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Living Water
Spiritual Center
93 Halifax Street
Winslow, Maine 04901

Phone: (207) 872-2370

info@retreatinmaine.com

Mission Statement

With care and love, 
we offer 
sacred space for all --

to seek the Divine
and to embrace the interconnectedness
of all creation.

Blessings on your journey!

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2012

2011

_Meditation by an unknown author:_
I have come to bring you peace: not the peace of the season, for it is too
fleeting; not the peace of the carol, for it is too nostalgic; not the peace
of the greeting card, for it is too slick; not the peace of the crib, for it
is too wistful. Rather, I have come to bring you peace; peace of the
ordinary, the daily, the homely; peace for the worker, the driver, the
student; peace in the office, the kitchen, the farm.

I have come to bring you peace: the peace of accepting yourself as I
fashioned you; the peace of knowing yourself as I know you; the peace of
loving yourself as I love you; the peace of being yourself as I am who am.

I have come to bring you peace: the peace that warms you at the completion
of a task; the peace that invades you at the close of the day; the peace
that sustains you at the beginning of the day; the peace that reinforces you
when you reconcile with another; the peace that touches you when your family
is in order.

Without peace, my coming is unfulfilled; without peace, my birth is
forgettable; without peace, Christmas is a contradiction. I have come to
bring you peace.

Good and gracious God,
Thank you for your many blessings and graces,
Those we're aware of, and the many we take for granted.

Thank you for the food on our table,
For the roof over our heads,
For the love of good friends and family,
For beauty in the world around us,
For your faithful friendship.

Make us lovers of truth and justice,
Give us compassionate hearts for
the poor, the forgotten, the immigrant, and the lonely.
Help us to remember that in serving the suffering,
we serve your Son who gave his life for us.

Watch over us this Thanksgving day.
Keep us in your heart. Guide us and be with us all the days of our lives.

We ask this through our
Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

(Catholic Charities, Arch. of NY, adapted)

"One cannot but be in awe
when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the
marvelous structure of reality..."
ALBERT EINSTEIN

 RADIANT LIGHT

God hugs you.

You are encircled

by the arms

of the mystery of God.
Hildegard of Bingen

Dear friends,

   As I write reflecting on this holiest of weeks leading us to Easter, I am reminded of St. Augustine's words: "We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song."  Let us sing 'Alleluia' here and now in this life...so that we may sing it one day in the world to come, when we are set free."
 

We are called to live with Alleluia hearts in the events of our everyday, and in all our relationships.  You see, the world comes alive with possibility because of Easter! Spread the Good News!!!!

May the deep love and joy of Easter live on in our hearts!   The staff and Sisters of Living Water Spiritual Center, with gratitude for your presence in our lives, wish you and yours a most glorious and happy Easter!  Sr. Line

I Arise Today  
I arise today with spring in my eyes: clear circling air, shining inspiration, wings of hope, unfolding buds, happy roots, blossoms of joy, necessary storms. This is my inheritance in this vibrant new season. I arise today in the wings of spring. …
 (Macrina Wiederkehr)

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves:  'Who am I to be brilliant?  Gorgeous?  Talented and fabulous?'
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
 You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
You were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. 
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear our presence automatically liberates others."
Marianne Williamson and quoted by Nelson Mandela

2010

An Advent Meditation by an unknown author:

    I have come to bring you peace:  not the peace of the season, for it is too fleeting;
not the peace of the carol, for it is too nostalgic;
not the peace of the greeting card, for it is too slick;
not the peace of the crib, for it is too wistful. 
Rather, I have come to bring you peace:  peace of the ordinary,
the daily, the homely; peace for the worker, the driver, the student; peace in the office, the kitchen, the farm.
     I have come to bring you peace:  the peace of accepting yourself as I fashioned you;
the peace of knowing yourself as I know you; the peace of loving yourself as I love you; the peace of being yourself as I am who I am.
     I have come to bring you peace:  the peace that warms you at the completion of a task; the peace that invades you at the close of the day; the peace that sustains you at the beginning of the day; the peace that reinforces you when you reconcile with another; The peace that touches you when your family is in order.
     Without peace, my coming is unfulfilled; without peace, my birth is forgettable; without peace, Christmas is a contradiction. 
I have come to bring you peace.

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say "thank you?" 
William A. Ward

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. 
Garrison Keillor

Widen the circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
Albert Einstein

There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
Nelson Mandela

Ag borradh (Gaelic)
There is a quivering life about to break forth! (translation)

Springtime is the land awakening.  The March winds are the morning yawn.
Lewis Grizzard

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.
George Washington

Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision.
Hsi-Tang

Success, recognition, and conformity are the bywords of the modern world where everyone seems to crave the anesthetizing security of being identified with the majority.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Every day is a fresh beginning, every morn is the world made new.
Sarah Chauncey Woolsey

2009

Sin—the artful, thousand-headed dispersion of ourselves.
Douglas Steere

Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality.
Alfred Painter

If you sit on the bank of a river, you see only a small part of the surface. And yet, the water before your eyes is proof of unknowable depths.
Anita Diamant

The true harvest of my life is intangible—a  little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched…
Henry David Thoreau

Best of all is it to preserve everything in a pure, still heart, and let there be for every pulse a thanksgiving, and for every breath a song. - Konrad von Gesner

A humble self-knowledge  is a surer way to God than a search after deep learning. -Thomas a Kempis

The older I get, the more deeply I believe, but the fewer beliefs I have. -Anon.

9/23/09

Ah Power that swirls us together Grant us Bliss Grant us the great release And to all Beings Vanishing, wounded In trouble on earth We pass on this love May their numbers increase. Gary Snyder

9/11/09

Let us be united; Let us speak in harmony; Let our minds apprehend alike. Common be our prayer; Common be the end of our assembly; Common be our resolution; Common be our deliberations. Alike be our feelings; Unified be our hearts; Common be our intentions; Perfect be our harmony. From the Rig Veda

5/11/09

I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?
Edward Giobbi

When the thunder roars, do you not hear your Self?
When the lightning cracks, do you not see your Self?
When clouds float quietly across the sky,
is this not your very own limitless Being,
waving back at you?
Ken Wilber

It is astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen.
Frances Burnett

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth
find resources of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.
Rachel Carson

April Rain Song
Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.
-- Langston Hughes

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.
Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
-- Albert Schweitzer

If I have inside me the stuff to make cocoons, maybe the stuff to make butterflies is there too.
--Trina Paulus

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.
-Rev. Frederick Buechner

Hope is like a road in the country; there never was a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.
--Lin Yutang

Old friends pass away, new friends appear.  It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend—or a meaningful day.
--The 14th Dalai Lama

In the bleak and difficult times you must always keep something beautiful in your heart.
--Pascal

One kind word can warm three winter months.
--Japanese Proverb

To truly know the world, look deeply within your own being; to truly know yourself, take real interest in the world.
--Rudolf Steiner

“In the whole world you may be just one person, but to one person, you may be the whole world.”
--Mother Theresa

2008

Don’t search for the answers…live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.
- Ranier Maria Rilke

Thanksgiving Prayer: For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food,
For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

God is in the prepositions—beyond, among, within beneath.
--Sharon Daloz Parks

When I wake up in the morning I thank God for all the little things in life; like waking up in the morning
--anonymous

One leaf left on a branch and not a sound of sadness or despair.  One leaf left on a branch and no unhappiness. 
One leaf left all by itself in the air and it does not speak of loneliness or death.  One leaf and it spends itself in swaying mildly in the breeze. --David Ignatow

I cannot cause light. The most I can do is to put myself in the path of its beam.
--Annie Dillard

From all that dwells below the skies, Let faith and hope with joy arise; Let beauty, truth, and good be sung Through every land, by every tongue.
--Unitarian Prayer

Praying It doesn’t have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention, then patch a few words together and don’t try to make them elaborate, this isn’t a contest but the doorway into thanks, and a silence in which another voice may speak.
--Mary Oliver

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that our dear friend, Kay Gill, died on Tuesday, September 30, 2008.  Kay was central to the mission and vision of Living Water Spiritual Center, and shared her wisdom and talents with many who came through our doors. We will miss her gentle and knowing presence. The following quote is offered in her honor.

A soul flare is what happens when someone shines her light no matter what it is. In a song, a smile, or a well-made soup; they send out a flare of light that inspires others to shine their own. Soul flares makes this world better.
--Annie O’Shaughnessy

I thank you God for this most amazing day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and for a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes.
--e.e. cummings

The world can come to us in fragments, but the fragments themselves are not the enemy. If your pattern is strong enough, they will form a whole.
--Sue Bender

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes.
--Etty Hillesum

Let yourself be silently drawn    By the stronger pull of what  you truly love
--Rumi

Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows.
--Henry David Thoreau

A good journey begins with knowing where we are and being willing to go somewhere else.
--Richard Rohr

If there’s anything worth calling theology, it is listening to people’s stories, listening to them and cherishing them.
-Mary Pellauer

When I took the leap, I had faith I would find a net; Instead, I learned I could fly.
John Calvi

The meadow takes on a Holstein look, patches of black and white, as the snow cover melts. Banks on hillsides loosen, slip and trickle. Ponds and puddles sigh and settle; beneath the blankets, sheets of water move. What jewels the brook has hoarded in the cold it now releases. Everything moves. The brook gathers blessings in its woven basket and bears them on, bears them on unfailingly. What is steadfast is not immovable, but flowing.
God grant me this gift of Spring: to thaw, to flex, to soften, to clear; to flow with the immeasurable strength of this grace that is always granted; to bear it on, to bear it on unfailingly.
Steve Garnaas-Holmes

The true essence of humankind is kindness. There are other qualities which come from education or knowledge, but it is essential, if one wishes to be a genuine human being and impart satisfying meaning to one’s existence, to have a good heart.
The 14th Dalai Lama

It is terribly important to realize that the leap of faith is not so much a leap of thought as of action.  For while in many matters it is first we must see, then we will act; in matters of faith it is first we must do, and then we will know: first we will be and then we will see.  One must, in short, dare to act wholeheartedly without absolute certainty.  I love the recklessness of faith.  First you leap, and then you grow wings.
--William Sloan Coffin

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived—that is to have succeeded.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

May my body be a prayerstick for the world.
--Joan Halifax

From all that dwells below the skies, Let faith and hope with joy arise; Let beauty, truth, and good be sung Through every land, by every tongue.
--Unitarian Prayer

Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.
-C.G. Jung

Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished.  If you’re alive, it isn’t.
-Richard Bach

The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.
-G.K. Chesterton

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty we love be what we do.  There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
-Rumi

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. 
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

2007

Upcoming Programs

Simplify, simplify, simplify.
--Henry David Thoreau

2006

* Prayer is like a journey which we can never cease making.
* Prayer is a relationship; it is not an entity in itself. It is a relationship with God.
* Prayer is essentially a mystery.
* Prayer is a work, a discipline. It cannot rest upon mere spontaneity.
* Prayer means entering into timelessness.
* Prayer is a becoming—our uncompleted task, our uncompleted journey.
* Prayer is a waiting, a hunger.
* Prayer is love.
* Prayer is a relatedness to God, to myself, and to others.
* Prayer is a stillness, learning to listen and to receive.
* Prayer is a decision. Every day, prayer has to be begun again.
* Prayer is a risk. If we really pray, we never know what is going to be asked of us.
* Prayer is a growing; a discovery.
* Prayer is a communion most of all, with God in whom all things are.

Upcoming Programs