It's said that upon accepting Jesus Christ as your savior, God bestows upon you a new name, symbolizing a fresh start. This doesn't mean a literal change of name from Jane to Janice or Mark to Marcus, but rather, it signifies a new chapter in life.

In scripture, there are instances where God changes individuals' names to reflect their new destinies.

Let's explore some examples.

• Abram - Abram's life appeared complete from the outside. He was wealthy, had a loving wife, a vast extended family, and was well-respected. Yet, he yearned for one thing: his own child. As Abram and his wife Sarai aged, the hope of having their own child seemed to fade, until one day, God spoke to Abram. God commanded him to leave his homeland and kin for an unknown territory, promising that obedience would lead to a great nation descending from him, as stated in Genesis 12:2, meaning Abram would be a father to many children.

  In faith, 75-year-old Abram embarked on this journey with Sarai and his nephew Lot. His steadfast belief led God to rename him from "Abram," meaning "father," to "Abraham," signifying "father of many." From Abraham sprang Isaac, who brought us Jacob, later known as Israel, the patriarch of the nation that would bring forth Jesus Christ.

  
  

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• Sarai – Shortly after changing Abraham’s name, God told him that Sarai, his wife, would now be called Sarah. This effectively changed her name from “Princess” to “My Princess!” How much more personal that is! This shows God’s close, personal love for Sarai as well!

• Jacob – Jacob, whose name means "deceiver," was the second-born twin to Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah. At birth, he was said to have grasped his brother Esau's heel, signifying his struggle to surpass his brother from the very beginning.

  Years later, Jacob, with his mother's assistance, deceived his ailing father to receive the blessings meant for the firstborn son, as recounted in Genesis 27:1-29.

  Upon discovering the deceit, Esau planned to kill Jacob. Rebekah overheard this and warned Jacob, prompting him to flee for many years, starting in Genesis 32:3.

  During his flight, Jacob encountered an angel of God and wrestled with him throughout the night, seeking a blessing. After this struggle, the angel told him his name would now be Israel, meaning "God contends for him." (Genesis 32:27-28)

  Jacob's life was characterized by constant striving. The renaming indicated that he no longer needed to fight alone; God would now fight on his behalf.

• Simon – Simon was one of Jesus' most trusted disciples. His name signifies "one who listens" or "one who has heard."

  This description was fitting for Simon during his initial following of Christ. However, as his ministry progressed, he became a markedly different individual.

  Jesus renames Simon as Cephas (also known as Peter, meaning 'the rock') in John 1:42. Later, Jesus tells Peter, "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18) These words proved to be prophetic, as Peter delivered the sermon that initiated the New Testament church when 3,000 souls were saved in Acts 2.

God never changes a name without a purpose. So, regardless of your previous (or current) name—be it "addict," "alcoholic," "victim," "unloved," "lost," or "alone"—know that God has the power and desire to transform those into something new and wonderful: "clean," "sober," "healed," "loved," "saved," "sought after," "child of God." You belong to HIM, forever cherished, loved, and safeguarded.

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For this week's craft, we are making a super cute book stack to display some of our new names!

Initially, I want to mention that the content of your books is irrelevant because you won't be reading them. Nevertheless, if you're worried about your children accessing them, you can either select books more carefully or secure them by gluing all the pages together with diluted white school glue or Mod Podge. It's important to note that gluing the pages will require a significant time investment and should be completed before anything else. You can find helpful suggestions on how to do this here.

Additionally, you might consider steering clear of books with the title or author's name embossed on the cover, particularly on the spine. As you can see in some of my photos, concealing this proved challenging even after applying multiple coats of paint.

Step 1: Paint the Books

Start by deciding the sequence in which you wish to stack your books.

Next, select the paint color for each book. If your books come with a paper dust cover, simply remove it as it will not be needed.

Paint each book cover individually - the front, back, and spine - and let them dry thoroughly. It may take several coats to obtain optimal coverage.

Step 2: Stamp the Spine

Let's start personalizing our books with our new names! The first book will proudly display, "My New Name is," and the subsequent ones will feature the unique names bestowed upon you and your family by God (feel free to switch "My" to "Our"). For a whimsical touch, mix upper and lowercase letters.

Before you begin, it's wise to practice your stamping technique on scrap paper to perfect the pressure and ink distribution.

When adding words to your books, you can choose either the left or right side (or even both). Just remember, if you're stamping on the right, start with the last letter of your final word.

Step 3: Decorate

To start, arrange your books in the desired display order. If you wish, you can secure them together with hot glue for extra stability. Wrap a ribbon around the stack, starting and finishing at the center top. Secure both ends with hot glue.

Next, decorate your creation. I crafted a beautiful bow using the guidelines provided by save-on-crafts.com, but without the tails, and then incorporated some leaves and flowers to achieve a lovely autumn aesthetic!

Placed on a shelf or mantel, this collection of books presents a charming sight and can serve as a constant reminder of the promises that God has made to us.

I truly hope you enjoy making these books and displaying the new names God has given you!

Have a blessed crafting time!