What does your name mean?

Before I start blogging I'd like to thank my sister Vanessa for allowing me to use her as my subject.  It hopefully will inspire you to check out your own name and what you are actually saying about yourself  without knowing it.  About 3 weeks ago I was tidying my bedroom when the Lord spoke to me and asked me to check out the meaning of Vanessa's name.  I thought "well, it means butterfly doesn't it?" Turns out with a little research you can learn a lot about a name and where it comes from.  The name Vanessa was made up by the poet Johnathon Swift who had written a poem "Cadenus and Vanessa" about his unhappy love affair with a women named Esther Vanhormrigh.  Van from her last name and essa from the poetic nic name for Esther.  It was written back in 1713.  Why would God need me to know that and where was he taking this? The next sunday at church our pastor preached a sermon about Jacob and how his name meant deceiver or heel puller.  The meaning of Jacobs name was constantly spoken over his life anytime anyone called him by his name.  "Hey deceiver.. come here deceiver.." Say that for years and years over a life and what do you think they will become? The cool part is that God gave Jacob a new name.  Genesis 35 v 10 Again God said to him, your name is Jacob (supplanter); you shall not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel shall be your name. So he called him Israel (contender with God). So, for Vanessa's whole life the underlying meaning of her name was spoken over her life... unhappy love affair.  Thanks Mum and Dad!  We were able to pray about it together and break off the lie.   God gave her a new meaning to her name, worshipper.  We also went with her middle name which I believe means Gods precious gift. I'm looking forward to seeing the positive relationships in her life become happy and lasting. I love how God takes us deeper, gives us instant teaching from unasked for sources and promptly sets us free.  Be free Vanessa, I love you my beautiful sister x