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View my newest webpage on taking a personal retreat.
Retreating
“The Work of Byron Katie” is a powerful tool for clearing the mind of stressful
thoughts and limiting beliefs. It is a simple process of inquiry that consists of four questions and a “turnaround”.
1. Is it true?
2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
3. How do you react when you think that thought?
4.
Who would you be without that thought?
Turn the thought around.
"The Work" is one of the best tools I've found
for "taking captive every thought to the obedience of Christ." I've also found it to be a great tool for breaking free of
hindrances to creative expression.
Creative people frequently experience times when their creativity seems stifled
or blocked. Most often, it is our thinking that blocks creativity. By investigating our stressful thoughts (about our art,
ourselves, our lives), we can reconnect with ourselves and the place within through which creativity flows.
For more information about “The Work of Byron Katie” visit: |
www.thework.com
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Spiritual Direction
What is Spiritual Direction?
The first and greatest commandment is: "'Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
(Luke 10:27) This is about offering our whole being to God...body, soul, and mind, and spirit. Unfortunately,
this isn't an easy task since we often lose touch with ourselves. Spiritual Direction is the process of helping
others reconnect with themselves and with God so that they can love God with all their heart,
soul, mind, and strength. It is about embracing our God-created self (along with our unique gifts and calling) so that we
can love others.
It is helpful to understand our makeup in this process of loving with all of ourselves. We are body, soul, and spirit. The
part we call the body is easily recognized and defined. The soul consists of the mind, will, and emotions, incorporating our
personality and intellect. The spirit consists of the conscience, intuition, creativity, and imagination. It is with the spirit
that we respond to art and music. The spirit is where the “splinter of God” resides which is the divine “seed”
within us that recognizes and draws us toward God (a “homing device” of sorts). The human spirit is not the same
as the Holy Spirit. Our spirit is the receptacle for receiving the “imperishable seed” of the Holy Spirit by which
we are born again so that the very life of God begins to grow in our spirit.
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Spiritual Direction is about restoring and facilitating the normal function of the spirit, soul, and body so that God’s
Holy Spirit may live and act in us according to God’s will and purpose, to become the unique person we were created
to be. There are three key tasks involved in this process:
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1. Opening our spirit to God. Receiving and responding to God’s love. Experiencing God’s presence.
Coming to know God’s heart and voice.
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2. Opening our soul to be infused and filled with the life and love of God in the spirit. Possessing the
gifts of God…embracing our God created selves…allowing God’s love to permeate our soul, healing and transforming
us.
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3. Bodily expressing the life and love of God in the uniqueness of our being. |
These tasks are on-going and multi-level in that they involve all aspects of our lives, throughout our lives. The goal
is to become the person God has created us to be. Each person is unique, having unique gifts, talents, and calling…each
person has a unique way of relating to God and to others. Finding our unique path and expression is a creative process and
the essence of art and the substance of wholeness.
Functionally, spiritual direction is about
“spurring one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24,25)
The person in the role of “spiritual
director” is there to support, encourage, and assist another in recognizing, hearing and responding to their
own heart and to the heart of God. They may suggest helpful resources, practices, or referrals.
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