It's a Boy!!

We are proud to announce the birth of our baby boy, Rylee Chander White, born April 7th, weighing in at 9lbs and 3ounces. Baby and mother are doing wonderful!

Concerning Rylee's name:

Rylee is named after the great Anglican Bishop, JC Ryle. By God's providence I (Nathan) came across JC Ryle's book Holiness as a young Christian. The book had a profound impact on me, the first reading still impacting my thinking and understanding of Christianity even today, and it has become a well-worn manual that I have returned to time and time again.

Courtney also, at my urging, has become quite the Ryle fan as well. She greatly admires his practicality and easy-to-read writing style. I would strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with Ryle if you've never read him before. Start with his best work, Holiness, and move on to his commentaries on the gospels, Knotts Untied, etc., which are also excellent.

Rylee's middle name, Chandler, is after my Dad, Chandler White. Rylee and my dad share the same birthday (April 7th of course), and nobody has had a greater impact on my life than my wonderful father. From the earliest of my memory, my father was reading scripture to me, encouraging me to memorize and internalize it, praying/singing with me, and basing all of his instruction and counsel upon the principles found in the sacred text.

I am blessed and honored to have such a God-fearing father, and it is certainly our desire that Rylee follow after these two faithful men in faith and in practice.

God is so incredibly good --it absolutely baffles me because of the depths of my sin and wickedness. Join me in singing this great Psalm of praise:

Psalm 128

Tune: "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"

Words:

Blessed the man that fears Jehovah
And that walketh in His ways;
Thou shalt eat of thy hands' labor
And be prospered all thy days.
Like a vine with fruit abounding
In thy house they wife is found,
And like olive plants they children,
Compassing they table round.

Lo, on him that fears Jehovah
Shall this blessedness attend;
For Jehovah out of Zion
Shall to thee His blessing send.
Thou shalt see Jerus'lem prosper
All thy days till life shall cease;
Thou shalt see they children's children
Unto Is-ra-el be peace.

(Words taken from the Trinity Psalter)