Praise
Praise for the Program from Previous Participants:
What an incredible week! The art experiences introduced me to a new way of being in the world – a way that is less tightly controlled and cautious. Christine and Betsey both provided a safe setting and presented the experiences in such a way that I could find ease in taking a risk. The idea of art as pilgrimage and tabernacle really rang true. I found myself on a pilgrimage to places long hidden and tightly controlled. I re-visited long held beliefs such as “I am not a risk taker” or “I don’t do silly!” and, the most persistent, “What if I embarrass myself????” As the week progressed I began to trust the promise of this opening and slowly awaken my spirit to adventure.
-Mary Ellen Weber
The Awakening the Creative Spirit program was an awesome experience, and the word awesome is not one I use often. St. Andrew’s Retreat House lends a special holy surrounding to the work that Christine and Betsey do together – I can’t imagine a more perfect setting. The food, the accommodations, the scenery! I have been so inspired by my time at this program and the amazing women called together for this experience. Christine and Betsey are a POWERFUL DUO!
-Dianna W.
Christine, Betsey, and the women I participated with have certainly been a gift and privilege to me! This retreat was a seamless garment of blessings for me as our program flowed from meditation, chant, body prayer, poetry, to mandala and mask making in one beautiful integration of insight and inspiration.
This has been a remarkable opportunity to hold up the power of the arts to reveal on the deepest level. We have entered several forms of discourse in ways that are liberating for the Spirit. I recommend this series highly.
-Dr. Carol Scott-Kassner
These workshops have been phenomenal…they have validated my intrinsic desire to move, create, laugh and wonder. They have also cracked open living and working in ways I had previously unimagined, deepening and rounding out my sense of peace, inspiration and gratitude.
-Ann Keller
I really loved the program. It is an opportunity to be with others who both inspire and broaden my perspective in Spiritual Direction. The leadership is balanced and flows with an easy grace. There is a fresh newness to the experience. I love the versatility and implications the various art modalities give for Spiritual Direction.
-Cathy Rhoads
The program has been excellent for me in numerous ways. Although not a spiritual direction training program, I don’t think I could have grasped the essences of spiritual direction without this augmenting the spiritual direction training program I am in. I call it the following the Divine Flow, whether following internally or expressed externally in words or art, movement or writing. I feel truly and greatly blessed from having had this experience and consider it a core learning experience in my spiritual director’s honing journey.
-Cynthia Gayle