What's in a name?  We have thought a great deal about each of the names for our children, and you two boys are no different.  We always look for a Biblical name and names with special meaning.  Your names is something you carry with you for the rest of your life, so we have always wanted to give each of you a name that shares some of our hopes and dreams for you.  With you being twins we had a little of an extra challenge in that we wanted you to both have your own unique name and also to have names that worked together since you are twins.

When thinking about it, no two men seemed to be closer friends in the Bible than David and Jonathan.  Despite not actually being brothers, they had a beautiful relationship of brothers.  Each loving the other more than himself.  Jonathan though in line to the throne as Saul's son, recognized God passing the kingdom to David.  And David even after the death of Jonathan sought to honor his memory in caring for his family.  We hope you both remain close, always seeking what's best for each other.

We have long liked the name William David, having it in mind for Ruth if she had been a boy, 10 years ago.  William is an old name an English name coming from an even older Norman/Viking/Germanic name.  It is a name that I have seen attached both to wonderful folks in history of strong and noble character like William Marshal, and some truly despicable characters like Burke and Hare the Irish serial murderers.  However, the name means resolute protector, and we hope you will take that to heart and protect and look out for others.  David is one our favorite men from the Bible.  A man after God's own heart, and means beloved of God.  He made some terrible mistakes in life, just like all men do, but he also was willing to confess and seek forgiveness for those sins and faults.  It seems so simple to do but is actually really difficult in practice.

Jonathan means gift of God.  And while we feel like all of you children are gifts from God.  To find out we were pregnant with twins when we thought we were done having children, felt like an extra special gift after losing your older sister.  It reminded me a bit of the end of the book of Job, where he is blessed with more children.  They don't replace those that he lost, but were a great joy in his old age.  Jonathan was brave and had great faith in God.  He expressed that God could save by many or few and was willing to go against his father the king to protect David because it was the right thing to do, not the easy thing.  Lynn has two different meanings from the Welsh it means a lake, from the Hebrew it refers to a large tree that is a landmark.  Which leads to my next point.  Between the two of you, you have been named for three men that have made a great impact in our lives.

Will, you are named for Eld. David Montgomery and Eld. David Crawford.  While, we know many preachers who share this name, Bro David Montgomery in particular has made a great impact on both your Daddy and I.  As a young teenager, he made a huge impact on me and the way I view the Church.  When we were dating we talked at length about one of his sermons from the book of Ruth that made a huge impact on Daddy.  He has been through some trials and encouraged us a great deal during a time of trouble in the Church and when we went through a period of unemployment. He is not only a good and knowledgeable preacher, but a man who is always an encouragement to God's people both in word and deed. A man who can find the lighter side in any situation. We love and respect him very much.  Eld. David Crawford has a sweet heart and unfailing devotion to God that he abundantly shows by His care for the people of God whether in MacClenny Church, sister Churches, or the community where he lives. We hope you will be a protector of others, a man after God's own heart, a man who is wise enough to admit his faults and can still laugh at himself who always seeks the welfare of God's people.

Jon, you are named for both Eld. Jonathan Cook and your Grumps.  Bro. Jonathan is also a knowledgeable preacher, that we enjoy to hear, but his true strength is having the heart of a pastor.  He has a genuine care for others and great humility.  We will be forever thankful for the time we lived in PA and were able to have him as our pastor.  It is rare to find someone even in the Church with whom you have such much in common.  You are also named after Grumps, who is the wisest person I know.  He thinks and listens more than he speaks, and even though we don't always agree, his thoughts are always worth considering.  Grumps is very patient and long suffering.  Both of these men despite being very serious about the things of God, are alot of fun with their family and friends. We hope you will be a man of great faith, who gives great thought to others and the things of God, seeking with all humility to honor God in all you do, someone who is a joy to be around.