What is in a name?

Simon Elias

It was very hard to come up with a boy name. When we were trying to find a girl name, deciding on Joy was very easy, however a boy name took us a long time. We wanted to keep with the Arabic middle name theme, which made the process even more complicated.  It had to be something easy for our English-speaking friends and family to pronounce, but with a strong meaning. 

Simon: "One who hears" from "Hear oh Israel" which is part of the "Shema" or opening prayer in the Torah. "Hear oh Israel the Lord your God is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). In the New Testament Jesus used the Shema as the beginning exhortation of his two greatest commandments " The first of all commandments is, Hear oh Israel; The Lord our God is one; and you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength; this is the first commandment." Mark 12:29-30).

Elias: Arabic for Elijah (and also a name in English) meaning "my God is Yahweh" or "the Lord is my God"

Simon Elias, we want you to hear and know that our God is speaking your name.