Your Great Name(s)

Written by my husband, Brian

As many of you know, choosing baby names has been an adventure in our household. I’ll never forget about 5 weeks before Daniel was born trying to persuade Jenna that all of her "ETJ" and "Elijah" monogrammed bags and burp cloths were not going to be of any use if she wanted to keep up with the fashion of having your baby’s name match up to all of the monogrammed baby items. We had originally chosen the name Elijah Thomas for the baby’s name. However, life changed quickly, and the Lord spoke clearly. Our first born son's name was going to be Daniel Benjamin. Daniel means, “My LORD is Judge.” Benjamin means “Son of my Right Hand.” When you put them both together, it describes the hope that Jenna and I have in our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because God will judge sin, it is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment. Man has no hope in and of himself. We need a Savior, and Jesus, God’s Son, sits at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. He is an all-sufficient and all-satisfying Savior. As our three-year-old walks around the house, his name reminds us of the glorious gospel which has changed our lives.

Four months later, the Lord decided to give us another surprise. I was shocked when Jenna used a positive pregnancy test as a bookmark in my Bible on Psalm 139. This psalm exalts God’s all-seeing eye from the womb to the tomb and beyond. He sees everything, and He knew how surprised we were. This would mean that our boys would be 13 months apart. Although, we had lost her grandmother, my granddaddy, a child to miscarriage, my dad, and my mom, God had heard our prayer much like he did Hannah’s in the book of Samuel. This is the name we chose, because Samuel meant “heard of God" or "asked of God.” God, our Abba Father, hears the cries of his children both day and night. He definitely was showing us that He could do more than we could ask or think. Since the boys we so close, we chose the middle name to be Levi. It means, “joined together.” The Levites were also the servants in the Temple and the tribe from which the High Priest came. Our Samuel Levi loves his brother and loves to pretend to have a song book in his hand as he sings his heart out. It is our prayer that he becomes a mighty man of God like Samuel was in the Old Testament.

This week, on Thursday, May 17th, we welcomed our third son, Elias Joseph, into the world.

Now, you may be wondering how we chose the name Elias Joseph for our third son. If you remember, Daniel was supposed to be Elijah Thomas. This may be a story I will never live down. We have always been fond of the name Elijah. He was a common man who served the Uncommon God. He was a man who stood boldly for the truth before King Ahab, 450 prophets of Baal, and 400 prophets of Ashterah in one of the greatest showdowns in history. You can read Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 17- 2 Kings 2. The reason we chose this name is because Elias (a derivative of Elijah) means, “My LORD is God.” When Jenna saw his face on the ultrasound picture on January 5th, this is the name the Lord spoke to her heart. After telling the boys about the two names we had chosen, they both would walk around saying “E-li-as.”

His name will be a great reminder for us as we grow old together. There is only One True God, and we are living in a culture of toleration where the Bible and absolute truth are seen as old fashioned and outdated. The prophet Elijah was not afraid to stand in the face of doubters, skeptics, or the confused and say, “Let the true God answer by fire.” I have stood on Mt. Carmel in Israel and taught from 1 Kings 17-18. The plain surrounding the mountain would have provided a magnificent picture of the glory of God as He answered Elijah’s prayer by sending down fire from heaven. We still need some fire to be kindled in the heart of God’s people. We are serving the eternal God, and He is able to do extraordinary things through common people who are submitted to His will.

Our little one's middle name is Joseph. This happens to be a family name and a Biblical name. My great grandfather was named William Joseph Johnson, but we called him Pappy Joe. He was a man of God. It has been told to me on a few occasions that he had read the Bible so much that he could cross-reference verses back and forth from the Old Testament to the New Testament. His grandfather’s name was also Joseph. Beyond the family tree, the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis is one of my favorite. This young man had God-given dreams of greatness, but he did not know that he would be betrayed, sold into slavery, lied about, or abandoned in prison. However, God was with him producing a heart of humility, service, faith, conviction, and forgiveness. In the end, Joseph told his brothers that what they meant for evil, God meant it for good. Joseph was able to completely forgive his brothers for all the wrong they had done against him. His life is a beautiful picture of what Jesus has accomplished for us— salvation in a world suffering from a spiritual famine, forgiveness of sins, and hope for today and tomorrow through His infinite wisdom and grace.

Throughout our marriage, we have experienced the meaning of Joseph’s name, “God will Increase.” We have been in pits, tight spots, spinning cars, and crossroads wondering what we should do. Our Sovereign Lord has been watching over us through it all and given us sufficient grace to meet each challenge. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Moments after Arriving:

Thursday, May 17, 2012

12:06 p.m.

8 lbs, 12 oz

20 inches long

Mommy, Daddy, and Elias

Big Brothers, Samuel and Daniel,

Meet Elias for the First Time

Ten Tiny Toes

One Amazing Gift

On this day (5/17), we want to introduce you to Elias Joseph and to remind you of the following verse: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). God is truly making all things new!

My First Name, Really

For whatever reason, my two toddlers have turned from calling me, "Mommy," to "Jenna."  It doesn't really bother me; in fact, it actually makes me laugh.  I almost cannot take them seriously when they do so.  I find it hard to look in the face of a 2 year old who has just said, "Jenna, listen here.  I need your help."  It's also quite difficult when a 1 year old says, "Jenna, help me."  They repeat it until I answer.

I think this has hit home for me in light of the fact that God knows me by name as well.  He speaks to me so many times, and yet it takes His calling my name out for me to pay attention to His voice.  How many times does it take for us to listen when God is calling our names?  I want to answer when He calls.  I don't want Him to have to repeat Himself.  I want to come ready.

I need to do the same for my children.  They  have somehow learned that "Jenna" is what I answer to.  Maybe it's because I laugh, but they know they can get my attention by calling me the name everyone else they know calls me.  What a beautiful picture these two boys have painted for me!  They know that Mommy will answer to her name.  Does she listen when God speaks it?!

What's With His Name

Why the name change?

Of course, I ached over changing our baby's name, simply because I am human and couldn't help but think of all of the monogrammed bags, paintings, and thank you notes we purchased and were given and had sent out that all said, "Elijah Thomas." Although that name was particularly special to us, we quickly learned that God had other intentions for this baby's name. Thus, Daniel Benjamin was spoken in my husband's ear.

Many people have asked why we would change a name just weeks before our due date, and others have questioned whether this is what God intended. Many women become quite distraught over the idea, as I did when it was first brought to my attention, and many of you have wondered if we even like the new name.

Yes and no. No because it wasn't what we chose for him. We've been calling this baby Elijah from Week 18 when we saw his little hands "praying" on the ultrasound screen. However, as the weeks have passed, we have learned what a gift this little boy truly is to us. How God has knit him in my womb, taken away fluid from around his kidneys, grown him into a large boy, and brought his parents to their knees in humility. Then, the Lord began showing us the "why" around our baby's new name, Daniel Benjamin.

Daniel:
Did you know that Daniel biblically means, "God is My Judge"? If you knew what all we have gone through and how we've been judged over the course of the actions we've taken for the Lord, you'd feel as humbled by this fact as we are. We feel as though God truly has been our judge. He's been the deciding vote in all we have done. He's the one who has defended our actions, and He will continue to do so. I bet you didn't know that my Nana, who passed away just a few months after we were married, had intended on her first child being named Daniel. Turns out her first child was my mom. My Nana's favorite name was Daniel, and though she never had a boy of her own, I'm certain that she would be thrilled to know her first great-grandchild will be named that favorite name of hers.

Benjamin:
Did you know that Benjamin means, "Son of My Right Hand"? Jacob, the father of Israel, struggled with his twelfth son's name when he was being delivered. As his wife, Rachel, bore this son, she named him, "Ben-Oni," which meant, "Son of My Sorrow." Oh, do you know how perfect that is for us? Do you know the sorrow we have faced? Did you know that it was the day after my husband's mother died that the Lord began pressing him to rename our baby? Brian struggled with our baby's name as well. It hurt him to hurt me and let go of a name that had meant so much to us... But, Benjamin, well, it was perfect. Benjamin also happens to be a family name. Brian's dad's middle name (he passed away May 2008) was Benjamin. His granddaddy's name (he passed away August 2007) was Bennie. His great, great-grandfather's name was Pappy Ben. We are honoring not only the Lord but many generations of the Johnson family.

Hope this helps us to remember why our son's name was changed... What is with his name? It's perfect and straight from the Lord.

39 weeks today...

Delivering Daniel

Have you ever truly read the story of Daniel in the Bible? I hadn't. Well, that is, until my husband decided just six weeks before the due date of our son that his name was to be Daniel.

I was devastated to be completely honest. For four, long months of my pregnancy, I had called this little miracle Elijah. My husband was so burdened, though, that I could not ignore the fact that God was speaking to him about our child's name. Far be it from me to question that voice.

It was then that I began searching the scriptures about Daniel. I knew he had been in the lion's den, but I truly didn't know enough about him to be confident about naming my child this particular name. Did you know that God gave Daniel and three other young men knowledge and skill in all writing and wisdom? Did you know he fasted for twenty-one days? Did you know that the Lord gave him the ability to interpret dreams? Did you know he was a prophet that loved God? I didn't. I had no idea.

It was the deliverance of the Lord that got Daniel out of the lion's den. It was the deliverance of the Lord that allowed Daniel to be a mighty man in the king's court. It was the deliverance of the Lord that provided him with great understanding. It was the deliverance of the Lord that caused him to speak with wisdom concerning the ways of God.

I soon will be delivering a Daniel of my own. I anticipate with great joy what the Lord has in store for this little boy. Though I realize my child isn't the Daniel I read about in the Bible, I have to believe that the same power the Old Testament Daniel had is the same power that will live inside of my son. God is good. We anticipate His hand as He delivers our Daniel to us...