Happy New Year...A New Year, A New Name

It has been a few days since I've posted about the adoption because I haven't had a lot of news to post. We are still tying up loose ends on the paperwork but are praying we'll have it all together to send to Washington D.C. for authentication in a week or two.

One neat thing that is new for me this year involves a group of sweet ladies who I attend church with and have done previous bible studies with. This year we have committed as a group to read through the Bible in one year chronilogically using an online study through Proverbs 31 Ministries in conjunction with our daily Bible reading. We have set up a blog for our group to post comments about the daily reading and each of us is in charge one day a week for writing the blog on that day's particular reading. Today's reading was over Genesis Chapter 15-17 where God makes a covenant with Abram and changes his name to Abraham. One of the big "nuggets of truth" that the online facilitator points out in today's reading is that God gives us all a new name when we come to know Him. We no longer are called fearful, shameful, ugly, unworthy, etc. Instead He calls us beloved, blessed, beautiful, brave, cleansed. It made me start thinking about the child we will adopt. There are many debates about whether or not a parent should change the name of a child when they adopt and much study has been done about the age at which a child recognizes their name. Most agree that it is okay to give a more "Americanized" name as a first name but suggest possibly using the child's given birth name as a middle name to retain that heritage. We aren't sure yet what we will ultimately do and honestly we're not at the point of worrying about that yet :-) but this lesson was a reminder to me of how important a name is. A name means something. It identifies who you are. Praise God He has given me a new name. Most of you reading this probably also have a new name in Him, but if you do not, I'd LOVE to tell you how you can! When HE changes your name, you will NEVER be the same. It reminds me of the hymn we sang in church growing up:

There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
“A sinner has come home.”
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven,
Never more to roam.

Blessings,
Valerie