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Hey Mighty Hero - you were made to shine!

10/31/2016

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Global Leadership Summit

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I attended a 2-day Global Leadership Summit held at Knysna Vineyard Church in October 2016. The Summit was founded by BILL HYBELS (senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in America), and is committed to mentoring leaders worldwide and empowering people to pursue their God-inspired dreams and visions. We were inspired, uplifted, educated and encouraged, and I try to share some small snippet of that with you:   

YOU WERE MADE TO SHINE
Inspired by BISHOP T D JAKES (Pastor, The Potter’s House)
 
Don’t limit yourself by titles, job descriptions, people’s expectations. Inside one seed may be more than one tree – there may be a whole forest of trees! Use every gift that God has given you. You are gifted, and God wants to take what He gave us and multiply it. So don’t keep it and hold onto it. If you are not doing something that scares you – you are not growing!
 
Your dream must be bigger than you. If your dream is about you, then it is too small. God has given you more than what your life shows. You are more than what they call you and what they pay you. Don’t listen to the voices (yours and others) that say: ‘you are less than; you will never make it; you can’t do it.’ Don’t let others try to extinguish your flame. ST PAUL encouraged and exhorted Timothy to: ‘fan into a flame the gift that has been placed into you.’ (2 TIMOTHY 1:6) ‘For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.’ (2 TIMOTHY 1:7)
 
The REV MARTIN LUTHER KING JR proclaimed: ‘Every person must have a concern for self, and feel a responsibility to discover one’s mission in life. God has given each normal person a capacity to achieve some end. True, some are endowed with more talent than others, but God has left none of us without talent. Potential powers of creativity are within us, and we have a duty to work assiduously to discover these powers.’
 
God said: ‘Your task is to build a better world.’
I questioned: ‘How? This world is such a vast place and, oh, so complicated now.
​And I am so small and useless, there is nothing I can do.’
But God in all great wisdom said: ‘Just build a better you.’
(JOEL WELDON, motivational public speaker)
 
We have a duty to grow our gifts and talents into their fullness. The Parable of the Talents (MATTHEW 25:24-29) warns about burying your gifts and talents: use them or lose them! We are commanded to be fruitful and multiply. God gives us grace to discover ourselves. Re-image yourself. Think the impossible, invisible, intangible.
​

​You were made to shine
You were made for more –
so much more!
Child of everlasting light
Burn bright!
(Song by Natalie Grant)

HEY MIGHTY HERO!
​Inspired by DANIEL STRICKLAND (Pastor, Salvation Army)
 
GIDEON was a judge during a time of trouble in Israel, when they were suffering under the grip of Midianite oppression. One day, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying: ‘Mighty hero! The Lord is with you!’ Here is a man who was so afraid of the enemy that he was hiding away, and God calls him a mighty hero! But that is who the Lord saw when he looked at Gideon. God calls out what already exists within us. God instructed Gideon to rescue Israel from the Midianites. Gideon can’t believe what he is hearing. There must be a mistake. He responds: ‘How can I do this? My family is the weakest, and I am the least in my family!’ The Lord replies: ‘I will be with you …’ (JUDGES 6:11-16)
 
Many of us are like Gideon. When we look at our lives, we see mistakes, failures and problems. We see someone who fails to live up to God’s high calling on our life. We know God wants us to serve Him and to use us for His glory, but we are so filled with fear, and a sense of our own inability that we refuse to trust Him. We feel totally inadequate and so we come up with excuses. God calls us: ‘Hey, mighty hero!’ We answer: ‘Who me? You must have it wrong. I am not the right person.’ Our inner tape must be replaced with what God says about us.
 
One the one extreme, people suffer from chronic insecurity; and on the other extreme, people suffer from pride and arrogance. True humility is not putting yourself down. It is agreeing with God about who you are. True dependency is agreeing with God about who He is. Instead of focusing on who we are – we must focus on who God is. Without God, we are weak, but with God we are mighty! We must move from being insecure > to claiming our identity in Christ. We must move from being self-reliant and independent > to carving out a pocket of dependency on God. When you know who you are and you know who God is – there is no stopping what can be done! We must step into true humility and dependency: not I but Thou – then humility and greatness co-exist.
​
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​REFLECT: How do you disqualify yourself? Do some of these sound familiar: I am not good enough, not talented enough, too small, I have no support, no resources, I am not creative enough, I don’t have enough faith.  

When are you going to stop believing these lies, and listen to the truth of what God says about you?

​INTENTIONAL LIVING
Inspired by JOHN MAXWELL (Leadership expert) 
 
To be successful in anything, it is uphill all the way. The problem is that people have uphill hopes but downhill habits! Achievement is not accidental. We must live intentionally. Intentional living involves intentional thinking. We have to intentionally motivate ourselves to achieve. But we are inherently selfish, and selfishness fights against going uphill. Selfishness wants it easy for the self. Most people don’t lead their own life – they accept their life. If you simply accept your life, this is unintentional. Be intentional. Make a difference. Don’t sit around and wait for a miracle to happen, when you can be one! Be the change. Be the hope. Be the light in the dark. Be the leader that you are looking for.
​
May you be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. All glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (St Paul's prayer in EPHESIANS 3:20)

​The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.
NUMBERS 6:24-26
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Faith the size of a Mustard Seed

9/26/2016

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FAITH THE SIZE OF A MUSTARD SEED
The key that unlocks the door to the supernatural is FAITH

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THE SUPERNATURAL:

We should be living supernaturally naturally. The supernatural should be second nature to us; it should be happening all the time.
 
The KEY that unlocks the door to the supernatural is FAITH. Faith = belief, trust, confidence in God. Faith is the bridge that connects the natural to the supernatural. 
Faith is believing what we cannot see. It is different to HOPE, which is hoping for things in the future. Faith sees them as existing in the present, it sees them in the now.
 
MARK 9:23: Everything is possible for the one who believes.
 
Faith is a gift from God and every Christian has it. We may think that for faith to work, we must have BIG faith. But this is not true. JESUS said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed (which is very SMALL), you can move mountains. So the size of our faith is not an obstacle. Faith is not expressed in quantity but in QUALITY ie the purity of our faith is important. It mustn’t be contaminated by negative mind states.
 
What then are the obstacles to our faith working? We often have more doubt, unbelief, fear and worry than faith, and these negative mind states outweigh the positive and cancel our faith. Faith is positive – it believes. But if you have faith on one side of the scale and more doubt, unbelief, fear and worry on the other side, the scale will tip in favour of the negative.
 
What removes the obstacles to our faith? Intimacy with God removes doubt and fear. The more we know God, the more we start understanding His heart and His plans for us and trusting His goodness. Our knowledge of God must be PERSONAL ie not learned knowledge. We personally encounter God through (1) prayer; (2) Bible study; (3) godly relationships.
DOORS OF FAITH:
 
Faith has many doors. We are encouraged to step through them in faith!
 
BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit gives us POWER to do things that we could not do on our own. We start walking in God’s power and not our own. ACTS 1:8 tells us that we will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on us.
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​JOY AND PEACE: We can be happy and peaceful in all circumstances. PSALM 16:11: Grant me the JOY of Your presence. PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7: Do not be anxious about anything. Tell God what you need and then thank Him in anticipation. Then the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds. 
 
HEARING GOD’S VOICE: We all have the capacity to hear God speak to us. JOHN 10:27: My sheep know my voice and they listen to me.
 
HEALINGS AND MIRACLES: We have been given authority to do this. 1 PETER 2:24: By His wounds we have been healed. MARK 16:17-18: We have authority to cast our demons and heal the sick.
 
FINANCIAL BLESSINGS: God will satisfy all our needs. If we give God first priority in our life, then He will meet all our needs.
 
FREEDOM FROM SIN: God’s grace gives us freedom from the bondage of sin. It empowers us not to let sin dominate in our lives. ROMANS 6:6-7 says that we are no longer slaves to sin.
FRIENDS OF FAITH:
 
OBEDIENCE: Obedience is the highest form of worship. Obedience brings blessings. It opens the door to the supernatural. If we have doubt, fear and sin in our lives, then we will miss what God has for us.
 
PERSEVERANCE: This means standing in faith. We need to stand in faith when things don’t happen immediately. We must believe and keep on believing. We must pray until we get a breakthrough. Don’t doubt and don’t give up!
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​REST: Is faith risk or rest? Many believe faith is risky. But actually it involves putting our trust in God and then resting in His promises. We know that God’s power is unlimited: He can do all things. Don’t just sit and wait. Rest doesn’t mean doing nothing. God wants us to be involved. He wants us to STEP OUT IN FAITH. When we do the natural – God will do the supernatural. So step out and do what you can in the natural and God will do the rest. Have confidence in God. For example: It is not our responsibility to heal. It is our responsibility to pray for healing. Then REST and leave the rest in God’s hands.
 
NB remember: We only need SMALL faith (the size of a mustard seed). Don’t contaminate your faith with doubt and unbelief. Do your part and then trust God for the rest. We know we can’t do it – that’s why we doubt. But God can do it. So don’t doubt. Leave it to Him.
FAITH TESTIMONY:
​
Ken Helser's wife was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus, and had to have a hysterectomy, after which she wouldn't be able to have any more children. Since they already had two children, this wasn't a problem, so the operation was scheduled. A couple of weeks before surgery was scheduled to take place, Ken was given a prophesy to cancel the operation as his wife had been healed. He was told that she would fall pregnant, and have a son who would sing like an angel and compose songs and his music would go all over the earth. He would compose a song that would become a worldwide hit and touch the lives of millions of people. So they asked the doctor to do another check, and all the cancer had miraculously gone. A short while later, his wife duly fell pregnant and they had a son called Jonathan. He expressed no interest in music until his late teens, when he started to learn to play the guitar and write worship songs. Jonathan Helser composed the hit song NO LONGER SLAVES TO FEAR:  
Newsletter inspired by service at Plett Community Church with homily by Andre van Eeden.
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Believing God for our Promised Land

8/31/2016

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​​BELIEVING GOD ... FOR OUR PROMISED LAND
Don’t just believe in God, but BELIEVE GOD.

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After Moses died, God tells his successor, Joshua, to enter the Promised Land. God says: "I will give you every place where you set your foot." (JOSHUA 1:3) We begin our journey to the Promised Land at the water’s edge, ready to cross over.
 
GENESIS 15:18-21: God tells Abraham: To your descendants I give this land.
GALATIANS 3:26-29: We are Abraham’s seed and heirs to this promise.
God has given us a Promised Land – a place where He wants to take us. God wants to bring us victory wherever we step our feet in His name. We will live in completion and perfection in Heaven. But God also promises us things for this life.

We are chosen, supernaturally empowered and blessed. This is the destiny of every believer, including you and me. We want to receive our inheritance NOW in this life as well as later in Heaven. But God will not force anything on you – you must WANT to fulfil your destiny and calling.
 
Promised Land = place where my theology merges with my reality.
Theology says: we are more than conquerers. But are you living as a conquerer?
Theology says: by faith you can move mountains. Do you believe that you can re-move the mountains / obstacles in your life?
 
JOHN 15:1-11: Jesus says: I am the vine and my Father is the gardener. A branch must remain in the vine in order to bear fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. If you remain in me, ask whatever you wish and it shall be given to you.
ATTRIBUTES OF PROMISED LAND:
 
PROMISED LAND IS A PLACE OF POSSESSION:
God says: You shall POSSESS the land I am to give to you.
We must POSSESS Christ’s Words ie it must abide in us, both the logos (general) and the rhema (specific). In times of crisis, the Word of God must come to us. We must have a powerful prayer life, so that we can pray within the Will of God. God wants to answer our prayers, if we pray according to His will. We must POSSESS the joy of Jesus. The Promised Land has joy even amidst the challenges and difficulties of life.
 
PROMISED LAND IS A PLACE OF BLESSING:
God wants to bless His obedient children. He is a giving God. He wants to give us every spiritual blessing: joy, peace, healing. We will be tested as to what constitutes a blessing: our version vs God’s version. Often we can only see something as a blessing afterwards. God wants to use your life. He wants to bless every one of us. But instead of BELIEVING AND RECEIVING, we wish and wine!
 
PROMISED LAND IS A PLACE OF ABIDING:
We are told to remain (abide) in Christ. We are to abide in God’s love.
DEUTERONOMY 4:37: Because He loved your forefathers, he brought you out of Egypt to give you land as an inheritance.
DEUTERONOMY 7:7: The Lord chose you because He loved you. He keeps His Covenant of Love for 1000 generations.
 
PROMISED LAND IS A PLACE OF GREAT HARVEST:
DEUTERONOMY 8:7: God wants to bring you into a good land. The land is described as having springs of water, food and honey, treasures hidden in the ground. God wants you to bear much fruit to His glory. Our life should bring forth an abundant harvest.
EPHESIANS 2:10: We were created to do good works.
 
PROMISED LAND INVOLVES CONQUEST:
You don’t just receive it. You must participate in the conquest, you must take it, gain it by blood, sweat and tears or you won’t appreciate it.
 
PROMISED LAND IS PLACE OF VICTORY OVER THE ENEMY:
JOSHUA 3:5: Joshua told the people to consecrate themselves, for the Lord was going to do amazing things among them. Consecrate yourself to the Lord and He will do amazing things, wondrous things, miracles. Have FAITH and PRAY that God will do something amazing in your life. Step up your sanctification.
 
HINDRRANCES TO ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND:
HEBREWS 3:7-18: If you hear His voice, do not harden your heart ie be rebellious, disobedient. Do not have a sinful unbelieving heart. A whole generation never reached the Promised Land, but died in the desert. To reach the Promised Land, you must be obedient and BELIEVE. UNBELIEF is the biggest hindrance. My bride is paralysed by unbelief. Revival happens by faith. We see so little, because we believe so little! We have not yet begun to believe God and all the amazing and wondrous things He can do in our lives!
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​FAITH STATEMENT:
1.     God is who He says He is
2.     God can do what He says He can do
3.     I am who God says I am
4.     I can do all things through Christ
5.     God’s Word is alive and active in me
​
​Summary from teaching series BELIEVING GOD by BETH MOORE
Tuesdays from 4-6pm at BENEDICTUS DEUS RETREAT CENTER 
Address: Longstone Road, Plettenberg Bay
Come and learn more about the promises of God and how to enter your Promised Land.
Anybody is welcome to attend.
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Chatting about: Being Present in the Present Moment

4/30/2016

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Leela and Joy chatting about Being Present in the Present Moment
Life unfolds in the eternal present moment. If you are not present in the here and now, you will miss the subtle unfolding of life as it happens moment by moment. Being PRESENT is a GIFT that you give yourself. Stop being out of touch with your life and missing the moment because you are living in your minds which are always in the past or the future.
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Chatting about: Connecting with your Inner Silence

4/29/2016

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Leela and Joy chatting about Connecting with your Inner Silence
How to go beyond the busyness of your mind and access the inner stillness where you can hear the still small voice of God:
* Create an undisturbed time and space where you can relax
* Close your eyes, direct your awareness inwards and focus on your breathing 
* Every time you get distracted by your thoughts, return your awareness to your breathing or to your sacred word
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The Power of Prayer

3/14/2016

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The Power of Prayer

But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father
​in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret will reward you. 
[Matthew 6:6]
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​There is a significant connection between a life of prayer and a life of power. Prayer shifts the atmosphere, and consistent prayer accesses higher realms of authority. There are realms of authority which can only be accessed through consistent prayer. An example of this can be seen in the Book of Acts when Peter was imprisoned, and ‘constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.’ (Acts 12:5). As a result of these prayers, Peter was miraculously set free by an angel and reunited with the friends who were praying for him. It took continuous prayer for the church to gain access to the realm of authority that was needed to set Peter free.
​
The disciples understood something of the connection between Christ’s wondrous life in public and His secret life of prayer. That is why they asked him: ‘Lord, teach us how to pray.’ (Luke 11:1) The prayer life of Jesus was their model and inspiration. Jesus was a man of prayer and had a secret life with the Father: ‘But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.’ (Luke 5:16)
 
The best way to learn to pray is to pray. JUST DO IT! God awaits us in the secret place of prayer. He is waiting to encounter us. In Luke 11:9-10 Jesus says: ‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.’ A secret life with God brings us back to our original purpose and passion. It recalibrates our heart. When we find ourselves drifting away from the ultimate reason we are alive – to love God and be loved by God – the secret place realigns our priorities with love. It keeps the main thing the main thing in our lives.
ANDREW MURRAY said: ‘To be alone in secret with the Father should be your highest joy, because to the man who withdraws himself from all that is of the world and man, and waits for God alone, the Father will reveal himself.’
E M BOUNDS: ‘The man – God’s man – is made in the (prayer) closet. His life and his most profound convictions are born in his secret communion with God.’
CHARLES SPURGEON described other works as ‘mere emptiness compared with our (prayer) closets.’
​JOHN WESLEY, founder of the Methodist Church, spent two hours a day in prayer.
MARTIN LUTHER, father of the Reformation, said: ‘If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.’

HOW TO SUSTAIN PRAYER
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Jesus says in Luke 18:1: ‘Men always ought to pray and not lose heart.’ It is easy to lose heart, to think that our prayers are not being heard, or not being answered, and to give up praying. You can persist in prayer for only so long on discipline and human effort. How then, do we sustain our prayer life?
 
INTIMACY:
The life of a believer is to be led by loving God, and being loved by Him. The secret of effective prayer is to have the heart filled with the Father-love of God. Anything that is not motivated by our love for God is unstable. Intimacy enables us to sustain prayer because it makes prayer a matter of spending time with the One we love, which is the natural desire of love. Then prayer is no longer a duty but something we love to do.
 
RESPONSIBILITY:
People sustain prayer for people and things they feel responsible for. We lift up our voices in prayer for those who need it and those for whom we feel a responsibility for. We must widen our sense of responsibility.
 
FAITH THAT GOD WILL SHOW UP:
PSALM 145:18 says: ‘The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.’ God wants to be with us. He wants to show up in response to our prayers. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. He loves us and He wants to give us abundant good gifts. When we have a distorted view of God, we will lack faith and our prayers will be misdirected and ineffective. Many people still see God as an angry and judgemental God who wants to punish us rather than bless us with his love, mercy and grace. God is eager to answer when we call. He loves to respond to our genuine and honest prayers.
 
BELIEF IN BREAKTHROUGH:
We must have faith that our prayers will be answered. Many people go through the motions of prayer but with no real power because they don’t really believe their prayers move the heart of God. ISAIAH 64:4 says that God acts for those who wait for Him. God is moved to action on behalf of those who seek Him in prayer. Sustaining prayer isn’t so difficult when you believe that God hears and will respond to your prayers. You trust that breakthrough will come because God answers prayer. Our faith is not in our ability to pray, but in God’s ability to answer. It may take a while. It may seem like God is slow. But He will answer because you are praying.
 
PROPHETIC REVELATION:
When God speaks to you through dreams, prophetic words, Scripture, and other experiences, this provides fuel for the fire of prayer to keep burning. These things give us direction and confirm that we are on the right track, and encourage us to keep going.
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REVELATION OF SONSHIP:
Jesus knew that God was His Father. He never doubted that His Father would not be there for him. He told us to call God our Father. We are to relate to God as Father in the same way that Jesus did. ANDREW MURRAY said: ‘Live as a child of God, and you will be able to pray and must assuredly be heard as a child of God.’ The best that human fathers can give their children is nothing compared to the good things God gives His children. Jesus said: ‘If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!’ (Matthew 7:11)  We must have revelation of our heavenly Father’s attitude towards us. The truth is that God finds our cries irresistible because He finds His children irresistible. When we approach Him as children, He turns to us as Father. When we know the goodness of Father-God’s heart, we will pray with confidence. The apostle John said: ‘Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.’ (1 John 5:14-15) 
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Blessings for 2016

12/29/2015

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Wishing you a Blessed 2016

LOOKING BACK:

Now is traditionally the time to look back and to assess the last year; and to look forward and to vision the new year ... This newsletter looks back as I haven't had time to look forward yet! We had a few formal retreats: our annual Holy Week Easter Retreat and Healing Retreat. We also hosted a retreat for Anglican priests which was conducted by our Anglican priest in Plett, and several Catholic priests came on retreat / holiday. Mostly it was a year for people coming on self-retreat, some of whom stayed for several months (greetings to Zandile, Ronel, and Charmaine, I pray it goes well with you!) 

As chairlady of Contemplative Outreach in the Western Cape, I assisted with a Centering Prayer Meditation Workshop and Retreat in Plettenberg Bay in August; and co-presented a Centering Prayer Meditation Workshop in George in September. We also had a Renewal day in Knysna in March. If your area wishes to learn about Centering Prayer, please do invite us to come and do a workshop in your area! 

My work and service at St Christopher's Catholic Church keeps me busy. In August, I was commissioned as (extra-ordinary) Minister of Holy Communion, and in November I attended a workshop for Ministers of Holy Communion in (hellishly hot!) Dysselsdorp (not a place I would recommend!) I also attended the annual Jesuit Society Theology course in Port Elizabeth, and a Music in the Liturgy Workshop in Knysna.

For my own personal spiritual growth, I benefited greatly by participating in various programs organised by the Community Church, namely: People's Puzzle Workshop (how to understand people so you can be a blessing to them); a weekend ladies retreat 'Woman be Loosed' (from your bondage so you can rise up as a mighty warrior!); and an Ancient Paths Seminar (understanding God's ancient paths of blessing) which impacted me greatly. The annual Woman's Workshop 'What's in your Rugsack?' conducted by the Methodist Church in August was also very inspiring.

I am blessed to be part of several Bible study / fellowship groups, and to host a Centering Prayer and Bible study group at our Retreat Center. When I look back, I can't believe so much happened this last year! I wish to thank those special people in my life who are such a special part of my life - your presence and friendship adds immeasurable richness beauty and love for which I am ever grateful.
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Healing Retreat Benedictus Deus Retreat Center Plett
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Centering Prayer Workshop St Peter and Paul Catholic Church George
PERSEVERE!

But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

This was not an easy year, and there were many challenges and problems (I suppose that is true for nearly every year!) I am grateful for the Grace of God which carried me when I was feeling weak / hurt / vulnerable. I remember one conflicting and stressful situation, when I knew I could not do it on my own, and God's Grace stepped in so powerfully and tangibly. Then after the situation was over, and I emerged shaken but still standing, God literally rained his blessing upon me. I will never forget this, as there was not a cloud in the sky, and yet a very fine mist like rain was falling on me that made my skin wet, but the source of the water was nowhere to be seen. For me this was an experience of something supernatural. I am grateful that perseverance kept me in situations that sometimes tested me to the core of my being, and that it paid off in the end and relationships were strengthened. Sometimes there has to be a testing to see if you have what it takes; to see if love can suffer and endure and triumph and emerge victorious. I feel so happy to say YES! Never give up; never loose heart; never close your heart; and trust God to work all things for good.
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Centering Prayer Retreat Benedictus Deus Retreat Center Plett
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Anglican Priests on private guided retreat Benedictus Deus Retreat Center Plett
PRAY!​

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory forever and ever Amen. (Ephesians 3:20)

Some other incidents that come to mind, are times that I prayed to God for answers how to respond in certain situations. Once I opened my Bible on a commentary that exactly applied to my situation and gave an answer what to do, and referred to a particular verse. However, I didn't like the answer as it was not an easy one, like the instructions to love your enemies and bless those who curse you! So I closed the Bible and opened it again, wanting to receive another easier answer! That particular Bible (Amplified version with Joyce Meyer commentary) has over 2000 pages. I opened it on the exact verse referred to in the commentary to re-inforce my first answer! Although I didn't like the advice or find it easy to follow, I was amazed at how directly God speaks to you through His Word.

Another time, I didn't know what to do, and I prayed to God for help. I went downstairs to make a cup of tea (an essential part of any solution!) and while waiting for the kettle to boil, a Bible verse was given to me by the Holy Spirit: James x:x. Cup of tea in hand, I went and opened my Bible and was once again amazed that the verse that came into my mind was exactly applicable. God listens to our prayers and He answers them! Maybe not by changing the situation, but by telling us how to deal with it and by giving us the strength to do what must be done. I am learning to trust that it is possible to communicate with God, and I am learning to trust my ability to hear God speak to me, and this is incredible! I share these few snippets with you to give you confidence that God is not distant, but intimately involved in the details of our lives. He listens, He cares, and His Holy Spirit counsels us. Pray for his help and guidance and He will give it!
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Bible study prayer group Benedictus Deus Retreat Center Plett
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Christian meaning of my name 'God's loyal and faithful servant' and related Bible verse given to me on Woman be Loosed Retreat
We give thanks to God because ... we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
​WISHING YOU AN ABUNDANCE OF GOD'S BLESSINGS IN 2016! Love Leela 
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Blessings for Christmas 2015

12/23/2015

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Wishing you a Blessed Christmas!

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May the Lord bless you
    and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
    and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
    and give you his peace.
​(Numbers 6:24-26)
Pregnant with Promise:

There is a famous icon of the scene of the Visitation. It depicts two peasant woman - Elizabeth and Mary - both pregnant, greeting each other. Everything about it suggests smallness, littleness, obscurity, dust, small-town, insignificance. What you see is two rather plain-looking women, standing in the dust of an unknown village. Nothing suggests that either of them, or anything they are doing or carrying, is out of the ordinary or of much significance. Who could have imagined that these two women, in this obscure town, in this obscure place, in this obscure time, were carrying inside of themselves something that would radically and forever change the world? What these obscure peasant women were gestating and carrying inside of themselves changed the world radically and forever.

There is a lesson in this for us and a message of hope: Never underestimate living in obscurity. Never underestimate the impact in history of silent, hidden gestation. All of us live in obscurity, hidden to the world, and yet pregnant with silent promise. All of us live the martyrdom of obscurity, the martyrdom of a life within which we do not have adequate self-expression. There is a relentless pressure inside of each of us that pushes us to be known, to make a difference, to make our lives count in terms of the big picture. Thus, we yearn to do great things, big things, things that affect beyond the boundaries of the small towns we all live in. We sit inside of our own lives and we feel unknown, small-time, undistinguished and frustrated because most of our riches are unknown to others. We have so much to give to the world, but the world doesn’t know it.
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Reflecting on this dusty scene can help to ease our restlessness and bring us peace: in the obscurity of our small towns and within the frustration of lives that seem too small for us, we can become pregnant with hope. After a long and humble gestation process, which is not known to the world, we can bring that hope to full term and give birth to God’s potential within us. May it be so for all of us. We all count. We all make a difference.
(Summarized from article by Fr Ron Rolheiser)
​
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"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, 
and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3)
May the glory of the Lord fall on you
May you uncover more of your divine hidden potential
May you release God's glory within you to shine without you
with love and blessings from Leela x 
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SOAP: Scripture Observation Application Prayer

10/17/2015

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God's word transforms us. We must walk our way to heaven, not just talk our way to heaven. SOAP is a method used in journaling to make Scripture verses relevant to us and our life. Take a verse that speaks to you and write your own SOAP, and let it bring cleansing and healing where needed. Here is mine:

SCRIPTURE:
The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. [Zephaniah 3:17]

OBSERVATION:
This verse reminds us that God is always with us, and entering into His presence saves us. No matter what our problems are, God’s love quietens our minds. We can so easily get lost in worldly cares and concerns which seem to be never-ending, and our minds fixate on worldly issues till it exhausts us. Eventually we let go of trying to be the one in control and make everything right, and surrender to the situation. Our minds become quiet and we feel that beyond it all, everything is okay. Problems are of the world and of time. But beyond them, there is timeless peace which nothing touches. A space where we feel peace and stillness and it delights our souls. As God delights in us when we seek His presence, we delight in Him when we enter into His presence.

APPLICATION:
Never be too busy to enter into the silence of God’s presence. It is transcendental to worldly problems. In this quiet space, peace washes over you. Problems may not go away, but you touch a space where there are no problems, and you are refreshed and your mind, heart and soul comes to rest.

PRAYER:
Dear God, please always make your love known to me, and not just in clichéd words: God loves you. May I know your love, feel your love, and be aware of your love at all times as a personal experience. May I know that you are always there for me. May I delight in you, as you delight in me. Please quiet me with your love. Let your love soak into the heart of my being and fill me with delight. 
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Rest in the arms of the Beloved

8/18/2015

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Rest in the arms of the Beloved
You keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You ...

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Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous.
(Isaiah 26)
But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. [Matthew 6:6]

Prayer is a relationship. Most people think of prayer as a ritual or formula or words that are recited. But if all we do is recite our prayers, all we are doing is talking to God. We are not listening to what He is trying to say to us. For any relationship to grow and deepen, there needs to be a time to talk and a time to listen. Even in human relationships, we need to just BE together, and not just DO things together. Prayer is moving beyond doing to simply BEING with God, and resting in His presence, and being embraced by His peace and love. We learn to linger, to "hang out", to rest in the arms of the Beloved. Genuine moments of silence do not come easy. You must make the time and create the space. The best time is first thing in the morning. Give yourself the gift and the grace of starting the day with a gentle birth. As the sun rises slowly and silently on the earth, allow the dawn to arise within yourself. 

Prayer is a deep knowledge of God impregnated with love. Centering Prayer is a means of opening to God beyond words and feelings. In being still, we get to know God better. We learn how to open to God and to be with Him in love. God is always there and His love is always there, but we are often not aware of His presence or open to receiving His love. We must learn how to be in relationship with God, how to talk to him from our hearts, and how to listen to His still small voice. This happens in the silence of our "inner room." Centering Prayer is inspired by Matthew 6:6. The "reward" of Centering Prayer is the relationship that is cultivated with God. It is a journey from the head to the heart, to the stillness of our inner being, where God dwells. It is the blossoming into our true self, our inner divinity and beauty.

"Have you ever experienced a few moments of interior silence? How would you describe it? Is there not a sense of a deep all-pervading peace, a sense of well-being, and a delicate joy, all at once?" [Fr Thomas Keating] For a space of time, we leave behind the cares of this world and we allow ourselves to experience the transcendental peace and joy that is beyond this world. For the Kindgom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [Romans 14:17] Here is a testimony from a lady who attended a recent Centering Prayer workshop in Knysna: "Centering Prayer is now part of my daily life. I love to start my day with it and the influence on my life is one of peace and a growing awareness of the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit." [Daphne]

You lead me beside still waters. You restore my soul. [Psalm 23:3]
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Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop held at St Christopher's Catholic Church Plett on Saturday 08 August 2015
You fill me with joy in your presence. [Acts 2:28]
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Centering Prayer Silent Day of Resting in God held at Benedictus Deus Retreat Centre Plett on Sunday 09 August 2015
Follow up sessions consisting of Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, DVD, followed by questions and sharing on Tuesday evenings from 5-6.30pm. All welcome.

Next Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop to be held at St Peter and Paul Catholic Church in George on Saturday 05 September. Details coming up soon.
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Woman be Loosed!

8/3/2015

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Woman be Loosed:
“But when Jesus saw her, he called her to Him and said to her:
‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.’” [Luke 13:12]

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“Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had a sickness caused by a spirit, and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her: ‘Woman, you are freed from your sickness.’ Then He put His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.” 
[Luke 13:10-12]
What holds us back? What causes us to be stooped down? Why can’t we rise up and stand victorious? Where have we believed Satan’s lies over God’s Truth? See the lie and stand up for the Truth because the Truth will set you free. Let there be a change of mind, which will result in a change of action, and restoration will begin brick by brick. But be warned: when you start breaking down false walls you can expect opposition from the enemy. Satan does not want the walls of his lies (which hold you prisoner) to be replaced by walls of truth (which protect and fortify you). The enemy of our soul will try to trip us up and make things go wrong. The enemy puts half-truths next to full truths to try and deceive us. The enemy tries to create doubt and confusion: “Did God really say that?” So be alert and discerning: break down what does not serve you, and strengthen and build up what does. In the Book of Nehemiah, the people rebuilt the city walls with a sword in one hand to fight the enemy, and bricks in the other hand!
Spirit break out
Break our walls down
Spirit break out
Heaven come down.
[Song]
SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE GATES OF JERUSALEM:
In Biblical times, the strength of a city depended on its walls and gates: on who comes in and goes out. So too, our strength depends on what we allow in to build us up or break us down. “Like a city whose walls are broken down, is a man who lacks self-control.” [Proverbs 25:28] We must tear down false walls and build strong walls of truth to protect us. We must restore our gates and consecrate them to the Lord. The Book of Nehemiah tells of 10 gates to the city of Jerusalem. Each of these gates has personal and prophetic meaning.

SHEEP GATE: SALVATION GATE:
The first gate is called the sheep gate, because sheep and lambs used for sacrifices were bought in through this gate. Jesus enters our spirit through this gate. Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” [John 10:7,9] This gate represents our confidence in Christ; our belief in who He is, and what He did for us. 

OLD GATE: OLD WAYS:
This gate calls us to learn the old ways of truth that never change. Jeremiah 6:16 states: “Thus says the Lord, Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Eternal truths are both ancient and applicable today. The Ancient of Days calls us back to His long established eternal ways that do not change, and remain the same yesterday, today and forever.

VALLEY GATE: PRAYER LIFE:
The valley gate speaks of humbling caused by trials and testings – valley type experiences used by God for our personal growth. These experiences are often not easy, but we must remember that in the natural world, not much grows on the mountain tops, but the valleys are fertile, and produce much fruit. So too, are hardships and suffering a fertile cause for growth. Our faith and our prayer life can and must sustain us during these difficult times.

FOUNTAIN GATE: OBEDIENCE:
This gate represents obedience to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do we listen to the Holy Spirit or do we argue with Him? “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from within him.” [John 7:37-38] This gate speaks to us of the living waters of the Holy Spirit that cleanse our lives and empower us.  

WATER GATE: WASHING OF THE WORD:
The water gate depicts the Word of God and its effect in our life. Reading the scriptures washes and cleanses us. “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” [Ephesians 5:25-27] 

EAST GATE: RETURN GATE:
The east gate speaks of the return of Christ. Jesus will enter Jerusalem through the East Gate. [See Zechariah 14:4] Are you ready for Christ’s return? Are you preparing yourself to be His spotless bride, purified and blameless? We can live with hope, and a specific crown is given to those who do so. [2 Timothy 4:18].

FISH GATE: WITNESSING GATE:
The fisherman of Galilee brought their catch in through this gate to be sold. It speaks of evangelism as we have been called to be fishers of men. [Matthew 4:19]. Do you speak with conviction and confidence, or do you lack boldness?

HORSE GATE: WARFARE GATE:
This gate was close to the King’s stables, and the men of Jerusalem would ride their horses out this gate when they went to war. This gate speaks of warfare as horses were used in battle and were a symbol of war. Ephesians 6 instructs us to put on the armor of God because we are engaged in spiritual warfare. Are you ready to fight the enemy?

INSPECTION GATE: EXAMINE GATE:
Examine your heart and mind and life. What is the state of your heart and mind and life? Be honest, as the truth brings healing, and in any event, you can hide nothing from God. “The Lord will bring light to what is hidden in the darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.” [1 Corinthians 4:5]

DUNG GATE: RUBBISH GATE:
This was where the rubbish was carried out. This gate had a one-way hinge: there was no entry through this gate; you could only go out. It should be the same with us. Strongholds caused by the power of darkness must go out. Strongholds include: fear (God has not given us a spirit of fear), condemnation, unbelief (we don’t trust God), unforgiveness, bitterness, anger (with yourself, others, life, with God), disrespect, unworthiness, guilt, jealousy, pride, anxiety, manipulating (to get your own way), controlling others (due to insecurity), insecurity, gossiping, hopelessness (negativity), taking offence, ungodly mind-sets, depression are all strongholds of the enemy. Where do you believe lies? Where are you insecure, fearful, vulnerable, controlling? Throw out the lies and believe the truth. You are a daughter of God. Know who you are in Christ. We must align ourselves with the Word of God. Whatever comes into our mind that is not of God’s truth – exit through the dung gate! 

DECLARE: I AM A CHILD OF GOD
NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER!
I AM A CHILD OF GOD
I am surrounded by the arms of the Father 
I am surrounded by songs of deliverance
We have been liberated from our bondage
Let us sing our freedom ...

I'm no longer a slave of fear
I AM A CHILD OF GOD
We must fortify our walls and gates and let Christ be the light of our lives. In the New Jerusalem, God is the light. Let us become the New Jerusalem and shine God’s light into the world. “Our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.” [Psalm 144:12]

Lift up your heads, O you gates: 
be lifted up, you ancient doors
That the King of Glory may come in.
Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty!
The Lord almighty – He is the King of Glory!
[Psalm 24:7-10]

Arise, shine, for your light has come
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
And thick darkness is over the peoples,
But the Lord rises upon you 
and His glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, 
and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 
[Isaiah 60:1-3]
Rise up and be all you were created to be. Be released to your destiny!
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I attended a woman's retreat hosted by the Plett Community Church at the Harkerville Forest Lodge at the beginning of August 2015. Driving to the retreat, I was behind a white bakkie with the registration number: JESUS EC! (Jesus Eastern Cape!) This newsletter was inspired by a talk given by RONEL called Rebuilding the Walls and supplimented by Google, and includes songs sung during the worship sessions. I hope it inspires you :-)
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Quiet Day of Prayer

5/18/2015

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Loving Father, 
I come into the stillness and quietness of your Presence to begin the day with you, 
so that I may take with me a quiet serenity which will last me throughout this day's life.
I have come to find WISDOM so that I may not make any foolish mistakes.
I have come to find PEACE so that nothing may worry or upset me.
I have come to find LOVE so that nothing make make me bad-tempered, bitter or unkind.
I have come to begin the day with you, continue it with you, and end it with you, 
so that it may be a day in which there is nothing to regret. 
Hear this my morning prayer, through Christ, my Lord and Saviour, amen. 
[Lois Guinan Browne]

Quiet Day of Prayer Herolds Bay
Be still and rest in the Lord, wait for him and patiently lean yourself upon Him. [Psalm 37:7]

WISDOM:
"Forsake not wisdom, and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you. Prize wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her. She shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness, a crown of beauty and glory will she deliver to you. When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered, your path will be clear and open, and when you run, you shall not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction, and do not let go, for she is your life. Keep my words in the center of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh." [from Proverbs 4] 

PEACE:
"Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your wants known to God. And God's peace shall be yours ..." [Philippians 4:6]

LOVE:
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us ... And we know (understand, recognize and are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe and put faith in and rely on the love God cherishes for us. God is love ... We love Him, because He first loved us ..." [from 1 John 10-19]
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I recently spent a Quiet Day of Prayer at Herold's Bay, near George. The day started at the little church which is located across the road from the sea and appropriately called Stella Maris (Star of the Sea). There is a notice that welcomes you as you enter: "You have come into this House of God. Whoever you are, He welcomes you, with your joys and sorrows, your hopes and disappointments. Please respect this place and enjoy its silence. If you are a believer, come and pray. If you are searching, take time to think and reflect. If you are in doubt, ask for light. If you are in pain, ask for courage and strength. If you are joyful, give thanks." 
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After reading the handout and scripture references given for the day's reflection, I eagerly started my walk up to the wooden cross at the top of the hill. I have only been there once before, around Easter time with a dear friend. As we got to the foot of the cross, we stopped to place our hands on it and pray, and then noticed that it was exactly 3pm on a Friday! I wondered how God was going to speak to me today, and I determined to be alert and watchful for the different messages that I might receive. En route up, I encountered a lady who was part of our group, and she gave me a warm hug and whispered "Thank you" into my ear. I wondered what I had done to be blessed with such an unexpected and loving hug!     
Then it was time to make my way back down the hill. As I re-entered the narrow path leading down the hill there was a praying mantis sitting in the middle of the pathway with its little hands raised in prayer, as if to applaud my time spent in prayer! En route down I passed a small shrine with a photograph of a young lady whose ashes were buried there. A reminder that one day we must leave everything behind, so don’t take life so seriously. Keep your primary focus on things godly and eternal, and not on temporary pleasures and pains, highs and lows, successes and failures. This was echoed in a message on a noticeboard at the bottom: “He who makes no mistakes, never makes anything. Courage germinates faith. And the converse is also true: Faith germinates courage. May we walk the path of life with courage and faith. And may we know the love of God as per the beautiful prayer of St Paul:
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It was an overcast day. As I neared the foot of the cross, the sky opened up and the sun broke through, right behind the cross, like a blessing of sun light / the Son's light. On my previous visit, somebody had written some words on the ground which carried great meaning to me at the time. So I knelt down and with some difficulty scratched the words "God is our refuge" into the hard earth, hoping that they would be a meaningful message to later visitors. I went and sat at the edge of the cliffs with large ocean waves crashing beneath, and allowed the stillness and peace of God to saturate my soul.  "Be still and rest in the Lord, wait for him and patiently lean yourself upon Him. [Psalm 37:7] As we manage to let go of all the worldly things that consume our hearts and minds, we enter the peace of God that is beyond this world. 
Come and nourish your soul on a self-retreat any time! Details of upcoming group retreats / workshops soon. 

Stillness > 
leads to wisdom > 
leads to peace > 
and knowing the Love of God. 
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Treasure in Jars of Clay

5/11/2015

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Treasure in Jars of Clay

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We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4)

The enemy of our soul tries to make us believe lies – that we are weak, incompetent, inadequate, a failure etc. The enemy of our soul tries to convince us that something can and will destroy us. We may fear many things, for example, being or looking stupid, failure, rejection, betrayal, anonymity, being unimportant, being replaced, being hurt, being alone / loneliness, pain of any sort etc. This fear prevents us from living life to the full. “For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” [Father Alfred D’Souza] Shakespeare said: “Cowards die many times before their deaths!” The Bible says: You may be “struck down, but you are not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:9)

The Lord gives his people strength; the Lord grants his people security. (Psalm 29:11)

We can believe that we are weak and vulnerable and act accordingly, or we can remember that we have this treasure within us (albeit it in jars of clay that can break), nonetheless, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. God’s most repeated command in Scripture is: DO NOT FEAR! In the end you will triumph. It may hurt in the beginning but it will be beautiful in the end. God allows pain and suffering in order to bring good from it. God uses painful experiences to birth our life passions. Eg ex-addicts help others to recover from addictions, those who were abandoned establish shelters for homeless. So do not give the future the right to intimidate you. Let your heart be steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 

[Her] heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. [Her] heart is secure, [she] will have no fear; in the end [she] will look in triumph on [her] foes. (Psalm 112:7-8)

Pursue a life with purpose rather than buying into a culture of comfort, easy-living and superficiality – a culture that says happiness comes from having our all our selfish needs met and never-ending desires satisfied. We can give ourselves to something greater than painlessness. We can give ourselves to purpose. We will never be healed of self-centeredness until we are wounded irreparably with love for an aching world. Our soul needs to care for others. Suffering births compassion and the desire to help others. 

Trust in the Lord and do good. (Psalm 37:3)
God works all things for the good of those who love Him and seek to fulfil His purposes. (Romans 8:28)
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Broken dreams: 
Like a child who brings their broken toy 
with tears for us to mend,
So I brought my broken dreams to God
because He is my Friend
And then, instead of leaving Him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
in ways that were my own.
Then, at last, I snatched them back and cried,
“How can you be so slow?”
“My child”, He said, “what could I do, 
you never did let go”.

The Struggle to Trust 
(this section summarised from Fr Ron Rolheiser)
Trust in the Lord and love! 

Perhaps the most important thing we ever need to learn is this: It is safe to love! It is safe to be vulnerable because we are in loving hands. It is safe to surrender because we fall into light, not darkness. It is safe to be weak because the strength we need is found when we give up on our own power. It is safe give up the hurts we cling to because these lose their force when we are in love. It is safe to give ourselves over without fear because, as faith teaches, in the end, all will be well. And it is safe to live our lives with daring because God, as Julian Norwich assures us, sits in heaven, smiling, completely relaxed, his face looking like a marvellous symphony. The world is ultimately safe. It is safe to love.

But it’s not easy to believe that. Perhaps if we had all been loved perfectly, had perfect confidence, and had never been wounded, disappointed, betrayed, or made to cry tears of regret, we would find it easier to believe that it is safe, that we can trust, that we have no need to protect ourselves, and that we do not need to be forever anxious about how we are measuring up, how we are being perceived, how we are being understood, and whether we are worthy of love. Most of the time we find it hard to trust because we find ourselves wounded, lacking confidence, anxious about many things, feeling the need to protect ourselves. It is hard to trust and especially it is hard to show weakness and to be vulnerable. Distrust and self- protection are everywhere. It’s hard to let ourselves be vulnerable, to trust that it is safe to love.

And yet, deep down, vulnerability and surrender are what we most deeply want. Deeper than all of our anxieties and our need to protect ourselves, lies a truth we know at the core of our being, namely, that in the end we cannot take care of ourselves, we cannot make ourselves whole, and we cannot hide our weaknesses from each other. We need to surrender, to trust, to let ourselves fall into stronger and safer hands than our own. But in order to do this we need to trust, trust that it is safe to love, to let go, to reveal whom we really are, to show weakness, to not have to pretend that we are whole and self-reliant. This, as we know, is not easy to do, so we generally risk the cold misery of detachment rather than risk being misunderstood, rejected, shamed, or seen as needy.

How do we move towards trust? How do we, as Henri Nouwen puts it, move from the house of fear to the house of love?There is no easy way, no simple formula. "Surrender and abandonment are like a deep, inviting, frightening ocean into which we are drawn. We make excursions into it to test it, to see whether it’s safe, to enjoy the sensation of it. But, for all kinds of reasons, we always go back to dry land, to solid ground, to where we are safe. But the ocean beckons us out anew and we risk again being afloat in something bigger than ourselves. And we keep doing that, wading in and then going back to safety, until one day, when we are ready, we just let the waters carry us away." [Ruth Burrows, British Carmelite, Guidelines for Mystical Prayer] Surrender is a journey that takes a lifetime. To master this is to be a saint.
God's promises

God has promised that His grace will be given according to our need. If we trust Him and do not lose hope, we will thrive again. Instead of asking: “What will I do?” which leads to insecurity, fear, stress, anxiety … ask: What will God do? Here are some answers:

I, the Maker of heaven and earth, will:
Perfect everything that concerns you (Psalm 138:8)
Work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28)
Contend with those who contend with you (Isaiah 49:25)
Fight this battle for you (2 Corinthians 20:15)
Equip you with divine power (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Delight to show you mercy (Micah 7:18)
Meet all your needs according to My glorious riches in Christ Jesus ((Philippians 4:19)
Give you grace that is perfectly sufficient ((2 Corinthians 12:9)
Be your power in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Do immeasurably more that all you could ask or imagine, 
according to the power that is at work within you (Ephesians 3:20) 

Some comments from Retreatants: 

"Thanks for a magnificent weekend. I benefited so much from the encouragement and the knowledge shared, and I loved the space." 

"I gained insight into my life and my pain, and took small steps in healing in my life. The words and exercises we did, had so much love in them. Thank you very much for all the lessons that I learnt; I am so grateful for everything. I gained so much from the retreat. Thank you for your love and for your beautiful hearts." 
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Some happy retreatants: Joanne, Henlene, Daisy, Joy, Leela, Cathy and Mel ----- I am a woman of God. I am clothed with strength and dignity. (Proverbs 31:25)
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Experiencing Life Creatively: Journey to Inner Healing

4/20/2015

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Benedictus Deus Retreat Centre
Longstone Road, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
Tel: 044 533 0453 / 082 410 4916
Email: benedictusdeus@global.co.za
Web: www.benedictusdeus.com

Broken Vessels and Treasure in Jars of Clay

We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4)

We like new things - things that are not damaged or chipped or broken in any way. When something is damaged or breaks, we throw it away. However in some cultures, old things are more valued than new things. In Japan, for example, broken pottery is mended with gold dust. Rather than getting rid of it, or trying to hide the flaws in the broken ceramics, they actually highlight them in gold, baring the cracks and scars and adopting them as a part of the ceramic. An old porcelain vase is much more valuable than a new one straight out the shop. The old one might have some cracks or chips, but it also has a history and a story to tell, and that history is valuable. The cracks and chips add to its value, because they show that damage can be repaired into something with more character and even more beautiful than before. 

Our human body is like a ceramic jar that has been dented, chipped, scratched, scarred. We have pieces that are damaged, broken, shattered, missing. We try to hold ourselves together and not show our ragged edges and we hope that nobody notices the growing cracks. We have all been scarred by the vicissitudes of life and need some gold dust to fill in the scars and heal them. Then what was once a scar becomes a golden vein of repair and restoration and redemption. The gold shines forth. If you put a candle inside a clay pot and cover it, the thick walls of the pot won't allow the light inside to be seen. But if there is a crack in the pot, then the light will sneak out. We always have that light inside, although sometimes it is hidden by the thick walls of the clay pots that house our spirits. It is good that these walls get broken, so that the inner light and Source of our being can be revealed.  

Part of the retreat on Inner Healing will examine the defences and strongholds that we have constructed, such as the thick walls of bitter-roots and insecurity. We will try to achieve greater clarity and come to a better understanding of areas where we are wounded and how to heal them. We will learn from and try to make friends with these areas, and remember that God allows pain and suffering in order to bring good from it. God often uses painful experiences to birth our life passions. He fills in our cracks and puts our broken pieces back together with something more beautiful and precious than gold. Our healing then benefits ourselves and others whom our lives touch, because God works all things for the good of those who love Him and seek to fulfil His purposes.
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Your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear ...
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you ... , then your light will rise in the darkness, and your might will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:6-11)
Inner Healing: Weekend Retreat Sat 25 - Mon 27 April: 

There are still a few places available. This is a wonderful opportunity to be part of a deeply healing experience. This workshop was carefully designed to gently guide participants through the unravelling of emotional debris that so often wears us out and prevents us from moving forward in our life in a more positive and productive manner. So often we wait to do this work and yet, if we just gave the gift of time to align body, mind and soul, we would find that our progress forward is lighter and more fulfilling. I hope you are ready to give this gift to yourself. We have a lovely group of participants and would love you to be part of this retreat workshop too. Our best wishes come with this message of encouragement.
retreat details
  • Retreat workshop R2 000
  • Accommodation R1 000
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Experiencing Life Creatively: Journey to Inner Healing

4/6/2015

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Benedictus Deus Retreat Centre
Longstone Road, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
Tel: 044 533 0453 / 082 410 4916
Email: benedictusdeus@global.co.za
Web: www.benedictusdeus.com

Bitter roots that defile ourselves and others

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See to it that no-one comes short of the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. (Hebrews 12:15) 

When we open the Heart 
and let go of the pain 
that we carry, 
suddenly we can
breathe again. 
We all carry areas of dis-ease and woundedness, areas where we are not whole and complete, areas where our lives are not fulfilling or flourishing. In order to heal an area of our life, we need to get to the root. It is not enough to deal with the symptoms. This may enable us to cope with the situation, but the underlying problem won't go away and is likely to remain, repeat itself, or re-surface in another form. 

Bitter-root expectancies work as self-fulfilling prophesies: we expect life to go in a certain way, and it often does. If we think life is hard and it is a struggle to survive, this often proves to be our experience. But whether it does or not, we tend to look at life through the lens of our unconscious expectations, and to treat others in ways that tend to bring back to us what we expected in the first place. For example, if we believe we are a failure, we are likely to attract situations to ourselves where we do fail, and even if we don't fail, our perception is that we failed. If we suffered neglect, abandonment, or lack of acknowledgement in some way as a child (whether physical or emotional), we might attract relationships that perpetuate this expectation, and we are unacknowledged and unappreciated. If our father / mother was emotionally cold towards us, we might grow up insecure and desperate for love, and yet enter into relationships with other emotionally cold people who are unable to give us the love and affection that we so badly need. Our bitter-root expectation is then strengthened.   

Many of our expectations of life were conditioned in childhood. For example, if we did not receive sufficient, love, affection and affirmation as a child, we might grow up believing that we are not lovable. This is a common condition and many people suffer from a lack of self-worth and self-love. Or we might believe that in order to be loved, we must be good and we must perform well. We do not believe that we are lovable just as we are, so as adults we feel the need to prove ourselves. This is especially the case if our parents were performance orientated and expected us to achieve well. This is a huge area, and impacts on our ability to accept the grace and love of God. If we believe that we have to earn love, then we will not allow ourselves to accept the grace of God. The entire church split over the issue of grace vs works. We find it hard to believe that God loves us unconditionally, no matter who we are and what we did. We cannot receive or give unconditional love and we judge and condemn ourselves and others. Do some of these attitudes sound familiar to you? Do you wish to break free from the bondage and limitation that they cause in your life? This is part of the hugely important area of inner healing, so that we can grow towards the knowledge that we are fully loved and lovable, that we are of infinite worth, that we are beautiful beloved beings. 

Inner Healing: Weekend Retreat Sat 25 - Mon 27 April

Part of the work in this retreat involves identifying life patterns and tracing them back into our childhoods to the wounded inner child who is still living within us, whether we are aware of this or not. Some patterns are not obvious or easy to see, as they are governed by hidden motives and structures in our hearts. The truth sets us free. But many times the truth is hidden from ourselves due to projection, denial and not wanting to see certain things. So the power of these hidden beliefs and attitudes remains and is often even strengthened by self-fulfilling prophesies, and they carry on influencing us covertly or overtly. During this retreat, we will become more aware of the forces operating in our lives. We will nail them to the cross so that they die, and so that we are resurrected into new life, with the potential and possibility of moving forward into the fullness of all that God intended us to be.

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We invite you to experience this retreat workshop where you will revive mind, body and soul as you work in alignment with your inner compass. This weekend will empower you to begin making changes that will enable you to live a more relaxed, happy, authentic and fulfilled life, regardless of your life situation. 

Set in picturesque Plettenberg Bay, this spiritual retreat is the perfect place to embark on an Inner Healing Journey. Accommodation for those travelling from afar is available in beautiful sanctuary cottages in a peaceful garden setting.

retreat details
  • Retreat workshop R2 000
  • Accommodation R1 000
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Centering Prayer Renewal Day

3/13/2015

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Contemplative Outreach Garden Route Branch
Centering Prayer Renewal Day

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Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. (Psalm 37:7)

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. (Psalm 62:5)

The greatest revelation is stillness. (Huletts Sugar packet!)
DATE: Saturday 21 March 2015
VENUE: St George's Anglican Church Knysna 
COST: R40 donation


PROGRAM GUIDELINE:
Arrivals and Registration

10:00                     Welcome and Introduction

10:30 – 11:30:       Centering Prayer session / Q&A / Centering Prayer session
                              (newcomers to separate venue for introduction to Centering Prayer)

TEA
Book table will be open

12:00 – 01:00        DVD: The Mystery of God by Thomas Keating
                              Reflection and Sharing 
                              Lectio Divina

Picnic LUNCH in the gardens (bring your own) and fellowship
Book table will be open

02:00 – 03:00        DVD: The Rising Tide of Silence (repeat due to popularity)
                              For more info on this movie see: 
                              http://www.benedictusdeus.com/news--blogs/the-rising-tide-of-silence

03:00                     Sharing and Closure

For more information please contact:
LEELA 044 533 0453 / 082 410 4916 

"The basic thrust of Jesus' message is to invite us into divine union, which is the sole remedy for the human predicament. Lacking the experience of divine union, we feel alienated from ourselves, God, other people and the cosmos. Hence, we seek substitues for the happiness for which we are predestined but which we do not know how to find. This misguided search for happiness is the human predicament that the Gospel addresses. The first word that Jesus speaks as he enters upon his ministry is "Repent", which means "change the direction in which you are looking for happiness". Happiness cannot be found in the programs fashioned in early childhood and based on instinctual needs for survival and security, affection and esteem, and power and control over as much of life as possible. These programs cannot possibly work in adult life, although everyone tries hard to make them workable. Happiness can be found only in the experience of union with God, the experience that also unties us to everyone else in the human family and to all reality. This return to unity is the good news ..." [Fr Thomas Keating: The Mystery of Christ]
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A Blessed New Year

12/31/2014

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Wishing you a Blessed 2015

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [Jeremiah 29:11]
LOOKING BACK: REVIEW OF 2014:
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The transition time between the old year and the new year is a good time to reflect back on the past year: its high-lights and low-lights, its achievements and challenges. What did I learn? How did I grow? Am I strengthened or weakened by my experiences, and how can I do better if need be? For many, 2014 was not an easy year. Someone said that if you survived 2014, you will survive the rest of your life! Yet despite the difficulties, it is amazing to see how much was accomplished: 

In February, we hosted a group of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Australia, who created a beautiful Sand Mandala for Peace. This was our last Buddhist event before the name of the Centre was changed from SAT CHIT ANAND (meaning Truth Consciousness Bliss) to BENEDICTUS DEUS.(meaning Blessed be God). A new website was designed (by me!) which was a huge learning curve: one of those things you think you will never be able to do, and then suddenly it is done! And you are amazed - how did i do that!

On a personal level and as part of my ongoing spiritual formation, I attended 2 retreats in Cape Town: The Gift of Life with Fr Carl Arico from America, hosted by Contemplative Outreach in May; and The Philosophy and Theology of Leadership with Professor Al Gini from America, hosted by the Jesuit Institute and comprising their annual Living Theology Course in June. 

I did a 4-day Jesuit Prayer Guiding Course in Pretoria in August, where we learnt different prayer techniques and how to assist and guide others in prayer. I also attended a wonderful 4-day Accelerate Seminar in Plett entitled Life is Spiritual, with Johnny Louw and Jacques Malan of Father's Voice Ministries.

I assisted with a Centering Prayer Renewal Day in November, which was hosted by Contemplative Outreach at the Anglican Church in Knysna, and I was appointed Chairlady of the newly established Garden Route chapter, which extends from Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay.
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BENEDICTUS DEUS hosted 4 retreats: 
Living Life Creatively: Journey of Inner Healing in June  
Centering and Welcoming Prayer Retreat in July 
5-day silent Ignatian Trinitarian Retreat in October 
Annual Retreat for Deacons of Oudtshoorn Diocese in December 
The Healing Centre was closed and converted into more accommodation: JASMINE flat for single guests. We now have 4 beautifully appointed retreat / holiday units, all self-catering with pretty garden setting, privacy and independent access. If you haven't visited us yet, you are welcome to come on one of our formal group retreats, or any time on self-retreat / shanti holiday. Our beautiful little chapel silently awaits to embrace your presence, and our library is well stocked with books and spiritual DVDs. Our angel garden is complete, and another project will be embarked upon in 2015: perhaps a labyrinth.
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JASMINE flat may be used for longer stays and is offered at a very special rate of only R100/night or R3000/month. It is ideal for people needing temporary accommodation and for long retreats. 
LOOKING AHEAD: SETTING GOALS FOR 2015: 
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Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With you one wild and precious life?
[Mary Oliver]

The start of a New Year is traditionally a time to make new year’s resolutions, to set goals, or to create some kind of a vision for the year ahead. Why should we set goals? Because life is a gift and we don't want to waste it. We don't want to just drift along aimlessly. Goals are good. They are a spiritual discipline. They challenge our faith, they develop character and build hope.

Goals are a spiritual responsibility:
If you don’t have goals for your life, you have already decided to let other people run your life. When you don’t decide in advance what is important, you let other people decide. It is your life: make the most of it! Dream big! Albert Einstein said: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." So set your goal, keep your eyes focused on it, and move toward it. William Blake said: "What is now proved, was once only imagined."  

Goals are statements of faith:
Every time you set a goal, you are saying, “I believe that I can do this. I believe God wants me to do this. I believe God is going to help me do this in my life.” Goals are a statement of faith, and they also stretch your faith. The bigger your goal, the more your faith will be stretched. The Bible says: “According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29). Henry David Thoreau said: "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

Goals focus your energy:
Focus is the key to an effective life. If you spread your energy out and diffuse it over too many things, it is difficult to make impact. If you focus your life, it is more powerful, and more likely to impact the world. Blessed Mother Teresa said: "You cannot do great things, but you can do small things with great love." The key to being effective in life is to concentrate on the important things. Goals help you maintain that kind of focus. St Paul says: “I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something and not just the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26)

Goals give purpose and meaning:
Goals keep you going. They motivate you and give you direction. As they say, it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, it is better to try and fail than never to have tried at all. Goals don't have to be big. No-one learns to run without learning to crawl and to walk first. Small goals are important, because to get from where you are to where you want to be, isn’t one big leap, but many small steps. So carry on, one step at a time. In the beginning it may seem impossible, but remember that with God, all things are possible! 

Goals build character:
The greatest benefit to your life will not be your accomplishments but rather what happens inside you while you are moving toward your goal. God is more interested in your character than in your accomplishments. While you’re working on your goal, God is working on you. He is building your character, and that is what will last for eternity. That’s why Paul says: “I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize” (Philippians 3:12). It takes energy, effort, and purpose to reach your goal, and in the process you become more like Christ.

Reflect: God has a calling on your life:
What goals will you set for this year so that you are continually growing in every area of your life? In what ways do your goals reflect what you hope God will do and expect him to do in and through you? Are your goals aligned with God's will for your life, so that you can receive His blessing? 

“We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it.” (Proverbs 16:9) We need God’s Spirit to empower us, and to enable us to make the changes we want to make. Effective and long-lasting growth and change is not based on willpower – it is based on God power – it is based more on trusting than on trying. It is faith that moves mountains. “You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord.” (Zechariah 4:6)

PRAYER:
Lord, may everything we do begin with your inspiration, 
continue with your help, and reach perfection under your guidance.
STEPPING INTO GRACE:
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May you be filled 
with the knowledge of His will
in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, 
fully pleasing to Him, 
bearing fruit in every good work, 
and growing in the knowledge of God.
May you be strengthened with all power, 
according to His glorious might.
[Colosssians 1:9-11]
WORTHY OF HIM AND FRUITFUL IN EVERY GOOD WORK:
The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to pray this powerful prayer for the Colossian Church. The purpose of this beautiful, Spirit-inspired prayer is that you walk worthy, and are fruitful in every good work. God wants you to walk worthy of Him, pleasing Him in all things. Jesus said in John 15:5: "I am the vine, you are the branches." The glory of a tree is in its branches. The branches give shade, and produce flowers and fruits. We are the Body of Christ. We should live so that God's glory is seen in, and borne by, us. Our heritage in Christ is to be the expression and testimony of God's beauty and grace, greatness and love. How is that for a new year's resolution!

MAY 2015 BE A YEAR OF TRIUMPH! May we abide in God's will. May we walk worthy and be fully pleasing. May we blossom and flower. May our good works grow and prosper and produce much fruit. 

See our retreats planned for the first 3rd of 2015. Make it one of your goals to come here on retreat!
2015 Retreats
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A Blessed Christmas

12/24/2014

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Wishing you a Blessed Christmas

For to us a child is born ... and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, 
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Isaiah 9:6]
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Mary with Child Jesus
From this holy birth our world is re-aligned
A tiny seed unfolding in the womb
becomes the source
from which we all unfold
and flower into being.
We are healed, the end begins,
the tomb becomes a womb,
for now in Him all things are re-aligned.
[Malcolm Guite]
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Nativity display at St Christopher's Church
I hope a star comes out for you this Christmas.
A new one that you have not seen before.
I hope it's bright and bold, a prophetic star, piercing the darkness,
and helping you to see the things you need to see.
I hope it touches you with fire and moves along beside you, all year long.
This star, I hope it comes leaping, bounding, burning, singing, shining in your life.
And when the year is through, I hope this star keeps shining on in you,
for without a doubt, you are called to be star, a new one never seen before.
[Anonymous] 
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Carols by Candlelight on Central Beach, Plettenberg Bay
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The Rising Tide of Silence

11/17/2014

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The Rising Tide of Silence
The life story of Fr Thomas Keating

From a young age, Thomas Keating had a calling to seek God. He came from a wealthy family. His father was a lawyer and hoped that his son would one day take over his law firm. Against his family’s wishes, Thomas joined a monastery instead. This caused a very strained relationship with his father, but he had a strong calling and couldn’t change his path. He was Abbot of St Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, for 20 years. 
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The ebbing and rising tide on Robberg Beach in beautiful Plettenberg Bay
Grace is participation in God’s nature. The spiritual journey does not require going anywhere. God is already with us and within us. 

Contemplation corresponds to meditation. It increases our awareness of the mystery of life.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:6: Enter into your inner room and close the door and pray to your Father in secret, and He will reward you. This is an invitation to look inwardly to find God who is transcendent but also immanent. We are here to attain union with God. The Gospel encourages us to grow into divine union and we can grow endlessly. Meditation helps us to access deeper levels of silence. John of the Cross spoke of the eternal Father and the eternal silence. 

The more we know about nature, the more we know about the mind of God. 

Fr Thomas Keating describes a mystical experience in nature when he became aware of God’s presence in everything. He had a revelation of God's love and he felt surrounded by immense and overwhelming love which was powerful and penetrating. Even the leaves on the trees were waving at God-in-him. Nothing mattered except love. He saw everything as emanating from God, including himself. God is hiding behind things, but is present at the same time. Christ is present in every particle. The ultimate constituency of matter is the Word (vibration). All is part of God. Things are distinct, but they cannot be separated from God just as a dove is distinct from it’s cooing, but it can’t be separated from its cooing. We can’t be separate from the ground of being from which we emerge. This mystical experience lasted about an hour. He knew that this was the real and true reality, and nothing was meaningful compared to this reality. It is the destiny of all human beings. God is the destiny of all human beings: the Source from where we come, and where we will one day return. 
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Light shining through the trees in Harkerville forest outside Plett
God will bring people and events into our lives, and whatever we think about them, they are designed for the evolution of our lives. 

Many interesting people visited the monastery, and the monks learnt different kinds of meditation. Over time, they developed the practice of Centering Prayer, during which you let go of all worldly concerns and rest in the presence of God. A 20 minute practice session is suggested – let go – God can take care of the world for 20 minutes! God is manifesting himself in some way and in different ways in different religions. In Centering Prayer we experience oneness. Differences are transcended and embraced. Love, compassion and forgiveness are the basis of all religions. Everything is a manifestation of the One Source. All are invited to participate joyfully in the light and love of God. We are growing up in God. Evolution is the birth canal into divine life.

The spiritual journey is a journey to our own heart. When we find ourselves, we find the heart of everyone, and God uses us as a vessel to love. 

Everybody needs time to reflect and be free from oppressive thoughts and anxiety. We need to take a break from ourselves. We need to release our cluttered minds and rest in the Presence of That Which Is. Turn towards God and allow and receive His divine love to flow towards us. Centering Prayer helps us to cultivate interior silence and enter the spiritual dimension of our being. We open to God and we open to our deep self. This is very healing and allows deep layers of our psyche to be released.Our shadow self or dark side of our personality can be so painful that we hide it from ourselves. We don’t want to acknowledge it within ourselves so we project it onto others. We hide it in the dark, and pretend that it doesn't exist. We must not be afraid to allow it to come into the light for this is how healing happens. God loves us through and though all our faults. We do not need to earn His love. All we need to do is accept His love. We are our hardest critics. Centering Prayer changes the way we perceive life. We become more aware of our own humanity and all our struggles and in so doing, we become broader and more compassionate toward the struggles of other people. We start to know the presence of God within ourselves, and in so doing, we can see the presence of God within others. 
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Leela, Marie and Dawn, one of the founding members of Contemplative Outreach in Cape Town
Vulnerability means to be hurt over and over, without loving less but more.

Fr Thomas Keating faced many hardships, challenges, sorrow and suffering. He turned the whole Trappist orientation from aestheticism to contemplation. This was not easy and it caused conflict and trouble and splits within the community between progressives and conservatives. Fr Thomas Keating resigned as Abbot and left the monastery. This was a very painful death-like experience for him. Trail-blazers are usually ahead of their time, and it is often only after people have left, that we see clearly the great gifts they brought to our lives. We have to suffer loss and have death-like experiences in order to rise anew and experience resurrection. As in Baptism, we commit to the death of the false self and descend into the purifying waters. The struggle is to be more available to God and to let go of obstacles to our spiritual growth. Eventually we will come to know selfless love, joy and peace beyond understanding.

Fr Thomas Keating was 84 years old when he helped co-found Contemplative Outreach to make Centering Prayer accessible to a worldwide audience. Being Abbot had become a cage. Now the cage was gone and he was free to follow the move of Spirit. His orientation shifted from monastic life to sharing Centering Prayer with people. He recalled a student asking him if we should breathe in God and breathe out sin. He replied it was better to breathe in God and breathe out love!

The aim of Centering Prayer is not just to become a better human being – even though this may be highly desirable to our family and friends! But to become a divine being. Let go into the silence. Silence is God’s first language. If you just keep quiet for long enough, you will find this out! Centering Prayer is a relationship with God. One begins to see that God is in everybody and one begins to see the goodness in everything. One becomes awake to the mystery of God and His inconceivable love, tenderness, sweetness and intimacy. One feels held, embraced, kissed by God. One starts to look at life from God’s point of view, and accepts reality as it is, because everything is God manifesting. The only requirement to experience these wonderful things, is to consent to say: ‘YES!’

[THE RISING TIDE OF SILENCE was screened at a Centering Prayer Renewal Day held at Belvedere Anglican Church earlier in November. It will be screened again next year as part of our desire and intention to bring the practice of Centering Prayer to the Garden Route via workshops and retreats = exciting = watch this space!]
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Carol, Deacon Lucas, Lorraine, Bernadette, Anne, Leela
CENTERING PRAYER GARDEN ROUTE STEERING COMMITTEE from left to right: 
Carol Richter (group facilitator), Lucas Timmers (books), Lorraine Barrett (secretary), Bernadette Wigmore (hospitality portfolio), Anne Stambolie (treasurer), and Leela Verity (regional chair / co-ordinator and newsletters)
Preview of DVD:
A Rising Tide of Silence
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Centering Prayer Day of Renewal

11/10/2014

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Centering Prayer Day of Renewal

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Centering Prayer is a method 
of resting and waiting upon God, 
of consenting to the presence 
and action of Christ within
in the stillness of our being.

For God alone 
my soul in silence waits. 
In God alone 
is my soul at rest. 
(Psalm 62:1)


The Christian tradition holds silence as an essential practice for anyone who wants to grow spiritually. Elijah found God in a sound of sheer silence (1 Kings 19:12). Jesus often went off to be by himself, to lonely and deserted places, to pray. The practice of silence is an act of self-offering, showing up, and making oneself available to God. Silence creates space and place for God to show up. Silence is the threshold upon which God and I meet, a place of intimacy where two become one. We have all experienced moments of intimacy with another in which nothing needs be said and to say anything would destroy the moment and break the intimacy. Silence asks us to learn to gracefully do nothing. Deep interior silence lets us rest in God. Nothing needs to be said. Nothing needs to be done. All is well. The world is full of trouble and problems. Only in God is our soul at rest.

In an old story, a Zen Master tells a student that he, as a human being, is already enlightened, even before beginning the path of meditation. The student asks the master: 'If I am already enlightened, why do I have to sit and meditate so much?' The master replies that the sun ruses on its own every morning, but if the student doesn't wake up and look outside, he will never see the sunrise. This is a wonderful metaphor for contemplation. By practicing, you can wake up and look inside to see the beauty of the sunrise, which dawns on its own. In Christian practice, contemplation consists of sitting down silently, and consenting to the sun rising in you and in all of life. 

In Christian contemplation, the nature of God and of all reality is experienced as Trinitarian. This means that the Son - the Logos, the Christ - is continually giving himself to the Father in an eternal loving exchange between them which is the Spirit. This same cycle of self-giving love resonates in the depths of our own being. In contemplation, we awaken to this indwelling reality, this gift of love that is the deepest center of our own being and the very heart of the world. 

You cannot do anything to produce an experience of God in you, but you can say yes to receiving divine love, to awakening to this sacred gift. You can say yes to letting it come into your consciousness and transform the pain of your contraction, separation, unconscious resistance and self-isolating behavior that experiences ourselves as separate from God. You can be transformed in God's own image, awakening to the sun / Son rising in you. You can let the Son of God shine the light of his love, and let the Spirit move more freely through you - both radiant to their own unseen source, the Father. As the Life of God becomes conscious in you, your own self-contracted behaviors are gradually freed into the self-gifting love of God, in simple and ordinary ways appropriate to your unique talents and life circumstances. [Extract from The Path of Centering Prayer by David Frenette] 

DATE: Saturday 15 November 2014 from 9am to lunch-time
VENUE: Belvedere Anglican Church, Knysna
PROGRAM: Includes instruction, the practice of centering prayer and lectio divina, and
MOVIE: A RISING TIDE OF SILENCE: The Life Story of Thomas Keating:
This movie provides us with a rare insight into the personal spiritual journey of Fr Thomas Keating. It gives an understanding of where and why he started on his journey, the hardships and setbacks he faced, including serious illness, difficult family relations, and how they impacted his spiritual development and relationship with God. The movie reveals a rich tapestry of a remarkable man who made centering prayer accessible to millions of people around the world. 

Charge R40 per person (or a donation)
Books, tapes and CDs will be on sale
Newcomers to Centering Prayer are welcome
For more details please phone 
Rev Colin Paine on 044 382 1239
Leela Verity on 044 533 0453
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Christ in me, my hope of glory

10/26/2014

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Christ in me, my hope of glory
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I AM blessed, highly favored, 
a recipient of Your grace.
What is God’s dream / purpose for you? People go throughout their lives never finding their purpose in God. We are not here for nothing. God has created and purposed us for something. God has called you for something unique. You were born for a purpose. Just as each snowflake is unique, everyone has a unique purpose that nobody can fulfill but you. People don’t know what is their role and what is God’s role. The power of God is waiting for you to become who you are meant to be. God wants the best of you to manifest in the lives of other people. God’s dream for all is that you find yourself in Christ. We must understand and perceive and be who God created us to be. Christ the hope of glory, is inside you. [Colossians 1:27] We must understand: Who Christ is, who we are in him, and who he is in us. We must understand CHRIST IN ME. We are called to manifest as sons of God. 

We are His workmanship, created for good works. [Ephesians 2:10]
BORN OF THE SPIRIT
I will re-create you and put my Spirit and my power within you.

When you are reborn - born of the Spirit - you become a new creation born in the spirit. The new person is not born of the flesh, but of God. The new birth is a spiritual birth. We are born in the Spirit. We receive God’s Spirit and His fullness. Spirit-man comes in the fullness of God. Spirit has all knowledge and understanding. Gravity works whether we understand it or not. God has imparted things within us whether we understand it or not. Spirit-man carries the blessings of God. You need to stay in His Word for His words are Spirit and life.

There is no time in Spirit-man - he is timeless, has eternal life and lives forever. The new creation is not linked to the past. You are set free from the past - from habits, addictions, generational curses, karma etc. When you are reborn, the old is gone and you become a new creation. No curses, sickness, problems can attach to Spirit. Problems can only attach to the soul/mind. Doubts and negative things cannot hook onto the Spirit of God, just as darkness and light cannot be together in the same place. 

We have been pulled from darkness into His marvelous light. [Colossians 1:12]

LIFE IS SPIRITUAL
No weapon formed against me shall prosper.

There are two realms of existence: the physical realm, which we are physically BORN into and can see; and the spiritual realm, which we are spiritually REBORN into and can only see with the eyes of faith. The physical realm is our natural lineage; and the spiritual realm is our spiritual lineage. Life is spiritual and the spiritual realm is the primary reality. We must learn to live in this reality.

When we are born, we consist of body, soul and Spirit. When we are reborn, we are born of God and become Spirit-man first. The order changes and Spirit comes first, then soul and then body. Spirit-man is filled with the Holy Spirit. Our goal is to align the three with Spirit on top, so that our body listens to our soul, and our soul listens to our Spirit. Our soul includes our mind: thoughts and emotions, will and will power, intellect and reason, decisions and memory.

With the Spirit we believe. Faith operates at the level of Spirit. Just as gravity is a law, so is faith a spiritual law. Faith is the substance of things not seen. [Hebrews 11:1] The more we understand, the more faith we have. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. This is why it is so important to study the Bible so we can know the Word of God and what it promises us. You must imprint it on your soul/mind until you believe it. Then you can become it.

Doubt happens at the level of the soul/mind, and it blocks the flow of power from the spiritual realm. Our soul/mind generally takes information from the WORLD and passes this onto the body. We must renew our minds and train them to take information from the WORD and pass this information onto the body. We manifest what we think and believe, so what the soul/mind passes onto the body is very important. We are used to acting from our physical senses. We must learn to act from our spiritual senses. To do this we must RENEW OUR MINDS ie we must change the way we think. We have the MIND OF CHRIST and we must start to use it!

RENEW YOUR MIND
You must put on the new man.

You cannot operate in the spiritual world with your soul/mind as it doesn’t work in the realm of Spirit. The natural man cannot understand the things of Spirit. Spiritual knowledge comes only through the Spirit.  You must renew your mind and your thinking. You must make an effort. You must take action. You must clear your old mind-set and ways of thinking. This is a continuing process until you reach the fullness of Christ. Dwell on the Word and make it yours. Read a Bible verse until you become it.

1 CORINTHIANS 2:9-10: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.

Renewing of our minds in the Word of God increases our faith and makes it the glue between our Spirit and our body. The more our soul/mind and body align under our Spirit, the more our mind will obey our Spirit and our body will obey our mind. When the three are aligned and working properly together, we produce the best results. The Word says: If I believe in Jesus, then I am an over-comer of this world. I am more than a conqueror. Greater is he in me than he who is in the world. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Act in hope as if already here. This knowledge is imparted into our Spirit through the Word of God. Our soul links our Spirit to our body. The body obeys our soul/mind, so it is vital that our mind gets true spiritual knowledge from our Spirit. The body then confesses and becomes a physical manifestation of what we believe. When we are properly aligned, then information passes from our Spirit to our soul/mind to our body and the physical body must follow.   

Life is spiritual. Man is a Spirit being. The Kingdom of God operates according to spiritual laws. We need to operate from the spiritual realm. The real you is Spirit-man within you. The real kingdom is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within you. Don’t try to rule this world from this world. Learn how to rule this world from the Kingdom of God that is within you. Then you work from a position of victory. Then you work with the power of God. May it be so!

COLOSSIANS 2:9-10: You are in Him. You are made full and have come to fullness of life. You reach full spiritual stature. You have full authority over the things of this world. You have full authority over Satan. In Christ you are filled with the Godhead.

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST
I am more than a conqueror.

We must break down strongholds: confusion (our mind spins in different directions and goes this way and that way), imaginations (we fabricate stories and then believe them), negative thoughts etc. We must cast them down with the power of the Word. We must fill our minds with the love of God. We must rely on the Word of God and not on our minds. We must believe God’s Word and that is how we honor Him. When you honor God, he will honor you. He will give you understanding and new revelation.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exults itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every though into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Strongholds keep many people in promises. A promise is a hope and not a reality because it hasn’t manifested yet. We want to receive the promises of God. Read the Word until you believe it, become it, be it and do it. The Word of God says: YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR. The mind doubts this. Choose: do you want to believe your mind or believe the Word of God? Do you want to stay in the promise or receive the blessing? Cast down the stronghold in your mind. Declare from your mouth: I am healed. I have received. The more aligned you are, the quicker it happens. Listen to the promises of God contained in His Word > believe (have faith, make a conscious decision to  believe) > believe and you shall receive > take action and walk in the promise (live your faith, become it, be it). Your prayer will change from ‘Please God do this and that’ to ‘Thank you God’.

God is in control of everything, but He is not controlling everything. We must speak His Spirit into existence. We need to do this. God wants us to do this. We must take up the responsibility. Believe and receive. It is your choice. God needs your faith to work with. You must believe what God says about you and not what you think, what the world says, or what other people say about you. Look to God for your strength and your power. We must operate from this mindset. The Devil comes to kill, steal and destroy. He brings doubt and negativity and tries to break down the good. The Word says: I AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR. Knowledge of the Word brings faith and turns ‘I wish’ and ‘I want’ into I AM.

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My notes taken from 
ACCELERATE SEMINAR 
Plettenberg Bay
with Spirit-man Jaques Malan
from Father's Voice Ministries
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Carried in Love Transformed by Beauty

8/30/2014

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Carried in Love Transformed by Beauty

PictureHarkerville coastline just outside Plett
My Beloved is the mountains, 
the solitary wooded valleys, 
the strange islands, 
the roaring torrents, 
the whisper of the amorous gales; 
the tranquil night 
at the approaches of the dawn,
the silent music, 
the murmuring solitude, 
the supper which revives, 
and enkindles love.
[Spiritual Canticle 
by St John of the Cross]
CARRIED IN LOVE, TRANSFORMED BY BEAUTY is spiritual guide for life and helps to understand the meaning and purpose of life, love, suffering and death. Through personal experiences and the insights of psychology, theology and scripture a way to finding true life and happiness is shared. Deep personal suffering can be transformed into beauty and love, and discovering the presence of the Divine Lover and Beloved leads to the experience of being loved and loving. Insights into how to overcome depression, adversity, cultural and sexual challenges, and fulfill deep personal needs in a materialistic society are shared. This book explores what life on earth is ultimately about. We are born for heaven!

The quest for love forms the basis for all human desire and striving. We originate from infinite love, and only love can fulfill us: the fullness of love is our destiny. We are born into the school of love, which is the gift of life itself. Instead of becoming blind to beauty and lame in walking the way of love, we can become beacons of light, and have hearts aflame with love ... God is love, and is in quest of our love. We originate from Him, and are thus constantly in quest of his love. Whether we become sidetracked by created beings or objects, or find in and through them the God we yearn for, or whether we are enabled in moments of ecstasy to love God directly, we will be in quest of love till our last breath. It is wonderful to realize that in life, no matter how traumatic or painful the circumstances and experiences, God is with us and is carrying us in love, wanting to transform us in Beauty.

The experience of being carried in Love and transformed in Beauty I saw wonderfully realized and manifested in the life of someone I was destined to meet walking on Robberg Beach in Plettenberg Bay. I was overjoyed to see how this was demonstrated in the life of a new parishioner, Leela Verity, and I thought it would be great to look at how she describes her experience of being transformed by love and beauty and how she sees her journey back to God ... I am honored to be included in the INTRODUCTION to this LOVE-LY and BEAUTIFUL book written by my dearly be-loved friend and soul-mate FR JOHAN STRYDOM. To read my story go to: 
lEELA'S STORY
"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul."
[St Augustine]

Each one of us is created in the image and likeness of God. That means that my deepest being or my true self is of infinite worth and value. My true self is like God Himself, who is intelligent, free, loving, beautiful, and, as a person, capable of deep and intimate relationship. This self I am to accept and love, to respect and value with great esteem. I am to love and accept myself unconditionally – as God does. All the beauty I see around me I already have within myself to treasure, because God, who possesses all beauty and strength, lives within me! The fullness of joy is ours to experience if we become more and more aware of this wonderful reality. The fullness of Being and Love exists within me. The consciousness of myself as the temple of God and being created in his image is something that is of eternal significance and can never be taken away from me. My true self and the image of God that I am, are eternal. Love is eternal. Thus the essence of my being is love!
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Know yourselves ... He who knows himself, knows God
He who knows himself, knows all human beings
He who can love himself, loves all human beings 
He who sins against his neighbor sins against himself 
He who loves his neighbor, loves God
And he who loves God, loves his own soul. 
[St Anthony of the Desert]
Each of us is created to love. The only way to find happiness is to love others, and the more we love, the happier we will be. Human beings have a deep need for intimacy and love. It is through our experience of human love and acceptance that we learn how to become loving and accepting of others. Not only that, but through human love we come to know and experience God’s love. Only the experience of God’s love can ultimately fulfill us, and all human love points to and is an instrument of divine love! All human love is like a sacrament of God’s love: a visible sign and instrument of invisible grace or loving presence. The adventure of life calls us to accept the fact that God loves each person unconditionally and infinitely. Human beings seem to find it extremely difficult to accept the fact that they are so well loved! 

"You are precious in my eyes and honored, and I LOVE YOU." [Isaiah 43:4]

Fr Johan gives real life examples of God's love from his own life and from the lives of others, and I will share one of them with you. A few years ago, he walked the Camino. It is customary to take a stone with you representing some burden that you wish to lay down at a particular point on your pilgrimage when you feel ready to let it go. I gave him a stone with the words written on it: ALL SHALL BE WELL. The particular burden related to the death of one of his friends who had committed suicide and he was deeply grieved about this. He prayed that the stone would in some way be returned to him at the end of the pilgrimage as an assurance that his friend was now at peace and with God. After the Camino, he visited Ampleforth Abbey in England. He was drawn to a book in the library by his patron saint, St John Vianney. He opened the book and his eyes fell on the words: "Fear nothing: all will be well", followed by a story about someone who had committed suicide. Of all the hundreds of books in the library, he was drawn to open a book exactly on the page where the words on his stone came back to him and gave him the assurance he had prayed for. Such is the love of God. He knows the burdens that we carry in our hearts and he hears our prayers, and through his love and grace he tells us: Fear not, ALL SHALL BE WELL. 

"I have loved you with an everlasting love."  [Jeremiah 31:3]

CARRIED IN LOVE, TRANSFORMED BY BEAUTY looks at the many aspects of love, and assures us that WE ARE LOVED, and invites us to become and be the love that we are. Our response must be to breathe in this love with every breath and say 'Thank You'. And then breathe out with the words, 'I love You too', until our last breath.
Carried in love by fr johan strydom
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up because
YOU ARE LOVED!
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Jesuit Prayer Training Course

8/9/2014

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Jesuit Prayer Training Course

“May we experience each day as a sacred mystery woven around the heart of love.” 
[John ODonogue]

St Ignatius of Loyolo lived from 1491 – 1548. He had an extravagant sense of God’s love and generosity (magis = the more). He gives a world view rather than a set of rules. He is apostolic rather than monastic: a call to engage with the world rather than to withdraw from the world. The purpose of prayer is to transform us into contemplatives in action. The vision is an optimistic vision of a world shot through with Divine love. We find God in all things, nothing excluded. God is part of all: the glory and the gutter, the good and the bad and the messy. It is holistic and inclusive. Nice perspective. Many people lose hope and need to see God in all things. The Jesuit motto is: Expanding the horizons of hope. God is self-revealing and self-communicating and he wants to reveal himself to us. 

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil.
[Gerald Manley Hopkins]

“The way of Ignatius is about finding freedom: the freedom to become the person you are meant to be, to love and to accept love, to make good decisions, and to experience the beauty of creation and the mystery of God’s love. The Ignatian goal of finding God in all things means that every part of our lives can lead us to God. We can find God – and God can find us – in the real world of work, love, suffering, decisions, prayer and friendship.” [The Jesuit Guide to (almost) Everything by James Martin SJ]

I toil and you bless my work.
I walk and you bless my paths.
I suffer and you bless my tears.
[St John Vianney]

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O Holy One, 
source of all goodness, truth and beauty. 
I long to see Your face 
and lose myself in Your gaze. 
You blessed me with life and free will, 
and placed within my reach everything I need. 
Help me uphold the spirit of Your creation, 
that all may celebrate 
the beauty and love You offer.
Blessed are You, O Creator of all existence,
masterful are the works of Your hands. 
[Contemporary Psalm by Roy DeLeon, OblSB]


This is the confidence we have in him, 
that if we ask anything according to His will,
He hears us. [1 John 5:14]
WHAT IS PRAYER?

It is difficult to come up with a definition of prayer because it includes so many aspects eg: conversation, communion, connection (silent and verbal), meaningful presence, relationship, faith, hope, love etc. Our group came up with the following definition: “God and myself entering into meaningful presence which includes dialogue and silent connection.”

Some other definitions include: “Prayer is bringing everything I know about myself to everything I know about God.” and “Prayer is any time that I am more than ordinarily aware of God.” The heart of prayer lies in awareness of God. We can go through the motions without praying. Formal prayers are helpful but not if they are merely mechanical. We think God cares where, when, how we pray. It doesn’t matter. A heartfelt connection is much more important than where, when, how.

True prayer comes from God. As you begin your prayer journey, it is something that you do. Then God comes in. Then prayer happens and I was there. Prayer is much bigger than what I do. [Falling Upwards by Richard Rohr]

Much was covered on this Prayer Training course, including many wonderful prayer techniques which have to be experienced and not read about. So I will share a little about cultivating a prayer framework, which is practical and helpful. 

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Blessed are You, source of my being.
Praise to You for Your gift of life.
Through Your love, I was born,
because of Your love, I live,
and into Your love, I will die.
You are love and compassion, O God.
Yet despite my forgetful nature,
You call me back tirelessly,
into Your gracious and steadfast love.
[Contemporary Psalm by Roy DeLeon, OblSB]


Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer,
present your requests to God.
[Philippians 4:6]
FRAMEWORK FOR ENTERING INTO PRAYER:

PREPARE: Get yourself ready for prayer. When you were dating, you took time to get ready to meet the beloved. 

TIME: Make a time commitment eg half hour, one hour. Be faithful to your time of prayer and God will lead you to a deeper and more mature relationship with Him that transcends the ups and downs, consolations and desolations in your prayer life. 

SPACE: Prayer is sacred space where you can let yourself be open and vulnerable to God. Create a special space if you can. Light a candle at the beginning to show that you are entering into sacred time and space. This shows your intention and desire. 

PRESENCE OF GOD: Embrace the presence of God and feel God embracing you. Draw your attention and awareness to God. Place your focus on God. He is fully attending to us and to all of creation all of the time. Become aware that God is aware of us. Allow God to be God and rest in His presence. God is looking at us in love. He gazes on us in love. Like when people love each other and they catch each other’s eyes and know that they love each other. Or like sitting in the sun and letting it warm you. Or like lying in a warm bath and letting it soak you. Be aware that God is present and aware of us. It is like a feeling of being bathed in God’s love and peace. This is the start of prayer because God is the start of everything. 

PRAYER DESIRE: Be aware of your prayer desire. What do I want / desire from God now? What is the grace that I desire now? NB: ask for the grace: ask and you shall receive. Beg for what you desire and long for, knowing that God plants our deep desires. Desires are not bad! GRACE is the gift that only God can give eg: intimacy, peace, joy, courage, strength, knowing Christ more clearly, following Him more dearly, loving Him more nearly etc. Grace is relational and not a thing.

ENTRY INTO PRAYER: Pray as you can and not as you can’t. Prayer is an individual encounter with God. There is no right or wrong way to pray – whatever works for you is right. Prayer is about being with God. It is about being open to God, and not about me and enjoying warm fuzzy feelings. Honor the time that you have set aside: not shorter and not longer. Mark the end of your prayer time with a prayer eg Glory Be.

REVIEW OF PRAYER: Afterwards have a tea break and then review your prayer time. Review is not: I did that so badly, I was distracted, dry, bored etc. Review might consist of looking at: What was your mood before and afterwards? Was there a shift in your mood? Did you feel any movement of the Spirit? Did you connect with God or not? Did you experience any strong emotions? Is there anything that came up and that you need to come back to? What did this conversation with God reveal to me? 

Picture
O eternal river of peace and love,
my being will always thirst for You.
Drown me in Your sea of loving-kindness.
Pull me into the peaceful silence of Your depths.
Satisfy and delight my soul as at a royal banquet.
Let these flesh and bones dance with Your joy.
From beginning to beginning without end,
all my being praises you, My Lord and My God.
[Contemporary Psalm by Roy DeLeon, OblSB]


May He grant you 
according to your heart's desire, 
and fulfill all your purpose.
[Psalm 20:4]

One of the principals of Ignatian spirituality 
is to find God in all things.
Find God everyday, everywhere ...

RETREAT: Wed 24 - Sun 28 Sept (5 days)
PRAYER: AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
email for enquiries and bookings
benedictusdeus@global.co.za
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In Honor of Carol-Ann

6/10/2014

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In Honor of Carol-Ann

PictureCarol-Ann on our last retreat
I was in Cape Town last week, attending a Theology Course on Leadership hosted by the Jesuit Society. During the course, i met a priest who was a good personal friend of one of the ladies who came on our last retreat. I asked him how she was doing, and to my shock, he told me that she died a few days ago. Her name was Carol-Ann McMenamin, and i write this in honor of her memory ... Carol-Ann was one of the delightful participants on our EXPERIENCING LIFE CREATIVELY Retreat / Workshop in October 2013. She was a beautiful, vibrant and authentic soul, who captured our hearts and radiated love through her gentle eyes and happy smile. 

We could not know the level of pain and suffering she had endured, and she said it was a miracle that she was able to attend the retreat and manage her pain. She earnestly aligned herself with the work and went through the process of being in witness of her Life Journey. Her dedication to this inner work was timely, as shortly after the Retreat she went into hospital for an operation, and now a few months later, dear Carol-Ann is in the Divine Realm. 

There comes a time in our lives when we need to just sit a while with our deep inner awareness and make inner peace with our Life Journey, and with all those with whom we have traveled. EXPERIENCING LIFE CREATIVELY is one such Journey we all need to take before the moment we leave from this Realm. It is a sacred Journey that helps us to awaken to our Spiritual Being. When we have come to sit a while with our Divine Aspect, then we know that we are Loved and in the Arms of God.  

I am sure i say on behalf of all the participants on our last retreat that we are grateful for the Light and Love that Carol-Ann brought to the retreat. We are very glad that she was able to be in that space with herself and others who held her with love and admiration for all that she had been through and still emerged smiling. She obviously touched the hearts of many, for the priest told me the church was packed to capacity at her funeral. She will be missed but her sweet smile will remain shining into our hearts. 

Carol-Ann wrote beautifully and shared her thoughts with us both during and after the retreat. Now reading her words again, it is easy to feel the Loving, Guiding Hand of God. She gave permission to share her experience and letters if it could open the hearts, minds and souls of others, which is what she dearly wished to do. In tribute to this brave and gracious lady, we now share these (edited) letters of hers:
Dear Joy and Leela

I thank both of you for the two days of the retreat - it was pure gift. Lots of people have asked me what the retreat was like, and the only word that comes to mind is “the such-ness”, which of course no one understands, so I just reply “I got a lot from it”. When I wrote to Leela,  I mentioned that it is not so much a lot of words needed to explain it, it is rather a state of “being” and in spite of being in pain and discomfort, I still have the peace that I received. Fear is a thing of the past, and what a pleasure to get rid of THAT companion!!!

Thank you for sharing with us how, using our breath in and out, to honor and accept our day and all events as being for our higher purpose. I believe that all my pain and discomfort is serving a higher purpose - although at the moment I don’t know or understand. One thing it has taught me though, is that when I pray, I not only pray for myself, but for all people who are in pain. I have begun to feel a sort of connectedness, and I pray with gratitude. 

Maybe the purpose is teaching me gratitude - even in pain - because it has created within me an acute awareness of people who suffer every day with no end in sight, just as part of their daily life conditions (like my dear deceased husband Doug). He bore it so courageously, and I now see that it never touched his Spirit. Wow is all I can say, in the magnificence of it. 

I have put into a frame the photograph of me as a child (that we used on the retreat). I was bowled over by what other people saw in that little face. I have typed it out, and put it behind the photograph to re-read from time to time to remind me never to let those qualities be buried in conformity by life’s events, but to draw upon them as my strengths! How many people get the gift and joy of that knowledge! After Doug’s death it seemed that I had lost my purpose in life. Now I know that I will carry those strengths into every situation that comes my way. How exciting that with the tools of mediation and reflection to be able to live a full life from now onwards day by day, and maybe even in loneliness, pain and discomfort and trying to find and learn a lesson there too. 

 I received another gift on the retreat: Chinky asked me to sit on the beach quietly at the end of the retreat, which I did. I just sat on the beach letting the sand sift through my hands, and when I looked up and became aware of my surroundings, I realized that I was sitting on the exact same beach that Doug and I had walked on, two weeks before he went into hospital never to fully recover. It then hit me that I had come full circle!!! and I let go with honor, love and gratitude. Haven’t I been blessed!!!

Thank you both with lots of love, light, & blessing
Carol-Ann

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MY DAMASCUS EXPERIENCE 
by Carol-Ann McMenamin

I woke up at 1.30am on the morning after the retreat, and knew it was a calling to mediation, prayer and reflection.  I never went back to sleep again and with pen in hand wrote what I called my “Damascus Story’:

My Damascus experience began on 6th May 2004 when I was struck by a life experience of my husband losing all life and movement in his body in the blink of an eye. I was struck blind in as much as I would never again see or experience life as I had known it. I was catapulted into another life dimension within a heartbeat.

I lived this life of blindness until on the 26th October 2013 (date of our last retreat), the scales began to fall away and once again I could see ... I woke up to very different world from where I had come ... and yet in a strange way had always known.

I have found the mystery that I have been searching for all my life, even as a child. The Mystery is within me (always has been). It is not me, and yet I am it, and because of that it connects me to everything that lives and breaths ... It is the very Source of life itself ... known as God ... I have been called to live close to that Source, and take that gift of awareness to everyone I encounter.  I do not know the way yet, but it will be shown me.

I do not shun that period of Blindness, as it showed and made me aware of strengths I have which I never knew I possessed until they were put to the test. I honor that period of blindness as a gift, and I welcome my new sight with joy. In the Source that created me, and lives in me, and becomes me ... for the world.

I cannot thank you (Leela) and Joy enough for the gift of the retreat - it has turned my life around 360 degrees ... I see everything now as gift, even the pain - not immediately of course! I look back with a sense of connectedness - I am not the only person, and I won’t be the last. The lesson I learned from it, is to  be more patient and empathetic for other people in pain. It is difficult to be kind, or understand when someone is in pain, when you are bubbly and full of life, have places to go, and things to do, and they are down and depressed, (I experienced that as well). It takes a deeper understanding that comes from connectedness. Out of everything comes good, if you choose to see it that way.

Love, thanks, light and gratitude
Carol-Ann
O Lord,
Eternal rest grant unto Carol-Ann,  
and let perpetual light shine upon her. 

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

We are still accepting bookings for our EXPERIENCING LIFE CREATIVELY retreat / workshop this weekend. You are invited to join us for a weekend that will change your life through the grace of God in positive ways that you cannot conceive ... for with God all things are possible beyond your imagination ...
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Franciscan Cross

5/27/2014

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Franciscan Cross

South African Bishops from the Catholic Church recently went to Rome for a visit to the new Pope. I asked Bishop Frank to please buy me a Franciscan Cross while he was in Rome, and to have it blessed by Pope Francis if possible. He said he didn't think he would have time so i must not get my hopes up ... On his return home, i got an email from Bishop Frank to say that he did buy me a Franciscan Cross and it was blessed by Pope Francis. WOW! This is the latest treasured holy object that has been added to our Centre. It is very special, coming all the way from Rome, and having been blessed by Pope Francis, and then a gift from Bishop Frank. It carries the holy lineage from Pope to Bishop, and will certainly bless all those who gaze at it, including me who can't stop gazing at it and admiring it! It is beautiful! The most beautiful one i have ever seen! I am thrilled with it!  
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Franciscan Cross
Picture
Franciscan Cross hanging in Shrine Room
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    Author
    Leela Verity

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