Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Waiting on the Lord


Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:14




In my own circle of family, friends and community, there are more people struggling than those who are not.   The verse I’m featuring today gives us a way to meet these struggles on a day to day basis. 

It is the last verse in Psalm, chapter 27.  This chapter is referred to as an Exuberant Declaration of Faith.  I’d encourage you to read the entire chapter, it’s not long. 


You will find the word WAIT, twice in this verse.  The original Hebrew word for wait is gavah, pronounced Ka-va, and means to expect, to look patiently, to tarry, to wait for, wait on, or wait upon. 

The Biblical meaning of the word WAIT, seems to be more of an attitude than an action.  Waiting is an attitude of patience, which is waiting on the Lord and trusting in him to do what is best for you.     



We don’t know how our lives will unfold, but we can decide to trust our future to an all knowing God.  For those of us who WAIT on the Lord, our hearts will be strengthened. 

Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.  ~ Elisabeth Elliot ~

Our Great Savior
J. Wilbur Chapman, 1920

As I so often like to do, I found a hymn that seems to go along with today’s verse.  What a Savior, written by J. Wilbur Chapman in 1910.  Here are some of the comforting lyrics. 
Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.
Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.


Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.


Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.


I hope you've been encouraged by today's Scripture Thursday.   Today's scripture graphic is free for personal use.  I combined one of my vintage images and WORDart by my friend Karen from Papercraft Memories.  She offers many free scriptures on her blog.  I recently won a set of digital scripture stamps from her etsy store.  This particular WORDart that she made comes from the set Strength and Courage, which you can find **here** or by clicking on the graphic below. 


 
If you are receiving this post via email, you can view my blog **here**.

This post is linked to: Monday's Musings, Word Art Wednesday, Hearts 4 HomeEncourage One AnotherHope in Every Season, Free Pretty Things for You,


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Free Scripture Graphic ~ Cast Your Care

Casting all your care upon Him,
for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

above my kitchen sink ~  the rock angel was made by my friend Pam


God will not permit any troubles to come upon us,
unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing
can come out of the difficulty.

Peter Marshall
1902 - 1949
Chaplain of U.S. Senate

free for personal use or sharing, click for larger size.



For a previous devotion I shared titled "Cast Your Burdens", you can go **here**.  Thank you Karen from Papercraft Memories for the WORDart used to make the above scripture graphic.  Yours free for personal use or sharing. 

Reminding myself and my readers that God does not and has not abandoned us during times of adversity.  I heard recently, the gardener is never closer to the vine but when it is being pruned.  Don't give up, keep persevering!

This post is linked to:  Free Pretty Things for You, Make it Pretty Monday,




Saturday, May 25, 2013

Memorial Day ~ Decoration Day

Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13


Memorial Day ~ a time of remembrance for those who died in service for their country.  It was originally called Decoration Day as the women would decorate the graves of the Civil War veterans.  This vintage postcard pictures a little girl doing just that.  I wrote this particular post last year but feel it is worth repeating again for this Memorial Day weekend.   




The caption on this next vintage postcard reads:
Let the Stars and Strips be waving o'er their generous sacrifice.




But his soul goes marching on.



My father was a veteran, and my husband is as well.  I am proud of their service to our country.  Our town celebrates Memorial Day with a small parade.  They stop at one point on their route and throw a floral wreath into the ocean to remember those whose lives were lost at sea. 




The following poem was written during World War I, by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who was a soldier, physician, and poet.  It is written from the point of view of the dead, and spoke of their sacrifice and served as their command to the living to press on.  You can read more about this poem **here**
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.




This post is linked to:  Anything Blue Friday,




Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Scripture Thursday ~ Be Still

Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10a

I live in a beautiful coastal area of Maine, which provides me many opportunities to walk along the ocean, or in the woods and see the beautiful things God has provided for us.  I'm often reminded of Psalm 46:10 when I look around, breathe in fresh air, and hear nothing but the sounds of nature, the waves, trees rustling, or birds singing.

The images above are some scenes I've photographed over time, as I was still, and absorbed my beautiful and peaceful surroundings. 

We live in a fast paced, electronic society today with computers and Emails, cell phones and texting, social media, projects, deadlines, commitments, stress!!!    Responses are expected to be instant. 



When we spend time with the Lord, away from the busyness of life, we need to tune out or turn off these electronic distractions.  Some of us have more options for quiet time than others.

Regardless of our circumstances, God tells us in this scripture to:


BE STILL!

Stop!

Breathe!





Take a moment of quietness to:
reflect on Him;

to spend time with Him;
to hear His voice.


Even Jesus’ ministry here on earth, flowed out of quiet time with his Father. 
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight,
He went out and departed to a solitary place;
and there He prayed

Mark 1:35 (NKJV)



What defines being still?
Free from distractions
Free from a cluttered mind
Reading your Bible
Spending time in Prayer
Breathing in God’s Creation
Listening to calming worship music



Why should we be still?
We de-stress
We clear our mind of distractions
We draw peace and wisdom from God’s word
God desires us to spend time with Him
We get to know Him better
Our lives are fuller because of Him


This is a scrapbook page I made some time ago, which reflects this scripture to me.  The soft colors, the woman picking flowers in her garden, and all the little touches make me happy and content when I look at it. 




My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.

Psalm 62:5






Still with Thee, O my God,
I would desire to be;
By day, by night, at home, abroad,
I would be still with Thee.
With Thee when dawn comes in
And calls me back to care,
Each day returning to begin
With Thee, my God, in prayer.


With Thee when darkness brings
The signal of repose,
Calm in the shadow of Thy wings,
Mine eyelids I would close.

With Thee, in Thee, by faith
Abiding, I would be;
By day, by night, in life, in death,
I would be still with Thee.

James D. Burns, 1857







Blessings to you dear ones as you carry on through your week.
 

This post is linked to:








Monday, May 20, 2013

Project Ideas with Labels & More


Do not be anxious, said our Lord,
Have peace from day to day -
The lilies neither toil nor spin,
Yet none are clothed as they.
The meadowlark with sweetest song
Fears not for bread or nest
Because he trusts our Father's love
And God knows what is best.
~ Helen Steiner Rice ~

A new start to the week brings rain from my corner of Maine.  I have a few things to share with you today.  The first, is a birthday card I made for my daughter.  I like to add bling to my cards in the form of tiny rhinestone stickers, pearls, or whatever is in my stash that seems to go well with the card.  A pair of craft tweezers makes this a breeze. 




My friend Karen from Papercraft Memories offers free WORDart on her blog and also designs for Word Art Wednesday each week.  I had the idea to try and paste her WORDart into a label document.  Here's the finished product.




Here's how I did it: 

I visited Avery's page that had templates **here**, put in the specific label template I was looking for and downloaded it free to Word.  It downloads easy and opens right up in Word. 

I then cut/pasted Karen's WORDart from the files I had downloaded from her blog.  After pasting it in the label, I was able to resize it to fit, by dragging the little handles that appear after you paste. 

Once I had one label the way I wanted it, I could cut/paste that particular label in the template. 

You can save the blank template to your computer before adding any info to it, that way it's available for future use.  Save after you get your info in and you're ready to print whenever you need to. 

These labels happen to be clear, but you could print on white labels, or even cardstock, and cut. 


The site World Label has a lot of templates as well that can be downloaded for free. 


 

So... with my freshly printed labels (thank you Karen), my friend Judy and I made magnets to give out in church on Mother's Day.  Judy did all the cutting on her Cricut, and we assembled them, added a magnet to the back and packaged in clear cello bags.   They were a big hit. 




This week, I received the most delightful package of happy mail.  Angela from "Angela's Sewing for Sanity", sent me a blessings journal that she'd made from graphics on my blog.  A mason jar tag with buttons hand sewn to it, a beautiful pink rose vintage card, and a tiny card tucked into a brown envelope.  Thank you Angela for your kindness. 

Please check out Angela's blog when you have an opportunity, she has tons of sewing projects that will inspire you, as well as her latest post of how to make Strawberry Lemon Marmalade.  Angela has 6 children, including a baby and home-schools.  A busy mom who has a generous heart. 









That's all for now, hope some of these ideas have inspired you today.  Remember to count your blessings, they ARE there, sometimes you just need to look harder to find them.

If you are receiving this via email and would like to visit my blog, you can find it here. 
Little Birdie Blessings.


This post is linked to:  Mondays Musings,Clever Chicks,Whatever you want Wednesday,

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Perseverance


…We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation
produces perseverance;
and perseverance, character;
and character, hope.

Romans 5:3-4 (NKJV)

According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, the word PERSEVERE is defined as:
To persist in any business or enterprise undertaken; to pursue steadily any design or course commenced; not to give over or abandon what is undertaken; applied alike to good and evil.



My niece, her family and some friends recently ran a 5K race.  Among the runners was her 10 year old son Drew, who is very athletic and was up for the challenge of the race.  Drew told me he thought it would be easier than it was.  The further along in the race he got, the harder it became.  He persevered through the fatigue and pain, staying focused on the finish line.  He had one goal in mind, to finish the race no matter what.  This young man placed 29th in the race out of over 250 participants.  This was not just in his age group, but overall placement for everyone running. 

Drew, his mom Shasta, & our friend Aley


Do you not know that those who run in a race all run,
but one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
 

1 Corinthians 9:24

The word PERSEVERE has been going through my mind all week.  As some of you may remember, I slipped on the ice some time ago and injured my ankle.  I was in an air boot for 5 weeks, followed by physical therapy.


Well….. pain sent me back to the doctor last week, and x-rays revealed a hairline fracture of my tibia bone, related to the ankle injury.  I’m back in the air boot. 

It feels like I was almost at the end of the “race” so to speak, and had to go back and start it over again.  I will continue to PERSEVERE as the alternative would be to quit, to give up.    

 




The instinct to persevere can even be found in many examples of God's creation.  Here's one below. 

A friend who was contemplating a decision recently wrote this to me: 

I took a walk down to the bridge near our house to vent and have a talk with God. Whenever I go down there I always feel a sense of wonder of God's creations and feel more in touch.



Well this time I saw over a hundred baby salmon or brook trout! It was amazing. They were all fighting the current and splashing around eating bugs. Some would get carried away by the current. This reminded me of how important it is to be strong and also gave me a notion that I made the right choice.



My friends, I don't claim to have the answers for why certain trials come on us, but I do know, no matter the trial, God's word is applicable to whatever situation you're facing.  

tribulations produce PERSEVERANCE
perseverance produces CHARACTER
character produces HOPE

This HOPE we have is security of eternal life with Jesus.  If you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior, and you want the HOPE that this verse speaks of... I'd encourage you to visit **here** another post here on this blog - Eternal Destination.



Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Free Spring Vintage Postcards


 One day at a time,
and the day is His day;
He hath numbered its hours,
though they haste or delay.
His grace is sufficient;
we walk not alone;
As the day, so the strength that He giveth His own.

~ Annie Johnson Flint ~ (1866 – 1932)



Hello friends, it seems like it's been a while since I posted a good batch of vintage freebies for you.  These old postcards remind me of spring.  Since we can all use something fresh and new from time to time to cheer us, I've picked this bunch out of my archives.  Hope you enjoy them.  Have a delightful rest of the week.    ~ Abby







Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Scripture Thursday ~ Featured Friends for Mother's Day


Who can find a virtuous woman?
for her price is far above rubies.

Proverbs 31:10




Mother's Day History:  The campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the U.S. was started by Anna Jarvis, and became successful in 1914.  It is celebrated all over the world.  Traditionally, a person offers a gift, card or remembrance toward their mothers, grandmothers and/or maternal figure on Mother's Day. ~ Wikipedia ~
My friend Karen at Papercraft Memories, regularly makes free WORDart.  You can click on the scripture graphic below to visit her blog and download without the watermark.

Papercraft Memories ~ Visit to download without watermark
 

My friend Stephanie from The Enchanting Rose Blog, has offered to be a guest today featuring her Scripture Jar.  I saw this previously on her blog and loved the idea.  I thought it would be perfect to share as we approach Mother's Day. It would also be a nice idea to have children make one to help with their memorization. 






In Stephanie's Words:

Scripture is wonderful to have out at all times since it's not always possible to get to a Bible.  With all that has taken place in my life recently, I thought now would be a perfect time for me to make one for myself and family members.
It's amazing what verses of love, encouragement and comfort can do for a sad heart.

It's always better to think upon that which is pure, lovely, and of good report (Philippians 4:8).  When I keep my thoughts on Christ I am keeping myself from falling into deep sadness and troubled thoughts.



My mom likes posting verses on her bathroom mirror, in cupboards and in closets.  I love visiting her because I know I will find a verse when I open a cupboard door.

With this jar, all you have to do is pull out a stick and the verse and reference are written on it.  A great way to be blessed and renewed while on the go.  Also a great way to memorize Scripture.

It's very easy to make and will make your life more full with God's sweet blessings.



Items needed:

glass jar
paper
Mod Podge
large Popsicle sticks 
paint
paintbrush
marker
hot glue gun/glue
lace
waxed paper





Lay your Popsicle stick on wax paper and apply a coat of paint.  (Or you can use colored sticks or keep them plain. I wanted a soft green color so I painted them).

While drying, cut the paper to fit around the glass jar and apply Mod Podge to the jar; firmly press paper onto it.  Apply lace with hot glue around the top edge of the jar.

Paint the other side of the Popsicle sticks, let dry.  Write out desired verse onto one side of the stick and the reference on the other side.



I cut out a border and flowers using a paper punch.  It added a nice touch to the middle of the jar.


Blessings to you, friends!
~ Stephanie ~

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever
.  ~ Isaiah 40:8 ~



Thanks so much Stephanie and Karen for sharing your talents here this week at Little Birdie Blessings.   I pray you all have a blessed Mother's Day. 

If you missed last week's Scripture Thursday, you can find it here:

Scripture Thursday ~ Mothers of Influence




This post is linked to: Monday's Musings, Word Art Wednesday, Hearts 4 HomeEncourage One AnotherHope in Every Season, Free Pretty Things for You,