God Speaks Through the Holy Spirit - Reflective Meditations

By Susan Kramer

An interactive workbook to forge a strong union with the Holy Spirit. Reflective meditation instructions are given to use with the more than 100 spiritual topics and subtopics on personal development, relationship issues and establishing closer communion with God. The workbook can be used in a two-fold way: by combining meditation and a topic for learning how to listen to the Holy Spirit, or by studying the topics with the intent of attaining self-realization. Either way, topics can be selected sequentially or at random. Part of the celestial speedup. 34,000 words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312519626

Book preview

God Speaks Through the Holy Spirit - Reflective Meditations

God Speaks Through the Holy Spirit, Reflective Meditations

By Susan Kramer

Copyright  2014 Susan Kramer, USA

ISBN: 978-1-312-51962-6

SusanKramer.com Publishing

Cover art design by Susan Helene Kramer

Front cover photo credit: Stan M. M. Schaap

Back cover photo credit: Brent A. Sumner  www.instudio8.com

All Rights Reserved.

Introduction

Into early adulthood world-wide Holy Scripture inspired me; raised me into spiritual awareness. Sacred words began and ended every prayer session, becoming ingrained in my thoughts until I began thinking about their meaning as I neared my 30th birthday in 1976.

As fate would have it I had the opportunity to leave my children with their father while I went on a week-long New Year spiritual retreat hosted by the Integral Yoga Institute at the quiet mountain location of La Casa de Maria in Montecito, California.

On the eve of my 30th birthday I wrote in my journal that I knew something was going to happen to me the next day, because my 30th birthday was on the 30th of December. With the old year waning and the New Year beginning the very air crackled with excitement.

The structures at the retreat site include an airy church, like a small cathedral with a wall of windows behind the altar looking out to a tall, old, twisted live oak. Though the retreat house had originally been Catholic it was now open to use by various faiths seemingly in keeping with the ecumenical movement sweeping the United States.

To backtrack a bit, from the time I learned to say the rosary, every night in bed before going to sleep I'd say the complete rosary with the intention it be for the soul in purgatory who needed it the most. Yes, I was a devotional child; I felt a sense of harmony and satisfaction speaking to God through prayer.

Also, I heard about the ecumenical movement from the time I was 11 years old, because while our new parish rectory was being built the 3 local priests rented the main plantation house at Fair Oaks on the Magothy River in Maryland, where I grew up.

Occasionally my family would have dinner in the large dining room with the priests. What I remember most from those times were conversations with one of the priests who later became more and more instrumental in the Catholic ecumenical movement. Those early seeds were growing in me and blossomed on my 30th birthday in the midst of the spiritual retreat after hearing a talk on attitudes in living.

I felt a wave of energy and softness entering my thoughts as I resolved to devote my life in service to humankind, beginning with my family. And the next day, New Year's Eve, I was initiated by one of the Integral Yoga monks into awareness of the Holy Spirit.

I perceived the Holy Spirit as a thunderous rushing sound under the top of my skull. Not a sound heard with my ears, but a calming wind that has remained in my awareness till this time. It is a background comforter to my thoughts and words; never interfering, always uplifting, calming me so that with a moment's patience on my part the appropriate answer spouts from my lips or through my writing.

My life continues with trials, good and sad times just as before, but no matter what happens, the Holy Spirit, also called the Holy Comforter, the Word, Om, Aum, Naam, the Amen, amongst others, is ever alive and present.

PART I: A Meditation to Use with the Topics

In the stillness of meditation

With a receptive loving heart

The Holy Spirit doth visit

And what's needed will impart

To optimize learning how to listen to the Holy Spirit begin each session by first picking a topic or subtopic from the book, either in the order presented or at random.

The topics are aimed at expanding awareness into a broader state of consciousness. Topics are written from a spiritual point of view.

Take a few minutes to read your selection, then move on to this reflective meditation:

Sit in a quiet place, either on a cushion with your knees bent, legs folded in, or on a chair with the soles of your feet firmly planted on the floor for balance.

If you use a meditation altar light a candle and burn some incense. Clasp your hands in your lap or place them palms up or palms down on your thighs. Close your eyes.

Begin even regular breathing such as: count 1 breathe in; count 2 breathe out; count 3 breathe in; count 4 breathe out; continue this pattern for a minute or up to 50 counts.

Do not hold your breath at any time; keep the rhythm even.

Breath is a tie between body and mind and this short period of even breathing gives you a chance to relax and become more peaceful.

Now take 5 minutes or more to think about the topic you just read. If any insights come to you write them in your journal after the meditation.

If at any time during the even breathing or reflection you begin to be aware of a whooshing sound seemingly centered under the crown of your skull, begin to listen to that rather than thinking about your breathing counts or the reflection for the day.

Coming into awareness with the rushing sound is listening to the Holy Spirit vibration and the aim of your meditation practice. Stay with it as long as possible.

Finish your meditation with a thought of love for at least one person in your life. Take a deep breath in and slowly release it and stretch out. Write your thoughts or experiences in your journal and go on with your day, renewed and refreshed.

When you have once made contact with the Holy Spirit vibration you will more and more often. Hold on to its presence as long as you can and as time goes on you'll find it is really always with you when you remember.

When stressed take time to begin even breathing and the Holy Spirit will come to your rescue with calmness and comfort. This communion gives you time to think over problems without being immediately reactive.

The Holy Spirit in its soothing vibration is ever with us whether outer events are calm or hectic. It is worthwhile beyond words to draw in and nurture this great spiritual gift we've been given. It really is a comfort. 

The Voice of God arrives

On rapidly beating wings

Of the Holy Spirit

A rapturous melody

PART II: Chapters

Chapter 1: Growing into Our Humanity

The goal for each of us

Is the same goal for all of us

Our individual goal, our communal goal

Is unbroken happiness

Happiness perceived as harmony

In every aspect of living

Though separate in our individuality

We are as one in our humanity

Ever one of the parts, part of the One

Humanity's goal on the larger scale is what each person's goal is, as the force of one of us, multiplied many times over becomes the whole of humanity.

We feel happy when we are in harmony, when we harmonize with our family, friends, community, and as a country of people with the whole world.

As we each learn that our happiness or harmony is felt when we act for the best of each situation, we will, for our own happiness, learn to spontaneously know and act for the best.

As we individually and communally

Become more conscious

Our world as a whole

Grows in consciousness

Harmony in Our Environment

As we individually and communally grow in consciousness we will create an ever more harmonious environment for all of us and for our progeny. If we think about all the creative ways we are now using our natural resources we can see that if we continue to strive for our human and humanitarian goal of harmony, that many new ways of using our natural resources will spontaneously come into our thoughts.

As we think ever more clearly

The clearer we become in our thinking

And we become ever clearer and keener in mind

By acting for the best resolve

Of each personal and communal situation

By acting for the best, we preserve the happiness we already feel in our lives. And as we continue to open up to our inner source of happiness, our inner resource of happiness, we come to know and interrelate with our natural Source-Resource, our Creator-Sustainer.

Our Natural Source Resource

What is here on our planet is ultimately to be used for our benefit; for us to use in our growth in consciousness. For in our growth in consciousness we come into more and more contact and alignment with the natural inner workings of our world, with the harmony underlying our physical world. This point where science and spirituality meet, where harmony and happiness meet, we label as our Creator Sustainer.

All atoms of creation, all items in creation

Provided by our Source Resource

We can combine for our use creatively

To create in the world what we know is best

And by our efforts grow further in consciousness

We can, showing care, go hand in hand through life using the resources from our Creator Sustainer, our intelligent and Self-Sustained Source, the source and support of every atom and item in existence, to effect the opening of our minds and hearts.

By caring actions we become in tune

With the underlying happiness and harmony

That is our birthright during our sojourn on planet earth

Unmasking our Façades

A cloaking façade is what we mostly see of each another

And we even think that is most of us

From what our mirror tells us

And our relating in the world is mostly façade to façade

It is in the growth of friendship, time spent in meditation

That we discover our depths

Because we do have a sensitive depth to ourselves, we are careful to protect that depth from trammeling by the world through our façades of certain actions and postures and even the clothing we wear in