Kitty Crenshaw's Blog, page 21
December 23, 2018
December 24
Your First Love is calling. The more you respond, the clearer the love cry becomes. ~Betty
The post December 24 appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
December 20, 2018
December 21
To immerse oneself in the mystery and wonder of creation it to come to know the God beyond and the God within. ~Betty
The post December 21 appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
December 18, 2018
An Advent Prayer
Oh, Jesus, precious Shepherd
What will You say to me this Christmas?
What have You prepared for me at Your Nativity?
Will the noise of temporal things
silence the Heavenly Host,
the angelic song of praise,
the Infant cry of glory that bids me come,
that longs to claim me, to rename me
Chosen, Blessed, Beloved?
Will the clutter, the glitter of the world, blind me?
Will I fail to find You in lowliness in the crib?
You, Holy Child of God,
You, His Gift of unending birth,
of everlasting joy, of peace on earth.
Oh, Jesus, precious Shepherd, this Christmas
Help me to find You.
Enable me to hear You.
Give me Your Gift.
Be born anew each instant
in the manger of my heart.
~BWS
The post An Advent Prayer appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
Advent
Oh, Jesus, precious Shepherd
What will You say to me this Christmas?
What have You prepared for me at Your Nativity?
Will the noise of temporal things
silence the Heavenly Host,
the angelic song of praise,
the Infant cry of glory that bids me come,
that longs to claim me, to rename me
Chosen, Blessed, Beloved?
Will the clutter, the glitter of the world, blind me?
Will I fail to find You in lowliness in the crib?
You, Holy Child of God,
You, His Gift of unending birth,
of everlasting joy, of peace on earth.
Oh, Jesus, precious Shepherd, this Christmas
Help me to find You.
Enable me to hear You.
Give me Your Gift.
Be born anew each instant
in the manger of my heart.
~BWS
The post Advent appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
December 16, 2018
December 17
Learning to love takes time and endless practice. ~Betty
The post December 17 appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
December 13, 2018
December 14
To shed our false self and take on a new awareness, we have to consent to the relentless struggle between the overwhelming fears that paralyze us and the love that enlarges us beyond measure. It is in the struggle that we are transformed. ~Betty
The post December 14 appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
December 11, 2018
A Letter from Betty
Watch for this. A virgin shall conceive and bear a Son. And shall call His Name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
Dear Ones,
Immanuel, God With Us, is the heart of God in Christ, filled to overflowing with the desire to love us, aflame with a fire to warm us, to give us a home, a sense of belonging, a refuge in which we feel safe. Immanuel, God With Us, is a voice that announces a whole new way of being, of loving, of living in community—a new kingdom.
In this Advent season, let us determine to respond to this gentle, quiet invitation by preparing our hearts to receive more and more of the life, light and love contained in the gift of Immanuel. Let us await this gift of love in prayer, with watchful attentiveness and beautiful Scripture, liturgy and song.
Let us intensify our desire to see, to wait, to offer all; to seek Him in our deepest center.
Thus, the divine plan, the Christmas gift, the transformation of our human nature into the likeness of the One who is given may be fulfilled, and we will be enabled to live our ordinary lives with extraordinary love.
Christ be with you.
Merry Christmas,
~Betty
The post A Letter from Betty appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
December 9, 2018
December 6, 2018
On Retreat: December 2018
Our prayer is that On Retreat will help you break from habituated patterns of mind and frantic activity, make more space for God, and step into a new way of seeing, believing, and abiding.The descending way of humility is a movement towards our true self-realization. Each retreat will focus on a healthy body, a serene mind, and a powerful spirit. Your devoted guide will be modern day Christian mystic, Betty Skinner.
Affirming the Hope Hidden Within You ~Cathy and Kitty
Watchful Attentiveness
A Healthy Body
Hydrate: Drink a little water with lemon or green tea to begin.
Move: Do a few simple stretching exercises to energize your body.
Rest: Silently integrate the inner peace of your stretching practice for a few minutes.
A Serene Mind
Begin this portion of your time with God by sitting with a warm cup of coffee, tea, or water with lemon in a comfortable chair in a quiet place with your Bible close. Light a candle as a symbol of God’s presence with you.
Opening Prayer
Let Betty’s lovely Centering Prayer video help quiet and refocus your mind or read it on page 53 of our book, The Hidden Life Awakened. Listen for His voice in silence for a few minutes.
For Reflection
The expectation of Advent is anchored in the event of God’s incarnation; anchored in the gift of God’s love to us in the coming of the Christ child. This gift of love in Christ should be awaited in prayer, remembered with beautiful Scripture, liturgy and song, and contemplated with watchful attentiveness for His coming to us in moments of heightened perception.
Moments of heightened perception can happen at any time, moments when time seems temporarily suspended, and we are in harmony with the whole of creation. They are ethereal moments of beauty that convey a different order of knowing. There is a deep sense of communion as though we were being invited in the gentlest, most reticent of ways to respond. To be caught up in such unpredictable moments of love and wonder is an expression, an experience of truth. It is the Incarnation, Immanuel, God with us.
A Reflection from Betty
A holy dimension,
an infinite shimmer.
Lifting the veil of the known,
peace flowing through a pure heart.
The persistent yearning that sweeps us all is a yearning to be known as we are and to be loved. When the wave of this yearning swells in our hearts and its crest is infused by wondrous Light, all our barriers are pushed aside. Beauty awakens within us. A momentous reality of God trembles through our veins, opening a glimpse of the Eternal. God answers with Love our trembling awe. Then comes a quiet wondering – how could we have lived in the shimmerings, the whispers, the intimations of such a Great Beauty and missed it? The Hidden Life Awakened
A Powerful Spirit
Spend a little time now, letting the Living Word speak to your heart.
Divine Reading
Psalm 19 The Passion Translation
Rest Quietly with God
Use your imagination to visualize Jesus with you in those moments of heightened perception you have experienced, even as a young child. May this simple practice transform your heart to a place of gratitude as you remember that in all things, He “is with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Reflective Writing
Journal every thought that arises without censoring as a child would. This is the indwelling Spirit speaking truth to you. Trust this for now.
The post On Retreat: December 2018 appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
December 4, 2018
December 5
The very heartbeat of God is resonating in creation. It is ever ready for us to discover the hidden mystery of the Creator’s love to which it points. ~Betty
The post December 5 appeared first on The Hidden Life Awakened.
