Mission Statement

All I really really want my love to do is to bring out the best in me and in you too.
- All I Want by Joni Mitchell

Friday, April 24, 2020

Bio-Spiritual Focusing and Surrender

http://stillpointcsd.org/events/event/biospiritual-focusing-an-intoriductin-and-practicum-for-spiritual-directors/
Frank Firmat always starts his St. Ignatius workshops with a an exercise of contemplative meditation. A time to close our eyes, focusing on our breathing, and "dropping into the heart". This is a time to calm ourselves by "getting out of our heads and connecting to our feelings." He says that God speaks to us much more clearly in our heart and gut. "In Him we live and move and have our being"... our health and bodies are gifts from God. He then leads us into a "body scan focusing" from the bottoms of our feet to the tops of our heads... thanking God for the blessings along the way. For example... your hands... think about all the ways you used your hands today... to hug, caress, write, play an instrument, prepare a meal...etc. and  he asks us to be grateful for the gifts they bring to us. He also asks us to notice where we carry tension in our bodies...for most of us... in our guts, backs, shoulders and necks! He'll have us place our hands at that spot... and acknowledge the tension... and what it might be trying to tell us....
PRAYER OF SURRENDER

One of the best "take-aways" I have received from Frank's workshops is surrender!  A lifetime journey for any ACA (Adult Child of an Alcoholic) and Co-Dependent! Life is not about the absence of problems, but about carrying the tension of unresolved things... noticing it, and surrendering it to God, or your Higher Power, so that it does not taint your life with anger, bitterness and/or fear. It seems so paradoxical... but by surrendering the unresolved.... it becomes resolved for you. Not to say, that we don't grab it back... but in making a habit of daily prayer and choice of surrender we can find our bliss and our joy!

This is a lovely prayer Frank taught us:  
I surrender my son to you, Lord. Take him, bless him, and keep him safe, surrounded by your angels. Surround him with people of kingdom values, so that he may hear from them, what he cannot hear from me. And when you are ready, Lord, send him back to me in a manner that I can carry him. 

"Be Still and Know that I am God": Psalm 46:10

I think I am going to take the weekend off!
Michelle Murphy Zive has given us so many ideas to continue in this blog.
It is so much fun to share our family journey, and I thank Dan for all the help and patience in improving my technology skills throughout this process!

I love you all very much,
Reenie

at

2 comments:

  1. MonitaApril 26, 2020 at 5:57 AM

    You deserve a weekend off. I hope you don't feel pressured to keep us on the straight and narrow EVERY day. You'll enjoy it more if you only inspire us when you feel inspired to do so (I'm glad Michelle is able to help with that.) You're doing a great job and I particularly like that you reminded us that our problems aren't the real problems; it's our reaction to them that causes us the most pain. As you once passed along to us, many years ago in one of your beautiful cross stitches, "Let go and let God."
    P.S. I kept meaning to tell you I loved the Brene Brown Ted Talk. It's one of the few I've ever watched. I saw it several years ago and was inspired. Thanks for the reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MaureenApril 27, 2020 at 11:33 AM

    Thank you Monita! I forgot about that cross stitch... I also needlepointed the serenity prayer... which is hanging in our house! AA/Alanon is at our core! I am having fun re-connecting with Michelle... she is amazing! LYM

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)