|
The two met because of their church involvement, both running ministries in Maryland.
“Years before, I had worked for a man named Wade Jackson who was instrumental in changing my life,” Joel told me. “He led me to Christ and I was saved two years later.”
This was while Joel was still a young man, and since then he has been involved in several ministries, including serving as the follow-up minister to the Full Gospel Business Men’s Association and starting a nursing home ministry in his church.
He and Jackie had been friends (after his divorce) for a very long time during these endeavors as he would go into the Holiday Inn where she booked the large events and she would help him arrange for the Full Gospel meetings.
Then her husband died and he and other church friends were there to help her through.
“It was funny when he first asked me out to dinner,” Jackie joked. “I couldn’t believe it was a date! Our paths had been crossing for about two years after my husband died, and then Joel went to Israel in February 1987 on a leadership tour and asked me if I wanted to see his photographs. Well of course I did. We had exactly one date, and were married that April.”
Joel laughed, saying he had been praying and had heard God in his heart saying it was time to remarry and Jackie was the one.
“I just knew,” he said, smiling. “We were married before we had even kissed or done any of those things.”
At first they pastored a church together in Baltimore and then they trained in the home group ministry of a large inter-denominational Christian church.
“I don’t like to dwell on denominations,” Joel said. “I just want to follow Christ.”
Since 1981 he has done other jobs- mostly in sales- along with his ministries. But he stopped selling life insurance because he didn’t like thinking of the people he met as “a sale.”
When he first took these four photographs, Joel intended to separate them but liked the arrangement so much he’s since decided to frame them as one.
Then they took care of two elderly relatives until their deaths; for about 8 years before moving to Florida.
They went to Bradenton first. By then Joel had a real estate license was doing fairly well. After discovering Apollo Beach they felt they just had to move.
“It was like a whole new frontier then,” he said, speaking of the 1980s.
Together they had four grown children until one of Jackie’s died. The couple now has five grandchildren and two great grandchildren as well.
“Our first great grandchild was born on Sept. 11 (2001),” Jackie said.
Since moving to the area Joel has become involved with the South Shore Business Association and the South Shore Arts Council and worked on Ruskin’s Big Draw, teaching a class in photography. He also is starting a small photography business out of his home and is currently showing some of his work at Arianna’s Home Décor in the plaza across U.S. 41 from Mirabay, behind M&I Bank.
To contact him, call (813) 476-2332; email him at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or see his work on his Web site, www.imagesbyjoel.zenfolio.com .
|
