What's in a name?

We would like to officially announce the name of our second son, to be born in about 1 and 1/2 weeks! (drum roll.......)

We have decided to name him Justin Charles Osterberg. There is a very special reason that we chose these names for our son to carry.

First, the name Justin comes from a very dear friend of ours, Justin Childers. Justin was with us at Sam Houston State University and was very active in the Baptist Student Ministry, which is how we came to know him originally. He was older than Brent and I and he taught many of the nights we attended at the BSM. Very few people have presented the Word of God to us in such a challenging, meaningful and beautiful way. Justin preached the Word. He was not ever ashamed of what it said or what it taught. He loves God, strives to be like Christ and wants others to experience his joy. At a time when Brent and I feel that we were both saved and 'baby' Christians, God used Justin to bring us closer to Himself and to strengthen our walk.

Justin became a very dear friend over the course of the four years we knew him in college and he even performed our wedding ceremony. Once again, the Lord used Justin to convict and bless us as we began our first steps as husband and wife.

When it came time for Brent to go to Seminary and study the Word of God, Justin was attending SWBTS. Justin's presence in Fort Worth was a large reason that Brent chose SWBTS over other seminaries presented to him. During the first years of seminary Justin's friendship was used by the Lord over and over to encourage us as newlyweds and to light us on fire with passion for Christ.

It would be a oversight of me here not to mention Justin's Godly and loving wife, Jeanna. As a woman that is striving after God, Jeanna's friendship to me was also used by the Lord as a great point of encouragement. I don't know if I ever told Jeanna before they moved what a model of Proverbs 31 she was, and is, to me. I can only pray that our son Justin finds as Godly and nurturing a wife as Justin Childers did.

Justin and his wife currently live in North Carolina, carrying out the Great Commission. Justin is a pastor and they have two children. We keep up with them still, through the blogging world mostly, and Brent and I continue to be spurred on by this couple that wants nothing more than to make God famous and to be used to further the Kingdom.

Justin and Jeanna, we love you both so much and our hope in having our son carry the name Justin is not so that Justin Childers would be remembered, but that Christ would be magnified and that HE would be the one that receives the glory for this new little life that He has created. We want our son to love God with his whole life, the way we know that you do. Thank you for blessing us, but most of all, we praise the Lord for you and for the way He called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light! To Him be the glory!

P.S. "Charles" is for Charles Haddon Spurgeon, another teacher/preacher after God's own heart. :)

Here is a picture of the Childers family: Karis, Jeanna, Justin, and Noah!