Your Spiritual Healing Journey...

a New Year's Resolution...

or something more? 

January is a time for new beginnings, renewed focus, new hope.  Twenty-two people attended our Introductory Workshop in Arvada this month...and left with hope, enthusiasm and tools to begin or continue their spiritual healing journey.  Perhaps you, too, saw the hanging of the new calendar as a sign that it was time to work on your spiritual healing again...and, now that is it half way through the month of January, are you wondering what happened to that spirit of commitment?  Did your plans seem to go the way of most New Year's Resolutions? 

The work of spiritual healing, as Sherry will repeatedly tell you, is the hardest work you will ever do.  How do we survivors stay the course?  How do we stay steadfast in our resolve, and stay focused on the task, in the midst of the busyness of life, or in the face of the relentless temptation to stay in that place...you know the one...the place with palm trees and sphinxes and pyramids...DeNial? 

Baby steps...bite sized pieces help me.  I keep  a copy of one of Mary's Hope's resource books  and my journal in the car, so that if I am gifted with unexpected wait time somewhere, I have some healing tools available and can take advantage of that 15 or 20 minutes.  I keep the healing CDs in my car CD player.  I set aside time before or after my therapy and spiritual direction sessions to relax with a cup of tea and do some journaling, reading, or talk with a fellow survivor about our healing journeys.I set aside a few hours each week to go hang out at the library, or a retreat center, or a park, with the intention of spending some dedicated time working on an aspect of my healing...even if it is just soaking up the love I find in Creation.  And, from time to time, I set aside a longer period of time...a day, or a weekend, to really dive into the work, without the distractions of daily life.

Coming up on February 12th, in Centennial, CO, Mary's Hope is offering a wonderful opportunity for you to experience a 6.5 hour Healing Oasis in the midst of your busyness, stress and painful memories. Our Journey to the Cross Silent Healing Retreat offers a day of silence, sacred images and music, guided meditation, and time for individual reflection and journalling: an opportunity For us to Give to our Creator the burdens, fears, resentments, and pain that we have carried far too long.  What is it about sitting in silence that opens us to this possibility? 

Hear some comments from recent attendees:

 I am so hopeful out of this time of deep, safe letting go in the presence of Christ.  New healing and transformation are happening. 

It was a wonderful way to connect with Jesus and understand again He is love and sacrifice for us--that He has truly borne our burdens and our sorrows.

This retreat gave me the opportunity to let go of my need for a perfect childhood and my need to defend my family.  It has allowed me to embrace and release my childhood 'self-ness' and enter into 'temporary selfless-ness' to wait for my new self to emerge.  It has been a gift.  And a lot of hard work.

I, Elaine,  have participated in the Journey to the Cross Retreat multiple times...and each time I have experienced an incredible gift of deep peace, new insights, the healing balm of Jesus and renewed hope.  I am constantly surprised by the power of the presentation to bring to light the places where Christ has healed me, unawares, and the wounds that I am being invited to bring to the Cross.  I will be at the retreat on February 12th, ready to receive the gifts that the silence holds for me this time.  I hope you will be there, too.

And, if you can't come to Colorado...give us a call and find out how you can bring us to YOUR community.  We'd love to bring our Retreat and Workshops to you! 

-Elaine Oxenbury