Blessed Are the Birds

This morning I was up just as the sun was starting to rise. I absolutely love this time of day. The red-orange streaks of light coming from the East were beautiful. As I stood in my backyard I was treated to a chorus from the many birds that live in the trees surrounding my house. The warblers, finches, cardinals, morning doves, blue jays and even the woodpecker treated to me a symphony of their own making. Standing there with the sunrise in the sky, the dew in the grass and listening to the birds was one of those moments that help balance a busy work day or soothe my own rough edges. Some might call it "a good thing" or even a "perfect moment." Whatever you call it, it was good!

There's a wonderful verse in the Bible, Psalm 84:3 that says, “Birds find nooks and crannies in your house, sparrows and swallows make nests there. They lay their eggs and raise their young, singing their songs in the place where we worship. God of the Angel Armies! King! God! How blessed they are to live and sing there!”

David was so right when he made this observation and, today, I was blessed by the beautiful music made by the birds who live in my yard. Sometimes I get so busy and so caught up in the mundane parts of my life that I forget the simple blessings that God has given me. Little reminders, even if it comes from a tiny little finch who is singing its heart out, are everywhere and give us an opportunity to worshop God and all the blessings and opportunities He has given us.

My hope for you today is that you hear a bird sing and are reminded of God's goodness. When you do, stop and take a few moments to thank Him for our feathered friends and their wonderful songs of praise.

That reminds me ... I've got to go fill the bird feeders! See ya!

Source: http://mawebb.blogspot.com

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Please forward a courtesy email to the author including an active web link where it is posted.

Out of Adversity Comes ....

In October, 2005 I moved across the country. There were a number of "good" reasons for doing so, but at the time of the move I was confident that after I arrived in my new home that I would find a great job, meet lots of new friends and just "love" the change. I should have known better, but it did not turn out quite like I had envisioned.

The good news is that it has not been all bad either, thankfully! But, the great new job, lots of new friends and everything turning out perfect in a rosy-colored world didn't materialize. Today I still believe that the move was blessed by God and that, for some reason still not yet known to me, I was supposed to come here. If adversity, challenges, trials and difficulties are supposed to make us better individuals and children of God, then I have been in the boot camp for those in distress!

David, who certainly had his fair share of distress, said in Psalm 4:1, "God you have enlarged me in my time of distress." Here is what I am learning from David:

• God never "wastes" a trial or challenge on us. He uses this to help us to grow and build our faith.
  
• Just as with any sport or physical challenge, resistance builds strength. To grow and make the best of a difficult time we must resist the devil and all his sneaky ways to make us stumble or fail.
  
• God's Word, the Bible, is our map and guidebook. We need to read and use His Word to help us to understand our situation and to help us build our faith and trust in God's plan for us.
  
• Develop a good attitude filled with positive thoughts and gratefulness for the blessings that we do have AND for being entrusted with the challenges before you. We should pray and sing God's praises for the blessings in our lives.
  
• Trust that God is on your side and that He has every intention of giving us a life that is filled with happiness, success and good things!
  

I hope that as you go throughout your day that you will take time out to thank God for His goodness and blessings and to not forget that He is helping you to grow by giving you challenges and life experiences that require us to exercise our minds and attitudes.

Source: http://MAWebb.blogspot.com

Copyright M. A. Webb, 2004-2006. All Rights Reserved

PUBLISHING AND REPRINT RIGHTS: You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your website, free of charge, as long as the author's information and web link are included at the bottom of the article and the article is not changed, modified or altered in any way. The web link should be active when the article is reprinted on a web site or in an email. Please forward a courtesy email to the author including an active web link where it is posted.