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Splashes of Joy and Strength

Sun pours in through the windows. Grainy video footage of
the sixties movements march across our TV screen. My teens sprawl long-legged
across the living room floor, munching lunch in history class. In the back yard
outside, white rags of surrender blow from my wire raspberry fences. 
A green dinosaur scrambles up on my lap, leaning his head
sleepily against me. Plush fabric dino horns brush my cheek as my four year old
cuddles in. 
Throughout the afternoon, homework crises rise and fall,
emails are sent, and laundry mounds high, yet the sun still pours in rich and
warm.  My Bible spills open across the
scratched cherry wood table, the same table my husband grew up around as a
child. Stealing over in quiet moments, I grab verses here, nuggets there. 
“’I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they
will walk,’ declares the Lord.”
Earlier in the chapter while relating stories of rescue, the
writer declares: “Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will
rejoice in the Lord.” 
The sun spills across my kitchen floor, and floods into my
living room, lighting up the jade and banana palm. 
“I will strengthen them in
the Lord, and in his name they will walk…” 
We can see his rescue stories
written across time, with hearts that rejoice in Him. 
Linking with Shanda and Duane.

Light through the window clip art courtesy of Microsoft clip art.

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16 Comments

  1. Brian Miller on October 30, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    somedays those little snatches are all we get, but it is also diligence to use those little moments as well for something useful…home wiht the boys today due to the school out for the storm so its been a day of fun here…

  2. Jennifer Dougan on October 30, 2012 at 8:35 pm

    Enjoy that time with them. Hope you and the people you know are safe today! Whew. We've been monitoring the news.

    Thanks for stopping by, Brian.

    Jennifer
    jenniferdougan.com

  3. Wendy @ E-1-A on October 30, 2012 at 9:17 pm

    What a lovely glimpse into your day… and the days gone past!

    Thank you for visiting Encourage-1-Another today… it's lovely to meet you Jennifer.

  4. Denise on October 30, 2012 at 9:43 pm

    Appreciate your sharing.

  5. Dolly@Soulstops on October 31, 2012 at 1:27 am

    Hi Jennifer,
    love those rescue stories in the Bible, and the ones being written today 🙂 blessings…found your comment in my spam again…sorry ..

  6. Pamela on October 31, 2012 at 2:14 am

    I'm thankful for the snatches, too. (And think it's totally awesome that you use the table your husband grew up with.) You won the giveaway at A Sheltering Tree. If you e-mail me your address I'll get it sent out.

    pj_kuhn at comcast dot net

  7. Melanie on October 31, 2012 at 3:40 am

    Jennifer
    You paint this scene so clearly. Feel like I'm in the room with you.
    And great encouragement as I think of my kindergartner and threads through his life.

    Thank you for stopping and reading my post today.

  8. Jen on October 31, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    Your words are like a fine tuned orchestra or carefully written play. The beauty of them lingers in my ears. Thank you. ~ jen

  9. Jennifer Dougan on October 31, 2012 at 11:49 pm

    Wendy,

    Thanks for stopping by here. Always nice to meet new people.

    Have a great week,
    Jennifer
    jenniferdougan.com

  10. Jennifer Dougan on October 31, 2012 at 11:50 pm

    Hi Denise,

    Thank you, friend.

    Jennifer
    jenniferdougan.com

  11. Jennifer Dougan on October 31, 2012 at 11:53 pm

    Dolly,

    The rescue stories being written today! Yes. It's fun to share our stories together online, and rejoice along together at them and God in us.

    Have a lovely evening,
    Jennifer
    jenniferdougan.com

  12. Jennifer Dougan on October 31, 2012 at 11:56 pm

    Pamela,

    What fun to win! Thank you. I emailed you my address separately.

    Do you have some older furniture from your family too?

    Jennifer
    jenniferdougan.com

  13. Jennifer Dougan on October 31, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    Thank you, Melanie. Your encouragement makes me smile this evening.

    Enjoy your kindergartner. They are so precious and it goes by so quickly.

    Jennifer
    jenniferdougan.com

  14. Jennifer Dougan on November 1, 2012 at 12:03 am

    Jen,

    How gracious and kind! Thank you, friend. It's nice to have you stopping by here today. Thanks for being a source from God of affirmation too.

    Have a lovely evening,
    Jennifer
    jenniferdougan.com

  15. AmyAlves on November 1, 2012 at 7:38 pm

    Beautiful Jennifer, just beautiful. Learning to have a heart of gratitude in the middle of normal day times… PRICELESS! So, we say thanks God and thanks to you for sharing sister. ~ Love from Maine, Amy

  16. cabinart on November 12, 2012 at 5:03 am

    Jennifer, how did I miss this post?? I'm commenting to ask you about the photo of the people in the springtime, probably in the '60s. Where is that?? It looks just like Central California where I live!

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