Love is not found in the thought of Love
Rather in the awareness of Love.
It’s through our humanity, that we remember our divinity.
It is with our holy breath that we commune
And communication with all that is.
It is for us to remember that with higher awareness
That God is Love and that all that makes up the universe
Is an expression of this Love.
As humans we have a desire to love and be loved. To be accepted and appreciated for who we are. It seems today more than ever, many feel judged and unaccepted for who they are. That people’s version of love and acceptance has many conditions and expectations, perhaps even demands attached to it. Leading those yearning for love, to feel “not being enough” in the presence of these conditions and expectations. One begins to avoid and isolate, fearful of vulnerability and more judgement. As fear is known as the absence of love, judgement can be seen as the withholding of love.
Love is intended to create freedom and offer space to create and grow individually and/or collectively. Thich Nhat Hanh said: “You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.” If love is conditional, it’s not pure authentic love. It’s love by possession and the need to control. Pure love is freedom and freedom is love.
A definition of divine love. I’ve come to appreciate divine love is: the unconditional love and acceptance of the spirit in all that exist. The divine loves and accepts the spirit-the energy of all it creates. This love is free of conditions and dogma, for the divine, only knows us as a vibrational aspect of itself. 
The power of unconditional love, opens the heart and expands the mind. It creates a feeling of worthiness and significance to those who are exposed to this type of love. It offers inclusion and is grounded in the knowing of oneness, i.e. you are me and I am you. It seeks power-with, not power over.
As we attach conditions and expectations to those we say we love. It is important to realize the conditions and expectations we attach to ourselves. Self-love is critical in order to freely love others. What we do or don’t do to ourselves we will consciously or unconsciously do to others. If we struggle offering loving kindness to ourselves we will struggle offering this to others. I’ve come to understand, we hurt others, because we are hurting in the depths of ourselves.
As a soul in human form, we are here to experience the many aspects of life. We are here to remember our divinity and that we are love. We are here to expand our minds by opening our hearts through gratitude and compassion. We are here to create a higher and richer meaning to our lives and our being. We are here to not just fall in love, but more importantly to, rise as love. Because love is who we are. Love is our essence. To rise as love, is to aspire in ascending to a higher, more profound awareness and experience of unconditional love.
Love is the pathway to understanding, acceptance, compassion and forgiveness. Love will push every button, test your values, try every ounce of patience, challenge every strength, and trigger every wound and weakness. Above all this, love is an invitation to freedom and inner peace. Freedom and inner peace come through an open heart and a mind that is quiet; a mind free of unhealthy attachments and misidentifications.
Choosing unconditional love, especially in intimate relationships, offers a pathway to develop a high level of understanding, the willingness to accept each other where you are at, to have compassion towards yourself, and others, and the willingness to forgive or reconcile mistakes and differences.
Honest and open communication, mutual respect and commitment to each other, working toward common goals; and the ability to develop consensus between each other, are also pathways to a loving and fulfilling relationship.
David Schroeder, LMSW, CPC is author of new book, Just Be Love: Messages on the Spiritual and Human Journey, which is available for purchase through the publisher: Global Summit House email: infoglobalsummithouse.com and Amazon.com. If you would like an autograph copy of his book, contact David by email: [email protected]
He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.—Lao Tzu
A retreat for men seeking greater understanding, spiritual growth and connection with fellow men. The weekend is designed for self and collective exploration, reflection and celebration.
Retreat theme The Way of Self-Mastery. The spiritual masters of past and present have a way of being and living upon the earth. It is my understanding that many of the masters including Jesus often saw and affirmed the master in those they interacted with. We are all masters in our own way and essence. Michelangelo said, upon carving the statue of David, that David was already in the stone. Michelangelo’s role was to remove/chip away at the stone wall that hid David. We all have a wall and barrier built around us that hides and represses the mastership of us.
Through open dialogue and shared information, this retreat offers some of the common traits and ways of the masters and how they lived upon the earth. We will explore what we as growing and evolving men can do to more effectively live in self-mastery.
Facilitated by: David Schroeder, LCSW, CPC
Retreat dates: Friday evening Oct. 3 – Sun. Oct. 5 mid-afternoon
Site: Camp Emmaus Mt. Morris, IL
Retreat Fee: $125.00 includes retreat materials, 2 nights lodging, meals are pot luck with shared food expenses.
Registration deadline Sept. 24, deposit fee $50.00 required at time of registration Contact David @ 815-238-4521 or [email protected]
Weekend includes meditations, soulful reflection and fellowship
Camp Emmaus is just east of Mt. Morris, IL off route 64, 34 miles south of Rockford, IL. Camp has 97 acres of wooded area along with a graceful pond, creeks and walking trails. accommodations in retreat lodge are complete with bathrooms showers, kitchen & dinning area. Sleeping area are bunk beds with mattress.
As a soul explorer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Life Coach, David understands and works the task and tools to transforming wounds into spiritual lessons and self-actualization. His Practice Transition Pathways in Rockford, IL seeks to assist people in using their inner pathways to growth, healing and potential. For over 25 years, David has been assisting people in healing, personal and spiritual development. David has been leading men’s groups and retreats for the past 6 years, offering pathways to self discovery, growth and fellowship. He is also finishing his first book, Just Be Love: Messages on the Spiritual and Human Journey
Transition Pathways offers
A Gathering of Men Retreat
In the spirit of fellowship and understanding this retreat seeks to enhance our perspective and actions with ourselves and others. our retreat intent is to explore together the following topics and by way of discussion, exercises, experiential learning and integration.
Main topics
Weekend includes meditations, being in nature, soulful reflection and fellowship
Bishop Lane Retreat Center is 5 miles southwest of Rockford, IL The center has 200 acres of landscaped and wooded areas with full dinning, sleeping and workshop accommodations. Item required personal hygiene items, notebook, pen, open mind and heart.
Retreat facilitator: David Schroeder, LCSW & David Poust, MDiv
Fee: $180.00 includes retreat accommodations, meals and materials
Retreat time: Fri. May 3 6:00 pm to Sun May 5 3:00 pm
Limit: 18 open and seeking participants
Pre-registration required, deadline April 29th $75.00 desposit required at time of registration.
For more information contact David Schroeder @ 815-238-4521, email: [email protected] or David Poust @ 815-238-6584 email: [email protected]
David Schroeder, is a clinical and spiritual social worker and life coach in private practice, he has over 25 years experience in the clinical and personal development fields David has been leading men’s groups and retreats for the past 7 years.
David Poust, is a United Methodist Pastor, he has served various congregations in Northern Illinois for the past 15 years. David has extensive experience in various healing modalities, spiritual guidance and men’s retreats.
The Reunion of the Masculine & Feminine
Weekend Workshop Series
REFLECTING ON THE RELATIONSHIP
WITH OURSELVES AND OTHERS
Transition Pathways offers Men’s Group
A ten session series
For men seeking greater understanding and growth
of their emotional and spiritual self, through our relationships and life purpose
A time of exploring and discovering the true self
Topics and discussions are designed to stimulate greater inner
awareness of yourself and each other, as well as promoting
individual and collective insights and growth
Topics include:
Group night: Tuesday evenings beginning Sept. 15, 2015 (Sept mtgs. 3rd & 5th Tuesday)
When: 2nd & 4th Tuesday of month for 10 sessions
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Fee: $20.00 per session
Limit: 10 participants
Site: Unity Center for spiritual Growth 6025 Ada Drive SE Ada, MI
Group facilitator: David Schroeder, LMSW, CPC
To register or more information contact David @ 616-666-9921 or email [email protected]. David is a licensed clinical and spiritual social worker, professional life coach and owner of Transition Pathways. He has over 25 years experience in the clinical and personal development fields. He offers men’s groups promoting self-discovery, growth and fellowship. www.transitionpathways.com
For men seeking greater understanding of ourselves, what’s in our way and finding our soulful path. A weekend designed for self and collective exploration, celebration and fellowship.
Expressing Our Truth – Finding Our Way
We live in times of uncertainty and tremendous change. Many of us are feeling out of sorts and not knowing our way. We feel a need and urge to speak and live more from our truth. Can you relate?
Join us for an informal gathering of men weekend, as we create an atmosphere of acceptance and acknowledgment with being and expressing our truth. While exploring and finding clarity and direction in our way of being in this uncertain and changing world.
Weekend includes meditations, walks, soulful reflection and fellowship
Camp Emmaus is just east of Mt. Morris, IL off route 64, 34 miles south of Rockford, Il Camp has 97 acres of wooded area along with a graceful pond, creeks and walking trails. accommodations in retreat lodge are complete with bathrooms showers, kitchen & dinning area. Sleeping area are bunk beds with mattress.
Led by: David Schroeder LCSW, CPC Fee: $100.00 includes retreat materials and lodging. $40.00 deposit Meals are pot luck, suggested to bring items for 2 meals Retreat time: Friday Oct 7, 6:00pm to Sunday Oct. 9, 3:30pm Limit: 15 open, willing & soul journeying men Pre-registration required deadline Sept. 30th For more information contact David @ 815-238-4521 or [email protected] click here to emailAs a soul explorer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Professional Life Coach, David understands and works the task and tools to transforming wounds into spiritual lessons and self-actualization. His Practice Transition Pathways in Rockford, IL seeks to assist people in using their inner pathways to growth, healing & potential. For over 25 years, David has been assisting people in healing, personal and spiritual development. David has been leading men’s groups and retreats for the past 5 years, offering pathways to self discovery, growth and fellowship.
Explore the importance of understanding, accepting and working with our spiritual and emotional self. We will explore 5 key areas of our inner self and the universe, and how these areas impact our relationship with ourselves, our earthly world, and the spiritual universe. Class offers stories, metaphores, insights, discussion, and tools. Helping you increase your understanding and growth of the dynamics and choice between your human and spiritual self. ” The road to your soul is through your mind”
Topics include:
What causes you to feel stuck, trapped or overwhelmed? Do you feel uncertainty and fear? Do you notice your energy being drained by it all? This class offers information, exercises and tools to answer these questions and more. Gain a better understanding of why you show up the way you do and more importantly learn effective ways to shift your thinking and energy to unlock the blocks to growth and potential.
Topics include:
Instructor: David Schroeder, LCSW,CPC
Class held at: Rock Valley College 3301 N. Mulford Rd. Rockford, IL
Day/Time: Thursdays Sept 22 – Oct. 6 6:00 – 9:00pm
Fee: $75.00
Pre-Regristration Through Rock Valley College CommunityEducation 815-921-3900 or online @www.rockvalleycollege.edu/onlineservices. For class info. contact David @ 815-238-4521 or [email protected]
My work as a life transition coach and counselor, I love expanding my own learning, wisdom, growth, and making this part of my life purpose. Than using this to assist others with their own learning and growth as they desire, this is very rewarding and inspiring for me. We are all students and teachers to and with each other.
I am passionate about challenging my ego’s desire for safety and comfort. For there is no growth and meeting ones potential if I only want to be safe and comfortable. There is no growth in staying in our comfort zone. Growth happens when we are willing to go to the edge, go into the unknown and face our fears. I have found that one of the biggest barriers to someones growth and potential is fear and what we perceive as the unknown.
I assist people in helping them realize there are clues to our life and purpose within facing our fears and stepping into our unknown. For when we face our fears and the unknown, we find our true self, inner wisdom, and potential.
Do you desire to discover your true self, tap into your inner wisdom, and reach more of your potential? My coaching and counseling services assist people like you, who desire more out of their life, want to take life changing action toward self-mastery, growth and potential.
I would welcome the opportunity to partner with you, in moving through your fears and discovering what you fear in your unknown is actually where the answers and potential are revealed for you. Contact David at 815-238-4521 or email.