Women's Focus Ministries: Friday Writings......7/29/16

Good morning...
Today we finally got an undone item on our list taken care of. We had a new comcast box about which we were clueless. So we called for help with technical issues in the installation. After two missed appointments the tech finally arrived this afternoon and voila an amazing cable box with wonderful capacities...and they will be amazing if we can figure out how to use it without freezing the tv on one channel. This is a challenge to be sure.

Hope your Friday is a good one.

God bless from
Corinne

The Devotional component in the Friday Writings of Women's Focus Ministries is titled, "The Metamorphosis of a Believer" and was written by Diane Sutton.The theme of this devotional is the illustration of transformation as shown in the metamorphosis of a butterfly. When this happens the caterpillar gradually transforms into a butterfly. When people choose to be transformed and to allow it, the transformation from nonbeliever to BELIEVER it is a beautiful new creation. Diane wrote, "Butterflies possess the ability to change, and the courage to leave the safety of their cocoon to discover a new world. Look at our transformation! Look at the blessings! When we want the transformation, when we completely surrender—isn’t it powerful?"

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Today's Devotional

"The Metamorphosis of a Believer"

written by

Diane Sutton

How does one become a butterfly?

You must want to fly so much that you give up being a caterpillar.

~Trina Paulus

How does one transform into a mature follower of Christ? We must want to be transformed so much into a new being that we are willingly to completely give up ourselves to the will of God.

Romans 12:2 tell us that we should not...

"conform to the pattern of this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

Then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—

his good, pleasing and perfect will."

2 Corinthians 3:18 says we are being...

transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory,

which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Philippians 3:21 states that the Lord Jesus Christ,

who, by the power that enables Him

to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies

so that they will be like his glorious body.

Too many times we approach life with the idea that we are not going to have to change. We tell God that we know what we need to do and will do it at our leisurely pace. We tell God “I’m not going to let you change who I am” because we feel we are being forced to change when we are not ready.

We must be willing to surrender who we are today so we can become who God created us to be. The catepillar is willing to stay in the cocoon long enough for the transformation to be completed.

But as we allow God to peel back those layers of pain, hurt and trauma, we began to think maybe we can surrender a little bit--just a little bit. We should understand that surrendering is hard work and takes time. We need to be committed to keep going and not give up no matter how hard and long the journey. As we surrender more and more, we are being transformed bit by bit into the glorious image of our Creator.

When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, the transformation is undeniable. Often, we don't remember the caterpillar, because all we see now is a butterfly.

Butterflies are powerful symbols of hope, endurance and transformation.

Butterflies possess the ability to change, and the courage to leave the safety of their cocoon to discover a new world. Look at our transformation! Look at the blessings!

When we want the transformation, when we completely surrender—isn’t it powerful?

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Snippets of Spiritual Insights from Beverley

And 🎋 there it was. Right there. In front of me. The answer to the cry of my heart.

Yes. I know Lord. That You have plans. For me. Good plans. Plans to prosper me. Plans to help me to do well. Plans to help me to succeed. I know that You want me to thrive. To not merely "get by" but that You want to see me flourish. I know that you don't plan to harm me. But that Your plan is to give me hope. Always. Hope for my future. Hope in my future. Hope that I do in fact. Have a future. You plan to give me something that I can look forward to. Something that is not only better than today. But something better than all of the days I have ever known. Before. Something that is better than all of that which has ever been. All of that which up until now. I have called. My life.