In memory of our Joel

It's not just a headstone. It tells his story.

It tells of a baby who was named after a great biblical prophet (Joel = "Yahweh is his God") and his own father (Nathan = "gift from God")—two incredible men who have committed their lives to following Christ.

It tells of a mighty little man—a bold, courageous warrior—who fought hard against Hydrops for 30 weeks and was more influential in his short life than most old men ever are.

It tells of a little boy who was born on Valentine's Day, a day when most in our country celebrate love. To us, it was God's divine way of smiling on us in this grander story, reminding us how much he loves us and Joel.

It tells of a little boy who died one day after he was born, but that he LIVED. We met him. He met us. We held him close and loved him and sealed a bond face-to-face, skin-to-skin that will never be replaced.

It tells of our prayers and the foundation for his life and story—that those who see Joel 2:32 etched into the stone will know they, too, can call on the name of the Lord, be saved, and spend an eternity with Jesus.

It tells of a family who has lost someone so very special—a daddy and mama who lost a son, and a big sister who lost her little brother. We're not a family of 3. We're a family of 4. It's just that one of us has gone home to be with Jesus sooner than the others.

We'll never forget him. There will always be a hole in our hearts and family where he was meant to be. But we trust Jesus to fill that hole until we see him again one day.

If you're reading this and don't know Jesus but would like to ask questions and know more, we'd love to talk with you—plainly, candidly, honestly.

We put our full weight on what we believe, even in the wake of the greatest tragedy of our lives. God has been gracious through it. We'd like to share how you can also have unexplainable hope and peace and healing, how you can walk with a God who knows you and loves you deeply, and how you can spend eternity in heaven with him.