Lean hard on the Father

'Child of My love, lean hard, and let Me feel the pressure of they care; I know thy burden, child I shaped it; poised it in My own hand, made no proportion in its weight to thine unaided strength; for even as I laid it on, I said I shall be near, and while he leans on me, this burden shall be Mine, not his.

So shall I keep My child within the circling arms of My own love.  Here lay it down, nor fear to impose it on a shoulder which upholds the government of worlds.  Yet closer come; thou art not near enough;  I would embrace thy care so I might feel My child reposing on My breast.

Thou lovest me?  I know it.  Doubt not then; but, loving Me, lean hard." ~ May Prentiss Smith

"Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you.  He will never let righteous be shaken."  ~ Ps. 55:22

Thank you dearest readers!  I am so proud to say that no one has tried downloading the pictures of Valerie & her family!  I asked and you responded it kind.  So I thought I would share this lovely one.  My favorite of mother & daughter.

Please continue to lift Elisabeth, Valerie, Lars, Walt and the rest of the family in your prayers.

FYI:  I'm considering {more than likely will do} starting a Tuesday posting of "Gateways To Joy."  It is my sincere belief that what Elisabeth  uttered to us over and over again is very true, "Anything if given to God can become our gateway to joy."  So as a testament to her and all that she taught many of us over the years ... things we all are benefiting from these many years later, I thought it fitting to honor her by sharing some of our gateways to joy.  Things that are happening or have happened in our lives that are ugly, yet by giving them to God they have been figured into joy ... sort of like Jim Elliot being murdered, yet his wife went on to bring the gospel {his wife and other family members of the murdered men} to the very people that had killed her husband.

Ann Voskamp shared the ugliness of her young sister being killed by a delivery truck and how that ugliness stayed with her for years, yet when she used that pain as a gateway to Him ... that same ugliness became her "gateway to joy."

We all have our stories of the seemingly ugly being turned into something beautiful.  We know the story of Joseph, Jesus, Mary, Ruth ... and so on.  The Bible is littered with such stories as is our lives.  Would you please consider joining in this community with me on Tuesday and share your stores.

Thank you so kindly dear friends,

Angela