Titus Stephen!

After a few months of deliberation, the decision has been made and is now made public. Titus, which means “big and strong” or “giant” (for Wendy’s sake we prefer the former) and Stephen, which means “crown,” both come from the New Testament. Both NT men were servants of the Lord and models of strong Christian character. This is what the New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (1995) says about our Titus’ namesake:

Titus was a man for the tough tasks. According to Paul, he was dependable (2 Cor 8:17), reliable (2 Cor. 7:6), and diligent (2 Cor. 8:17); and he had great capacity for human affection (2 Cor. 7:13-15). Possessing both strength and tact, Titus calmed a desperate sitaution on more than one occasion. He is a good model for Christians who are called to live out their witness in trying circumstances (1259).

Desiring great things for our son, I could not think of a more fitting description of the kinds of hopes and prayers that we have. As anyone who looks at the world today knows, these are trying times, and Christ’s church needs a resurgence of strong men who will be dependable, reliable, and diligent in the service of our king. I pray that Titus might be such a young man, and that Wendy and I might model before him and teach him such Christian traits.

Join with us in prayer for him as we await his imminent arrival. He keeps making himself known–hitting, kicking, and squirming in his mother’s womb. We pray that he will be just as active for Christ in his kingdom as he is now in utero.

Sola Deo Gloria, dss