by Lorelei Low | Jan 18, 2017 | Freedom, Healing, Overcoming Obstacles, Spiritual Direction, Transformational Breakthroughs, Unbound
Free live workshops help God’s people learn how to unlock more peace, joy, healing, understanding, and freedom will be presented twice next week! In a nutshell, here’s what we’ll explore:
- Ever wondered HOW to truly forgive situations where you were hurt and still have lingering bitterness, anger, or grief?
- Do you need help to let go of past wrongs?
- Would you like to learn a valuable process for purifying your heart?
- Do you understand what this means? “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” ~Mt. 5:8.
- Can you identify the numerous “on earth” benefits of forgiveness besides the ultimate benefit of getting into heaven
The 5 Keys to Freedom in Christ are based on Neal Lozano’s Unbound book, the Our Father, and Jesus’ specific teachings. The discussion of why it’s hard to forgive also draws on psychology!
I’ve taught much of this before to parents of young children at 40-minute talk at St. Dominic’s Practical Faith that happens during Children’s Faith Formation on Sunday mornings. But I expanded a shorter PowerPoint presentation into a 90-minute workshop that includes prayer, a creative exercise to help with insights, practical suggestions for putting faith into action, as well as the Scripturally-based PowerPoint presentation. Please pray for this ministry, for those called to attend workshops, to pray for others, and to receive prayer ministry.
In the spirit of Oneness, the parish where I gave the “Forgiveness is Your Key to Healing and Freedom!” talks, Mary Star of the Sea, shares our charming little church building with other denominations, who call it Shepherd of the Sea. It’s nestled in the redwoods with a spectacular setting where you can see the waves through the windows behind the altar! We embraced the unity of all members of the Body of Christ and cordially invited those of all Christian denominations to join us!
5 Keys to Freedom in Christ prayer sessions are offered free, with a requested from-the-heart donation to the church or Heart of the Father Ministries only if you feel afterward that the Lord has done a good work in you!
I’ve personally experienced being set free right after forgiving those I perceived to have trespassed against me (including forgiving myself.) That’s given me a passion to minister using the process and to teach others the applicable divine promises! I present these workshops in partnership with the Holy Spirit as I draw on my experiences as a Catholic spiritual director, a trained UNBOUND team and prayer leader, and as author of Freedom from Hurts, Fears, and Unhealthy Habits: 5 Keys to a Free, Peaceful Life with More Creative Energy, which tells my story of forgiveness and freedom and also sets forth the 5 Keys in the context of the Lord’s Prayer.
For more information about booking me to make a presentation or to learn more about our prayer ministry, please browse our 5keystofreedom website.
by Lorelei Low | Dec 6, 2016 | Creative Expression, Encouragement and Inspiration, Sacred Calling
150 years after its controversial debut, Handel’s Messiah was said to have “probably done more to convince thousands of mankind that there is a God . . . than all the theological works ever written.” Let’s peek at the creation of that masterpiece to discover how you and I might use our creative gifts to serve others, sometimes by miraculous or inspired breakthroughs.
Amy Kuebelback, a liturgical musician whose writing appeared in today’s entry of Give Us This Day, reports that Handel composed this sacred work in three weeks, not leaving his house and barely eating. In other words, this wasn’t like any ordinary day’s work; composing Messiah was a breakthrough of monumental proportions! Inspired by scripture, the consoling first words of the oratorio come directly from the King James version of the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 40. As Amy puts it, “The notes of the aria paint the meaning of the words, leaping up for mountains, making jagged intervals for crooked and sustained tones for straight and plain. . . . Legend has it that after finishing the Hallelujah chorus, [Handel] sobbed at his desk and told his servant: ‘I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God himself.'” Structured like an opera but without drama or speech, the prophecies of Isaiah precede the annunciation to the shepherds, based on the Gospels. Part II focuses on Christ’s Passion, ending with the “Hallelujah” chorus, and Part III covers the resurrection of the dead and Jesus’ glorification. Despite the scriptural basis of Messiah, its 1743 debut was called blasphemous because it opened in a secular theater with secular performers. However, Messiah went on to become one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music. It has no doubt stirred many a heart and soul.
The heart is the key. Ephesians 2:10 that says we are the Lord’s handiwork, created to do good works that God planned in advance for us to do. I wonder whether George Frideric Handel was aware of his mission as a composer: to evangelize with his music for centuries! I wonder if he pondered Psalm 28 before, during, or after composing wMessiah.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.
~Ps. 28:7 (NIV)
This Psalm assures us with bold promises: divine protection, strength, assistance and God’s super-power added to our natural gifts, resulting in exhilarating joy—as long we put our hearts into our creativity with trust in God and God’s promises. To do that, let us ask for the inspiration we need, believing it will be done for us, and giving thanks before we’ve even seen the full manifestation. Let’s create in alignment with the holy will that endowed us with our creative gifts and inclinations. This is best done by doing some prayer, meditation, or centering before we undertake our creative endeavors. 20 minutes of spiritual preparation can save many hours of trial and error!
After reading about Handel in this morning’s Quiet Time, I asked my husband to try to get us tickets to attend a San Francisco performance of Messiah this season either at the San Francisco Symphony or at Grace Cathedral. If we succeed, Hallelujah! Even if we can’t attend live, we’ll download it on iTunes. Either way, I’ll listen with my heart as open as my ears!
If you’d like to discover more about How Faith and Creativity Connect in the Heart, you’d probably love my 90-minute seminar and workbook offered here.
by Lorelei Low | Oct 12, 2016 | Authenticity, Empowering and Freeing Choices, Holy Boldness, Life Stories, Love and Compassion, Overcoming Obstacles, Transformational Breakthroughs, Unbound
I recently attended a SF-Spirit conference entitled “Mercy and Mission” and heard a married deacon of the church tell about his extensive drug and alcohol use, his profanity, and even his adulterous affairs . . .
That’s how he lived until he finally found the Love he was searching for in Jesus and turned his whole life around, ultimately entering the diaconate with his wife and kids’ support. It took courage to share so boldly, and his witness was undoubtedly more impactful because of it. Hearing how low he’d been stirred up compassion and proffered hope to others in dire circumstances. Telling his tale certainly exhibited Holy Boldness! It also spawned gratitude that although we have our own crosses, the majority of us seem to have been spared some of those particular problems. A sanitized version of his story wouldn’t have come close to touching hearts the way the messy tale of his journey did.
We All Have Not Only Messiness but also a Unique Life Story
Sometimes our stories have been kept very quiet, especially if they involve shame or perceptions of inadequacy or failure. Other stories are so public that they’ve defined people into a certain persona, concealing (even to themselves at times) who they truly are. Blessedly, even the most heart-wrenching stories can become stories of healing, redemption, and grace, and often that can only be surmised in retrospect. Having your story heard with compassion is a key behind the UNBOUND forgiveness and freedom ministry in which I’m so privileged to serve. Wisely sharing those stories can also help you and others to learn empathy, compassion, communication skills, and conflict resolution.
Sharing My Personal Stories
Hoping that the messiness and brokenness of my life and my thinking at different times would be instructive, I published a series of blog posts on my personal website last year. I’ve engaged in rampant self-criticism and judgmentalism over the years, forgetting that the verdict that counts awaits my arrival at the pearly gates, when Jesus will be my merciful judge. I hope you can accept what I shared as a part of just another messy journey, shared in hopes that it sparks worthwhile reflection for others and brings glory to the One who’s used it all for good. Apologies if you already know parts of my narrative; I’ve told some of it before, but since we’re constantly evolving, I trust that my sharing will reveal a slightly more mature cast this time.
This was Post 1 of the series. The others address how you know when you’re ready for another transition, how I transitioned from practicing law to my focus on spirituality, how dreams can guide you, what I learned while writing Reap As You Sew, how my ensuing business evolved, what spiritual direction is, and my then-latest revelations from the Holy Spirit.
Your comments are welcome, and guest blog posts are invited.
by Lorelei Low | Jan 23, 2016 | 5 Gospel Keys, Freedom, Healing, Individual Prayer Ministry, Lies, Life Stories, Mindset, Overcoming Obstacles, Renunciation
Most women lie to themselves, and that awful habit is a stoppable form of self-imprisonment!
They often tell themselves one or more of these (or other) unhealthy thoughts:
- I’m not good enough
- I’ll never amount to anything
- I don’t belong or I don’t fit in
- Nobody cares about me
- I have to do it right or be right
- I’m not seen or heard unless I mess up
- Something’s wrong with me or I’m not normal
- I’m a bad mother/grandmother/daughter/spouse/partner/sister
- What I want doesn’t matter
- I can’t do anything about it
- I have to do everything myself
- God won’t help me or God’s getting back at me
Where do these lies come from?
Typically, false beliefs have their roots in some incident or dynamic that goes way back, perhaps to childhood.
Take my 6th grade report card story, for example. As my fellow 12-year-old classmates and I put on coats to go home one report card day, we showed each other our grades–As, Bs, Cs, and Ds in the main subjects; V for Very Good, S for Satisfactory, or N for Needs Improvement in the behavior category.
Looking at my report card, classmates exclaimed, “Wow, you’re gonna clean up! Do your parents give you a quarter for every A?” I had straight As, and it was in the 60s.
“No,” I said, “I’m going to be in big trouble.”
Sure enough, that night my parents grounded me for weeks, because I got an N in Paying Attention. That day reinforced my belief that nothing I did was good enough, a LIE that kept me stuck in crippling perfectionism for decades. (Of course, the irony is that my paying-attention skills did need improvement — not so much to understand the subject lessons, but simply to be a better listener.)*
Awareness, Improvement, Steps to Overcome, and then Freedom
I became aware of the compulsiveness of my perfectionism through personality assessments, by loved ones pointing it out, and from my spiritual directors. When I was in Spiritual Direction School, I had some Aha’s and started lightening up a bit. In Kaizen-Muse™ Creativity Coaching training, while I was writing my first book, my perfectionism came up again. I began consciously lowering my expectations of myself and realizing what a burden and barrier perfectionism had become. Shortly thereafter, in doing Heart Work and Spiritual Cleansing with Convergence™ and UNBOUND ministries, I renounced and became (mostly) free of the lies that I’m not good enough and that I always have to do things right or be right!
If I were still trapped in perfectionism, I wouldn’t dare to express concepts like this on a blog or to teach the concepts I share in my teleclasses. I’d be waiting until I’d read all I could on each subject and had “perfect” posts and teaching outlines—a day that would never arrive. Instead, I accept that only God is perfect, and that in yielding to the Holy Spirit as I write, teach, or make quilts, God can work through me. My weakness becomes an instrument for God’s grace to flow through. Daring to rely on this is what I call Holy Boldness. And I believe that every day we can all sow Holy Boldness into the art of life, however you interpret that!
Being free of those lies has opened up so much good, and so much creativity, that I can’t wait to help others get freed of their lies, too—whatever form those lies take!
The good news is that, whatever your habitual lies are, they don’t need to plague you any longer! You can break out of the prison of those false beliefs. You CAN get past the lies, forgive whatever hurt or pain that may have led to them, and put on a mindset of new beliefs to replace those lies!
Where You Can Get Help
Read Unbound by Neal Lozano, the book that came out of 30 years of experience in using the 5 Keys approach to healing and deliverance. After you’ve read the book and reflected upon your life’s stories and who or what still breeds hurt, resentment, bitterness, ill will, etc., set up an appointment to receive individual Unbound prayer ministry. You’ll typically meet for 60 to 90 minutes with a prayer leader and an intercessor who will pray with you, listen to your story non-judgmentally, confidentially, and with an ear to you and to the Holy Spirit, so they can guide you through the 3 Keys and help you unlock the door to healing and freedom in Christ. If you’re in Northern California, please visit our ministry page and complete a request form.
Note to Mom:
*My mom reads my newsletter, so to her I say: “Hey, Mom, you know I’ve long ago forgiven everyone involved in that little story, and I ask you to forgive me for telling it again! In fact, I’m grateful it happened, because it demonstrates how seemingly minor and inadvertent things can have unintended consequences and can become some of our best teachers. You’ve also been one of my best teachers! I love you!”
by Lorelei Low | Oct 29, 2015 | Creative Expression, Encouragement and Inspiration, Overcoming Obstacles, Sacred Calling
My husband in the experimental garden at Stone Barns, site of the Foods for Tomorrow conference we just attended.
The past ten days have been full of heart-to-heart happenings that reinforce my decision to celebrate creativity and to help other women transition to more creative living. Yesterday I loved connecting in person with creative women who came to my Sea Ranch home for a mini-retreat where we experientially addressed creativity, matters of faith, and fear as a disruptor of the creative process. On the East Coast last week I considered my call to creative living vis-à-vis five events, any one of which could spark energy for change.
What East Coast Experiences Persuaded Me?
- Being with friends I’ve known for decades, hearing their stories, and explaining what I do . . . for the first time since my “transition” to authentic, Holy Spirit-directed, creative living;
- Attending a conference with committed individuals who share a passion to work for better food policies affecting present and future generations;
- Celebrating my mother’s birthday and reflecting on how it’s never too late to live out one’s special calling;
- Stumbling upon an impressive obituary capsulizing the 96-year life of a female pioneer and philanthropist in the art and publishing world, whose life reflects her curiosity and the consistent desires of her heart; and
- Attending my husband’s Harvard 40th Reunion, where a symposium of successful Radcliffe women, while reflecting on their careers, families, and what it all meant, and also revealed their struggles and hopes for the future in light of what matters most.
The Effect of Sharing with Friends
We had dinner with a couple my husband’s known since their teens. The wife is a powerful doctor with major administrative responsibilities for multiple hospitals. Though she and her husband recently bought their dream house in the country and have an apartment they love in Manhattan, she hardly gets to either home. She’s grappling with whether to go for a promotion and work exceedingly hard for another 3 or 4 years, to stay where she is (with no time for a life outside work or even time to take vacation days she’ll lose by not taking them in 2015), or to possibly retire now at 62, which is an affordable but apparently unlikely option for them. She’s sure she’d have plenty to do without her job: postponed reading, sewing, and a creative pursuit in woodworking, which she’s longed to undertake for decades. She’s given all she has for patients and employees her whole career, frequently neglecting self-care in the process. I admire her dedication and contributions to medicine and society, and I feel sad at all she and her husband have given up for it. They’re expecting a first grandchild soon and do plan to figure out how to take care of him one day a week!
We met with a college friend of mine who started a new job in finance at age 61, at the same time his wife went into real estate, a field that had long intrigued her. These later-in-life jobs have opened up new adventures for them. After several trips to supervise service providers who report to him from Bangalore, Joe’s discovered a love of India. He appeared energized, vigorous, and full of his longstanding good humor and faith. Another couple is retired and busy with travel including a recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, helping out and spending time with their large family including seven grandchildren under six, and they’re actively involved in multiple ministries. I helped them load their Suburban full of food so Wendy could go feed dinner at a homeless shelter they support after dropping me at the airport.
With all these friends, I felt good sharing what I’m up to, glad to have moved on from my over-achieving career days to a gentler creativity and ministry-focused life. I felt free to talk about my relationship with God in connection with how I spend my days — something I’d formerly have kept to myself. I felt natural, relaxed, and authentic — a nice change from my former self! I really related to each of these friends and how much we look for meaning and gratitude and ponder all this at our current ages.
The New York Times Food for Tomorrow Conference
I’ve been fascinated with nutrition since I had my first child 30 years ago, and this conference was a tasty treat and a mind-stretcher! Mark Bittman, Michael Moss, Dean Ornish, Paul Krugman, Steve Case, farmers, chefs, doctors, policymakers, scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs, professors, philanthropists, politicians, animal welfare activists, sustainability experts . . . these were just a few of the speakers! We learned that 30% of all food grown in this country goes to waste, while people are undernourished and good food is often unaffordable. To drive this point home, award-winning chef and author Dan Barger served us delicious and definitely innovative breakfasts, lunches, and dinner made from food waste such as bruised fruits, oddly shaped vegetables, apple and carrot peels, the foamy water from cooking chickpeas, polenta made from the corn usually fed to cattle, and a bit of goat meat. Although the focus was food, environment, health, access, and education, what grabbed me throughout were the coming together of people dedicated with passion and creativity to working for the betterment of individuals and society, now and into the future. I’m inspired to make some important changes.
Celebrating the Triumphs of Other Women Aging Gracefully
Three women’s stories have given me inspiration and hope recently. Kathie Brady had dabbled in many an art form over the years and this year found a new one that seems to truly celebrate who she is as a loving, relationship-oriented artist and woman of strong faith! You can read a short excerpt of her story in my blog post, Can You Imagine Your Compost Pile as Creative?
Last week my Mom celebrated a birthday, less than a month after my husband and I got to host her and my dad for a nice visit in San Francisco. You can read a short tribute to her stewardship of gifts of hospitality, creativity, generosity, and evangelization in my blog post, Never Too Late for You to Live Out Your Calling.
On the plane to New York, I happened upon the not particularly prominent October 17, 2015, obituary of someone I’d never heard of but was duly impressed with: Irma Giustino Weiss, who died at 96. The New York Times column noted that Ms. Weiss was a witty, caring “yea-sayer to life” who cared deeply about human rights as well as art, architecture, and cultural enrichment. As I read the obit, I could so easily see the common artistic, vibrant, generous thread through all she did—from where and what she studied as a young woman (Art at The Cooper Union), the jobs she held and awards she won (first female in the Art Department of Triangle Publications, two Art Director Awards for work at Ziff Davis Publishing, and Creative Director at Conde Nast Publications), the type of marriage she enjoyed (“a magical marriage, whose romance never ended”), the students (of art and architecture), causes (helping the less fortunate experience the artistic, theatrical, and cultural treasures of New York City), the institutions she supported (Cooper Union and the Whitney Museum), plus the attitudes and style she is described as bringing to it all.
Kathie, Mom, and Irma, thanks for the inspiration!
Radcliffe Women Debating Whether Women Who Graduated in the 70s Really Could “Have It All”
A panel of 1975 grads re-asked the burning Gloria Steinem-inspired question of their college years—Can Women Have It All? Interestingly, “have it all” seemed to imply “have all that successful men have traditionally had.” I have so much to say about what I heard and how my heart responded that I’m going to save this for my next blog post. Stay tuned! Or, if you want to jump into the conversation this topic suggests, feel free to comment or email me right away. I’d love to hear whatever you’d like to share on the topic!
In the meantime . . .
