Chrysalis Retreat Center & Swedenborg Sanctuary

11/09/2025

11/09/2025

1. BOK TOWER GARDENS
The centerpiece is a 205-foot-tall Singing Tower.
Yes, you read that right – a singing tower.
It’s like the Eiffel Tower’s musically inclined cousin.
The carillon bells ring out melodies that make you feel like you’re in a Disney movie.
But it’s not all about the tower.
The gardens themselves are a horticultural masterpiece.
You’ve got reflecting pools that make you question reality and paths that wind through a tapestry of flowers so vibrant, your sunglasses might get jealous.
It’s the kind of place where you half expect to stumble upon a secret fairy gathering or a gnome union meeting.
And let’s not forget about the Hammock Hollow Children’s Garden.
It’s like someone took all the best parts of childhood imagination and turned them into reality.

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These breathtaking gardens are like stepping into another world.

11/09/2025

Found this old lesson while looking for something. It’s worth a revisit:

On making the lives of others better: an interesting definition of "Charity" to consider is... "to find someone who is doing something good and right, and help them do it better, faster, or easier."

"What is our story? What is the story we tell ourselves and what is the story we tell others? Is life random and indifferent to us and who we are, who we wish to be and have our life look like? Or can we take another viewpoint, in order to be proactive? Is there a roll for Divine Providence?

Can a loving, Good and gracious God interact with our lives? Are we leaving room and making opportunity for the Lord and his Providence to act in our life and bless us?

Do we at times prevent God from blessing us? What is the true plot of life? And what's really at the heart of the conflict? Can we act in ways that instead align with, or compliment the divine influence or Providence in our lives?

Weekly task: What are one or two things we can act on right now that demonstrate or confirm that the Universe or Lord in his Divine Benevolence is working on our behalf? Can we “act as if” this is true?
Can we use it to change our life and make it better?

On making the lives of others better: an interesting definition of "Charity" to consider is... "to find someone who is doing something good and right, and help them do it better, faster, or easier."

11/09/2025

If you would like to better understand the Bible…

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New Free E-Books: "Bible Study Notes" 📖

This classic six-volume set by Anita Dole was written for Bible study groups, but it also serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone who wants to understand Swedenborg's inner meaning of the Bible.

We have printed editions of this set available, but we can now make it available as a free download thanks to the generosity of a group that volunteered to convert it to digital form!

Download the complete set here: https://swedenborg.com/product/bible-study-notes-complete-set/

Or, select from individual volumes: https://swedenborg.com/?s=bible+study+notes&post_type=product

11/07/2025

Trail cam captures two apex predators sharing the same river, and what happened next left experts stunned.

A man had set up trail cameras deep in the wilderness, hoping to capture something rare. But weeks later, when he checked the footage, he couldn’t believe what he saw, a mountain lion and a mother bear standing side by side, their cubs playing just a few feet apart.

At first, both mothers watched cautiously. Wildlife experts say encounters like this usually end with one leaving fast, or a fight. But not this time. The two simply observed, drank from the river, and let their cubs splash in peace.

The moment quickly went viral, with many calling it a perfect reminder that even in the wild, survival doesn’t always mean conflict, sometimes, it means understanding.

Because even nature knows when to choose peace.

11/07/2025

The wisdom of nature. Nature is an index of divine spiritual wisdom. That is why we continually reference nature to describe spiritual states and the Lords own qualities and blessings. It is why nature brings us calm and inspires us. We “turn a new leaf..” we’re “strong as a cedar.” We even refer to the Lord himself as a rock: “My rock, and my redeemer”

“Everything good and true comes down from the Lord and goes up to him. In other words, he is the first and the last. Humankind was created so that the Lord‘s divine qualities could descend through us right to the outermost level of the physical world and climb from the outermost level of the world up to him. In this way, humankind would be an intermediary uniting the divine with the physical world, and the physical world with the divine. Through humankind as a uniting medium, the very outermost plain of the physical world would be alive with the DIVINE. This actually happens, more and more, if we lived according to the divine plan.” — Seedenborg in Secrets of Heaven, 3702 

Nature is often call the first Bible:
“Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!” — Psalm 146

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Amos 5:8 — He who made the Pleiades and Orion and changes deep darkness into morning, who also darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is His name.

Psalm 96:12 — Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice.

Revelation 4: — Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.

From 3,500-year-old giants to banyan labyrinths—meet Florida's arboreal elders on a journey through the state’s most legendary trees and enchanting forests. This road trip is a must for nature lovers, tree huggers, and anyone seeking the quiet wisdom of Florida’s oldest living landmarks.

Legendary Trees & Forests:
📍 The Senator – Longwood
📍 Bok Tower Gardens – Lake Wales
📍 Fairchild Oak – Bulow Creek
📍 Banyan Tree – Fort Myers
📍 Cathedral Oak – Orlando
📍 Seven Sisters Oak – Mandeville
📍 Devil's Millhopper – Gainesville
📍 Corkscrew Swamp
📍 Kapok Tree – Cape Coral

11/07/2025

When our small group at Crysalis Retreat Center and Swedenborg Sanctuary gather together in person, we will often take day trips to restore, inspire, heal, and learn. Like this Venetian Canal in Winter Park.

Other places might include DeLeon Springs to swim (optional) and see the manatees, plus enjoy pancakes in the park at the Sugar Mill, or historical Bok Tower in Lake Wales, with 60 carillon bells and Botanical Gardens. Perhaps Coral Castle in Leisure City, FL.

Glide through tranquil waters and uncover Florida's secret oasis

11/02/2025

"Let my prayer be set before you like incense; let the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice". Psalm 141:2

Daily spiritual practice is a powerful boost to our spiral growth. There is a reason why the ancients paid attention to rituals and habits.
Prayer, daily reading, simply lighting a candle, meditation, affirmations, music, sky - star gazing, a fireplace, burning incense, attention and gratitude for nature, wildlife/ flora and fauna, movement/ walking… any simple thing can redirect our attention and bring a better frame of mind and change of heart.
Any act offered with humility and sincerity, is a pleasing and acceptable offering to God and brings transformation.

10/31/2025

Birds signify our desire for higher truths; our thoughts and understanding when they are elevated. That’s why it is pleasing to look at birds. Our soul resonates with this truth.