A living definition

Lanny and I are big into meanings of names. We scoured baby name books during both of my pregnancies for meanings. Not names. Meanings. And then when we found a meaning we like or connected with we would look at the name to see if we liked that as well.

My name means "House of God" or "Consecrated to God" - big responsibility that I feel as I get older and grow more in my relationship with God.
Lanny's name means "Famous Land." I don't really have anything to say about that and he just shrugs his shoulders. He-he-he......

So when it came time for our kids - we prayed and we searched and we, after a lot of outside help, decided.

Mikaela Renee, born April 12, 1998, means "Who is like God" (Mikaela) and "Born Again" (Renee). And we have seen those things come to be in her life and heart. Her heart bleeds for the hurts and disappointments of others. Much like her God's. And on April 11, 2003 she asked Jesus into her heart, surprising both Lanny and I - we weren't prepared but she was!

And then Eliana Denae entered into our lives. I remember when we finally decided on her name. We were visiting some friends in Maryland and liked the meanings of both Eliana and Denae. Lanny wanted the first name to be Denae, I shot that down quick. It didn't set right in my heart but it went well with Eliana and served that name best as a middle name. Eliana Denae, born February 14, 2000, means "God has answered my prayers" (Eliana) and "Innocent" (Denae). And about one month ago it hit me with a force that I think I actually had to sit down. She is her name. And it was nothing that Lanny and I have done or haven't done. Eliana Denae is a living definition of her meaning.

Since Eliana was born she has injected a life, a challenge, a joy without conditions into our family. She is the one extrovert in a house with three introverts! Sometimes the three of us just sit and watch her flit and dance through the house. When we are out in public we have to keep her close, she makes friends with any and every body that she meets! Really. If you let her get too far away you will hear her say, "Want to be my friend?"

Have you met her personally?
She will STEAL your heart.

A friend once told her mother-in-law that if she was ever having a bad day all she had to do was talk to Eliana and then her whole day would turn around and be brighter. It's true. Eliana is a very bright, sparkly light in our world and anyone else's world she touches. She bounces up and down like Tigger. She is non-stop energy from the moment her eyes open in the morning to the minute her head hits the pillow at night. She thinks life is the greatest thing ever and anything about life excites her. Last year she won a car race at her Awana club - first place for speed and oh was she excited. She led a parade of boys around the sanctuary afterwards! The next day at school her teacher gave her a brand new orange folder to keep her papers in. The first place trophy from the night before was forgotten - she had a brand new orange folder! Oh it was so exciting for her. Life is Eliana's stage in which to dance and sing on.

So, Beth, what exactly does any of that have to do with meanings?
Or are you just finding shameless ways to brag on your kids? He-he-he

Well, let me tell you......

When Eliana could start communicating well with words she would pray at bedtime. Both of our girls do. But I began to pay attention because from the get-go she was praying deep. It wasn't just thank you's for food or clothes but it was intercession in its purest form. From the heart of a child. I would sit by her at night and listen to this little, innocent voice intercede for people and situations that she didn't understand but the Holy Spirit was prompting her to pray for. And as she has matured I began to notice that every so often something she would pray for would be answered. And as I really began to look at what she prayed for and what was happening I began to notice that her prayers were being answered. Wow! That's so cool. Thanks God for building the faith of our daughter in that way.

But it isn't for her that he is doing it.

Let me share some recent examples of Eliana's prayers:

• It was a snowy Saturday and we were in the midst of a blizzard. Eliana was supposed to go to a birthday party but we warned her it may not happen because of the snow. She asked what would need to happen for her to be able to go. We told her there needed to be blue skies and the snow needed to quit. She accepted that and went to play. Periodically she would go look out the window. Some time later in the morning she came to me and asked what it looked like outside. I sighed and said, "Eliana it is still...." and when I pulled up the shade there were blue skies and the snow had stopped. I turned around and she was jumping up and down and saying "Oh I knew it! I knew there would be blue skies. Now I can go to the party!" I asked her how she knew and this is what she said to me. "Mom, I was downstairs playing with my trains and I thought with my brain how I wanted to go to the party so I got on my knees and I told God that I wanted to go really bad and could he please change the sky to be blue and have no snow. God heard me and now I get to go to the party right?" YES I CRIED. I nodded yes and sent her out of the room, called Lanny in and made him cry!!
• One day on the playground last week Eliana was jump-roping. Eliana gets frustrated easily and gives up even easier. We are really working with her on that. Well she was getting frustrated with the jump-rope because she couldn't do something with it. And after school that day this is what she said to Lanny, "Dad, I was frustrated and I thought I should stop but then I told God I needed help and I knew I could do it because he was with me. And then I tried it again and I did it good! God was with me, I knew he was and that's why I did it good." YES LANNY CRIED. So then he had to tell me so I would cry!!

Eliana is a living, DANCING definition of her name.

Oh the middle name? Denae - "Innocent". Do you see it? Eliana is very innocent in the way she interacts with people and the way she speaks. "I thought with my brain" is one of her favorite ways to explain something.

If you haven't met her yet I hope one day you can. Your world will be a brighter place because of her heart!

Beth, you said God wasn't building her faith. Whose then? Why, mine and yours - of course.

"He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV)

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise..." Psalm 8:2a (NIV)