I love seeing all the baby reveals flooding my social media these days: the clever songs, the secret of twins, photo sessions, cupcakes and balloons. If there is one thing I love the most about social media it is the creativity of others it has exposed us all to. The world is such a beautiful place filled with ideas, recreations old and new. I love the diversity of thought and art it has brought into my living room.

I am often left wondering what these new parents will name their children. I love names. They are such an important part of who we are. The names of our children were picked out long before they were even conceived. We dreamed about them, loved them, and carefully crafted what we would call them long before we knew them. The first gift we give a child is life, the second is a name.

The first gift we give a child is life, the second is a name. Click To Tweet

In the Bible God goes by many names. They are aspects of who He is and how humans relate to Him. There is power in a name. God renames others throughout scripture in order to say “You are mine.” He names Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, Saul to Paul. He tells Mary her child will be called Emmanuel. He tells Zechariah to name his son John. Others carefully select the names of their child representing aspects of their birth and/or their calling.

If you are a parent how did you go about naming your child? Did you choose a family name? A close friend? Literary character? or did you invent a new name? Share with us in the comments.

If you are feeling creative today I could use your help in naming my upcoming book. A few people have already chimed in and I would love to hear your thoughts. Whoever’s title is chosen by Ambassador Int. will win a $25 Gift Certificate to Family Christian (must live in the US to win).Click here for details.

Today I guest posted over at

• Middle Places, Relax…Refresh…Replenish . It’s all about how important it is to remember to let God refill our cups. We are the most effective after all when we allow God to replenish us.