Happy Tuesday dear friends, As is the case with most of us, I generally have several books I am reading at the same time and most often they are devotionals. I mentioned last week that I am reading a book by Dutch Sheets but also on my night stand you can find THE PRAYER THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING by Stormie Omartian and PRAYING THE NAMES OF GOD by Ann Spangler. So this morning I want to share a quote with you from Stormie's book, from the Chapter entitled When I don't see answers to my prayers. This chapter goes along so nicely with Dutch's book-I think the Lord is trying to show me something profound.
"Whenever we have a dream in our life that seems to go unfulfilled year after year, and there is no way possible to make it happen, we need to worship God in the face of it. When hope that this thing can ever be brought to life completely dies, we need to praise God for His resurrection power. The Bible tells us that not only can God bring to life things that are dead, but we are to prepare for that possibility because of who He is and what He does. Even when all hope for our situation seems to be dead, praising God releases His resurrection life to flow in us. This is the hidden power if praise." page 215
All of us deal with disappointment,heartache,hope deferred which makes the heart sick ~this is a part of living in a fallen world but if we would but turn those tears and heartache into praise our focus will change. Won't you join me in praising Him during those times of anguish. I believe the Lord desires to change His children, to give us joy instead of ashes and in the midst of the darkness a new revelation of His love for us.

Be blessed today, Noreen

Bear One Another

Good morning friends, Alas Mr. Winter has returned and we awoke to find over an inch of wet snow on the ground today. As beautiful as it is, I am just ready for the sun to stay and the flowers to bloom.
I've been reading a wonderful little book entitled "Tell Your Heart To Beat Again"by Dutch Sheets; this book has been so incredibly uplifting, so if you have a chance to read it by all means do.
Chapter 4 deals with bearing one another's burden and Dutch has some wonderful analogies that I felt were applicable to all of us.
"The word for bearing up or staking ourselves next to another, so they don't fall-much as a person would tie a stake to a tomato plant to sustain it against the weight it carries. The strength of the stake is transferred to the plant and thus "bears it up". ...In other words, we're to come alongside a brother or sister who is weighed down and say,"You're not going to fall and be broken or destroyed, because I'm staking myself to you. My strength is now yours. Go ahead, lean on me. As long as I can stand, you will too. What a wonderful picture for the Body Of Christ".
So dear ones, do you have the strength to stand beside someone and let them lean on you?
Are you someone who desperately needs another to come along side you and help you to stand?
Let me know; what a privilege it is to lift you up before the Throne of the Most High God. I will stand beside you, lean on me.
Noreen