My attention took a different path this week. A week ago, at our thanksgiving dinner, we were asked to go around our gathered group and introduce ourselves and then tell what we are most thankful for. We could not say we were thankful for family and God unless we mentioned something specific. Our thankfulness had many different values. We all have different experiences. I knew what my answer would be—I am so glad for walking! The fact that I can walk again is almost amazing. Being thankful for walking has to include the surgeons and medical technology that has enabled me to be able to walk, and so I am also so thankful for that, too! One person's thankfulness brought many of us to tears. She had recently lost her husband, and she expressed her thankfulness for him being in her life. But she also mentioned how grateful she is for friends that care, ones that she can reach out to when she needs a "hug". I am glad that we have those people in our lives that can be there when we need them, when we need a hug. God has given us the chance to be Him whenever we can help someone who needs us. But He gives us others to be Him for us when we need those hugs.
As we went around our big "circle" of people we all gave our names and how we belonged in the group. But what is in a name? The study of names is interesting. When we were thinking of a name for our first son, my father emphasized to us that we should think about several things such as would we want to have our child first in an alphabetical list of students or last? We should check out the look of just the name initials. Would the possible combinations be something that would not embarrass the child. And he thought that the number of syllables in each of the first and middle names was important to consider. When it came time to register our first baby's name, we ended up choosing names we liked but we also felt that the meanings of the names were important. We liked the fact that the name we chose meant God's peace beside troubled waters. We felt that it was a reflection of what we had been experiencing before the baby's birth. It was only later that we discovered, realized that we had given our baby names with double letters in both his first name and his middle name. As we thought about it, baby's daddy also had double letters in his name, first and middle. So did grandpa and so did mommy! How interesting! That challenged us to think of 6 more names that we liked, that had good meanings, that worked with what my father had suggested....... At first, we found names that fit everything we wanted them to have, but eventually it became harder! So, we started to get creative with the spellings. Today we have 4 boys with unique names, meanings that seem to fit their personalities, and ones that we like—though I am sure that some of them wish we had done differently for them.
I remember not being very happy with my own name! I wished that my mother had chosen a more ordinary name, like Mary or Julie or Susan—anything but Eileen. You see, I was the only Eileen in my school. I was the only Eileen that I had ever heard of! No one could spell my name. I finally started to answer if someone got somewhere close to getting it correct—Aileen, Irene, Elaine, Eilene, Elaina....... I wished for something different until one day my Mother brought out the name and meaning book and I was able to learn what my name meant. She showed me that Eileen meant Sparkling, and my middle name had the meaning of Quiet valley. Sparking in a quiet valley—now that was something I liked! My attitude began to change. And I began to like what she had chosen to name her only daughter. I remember even signing some of my school papers with the name Sparking Quiet Valley. I wonder what my teachers thought, I often wonder how together my mother and father chose my name. Later in life I watched them think of names for my younger brothers. My father was all about teasing his wife and gave her many outlandish suggestions! I am sure that he did not want those names for his children!
Since then, I have found out that Eileen is a girl-given name and anglicized version of the Gaelic "Eibhlin" and "Aibhlin," meaning "little bird," "strength," and "desired." Eileen also derives from the French word "Aveline," meaning "hazelnut." An old-world charmer, Eileen is also a multi-faceted number thanks to its varied etymology. It is included in Christian Girl names & the Eileen name's meaning is beauty, radiance. The etymology of the name is intertwined with Irish folklore and imagery, as it draws inspiration from the grace and allure of birds. Eileen has been used as a given name in Ireland for centuries, with its usage dating back to ancient Celtic times. Throughout history, Eileen has appeared in various forms in Irish mythology and literature, symbolizing beauty and freedom. In modern times, the name Eileen remains popular in Ireland and among Irish diaspora communities worldwide. It continues to evoke a sense of natural beauty and enchantment. In addition, Eileen has crossed cultural boundaries and gained popularity in other English-speaking countries. The name Eileen carries a timeless charm and serves as a reminder of Ireland's rich cultural heritage. Its association with birds symbolizes grace, elegance, and independence. Today, many parents choose to bestow the name Eileen upon their daughters, paying homage to its Celtic roots and embracing its meaning of a beautiful bird.
From hazel nut to a bird to desired to beauty and radiance or even Sparkling—I think I like nearly all of those meanings and.....I can even be a sparkling nutty beautiful bird with hazel eyes that is desirable! And be one that can be found in a Quiet little valley!
I have often been told to google your name—so I did! I found nothing! I did find that there was an obituary for Eileen C. Born from Pittsburg in 1944. That was kind of like Eileen D. Birth! I found Eileen Marie Bonjour, 86, of Topeka, who passed away Thursday, June 4, 2020. She was born July 17, 1933, the daughter of Clifford and Florence (Jeanneret) Labbe. She attended public schools in Centralia, Kansas and married Harold Marvin Bonjour on September 9, 1997.That information was interesting, too. My maiden name was Bonjour and my mother's middle name was Marie. One of my grandma's grew up in Kansas and her name was Florence! That was a lot of coincidentals! I also found another Eileen Bonjour (1936–2013). But there seems to be absolutely no other Eileen Birth. I guess I am one and only! That idea kind of fits the Bible verse In Matthew 10:29-31 where Jesus tells his disciples that the very hairs on their heads are numbered, and that God knows each one of them by name. This verse is often interpreted by scholars to mean that every individual is unique and special in the eyes of God. Each of us has been designed to bring Him glory in a way that no one else can. God created us to live right now—in this exact time generation—for a purpose. We were all intentionally created to have different personalities, talents, dreams, and influence to fulfill a purpose for His plan. In the book of Psalms, David writes: “for it was You who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made”. Psalms 139:13,14.
Isaiah 43:4 tells us that we are “precious and honored” in His sight. The Creator of the universe chose every part of your body, just as He chose where to put each star in the sky. He thinks you and I are incredibly special! God makes us unique--but why did God make us all unique? Maybe God gives different people different gifts, abilities, and even burdens to bear. But His overall goal for each person is the same: to draw us to Himself so that He can be our source of true love and joy.
I found these thoughts on being unique: Being unique is about being authentically me. It's my quirks, my strengths, my flaws, and my dreams that set me apart. In a world that often pressures us to conform, standing out can definitely feel scary. But here's the surprise: it's your uniqueness that brings color and variety to life. And that is something that has taken me time to learn. God given unique qualities include: Administration, Apostleship, Craftsmanship; Discernment; Encouragement; Evangelism; Faith; Giving; Healing; Helping; Hospitality; Intercession; Knowledge; Leadership; Mercy; Miracles; Prophecy; Serving; Shepherding; Teaching; Tongues & Interpretation; Wisdom. From that list I can pick out who I definitely am NOT, but then I am not so sure about some of the other things that would make me unique. What does it mean to be the unique you that God created you to be? We don't have to be enough because God is more than enough. He created each of us with certain gifts that enable us to do well with what He has called us to do. We can't do it all, and we don't need to do it all. We just need to do what God has called us to do. To be who He's called us to be.
There are other ways to study names! Ways besides looking at spelling and meanings and syllables, etc. Some search for real names of people that might be the same as fictional names in stories and movies. There have been at least two other people named Barbara Seville [The Barber of Seville]. Someone did some research and found six women named Rosetta Stone! There have been at least 20 Robin Banks, and some Georgia Peach people, several M. T. Head people and many Pearl Harbor's. Multiple people share the names of Sunny Day, Happy Day, Summer Day, but not so many May Day people. Several men share the names of King Fisher and James Dandy [Jim to most]. Some parents were more subtle when naming their children. The last name appearing first in listings gives unique names such as Cracker, Jack; Dollar, Bill; Wise, Guy; North, Carolina. Makes me even more happy with my unique name!
In the Bible, names are important to God and can represent a person's character. God may change names to:
Lead people to God's promises
Mark a new beginning in a person's life
Reveal a divine plan
Assure people that God's plan will be fulfilled in them
Let people know they are destined for a new mission in life.
In the Bible, God gave people new names to symbolize a new identity, destiny, and relationship with God: Jacob to Israel: After dislocating his hip wrestling with God, Jacob's name was changed to Israel, which can mean "the one who struggles with God" or "God prevails".
Abram to Abraham: This change marked a new beginning in Abraham's life.
Sarai to Sarah: God changed Sarai's name to Sarah.
Simon to Peter: When Jesus called Simon as a disciple, he changed his name to Peter, which means "rock".
Revelation 2:17: God promises to give a white stone with a new name to those who are victorious.
Revelation 3:12: God promises to write his new name on those who conquer, and to make them a pillar in the temple of God.
Each of the new names from these Old and New Testament examples marked new beginnings and profound changes of character in the lives of the individuals who received them. In the same way, we experienced a transformational shift in our lives when we surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus. I have read stories of missionaries teaching the love of Jesus to people in the mission country. As people find a new love and way of life they want to change their names to different names with a new name that has a more Christ centered meaning and sound. Although our names might not have been legally changed when we surrender to God, Jesus dramatically redefines our lives when we chose to follow Him—and we are not the same people we used to be!
My question for myself and others: “If God gave you a new name to reflect who you are, what do you think your new name would be?” I like this answer, “If God gave me a new name, I think my name would be Redeemed!”
What name do you think God would give you to describe who you are today in His eyes?
My New Name! REDEEMED!!!!!!