A "Rose" by any other name...

Names are funny things. Even before you meet someone face to face, you get an idea of who they might be because of their name. We think of Jane as plain, Billy Bob as a country bumpkin, and Elvis as the king. Names are very important. They define and shape what we think of ourselves. The first word a baby recognizes is his own name. We spent a lot of time thinking about the names of our children before they were born. We wanted to make sure that there weren't any obvious horrific nicknames associated with the name, that the initials didn't spell anything freaky (like R.A.T. or D.E.D.), and that the meaning behind the name in question was good. I felt that perhaps the "biggest" responsibility I had as a parent came at the beginning of my baby's life in giving him his name. I hoped he would like it. I thought it would grow well from childhood to adulthood. And I knew we had prayed about what name to give him. As I watch my children grow into their names and see their personalities developing, I know that the name choices we made for each of them were guided by God. I can see how the meanings of their names will be a help to them as they discover who they are, the world they live in, their place in this world. So that as they leave their mark on this world, their names will give glory to God. "Choose a good name/reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold (Proverbs 22:1)."