Scripture Thursday ~ Amazing Grace

For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory:
no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11

Free Scripture Printable

The hymn Amazing Grace is very popular.  Sometimes popular becomes common if we’re used to hearing it all the time.  The title of this hymn is just two simple common words. 

Websters 1828 dictionary states the definition of these words as follows:

AMAZING
Confounding with fear, surprise or wonder.
Very wonderful; exciting astonishment, or perplexity.

GRACE
Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God,
the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him
And if by grace, then it is no more of works…. Romans 11:6

You can find the full definition of GRACE here – it is quite lengthy but informative

Webster's 1828 definition of GRACE

If you put the two definitions together you have:

Very wonderful, free unmerited love and favor of God.
The source of all the benefits men receive from him.

Free Hymn Printable ~ Amazing Grace

John Newton, the composer of this hymn said:
Though I am not what I ought to be,
 nor what I wish to be, nor yet what I hope to be,
 I can truly say I am not what I once was . . . .
By the grace of God I am what I am!

John Newton, Composer Amazing Grace

Composed in the 1779, this hymn is probably the most popular hymn in the English language.  John Newton was a slave trader before coming to Christ.  We are all sinners who have a choice to be saved by God’s GRACE, as Mr. Newton writes about below.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

I’m participating in a Hymn Challenge and thought I’d combine that project with Scripture Thursday.  You can read more about this hymn and its history at Triple the Scraps with Patter. Below is a digital page I made free for you, and for the hymn challenge.  Click for a larger size, right click and save to your computer.

Free for personal use or sharing

Okay my friends, your turn to show off what you've been working on this week. 
Thanks for stopping by.  I appreciate all of my readers, your comments and encouragement to me.  You are my blessings. 

Happy Valentine's Day ~ Free Printables

And now abideth faith, hope, charity,
these three; but
the greatest of these is charity.

1 Corinthians 13:13 

Happy Valentine's Day my friends.  Here is a little something for you, my gift to you.  A bookmark with this scripture added to it.   I found the graphic of this beautiful woman at The Graphics Fairy and just had to use her in my Valentine to you.  Click on the image to make it larger, right click and save to your computer.  I think this would make a wonderful bookmark.

 

The next two graphics come from a very old book in my collection, the first one is plain, the other, I've added a background.  Your choice.  All the images in this post are free.  If you have any questions about terms of use for my images please visit here:  About My Images.

I'd like to tell you about a blog I recently discovered with the most beautiful photography and inspiration.  

What Joy Is Mine
with Naomi

Here is a self portrait of her which she titles Self Portrait of Joy

Naomi ~ What Joy is Mine

.  

Her blog header is made with her own photography
and the verse below is featured underneath it.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
   that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.  

Psalm 90:14

Naomi chooses JOY despite devastating circumstances in her life, and models that JOY to her family and others.   She is having her first blog giveaway which ends on Friday.  So click on her beautiful picture above to visit her blog and enter to win a handcrafted treasure by her mother.  You won't be disappointed.

Have a wonderful day and don't forget to say "I Love You"
to that special someone in your life.  

Hymn ~ Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee;
and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
Psalm 71:23

Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee
Hymn written by Henry van Dyke 1907
Sung to the music:
 Hymn to Joy from the 9^th Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

 Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life.

Thank you for visiting today, I hope you’ve enjoyed this hymn.  This  was a request by one of my readers.   Both graphics in this post are free to you, just click to open larger, right click and save to your computer.  

Scripture Thursday ~ God IS Love

For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

Hello my friends ~ welcome to another Scripture Thursday here at Little Birdie Blessings.    With Valentine’s Day approaching, I have been thinking about the topic of Love.  Not so much about the romantic kind of love with cards, flowers and chocolate (although that is nice), but the kind of love that God has for us.  The kind of love that is incomprehensible, and unconditional.  

There is a hymn that has been running through my mind constantly this week that sums up the only way I know how to describe the kind of love that God has for us.  The hymn is titled O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus, and was written in 1875 by Samuel Trevor Francis.   As a teenager contemplating suicide one night on a bridge, he experienced a spiritual awakening and went on to author many poems and hymns.  He compares Jesus’ love to the mighty ocean.   

winter morning view from my home, it was so cold that day,
what you see is known as "sea smoke"

I live in Maine in a small fishing community.  I know the beauty of the ocean, its vastness, might and power.  Over the years, many people right in our own community have lost their lives to the powerful force of the ocean.   In our area, it is the strongest force of nature.   

view from Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o'er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o'er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
'Tis an ocean vast of blessing, 'tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, 'tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

Samuel Trevor Francis ~ 1875 

1^st John 4:8 tells us that God is Love.  God IS love, he defines love, his nature is love, his attributes are love.  God loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sin.  His love is personal, never changing, no beginning or end; he knows and loves you individually.  

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
I John 4:10

taken at Sunset, notice the lone bird flying

There may be some reading this that do not have someone to love and share their days with, or you may have someone who loves you but doesn’t express it in the way that you’d like them to.  Remember Jesus loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love.  A love that it vast, unmeasured, boundless, free and as mighty as the ocean. 

There is wisdom in the words of this hymn.  If the lyrics have spoken to you, please follow the link below to the video.  I think this rendition portrays it in such a powerful way.   As you listen to it, picture the love of Jesus wrapping you with warmth and care.  

O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus

 Thank you for all your encouraging comments. 

Free Vintage Valentine Postcards

And this I pray, that your love may abound
still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.
Philippians 1:9 (NKJV)

 You can give without loving.
But you cannot love without giving.
 Amy Carmichael

 

 Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch,
 but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same.
Helen Keller

Love that is shared is a beautiful thing-
It enriches the soul and makes the heart sing!
Helen Steiner Rice

Thanks for stopping by today my friends.  The vintage Valentine postcards in today’s post are free for you. Just click to open a larger size, right click and save to your computer.  

There’s still time to link your scripture projects to this week’s Scripture Thursday.  Any project in any medium that has scripture from the Bible may be linked.  New linky party every Thursday.  A book of Encouragement poems by Helen Steiner Rice will be drawn from this week’s participants.  The winner will be announced on Thursday.  Click below for the Scripture Thursday post.

Scripture Thursday Linky Party ~ Love One Another

I hope you have a delightful day.  

Hymn ~ Love Divine All Loves Excelling

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
by Charles Wesley 1707 - 1788

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of Heav’n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Charles Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns and it is said, this was one of his finest.  This hymn was sung at the wedding of Prince William & Catherine.  

 

The hymn pictured here is taken from a hymn book in my collection dated 1888.  The cover is shown below.  The hymn and cover graphic are free for you.  Just click to enlarge picture, right click and save to your computer.  

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today.