Painting Dreams
                         By Pearl Blake

When I was at school I loved painting, but my teachers told me that I wasn't any good and never encouraged me to try harder.
  
In 1998 my Mum was diagnosed with cancer and the doctors told me and my 2 sisters that she  wouldn't live 6 weeks to see Christmas but she lived another 5 years, Praise God! During these 5 years, Mum bought me numerous bouquets of flowers, but this particular one was a silk one. I put them in a vase, next to the phone in my front room

In 2000 my dear friend Hazel said she was attending night school for water color classes. I shared with her my desire to paint, but began to tell her about my school day stories. Her response was “Pearl you can paint if you really want to.” This got me thinking!

One night, sitting in my armchair I picked up a pencil and started to “doodle” mum’s bouquet. “What do you think that looks like?” I asked Mick, my partner. “A rose bud” he quickly replied. WOW I was so excited that he guessed it right! I hurried back to the drawing board to complete my “masterpiece!”

My dear friend Hazel believed in me, and encouraged me to keep going. I began to draw and paint everything in sight! In July 2007 Hazel passed away. Her encouragement, along with Mum's bouquet became the first steps to fulfilling my hearts desire.

Later I was asked if I would paint a logo for my prayer group. At that time we had begun to keep a record of all the answers we were seeing to our prayers, which was very exciting. In preparation for this forthcoming book - ‘We Dared to Pray’ I was asked to design and paint the front cover, which I did, gladly and lovingly. What an honor for me to be used by God.

During this period I had an operation on my eye which caused complications resulting in great problems and frustrations with my painting.

On 20th September I read Exodus 4 v2-3
Then the Lord asked him “What do you have there in your hands?” “A shepherd's staff” Moses replied. “Throw it down on the ground” the Lord told him. So Moses threw it down...it became a snake!
This Scripture impacted me in a powerful way. Throwing my paintbrushes to the floor I prayed asking God to use me and anoint me and my paintbrushes for His glory. I waited with baited breathe and holy expectancy!

Later that month I was watching Joyce Meyer on TV, “You are a Painter” she said, as she pointed to the screen, and she was speaking to ME! God had told me deep in my heart that my paintings would go around the world, I don't know how, I simply trust Him.
I give God all the glory, honor and thanks. My faith is in Him alone. My confidence is in Him. If He calls you, He will enable you and He will surround you with friends that believe in you too. Let me encourage you to keep dreaming big dreams and don't let anyone steal them – they are too precious and so are you.