By Beth Vogt @BethVogt
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| Words have MEANING and names have POWER. |
There were a lot of
names being tossed around my house.
Not bad names—baby names.
My daughter and son-in-love had found out they were having a second daughter,
and of course we all started the
process of “What do think of ______”?
All sorts of names
were offered and some suggestions were even added to their list of
possibilities. It was fun, especially when someone found a peculiar name or an
indecipherable name—think minimal vowels and an overabundance of consonants.
Being a novelist, I’m
more attuned to names than most people. I’m naming the imaginary people
populating my books—and then I have to remember those people’s names just as if
I were going to send them a birthday card or a Christmas letter every year.
Names are powerful—given
names that are often pondered over by our parents before we are born, as well
as nicknames and endearments. I’ve loved some of my nicknames—and hated others.
And yet, I considered nicknames important and made certain each of my kiddos
had one—a special way of saying “I love you” that was all their own.
Yes, words have power—and
names can be the most powerful use of words, for better or for worse.
TWEETABLES
Words have meaning & #names have power - thoughts from @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
#Names are powerful - would you change yours if you could? Thoughts from @BethVogt (Click to Tweet)
A nonfiction writer and editor who said she’d never write fiction, Beth is now a novelist with Howard Books. She enjoys writing inspirational contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. Connect with Beth on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or check out her blog on quotes, In Others’ Words.
I love this post. I did a post called "When your names mean broken" I was in Honduras for missionary work. It was very difficult for the locals to pronounce Cherrilynn it sounds like Sherry-lynn. They kept saying Chingaling. I found out later that it was the same name given to glass or china when it shatters on the floor. My entire time in Honduras I was struggling with brokenness due to a relationship and past childhood abuse. I cherish that name. I know our ABBA sweeps up the pieces and puts them back together with His glue of love.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat story - thanks for sharing. Chingaling. I think that fits all of us at some point in life. Right now I'm very broken, physically, but I know the Lord has a plan. And a whole lot of glue, lol. ;)
DeleteCherrilynn: Thank you so much for sharing so honestly. Your comment is so powerful -- and yes, as someone else who experienced abuse, I've learned how our Father-God sweeps up our broken pieces and pieces them back together with His love and grace.
DeleteAmanda: I love your perspective on how God has "a whole lot of glue." It's so true. Praying for you today -- may you experience renewed hope.
DeleteWhen I see a beautiful stained glass window I think of how God breaks us and then puts us back together in a beautiful piece of work.
DeleteGreat post. Names have always fascinated me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining the conversation today, Marjorie. I'm fascinated by names, too. I'm always asking people I meet what their names me or why they were given their names. It's always fun!
DeleteWe named our fourth child Grace because of its meaning. My husband wad diagnosed with a serious, chronic Illness after our third was born and we thought we'd not be able to have more. But then came grace - and Grace.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely, Amanda! Our fourth child was quite a surprise -- we call her our "caboose kiddo," since she was born 12 1/2 years after our third. She was born on Christmas Eve and we named her Christa. :O)
DeleteI've not always been particularly fond of my first name and when I was choosing a pen name I was trying to find something I like that went with Bradley. One day as I discussed names and my dilemma with my mother she got really quiet and then she said, "If I hadn't thought Patricia was a pretty name, I wouldn't have named you that."
ReplyDeleteEnd of dilemma.
And there you go ... and I think Patricia is beautiful. And so you are.
DeleteOur last was born when I was almost 41 and my husband was 45. Everyone asked, "what were you thinking?" Her name is Jenaye, the Hebrew spelling and meaning, "God has replied"!
ReplyDeleteOh, what a perfect name! My youngest -- the caboose baby I mentioned earlier -- was born when I was 41. :O)
DeleteIt's funny, one thing we don't get to choose when we are born, and are stuck with for our whole lives is our name. I always knew that when I had children I wanted them to have names with special meanings. And easy to remember. I've had this thing about my own name, mostly because when I was growing up it was different and everyone butchered it. I see it more often now, but there were many times I wished it was easier. In high school no one could pronounce my name so I was given a nickname that stuck. Yet, many people love my name, so I am thankful that my Mom gave me a name she loved.
ReplyDeleteJocelyn :-D
p.s. Our youngest was born when I was 40. He has been a delight in our lives.
DeleteI've always thought Jocelyn was a sweet name -- very feminine -- and yes, you do hear it more often now. And Yay! for another Mommy-Come-Lately -- that's what I call late-in-life moms. (I wrote a book about my experiences.)
ReplyDeleteHi Beth,
ReplyDeleteKind of funny story here...God had recently been speaking to me about names at the time of your post and after reading it, I was inspired to write this post on my blog. I hope you enjoy it! http://invisiblelove.com/2015/09/13/whyd-you-name-me-that-anyway-mom/
Trish
Hi Beth,
ReplyDeleteAt the time I read your post, God had been speaking to me about the power of a name. They really do hold so much more than we could ever imagine or think when it comes to God giving us a child to name. I was further inspired when I read your post, so I wrote my own post about it. It's too long to post here in the comment section, but it points to God's soveriegnty even in the freedom of naming our children. I talk about how through life's challenges and joys, we can look back and see how our children's names reflected certain events under the soveriegn hand of God. It's titled, Why'd You Name Me That Anyway, Mom?
Thank you for the inspiration,
Trish
Beth,
ReplyDeleteI always think its funny how God has a way of tenderly knitting together souls and breathing out the same message on those He is calling to unity in Him. This often happens to me either at church with a pastor's message, through someone else's blog post, or through intimate conversation with a sister in Christ. When I read your post on names, it was so timely because God had been speaking to me about the power in a name...but that, that power is His, even in our choosing. I didn't even realize God had planned long before I named my children that He had great purpose and meaning for each of their lives through their names. Your post inspired me and so I wrote a blog about it titled, "Why'd you name me that anyway, mom?" It is a reflection of God's sovereignty over different events in their lives and how God captured it in their names.
Trish Pederson