What's in a Name? Oliver Zebulun

I confess. I am a self-proclaimed nerd. I am also an English teacher who appreciates the symbolism and meaning of words. I managed to convince Derick long ago that names carried great significance so when it came to naming our children, we did not take the responsibility lightly. A great deal of prayer, research, and daydreaming went into each child's name.

So...what's in a name? In our family, names represent where we have been and where we hope our children are going (metaphorically).

Oliver is Latin in origin and literally means "olive tree." This ancient tree and, therefore the name, represents fruitfulness, peace, dignity, and beauty. Oliver represents our hopes for our precious son. We pray that his life may be one characterized by all of these qualities.

Oliver also tells a story of where I have been and how I have seen God work in my life. As a child, my great-grandma, Olivia, was very special to me. She knitted afghans and baby doll clothes, played games, and most importantly, served as an early spiritual mentor to me. My grandma recently gave me a small bundle of letters that I had written to my great-grandma as a young child. Among the childish handwriting and funny observations about life, I found profound spiritual questions sprinkled throughout my letters. These letters reminded me of the times that my great-grandma took me to church, prayed, and read her Bible; these letters further reminded me of God's provision in my life and represented yet another way that He drew me to himself. Oliver has been nicknamed "Ollie" in rememberance of what the Lord has done in my life and in honor of this woman who loved life, her family, and her God. We pray that Oliver may have this same love for family and for the Lord.



Zebulun continues our decision to include one of the twelve tribes in each of our boys' names. Zebulun is Hebrew in origin and means "dwelling of honor." He was the sixth son of Jacob and Leah. Upon his birth, Leah declared, "I will call him Zebulun for I am honored to have another son." Oliver's middle name represents our mindset as his parents...for those who have been on this journey of parenthood with us, you know that we prayed and prayed for children. We longed to be blessed and now we joyfully experience the honor of parenthood. In the midst of challenges, we are reminded of the honor and privilege...and great responsibility...that God has called us to in making us parents to our three boys. Zebulun further represents our hopes for our son's character. We pray that he may be an honorable man, one who loves his family and his God, one who has integrity in all that he does.

So many prayers and hopes and so much gratitude tied up in these two little words: Oliver Zebulun.



p.s. Every good name needs a few nicknames...so in addition to "Ollie," Oliver has also been dubbed "Smalliver" and "Smallie" in recognition of his tiny-ness, which we are sure will disappear in the coming weeks and months.