“As you begin to think more about how you can love your way through life, rather than about how you have to battle your way through life, love will reveal to you its secret success powers.” — Catherine Ponder
We make thousands of decisions each day. Too often our decision-making can be confused with outdated beliefs and limitations.
As little girls we obeyed the rules and expectations of family, church and society. Our choices were dictated by others and we were often stifled. Years later, many women awoke to find their souls yearning to be set free to express, to love and to find joy.
Believing we are not good enough is our deepest secret. We’ve been trained to keep our secrets and pain to ourselves. As a result, we tend to think we are alone and are the only ones dealing with doubt, self-judgment, and lack. We come together in community to encourage and support each other. After all, empowered women empower women!
It is time to bring those old beliefs out of hiding and free ourselves from limiting thoughts, behaviors and actions.
“In the short term and in the long run, how we treat people is our legacy. We have a daily responsibility to stay conscious of that and show up in ways we can be proud of.” – Sam Horn, Talking on Eggshells
It’s holiday time! That exciting time of year when we navigate the emotional terrain of spending time with loved ones. Anxiety, anyone?
Some loved ones are a joy to be with. Others can be more challenging.
Here are some helpful tips:
It’s not about them. We often have attachment as to how we would like our loved ones to behave. In fact WE have lots of ideas about how they can live better lives. Breathe and step back. Practice letting go.
Respond not react. Our loved ones know how to push our buttons. Disable your button. Disconnect from your high mindedness. Dissolve the need to have the answers. Practice responding peacefully and not reacting to situations.
Claim your intention. Instead of imagining all the terrible, awful, dreadful things that the holidays might bring, practice visualizing what you do want. What is your intention? To have loving communication? To have peaceful interactions? To have joy-filled experiences? Set your intention before you venture out the door.
Remember to breathe. Conscious breathing keeps us grounded in our awareness of our divinity and our oneness. Allow your breathing to center yourself in love. Pause and take a breath.
Practice gratitude. Gratitude lifts us up to a higher vibration. In that vibration of love, all things are possible.
I am grateful for my many blessings… I am grateful my family…I am grateful for my body and good health…I am grateful for my home…I bless my neighbors and my co-workers…I bless the economy…I bless our country…I bless my spiritual community…I bless the world.
I am so grateful for you. You are a blessing to the world.
Have you ever struggled to express your feelings, especially around loved ones? Do you find yourself carefully choosing your words, worried about hurting someone’s feelings? You’re not alone! The holiday season can sometimes amplify our challenges in communication, making us feel reactive and defensive.
Join us for an empowering workshop where we will tap into the art of heartfelt communication. Together, we will cultivate the practice of speaking from the heart, transforming our interactions with authenticity and compassion.
The news media can be our over-active nervous system–if we let it. Turn away from the outside world and speak words of truth, of what you claim for yourself and your country. Speak these prayers from Ernest Holmes aloud. Keep your vibration high.
My Prayer for My Country
by Ernest Holmes
Believing in the Divine destiny of the United States of America and in the preservation of liberty, security, and self-expression for all, I offer this, my prayer for my country:
I know that Divine Intelligence governs the destiny of the United States of America, directing the thought and the activity of all who guide its affairs. I know that success, prosperity, and happiness are the gifts of Freedom and are the Divine heritage of everyone in this country. I know that success, prosperity, and happiness are now operating in the affairs of every individual in this country. I know that Divine guidance enlightens the collective mind of the people of this country, causing it to know that economic security may come to all without the loss of either personal freedom or individual self-expression. I know that no one can believe or be led to believe that freedom must be surrendered in order to insure economic security for all. The All-Knowing Mind contains the answer to every problem which confronts this country. I know that every leader in this country is now directed by this All-Knowing Mind and has the knowledge of a complete solution to every problem. Each is compelled to act upon this knowledge to the end that abundance, security, and peace shall come to all. And I know that this spiritual democracy shall endure, guaranteeing to everyone in this country personal liberty, happiness, and self-expression. Amen.
Prayer for Peace of Mind
by Ernest Holmes
Be still and know that I am God. I am the Christ, the Light of the Living God within me. I am the Principle of Peace within me. I am the manifestation of Love within me. My mind is poised in Peace and Beauty. All sense of fear and doubt is gone. I rest in calm trust and rely on the Law of Spirit to bring good into my experience of Life. I contend with none, argue with none, and am filled with wonderful Peace and Light. There is no uncertainty about my future and no fear as a result of my past. I live in an eternal Now which is filled with good alone. Goodness and Beauty follow me. Happiness and Wholeness fill my entire being with the realization of Love and Perfection. I am the Christ, Light of the Living God within me. This inner mind of mine is now Divine and complete. It has no worries and no fears. It is whole, complete and satisfied. I look back over all previous experience and find that it was all good, very good. I look toward the future and find that it is good, very good. I look at the present and find that it is also good, and very good. God is in all, over all and through all. I am the Christ, Light of the Living God within me. I am the Spirit of Confidence. I am poised in Love and Reason. I am the perfect Law of Truth and the complete Presence of Beauty.
I am the Christ, Light of the Living God within me. Amen.
Our Wisdom of the Heart retreat was another wonderful experience of joyful connections. We arrived a bit weary, rattled and stressed from our busy lives. And we left uplifted, renewed, and realigned with the presence of love.
Here is some of what the retreat sisters shared:
–The retreat gave me a chance to look at what is really going on in my life. I received prayers and tools that I can use everyday to further open myself up to the gifts the Divine has already made available to me.
–As a new person to the group, I was amazed at the immediate acceptance and welcome into this amazing circle of women.
–The prayer night affected me profoundly. There was a powerful presence that surrounded us.
–Every day was filled with wisdom and tools to take home. And the music was awesome!
–Big love to Lauri for bringing such heartfelt, spiritual musical beauty to our experience.
–First time attendee and I will return. Rev Christine is an excellent facilitator responding to our needs.
–I always appreciate the flow of practices, the opportunities for sharing, and the balance of downtime. I do not have many opportunities to step out of my life to be supported in this deep work and I am so grateful that you continue to offer this transformative time.
–Each retreat has taken me deeper in finding the “real” me. The support of my “sisters’ is beyond anything I can imagine.
–I loved the whole retreat! I arrived rattled from the noise and clutter and found peace.
–Spending time in an old growth forest with heart-centered women led by Rev Christine is a gift for your soul.
–The retreat is a respite from the overwhelming cultural demands. It helps calm the spirit within and to know more clearly who you are.
Save the date for next year’s retreat: October 19 – 22, 2025.
