In a small saucepan, combine dried cherries, water, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer 8-10 minutes until it thickens. Take off heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with foil, leaving foil coming up the sides for easy removal. Spray lightly with a non-stick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Add in flour mixture, mix until just incorporated. Add oatmeal and stir until batter is combined.
Pour a little more than half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out evenly in pan. Pour prepared cherry mixture on top and spread evenly. Add remaining batter over top of cherries and smooth. It won’t be enough to cover all the way to edges, and that’s OK. Sprinkle sliced almonds over top.
Bake for 25 minutes, until top is golden brown. Take out and let cool. Grab foil, and pull bars out of pan. Fold down edges of foil. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into 16 bars.