Animal symbols, also known as Spirit Animals or Animal Totems, are a fun way to learn life lessons. When an animal crosses your path, try looking up what it symbolizes. The symbolism comes from the nature of the animal. When you start looking for the animals that show up in your life, I believe that the Divine begins to speak to you through them… giving you ideas for how to improve your life. God loves to speak in symbols because symbols pack so much meaning in one simple thing. This is why Jesus spoke in parables because painting a picture. Giving you a symbol like “the mustard seed” allows you to unpack so much meaning and apply it to your life in different ways at different times.
- God’s Messages in Nature: The Playful Chipmunk Symbolism
I recently shared a video about hearing God’s messages in nature, focusing on an incredible encounter with hummingbirds. Right as I was wrapping up that video, I experienced something else that I couldn’t ignore, prompting me to create this follow-up post. A Surprising Encounter with Chipmunks At the end of my last video, you might… - Hearing God’s Messages in Nature: My Hummingbird ExperienceHave you ever wondered how God communicates with us through the world around us, especially in nature? I recently had a profound experience that reaffirmed my belief in the divine messages that nature often holds for us. My Journey with Nature and Prayer I have a daily practice where I write out my prayers, read…
- Eastern Phoebe Animal Symbolism and Nature’s Lessons on Patience“I want a golden goose and I want it now!” demanded Veruca Salt in “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” In our instant gratification world, we often think that everything should come quickly when we desire it. But, nature teaches us that things take time. Whether it’s the seeds we plant that have a germination…
- Naamah’s Groundhog – Groundhog Animal SymbolismNaamah’s Groundhog is a new illustrated book written by Allison Amanda Hansen MacKay and illustrated by Elaine W. Duree. If you love animal symbolism and are interested in groundhog animal symbolism, you’ll love this beautifully crafted, full-color book. Naamah’s Groundhog is about Noah’s wife who helped him gather the animals for the ark. It is…
- What the Carolina Wren Can Teach Us About Delivering a Message to the WorldDo you have a message you feel called to deliver to the world? Are you overwhelmed with cutting through the noise and knowing how to be heard in a world that is overloaded with information? We are learning a lot from the confident and clear voice of the tiny Carolina Wren. This small bird has…
- Broad-winged Hawk Animal Symbolism: An Answer to PrayerA couple days ago I had a slight impression not to do something. I thought I was just being chicken-y and did it anyway. I ended up regretting it. This morning, this incident was on my mind as I said my morning prayers. I asked God to help me get clearer on understanding when I’m…
- It’s a Blue Bird Day: Blue Bird Animal SymbolismI had a day to myself and decided to spend the morning doing some bird watching and photography. While I sat on our front porch, I got some beautiful photos of a bluebird scoping out one of our birdhouses for a nest. I took several photographs of the bluebird there before he moved over to…
- Sandhill Crane Animal SymbolismSandhill cranes mate for life (or until their mate dies). They are very devoted to one another and model the ideal romantic relationship. They are a good symbol for a happy marriage. Sandhill cranes have a distinct trumpeting call. It sounds like a combination of the chirp of a trumpet mixed with a little rattle…
- Raven Animal Symbolism and Fun FactsRavens represent intelligence, transformation, death, cleansing, spiritual awakening and more. Read on to find fun facts about ravens and raven animal symbolism. Dave and I visited Bryce Canyon in Utah in November. While we were there, we saw a couple ravens in the parking area. I was able to take some photos of one of…
- A Lesson in Confidence from the Great Blue HeronWith their lanky legs, Great Blue Herons don’t look like they should be able to fly, but they are quite graceful. With God’s help you can be more than you appear to be too!
- Dark-Capped Night HeronDark-capped Night Heron juvenile on Mud Creek, Lake Winneconne, Wisconsin. September 14, 2022. My new bird of the week – Dark-crowned Night Heron. This is a juvenile. The coloring makes it almost camouflaged (probably to protect it while it is young). I didn’t even see it in the tree. Dave spotted it. Adult night herons…
- Birding: Grackle Animal Symbolism and MeaningMy husband’s favorite bird is the grackle. He learned to love them from his nature-loving Grandma Bertha in Wisconsin, whom he adored. This morning while reading my morning devotionals on the front porch, I heard a lot of interesting bird sounds. I turned on Merlin and it identified the cry of a red shouldered hawk…
- Syncing Up with NatureMy husband and I went on a 3.5 hour canoe trip the last Friday in July, 2022. I’ve been taking a 45 Days to Awakening course with Dr. Jeffrey Martin and have noticed several shifts in myself as a result. On Friday’s trip down the West Chickamauga Creek, I seemed more connected and synced up…
- Osprey Animal SymbolismI often see ospreys in Winneconne, Wisconsin, so I looked up osprey animal symbolism to see what this bird can teach us. Ospreys are a form of hawk. Like the hawk, osprey’s symbolize vision, skill, abundance and victory. Ospreys also represent peace of mind, harmony, and balance. Creatures that are black and white have a…
- Sandhill Crane SymbolismWhile in Winneconne, Wisconsin, I got some fun photos of sandhill cranes. This led me to look up the animal symbolism of sandhill cranes to see what they can teach me. Sandhill cranes mate for life. In most cultures, cranes represent good luck, wealth, prosperity, health, longevity, vigilance and loyalty. One exception is that Hindu…
- Goldfinch Animal SymbolismGoldfinch are tiny bright yellow & black birds that eat seeds. They love thistle, cone flowers, coreopsis and live in flood plains. When you see goldfinch, here is what they symbolize.
- Meditation Journey: There Is Only Remembering or ForgettingI had an exquisite enlightening experience with my morning meditation today. It was the kind of experience that will leave me forever changed.
- Carolina Wren Nest BuildingWe have had Carolina Wrens nesting around our front porch for a few years now. A couple years ago, they built their nest in a toolbox my husband Dave had on the front porch. Last year, they built it in a canvas bag Dave left hanging on a chair on the porch. This year, they…
- Finding Heavenly MotherAround noon, Dave and I went for a walk to the creek. I carried along my camera and my notebook with the objective of sitting on what we call the Intention Rock by the creek. It’s a great place to center myself, ponder, and photograph birds. When we first entered the field, Dave pointed to…
- Sunday Messengers – Life Lessons from BirdsI enjoy looking for patterns, so Sunday as I watched the birds from my back deck, I started thinking about what messages they may be conveying to me. Each bird is unique and has something to tell us. I thought it would be fun in this post to go through the birds I photographed on…
- The Cowbird Parable and How We View OthersCowbirds are considered brood parasites and pests. But are they all bad? Do they have no redeeming qualities? What can we learn from them about how we view any of God’s creatures – human, plant or animal? The other day I posted a photo of some cowbirds. In doing research on them I learned that…
Starfish photo by Padraic Thompson
