. I thumbed through reading a passage here and there and nothing hit. Where were the trumpets sounding to let me know that I had stumbled across the perfect verse. Where was the drum roll announcing the perfect name. I thought it was God’s humor and could hear him saying “I’ll show her – it’s time for that patience lesson she has yet to learn!”

After uttering a deep, loud, dramatic sigh (one that could be heard in the heavens I am sure) I turned the page to Matthew 7:24-25. “Every man who then hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. THAT WAS IT ! The word “Cornerstone” came crashing into my mind. GOD is the cornerstone, our cornerstone. If we build our lives and faith upon HIM, we will be strong. We will have built a solid life, unshakable and worthy.

I love building homes with Habitat for Humanity (another blog for another day). Suffice to say that when building a house if you do not set the cornerstone properly you have an unstable foundation upon which you have built this home. Likewise it is for us. If we do not put GOD at the cornerstone of our “dwelling,” our mind, body and spirit we are inviting into our lives instability. But with GOD in place and the cornerstone set, we are on solid ground able to withstand the rain and wind, the trials and tribulations that will try and bring us down.

I felt GOD was pointing out that this mission, this project, this organization needed to have a name that represented a strong and solid foundation. “Cornerstone” then had to be in the name – this verse felt so strong and delivered a powerful message both internally and visually for me. I have always been drawn to the word “Angels.” In Hebrew, “Angels” meant “messengers.” We are messengers of the word, love and grace of GOD. So what could encompass Cornerstone and Angels? What would be a good fit? You see I still was trying to force GOD into using the “Angels” angle. I couldn’t leave well enough alone.

What would be the perfect fit. What would be descriptive. What would remind us of our foundation, our mission each time we said the name, read it or wrote it.

                The Cornerstone of Angels

When someone asks what is the The Cornerstone of Angels, it has a dual meaning. First the Cornerstone of Angels is GOD. For without HIM we build our lives on an unstable foundation. And then we can go right into the bible verse that speaks to that directly – Matthew 7:24-25. The verse that GOD clearly revealed. Secondly, The Cornerstone of Angels is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged children around the world world through Christian principles of giving and service. Voila ! Could it have been more simple? Ask GOD what he wants for HIS purpose and HE will tell you. If I’d only listened and asked HIM in the beginning.

Still not totally believing that should really be the name .. I sent it off to the Secretary of the State. I figure I’d wait the entire day as usual before I got a response that the name had been taken. But at least I would have been obedient. Tryong to ratioanlize it in my  head still. So I was surprised to see an immediate email response. The name was AVAILABLE. Go figure. Why I ever doubted was beyond me. But still that wasn’t good enough. I sat on the name for a couple of days trying other combinations and waiting for a response from the letters I had sent earlier to ask for permission to use a new name I had submitted to the state even though it closely resembled another organizational name. No letters came and the new names were not approved by the state. Enough – I get it already. If I would just listen I would save myself lots of time and anguish.

So the application to the Secretary of the State I will resubmit as “The Cornerstone of Angels.” We may still be able to have divisions within this organization. For example, Trinity’s Angels (I just can’t let it go can I?) could be the gift box and children’s ministry division. Medical Angels could provide medical help and supplies. Angel Kitchens (OK or some derivative) could provide food and nutritional needs – etc. The word “angels” would be a part of each of the divisions. And there would be four – 3 divisions plus GOD as our cornerstone. One entity for each of the corners of a “foundation.”

I’ll let you know what happens after the application is returned. Somehow I just know it will be approved. It has been driven home too many times in the past few days for the name to be anything other than — THE CORNERSTONE OF ANGELS.

Waiting In His Grip,

Stephanie