A Unique Flower

He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom
what God has done from beginning to end. 
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Isn't this flower amazing? One of God's magnificent creations. If I hadn't actually photographed it, I might think it wasn't real. It almost looks like something one would find on pinterest as a diy project for a curled ribbon flower. It is real, as real as it's creator. Look around you today, look for God's beauty in creation. What do you see?

Confidence in God's Will

“There are no 'if's' in God's world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety - let us pray that we may always know it!”
― Corrie ten Boom

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

I have felt that I've been in God's will and times I'm out of His will. There's no place I'd rather be, smack dab in the middle of God's will. There is comfort in that secure place.

What does this verse mean to you?

Have a blessed day. 

My 3 Second Humility Lesson

There was a season of my life when I was an avid amateur photographer. A local festival was holding a photography contest. My family and friends had convinced me that I had “an eye” for photography, and my photographs were “all that”.  I carefully selected what I’d enter and delivered my photos for the contest. I waited through the week with anticipation, sure that I would be a winner. The day and time finally came when the winners would be announced. I arrived just in time to hear my name being called. I think my head physically swelled, but I can’t confirm it.

By the time I got to the tent, other awards/names were being called. When the opportunity presented itself, I proudly approached the announcer,. . “Excuse me; I think you called my name as I was arriving. Am I a winner?” She told me to look through the awards on a nearby table. My eyes scanned for a certificate with my name. There it was, what I’d anticipated.  My name on such lovely parchment paper with these words across the top: Certificate of Participation.

PROUD: Having inordinate self-esteem; possessing a high or unreasonable conceit of one's own excellence, either of body or mind. A man may be proud of his person, of his talents, of his accomplishments or of his achievements.

HUMBLE: Lowly; modest; meek; submissive; opposed to proud, haughty, arrogant or assuming.

Do you know how long it took me to go from proud to humble? …. about 3 seconds.

I laugh about this story and hope you get a chuckle out of it as well. I did learn a valuable lesson that day. I wanted to win a ribbon so I could boast in my accomplishments and talent. God had other plans to use my photography and it didn’t involve fame or fortune.

He later inspired me to make a dvd photo show from many of my favorites.  I don’t know how a copy ended up in the hands of our local funeral home, but I believe God orchestrated it. This particular funeral home plays the dvd photo show on a regular basis as folks in mourning gather to say goodbye to their loved ones and friends. The familiar and simple photos of God’s creation bring comfort to many.

My identity is not known as the photos play and that’s exactly the way I want it. You see, it’s not about me. I don’t want recognition as I give God the glory on this one. I’m thankful He humbled me and used my photography as a vessel of comfort to reach those who needed it. It’s worth more to me than 100 blue ribbons.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10 NIV

Have a blessed day my friends.

This post is linked with: What Joy is Mine, Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth

Bloom Where You're Planted

I'm sure just about every one of us can relate to these words from author Barbara Johnson. 

Just remember, every flower that ever bloomed had to go through a whole lot of dirt to get there. ~ Barbara Johnson

Friends, there is Hope on the other side of the dirt you're in the midst of.  Bloom where you are planted.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

Isaiah 61:11

Have a blessed day.

Message in a Buttercup

As a child I would often pick buttercups and hold them under the chins of my friends, and ask them to do the same to me. It was said, if you could see yellow under the chin, you liked butter.  Of course there was yellow every time under our chins, not because we liked butter, but because the petals are reflective of light.  

The buttercup is a delicate flower whose light is always shining, despite being fragile. The light of the petals continues to shine through cloudy days and rainstorms. I'm reminded of  2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Despite any circumstances that cause us to be weak, God's GRACE is enough for us to carry on. He gives us the strength we need to keep our lights from ceasing to shine.  

Of this you can be sure: the loving heart of God is sufficient to meet your needs. Whatever dangers you may face, whatever heartbreaks you must endure, God is with you, and He stands ready to comfort you and to heal you.
~ 100 Days of Grace for Women ~

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Blessings to you today dear ones.  

Sunday Scripture ~ The Lord Looks from Heaven

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 ~

I hope you have a blessed day.

Sunday Scripture

Let the morning bring me word
 of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,

for to you I entrust my life.
Psalm 143:8 NIV

I hope you have a beautiful day.

God's Beauty in Creation

Let's look for God's beauty in His creation today.

Something as simple as a delicate heart shaped flower of a bleeding heart shrub, reveals just a tiny portion of His Awesome creativity.

I don't know the specifics of this magnificent shrub, what I do know with closer inspection . . it's a masterpiece, created only by a Master.

What stands out to you today in God's creation? 

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.  Genesis 1:11-13

Have a blessed day my friends.

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups. TellHisStory, The Art of Home-making Mondays, Mondays Musings, Roses of Inspiration, Growing in Grace Thursdays, Word Art Wednesdays, Counting My Blessings, 

Just Enough Light

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105

This verse takes me way back to my childhood Sunday School teacher Mrs. Clark. I can remember standing in the church my husband pastor's today, reciting this with the other children. I'm so thankful for the Word of God that continues to, day by day, guide my steps and give me just enough light for the step I'm on.  

Lovely Words & Flowers

We wait in hope for the Lord;
 he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name. 
Psalm 33:20-21

Sunday Scripture

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed
by the word of God, so that the things which are seen
 were not made of things which are visible. 

Hebrews 11:3
 

Have a blessed Lord's day.  If you are reading this on the blog, comments will be closed today.  ~ Abby ~

The Abigail is Seaworthy

I live in a small fishing village on the coast of Maine.  One of the many hats my husband wears, is that of a lobster fisherman.   His lobster boat "The Abigail" is stored in a prominent place at our home for all who drive by to see. The detriment to that is the barrage of questions from townsfolk . . when is the boat going in?  ..is the boat in yet?  Are you not fishing this year?  

You see . . not much happens around here, and we're all kind of laid back (some more than others).  So a lobsterman's boat which gets launched late in the season, is a topic of conversation.  

Today was the big day.  I surprised my husband by being at the dock to wait the arrival of the big truck and trailer hauling his boat.  

backing down the boat ramp

For as many people that have discussed the boat being in or out of the water, you would think there would have been a big crowd.  Ironically, it was just me, Bill (hubby) a few seagulls, and the guy driving the truck. Of course we didn't make a big announcement that it was going in.  If we had... well, I'm sure it would have been standing room only.  

Getting closer to the water

 

Bill jumped out of the truck to climb aboard the boat

He's had this boat for a long time.  When he first got it, he didn't tell me it would be named after me.  He proudly showed me the lettering on the stern. My first thought was the letters were so big no one would need binoculars to read the name.  I felt the only thing missing were the neon lights around it.

My daughter,  (a teenager at the time) sensed my embarrassment and said to Bill with firmness . . "If you were going to name a boat after someone, you should have named it after someone who would appreciate it."  Evidently that was her.  I've gotten accustomed to the name and big letters over the years.  

I know this look, he's saying with his eyes - -
I know it's seaworthy, I'm sure there's not a problem, please pray 

Splash!  See the hand waving . . that's the signal all is well

Still waving, all is well!  The Abigail is seaworthy!  

As I was waiting for Bill to arrive at the dock, I enjoyed the quietness of the morning watching the rippling of the water, and the various birds.  I thought of our state slogan "Maine, the way life should be"..  I looked down at the skiffs tied to the dock and saw "Mike" painted across one of them (far right). I liked the simplicity of it.   

Bill's just a regular guy who grew up in this little community from birth and was raised by his grandparents. He has a typical Maine accent (I don't as I lived in Connecticut till I was 7).  On Sundays he hangs up his oilskins for a suit and tie, as he's the pastor of the church in the center of town.  

Not my typical blog post, but I thought you'd enjoy reading a little bit about my supporter behind "Little Birdie Blessings".  A man who helped me be the woman I am today. 

Those who go down to the sea in ships,

Who do business on great waters;

They have seen the works of the Lord,

And His wonders in the deep.

Psalm 107:23-24

Flowers by the Sea

I believe in God,
like I believe in the sun.
Not because I can see it,
but because of it,
all things are seen.
~ C.S. Lewis ~

All things were made through Him,
and without Him
nothing was made that was made.
John 1:3

I took this photo a couple of summers ago, on a warm evening at sunset.  The pink flowers make a lovely foreground with the ocean as their backdrop.  Notice the colors the sunset casts against the flowers.  Simple beauty from a magnificent creator. 

Buttercups and Light

As a child I would often pick buttercups and hold them under the chins of my friends, and ask them to do the same to me.  It was said, if you could see yellow under the chin, you liked butter.   Of course there was yellow every time under our chins, not because we liked butter, but because the petals are reflective of light. 

The buttercup is a delicate flower whose light is always shining, despite being  fragile.  The light of the petals continues to shine through cloudy days and rainstorms.  I'm reminded of  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (as shown above).  Despite any circumstances that cause us to be weak, God's GRACE is enough for us to carry on.  He gives us the strength we need to keep our lights from ceasing to shine. 

Of this you can be sure:  the loving heart of God is sufficient to meet your needs.  Whatever dangers you may face, whatever heartbreaks you must endure, God is with you, and He stands ready to comfort you and to heal you.
~ 100 Days of Grace for Women ~

Blessings to you today dear ones. 

linked to:  Word Art Wednesday

Strength Renewed

The care the eagle gives her young,
safe in her lofty nest,
is like the tender love of God
for us made manifest.

As when the time to venture comes,
she stirs them out to flight,
so we are pressed to boldly try,
to strive for daring height.

And if we flutter helplessly,
as fledgling eagles fall,
beneath us lift God's mighty wings
to bear us, one and all.
~ Deane Postlethwaite ~

Compliments of A Haven for Vee

Have you ever longed to be recharged?  I sure have!  We’re promised in God’s word if we're waiting, and trusting in Him; He will renew our strength.  In Isaiah 40:31, God compares the renewed strength  to wings of eagles. 

Compliments of A Haven for Vee

The Eagle is one of the strongest birds in the world. They have a wingspan of 5-7 feet, can expand and contract their wings and appear to be flying effortlessly, even in hurricane force winds.

But they that wait upon the LORD
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

We all in one way or another can relate to this verse; when you feel like you’re running on empty, when the storms of life hit you and you just can’t go on.

God can become your power to renew, refresh, and recharge you.  I have clung to this verse many times throughout my life and am so thankful for this promise. I encourage you to memorize it, hide God’s word in your heart and you’ll take it with you wherever you go.

My friend Vee, who blogs at A Haven For Vee had the opportunity to photograph a bald eagle.  You can read about her experience in two of her posts.

Bald Eagle ~ A Haven for Vee

Isaiah 40 ~ A Haven for Vee

Thank you Vee for letting me use your amazing photos in today's Scripture Thursday.  A perfect fit.

Thanks for stopping by today dear ones.  I hope this post has been an encouragement to you. 

Winter Photos & Free Facebook Covers

Greetings from snowy, stormy, freezing cold Maine.  Definitely an old fashioned Maine winter this season.  Here are a two facebook covers I've made for you, free for personal use or sharing.  They can be used for other purposes if you don't have a facebook account. Click on each image for the largest size, right click, and save to your computer.

This photo above, was taken from inside my porch window.  I love the frost pattern that has formed.  It makes the perfect natural background for shells I've collected.  The little white porcelain bird was given to me by my friends' young son.  He picked it out especially for me because he knows I like birds.  Sweet! 

I took this photo of sunrise on an extremely cold day. The smoke or fog you see on the water, is known as "sea smoke".  This forms when very cold air moves over "warmer" water.  Be assured though there is nothing "warm" about this water in the winter.  I thought this sunrise to be majestic, so coupled it with the scripture from Psalm 19:1 ~

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

This winter photo is of our church steeple.  I took this the morning after a snowstorm.  The sun had just started to rise and cast a pinkish hue on the steeple.  Lovely! 

Thanks for visiting my blog today.  I hope you are staying warm wherever you are.

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 ~