Flying Free: Poems for Pilgrim Hearts (Ruth Fanshaw's Poetry, #1)

I really appreciate her writing skills. Full of perception and empathy. Love the breadth of styles that she's crafted.

- Chris Bowater

Songwriter & Worship Leader

Fanshaw opens up the world of poetry… Flying Free: Poems for Pilgrim Hearts is one of the finest poetry books I have read to date and that puts it at or near the top of a very large list.

- Jacob LaMar

Readers' Favourite Reviewer - 5 stars awarded

...[A]n inspiring collection... There is a fresh feel to these Christian poems... If you like poetry with vivid imagery and meaningful themes, Flying Free: Poems for Pilgrim Hearts by Ruth Fanshaw is a must-read.

- Tammy Ruggles

Readers' Favourite Reviewer - 5 stars awarded

…Flying Free is a raw, honest portrayal of the highs and lows of being a Christian… Fanshaw writes in… perhaps the largest range of diverse formats I've come across by a single author in a single volume… this is a really lovely compilation…

- Asher Syed

Readers' Favourite Reviewer - 5 stars awarded

...[A]n authentic and heart-warming faith-based poetry collection... It instills significant values such as courage, hope, and gratitude... By allowing herself to be vulnerable, Ruth Fanshaw reveals impactful, life-changing lessons within the poems in Flying Free.

- Edith Wairimu

Readers' Favourite Reviewer - 5 stars awarded

...[D]isplay[s] the delicious skill Ruth has with words... Her poetry expresses faith, freedom, and hope... once I began, I was enticed to read more... I could feel an inner warm glow in response to the colorful images in my mind's eye... I enjoy rereading my favorite books, and I expect Flying Free to join this category in my library.

- Irene Valentine

Readers' Favourite Reviewer - 5 stars awarded

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A collection of 40 poems and a song about growth, healing, and the quest for wholeness and identity, intertwining the metaphors of pilgrimage and flight. It is divided into 3 sections.

Part One, First Flight, evokes the hopeful beginning of the adventure of journeying through life with Jesus. We begin to discover who we are in Christ, and are filled with a desire to live in a meaningful way for Him.

Part Two, Defying Gravity, explores the sometimes painful challenges of that journey. We discover that suffering is part of life, even life with Jesus - yet He is with us, even within our toughest times. As we persevere, we come to a deeper knowledge of our Lord and of ourselves.

In Part Three, Flying Free, healing comes and hope is reborn from our experience as we learn to trust more fully in God's character and faithfulness. As we see His heart more clearly, we also come to a better understanding of our own, and begin to see ourselves more as our loving Father sees us. This leads us to a place of rest, peace, and fulfilment, centred in God's love.

An epilogue, in the form of a song, expresses how God brings us through difficult times.

We're left with a restoration of the hope of the beginning of the journey, but now fortified and enriched by personal experience of God's faithfulness in our lives.