He Shall Be Called...

...beloved

...brother

...wanted

...treasured

...son

Naming Baby #4 has been a struggle for us.  We have stressed, discussed, settled, stressed again, resettled, begged for help, vetoed...and so the journey goes.  I've even shed some tears of frustration at not being able to choose the name that feels right to us.   

Today I tossed a name out to Mike and he liked it but it wasn't quite "it."  We chewed some more, google searched, and worked it around until I think it's just right.  I *think*.

If you've been a friend or blog reader for awhile you know that names hold meaning for me.  We've named each of our children with purpose.  Along with their name, we choose for them a life verse and pray over them and the person they will become.  I know - so much pressure - but it's so important to me!

And so, a name for Baby #4...we think...

{thankful} + {God hears}

• The middle name of B4 is an old family name.  It's classy and pairs well with the more "unique" first name we chose.  Grin.  No, we probably won't tell you all, lest you wrinkle your noses at us...we're weary of wrinkled noses and we feel really good about this name!
• It is our prayer for this baby that he be able to find thanks in everything.  The world is becoming a harder place to live in and we desire for him to rest assuredly, calling on the name of the Lord, knowing that he is heard, especially if he is to someday lead a family.  The passage we chose for him is Philippians 4:6
• ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Our first three children's names, meanings, and prayers: 

Natalee {gift at Christmas} Cynthia {goddess of the moon}

• Natalee was born just two weeks before Christmas.  The uniqueness in the spelling of her first name is that "Lee" is my middle name.  Cynthia is my mother's first name.
• It is our prayer for Natalee that she might shine brightly for Christ, realizing she is a true gift, meant to be just as she is and that with her light she will serve Him wholly.  We loosely took "moon" and translated it to light, and, as Natalee was the first gift in the form of a child that God blessed us with, we chose her passage to be James 1: 17-18
• ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸ He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

 Xavier {new house} Micheal {who is like God?}

• We chose this name when expecting with Natalee and weren't able to let it go.  So when N was 9 months old and we discovered I was carrying a boy we already knew what he was to be called.  Xavier is a unique enough name all in it's own, especially for our sleepy town, so we didn't mess much with the spelling.  Micheal is, of course, his daddy's first name.
• We combined the meanings of Xabe's first and middle names to mean "one who builds his house with God."  It is our prayer that as Xavier grows and matures from a boy to a man to a daddy/husband with a house and family of his own, that he will keep Christ as the center of that home and be reminded to seek firs the will of Christ.  Therefore, we chose his passage to be Matthew 7:21, 24
• ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven... ²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

 Ameliya {the work of God} Darby {deer park}

• I know what you're thinking.  Deer park?  Remember, middle names are family and mean a great deal to us.  Darby was family by choice - a young youth group girl that Micheal and I mentored and loved very much.  She passed in a car accident and we decided to honor her memory by using her name.  I love the spelling of Ameliya's name - it's quirky and sassy and suits her.  I'm pretty sure her Daddy still carries it on a note card in his wallet to make sure he gets it right on important papers but at least he lets me have my fun.
• We didn't find a great way to tie the middle name into the chosen verse (though the song "As the Deer" keeps playing in my head) but the meaning of the first name with it's verse screams loud and clear the message we pray for our Ameliya.  Believe, daughter.  Take all your head strong tendencies, believe and lead.  Her life verse is taken from John 6: 28-29.    
• ²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”  ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."