Dear Friends,

Since our inception in June 2020, we've been thinking out of the box. We sought to be a place where people could explore their spirituality in unconventional ways. Thus, we created a place of peace, comfort and hope for all.

When a new idea jumps out of a conventional box, one never knows if it will work. But here we are more than four years later and still offering peace, comfort and hope in a variety of ways.

Going forward, boxes will play a role this month. We are going to put all our belongings in boxes and other transportable containers and haul them to our new location. That means we will close on Sept. 16 to start the process. A lot of boxes will be needed, so if you have some, please let us know so we can arrange to get them. The plan is to move and set up at the new location - behind St. Francis Episcopal Church on Rock Prairie in College Station - the week of Sept 23-27. We will email all who receive this newsletter to see how you would like to help.

And we look forward to once again being literally and figuratively out of the box as of Oct. 1.

Register now for our last retreat at our original location!

Setting the Spiritual Woman Free

Women are invited on a journey, mapped to help open hearts and minds to a different way of knowing the trinity of God through the life and experiences of the women in the Bible. The program will use the concept of “imaginal” to enlighten the path.

     Presented by Dr. Vivian Dawkins, a spiritual director from Spring, TX, the event will be Saturday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m.-Noon.

“To untangle and set free the spirit of the woman inside each of us takes an effort on our part to imagine the ‘imaginal,’” Dawkins said. “We’ll consider the liminal space where God is more distinctly present than the objective space where our ‘normal’ and ‘traditional’ reality reside.”

She said the morning will help unravel centuries of rules and regulations designed to enforce conformity in Christian belief and faith that may have left women confused, frustrated, and entangled. Come join us for a short journey designed to help free a woman’s spirit and find the divine within our souls. The program is free, but registration is required.

Friday Meditation and Mindfulness

Center yourself and find peace in the midst of your busy life. Friday Meditation and Mindfulness, led by Becky Burks, meets monthly at 12:30 p.m. Due to our move, we will not have this in September but will resume in our new location on Friday, Oct. 11.

Brazos Valley Gives

Because of your generosity, we continue to provide a free space of peace, comfort and hope to all seekers in the area.

As we move into our 4th year, we want to grow in relationship with you. We'd like to hear what is most meaningful for you and what other topics in spirituality you'd like to explore.

And if you are inclined to help us continue this monastery, consider participating in our Brazos Valley Gives campaign. We will share more information about the giving day, which is Oct. 15 this year.

Book Club

We will gather next on Oct. 15 in the new location. The book will be The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff.

Spirituality of Breadmaking:

Welsh Cakes

 Mark your calendars for the third Spirituality of Breadmaking event for 2024 - Welsh Cakes. We'll gather Saturday, Nov. 23, 9:30-11:30 a.m. This is a traditional bread that is perfect for holiday gatherings. And our tradition is to make a bread that is quick at the busy time of year. Registration will start later, so save the date.