The Kids: Joel

Joel Robert William.  It's a fitting name for a grown man stuck in a boy's body.  Joel is the only one of our children who has two middle names.  Matt and I weren't sure that we'd be able to have more children after Joel, so we decided to give him both of his grandfathers' names just in case.

At eight, soon to be nine years old, our little mustachioed man is growing taller and more philosophical by the day, although he no longer sports a stache. Joel is an observer and will only join an activity once he thinks he has a handle on it.  His is very concerned about proper rule following, which leads to concern over rule breaking.

For the most part, Joel is quite serious. That doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy laughing.  He does. However, he's not into silliness.  He speaks slowly and purposely.  He doesn't waste words.  He often times is quiet during our loud family dinner conversations, but then will pipe up with a deeply profound statement that bowls us over.

Joel recently took over Paul's chicken business which supplies eggs to a few customers and partially supplies our own family with eggs.  Paul was looking to get into his knife sharpening/making business and it seemed appropriate that Joel would take over the chickens.  As such, Joel is responsible to let the chickens in and out of the chicken house each day and make sure they have plenty of food and water. He also collects, cleans and dates the eggs every day.

Joel loves to read and he loves to role play WWII battles with his three little brothers.  Matt got me an intercom system for my birthday so I wouldn't have to do so much yelling to get kids to come from the far corners of the earth.  Of course, the kids have used the system more than I have.  Joel especially loves to put out WWII fighter pilot mayday messages.  "I'm going down.  I repeat, going down!"

Joel is very protective of his little brothers.  He allows his brothers to sleep in his bed when they desire to do so.   I often find all three boys (Joel, Jude and Isaac) and the dog squeezed into Joel's twin bed when I do a bedtime check.

Joel helps Jude to memorize his BSF verse every week.  Jude is always so tickled to come home from Bible study and tell me how he was able to say his verse in class.  This is due to Joel's diligence, not mine.

Before I conceived Joel, I prayed that the Lord would give me another son to raise to His glory.  I did conceive, but I miscarried.  One morning I was having my devotional time and reading in 1 Samuel. Hannah's cry to the Lord for a son became my prayer and I distinctly heard the Lord say to me, "I will give you a son."  Not long after that, I became pregnant with Joel.  He is the son for which I prayed and I know the Lord has great plans for this little boy of ours.