Do you know what your name means?

Well, our daughters were named Kristen (Christ follower) Sarah (Princess) and Rachel (like a lamb) Brooke (gentle water). We put great thought and prayer into each name and I believe their names fit them perfectly!

Names say a lot about you even if you don’t think so…and even if you don’t like the earthly name you have been given…as a Christ follower, we are given a special name by God.  Which I think that is really cool…He give me a name, personally fitting to me and who I am to HIM.

So, as we approach Aleks’ arrival into our home. I have been thinking about his name. The name his birth mother gave him. The one she looked at him on his birth day and said for the first time into his ear – Aleksejs. I wonder if it was a family name, one that she picked when she found out she was pregnant. Did she know the meaning? Did she give him the nickname Aleks?

My heart needed to know the meaning…so, while looking up his name, I found out it is the American name Alexander. What does Alexander mean?  It means(defender of mankind, warrior). God has a plan for this little guy…and it will be amazing.  But, I have to tell you, I have been trying to figure out what Aleks’ middle name could be. I really wanted him to keep Aleksejs, because it is his past heritage, something his birth mom gave him that he will have forever in his memory. But I wanted his middle name to be a name I could say, we picked special for him for his new journey…but, just didn’t know what it would be.

God is so amazing…on Sunday, May 14, really early, He woke Cindy Denise Tuttle up to tell me Aleks’ middle name…

…but before I tell you, I have to say, I have struggled with something through our quick three month process of adoption…I have thought about what I had missed in Aleks’ first 11 years of life…all his “firsts”…you know – the crawl, the walk, the words, hugs, blowing kisses…etc.

So, through my struggles…again, God wrapped His arms around me…with a big hug and said – Zachary!

Okay…it is really early…3ish, I almost asked out loud, “what does it mean? Really, God, did I just hear you say, Zachary?” So I grab my iphone and google…

What happened next, I will NEVER forget…

Zachary – the Lord recalls, the Lord remembers, the Lord brings back…

I am comforted by the special name God has picked for Aleks.

Aleks Zachary - I think it fits him perfectly too!