names

I thought I may bring some attention to my lovely, yet to be born daughter: Evangeline. Some look at the name and think it is weird or corny or just plain bizarre. I think it is lovely and perfect. AND, when I saw the meaning of it, I truly felt God pushing forward on our list of girls names.

The name Evangeline comes from the Latin word "evangelium" meaning "gospel". The Latin word itself is derived from the Greek words "eu" meaning 'good' and "angelma" meaning 'news'.

What a wonderful meaning for the name of our daughter! Our daughter's name basically is the actual Bible. The words. The people. The good news Jesus brought to us. It makes me smile just thinking about it!! Then, after talking to great friends of ours (The Beans!), we found out that there is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow entitled Evangeline.

Evangeline describes the betrothal of an Acadian girl named Evangeline Bellefontaine to her beloved, Gabriel Lajeunesse, and their separation as the British deport the Acadians from Acadie in the Great Upheaval. The poem then follows Evangeline across the landscapes of America as she spends years in a search for him, at some times being near to Gabriel without realizing he was near. Finally she settles in Philadelphia and, as an old woman, works as a nun among the poor. While tending the dying during an epidemic she finds Gabriel among the sick, and he dies in her arms.

This woman, separated from her love, travels to of all places PHILADELPHIA! And she is a giving woman, working among the poor, giving her life to the Lord. It is a sad poem, but the main character of Evangeline is portrayed beautifully.

The meaning of Elijah's name is equally emotional for us and has a deep meaning as well. It means 'the Lord is my God'. Eli is also named after the prophet Elijah:

Elijah was one of the most intriguing of the prophets. Elijah performed some extraordinary miracles as a prophet of God, he brought the dead son of a widow back to life (1 Kings 17:22-23), caused a jar of meal and a jar of oil to constantly refill during a drought, caused fire to come out of the sky and consume a burnt offering, ended a drought, and ran faster than King Ahab's chariot.

Chad has always identified with this prophet of the Bible, most likely because some of his attributes (a strong will!) is most like Chad. Elijah was a warrior for the Lord and let no one stop him or change him. So far, Eli has shown characteristics of staunch determination and when he is engrossed in something, you cannot distract him.....so maybe it is not just a name after all? :) Time will tell on that one! :)

It was important to me to choose names for our children that mean something to us and to the Lord. When Eli or Evie come to me to ask what their names mean or where their names came from, I can tell them with pictures, text from the Bible and with love. Chad says that may think they have a lot to live up to. I see it as something they can look to when they are down (or when they are not) to encourage them in the Lord. We'll see if our children will need some therapy later in life because of these names. :)