YHWH - What's In A Name?!

When I was a practicing Witch for over 20 years, it was very clear to me how important names were.  Each of us chose pagan names, partly to remain anonymous, and partly to identify with an elemental, animal, goddess and/or god.  We chose our favorite pantheons to pay homage to and learned the god and goddess names for them.  My favorites were Egyptian and Celtic.  There were some very catchy pagan worship tunes I learned that named the many god and goddess names all in one song in a melodious chant.
 My given name, 'Sheila Cassandra', had very pagan overtones from Celtic and Greek mythologies.  This is one of the primary reasons I had my name legally changed to 'Shalom Serene' only a couple of years after my 'born again' experience.  I found it odd that my desire to change my name met with such resistance from my then husband, who I had thought was also born again.  But it was only one of many 'red flags'  indicating that we were simply not on the same path that I tried not to panic over.  His first response, incredibly enough, was, "There is no Biblical precedent for that!"  I was flabbergasted that he could so easily forget Abram changing to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, and many more.  Scripture teaches repeatedly the power and importance in choices of words and names.  The pagans don't have an exclusive on that principle by any means!
My ex never did use my given name, nor my chosen name for that matter, though that was no surprise after his initial reaction.  I had nick names, which was fine much of the time, but I found that, unlike any of my other relationships, he exclusively used them, and I also noted that it was hurtful somehow.  As the years went by, it was even more so, especially since it had been brought to is attention on several occasions.  Toward the end I even mentioned to him how convenient that would be should he decide to dump me for another woman since she would never hear him accidentally use my name on her even after many years together.  Of course, if anyone ever revealed to her that 'ChicaBali' or 'Moushie' were some of his favorite pet names for me, she might be surprised.
I had only been a 'Christian' for about 4 years when Yah led me to the Messianic or Hebrew Roots.  But I had already been wondering from the get-go about the our Elohim's Name.  I remember being in church one Sunday morning and singing along with everyone the familiar praise song, "Blessed Be The Name of The Lord", and after the song asking my ex, "So what IS His Name?"  He just said, "God, or Jesus."  Well, I knew that was not right, and it struck me that pagans knew all these names for their gods, and yet Christians had no foggy idea of the Name of theirs.  I began to ask around and even do a little research, only to find that hardly anyone really knew His Name.  I am a rather persistent sort, though, and I eventually ran across the Truth about YHWH.  So I reckon the fact that I was still a babe in the faith was one of the things that most irritated my ex-Father-in-law when I informed the family that our God's Name was 'Yahweh'.  "No it is NOT", he blustered, "God has many names!"  It was amazing to me that he had never even heard The Name.  But until very recently, that was the case for nearly all Christians.  The enemy has been very successful in making us forget our Father's Name, but notice that we all know Ha Satan's Hebrew name, and many also can tell you his alternate names of 'Baal' and 'Asherah'.  Interesting how that happened, isn't it.
The times I worked in sales, fairly successfully I might add, a principle that was well known was that using a client's name when speaking with them was an important practice to create a rapport that could result in a contract.  I was once told that the one thing any one wants to hear most, that illicits the most positive response, is one's own name.  I saw it work over and over again.  We are created in His Image, so perhaps this is something we have in common?
Okay, so my point is that our Creator, Yahweh, placed His Name, represented by the famed Tetragrammaton, YHWH, or Yod-Hey-Wav-Hey, in His Word nearly 7000 times.  He never recommended removal of anything from His Word, and actually attached curses to such a thing.  His Name is sacred, as taught plainly in His Word.  So why is it considered by many to be so backward for a person to laud His Name and use it instead of the replacement words like 'Lord' and 'God', both of which actually have some pagan connections, worse yet?  Why is the epithet 'Sacred Namer' spoken with such venom?  I feel warm and fuzzy applying that term to myself, personally.  Seems to me to be a good thing and I have a sneaking suspicion Abba Yah thinks so, too.  It's one of those things where it just seems much more likely that He will have a problem with those who don't sanctify His Name than with those who do.  I certainly know from experience that I didn't like it much when my name seemed forgotten and was never used by the one who swore to love and care for me until death parted us.  Say, I reckon he really didn't mean that oath after all.  Hmmm, could there be a connection?
In conclusion, I say praise Yahweh, and use His Name, cuz He likes that!

He's Everywhere, He's Everywhere! HalaluYah!

Luke 12

⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

⁷ But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Some folks find the level of accountability associated with the omniscience and omnipresence of Yah to be intrusive and, indeed, I think many atheists and agnostics may instinctively shy away from believing primarily because of it, whether subconsciously or not.  On the other hand, I find it inexpressibly comforting.  One of my greatest desires is to share my life, and it is good to know that even when physically alone, in the natural, my Abba Yah is there to see that funny face my puppy made at me, to hear that beautiful aria that mockingbird just sang, to appreciate that excellent message about the Truth of Yah's Word. 

I also long to be understood completely.  I reckon that is one reason I tend to share 'TMI' and to be sometimes brutally honest.  What an amazing thing to be known so well, though, that communication requires no explanation.  When I pray, I am able to say, "You know how hard this is for me," for example, and know that He really does, and is probably the only One Who does.  

I know many struggle with this concept, but even as a child I had a keen awareness that I was not alone in my head.  It was one of the few truths about Yah that I always comprehended correctly from the first time of learning that there was a Creator Elohim.  I find it strange that it would be difficult to recognize that we don't 'get away' with anything, that anyone would think we can hide anything from Him.  I have always known that is not the case.  When I was following Wicca's gods/goddesses, I thought that Presence had different requirements.  That was how I felt justified in the many sins I participated in then, which is why it is so clear to me that we need Torah, the ultimate Blueprint for how to build our lives in accord with His Plan.