Flower A. Newhouse, 1909-1994

Cofounder of The Christward Ministry

The life and writings of Flower A. Newhouse are those of a Christian mystic, and her insights into the inner realms of life provide us with a path to wholeness that she called "Living the Life." These principles are not doctrine, but a practical guide to the direct, immediate experience of God.

Flower, born with extraordinary gifts of clairvoyance and deep intuition, had spent lifetimes preparing for her life mission to reawaken humanity to the reality of angels, a work she began with her first book in 1937, and added to in many published writings and in recorded lectures.

Flower's words rang out with great authority and authenticity as she spoke from her inner knowing as a Christian Mystic. She brought the Lord Christ alive in a way unlike anyone they had ever known before. Her vivid description of Angels as Couriers of Light brought them to reality for those who could not see.

Flower reminding us of the Angels
Reverend Flower A. Newhouse, The Angelic Shining Hosts

Her deep teachings brought to many serious seekers a sense of awakening and a rediscovering of forgotten truths. They provided a path to wholeness that she called "Living the Life." These principles are not doctrine, but a practical guide to the direct, immediate experience of God.

Here is your answer
Reverend Flower A. Newhouse, Inspiration Magazine, 1946

Because she lived as she taught, her revelations of discipleship have about them a validity and promise that brings a fresh impetus to Living the Life. Her glimpses into the inner Worlds are most illuminating and reveal an order and majesty that gives unparalleled hope and faith in our future.
Dr. Stephen Isaac

Flower's Life

The Reverend Flower A. Newhouse's unique contribution to the world was her selfless spirit to be true to God and her love for the Christ. At the age of twelve she wrote:

One thing I desire is that people shall learn to know God, and that only. I do not wish anyone to become attached to this personality; for the cup can only hold the water, it cannot satisfy the thirst of the needy. I pray that God will use this body and mind that is dedicated to Him so that in leaving the temple service each worshipper will carry in his heart the living Presence which they have learned to feel more intimately.
Flower A. Newhouse, age 12

Video: Sharing of Flower’s Life
Gordon Bleth, Using the Mother Energy to Be a Spiritual Teacher

What follows is the journey of a clairvoyant Christian mystic sent into earth from the Angel kingdom to usher in a new awareness of all that is Real about us and within us. She came to hold up a light to the vast and varied Angels that work with us in our growth Godward saying:

We are unceasingly in the presence of Angels, wherever we move, because Intelligences of this purest and highest creation are carrying out the will of God in the most minute as well as the most major circumstances and undertakings.

She spoke of a living Christ who came into earth to awaken each of us to the Divine inherent within us. She said:

The Christ Way has never actually been universally tried. Systems have been dedicated to Him; lives have been sacrificed in His little-understood Cause, yet neither piety nor heroism has revealed the Christ fully to the world. Through the misconceptions of its interpreters, the Christ Message has been tainted by a spirit of hypocrisy, dogmatism and intolerance. If we are to understand His complete doctrine rather than its fragments, we must return to a devotion of the Christ Spirit, to His remarkable exampleship and His unequaled deeds.

Video: Christ, the Embodiment of Divinity
Reverend Flower A. Newhouse, Christ Our Lord Most Holy

Christ remains the embodiment of divinity and when we drop these bodies and enter the inner worlds how much more we shall be qualified to learn of Him; for we will have been purified, we will have been renewed, and we will recognize more than ever before that He is the most important thing in our total lives.
Reverend Flower A. Newhouse, Christ Our Lord Most Holy

Early Life

Video: Flower in Southern California, 20th Century
Questhaven Ensemble

Flower was born Mildred "Mimi" Arlene Sechler in Allentown, Pennsylvania on May 10, 1909. She had one sister, Beatrice, who was physically blind from a childhood illness. Her father passed when she was six.

From childhood, she revealed the gifts of an exceptionally well-trained clairvoyant with the mystic's natural love for seeking God before all else. She came in with the impetus to help the world know that the greatest way to find God is through the Living Christ. Her students see these gifts in her life-long written and oral works, as well as her living exampleship.

Your highest tribute to the Lord Christ is a worship of His Spirit through the living of His Spirit. Think His thoughts, be reverent before the fountain of His reality, for then you will realize His love and His pleasure throughout your whole being.
Flower A. Newhouse

Flower was six when she first realized that she saw a world that others did not see—a World in the Inner Dimensions where Angels, nature beings, and extraordinarily beautiful music, light and color exist. The startling truth that others did not see as she did led her, at that young age, to no longer speak to others about the Inner Realities.

When she was 13, Flower's Guardian Angel came to her and told her it was time to go by her Soul's name of Flower. She rejoiced in the sound and expression of it. As she entered high school, her teachers gave her a series of writing assignments. This provided for her the opportunity to begin sharing some of her wisdom gained over lifetimes. So impressed were these teachers that they invited Flower to their homes where she commenced her own career as a speaker and teacher.

At the age of 14, Flower received inner direction from her Guardian Angel that she was to move with her mother and sister from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, arriving by a specified date that November. Having learned to trust her daughter's inner sight and spiritual gifts, Flower's mother moved the family, and they arrived in Los Angeles in November 1924, on the very date she was instructed.

Flower finished high school at night, supporting the family by working at the glove counter at May Company during the day.

At the Glove Counter
Merle Perry

Through this avenue, customers soon began to recognize the authentic and special person that God had brought into the world through Flower. They began to sponsor her with speaking engagements at a number of churches and lecture halls. Word soon spread of her unique gifts of clairvoyance, her natural ability to inspire others, her love, service and devotion to Christ, and her convincing sincerity and authority as a speaker.

The Highest moment of her life

Every chance they could get, Flower's Guardian Angel would encourage a visit to the mountains to receive spiritual inspiration. Flower enjoyed going to the Frazier Mountain area above Los Angeles.

In 1931, Flower and two close friends set out for an entire month's stay at a Mt. Frazier campsite. From the beginning it was an idyllic retreat. They spent the pleasant, clear days in study and meditation, interspersed with happy conversation, and long, slow walks through the lovely stands of pine and cedar. Not far from their camp was an unusually beautiful grove of tall Jeffrey pines formed in a natural circle. Flower came into their secluded stillness each day to meditate, look out upon the distant horizons, and attune herself to the frequencies of nature.

Lord, blessed by 'Thy Presence, hushed by Thy great silence, illumined by Thy light, we dwell always in the Eternal; may we learn there the meaning of trust and lose ourselves happily in that vastness.'
Merle Perry, The Chalice

She called this grove the Garden of Trees and one in particular, The Giving Tree, was her choice to sit by. Of all the Jeffrey pines in the vicinity, this one's aura was the most surcharged and outshining. In the height of its branches, presiding over the surrounding region, stood a great deva.

Flower on Seeing Christ 22:08
Reverend Flower A. Newhouse, The Hierarchy of Just and Pure Souls and the Master Mary
Narration: Danielle Isaac

The Chalice
Merle Perry
A Biographical Sketch of Flower's Life (age 22) by Merle Perry

One day Flower found herself sitting at the foot of this lofty tree, peacefully meditating on the Christ, with no particular expectation in mind, when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Wondering who might be coming, she half arose for a clearer view. What she saw made every atom of her body race with whirlwind speed.

Through the trees, partially hidden by branches at times, came the unmistakable figure of The Lord Christ. Many times she had seen His higher form in the inner worlds, leading the procession in His honor on Christmas Eve. But this manifestation seemed physical: a condition she had last observed nineteen centuries earlier in Palestine.
Dr. Stephen Isaac, Songs from the House of Pilgrimage

He came now into full view and stood in tall nobility, directly in front of her. Had she forgotten the strength of His build? And His dark brown eyes—what equaled their power to engulf one with the love He alone radiated? As He breathed, the white robe He was wearing moved gently. The same breeze that touched her hair, softly stirred His. She was speechless, puzzled by what was happening, and strangely timid. She felt acutely aware of His absolute Presence, an impression that intensified what followed. He stood there, His gaze penetrating every particle of her being. Then He softly spoke the command: "Be still. Be still."

When He addressed her. She remained motionless, listening intently, asking no questions. He spoke of her mission: she came to help mankind become more aware of the Angel Kingdom and to prepare individuals for higher unfoldment. She wouldn't be a teacher of the masses; instead, her work would be with the more advanced souls, preparing them also to become teachers.

He said she would need to go into the cities to build up her work, making contacts with the various leaders of metaphysical and esoteric groups in advance; eventually, she would be shown property in a chosen location where this work would have its center. As He completed these statements, one thought filled her: Trust in this wisdom!

From the moment she first marveled at His presence before The Giving Tree, time ceased to exist. As He returned to His duties in the inner worlds, leaving her hushed in the lingering vibrations of this ineffable occurrence, she wondered how long it had lasted. The shadows underneath the trees had moved only slightly; though it seemed an eternity, the experience she would cherish as the highest of her incarnation was perhaps twenty minutes in length.
Dr. Stephen Isaac, Songs from the House of Pilgrimage

Her Life Work Begins

Before long Flower was traveling regularly to Santa Barbara and San Francisco, as well as many other parts of California and the Pacific Northwest. Eventually she would travel throughout all the United States and Canada as an invited speaker. It was on one of these lecture engagements that she met her future husband, Lawrence George Newhouse.

Flower and Lawrence Love Story

Flower and Lawrence were married on October 31, 1933. Flower and Lawrence would eventually travel to over 126 cities in North America, many of them multiple times, teaching and answering questions from spiritual students seeking a greater understanding of life's purpose and the mysticism of Christ.

Inspirational Letter from Flower of January, 1938
Reverend Flower A. Newhouse

In 1940, Flower and Lawrence founded Questhaven Retreat and the Christward Ministry (initially 440 acres in the rolling chaparral-covered hills of northern San Diego County). With no electricity and only a windmill for water, they began to build and nurture all that we see today.

On August 15, 1950 during a gathering and meditation with several Questhaven staff members led by Flower, a Perfected Soul came inwardly and began providing teachings to Flower, which she translated through conscious channelship to those present. The Great One said , My influence and purpose is to bring you peace and lead you into the Inner Holy of Holies.

This was the first of several such encounters over the next several years where the Wisdom Teachings were received from several Masters who sponsor the work of The Christward Ministry at Questhaven. These Truths formed the foundation of the teachings that are expressed here today. They were quick to remind the gathered group that this is Their Work as part of the Hierarchy of Christ, and they have gathered each one of us here to carry it forth in our time and our age.

During one such gathering, a Master said:

You shall be My watchmen on earth, and since you must testify to Truth, see to it that Truth channels you so that you can verify that to which you testify.
The Wise and The Strong

When Lawrence passed in 1963, it required Flower to not only continue to be the inward receiver but also the outward leader of the ministry. This in many ways helped round out her mission and fulfill her life's work on this earth.

A Legacy of Truth

Flower was embraced by her many grateful students as a true Christian mystic whose life, teachings and deep insights into the spirituality of life reveal a path to an ever-growing awareness of God that gives unparalleled hope and faith in the future. She described her teachings not as doctrine, but a practical guide to the direct, immediate experience of God. Her first book, written about the Angels in 1937, was followed by numerous published writings and recorded lectures.

The records of 1953 show a typical year of activity for Flower. During that year she had given a total of eighty-eight lectures, four hundred and thirty-two interviews and written over eight hundred letters, mostly in answer to personal needs. Indeed, her work was her life, completely dedicated to the Christ in all respects.
Dr. Stephen Isaac, Songs from the House of Pilgrimage

On July 8, 1994, Flower made her transition back home with God. The incomparable work that she started and devoted her life toward, continues to grow and expand to touch the lives of those souls dedicated to God and our Lord Christ all over the world.

The Memorial Bulletin for Flower A. Newhouse

Memorial Service for Reverend Flower A. Newhouse
Dr. Stephen Isaac, Other ministers, Memorial Service for Reverend Flower A. Newhouse

One of the most wonderful things that Christ ever gave this world as His permanent gift was the awareness that this outer dimension is penetrated, supplied, and guided by another higher spiritual dimension. We know there is more to life than appears on the surface. Out of this deep certainty that Christ gives us of eternity to which we belong, there springs a new and creative worship and consecration to God.
Reverend Flower A. Newhouse, Dr. Stephen Isaac, Reverend Phyllis Isaac, Christian Mysticism: Collected Works of Flower A. Newhouse (Vol. 1)

Life at Questhaven Memorial Edition (includes a letter from Flower herself)

Beloved Flower by Dr. Stephen Isaac

When I think of your life and the difference it has made in so many lives, mine no exception, I stand in awe of the wondrous workings that brought you into existence. Have we all not asked ourselves the fateful question, How would our lives have turned out had we never known you? Looking around the world at the vast number of people who live ordinary, humdrum lives, it is not hard to guess we otherwise would have been added to that massive pile.

So it is with grateful hearts we stand up to be counted as your pupils. As a teacher of the Way, you opened up the gates of the Inner Worlds, yet you never spared us the painful truth about ourselves, when that most needed facing. Then when correction was in order, you never failed to be there with unreserved love to see us through the trials of spiritual mountain climbing. And with the mountain climbing, came the strengthening, the acquisition of skills, and those breathtaking, illuminating views.

We have lost count of the number of transformations you have made possible in our outlooks, our habits, and our capacity to reach new altitudes of consciousness—new frontiers of character. You have lighted in our souls the flame of Holy Expectancy; and you have revealed to us the mystic Christ Whose Presence permeates the very air we breathe. Godspeed in your new estate and its commissions.

The Impact of Flower’s Life Through a Birthday Blessing
Joy Day

A flower casts its fragrance upon the breath of the winds, never asking for recognition nor admiration nor love because its inner nature compels it to sweeten the world. So through this channel may the perfume of Reality steal to gladden the lives of all.
Flower A. Newhouse, age 12

More about Flower A. Newhouse

Songs from the House of Pilgrimage
This is the biography of Flower A. Newhouse, written by Dr. Stephen Isaac, PhD.

Prayers of a Mystic
An extensive compilation of Flower's guided meditations and prayers.

A Measure of Days
A gem of excerpts from Flower's journals providing insights into a wide range of subjects.