New Every Morning

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23






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 1923 ~

Christmas Hymn ~ Our Day of Joy

Our day of joy is here again,
With love and peace and song;
Come, let us join th’angelic strain
With voices clear and strong.

Glory to our God, we sing,
Glory to our Lord and king;
Peace, goodwill with all abide
This holy Christmas tide.

When darkness lay upon this earth,
A glorious light did shine,
God sent a Gift of priceless worth
And showed His love divine.
~ Andrew Skoog 1892 ~

More info on this hymn can be found here:  Our Day of Joy is Here Again

The Peace of Christmas

Hello Friends.  I'm guest posting today at Stephanie's blog, The Enchanting Rose, you can find it here:  The Peace of Christmas

Stephanie has a delightful blog of craft tutorials, recipes, hymns, and scriptures.  She also has a keen eye for photograpy, and posts lots of photos for us to enjoy. 

This is one particular craft post of Stephanie's, she has a tutorial for making small felted pillows.  She surprised me with some happy mail, sending me two of her sweet little pillows.  Clicking on the picture will take you to her post. 

New England is having a snowstorm today, and it has hit us hard on the coast of Maine.  We decided it best to cancel church services.  Stephanie took this picture of snow covered trees, and although we are many states apart, our trees look similar today to this picture here.  I'm just not brave enough to venture outside yet and take a picture. 

Compliments of The Enchanting Rose

I hope you enjoy visiting Stephanie's blog.   Have a wonderful day.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
~ Christina Rossetti - Gustav Holst ~

Change for a Dollar Made a Difference

I first came across this brief video a couple of years ago.  It's message is powerful and yet just a few words are spoken at the end.  I showed this to my teenage Sunday School class and they were greatly moved by it.  It's titled "Change for a Dollar" and is 10 minutes in length.  It helps give a different perspective on having our basic needs met and a giving heart, even when it appears we may have nothing to give. 

If you can't view it above, this link will take you to the video:
Change For A Dollar

...Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:40b

bird graphic compliments of The Feathered Nest

Have a blessed day my friends.  Thanks for stopping by today.

~ Abby ~

Love Came Down at Christmas

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.
~ Christina Georgina Rossetti  ~
1885



Source

This was originally published as a Christmas poem without a title in the book Time Flies: A Reading Diary in 1885.  It was later published in 1893 with the title, Christmastide.   Christina was an English Poet who wrote a variety of romantic, devotional, and children's poems.  This particular poem was set to music by a variety of composers. 

And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us.
God is love;
and he that dwelleth in love
dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:16

A simple poem, with a huge message. 
Love Came Down at Christmas
God IS Love
He is the Perfect Definition of Love

The video below is a beautiful rendition of this Christmas Carol.  I could listen to it over and over and never tire of it.  Very moving!  If you can't view it below, you can find the link here:
Love Came Down at Christmas

Thanks for visiting today.  I hope you have been encouraged as much as I have by the message in this song. 

Good Tidings of Great Joy

And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people. 
For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord. 
Luke 2:10-11

The good tidings of great joy that the Shepherds heard so long ago, is still good tidings of great joy to us today.  Their Savior, is our Savior.  God loves you with an everlasting love and has not forgotten you.  Reach out to him through your physical pain, emotional pain, or through whatever trial has come to you.  He is there and wants to help you. 

He might not deliver you from your trial, but he'll be there with you through the trial.  Think of Daniel who was thrown into the lions den (Daniel 6), or the men in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3).

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”

They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Daniel 3:24-25

God is there, walking with us through the fire dear ones, just reach out and take His hand. 

The Advent Wreath

The Advent season is here!  In our church, we celebrate this by lighting a candle on the Advent wreath each Sunday until Christmas Eve.  I have so many fond memories of this which started when I was 7 years old.  As a child, when the Advent wreath came out at church, it meant Christmas was oh, so close.  As an adult, I still get excited, but not for the same reasons.  Christmas is my favorite time of year and I love to reflect on the birth of my Savior. 

This past Sunday, we lit the candle of HOPE.

The Advent wreath is a circle of evergreen branches representing eternity.   On the wreath, five candles are arranged.   Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Set on the branches of the wreath are four candles: three purple candles and one pink candle. In the center of the wreath sits a white candle. Together, these candles represent the coming of the light of Christ into the world.

On the first Sunday of Advent, the first purple candle is lit. This candle is usually called the "Prophecy Candle" in remembrance of the prophets, primarily Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. This candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah.

compliments of The Graphics Fairy

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14

Week 2 ~ A   candle symbolizing God’s LOVE ~ This is sometimes called the Bethlehem Candle, symbolic of the manger.  God sent His only Son to earth so save us, He loved us that much.
(see John 3:16-17)

Week 3 ~ A   candle is lit, symbolizing JOY  ~ This is sometimes called the Shepherds candle.  When Jesus was born, the angels brought “good tidings of great joy”. 
(see Luke 2:7-11)

Week 4 ~ A   candle symbolizing PEACE, sometimes called the Angels candle.  Jesus is the Prince of Peace and through Him, peace is found. 
(see Isaiah 9:6)

Christmas Eve – The center candle, called the Christ Candle.  The color white represents Jesus, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God, sent to take away our sins.  Those who receive Him as their Savior are washed of their sins and made whiter than snow.  

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 1:29

I'll leave you with a few resources in regards to the Advent season, links are below.  Have a blessed week my friends.  



Ann Voskamp (author of One Thousand Gifts) has a lovely series on Advent.
Advent Devotionals

Advent Lessons - Teaching Through the Nativity


Celebrate Advent ~ Focus on the Family

Happy Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving my friends!!

Oh give THANKS
to the LORD
for he is GOOD
Psalm 106:1

Thanksgiving........such a wonderful time to reflect on God's goodness to us. 

I can say that I have a grateful heart this Thanksgiving.  I have learned to appreciate the little things in my life and am more contented than I've ever been before.  I am grateful for my family and friends, but most grateful for a God who loves me more than I can comprehend, knows me better than I know myself, and promises never to leave me or give me more than I can bear.

I am thankful for:

•     6 healthy grand babies who enrich my life in so many ways

•     a husband who loves me unconditionally, & is forgiving of my faults

•     My daughter, her husband and their two little boys

•     My mother who lives nearby and is a prayer warrior to so many

•     My stepson, his sweet wife, and their three little ones.

•     My stepdaughter, her husband and their baby girl

•     My sisters, sister in laws, nieces, nephews and their families.

•     My church family

•     A generous supply of friends that would drop whatever they were doing and either pray for me if I needed it, or physically come to help me if I asked them.

•     I am grateful for each and every one of my online friends, blog readers, and my Little Birdie Blessings facebook friends, who are so dear to me, and have offered me so much encouragement and kindness.  Thank you! 

Praying for God's blessings on you in this coming year.  Happy Thanksgiving.

~ ABBY ~

The digital scrapbook page was designed by me using graphics from:  The Graphics Fairy, Jessica Sprague, and McMahon Five Designs

Thankful For Our Needs

Compliments of The Feathered Nest

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 ~

Count your blessings, they ARE there ~ some days you just have to look harder for them. 

Blessings to you dear friends.

 

Very Sweet Thanksgiving Graphics for You

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Psalm 105:1-2

I hope you enjoy today's free Thanksgiving graphics.  These are vintage postcards from my collection.  As we are in the season of Thanksgiving, join me in focusing on the blessings of each day.  Some days you have to look harder to find them, but they are there. 

My greatest blessing yesterday was spending time with one of my grandsons.  We were in the big W superstore, and he was singing for about an hour in the back of the cart "The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the Book for me" (now her comes the fun part when he does he own 3 year old rendition of the words) ... "I stand up on the words of God, the B-I-B-L-E, BIBLE!" 

I bet he sang it over 75 times in various capacities, voices, motions, etc.  I never tired of hearing it.   What has been one of your blessings recently? 

Blessings to you dear ones.

Thanksgiving Blessings & Free Graphics

For all the blessings of the year,
For all the friends we hold so dear,
For peace on earth, both far and near,
We thank Thee, Lord.

For life and health, those common things,
Which every day and hour brings,
For home, where our affection clings,
We thank Thee, Lord.

For love of Thine, which never tires,
Which all our better thought inspires,
And warms our lives with heavenly fires,
We thank Thee, Lord.

For All the Blessings of the Year
Albert Hutchinson, 1913

Hope you enjoy the free vintage postcards and the Blessings Hymn.  Have a wonderful day.  

Free Thanksgiving Vintage Postcard & More

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
Psalm 95:2

Hello my friends.  I have a bunch of free vintage Thanksgiving graphics in store for you.  I really like the one above, hope you enjoy it too. 

I was a recent winner at The Feathered Nest.  Sweet Dawn had a seam binding giveaway, I entered and was one of the winners, and... she let me choose my color. 

The Feathered Nest Seam Binding

I love to work with seam binding, it is so soft and drapes easily.  If you've followed Dawn's blog at all, you know that seam binding is one of her favorite things to work with in her projects.  Here's a picture of some sachets she's made, you can see she uses it generously. 

Sachets by Dawn at The Feathered Nest

One of the things I like to use it for is tags.  Here are a couple that I've made.

I like to give my seam binding a crinkled look by scrunching it up, misting it with water and letting it dry.  If you're in a hurry for it to dry, you could use a hair dryer.  Patter, at Triple the Scraps, has a great tutorial on coloring and crinkling seam binding **here**. 

I'll close today with a couple of photos I took of my church.  You'll notice the church parsonage to the left of the church.  That's been my home for the last three years.  I'm quite content living here.

Thanks for visiting today.  I hope you have a lovely week. 

Free Graphics and a Poem

But God
by Annie Johnson Flint

 I know not, but God knows;
Oh, blessed rest from fear!
All my unfolding days
To Him are plain and clear.
Each anxious, puzzled "Why?"
From doubt or dread that grows,
Finds answer in this thought;
I know not, but He knows.


I cannot, but God can;
Oh, balm for all my care!
The burden that I drop
His hand will lift and bear,
Though eagle pinions tire --
I walk where once I ran --
This is my strength, to know
I cannot, but He can.

I see not, but God sees;
Oh, all-sufficient light!
My dark and hidden way
To Him is always bright.
My strained and peering eyes
May close in restful ease,
And I in peace may sleep;
I see not, but He sees.

I hope you enjoy the Catherine Klein fall graphics, acorns and chestnuts, as well as the poem by Annie Johnson Flint.   You can read more about Annie **here** on this blog. 

Have a blessed week.

Scripture & Fall Graphics

This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.

Through the Lord’s mercies
we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:21-23

Vintage Postcards by artist Catherine Klein

I trust you have a blessed Sunday.

Free Vintage Fall Graphics

I have some free vintage postcards for you today with a Fall theme.   I hope you enjoy them.  The first one is a favorite of mine. 

This next one would be nice for a Fall birthday, with the sentiment "Birthday Congratulations." 

The one below has a nice mixture of Fall colors. 

If any of you are Catherine Klein fans, I have some vintage fall graphics with her art work to post later this week.  I hope you have a wonderful day.

Linked to: Make it Pretty Monday,

A Worthy Cause ~ Operation Christmas Child

Have you heard of Operation Christmas Child?  It's a wonderful organization that turns the simple act of filling a shoebox into a dream fulfilled for a child who has nothing.  It is a division of Samaritan's Purse, which is run by Franklin Graham.  You can find more about it **here**

Source: Operation Christmas Child

Our church has been participating for a number of years now.  Last year we had 60+ shoeboxes, and this year I believe we will surpass 100.  You can order boxes from Samaritan's Purse, use a clear shoebox size tote, or cover a shoebox with wrapping paper (wrap lid separate).  

There is a larger church about 45 minutes from us that acts as a collection site for the shoeboxes.  There, they begin their journey into the hands of a child.  My grandsons who are 3 and 5 years old, each pack a shoebox with their parents.  They learn at an early age not everyone has what they do. 

Below is a picture of some of the ladies from our church preparing to deliver to the collection site.  My friends Judy and Sheila, and my mother on the far right.

 

I read on their site, "You can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone".  Take a look at this pinterest board by Operation Christmas Child, just look at the happy faces of the children who received a gift.  You can view it **here**

Operation Christmas Child ~ Smiles Around the World

If you'd like to pack a shoebox, you can find everything you need to know **here**.   If you are local to me and would like to participate through our church, just let me know.   You can check their website for a drop-off location near you.   National collection week begins November 18th. 

I'd suggest for a boy or girl ~ something soft they can cuddle with, such as a beanie baby, or a small soft doll or stuffed animal.  Bright cheery colors, things that sparkle or glitter; things that make noise such as a harmonica, school supplies, flashlights, hair bows, jewelry. 

For more ideas you can view the Operation Christmas Child Pinterest Board **here**. 

Since they began in 1999, Operation Christmas Child has delivered over 100 million shoeboxes to needy children around the world.   At their headquarters, each shoebox is inspected and the gospel message in their own language is included. 

The scripture graphic at the top of this post says:

Verily I say unto you, 

Inasmuch as ye have done it 

unto one of the least of these my brethren, 

ye have done it unto me. 

Matthew 25:40

You are following this scripture when a shoebox is packed.  I love the picture of the little girl included here which says:  God always puts the right box in the hands of the right child.  Pack and Pray!  

The scripture graphic was made using a free graphic from sweet Dawn at The Feathered Nest.  It is free for personal use or sharing.

Thanks for visiting with me today.  I hope you have a blessed week.