“Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.” —Psalm 128:1-4, KJV
Our sweet little Christian Clyde — Born September 26, 2011 A.D.
“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” —I Peter 4:14-16, NIV (emphasis added)
Our gracious Heavenly Father has once again blessed our household with a new member, and one who indeed bears that name: Christian Clyde Turley. Choosing a name that a man may possess for his entire life—for perhaps a century to come—is a sobering and thrilling task. We enjoyed it this time every bit as much as we did with Calvin Blair, and God granted us equal unity as before and clarity of vision for which we were grateful.
Calvin holds his long-awaited little brother
Christian is inspired by a number of things. To us, it is a virtue name of sorts, such as Patience or Hope. Though we cannot know the fullness of God’s plan for little Christian (as we also cannot know if Patience will be impatient or Hope despairing), our highest aspiration for him as his parents is that he would follow Christ, and follow Him fervently. As III John states in reference to spiritual children:
“….I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” —III John 3-4, KJV
His name is also inspired by Christian, the main character of our favorite book, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Throughout his journey from the “City of Destruction” to the “Celestial City”, Christian experiences trials and temptations, faces common defeats and inspiring victories, exhibits great strengths and all-too-familiar weaknesses, and wages war against the flesh—all concepts keenly familiar to followers of Christ. It has been an inspiration to us towards further sobriety and deliberate living. Below is an illustration from an 1861 reproduction antique copy we own.
Christian’s Burden Falls Off
Clyde is inspired by a steadfast follower of Christ and Christian’s maternal great-grandfather, Howard Clyde Garrett, whose father’s name was also Clyde. Mr. Garrett has walked faithfully with the Lord for many years and had a profound impact on Melissa in her growing up years, reinforcing the importance of walking with the Lord that her parents taught her and creating a beautiful picture of a multigenerational devotion to God. Below, he reads to Calvin in their Bessemer, Alabama home.
Great-Grandaddy Howard Clyde Garrett Reads to Christian’s Big Brother, Calvin
Below are more pictures from the first 24 hours. Enjoy!
Mama and her two sons!
All the Turley Men
Grandpa and Grandma dote on Christian
