Under His Wings

Almost 20 years ago, I received this piece of inspiration from my friend Ginny. She is a beautiful angel that entered my life to offer me encouragement, support and provide spiritual nourishment as I began a journey of recovery and growing faith in God.

a poem about letting go and trusting...

Under His Wings

As the eagle must force her young from the nest,
To teach them how to fly,
So our Father must press us out
Of routine things he'd have us try.

And just as the eagle guards her own
to insure their safety in flight,
Our Lord is near when we try our wings -
We're never out of his sight.

But should the eaglet begin to fall,
the Eagle swoops down from above
to rescue its young and bear it up
on wings of strength and love.

So how can we doubt the eagles creator,
the One who made us all,
would fail to save and deliver us,
if we should start to fall.

~ BJ Hoff

Broken Dreams

A friend offered me this piece of encouragement almost 20 years ago...it has carried me through many rough patches along the way. From my collection of inspirations...

a beautiful poem about letting go and trusting God...

Broken Dreams As children bring their broken toys With tears for us to mend, I brought my broken dreams to God Because He was my friend. But then instead of leaving Him In peace to work alone, I hung around and tried to help With ways that were my own. At last I snatched them back and cried, "How could you be so slow" "My child," He said, "What could I do? You never did let go." - Author Unknown

Lean on Him

Why is it so difficult to let go of what I want, what I think I need, what is best for me and to completely and unreservedly surrender to God's will in my life?

Maybe, because I think I know better than God what's best for my life? No...I've disproved that theory too many times to know it's not true.

Why then? Well...it's simply FEAR.

I've spent a good part of my life making my own decisions, determining what's best for me, pursuing relationships, jobs and that next 'thing' that will satisfy that place inside me that longs for relief, comfort, hope, excitement...

Now, I'm asked to surrender 'My' will to God's will. My fears rise up in mutiny at the thought of letting go of the 'reigns' of my life and allowing God's will to guide me. How many times have I told myself, "I can handle it myself or if I only get what I want, then I'll be happy"?

If I'm honest with myself, when I reflect back on 'my decisions' (especially the ones where I didn't consult God) the results usually ended in disaster. I'll admit that I'm predisposed to selfishness. Who doesn't enjoy the rush of Immediate gratification when we get what we 'think' we want? On the flip side, however, when I don't get what I want, I tend to pout, sulk and blame God for his lack of timing, unfairness and any other blame I put on Him.

I don't like to WAIT for His will to play out in my life...especially when it comes to relationships, jobs, friends, creative pursuits, family...basically, any area of my life.

God's will for me isn't always easy to understand or accept at times. It's often frustrating, exasperating, baffling and confusing. Though, to God, His will is perfect for me. My mind doesn't see the whole picture...the intricate plans woven through time that unfold daily. When I look back over my life, it's easier to see the 'big' picture, the view from God's eyes.

What is needed if I want to be at peace with His will and not My will?

When I learn to be open and willing to believe that God's will is always so much better for me than my feeble attempts, then I am more able to let go and trust in Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight." (NIV)

"Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for GOD'S voice in everything you do,
everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep
you on track." (MSG)

Becoming a Butterfly

God's power to transform our lives from the inside out is not only visible in outward appearance. More importantly, our hearts and minds are renewed and transformed at a very deep level.

When I'm ready and willing to change, the first thing I must be willing to release is all that I think and believe that I am. Letting go of the old self is required for a new life. Am I willing to let go and trust God to transform me into a new creature? God's design for our lives is always perfect. Trust and let go!All that I was, All that I am and All that I am to become...I will surrender to Him. Lord, create in me a pure and clean heart that lives for you. Let all that I do be a reflection of your Divine love and grace. Let your light shine through me that others may see your Glory.

Transformation of the Butterfly

SHE HAD ME AT MOO

Spiritual Transformation

Butterfly: The Mysteries of Transformation
[a short video presented by Humanity Healing Foundation]





----------------------------------------------------------------------------


*If you landed on my site looking for more detailed information about the phases of a butterfly, check out these links:

The Glorious Butterfly
[site includes information on raising monarch butterflies, videos of butterfly metamorphosis, christian perspective of transformation process, stories and images of butterflies, lesson plans for kindergarten and pre-schoolers]

Butterfly emerging from the chrysalis
[site includes slide show of complete metamorphosis of the butterfly]

Picturing God Through His Creation
[blog includes images of the metamorphosis of a butterfly; offers a Christian perspective on transformation]

The Butterfly Site
[#1 site for the most complete and current Butterfly information; includes biology, pictures, links and more]

The Children's Butterfly Site[site includes information, photos of life cycle of butterflies; links to Butterfly and Moth resources on the web; translations available in Français, Deutsch, Español,Italiano, Nederlands]

Butterfly Sites on the Web
[this site includes a list of resources on the web with full description of websites]

The Delicate Balance

There is a time for hanging on,
And a time for letting go
It’s a delicate balance as we cycle through life.

Frozen in time, we cling precariously
To the safe security of all that we know.
Challenges arise, as the winter wind’s harsh call
Threatens to shake us from our bough.

We cling more tightly, fearing we may plunge
Into the shadowy unexplored depths within.

And Nature cycles round again…
The warm gentle breath of spring
Melts the frozen places of our hearts.

Allowing space for our souls to sing,
We dare to dream of a brand new start.

We begin to trust this divine plan.
Our hands begin to open their tight grasp;
Our spirit softly sings…
It’s time. It's time…Let Go!

Tears sliding gently down,
Grieving the past as we let go,
We shed our icy coats of fear
And merge completely into life’s eternal flow.

We have a place in this life,
Each contributing our best to the greater whole.

It’s a delicate balance…these cycles of life,
Between hanging on and letting go.

© 1997 Photograph taken at Spot Pond in Arlington, MA

(Written for my Dad on Father's Day)