Why did I choose to use my name for this platform?
I’ll be honest, it wasn’t an easy decision initially. I went back and forth about using my name because the point of this platform is to bring God glory, use the gifts He’s given me, and to help others. I felt that branding and incorporating my name felt a little self-centered or self-glorifying as if I was bring attention to myself (at least that what the enemy had me thinking and feeling), so I went to my Heavenly Father about my concerns. I felt led to brand my name because I know it holds meaning, but I needed to make sure that my heart posture and my thoughts were pure and aligned with the Will of God. I flipped and read through the various scriptures about how God changed people’s names when He wanted to use them or do something through them. The individuals not only needed to hear the promises of God, but they themselves needed to believe that they were capable to be used to fulfill those promises. To be called by God means you need to answer. Ponder in your heart: who is He calling? When He called Abram to be the “father of many nations,” He gave him the name “Abraham” to reflect that. So not only was God calling him Abraham, but Abraham was answering by his new name, his wife was calling him by his new name, and eventually so was everyone else. Time and time again throughout the Bible we see name changes: Abram to Abraham, and Sarai to Sarah, Saul to Paul, Simon to Peter (Cephas), etc. For so long, I allowed people to call me Sid, or Sid-Sid, Little Bit, Light Bright, and various other names…(and while I still don’t mind some of them) I have grown to understand the purpose of being called by the name that was given to me. Lately, I’ve been going by Sidni Elise: Sidni means wide island, wide meadow. Elise means God is my oath, or consecrated to God.
The more I studied individuals in the Bible and studied out my name, I realized that there is something that God wants to do through me. With this new assignment/calling, I have a new name. I have journals from over the years that capture sketches, doodles, and drafts of the ideas, thoughts, dreams and visions He’s given me. Unfortunately, I’ve been sitting on them until NOW. My biggest setback was the fear of starting, not knowing where to start or how to start, and feeling like I didn’t have the right resources or enough resources to start. Crazy right? Not only was it crazy thinking, but it’s common thinking among many of us. I had to realize that God is my source, and He is your source, too! We have everything we need through Him and in Him.
I am gifted in so many things (and I say this with complete humility): I love to teach, I love creativity, I enjoy cooking, I love helping others, and the list goes on. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” -Matthew 5:16, KJV. The funny thing is, how was God going to get the glory if my good works were just written down? How was my light going to shine, if I was was the one constantly dimming it? That brings me to this scripture: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” -James 2:26, KJV. I needed to demonstrate to my Heavenly Father that I was not only speaking in faith, but ACTING in faith. Now you can have your opinion about 2020, but it was such a blessed year for me. I believe Holy Spirit dealt with me (and not the first time) on creating an all-in-one platform that touches on everything I enjoy. Going back to my name: The more I thought about a wide island or a wide meadow, I thought about how I am one individual with a wide range of gifts, talents, and skills. The more I thought about consecrated to God, I was reminded that my life is lived for Him and in Him. All along, I have been connected to my Father and this platform is an extension of me, and in essence, another way for Him to work through me. That’s the revelation of Ephesians 2:10, KJV, which says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Now along with these many ideas I’ve been sitting on, being an entrepreneur is one of them (there will be a launching of the SE Store and SE Services soon enough). Not only was this all-in-one platform a smart move for creative purposes (especially since I have so much I want to explore), but it was a smart move business-wise. This is why it is important to be led by the Spirit. If I had acted on a thought to create a body oil here, or to create a t-shirt there, and then some artwork over yonder, or doing things out of season “because errrbody and they Momma were doing something,” then I’d have a bajillion business names and taxes to work through. Praise the Lord that I escaped those moments of impatience and fled the comparison trap!
Now, I’ll add this little bit here, too: The colors I chose were just as important to me as the name I chose for this platform. Since Holy Spirit led me to use my name, I chose colors to reflect that.
Green: [wide island, wide meadow] for health, as well as growth, newness, and life
Purple: [consecrated to God] for royalty
(Jesus is King! And as a child of the Most High God, that makes me a daughter of the King)
White: for purity
(I want a platform that is clean, wholesome, and pure)
All of 2020, I spent releasing what God wanted me to let go of, praying, fasting, reading and meditating on the Word of God, journaling, planning, researching, building up my finances, setting goals, and ultimately, giving everything to God. I legalized the platform in 2021, and now I’m here in 2022 with www.sidnielise.com as a platform for God to work through me to help you.
Much Love,
Sidni Elise
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