This is the Day the Lord as Made

TO HAVE A SON MEANS SO MANY THINGS - ALL THINGS BLUE, BALLS AND TRUCKS SCATTERED AROUND THE HOUSE, LITTLE LEAGUE, SUPER HEROES, LITTLE DIRTY FEET SCURRYING ACROSS THE FLOOR AND MORE. FOR US TO HAVE A SON MEANS OUR FAMILY NAME WILL CONTINUE ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION, A FACT THAT IS SO SWEET AND PRECIOUS TO JEFF AND OUR EXTENDED FAMILY. JOSEPH BRADLEY'S LITTLE LIFE IS SUCH A TENDER BLESSING. I WILL NEVER FORGET MY 20 WEEK ULTRASOUND, AND HEARING THE WORDS "IT'S A BOY." I KNEW THEN, THIS LITTLE BOY WOULD TOUCH OUR LIVES IN WAYS UNIMAGINED AS I LOOKED OVER AT MY HUSBAND BEAMING WITH PRIDE, PURE JOY AND A TOUCH OF RELIEF. NOT ONLY HAD THE LORD BLESSED US WITH ANOTHER HEALTHY PREGNANCY, BUT HE HAD BLESSED US WITH A SON.

THE NAME JOSEPH MEANS "GOD WILL INCREASE." AS A FAMILY, WE HAVE SUFFERED LOSS. IN OUR LOSS, WE HAVE FOUND STRENGTH IN THE LORD. THE LORD HAS OPENED OUR EYES TO NEW MERCIES (INDEED THEY FAIL NOT AND ARE NEW EVERY MORNING), PROVIDED US WITH RENEWED HOPE, AND EXTENDED HIS LOVE AND COMPASSION IN THE DARKEST OF MOMENTS. HE HAS ALSO ADDED TO OUR BOUNTY, AND HAS GIVEN US CHARLOTTE MARIE AND JOSEPH BRADLEY. HE HAS INCREASED. HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL.

BECAUSE OF THIS...

ON JULY 17, 2010 WE DEDICATED OUR BOY UNTO THE LORD. OUR FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS GATHERED WITH US AND TOGETHER WITH JOINED HEARTS OFFERED THANKS TO THE LORD FOR THIS PRECIOUS BOY. AS PARENTS, IT IS OUR SINCERE DESIRE THAT JOEY GROWS TO BE A YOUNG MAN WHOSE LOVE OF THE LORD IS EVIDENT TO ALL BY HIS ACTIONS AND WORDS. OUR PRAYER IS THAT FROM AN EARLY AGE, HE RECOGNIZES THE LOVE HIS HEAVENLY FATHER HAS FOR HIM, ACCEPTS THIS GIFT OF LOVE AND IN RETURN LIVES A LIFE THAT IS PLEASING AND HONORING TO HIM. IT IS ALSO OUR DESIRE, AS HIS PARENTS, TO BE LIVING EXAMPLES OF THE LORD'S GREAT WORK IN OUR OWN LIVES. WE ASK THAT YOU JOIN US IN PRAYER AS WE SEEK TO BE GODLY EXAMPLES TO OUR CHILDREN, RAISING THEM IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT POINTS THEIR LITTLE HEARTS AND EYES TO THEIR CREATOR.

QUIET MOMENTS WITH THE BOY THE MORNING OF HIS SPECIAL DAY.


OUR LITTLE MAN ALL DRESSED UP FOR HIS BIG DAY.

I LIKE TO THINK HE IS LOOKING UP AT HEAVEN WITH THAT SMILE.

OUR LITTLE CREW.

BANANA CAKE...YUM! WE HAD THE SAME ONE FOR CHARLOTTE'S SPECIAL DAY.

WE WERE SO BLESSED TO SHARE THIS DAY WITH PASTOR MARK, A FAMILY FRIEND. HE WAS OUR PASTOR FOR MANY YEARS AND MARRIED JEFF AND I SIX YEARS AGO. THE DAY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT HIM. WE HOPE TO SHARE MANY MORE SPECIAL DAYS WITH HIM.

OUR PRIDE AND JOY

(DOES THIS REMIND ANYONE ELSE OF THE LION KING?!)

JOE AND THE IMPORTANT MEN IN HIS LIFE.

ROB (JOEY'S GODFATHER), JEFF, PAPA JOE AND DOC

THE GODPARENTS - ROB AND ASHLEY LIVINGSTON WITH THEIR BLESSED LITTLE ONES, ROBBIE AN ELLIE.

THIS PICTURE IS PRICELESS FOR SO MANY REASONS.

WE ARE BEYOND BLESSED TO HAVE THESE PEOPLE PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LIFE OF OUR SON. WE KNOW THAT HE WILL BE LOVED AND PRAYED FOR ALWAYS.

THE GRANDPAS

THE GRANDMAS - OBVIOUSLY WILD ABOUT THEIR LITTLE GRANDSON

ASHLEY, JOEY'S GODMOTHER, BLESSED US WITH A BEAUTIFUL SKETCH OF OUR SON IN HONOR OF HIS DEDICATION. A FEW YEARS AGO, I ASKED HER TO BLESS JEFF WITH A PAINTING OF HE AND BRAD THAT WAS TAKEN AT OUR WEDDING. SHE GRACIOUSLY SAID YES. I DID NOT KNOW WHEN I ASKED HER THE TRUE LABOR OF LOVE IT WOULD BE. I KNOW THIS PAINTING MEANT SO MUCH TO HER AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY HOURS IT TOOK TO COMPLETE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT BOTH SHE AND THE PAINTING ARE TREASURED. HER TALENTS ARE TRULY A GIFT FROM THE LORD, AND CONTINUE TO BLESS US AS A FAMILY.

WE CANNOT HELP BUT NOTICE HOW MUCH LITTLE JOE LOOKS LIKE HIS UNCLE BRAD IN THIS SKETCH. WE HOPE THAT OUR BOY WILL ONE DAY LIVE A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE AND SERVICE TO THE LORD THAT MIRRORS HIS UNCLE'S. EVEN, MORE IT IS OUR HOPE THAT ONE DAY OUR FAMILY WILL BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE LIVES OF BOTH BRAD AND JOSEPH BRADLEY IN HEAVEN TOGETHER. WHAT A DAY OF REJOICING THAT WILL BE.