In all honesty, I'm not even sure what I'll name my kids (might leave that up to the Mrs.), but I am pretty sold on not having a "jr." for the simple fact that I don't want my son (daughter) to feel the burden of living up to "my name". They should be able to have something that they identify uniquely with even in the context of the family unit.
Heavenly Father, even in the garden
You gave the responsibility of naming your creation to Adam
your trusted servant.
What does it mean to be in a "position of power" so as to determine
the destiny of one's path?
"You shall be called: bird, goat, frog, cat."
Surely this is not something we should take for granted.
May we understand what it is to live out our names.
May we grasp what our names mean and how that should influence the way we live.
Ultimately, when we are downtrodden, desperate, and in despair...
lift up our heads and remind us that you have called us by name.
Amen.
P.S. May we answer...
"I've been gone for a minute but now I'm back...."
My apologies for the delay...school is hitting that threshold, in what is the last semester. We just had the celebratory "Veritas Forum" (more on that later).
Sooo, topic of conversation today is...YOU GUESSED IT: NAMES! #partyMusic
When I was younger my Pastor gave me something for my birthday. It clearly explained what my name meant. I still have that sheet of paper somewhere (my mother might attribute that to being a hoarder, like her mother...I, not so much) as a reminder to who I am called to be.
My name, which shall remain nameless :-p is Latin and in relation to Mars the "god of War". In essence, I am a warrior...anyone who knows me will agree; specifically, I am a warrior for God. Most likely I'm probably on a scale somewhere between (fill in the blank) and Michael the Archangel...anywho, so much for dreaming.
What do our names really mean? To us, the world around us...do they matter. Should you be concerned about what you name your kids?!
Here are two examples:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
"Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexus"-Kanye
(Or Mercedes for that matter...Porshia, Royce, Bentley, Aston.)
In reading the Scriptures in the midst of having at least a proportion of my mental capacity under torment I came across this:
24 Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him 25 and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah,[a] because of the Lord.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Samuel 12:25 Jedidiah means beloved of the Lord
Sometimes in the midst of my stupor I make note of things with the wrong numbers or completely forget why I noted it in the first place. After reviewing the text again I realized that it wasn't that they had operated in disobedience, rather the Lord had named Jedidiah for himself, even after the parents had done their duty to give the child an identity. Rather or not he should've been referred to as Solomon or Jedidiah throughout the remainder of his lifetime is another topic of conversation; however, take note that the Lord does mention him as Solomon later on in the Scriptures.
I did some research and David was told by God to name his son Solomon (this is also confirmed in other parts of the Old Testament). Turns out that both names are characteristic of Solomon's reign (i.e. Highly favored and peaceful). Seeing as how Solomon asked for Wisdom and was granted such request, it goes without saying that he was indeed "highly favored".
So, before I wrap this up, let's look at some other names. In the interest of brevity I'm going to pick on the POTUS, once more.
I've looked at several sources and the consensus seems to be that "Barack" means "blessing"...but should not be confused with the Hebrew Barak (often associated with Deborah), who was a military commander in the Book of Judges and had a lot of military victories. It's interesting though because Barak seems to mean: "lightning; shine" (take that where you want to). Back to "Barack" as in the current leader of the USA, it is a variant of Mubarak meaning "blessed one", which reminds me of all the name calling in the run up to the 2008 election, specifically: This One. That One. Also, here's a quick note that may shed some more light should you become curious.
How about the name....Robert? It seems that this would potentially mean "fame" and "bright".
Lastly, so that we're equal opportunity here...let's go with Sarah. Name your daughter this and she might turn out to be a princess after all.
Ooh, what about how the world looks at our names?!?!
Introducing: Freakonomics...apparently what you name your child could determine their likelihood to get pass the first round of resume reviews just to have a chance at getting an interview. For some fun, check out the Top 20 "Whitest" and "Blackest" Names from 2006.
Lastly, there's this question about Masculine versus Feminine names. I would always see "Ashley" at the local grocery store and could never understand why his name was Ashley. Eventually I focused on the fact that he was a lot lighter than me which I attributed to the possibility of him being albino...however, the fact that his name was Ashley didn't bother me. On the flip side, what if a female has a more masculine sounding name...should that automagically suggest something is amiss?!
In the end remember this, even with the ability to go to court and change your name multiple times, my hope is that your parents put thought into giving you your name. (For the record I thought of changing my name on several occasions, but they were fleeting temptations at best). It is also my hope and prayer that you will take just as much time if not more in deciding what to name your own...if ever there comes a time where you feel that you should intervene with the improper "monikering" of a child, do so...but with gentleness and grace.
Until next time...be easy!
-liMitz
So many different names...wonderful, counselor...friend.
I'd need a Savior (Among the Thirsty)
2 comments:
Very, very good. I love the research behind your reasons. Good work, bruh
Oh, snaps! Juggy n da buildin'. Preciate Ya. It was an interesting journey, but definitely glad I found some sources that seem fairly legit. #stayTuned
Post a Comment