What’s in a Name (part 2)

If you are going to have a baby (it doesn’t matter whether this is your first, last, or anywhere in the middle), first pray, and then get yourself a pen and some paper, a book for naming babies, and start writing down some different possibilities. Or, perhaps you are only picking out names for a novel that you want to write; the meanings of names are interesting, and it can be a lot of fun to pick out the “right name”!

The names we give our children come from all over the world and reflect our cultural heritage. Last names often give us information about our ancestor’s occupations or their geographic location. Names may stand for some physical characteristic or special achievement of a family member, they may honor a respected family member, or they may be a popular name that comes from a movie, a song, a novel, or a television program.

Names are one of the most important gifts that parents give to their children. When they pick out a name, they are making a major decision that could have positive or negative effects on their child; so choosing the right name for your baby carries with it a lot of responsibility.

The following are some suggestions to consider when choosing that special name. First, consider your own name, and ask yourself if you have been pleased with the name that you were given, and try to remember if you have ever been picked on because of your name.

Consider the nicknames associated with a possible name. Nicknames promote some intimacy among family and friends, so are considered a sign of affection. Some nicknames are shortened names of a given name, like the many nicknames for Elizabeth (Beth, Bess, Liz, etc.). Other nicknames actually come later in life, and are not related to the child’s birth name.

Some parents want very formal names for their children (Victoria, Nicholas, Alexander), and other parents want informal names (Vicki, Nicky, Alex). Middle names help to distinguish individuals in our very populated world. When choosing a first name, check to see if it sounds good with their last name. When picking out a middle name, be sure to look at what the child’s initials would be, and stay clear of initials that would have negative associations (B.A.D., S.I.N., P.I.G.).

Names that parents may think are cute or humorous may not be considered that way to the child (Rusty Hammer, Snow White, Rose Bush, etc.). Also, if you consider names that are common for boys and girls (Terry, Tracy, Robin, Jamie, etc.), keep in mind that generally girls don’t mind confusion with these names as much as boys do.

If your last name is really long and difficult to spell (Eisenstadt, Schwarzeneggar, etc.), do your child a favor and choose a first name that is easier to say, spell, and write. Also, stand clear of the trendy names that are “in”; your child won’t feel as special if there are 4 or 5 other children in their neighborhood or classroom at school with the same name.

Although it has been somewhat of a tradition to name a boy after his father, grandfather, and perhaps even his great grandfather (Robert I, Robert II, Robert III), this could cause some confusion when those with the same name don’t know which one is being spoken to, and sometimes, the other boys in the family may feel jealous or less important than the one with their father’s name.

A good place to find names and their meanings is in the Bible. There are over 3000 great sounding names in the Bible. Some parents choose a Bible name for their baby that reminds them of one of their favorite heroes from God’s Word, and other parents choose names that mean something that they would like to see in the character of their child, or associated with their child (Matthew- a gift of God, Naomi- sweet, Rachel-gentle lamb, David- beloved, etc.).v

What’s In a Name? Part 1

Names have been in existence ever since God created humans. God gave Adam the first name, meaning “formed of the earth”. Names are an integral part of who we are. Although we are all unique anyway, names give us a tangible way to distinguish one another.

Not only are the names that we have now meaningful, but we are told in Revelation 2:17 that every believer is going to receive a new name that will be written in a white stone that no one will know except the one who receives it. This promise shows us just how loved and special we are to the God who created us.

Both religion and culture have influenced the meaning of names. In ancient times, people were generally given just one name, and it was often related to a circumstance surrounding the child’s birth (“Moses” means “drawn from the water”), or connected with a promise (“Isaac” means “laughter”, because Abraham and Sarah found joy and laughter when they had a son in their old age). Later in history, second names were given to demonstrate a person’s identification with a particular family or clan (Gaius Julius Caesar), or even with a father (“Simon bar-Jonah” means “the son of Jonah”).

Around 1100 AD, additional names became more common in Western Civilization. These surnames were originally for the noble class (thus, “sir” names), but in 1465 King Edward V of England required that surnames be adopted by everybody for identification purposes. These were to reflect a person’s identity in some way. They often represented their work (Miller, Baker). Other names were even formed by adding “son” to the father’s name (Johnson, Anderson).

Middle names were not used until the 18th century, and these were added to further distinguish a person or as a way of honoring deceased persons. These have become more important as the population has continued to grow.

In modern days, the names of children are often selected on the basis of familiarity and popularity. However, some parents still name their children after some specific characteristic or place, or to commemorate someone or something.

Generally, names are still chosen on the merits of their positive implications with the expectation and hope that the child will exhibit that quality (Cady means “pure”). Christian parents often look in the Bible for names that will seemingly fit the goals that they have for the child or for the circumstances related to the child (Matthew means “a gift from God”, Samuel means “God has heard”, and Joshua means “God is my Salvation”).

Names are wonderful gifts! They are “a celebration not only of our humanity, but also a reminder of our individuality- that we are uniquely made in the image of God” (The Name Book by Dorothy Astonia, page 9).

Growing Wiser While You Wait (Part 2)

It’s very important to choose movies that will help you grow wiser. The following is a short summary of some of the most uplifting movies that you and your family could ever watch, and you may find yourselves enjoying them over and over as you share them with others.

My favorite movies are all of the Sherwood Picture movies produced by the Kendrick brothers, but I will include a few other favorites, too.

Flywheel is about a car salesman, who changes his dishonest ways of selling cars, and sees the fruit of doing things God’s way.

Facing the Giants is a great movie for football enthusiasts that teaches lessons on perseverance, faith, and patience.

Fireproof encourages us to value the marriage covenant more, and to get rid of things that may destroy that relationship.

Courageous shows how a godly father can have an incredible impact on a family.

War Room is a film about prayer, and how God rewards our diligence of spending time with Him.

Overcomer, their newest film, begins by showing the consequences that negatively affect a child when parents make selfish choices; and then shows how God can heal relationships when a parent repents, still leaving a lasting legacy for his child.

Faith Like Potatoes is the true story of Angus Buchan, a Scottish-born African farmer who trusts God completely even when the odds are against him.

Second Chance is about a church that is ministering to the needs in an inner city along with its sister church that has grown into a mega-church and is focused on its own agenda rather than on the needs of people.

Treasures of the Snow teaches the lesson of forgiveness, whether we need to forgive ourself or someone who has terribly hurt us.

A Tribute to my Funky Family

First, what is a “funky family”? The dictionary definitions to “funky” that most closely describe this family are unconventional, eccentric, emotional, and informal.

Let’s learn some more about this interesting family made up of different types of animals that grew up in the wild in less than ideal circumstances, and without much training or supervision, but learned the term resilience through their experiences. Each of these animals had unique personalities and gifts, and were chosen to be placed in this family by their awesome Creator.

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The firstborn, Kathleen Kangaroo, ended up being the matriarch of the most prolific children. Caring for little ones seemed quite natural for her and for most of her family. [One of her children or grandchildren are always pregnant, and they always have a joey being carried around in their pouch]. Like other kangaroos, she was a good jumper, and even did aerobics up until delivery with one of her little ones. Kathleen was the most docile (submissive, obedient, and easy to get along with), and somewhat quiet and shy when she was young.

brown and black monkey hanging from a tree

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Molly Monkey was the second-born. After her elevator operator experience, she loved going up and down in the trees chattering away, sharing some news, or a joke. She was quite good-natured, a little loud at times, and for a while loved to do hairstyles for the other animals. A monkey’s nose is usually one of their distinguishing features. For Molly, the main time you noticed her nose was when she wasn’t telling the truth.

Photo by Roshan Kamath on Pexels.com

Next, we have Corina Canary. She was a dreamer, a reader, and a fighter. Just like small dogs sometimes have to act more ferocious, she could be quite strong-willed in spirit, in spite of her small physical body and health problems. Whether defending herself or others, she proved herself to be quite strong, and I’ll bet that she is one canary that would stay that way, even if placed in a mine to check the oxygen level (as was the practice years ago).

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Since Leonard the Lion was the first male born into this family, he was somewhat spoiled by everyone (except his father). He was very intelligent, but not always wise. He claimed that he was King of the Beasts and sometimes bullied the other animals to try and prove it. A male lion is often a loner or a fighter. Male lions don’t usually live as long as female ones (and he may not either if he doesn’t stop his smoking.) He’s a lot of fun to be around, because he can be hilariously funny with his jokes, his puns, or his crazy antics. He was an aspiring writer; in this pandemic, he’s “essential” as a city bus driver; and he’s also an obsessed golfer (so if you see any lions at the golf course, tell him hello from me).

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Next was Becka Bear. She was sometimes criticized and misunderstood, but she was really quite a tame bear. She generally thought of herself as a Teddy Bear, that just wanted to be loved and hugged, and stand up for the underdog. (However, when she became a mother, like most bears, she could become aggressive if anything got between her and her cubs.) She loved not only being a teacher to her own children, but also a school teacher to other little animals. She traveled the most, and the farthest away from the wild in which she was raised. Although she was mostly a vegetarian healthnut, she did enjoy a good salmon now and then. Their mother once called her a “seeker and thinker” (which seemed quite accurate, and pleased her very much).

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Then, there was Jeremy Jaguar. This wild cat struggled physically and emotionally through much of his life, but through those difficult experiences, he grew stronger, more compassionate, and quite pleasant. All true cats are from the Felidae family, and are very playful. In Latin, the word “felix” means “happy”, and this short and stocky, good-looking cat ended up being a favorite uncle to many of his nieces and nephews, because of his fun personality.

Photo by Natalija Mislevicha on Pexels.com

Last, but not least, was Stanley the Squirrel, the “baby” of the family, who had been a little spoiled by the rest of his siblings. His size and shape helped him to climb trees, cliffs, and other things very easily like most squirrels. He was adventurous and daring, a good leader and a good hunter. This outdoor, industrious creature has had a unique variety of jobs and experiences that have helped him mature and recover from some of his early spoiling.

So now, we have covered a bit about each member of this fun, funky, and (dis)functional family. Even though many of them have moved away from where they grew up, they still have a special relationship with each other, because of the common experiences they shared growing up in the wild. This unique group of animals are actually family, and more than family! They are also friends that encourage one another, help one another out when there is a problem or a special need, laugh and cry with one another, agree to disagree, sometimes even argue or get upset with one another, but also forgive one another. When they get together (even when it is only once or twice a year for a couple of them), they quickly get reacquainted, and have a funky, family time.

A Tribute to Families

The words “family” and “families” are mentioned 300 times in just the Old Testament, and the words “husband,” “wife,” “mother,” “father,” “son,” “daughter,” “sister,” “brother,” “child,” and “children” are mentioned hundreds of times in the Old and New Testament. The entire Bible actually revolves around the Father/Son relationship of God and Jesus.

Family is the oldest institution known to man, and the most fundamental of all institutions. It is also the backbone of a nation, since God uses the family to transmit His knowledge from one generation to the next. This is a strategic and eternally vital task to ensure that the light of God’s truth is passed on and not lost from the succeeding generations. Statistics in this area aren’t so great right now. Perhaps, you could be the first in your family to begin a godly lineage and family tree.

The Bible covers every aspect and facet of family relationships. Although individuals have all sorts of ideas and opinions about what a family is, or is supposed to be, and they have their own ideas on how to train children, it’s not our opinions that really matter. It is what God says in His Word, and instructs us to do, that matters.

Genesis 2:23 and 24 begin the husband and wife relationship of marriage, and in Genesis 1: 28, God blesses them and tells them to be fruitful and multiply, showing us that procreation was to be a big part of marriage. However, this was for the purpose of raising up godly children. It’s obvious that most couples can bring a child into the world, but just producing offspring doesn’t really make a “mom” or a “dad”. Psalm 127:1 says that unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it. As you continue reading that chapter, you will find more information about the family. It says that children are a heritage of the Lord, and that “as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are his children…, and happy is the man that has his quiver full….” That sure is a lot different than couples having none or only one or two children.

Mark 10:6-9 says, “From the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh: so they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” God’s ideal plan for marriage is one man for one woman for life.This plan works when a man loves and leads his family, when the wife respects and supports her husband, and when, with proper training, their children obey and reverence their parents and God. This marriage relationship was actually patterned to illustrate Christ’s love for the body of Christ (the church).

The responsibility of teaching one’s children is multigenerational. Deuteronomy 4:9 tells us to teach God’s ways to not only our sons, but to our son’s sons, and Psalm 78:5-6 says we should make these things known to our children, “that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children.”

We can find Scripture to help us know the specific roles for each family member. For husbands and fathers, read Ephesians 6:4, Genesis 18:19, and Isaiah 38:19; for wives and mothers, read 1 Peter 3:1-6, Ephesians 5:22-24, and Proverbs 31:10-31; for children, Ephesians 6:1-3; for parents, Proverbs 22:6; and there are many more examples.

Suppose that you were not raised in a Christian home, and your family is so unlike the examples that we see in the above verses. Well, as a child of God, you need not be discouraged. When we come to Christ, we are adopted into the family of God, and we have many brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, at one point during Christ’s ministry on earth (Mark 3:33-35), some people in the crowd told Him that His mother and brothers were looking for Him, and He replied with, “Whoever does the will of my Father, the same is my brother, my sister, and my mother”, again, stressing the family relationships we have when we are children of God. (And yes, it is so wonderful when a person is both blood related and spiritually related in the Lord.)

One of my favorite examples of God’s love for family is in John 19:26 and 27 where Jesus looks down from the cross and sees His mother. He says to her, “Woman, behold your son!” and to His disciple, John, He says, “Behold your mother!” Even while He was suffering and ready to die, He thought of His earthly mother and wanted her to be taken care of.

I want to leave you with one very important thought. There is only one possible thing that you could take to heaven with you from this earth, and that is your child (or children). That is because, as a parent, you can have the most influence over your children.

One Small Rose

One of my mother’s favorite poems was called “One Small Rose” (author unknown). Because of difficult circumstances in her life, my mom never had much of anything on this earth. However, even the few possessions she did have, she would share with others. The following is the first stanza of that poem:

“I would rather have one small rose

From the garden of a friend

Than to have the choicest flowers

When my stay on Earth must end.”

Meaningful relationships with others is so much better than money. So many people spend too much of their lives pursuing prosperity, buying more “stuff”, then building big houses to keep all their “stuff” in. Then, they put in alarm systems, safes, and more locks on their doors, pay a lot for home insurance to protect all of their “stuff”, then, often pay people to clean their houses and all the “stuff” in them, and yet, they still continue to buy more “stuff”. Some houses look more like museums than homes. Those kind of people are too busy to take the time to develop meaningful and lasting relationships with God, their family, and friends. They rarely take time to even spend their money on vacations or other enjoyable experiences. Perhaps they think they will have time for those things when they retire, but if they live to retirement age, will they still have any family or close friends with whom to share those experiences?

If you find that you are caught up in the lifestyle described above, 1 Timothy 6:6-10 is a good reminder: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we should be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, for which some have strayed from the faith with their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Verse 11 then tells us “to flee those things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” Having those character qualities will certainly make for lasting relationships.

Stop and Smell the Roses

Whether you are a workaholic trying to prove something to someone, or someone trying to get rich, someday you will “wake up” and realize just how much you missed out on by never “stopping to smell the roses”, or by never choosing to slow down and enjoy God, your family, and friends.

Movies and television, video games, shopping, Facebook, surfing the web, etc. are different methods of escape for us, especially when we feel lonely or depressed. However, none of them satisfy our longing for love and deep, meaningful relationships with our family and friends. Instead, when we escape into these things, we often end up getting more depressed, because we wasted the time that we could have spent in God’s Word and prayer, walking, fellowshipping with others, or getting to know our loved ones more personally. Try taking a walk in a park, watching the birds, sitting on a porch swing and talking about your favorite memories, planting a garden together, or just lying down in the grass and looking up at the clouds. Those are just some of the ways that you can find rest, and stop to “smell the roses”.