ETERNAL PRAISE

If you have been visiting my blog site, you can see that there is something new.
Yes, there is a video about my CD "Eternal Praise" so please check it out and give me some feed back.
It not only took a long time to get to the point of recording "Eternal Praise", but also in its completion as well. There were so many times I wanted to throw my hands up to quit, but the Holy Spirit would help me lift my hand in praise instead. Through it all God has been good and faithful and I've had to practice what I have been preaching during the whole process, causing my spirit man to grow and mature even more.
Over the years I have been learning how to endure setbacks and to perservere in spite of how I feel at the time through praise and worship.
The promises of God are not cheap nor easy to attain, yet are well worth the hardship and yes inconvenience at times. Therefore, be encouraged and press on in to receive the best that God has for you.
Invest the time to develop a love relationship with Jesus in prayer, praise and worship everyday. Allow His word to become a part of of you by taking root in your heart.

During my years of waiting, the Lord has been teaching me many things while developing me as a songwriter. By the inspiration and help of Holy Spirit, I was able to write all of the songs. I was also blessed with a great Producer, who has encouraged me to find my "voice" as an arranger and co-producer.
God is beginning to unlock and uncover many abilities I never knew I had and He will do the same for you as you seek His face.

If any of you reading this have helped me in any way with encouragement,prayer or purchasing the product, thank you from the depths of my heart. By the way if this is your first time hearing about "Eternal Praise" or you want to pick up additional copies, go to http://cdbaby.com/cd/lindanorwood or just click on the title, ETERNAL PRAISE. You will be taken to my webpage where you can make your purchase. It will make great gifts for birthdays and other special occasions. Many people have told me while listening to the CD during stressfull times they have been able to experience the joy and peace of God. Hallelujah!

While I was able to breathe a sigh of relief when it debued in January, I know that this is just the beginning. There is much more on the horizon. Join me in moving forward with anticipation of glorious days ahead, all the while giving God Eternal Praise!

>Live Blessed and Free<
Linda N.

Eternal Praise

Encouragement 101

Over the course of the last several months my assignment from the Lord has been to minister encouragement. In my own life, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to become discouraged, but the Holy Spirit reminds me of how faithful God has been and still is. As I hold on to His promises I’m encouraged to rejoice and to be thankful. So as an encourager, I want to talk about joy.

Joy while a little word provides some huge benefits. Look at Proverbs 15:13, & 15 MSG.
A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day. A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song.
As you can see having joy promotes our mental and emotional well being. It even affects the way we interact with others. Joyful people are usually more pleasant to be around. Proverbs 12:25 MSG states that Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up. Particularly as Christians we can and should be filled with the joy of the Lord by the Holy Spirit not only for ourselves, but to help lift up the people we encounter as well.

However,Satan will try to use opposite negative emotions such as bitterness, depression and grief to debilitate us thereby hindering an effective witness for the Kingdom of God. I believe demonstrating the love of God and displaying His joy are vital tools to win people to Him. It is amazing what a difference a smile and kind words can make in someone’s day.

Joyfulness also impacts the health of our bodies.
Proverbs 17:22 GNB Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time. God’s Word Translation says: A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one's strength. People with various illnesses tend to rebound more frequently when they have a positive attitude.
The latter part of Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy that the LORD gives you will make you strong. So we gain strength to deal with our battles when we have joy.
I know some may be thinking “too many things are coming against me to have joy. I’ve loss so much.” Circumstances don’t have to determine whether or not we will have joy,we decide. We can enter into the joy of the Lord by faith. Anyone who wants to experience and maintain joy will have to choose it while developing an attitude of gratitude.

I like the way Habakkuk 3:17-19 GNB sums it up.
Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the LORD God is my savior. The Sovereign LORD gives me strength. He makes me sure-footed as a deer and keeps me safe on the mountains.
This says to me that no matter what’s going on in our lives we can still take joy in the knowledge that the Lord is with us and will keep us even in the middle of trouble.
Let 2009 be the year you move forward with joy!