PEA in a Pod

So Lucy got to give a little note to Grandma this week with some special news. It said...

 

Grandma was very excited to receive the note. ;) Of course, we didn't just tell Grandma. We got to tell each of our families about Pip's (more permanent) name over the past couple of weeks.

With Lucy's name, we kept things a secret until she was born because we wanted her middle name (Amanda) to be a special surprise. But we decided we'd go ahead and share earlier this time around. We'll see if we regret that decision or not (I've heard that people are much more likely to criticize a name if the baby is not yet born...).

We have spent quite a bit of time over the past months discussing our little boy's name. A name's meaning is very important to us, and we found it particularly difficult to find one we both liked, and that had a meaning that was significant to us. Now that we've decided, though, Jacob and I are discovering we like it more and more as time goes on.

Patrick has Latin roots, and means "Noble."  The dictionary defines Noble as: "of an exalted moral or mental character or excellence, principled, honorable, dignified, estimable." We pray that Patrick grows up to be a man who strives after these traits. And, more importantly, that these traits are firmly rooted in and flow from his walk with Jesus.

The name Patrick is also reminiscent of St. Patrick of Ireland. Though few details are known about the life of St. Patrick, we do know that he lived around the 4th century AD, that he was captured from his home in Britain and served as a slave in Ireland for six years, that he then escaped to return home where he joined the church, and that he later returned to Ireland to serve the remainder of his life as a missionary to the people there. While we may not know all the details of St. Patrick's life and what motivated him, what evidence we do have suggests that he not only lived a life that was "principled" and "honorable," but that he also lived out what it means to love one's enemies. We would be more than blessed to have a son of whom the same things could be said.

Ethan is a Hebrew name which means "Steadfast, Enduring, Strong." The most notable Biblical reference to Ethan is in 1 Kings 4:31, which refers to Ethan the Ezrahite. He was considered a wise man, and is also listed as the author of Psalm 89. Appropriately, this Psalm extols the steadfast love of God, and His faithfulness to His people. It is our prayer that our son be firmly rooted in the steadfast love of God, and that he would, in turn, be a man characterized by faithfulness.

The concept of steadfastness is also meaningful on a more personal level for me. One of the things I admire and appreciate most about Jacob is his stability. He is my rock, and I would dearly love to see our son grow to be man who is steadfast and firmly rooted in his beliefs, just like his dad.

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P.s. Yes, I know our baby's initials are PEA; you don't have to tell me.

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P.p.s. The observant among you may have noticed a name change for the blog. ;) For the unobservant, here's your heads up. Yes, I still love Lucy... but now I love Patrick, too!