Change or Keep the names

Names. Such an important subject. It tells the world who we are and who we belong to. Our names can be gifts from our parents or they can tie us to a past we would rather leave behind. In the Bible Names are a BIG deal! In many cases God actually told the parents what to name their children such as John (the Baptist) and even Jesus. In some cases God changed the names of people such as Abraham and Sarah. These are not random acts... There are reasons this was and is done. When reading the Bible if you can look up the meanings of the names of the people you can gain a better understanding of the persons character and sometimes motivation.

I named my children. I prayed about it and I thought seriously about it. Its a big deal to me. So I named Michael because his name means (like unto GOD) in Hebrew. It is also the name of one of the Arch Angels and I like it. It is however a very common name and when I would call to him in a public place many little boys would turn to that name! Pamela Kyria is so named because Kyria is old Latin for (Lord God). She has not always liked the name but now that she is older I think she is coming around to it. I personally think it is beautiful and unique! Just like she is! Mary and Jonathan, well truth be told although they are very much MY KIDS... I wasn't even around when they were named. I do however love both names and since they too have Biblical origins I just think God had a lot to do with their names as well. Patience, What can I say! "Let Patience have her perfect work..." Zachary came to us with his name and he knows his name and has for years and its also Biblical so we kept it as his first name but we did change his middle and last names when we adopted him. I liked his middle name and it went well with Zachary but Mike and I wanted to give our son a name. It was yet another way of making him "our son". I can cuddle with him and tell him the story of how we chose his name 'Samuel" from the Bible just like we chose the names of our other children.
All my children will have a name that means something to me and to them. They will all know the name and why it was chosen just for them. Its special and its a gift they can keep forever.
That said I am considering names and their meanings. I like family names, Bible and Hebrew names, names with meaning and names that fit the child. Just as in the Bible, God will lead me to the name and or names that will match each child.
Adopting is sort of different than naming birth children because my birth children didn't already have a name. They had not been called something for 7-8 years. In orphanages I have noticed that most of the children are called by nick names or shortened forms of their given names. Sometimes their parents named them but sometimes orphanage staff named them. Sometimes you never know if the name has any meaning at all. I will note very carefully what the orphanage staff call my children because this will ease the transition for the children.

Ok, here are the names (with meanings) I have narrowed it down to...

Naomi - Heb. Pleasant, charming I like/ Mike =not so much
Joelle - Heb. The Lord is willing I LOVE Joel for a boy, but I'm not sure..
Talia - Heb. Heaven's dew or lamb I Love the meaning and its a short take on her
given name but I know we will call her Tally for short. Don't like Tally
But I expected us to shorten Patience to Patty and we never did.
Gloryanne - Gloria is Latin for Glory, Anne is Heb. for Graceful
Joy or Joyelle - Latin for Joy! Love this! It just sounds like a happy uplifting
God type name!
Jane - Heb. Gods gracious gift Kind of old fashioned but she is a gift! Not sure
Gabrielle- Heb. Woman of God I like this name! Does it "fit' her tho?

I waffle back and forth daily but today I like Talia Joy Baker What do you think?

Its funny that after all this time I still have not gotten the peace about what to name Naomi (which is her RR name) But I almost immediately knew that we will name our new son Benjamin Aaron Baker

Benjamin Heb. Favored Son (which he will be our cherished favored son) Benny, Ben or Benji for short. I can already hear the gentle jokes about Ben Jammin!
Aaron Heb. Enlightened One