He shall be called...

So there's been a lot of discussion in our house about the name of our beautiful boy. Mostly between the kids and I. Jase and I have spoken on several occasions and often, that man that I adore, would blow me off and say, "I'm not sure yet."

Now to be honest. I think he was waiting for us to receive PA from China. You know, when you put a name with the face of a person you don't truly know yet, they become much more real. They are a person with a life and a purpose. Not that you have to know people's names to know they are real. But you get me, right?

Right on.

So, he wasn't really blowing me off. I think he just wasn't willing or ready to subject our hearts to more harm if something didn't work out. But I kept wanting to call him something. I'd go before the Lord and ask for things concerning the "sweet baby boy in China." And for a year, looong before we saw his picture or even really contemplated adopting from there...he was "Shepherd" to me. I would say things like, "My Shepherd is in China somewhere..." or "One day, I'll have my Shep."

I just love that name.

And it's really not because it may/may not be trendy right now. I've loved it for years. There was a Shepherd in elementary school with me. I really just thought I had a Shepherd. As it turns out, Jase didn't think that was his name. I was okay with that. I wasn't nuts about how it flowed with our last name. But still, I was willing to use it because I just adore it.

So this weekend, during college football no less, we went through names. "S" names specifically. You know, to even the score. 2 J's, 2 K's, 2 S's. That was my take anyway...might as well go for symmetry. ha. We kicked around a few.

One being Samuel. Love it. But it would inevitably be shortened to Sam. And while I love Sam, I don't love Sam and Kam. Yeah. That's no bueno. Who would know who's yelling at who if our short names were that close? ha. I could see a new Dr. Seuss story in the making.

By Sunday night, we had settled on a name.

A name that I love!

Are you ready?

Can you dig it?...

Seth Hudson {insert last name}

We both love Seth. Biblical like his brother's. And Hudson for the great missionary to China, Hudson Taylor. He spent 51 years in China and loved its people in Jesus Name. He is responsible for over 800 missionaries coming to China as well as building 125 schools there. This man lived his faith. I love that Seth will share his name. And y'all, both are so fitting for our beautiful boy. So fitting. I think he looks just like a Seth. Joel is already calling him "Seff." How adorable is that? My goodness. So much boy cuteness. I think I may explode.

We continue to see the Lord moving mountains out of the way of us getting to China. It's so amazing. I can't wait to post more. It seems that not a day goes by that we don't see evidence of His hand on our lives. We are grateful. He is good.

"If I had 1000 lives, I'd give them all for China."

Hudson Taylor