“A man with a testimony is never at the mercy of a man with an argument”

This anonymous author never argued with my brother. Seriously though, one of the qualities that I admire in Joseph James Ouellette is his unrelenting hold on truth. My brother is true to his Lord, true to his family, true to his church… he passionately holds to what he knows to be true. And speaking of passion, there are few who are spend themselves for the things they love and believe in like my older brother. I am so proud to follow him.

And so since today is his birthday I thought I would follow his lead and share a few interesting facts and fun memories that you may or may not know.

1) Joseph got REAL passionate one year in front of the Tabernacle at youth camp when a kid unloaded a packet of salt on his head. He literally (I am not exaggerating) picked the kid up by both cheeks and pinned him against the tin wall.
2) Joseph has not always been as skilled in the culinary arts as he is today, but yes he has always been adventurous in them. At the age of six or so he decided that he could cook on the gas space heater in our only bathroom and made chocolate chip eggs. Oh Joseph those tasted sooo bad. Thank the Lord you kept trying!
3) One summer while playing King of the Dock (kind of like King of the Hill, but on a wet slippery dock, (yes only boys…)) Joseph slipped and fell, hitting his head along his eyebrow and split open his skin very well. When we arrived at the Hospital in that small town, Joseph was very unimpressed with their presentation and fought my parents as to whether or not he could wait to drive all the way home to get the stitches sewn in civilization.
4) Perhaps his superior musical ability is somewhat akin to the fact that every week he would memorize his memory verse in a song. (Why didn’t I do that?)

My brother has blessed me my entire life. As a toddler he taught me his school lessons to ready me for school. As a child he would hold me when I would cry. As a youngster he protected me from neighborhood bullies. As a young man he told me with tears in his eyes how proud he was of me for letting God use me. As a man he has lead our family through years of adversity and shouldered loads that I could not bare. Happy Birthday, Joseph. I love you.