Then Joy Comes

By Denise P. Ingram

True and lasting values are the same today as they were many years ago. Its reassuring to know in our being that Gods principles work in all situations in our lives. The stories you are about to read paint a picture of hope and a future because the characters rely on God for their strength and support. So many present-day stories end unhappily, but it is my desire that this book will uplift the reader with a sense of hope and joy for the future.

Those that were in bondage and chains were set free because of Gods redeeming love. Many emotions are displayed throughout the stories such as love, peace, joy, happiness, bitterness, and depression. As families face love ones dying, they learn to endure the pain and loss through the grace of a loving God.

The characters learn to live with little or with much and to be thankful for whatever the Lord provides. If there is plenty, the abundance is shared with those who have less. There are miracles and angels working together to bless the families in the stories. Families grow in wisdom and love by working through hardships and difficulties together. Families pray together, trusting God for the impossible to be made possible.

God truly gives real freedom to those who have willing hearts to forgive others and who give their hearts to him. It is my sincere hope that these stories will inspire and give you hope for all your tomorrows.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512764192

Denise P. Ingram

Denise has a calling to help those who struggle with everyday life. Her dream has always been to write with the Lord’s leading. Even with a learning difficulty, God has given her the desires of her heart to write stories that glorify Him and blesses the readers.

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Copyright © 2016 Denise P. Ingram.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6420-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6421-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-6419-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016919140

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/11/2016

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1:  The Lost Handkerchief

Chapter 2:  Jack and the Old Shack

Chapter 3:  The Deep-Blue Irises

Chapter 4:  The Blue Apron Miracle

Chapter 5:  The Storm on the Lake

Chapter 6:  Snow-Covered Hills

Chapter 7:  The Old Country Church

Chapter 8:  Tea Party for Three

Chapter 9:  Wildflowers and a Pink Bonnet

Chapter 10:  The Church Gathering Place

Chapter 11:  A Distant Stranger at Christmas

About the Author

Preface

True values endure throughout time. It’s reassuring to know that God’s principles work in all situations in our lives. The stories you are about to read paint a picture of hope because the characters rely on God for their strength and support. Many of today’s stories end unhappily, so I pray that this book will uplift you, providing joy and hope for the future.

Those in bondage were set free because of God’s redeeming love. The characters in these stories experience many emotions—love, peace, joy, bitterness, and depression. As families face the loss of loved ones, they learn to endure the pain through the grace of a loving God.

The characters learn to live with little or with much and to be thankful for whatever the Lord provides. If there is plenty, they share the abundance with those who have less. The families in these stories are blessed by miracles and angels. They grow in wisdom and love by uniting to work through hardships. They pray together, trusting God for the impossible to be made possible.

God offers freedom to those who forgive others and who give their hearts to Him. It is my sincere hope that these stories will inspire you and will give you hope for all your tomorrows.

Acknowledgments

Robert Chip Ingram II: I thank my husband for believing in me. He has stood by me and prayed for me the past several years, supporting me all the way to help make my dreams come true. We have been married forty-two years and have no children. He is the operations manager for a millwork company and works hard. He loves the Lord, and he loves serving in the church. He enjoys cooking meals and baking homemade rolls. Yum! He loves animals, especially our eight-year-old bichon, Pennie, who is a joy.

Lindsey Key: I thank God for my niece, who is like a daughter to me. She has supported me from the beginning. We talked for hours one day about how I could get started with writing. Lindsey is a special education teacher who works with students with disabilities. When Lindsey read my stories, she said they were amazing. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for her prayers, for believing in me, and for never giving up on me.

April Ford: This niece is also like a daughter to me. We have spent many hours together going over my stories, and she has been amazed at how some of them have touched her heart. April is a Christian counselor. She loves the Lord and is strong in her faith. She has a calling to work with young people. I can’t thank her enough for helping me.

Paula Robertson: This great friend has supported me all the way with positive words and thoughts. We have cried and laughed together. Paula edited everything in this book. She read my stories as we shared coffee and hot tea during our many days together. She cheered me on. There were times when I wanted to quit, but Paula wouldn’t let me. I thank her for her prayers and for all the hard work she put into this book. Paula told me that as she read my stories she felt like she was in the middle of them. I have never met anyone so willing to take the time to help me. Paula is happy for me, and I love her like a sister. She is an amazing friend, and I thank her from the bottom of my heart.

Patricia Miller: Another great friend, she heard all my stories right after I wrote them. When we got together she always asked if I had any new stories to read to her, and we would enjoy a cup of hot tea while I shared them. We laughed and cried together over many of these tales. Patricia prayed for me and lifted me up on days when I felt like this book would never happen. I have known Patricia all my life; I thank her for her friendship and for listening to me read my stories. I am grateful for her encouraging words during those times when I was at my worst.

I thank all the women in Beauty for Ashes for encouraging me when I was at the lowest point in my life. I will never forget that experience. It has helped me to become more mature in my faith and to depend on the Lord, not on people, for everything. I am grateful to these ladies for believing in me and for encouraging me to move forward to my destiny.

Eva Burris: A wonderful nurse and sister, she has supported me in my writing and has prayed many times for me. She gave me the idea to order a new license plate to draw people’s attention. The plate has a background of wildflowers and reads, IPEN4U, meaning I write for you. This is all because of God!

Elta Bryant, Eva’s twin sister; Don Arpaia, my brother; and my mother, Frances Arpaia: I thank them for their prayers and support.

In memory of Dr. Parker Moore Jr.: I worked with Doctor Moore for twenty years at the Hopewell Medical Center. I am thankful for the opportunity to have known him and for the chance he gave me to work for him when no one else believed in me. He is certainly missed.

In memory of Dr. Ronald E. Miller: I also worked with him for twenty years at the Hopewell Medical Center. Doctor Miller loved his family and was a good man strong in his faith. I will always remember how he sang hymns and Christmas carols in July. He was one of the sweetest doctors I have ever known and always had a nice word to say. I miss his smiling face.

Dr. Lee Weathington II: He is another doctor with whom I worked at the Hopewell Medical Center for twenty years. He was a good listener, loved to pick on people and to have fun, enjoyed his work, and laughed a lot. I will always remember him walking the halls, whistling before he entered a room. He was a real charmer. He helped a lot of poor folks and was good with people. He was good to me and always took time to listen. I hope he enjoys his retirement; the halls of the Hopewell Medical Center will never be the same without him. Many will miss him!

Dr. Albert Magnin: Yet another doctor with whom I worked at the Hopewell Medical Center, he is a more serious type of person. He is always teaching someone something new. I have never met a doctor who is more giving, and he has always been a gentleman. He is a devoted and loving family man and is very strong in his faith in the Lord. I thank him for being who he is.

Kim Spade: I thank her for her prayers, her support, and her encouraging words. I thank her for being the best prayer warrior and for never giving up on me.

Joseph Boothe: I thank him for encouraging me to move forward to my destiny. Look for his book Cut the Cloth.

Betty and Bishop Knott: They are a precious couple and amazingly positive people who have great love for each other and for the Lord. I trust the Lord to give them many more years together. I can’t thank them enough for their prayers and their support and for cheering me on with encouraging words.

Luanne Mast: I thank her for her prayers and for pushing me forward. I’m grateful for her encouraging words, which kept me writing and believing that God would make this book happen. Look for Luanne’s book God, I Feel like Cinderella! She is a strong and anointed woman.

Pastors Bill and Debbie Smalt of Rock Church of Petersburg: I thank them for believing in me. I am grateful for their prayers and for their encouraging words. I have never known two people so anointed and so humble. The love and kindness they show are amazing.

Come visit us at Rock Church of Petersburg, 2301 County Drive, Petersburg, Virginia 23803; 804-733-3973 or 804-733-3089.

Introduction

I thank the Lord for giving me the gift of writing. Without Him, I could do nothing. He has blessed and anointed me to write. I see colors, people, and personalities as I write from my heart. My niece Lindsey Key told me she was surprised I didn’t use notes as a guide when I wrote. That’s God, I told her.

I dedicate my book to those of you who have learning disabilities. You can do anything if you have a dream deep inside and rely on the Lord. Always pray first, keep praying, never give up, think positively, and stay around people who believe in you. If you want to become a writer, listen to the voice of God and to your heart. If you want to become a painter, a nurse’s assistant, or a chef, to own a business or to learn how to sew, go for it. Find someone who believes in you and who will help you achieve your dream. Don’t get upset if your dream doesn’t come true overnight. Everything happens according to God’s timing, and He is always on time. Wait on the Lord; never go ahead of Him. I didn’t think I would ever have books published, and I encountered obstacles in every direction I took. But with God all things are possible! Hallelujah!

My husband and my niece are teaching me how to use my laptop computer. You are probably thinking that everyone knows how to use a computer. I had used only a program at work, but I am now typing this on my laptop! People with learning disabilities learn in many ways, some through hands-on experience, others by reading, but we are all smart and have common sense. We just need people to give us a chance. Kids and adults used to pick on me because I had a hard time learning some things. Now look at me! I got sick and tired of people thinking I couldn’t do anything, and I remembered this: I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

I want to feed the hungry, particularly the senior adults and the children in my area. I get heartsick when I reflect that we live in the best country in the world, but people are going hungry. It shouldn’t be this way! I love people. I love to help those in need, especially those who appreciate it the most. I thank the many relatives and friends who have never given up on me and have always lifted me up in prayer.

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The Lost Handkerchief

Ted and Mary Peebles lived in Farmville, Virginia, in the midnineteen hundreds. They owned a grand home built and decorated in Victorian style. The home was surrounded by miles of farmland where the couple grew tobacco. Mary was a devoted wife and raised their only son, Richard, who loved music and singing. The family was tightly knit.

Mary was a good Christian woman and strong in her faith. She loved to read books, especially the Bible. The home had a study that held a library of books and music. Mary could find her two favorite types of books wall