Standing on the Promises: A Woman's Guide for Surviving the Storms of Life

Much of the time, I have a 1000 to 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle spread out on the dining room table. At Christmastime all the family is home, and at least a dozen hands might be busy trying to put it together. My live-in-daughter and I, who work on it most, often vow that the pieces don't fit. One of us invariably says, "The company put the wrong pieces in this box." Eventually however, after painstaking concentration, trial and error, and determination to meet the challenge, we discoverpieces fit. Not only do they fit, but they form an even more beautiful picture than the box promised. On a larger scale, we might often view our lives like that. It's one gigantic puzzle and we don't know how to make the pieces fit. God promises us so much, and at times it seems either He or we got the wrong pieces in trying to make our lives work. Susan Wales, in her book STANDING ON THE PROMISES, presents us with some outstanding examples of people who felt they had opened God's book of promises, but somehow the pieces were missing or they just didn't fit. These pieces include distrust, danger, abortion, infertility, unwed mother, fear and numerous trials or seeingly-broken dreams that people face daily. Susan reminds us to stand on God's promises. The stories in this book are about those who have come to realize that God had a plan and a purpose, even though some didn't see the whole picture for decades later. This book reminds me of times when I could see no solution to a problem and I prayed, telling God that he promised if a person trains up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it. I claimed that promise and after many years experienced God's keeping His promise. STANDING ON THE PROMISES reminds me of how God works in the lives of his followers, strengthening us, bringing us into a greater knowledge of Him, and preparing us to better face the next life-piece that doesn't seem to fit. Susan reminds us that the hardest things we face in life just may turn out to be among our greatest joys and how God takes the negative and turns it into a positive. She brings us stories of ordinary people who trust in an extraordinary God and our perspective of life is changed and enhanced. Susan Wales is a master story-teller, and she reveals how the Master is able to put the pieces together if we keep our focus on God, read his word, and trust Him. She reminds us to stand on God's promies, for God sees the big picture, and the pieces fit.

I was so blown away by STANDING IN THE PROMISES. I have read books by Susan Wales before that always made me feel good (Match Made in Heaven I & II), but this book renewed my strength when I was down. I was on a plane, weary after a long trip and her words made me laugh and cry. She covers every area of storm we as ladies go through in life--from singleness, marriage, infertility, motherhood, financial anxiety, and every crisis you can think of. She even convicted me to be a better wife when I thought I was already pretty good at that vocation! Ouch. And I was so inspired. I meant to read a chapter or two, but I couldn't put it down until I had read every page that same day. I can't say enough good things about this book. It's a MUST READ for every woman!