What's in a name?

"What's in a name?  That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
         - William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

While I agree with Shakespeare that your name does not necessarily define who you are, I do feel that a person's name should hold some meaning.  Whether it's a name that sets aspirations to live up to or a person to emulate, I've always wanted my children to have a name that holds significance - to me and their father and, eventually, to them.
Caleb was named after Caleb from the book of Joshua in the Bible, who exhibited great bravery, faith and faithfulness.  His middle name (Augustine) is from St. Augustine, an early Christian philosopher who taught and defended Biblical truth.  Likewise, we hope that our son would grow to be a brave and loyal man of faith who isn't afraid to stand up for truth.

It's been somewhat more challenging to come up with names for the twins.  Maybe it's because we have to come up with two names at once or maybe it's because we know we have more time to brainstorm (we only had a week or two for Caleb!), but whatever the reason, it hasn't been easy.  With that being said, I think we've finally picked some winners.  So here they are (and the reasons we chose them).

For our sweet baby girl...

Wren Naomi

Back before I knew I was pregnant but when I was hoping that I was, my sweet friend Becky sent me a text message with a Bible verse (Psalm 143:8) in it.  It was a cold February morning, over an hour from sunrise, and as I sat in the chair next to the glass doors to our back porch, I read the verse:  "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you."  Just as I read the last word of the verse, I heard the beautiful song of a single bird right outside the doors.  It was as clear as day to me:  the morning had brought me word of God's unfailing love for me - and for our children - using a little bird as a messenger.  Even before that morning, and certainly since then, I have seen a small, brown bird hopping all around our back porch right next to our glass doors.  The type of bird is called a Carolina Wren, and it is responsible for many of the melodious bird songs heard in our area.  Hence, the name Wren.

Naomi is the mother-in-law of Ruth in the Biblical book of Ruth.  Her husband and both her sons died, leaving her with no spouse, children, or grandchildren - a terrible position to be in, especially in those days.  Despite these circumstances, she trusted the Lord, and by the end of the book, she had a kinsman redeemer.  Even more importantly, she knew that the Lord was her ultimate redeemer.
Our prayer for Wren is that she would be a woman who trusts the Lord and knows that he loves her and is her redeemer.

For our precious baby boy...

Judson Grant

Adoniram Judson was a missionary to Burma (modern day Myanmar) in the 19th century.  He was the first missionary - even the first Christian - to Burma, where he spent over 30 years, where he became fluent in Burmese, and where he translated the Bible into Burmese.  He devoted his life to the Burmese people, was imprisoned, and lost many loved ones while there, including wives and children.  But that's not why we want to name our son after him.  Here's what makes Judson remarkable:  It was six long years before he saw the first convert to Christianity, but by the time he died, it was estimated that there were over 200,000 Christians in the country!  Today, there are 3,700 congregations that can be traced back to Judson's efforts in Burma.  He believed wholeheartedly in God's sovereignty and goodness, as any person must who goes through what he endured while still continuing to pour out his life for the sake of others.  He set his eyes on things that are above and not on things that are on earth.  

Tony went to college with someone with the last name Grant.  He was an individual who stood up for his faith in the face of hostility and persecution.  

We hope Judson would grow to be a man of perseverance who knows without a doubt that God is sovereign and good and who is eternally minded even in the face of persecution and suffering. 

Are these lofty aspirations for our children?  Of course!  We know they will be imperfect and will struggle, as we all do (even as their namesakes did), but, by the grace of God, we pray that we can direct them to follow in the footsteps of the admirable individuals and characteristics for which they are named.