#Strength through Joy

[pastordin]

Strength Found in God’s Joy

Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Life often brings moments of sorrow and hardship, but as believers, we are reminded in Nehemiah 8:10 that the joy of the Lord is a powerful source of strength. Today, let us reflect on how this joy strengthens us to persevere and move forward in faith. Scriptural Foundation: “Do not…

[thenotsolittlemisspeculiar]

Bringing Back the (Strength Through) Joy 🥳🎉

(Source)

[iliothermia]

Havdalah candle merman..

[ekat-fandom-blog]

Musical Chairs the second

Based off of my Musical Chairs prompt

Danny was working with the Teen Titans when a magic user hit them with a body swap spell.

[dinosaurwithablog]

I gotta look at this election result as a challenge that is gonna test who i really am. I am a positive, caring individual. I am going to continue to be such a person even in the face of this atrocity. I will not let it define me or change me. It will strengthen my resolve. It will test my limits, and I will pass those tests. I have an indomitable spirit. I figure that the darker it gets, the brighter I will shine. It'll be alright if we all stay positive and stand together in love and friendship and acceptance and peace. We will make it through this and be stronger than ever from doing so. I already am stronger from talking to beautiful people on Tumblr who reached out to me and let me know that they care and I'm not alone. I'm not alone. You're not alone. I'm here for you all. We can, and we will prevail. Shine brightly, my friends!! That'll really piss them off, huh? 😁😍🫂

LOVE IS THE ANSWER!! IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN!💜💜💜

[evaskjew]

The last two weeks have been pretty sporty 😅 Between finishing my course preparation, finishing my move to Paris (driving alone for 5 hours was hard for me, as I hate driving 😖) and my first week at my new lycée (well, actually I've been accompanying the new students' integration days with days of tree climbing and canoeing, there are worse things 😂)

1) The fact is that I'm starting to decorate my flat with some of my drawings (I've bought frames just for that) and that's when I realised that in terms of sizes there's favouritism 😂 It's like the cliché of ‘no, but I love all my children equally’!

2) Yesterday was a nice day, so I decided to go for a walk around Paris (and it was also the last chance I had to go and see the Olympic flame in the Tuileries Gardens). It was then that I realised that Haussmann-style Paris really is magnificent. And I'd forgotten the charm of the little bookshops along the Seine (all those old Parisian posters from the late 19th and early 20th centuries 🥰) And it was also nice to see the rain at the end of the day just as I reached the Eiffel Tower 😂

3) And as I have a bit more time to myself, I'm in a dilemma 😂 On the one hand I want to continue writing my OS about Evangeline (even though it's taking me a long time, and the motivation isn't always there. I haven't even done half of what I have in mind 😭) and on the second hand I want to draw and try experimenting with watercolours (to try and find my style as I only know the one my grandmother taught me). Long live my indecision 🥲

[fionnaskyborn]

current mood:

[minakoainosupremacy]

I’m sad, I’ve had a bunch of fun cool ideas sitting in the back of my head since like new years which I wanted to use for rare pair week, but like life has been kicking my ass so I didn’t have time to even start anything and now it’s over :( guess they will just keep living in my head until next year

[senxitive]

Wish my mental health was better. Having baby fever for no reason at all, as a single old woman, and know I could never actually bear a child lol.

[mymitochondriaforpresident]

An update:

See guys? You can even see it in his eyes. He’s fine.

[marvellousx27]

[compassionmattersmost]

Praising God in Every Season: A Poem of Faith Through Joy and Sorrow

In joy and sorrow, dark or bright,I lift my heart, both day and night,To praise the One who gives and takes,In every breath, His love awakes. When skies are clear or storms arise,When laughter fills or tearful eyes,My soul remembers, come what may,His gentle hand will lead the way. For in the depths or soaring high,In every season, low or nigh,His steadfast presence, ever near,Transforms my…

[thenotsolittlemisspeculiar]

Kamala Harris and the "Joy" Campaign

(Source)

[yujateaandpi]

Hi guys! Yujatea here! If you enjoy my work, I’d like to please ask for a moment of your time to consider helping this family I’m supporting! Shaima is a mother of four children, Abdul Rahim, Walid, Majdi, and baby Amal. Shaima is struggling to support her children since her husband disappeared, and needs urgent help with providing food and resources for them, especially as winter sweeps through Gaza! This family’s fundraising campaign (@familgazaamal1) is completely vetted and I’m trying to use my platforms to raise awareness on their behalf. I’ll be opening my commissions to raise funds for their campaign so keep your eyes peeled! I’ll also post their fundraiser link in my highlights as well! Thanks guys! Let’s do our part to reclaim kindness and uplift each other!

Here's a message from the family:

In Gaza, where conflict looms over daily life, children’s dreams remain a ray of hope. Abdul Rahim, a young boy, dreams of becoming a famous artist, using his drawings to tell the world about the beauty of his homeland. Walid, on the other hand, dreams of playing football in a big stadium, representing his country despite the obstacles around him. Majdi, a cat lover, dreams of becoming a kind person and helping children. Majdi, who dreams of opening an animal shelter to care for animals in Gaza. Even in the midst of war, these children cling to their dreams, believing that one day, despite the difficulties, they will achieve their goals. Their dreams are not only about personal success, but also about shedding light on a world filled with darkness. These dreams symbolize the resilience of Gaza’s children, showing that hope and determination can survive even the most difficult circumstances.

In the heart of the ongoing war, Shaima lives with her four children, constantly struggling with pain and waiting. Her husband, who was once the source of security and happiness, left a long time ago, facing the challenges of war far from them. Every day, Shaima makes earnest efforts to keep life going despite the hardships. She strives to provide food and shelter while trying to instill hope in the hearts of her children, who are still waiting for their father’s return, a father they know little about other than his absence. Her four children, despite their young age, carry great hopes in their hearts. The eldest, who everyone sees as the "little father," dreams of their father returning to embrace them as he did in the past. The youngest, on the other hand, wakes up at night searching for his father's voice, wishing for his return to feel safe again. Shaima's dream is every mother’s dream in this war: for her husband to return safely so they can live together again in peace and security. She dreams of the days when her husband filled their home with joy, and she prays for the end of the war so their family can reunite once more. Yet, amid the destruction and tears, hope remains their strength. Shaima knows that her patience and resilience are what keep the family going. Despite the difficult days, she continues to resist, dreaming of the moment when her family will be whole again, with her husband and the father of her children back home.

[khioneee]

tap out. pt ii.

warnings. mentions of death, emotional distress, grief and loss, pregnancy.

a few years later, another tap-out ceremony arrives, but this time, the air feels different—heavier, somber. simon’s been gone for over a year, his deployment unexpectedly extended due to an incident overseas. you’d been told he couldn’t come home for a while, but that didn’t make the waiting any easier.

today, you stand among families who aren’t just here to tap out their loved ones but to say goodbye to those who didn’t make it home. tears stream down faces as loved ones gather around caskets, grieving the soldiers they’d lost. the sight fills you with a mix of dread and relief, knowing simon is still out there, waiting.

simon stands in formation, rigid as always, but he has a sense for you. before you even appear in his line of sight, he knows you’re near. but imagine his surprise when he catches a glimpse of you in his peripheral vision, a small bundle wrapped securely in your arms.

his heart hammers in his chest, quickening as he realizes what this means. his breath catches, his eyes fixed on you as you approach. you look up at him, your eyes sparkling, a knowing smile on your face as you watch the subtle changes in his expression—the slight twitch of his eyebrows, the way his breathing picks up as it dawns on him.

both of you had been trying for a baby before he left, and now, standing before him, you hold that precious life in your arms. it had been a struggle going through pregnancy without him, feeling his absence during every kick and every sleepless night. but seeing him now, looking more than ready to meet your child, all the pain fades away, replaced by a joy so profound it fills every inch of you.

‘daddy’s home,’ you whisper softly, tilting the blanket so simon can see her tiny face, fast asleep, a perfect mirror of him in miniature. she’s got his nose, his quiet strength already etched into her tiny features.

with tears in your eyes, you reach up, your hand finding his cheek, tapping him out in the gentlest of touches.

the moment your hand connects, simon moves, breaking formation as he pulls both of you into his arms, holding you close as if he’ll never let go. his voice is thick with emotion, barely a whisper as he murmurs, ‘my loves.’

you knew your husband had a reputation in the military—a man as cold and unyielding as steel, a fortress no one could break. but as he held you and your newborn in his arms, that carefully built facade cracked, revealing a vulnerable side of him that only you ever saw. the tough soldier was gone, replaced by a man whose heart lay entirely with his family.

‘do you want to hold her?’ you ask softly, watching his eyes light up with a blend of surprise and joy.

‘her?’ he whispers, voice catching on the single word, as if it’s almost too much for him to believe.

you nod, smiling through a haze of happy tears. ‘her.’

with slow, reverent movements, you pass your daughter to him, watching as she looks impossibly tiny cradled in his strong arms. simon looks down at her with a mixture of wonder and fierce protectiveness, as though he’s already memorizing every detail of her face.

as if sensing her father’s gaze, the baby yawns, a soft little sound that makes simon’s eyes shine with awe. you catch the faintest smile pulling at his lips, a rare, tender expression that he reserves only for moments like this.

he leans down, pressing his lips gently to her forehead. ‘never gonna let anything happen to you,’ he murmurs, voice thick with love and quiet promise.

while simon was lost in his quiet moment with your daughter, a loud shout cut through the air, breaking the peaceful silence.

‘is that our baby i see?!’

simon’s head snapped up, his expression immediately shifting to something harder. he turned to see soap grinning widely, practically bouncing with excitement. with a sigh, simon reached over and smacked the back of soap’s head, though his movements were careful not to jostle the sleeping baby in his arms.

‘there’s people grieving, you idiot,’ simon muttered, but soap only snickered, completely unfazed.

‘and what do you mean, ‘our’? she’s y/n’s and mine. you’re not part of this relationship, mate,’ simon added, his tone dripping with mock irritation.

but soap, undeterred, just ignored him and held out his hands, wiggling his fingers in a display of exaggerated excitement. ‘oh, come on! let me hold our child!’

simon groaned, looking down at you with a glance that seemed to ask, ‘do i really have to put up with this?’ but he couldn’t hide the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as soap’s enthusiasm filled the air around you.

reluctantly, and with another sigh, simon finally leaned over, carefully passing your daughter to soap, though not without a low, ‘if you don’t keep her calm, you’re not holding her again.’

soap just grinned, taking her into his arms as if he’d won the lottery, cradling her gently and cooing softly.

soon after, the rest of task force 141 gathered around, drawn by the excitement, each member eager to catch a glimpse of the new addition to the family.

you and simon stood to the side, watching with cautious eyes as they took turns holding her, each one adopting a careful gentleness you wouldn’t have expected from hardened soldiers.

price held her with a proud grin, murmuring something about ‘training her to be the next captain,’ while gaz made her giggle softly with his gentle cooing. even the usually reserved roach softened as he held her, a rare smile tugging at his lips.

you glanced up at simon, watching his face as he stood beside you, arms crossed in a show of casual indifference.

but you knew him too well. beneath the mask of stoicism, there was something warmer, a subtle softness in his gaze as he watched his team, his family, sharing this moment with him. this gruff, unbreakable soldier, who had once thought he’d lost everything, had found a new family among them, one that shared in his joys and sorrows alike.

reaching over, you took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. he didn’t say anything, just gave your hand a quick squeeze in return, a quiet acknowledgment. but you could see it in his eyes, that gratitude for a family he never expected to find—a family that had now become part of yours.

[dinosaurwithablog]

I think that in the wake of this travesty of justice, we should all post and reblog positive posts and share joy and happiness to help us heal from the horror of this election. Together, we will be okay. I look forward to seeing positivity on my dash. I've already started posting happy things. Please, join me. We are the hope that we all need right now. 🫂🙏🏼😁😍 We will be okay, and this will only serve to make us stronger.

I am thankful for all my friends on Tumblr. You guys are great people and I'm lucky to have met you ❤️ I love and appreciate you all very, very much 🫂💜💜💜ALWAYS!! ❤️