One of the names kids called me when I grew up was Pinky. I have red hair. Well its grey, blond and red now. Carrot Top was a favorite for my teachers. My favorite name was Butch. I love the name. I wish I had never dropped it. I have had thoughts of going back to it.
I got the name after I got my long hair cut into a butch cut in the sixties. And it stuck for about five years. Then I had a pastor friend who didn’t think it was dignified enough. That’s the problem with listening to pastors, they often get it wrong!
My given name isn’t really all that inspiring. Doug means out of the deep dark forest. Sounds like a name for the depressed. Or people who get lost easily. Murren in German means to murmur and complain. So I am a murmurer and complainer out of the deep dark forest if you stick to the meaning of my name.
As an Anglo many sports figures names sound peculiar to me. How about the New York Giant’s famous running back Tiki Barber. No wonder he is so tough. It reminds a little of Johnny Cash’s song “Boy Named Sue.” Tiki wasn’t only tough he is a genius too. He is now a famed sportscaster. He decided to leave the game while he could still walk and think.
Then as an Anglo the New York Yankees trip me up, too. Three names caught my eye this week. There is Melky Cabera. I don’t know if Melky is a Latin name or not. But if the name catches on it will introduce a whole new level of name giving in society. Melky Jones, Melky Murren both sound interesting to me.
Then there is Hidelki and Joba. I wonder if Joba’s parents named him after the Star Wars character?
I have a dog we have named Harry. He was originally called Happy. But we wanted a more dignified name. So we chose Harry. Most people laugh when they hear his name at the dog park. It’s better than being called Pinky I think.
We named my daughter Raissa. It’s a popular Russian name. I am not sure what it means. We met a Russian girl named Raissa and liked it and used it. It is a pretty name, like my daughter is. But people usually don’t know how to pronounce it at first.
We named my son just as deliberately. His name is Matt. The name Matthew means God’s gift. We told him that’s because he was always a gift from God. Sometimes we wondered about the name. But for the most part he has always been a great joy.
Jesus’ name was actually Joshua. The name means God saves. It was a popular name at the time of Christ. But the name also had a great deal of power in it. There is no other true Joshua.
I recently released a book through Ampelon Publishing that included a brief recollection of God’s name as given to Moses. The book is called TEN. The name was YHWH. It means “I am what I am” or “I will become whatever I need to become.” He is the I Am. He is the final word.
