Kitty Crenshaw's Blog, page 25

September 24

Fear and anxiety disconnect us from the Source and subtly become a way of trying to control the future as well as setting us up for disappointment and despair. ~Betty

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September 21

If we aren’t moving in the direction of being reconciled to others, how can we be reconciled to God? ~Betty

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Julian of Norwich, Part 1

Betty Skinner, the inspiration for The Hidden Life Awakened, shares her friendship with Julian of Norwich, a 14th century mystic, who reached through the pages of her book, Revelations of Divine Love, to help guide her through the darkness.

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September 17

Trust God, let go of the old trapeze you have been clinging to, float through that fearful never-never land, and grab for new life. ~Betty

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September 14

As we persevere in prayer, the divine life within us begins to wake up and see the world with new eyes and a new heart. ~Betty

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Good, Better, Best

Nothing on our spiritual journey is ever final; it is an ongoing process moving us deeper and deeper. It is a continuous change and movement from what is good (that place where most of us live, desiring to love and serve God) to what is better (an open and intense desire to hear God) to what is best (when all of our prayer becomes service and all of our service becomes prayer). Most of us stay in the good and never attain the better or the best because the inner work of change is so difficult, our fears are so great, and there are so few to love us and guide us there.

In Luke’s Gospel, when Jesus comes to visit His dear friends, Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, He finds the women busily making dinner preparations. Mary immediately leaves the work to go and sit at Jesus’ feet. Martha, in exasperation, says to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to come help me!” Jesus’ answer to her was, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” It is helpful to see that there was nothing wrong with Martha’s work; it was good. The tragedy was that her focus was so limited. If she had been lovingly attentive to the awesome reality of the presence of God with her in her work, she would have been able to serve those around her in love and peace without resentment.

The gift that Mary, the contemplative person, offers to Martha, the active person, is the call to slow down and experience the beauty that is present in each moment. It is as if she were saying, “Please, Martha, stop long enough to listen, to pray, to make a little space in your life for God. Go sit by the window for a minute; go take a quiet walk; go anywhere you can and sit quietly and listen.” Mary had chosen the better part, but it still wasn’t the best. She had not yet learned to take her loving attention into the work that needed to be done. If Mary had taken the love she was receiving from Jesus and graciously offered it to Martha through service, she would have stilled the conflict Martha was feeling and brought peace to the situation.

Mary and Martha represent the conflict we all live with. When we are out of balance in either of these two ways of living, our relationships and our spiritual lives suffer. The Mary in us has to be redeemed through our willingness to become servants in places where we may be very uncomfortable: the world of our reality. If we don’t take our spirituality into the real work we are called to, nothing will ever get done. The question for the Martha in us is, “Can I do this work without feeling put upon or resentful but in love and gratitude?” That happens when we finally realize that our transformation requires that we bring loving attention and a sense of the abiding Presence into our work.

It takes the work and energy of a redeemed Martha to do God’s work in the world, and it takes compassion flowing through the redeemed Mary to draw people into the community of love. Our prayer is coming to receive this love, and our action is going out to offer it to the hungry hearts of others. When this happens, all of our service becomes prayer and all of our prayer becomes service, and we are never out of communion with Love. This is the movement toward wholeness—toward the best.

Excerpted from The Hidden Life Awakened

 

 

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September 10

As your inner life expands, your outer life will expand. From this hidden place in the Spirit, you will transform your world from within, inspiring others by sacrificially living the beauty of your own poured out life. ~ Betty

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On Retreat: September 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

True Humility
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

“Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart.” Jesus

Humility is simply seeing yourself as you are. Yes, you are weak and sinful, but this awareness, though important, is not perfect humility. Perfect humility comes from remembering and adoring God’s goodness and overwhelming love. If constant wallowing in self-hatred for sin and failures were humility, how could Jesus, who was without sin, have made the statement above? Why did He tell the prostitute wiping His feet with her tears that her sins were forgiven? Because with godly, heartfelt sorrow she offered Him “such extravagant love.” Luke 7:47-Amazing.

A Reflection from Betty

Humility is that lowliness of heart which seeks nothing for itself. It is an unselfconscious way of being. Pride is the false self’s illusions which promote an inordinate and blinding self-consciousness or self-hatred. The descending way of humility is a movement towards our true self’s realization. By descending, we expose the false in order to perceive the true. When we finally see the truth, we are free.

The path of humility goes through humiliation. Our consent to suffer the pain silently and alone for the sake of Love’s way gently, yet painfully, brings us to that low, empty place within our hearts where the Holy One and the human one meet in tenderest love and forgiveness – profound humility.

The self-emptying of the Incarnate God is the ultimate expression of humility and the most compelling invitation to empty ourselves of all that is false in us. The lower, the emptier we are before God, the more complete the inflow of His Divine Glory will be. Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of man. It is the root of every virtue.

Further Reflection

“It is difficult for us to grasp the truth that Jesus came not to astonish us with the great power and high visibility of God, but rather to show us the way of hiddenness and humility. In contrast to our culture that applauds upward mobility, the inner life affirms that God’s path is the descending way. It leads us to a deeper understanding that, in His eyes, the most significant is often the most hidden.

This contemplative life of humility flows from a pure heart that has persevered through much suffering and found its way to the Source. When we finally come to see that our desire for God is an echo of God’s far more encompassing and passionate desire for us, we can offer others a glimpse of light in the midst of their confusion, darkness, and pain. It is the love, hope, and encouragement of the One in Whom all is lost, yet all is found.” The Hidden Life Awakened

A Powerful Spirit

Spend a little time now, letting the Living Word speak to your heart.

Divine Reading

Psalm 103

Rest Quietly with God

Use your imagination to visualize Jesus sitting there with you or in any other setting that brings you peace. He quietly asks you these questions: What do those closest to you think about you? How much truth is there in what they say? How do you treat them on a daily basis? How do you accept criticism? Will you become an observer of you and try to see where you need to change? With no self judgement, simply thank God for the amazing gift of forgiveness.

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.

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September 5

When the work of our preparation, process, and perseverance begin to merge, we gradually become aware of the breathtaking reality of the Holy One in the depths of our soul and in all creation. ~Betty

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September 3

Will you let go of your finite view of yourself and open to far greater vision of who you truly are? ~Betty

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