Happy 16th Birthday, Little Joe!

Is this the cutest face, or what?

And this? Oh. My. Goodness.

My handsome little man turns 16 years old today. And he still has a guitar in his hands.

I think back on his story, and God's grace amazes me. May 1st of 1998 we were involved in another woman's life going through the process of adopting her little boy. Her due date was early June, but in mid-May she went into labor. They stopped her labor and we visited her on and off in the hospital anxiously awaiting for this precious bundle. But as time went on we began to realize she was slowly changing her mind. So our last visit, "Mr. Cartwright" looked at me as we went up in the elevator and said, "This is probably the last time we will see her. We've got to share Jesus with her, for her soul is more important than us receiving this gift." So we shared the Gospel with her. And left. Never seeing her again. 

Time went on and we were not sure what the Lord was doing in growing our family until the afternoon of October 14th, 1998. We received a phone call stating there was a little boy in foster care in Pensacola, Florida, who needed to be placed in a home in 3 days. On the 17th of October we drove up and picked up our new little son. (We laugh now, because as they turned his carseat around and we saw him for the first time, we thought he was a girl. His afro was so big.)

Then we found out his birthday. May 1st.

We realized as we had been going through the grieving process of the failed adoption another little boy had been born many miles away who would become our son. God's faithfulness shines through again. He never fails. us.

"Little Joe", we are blessed to be your parents. God has used you in amazing ways to change us and grow us. He has amazing plans for your life. You have been blessed with so many talents and abilities. Use them solely for His glory, and His glory alone. Happy 16th birthday!