Baby Brother

It’s the big question everyone has been asking us for months: "Have you decided on a name?"

Naming another person is such a big decision, and just like when we were naming Carson, I think of names and Keith eliminates them! Sweet Carson has offered several suggestions along the way, including Lightning McQueen and TowMater, whom he knows from his underwear, and his very favorite suggestion: Jesus. He also thought Baby Brother would be born in Bethlehem with all of the animals and was quite concerned to hear that he would be born in a hospital. Throughout the pregnancy, Carson has been such a sweet big brother, rubbing my belly and talking to his baby brother in the sweetest little voice.

Last night, we finally decided to commit to a name. It’s the one name that’s been on the list the whole time.

Charlie James Clark

Charlie

One of our most beloved mentors, Charles Siburt, passed away last summer. Dr. Siburt is one of the godliest men we’ve ever known. He was honest and encouraging, gentle and strong, funny and sincere. He was probably the most discerning person we’ve ever known. He loved churches and loved ministers and was gifted at matching the two. We will always be grateful that he matched us with Hohenwald and with Southern Crescent. He had physical challenges, but did not let them define him. In fact, those challenges made him stronger, more humble, and more empathetic. He and his sweet wife, Judy, always made us feel like such dear and special friends, and in the months leading up to his death when he was so sick, we realized just how many other people they made feel so special and loved. So, as we brainstormed names, there was a reason we kept coming back to Charlie: because there is no one we’d rather name our sweet boy after than Charlie Siburt. We pray that our little Charlie will grow up to be a man with the same kinds of qualities as this man that we loved so dearly, who used his gifts to glorify God, who recognized gifts in other people, and who dedicated his life to Jesus.

James

James is another name rich with meaning for both Keith and me. Like Dr. Siburt, Dr. James Thompson is another of Keith’s professors from the Graduate School of Theology at ACU. Graduate school has been one of the most formative parts of Keith’s life so far, and did so much to shape us both into the people we are today. Much of this formation is thanks to James Thompson. Dr. Thompson sought Keith out as a first year student and took time to teach, mentor, and nurture his faith. Keith took almost every class Dr. Thompson offered during his three and half years in graduate school and soaked up as much as he could. He used to joke that he was minoring in Thompson. Dr. Thompson opened his eyes to new ways of understanding scripture and introduced him to some of his favorite authors. We will always be thankful for James, for the ways he has taught Keith about theology, and for the way he models a life of continued learning and growth. We are excited that our Charlie James can carry his name.

My granddad, my dad’s dad, was JT Mahaffey. When he was in World War II, they asked him what his name stood for, and he told them it didn’t stand for anything, his name was simply JT. They asked him his dad’s name and when he told them James Thomas, they informed him that was now his name too. So, though I never heard anyone call my granddad "James," I saw it written on his mail and knew the story of his name. I have absolutely wonderful memories with my granddad. My sister and I used to join him, his wife, and oftentimes, the rest of their RV club on camping trips where we cooked outside, went fishing, swam in the lake, and played cards. My love of organization, strawberry milkshakes, and playing cards are all from him. He was a craftsman and was gifted at working with his hands. Whether it was building a new dog pen or baby doll beds for Misty and me, he was always working on something. He loved his neighbors, friends, and family. For the last three years of his life, we lived just two miles down the road, and were able to spend even more time playing cards, sharing meals, and visiting around his kitchen table. Unfortunately, he died several years before I met Keith, so they never got the opportunity to know each other, but he is one of the kindest men I’ve ever known. We are thankful our sweet boy can carry on his name.