what's in a name?

After a busy winter/spring involving a decision to move our lives to Cedar Falls, my brother passing away, Paige’s grandfather passing away, listing our house, selling our house, moving out of our house, looking for a new job, starting a new job, starting a new church, etc… we have finally had time to consider with full focus the name of our next little Van Voorst.

Lauren Schaeffer Van Voorst

It was very important to me to incorporate an homage to Lauren in the naming of this child. So we flirted with several different ways of accomplishing this. There were a few names that emerged as aesthetically quite pleasing, but did not include any reference to Lauren. As much as the pull was towards some of these names, it did not feel right . It felt too important to honor Lauren. It was something I was eager to do.

So we settled on naming her about as much after a person as you can by giving her the same first name.

I am praying that God allows Schaeffer to grow up to be a woman of the same mold as her aunt.

Lauren, we love you and it is our privilege to honor you in this manner.

We are going to call our newest daughter Schaeffer to avoid any familial confusion since Aunt Lauren is a frequent source of encouraging conversation around our home. Although in our home it is usually just the name Aunt.

Paige discovered the writings of Edith Schaeffer while pregnant with our newest daughter and has been greatly encouraged regarding her teaching and wisdom regarding families, homemaking and beauty in all things.

Edith Schaeffer passed away back in March of this year at the ripe ol' age of 98.

So what’s in a name?

The high hopes and prayers of parents who long to call their children brothers and sisters in Christ someday by the grace of God.

Lauren Schaeffer represents a great deal of what Paige and I find most beautiful, desirable and worthwhile in this life.

My prayer is that Schaeffer herself would become in her own right one after whom future generations would gladly seek to honor in using her name as a standard of character and integrity aimed at godliness in Christ alone.