Ezekiel, Zeke, My Zekey

February 14th, 2009 HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY













Ezekiel - God will Strengthen.
Tomorrow Zeke will be a year old and I started thinking about his birth. It was peaceful and easy much like him. The best way to describe him is content. He is a happy person eager to experience life. My mom has always said that she use to laugh herself to tears at the faces and expressions Caprece would make as a baby. I never quite understood what she meant until Zeke. We would hang out on the bed after I nursed him and I would get so tickled at the expressions he would make...what was even funnier was when he got a little older hearing me laugh would make him laugh which in turn of course made me laugh even harder. My Mom and Rodrigo would come to find out what in the world was going on. My boys were both blessed with beautiful smiles. When either of them smiles their whole being lights up.

I thought on the anniversay of his birth I would record the story of how we chose his name. It is a very special name one I hope he is always proud of and honors. I have told him the story several times since his birth but I would like to record it for him and his posterity now.

While I was pregnant with Ezekiel I attended the funeral of a friend. This was the first funeral that I had attended since the death of my Sister, Caprece. It was difficult but also healing at the same time. I think that had to do with the talk our Bishop gave...He told a story about a prophet name Ezekiel. He said that the Lord showed Ezekiel a valley full of bones and the Lord asked him "Can these bones live?" and Ezekiel told him thou knowest Lord. The Lord responded and said... that these bones would live...at that moment the reality of the resurrection came upon me with such sweetness, comfort and peace... I knew this was to be the name of the little one growing inside of me. I went straight home and read for myself from the book of Ezekiel the story the Bishop told and received the same witness of the resurrection. I have read it quite a few more times since and each and every time I feel the same spirit whisper to me soul of reality of this glorious gift.

EZEKIEL 37:1-10
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.
4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet...

I love that each time I speak his name I think of the gift of the resurrection and seeing my loved ones again.

Happy Birthday Ezekiel