We named him Jude Eli...

...to give praise to our Lord.

Agreeing on a baby name is no easy task for us.  I remember when we first found out we were pregnant, we instantly agreed on a boy name.  We both loved the name and I thought for sure we would use it as a first or middle name.  In November, we went to Ralph and Aubrey's house for dinner and Aubrey said "My mom asked me if you all had a name and I said, Mom this is Michelle!  They have CRITERIA the name has to meet!"  I laughed and said "I do seem to make things harder than they have to be, don't I?"  And it's true.  Here we had a name that we both liked, but I just couldn't go with it.  There were two other names that I really loved and had my heart set on, but Devin hated both of them so we just kept searching.


One Tuesday morning right before Thanksgiving, I was sitting in BSF listening to our teaching leader who used these verses to illustrate a point that we were studying in the book of Isaiah:


"Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!" Jude 1:24-25


Hearing these verses was just a turning point for me that day and the name Jude stuck with me.  After that, the name kept popping up here and there in random ways.  A couple of weeks later, Devin and I were sitting in church and he jokingly pointed to Zephaniah (which was where our pastor was preaching out of) and said he thought we should put it on the list.  I immediately turned the program over and pointed to the name Jude who was on the December birthday list and asked him what he thought of it.  He thought for a moment and then said "I don't hate it."  We then took our Bibles out and turned to the book of Jude.  Here's what we immediately read:


Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.


We looked at each other and smiled.  We finished reading the chapter and Devin put his hand on my stomach and wispered "Jude".


Jude.


If our Jude were to describe himself one day and use the terms "A servant of Jesus Christ" and "a brother of Finley"... Well, I don't think my heart could be any fuller.  First and foremost, Devin and I want our little boy to be a servant of Christ.  And though he will have a million other roles to play in his life, one of the more important ones he'll play is that of a brother.  

When we had Finley, we had no idea if she would have siblings one day, but with Jude, we knew he would be a brother.  We knew that God had that planned for him and it is our desire that he and Finley look out for each other and know the special bond that He created for siblings.


Eli.


A week later, Devin said "What do you think of Jude Eli?"  I was hesitant because I wanted to find a middle name that had something to do with our relationship, but then I looked up the meanings of the names Jude and Eli.


Jude means "Thanksgiving" or "Praise."


Eli means "My God."


Praise to My God.  I was convinced.  I knew I would never find another name that embodied more of what I wanted than that. 


We want to PRAISE OUR GOD in all things.  He is truly worthy of our praise and He is truly our personal God.  He is the one constant in our lives and the only One who truly knows the depths of our souls and yet He loves us anyway.  He is the only One who can complete us.  


Spending parts of my life feeling abandoned, unloved, and insecure, there is nothing more that I want for my children than for them to know that there is One whose love cannot be earned.  Cannot be lost.  Cannot be fathomed.  It has changed me.  His love.  So to give Him praise, well, how can I not?

So Jude Eli... you are here.  You are loved.  You are our son.  You are our Praise to Our Mighty God.  When we look at you, we see Him.  Thank you for giving us a reminder of His love.  We hope you feel it every day of your life.