I made You promises a thousand times—I tried to hear from Heaven—But I talked the whole time—I think I made You too small—I never feared You at all No—If You touched my face would I know You? -
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?What do I know of You—Who spoke me into motion? - Where have I even stood—But the shore along Your ocean?Are You fire? Are You fury? - Are You sacred? Are You beautiful? - What do I know? What do I know of Holy?What do I know of Holy? - What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame? And a God who gave life "its" name? - What do I know of Holy? Of the One who the angels praise? - All creation knows Your nameOn earth and heaven above—What do I know of this love?What do I know of Holy? What do I know of Holy?
By Addison Road
The partial lyrics to the song “What do I know of Holy?” capture the longing and desire of many people when they consider their relationship with God.
The mission of FreshWater is to help people find significance and confidence in their lives. We do this by using the principles of Spiritual Direction and Formation. One of our goals is to take people from the “what do I know of holy?” place, to a place of “confidence.”
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,[e] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb. 4:14-16
The principle in the above passage is that because of Christ death, the obstacles to approaching God were removed. Not only that, he chose to have his Spirit live in us. No longer do Christians have to make a journey to the temple to ask a priest to approach God for them. All our sins are forgiven...forever.
19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Heb. 10:19-22
Spiritual Direction teaches people how to ‘draw near to God.’ Spiritual direction sessions allow people to experience his grace and holiness in new ways. It directs people to know what to do with their quiet time besides letting their minds ‘talk the whole time.’
Through these principles people find deeper understanding to the question, ‘what do I know of holy?’ They find healing from their shame. They find release from their guilt. They find that the holiness of God gives them power to live in confidence. This is the heartbeat of FreshWater. All people need to be free in Christ and to know that they can ‘approach the throne of grace with confidence.’
About our neighborhood (Adair County, Oklahoma)
In 2007, Adair Co. had a per capita personal income of $21,835. The state average is $34,997, and the national average is $38,615.
Adair County population is 43% Native American.
67% of residents over the age of 25 in Adair County have their High School Diploma. (Compared to 81% average in the state of Oklahoma)
25% of Adair County residents live below the poverty level. (Compared to 16% in the state of Oklahoma)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
From our May 2009 Newsletter
A Story from the Well
Ministry happens everywhere, you just have to be aware that the opportunities are right under your nose. In the context of 2 Cor. 5:11-21, God has reconciled the world (all people) to Himself through Christ. We can’t escape this amazing truth. So, what does that mean for the lost and the forgotten? It means that this message of hope is still for them. Verse 16 says, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” We have a deep foundation from where to share this truth with the world and all the reconcilable people Jesus died for. Who is this message for? This week, I learned from people I’ve met recently that this message is for a mother of three kids who lost their father in a car accident. It’s for the two little 7 year old girls of that family that are starving themselves so that they can die and go be with their daddy. It’s for a 7 year old boy of another family that doesn’t know the father he’s had growing up isn’t his real father. It’s for that mother who has to decide when to tell him. It’s for the social worker and the victims of abuse that work together for answers day in and day out. Dear friends, the reconciling message we hold in our hearts is for the normal everyday conversations we have, even from those who cry out for help in the faintest whispers. Listen for the whispers.
Ministry happens everywhere, you just have to be aware that the opportunities are right under your nose. In the context of 2 Cor. 5:11-21, God has reconciled the world (all people) to Himself through Christ. We can’t escape this amazing truth. So, what does that mean for the lost and the forgotten? It means that this message of hope is still for them. Verse 16 says, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” We have a deep foundation from where to share this truth with the world and all the reconcilable people Jesus died for. Who is this message for? This week, I learned from people I’ve met recently that this message is for a mother of three kids who lost their father in a car accident. It’s for the two little 7 year old girls of that family that are starving themselves so that they can die and go be with their daddy. It’s for a 7 year old boy of another family that doesn’t know the father he’s had growing up isn’t his real father. It’s for that mother who has to decide when to tell him. It’s for the social worker and the victims of abuse that work together for answers day in and day out. Dear friends, the reconciling message we hold in our hearts is for the normal everyday conversations we have, even from those who cry out for help in the faintest whispers. Listen for the whispers.
From our March 2009 Newsletter
A Story from the Well
We have seen incredible growth in people’s lives. After being referred to me by the counselor in town, John* and incarcerated drug addict, hit rock bottom. After trying to re-enter life and the work force he found himself no different than before. What happened? Listen to his words.
“I have no way of understanding how to like myself. In prison I learned how to be tough and not care about anyone but myself. This kind of attitude obliviously doesn’t work in the work force or in my family. So I just went back to what I was taught and then I lost my job and now my wife is leaving me. I just drink or drug myself to forget about my pain and inability to do better.”
John and I sat down for three sessions and looked at his past and how life wasn’t taught to him in a proper manner and that now he could make a choice to search for significance and reinvent himself. After the second session, John hit a huge depression low and called me to intervene one evening. His kids and wife were in the car ready to leave, his youngest boy clinging to him saying, “Don’t go away again, Daddy!” What an amazing opportunity for God to work. I simply stated to the terrified boy that I wasn’t taking his Daddy anywhere and that I was here to help him. The little boy sighed in relief and let go of him to go with his mom. I went to the mom and said, “Try to be patient as we work through this, give us 30 minutes and then come back home so we can sit and talk.” Reluctantly with tears, she agreed. That night was the beginning of the healing for their lives. Is everything perfect? No. But, John has committed to working on his life and trying to think better about himself. I also shared with him how God was the only way he could find the proper way to think about himself. We are pleased to report that John is now employed and maintaining better relations with his wife and kids. With the help of others in the community we hope to sustain this family by regular checkups and visits to the home. They are now part of the FreshWater family. Thank you for giving.
*Real names of people we work with will never be revealed.
We have seen incredible growth in people’s lives. After being referred to me by the counselor in town, John* and incarcerated drug addict, hit rock bottom. After trying to re-enter life and the work force he found himself no different than before. What happened? Listen to his words.
“I have no way of understanding how to like myself. In prison I learned how to be tough and not care about anyone but myself. This kind of attitude obliviously doesn’t work in the work force or in my family. So I just went back to what I was taught and then I lost my job and now my wife is leaving me. I just drink or drug myself to forget about my pain and inability to do better.”
John and I sat down for three sessions and looked at his past and how life wasn’t taught to him in a proper manner and that now he could make a choice to search for significance and reinvent himself. After the second session, John hit a huge depression low and called me to intervene one evening. His kids and wife were in the car ready to leave, his youngest boy clinging to him saying, “Don’t go away again, Daddy!” What an amazing opportunity for God to work. I simply stated to the terrified boy that I wasn’t taking his Daddy anywhere and that I was here to help him. The little boy sighed in relief and let go of him to go with his mom. I went to the mom and said, “Try to be patient as we work through this, give us 30 minutes and then come back home so we can sit and talk.” Reluctantly with tears, she agreed. That night was the beginning of the healing for their lives. Is everything perfect? No. But, John has committed to working on his life and trying to think better about himself. I also shared with him how God was the only way he could find the proper way to think about himself. We are pleased to report that John is now employed and maintaining better relations with his wife and kids. With the help of others in the community we hope to sustain this family by regular checkups and visits to the home. They are now part of the FreshWater family. Thank you for giving.
*Real names of people we work with will never be revealed.
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