Don't be afraid ...

Birds are mentioned nearly 300 times in the Bible. I've always been interested in the idea of the sparrow. Growing up in Florida you don't hear much about them. Turns out that Florida has two kinds. One is the endangered Grasshopper Sparrow; they're are brown and grayish little birdies that always tend to be around other birds.

Sparrows were very common and abundant in biblical times. Seems like they were almost a nuisance. I picture them being viewed as our modern day pigeons ... more annoying then useful.

That said, the sparrow was the bird that Jesus mentioned when He was referring to our worth.

" Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without our Father knowing. Fear not, you are more valuable then many sparrows"

If this little birdie is known by God, then we can rest assured that we are seen, loved and cared for.

Each year my husband and I take the opportunity to visit our close friends in Ft. Worth, Texas. It's something we look forward to as a time of rest and refreshment.

Being with old friends has a way of reminding you of who you are. It renews the tired, worn-out bits of ya... well at least it does for me. Getting away is ALWAYS well worth the effort!

I was delighted to see that my friend had cleared off a little desk for me to paint at during our visit. She knows me well. Early morning coffee and getting to paint something that's been swirling around in my brain is part of my rest. I snapped a few pictures of the different stages. I worked on her over the course of three mornings for about an hour each day.

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Somehow, I find this idea of common birds being cared for by God comforting and calming. Not being anxious or afraid is also mentioned many times in the bible. Below are just a few of my favorites mentions:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. - Philippians 4:6-7

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I hope this new piece is refreshing to you too, my friends. I'm offering this one as a free .pdf download. If you have a good printer and would like to download and print her out, you can get the art here.

Comment below to let me know what verses or sayings about birds have been encouraging to you.