What's in a name?

Jacob: benevolent
1 John 2:17, "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

True: (there is an abundance of meanings) real; genuine; authentic; sincere; not deceitful; loyal; faithful; steadfast; reliable, unfailing, or sure; honest; honorable; upright - Oh Lord may that define our son!

Why did we choose these names? When I staffed at Worldview Academy, one of the speakers had a son named True. I thought it was the most unusual, yet intriguing name. He is name after an author from a long time ago (hopefully I'll find out who and exactly why and be able to share that with you one day). More than the reason why Jeff named his son True, the meaning of the name and what it stands for means so much to me. Just look at the definition - don't I have high hopes for my children? As my mom put it, "it is an amazing virtue!"

Why Jacob? Well, first it is Jacob, not Jake or JT - Jacob. We picked the middle name first and then went backwards, kind of. I have liked that name and it was a toss up between that and another name, but Adam really liked Jacob.

Benevolent means: characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings; desiring to help others; charitable; intended for benefits rather than profit.

I realized that after we decided for sure on his name, I really didn't remember all of the details of Jacob's story in the Bible. Adam and I have looked into a little (and I'll share what we are finding as we keep studying). Jacob wasn't perfect and there are some things that I wish he didn't do, but he is the father of the twelve tribes of Israel - what a legacy. There is this amazing dream that God gave him and I've decided to claim it for my Jacob, but I'll share more about that later.

I hope you understand a little bit more what our son's name means and why we choose it. It is amazing how much more excited I am now that I can call him something and know more about him. He has and identity and an amazing destiny on his life. I can't wait to see what kind of a man God is going to shape him into!