Originally, I chose a completely different word, jealousy. After two days of research, I had only found seven of the twelve required sources. With a project deadline approaching fast, I figured I needed to find a different word quickly. I ended up having to bring my four-year-old daughter to the library with me. Her willingness to be with me in the library inspired me to research her name, Faith. The book Baby Names Now, regards the name Faith as being a "Puritan virtue"(Rosenkrantz and Redmond 81). While I researched, Faith patiently spent three hours by my side at the library. Faith knew how important this project was to me. She did everything possible to keep herself quietly occupied while I working. Faith clearly had a pureness about her that day.
             I began my journey by finding the history of the word faith. The Funk and Wagnall's New Standard Dictionary indicates that faith derived from Old English, Latin, and Middle English (891). When introduced in the 1300's, The Oxford English Dictionary or the O.E.D. offered many spellings of faith: fayth, feith, and feithe. The equivalent synonym, fay, also had spelling variations: fai, feye, faye, and fey. Up until the 1600's, all spelling variations were accepted. However, after the 1600's, faith became the standard spelling. The O.E.D. defines faith as "Belief, trust, confidence" (1315). Before the 1500's, faith was only associated with God or
             religion. Since the 1500's, faith has also been associated with people and things. I considered myself to have confidence in my work, as well as, trust in my spouse. After all, "belief,
             confidence, trust, security, certitude, reliance, assurance, certainty, credence, and conviction are all documented synonyms in the Random House Roget's College Thesaurus (259).
             The O.E.D. also refers to faith as a "Religious belief" (777). While trying to summarize a cl
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