Scripture Thursday ~ A Handmade Christmas

 Whatever your hand finds to do,
do it with your might.
Ecclesiastes 9:10a

free for personal use or sharing

A team of women from our church, myself included, just held our 3rd annual Ladies Christmas Paper-craft Day.  We had a wonderful time helping women to kick start the Christmas season by using their hands to make handmade cards, tags, and ornaments.  Here's a sample of what some of these crafty ladies made. 

Lisa does a great job teaching at the beginner table 

Once the ladies got going, there was no stopping them

It was a day to come together and inspire one another with ideas.  We also had good food for nourishment to keep persevering.  A beginners table for those new to the craft, and oodles of supplies to design to their heart's content. 

We were blessed to have missionary
Beth R. and her mom join us for the day.







 

Dolly decides to observe Jennie for a bit

My daughter Bethany at the stamping center

loads of supplies were available

good food and drinks to stay nourished & hydrated

 It was a wonderful day and those who attended left with a blessing and a stack of handmade goodies to give to friends and loved ones.  Think handmade this Christmas season.  A gift doesn't have to cost a lot to have value.  In fact, the most precious gifts I've received have been handmade.  My sisters are busy at their sewing machines - one making quilts, the other making stuffed dogs for her grandchildren. 

My husband remembers his grandmother crocheting all year long the edgings for pillowcases.  She would hand sew them on to crisp white pillowcases and present family and friends with a fresh new set each Christmas.  She also hand sewed aprons for the ladies.  He looked forward to her homemade corn balls, which I have not been able to duplicate. 


Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver. 
2 Corinthians 9:7

What types of things are you making this Christmas season to give as gifts.  What skills do you have? 
What resources do you already have that you could use without buying more?
 

Think outside the box - I'm sure you have something you're good at. 
Perhaps offer a gift certificate for your services. 

Some Ideas
hospitality
gardening
babysitting
sewing
crocheting/knitting
computer servicesyard work
cleaning
a cooked meal
cookies

paper-crafts

If you have other ideas for the readers here, please share them in the comment section.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  Have a blessed week.

This post is linked to: Fellowship Fridays
What Joy is Mine, Hearts for Home Thursday, Encourage One Another,
Word Art Wednesday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop,

Joy to the World ~ Christmas Freebies

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the World is such an exuberant hymn, written by Isaac Watts in the 1700's.  It's amazing that it's stood the test of time and remained one of today's most popular Christmas carols.  I like to choose this as the first hymn for our church congregation to sing on Christmas Sunday.   Since it's the start of a Christmas theme on my blog, I thought it would be good to begin with this great hymn.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy.

 No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

 

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love.

I hope you have a wonderful week.  If you are not signed up to receive my posts by email you can click on the link below. 

Get Little Birdie Blessings delivered by email

Thanksgiving Praises

O come, let us sing unto the Lord:
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psalm 95:1

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving,
and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Psalm 95:2

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.
~ Henry Alford ~
1844

I hope you have a wonderful week as you prepare for the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Scripture Thursday ~ A Psalm of Praise & Thankfulness

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Serve the LORD with gladness:
come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

free for personal use or sharing
click for larger size, right click & save to your computer

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,

and into his courts with praise:

be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;

and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100

free for personal use or sharing
click for larger size, right click & save to your computer

This particular Psalm,  is one of the Bible's songs of Thanksgiving. It is a song of praise and thankfulness to God for all he has done for us. This scripture tells us we belong to God, He made us. We should be serving him with gladness, praise and an attitude of thankfulness, regardless of our circumstances.

I know many who have suffered and are suffering great trials and in the midst of their trial can see the Lord at work. I have seen it myself and you probably have too in your personal trials or through those you love.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, let's search our hearts (myself included) and give it a tune up so we have a heart of thankfulness and praise to our heavenly father by default.

A heart in tune with God sings melodies of praise. Here is a verse from the hymn Ye Servants of God, written by famous hymnwriter Charles Wesley in 1744. You can click on his picture below to read more about him and see a list of some of the 6,000+ hymns he wrote.

Charles Wesley ~ 1707-1788
Famous Hymn-wrriter

Then let us adore and give Him His right,
All glory and power, all wisdom and might;
All honor and blessing with angels above,
And thanks never ceasing and infinite love

I have made a couple different scripture graphics using my vintage images.  I hope you enjoy them.  They would make a nice Thanksgiving card by printing out and adhering to card-stock.  They could also be used as place cards at your Thanksgiving table. 

What are you thankful for?  I am thankful for my family, most of who live near me.  I am thankful for God's provisions, which are new every morning.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

~ Thomas Chisholm ~

Thankful for Our Needs

What to Pray For

I asked for bread and got a stone;
I used the stone to grind the grain
That made the flour to form the bread
That I could not obtain.

Instead of asking Him to give
The things for which we pray,
All that we need to ask from God
Is this: show us the way.
~ James A. Bowman ~

Compliments of The Feathered Nest

I came across this poem in a book titled Snowflakes in September.  Stories about God's Mysterious Ways by various authors, including Corrie Ten Boom.    I thought it would be a good fit for this Thanksgiving season.

Dawn from The Feathered Nest has the most wonderful free graphics for us today and this sweet image seemed to be a perfect fit for this poem.  You may want to check them out if you want some vintage goodness. 

I hope you have a wonderful day.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Thanksgiving Freebies and More

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.
Psalm 28:7 NKJV

My sweet online friend Naomi has put together a list of helpful ideas that will make your Thanksgiving Stress Free.  The idea is to plan ahead.  You can click on her banner below to go to her post.  She also has a free Thanksgiving printable for you. 

After reading Naomi's simple ideas, and applying them, you'll be looking like this on Thanksgiving Day. 

Here are some instant Thanksgiving cards.  Just print out and add to card-stock.

For each vintage postcard pictured in this post, you may click for a larger size, right click and save to your computer. 

Prayers are needed for a little boy named Sam who has re-broken his leg.  You can read about it here at A HAVEN FOR VEE as the little boy is Vee's grandson. 

Please remember to pray for the hurricane victims.  Many still without power or provisions.  For more information on how to help, visit

Samaritan's Purse US Disaster Relief

I hope you all have a wonderful week.  If you leave a comment on this post, please tell me one thing you're thankful for.  I am thankful that 6 members of my family (myself included) were able to make a day trip yesterday for my grandson's 4th birthday party.  There were a lot of obstacles in the way, but we didn't have to disappoint him. We had a wonderful time. 

Thank You Veterans

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
Katharine Bates ~ 1904

Thank you to all our Veterans
and those currently serving.
We are grateful for your service
to this country. 

Scripture Thursday ~ Help Where You're Able

Source

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
Proverbs 3:27
We were finally able to have a conversation with my sister in law and family who live in New Jersey among the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.  For days we could only communicate through simple texting.

The aftermath of this storm has left families without their homes, vehicles, belongings and some -  their most precious possessions - loved ones and friends.  The stories she described seemed incomprehensible. 

After eight days they reached a safe haven where they were able to shower, and have a hot meal.  They are preparing for the long ordeal of putting their lives back together, although it will never be the same again.  This is just one story of thousands along the Mid Atlantic Coast. 
This has given me a different outlook on what I HAVE vs. what I NEED and will be looking for ways to share my resources. 
One such organization which gives like the verse below describes, is Samaritan’s Purse under the direction of Franklin Graham.  They are in New Jersey and New York with countless volunteers helping where they can. 
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver. 
2 Corinthians 9:7




In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive. 
Acts 20:35
Look around your own neighborhood, circle of friends and family, church family… who needs help? 

Who could use a meal

a bag of groceries

a gas card

prayer 

a note of encouragement

clothes

a telephone call

a visit

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,
    and he will reward him for what he has done.
Proverbs 19:17

Let's try to reach out, be merciful, and give,  expecting nothing in return. 
Even if it seems out of our comfort zone.

One man gives freely, yet gains even more;
    another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
Proverbs 11:24


Generosity is impossible apart from our love of God and of His people.
But with such love, generosity not only is possible but inevitable.
~ John MacArthur ~

For those who have the Lord, there is always hope.  We cling to His promises and are reminded by recent events that this world is not our home, and we are just passing through.  Someday we will be in a place where we will never hurt, suffer, in any way again for all eternity.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize
for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14
If you would like to help the hurricane victims, you can visit Samaritan's Purse here: 
Samaritan's Purse US Disaster Relief
or email me littlebirdieblessings@gmail.com
for some more information on ways you could help. 
Thank you!

God Sees You as an Individual

The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.
Psalm 33:13-15

Unlike an unfeeling satellite, the Lord sees with His heart of love as He considers who we are and what we do. The Bible reveals that He longs for us to trust Him and follow His way. We are never out of God’s sight, and He keeps a close eye on everyone whose hope is in Him.
~ Our Daily Bread ~

Have a wonderful day.  

Scriptures and Free Graphics

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried
into the midst of the sea.
Psalm 46:1-2

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
Psalm 40:2

The graphics in this post are free for you.  Click on each for a larger size, right click and save to your computer.  

Please join me in continuing to pray for friends, family, and those we don't know who were devastated by Hurricane Sandy.  

Please pray as well for the Presidential Election this Tuesday.  You can see my previous post on this subject:  Prayers for America

Scripture Thursday ~ Trusting Through Tribulation

These things I have spoken to you,
that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation;
but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

My sister in law is in an area of New Jersey which was devastated by Hurricane Sandy.  She is only able to text, and we just heard from her.  She is safe, but stranded.  I have cryptic notes from her like:

NO POWER OR WATER
BRIDGE UNSAFE

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10


HOUSES IN THE ROAD
SINK HOLES
FIRES

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed;
we are perplexed, but not in despair; 
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed.2 Corinthians 4:8-9

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:2 

They are exhausted but everyone is helping one another with their resources.
Therefore comfort each other
and edify one another,
just as you also are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

Trusting Jesus
Edgar P. Sites ~ 1876
Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly does His Spirit shine
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing if my way is clear,
Praying if the path be drear;
If in danger for Him call;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last,
Trusting Him till earth be past;
Till within the jasper wall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.
Psalm 28:7a

Prayer:  Give me eyes to see beyond my own pain and help me to pray for the needs of others.  You are greater than the greatest needs.  You are the Overcomer! 
Powerful Prayers for Challenging Times by Jackie Johnson

Update:  they have drinking water
Please join me in praying for the millions of people affected by this storm.  Remember as well in your prayers, your circle of family and friends who are suffering illness, pain, great losses, financial hardship, or other problems.  Reach out where you’re able and help with the resources you have, even if it’s just a word of encouragement.