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.
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