Amanda

I gotta be honest, as a kid, I wanted to change my name.

Amanda

Don't call me Mandy, I am not a "Mandy"... not even a little bit.

So boring. So unoriginal. So BLAH.
One of the most popular female names of 1985.  Number 4 to be exact.

I wanted to change my name to Samantha and be called Sam.  You know, cause that name is SO original.
I don't hate my name so much any more. In fact, I am learning to love my name... mainly because of what it means.

Worthy Of Love.

I can't help but think that this is one way in which God FOR SURE knew what He was doing with my parents, in relation to me.  My parents named me after the Boston song, Amanda.  You know the one...

I'm gonna take you by surprise

And make you realize

AMANDA

(I don't apologize that this song will now be stuck in your head all day.  Embrace it.  Enjoy it.)

...My parents named me after that lovely Boston tune, and I am not even sure that they were aware of the meaning behind the name, Amanda.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a good 80's love ballad as much as the next person, but what I appreciate even more than that is a good name meaning.

I am glad that my parents, for whatever reason it may have been, named me Amanda.  I need this name.  I don't need to be named Samantha, however beautiful the name is.  I need to be Amanda.  I need the daily reminder that I am WORTHY of love. 

So, today, I choose to live in the truth of my name... the truth that I am WORTHY of GREAT love.  Living in the truth means not settling for less than that.  Living in that truth means not making excuses.  Living in that truth means owning it.

I am worthy of great love.

Even if your name isn't Amanda, I hope that you know that you too, are worth of great love.