Join us for a night entitled “The Gift that Keeps on Giving” on Wednesday, December 6 beginning at 6:00 pm The evening will include supper, and a walk through our advent stations where you will take time to read/reflect and respond individually. After that we will gather and spend time together creating a beautiful and unique painting using “alcohol ink” facilitated by Karen & Daile of Unique Art Expressions. Each participant will go away fed body, soul, mind and spirit as well as taking home your framed piece of original artwork that you can proudly display. Cost for the evening including your supper and your framed painting is $55.
Space is limited! Email womenrefreshed@gmail.com to reserve your spot.
We are currently in Newfoundland. As I write this, we are in Fogo Island, Newfoundland. Such a beautiful place!! I have to admit that the sights of Newfoundland are like a feast for the eyes. There is such color here!! And I love taking pictures of boats, and water, and buildings, and docks and ...
We are only two days into our time in Newfoundland, and Alvin knows that when I roll down the window, it is usually for a picture!!
Since we arrived on Fogo Island, having come by Ferry, I have just been thinking about something. THE OCEAN. The ocean is one of my most favorite places to be. It doesn't matter if it is the ocean by Mexico or Thailand or Cuba or Florida or NEWFOUNDLAND, Canada where we are right now! The ocean is the place where God always speaks. Yes, He speaks. And He speaks in other places too but the ocean holds a privileged spot in my heart and soul. I have walked along, and sat beside the ocean too many times to count. I know of the times I have been in conversation with the LORD while hearing the sound of ocean waves.
The more that I am alongside of the ocean, I have been thinking of how the sound of the ocean also spoke to the disciples but MORESO how Jesus came to the water, and called the disciples (some of them) who were fishermen!! Remember He said to them, to come and he would make them fishers of men instead? He walked alongside of the Sea of Gaillee. He picked the men, and called them. Ordinary fisherman - called - and equipped by Jesus! Imagine!
Then I have been thinking of the time that Jesus told them to get into the boat, and that they needed to get away somewhere quiet. It had been hectic!! People wanted more and more of Jesus. The disciples had been involved in ministry too! And HE told them it was time to take a rest !
The sound of Steve Bells' song HERE BY THE WATER is resonating in my heart.
The sound of the waves beating upon the rocks on the other side of my wall also resonate with me.
I love how HE is such an amazing Creator and how HE uses HIS creation to speak to us!
HE SPEAKS
to me today
to all of us
in the stillness
in the sound of the waves
HE SPEAKS
in the beauty of the sunset
the glimmer of the sun on the top of the ocean
in the quietness around me
and within me
HE SPEAKS and I am so glad to have this time to hear.
Speak LORD, your servant is listening.
May You hear HIS voice!
Joy Klassen, Executive Director
ps Take a moment to listen to a favorite song of mine :)
From the pen of the Executive Director, Joy writes:
In our ministry, since the time God spoke the words "create a place where women can go to just be" we have had friends of the ministry. (in this case the word "friends" also includes family) Why are friends important to us, and to our ministry. Well here are some ways:
friends who believed me when I said God spoke to me, back in 2000. You believed in my walk with Jesus and did not question when I said "I heard this from God ..."
friends who prayed for us during each and every chapter of our lives - from when HE spoke (2000) to my call into pastoral ministry (2002) to our walk in grief that began when we lost our first born grand child Jay Benjamin Klassen (2008) to when I was called out of pastoral ministry (2009) and when we began to build (2010) and then onto our Dedication Service and Grand Opening (March 2013) and right up to the present day ...
friends who believed that what God called us to - was HIS idea and it was going to happen. You did not think I gave up or threw out the idea when God called me into Pastoral ministry and the retreat vision perked on the back for 7.5 years.
friends who covered this land with prayer at our COME, WALK and PRAY in Sept 2009, bathing this land in prayer before a shovel went into the ground!
friends who encouraged us in the LONG, LONG, LONG (did I say LONG) build (2 +years)
friends who drove into the yard, or came into the house while the build was happening and just said "no need to stop, here is a coffee and treat and we are here to pray"friends who have volunteered you time and sometimes backbreaking hours in our garden especially
friends who have invested in the ministry - not only swet equity but also financially because you believe in what God has called us to
friends who still may not quite "get" what we are doing, but believe in us, and in our relationship with God, and HIS call on our lives, and are there for us in many ways!
friends who drop emails/texts/and snail mail notes to encourage us
friends who have attended our two gala's "An evening of celebration and giving"
friends who have come and stayed overnight
friends who have paid for other people to come over night
friends who have sent in cheques "just because" God nudged you, and well, you followed
and the list could go on and on but right now, I want to say a HUGE thank you to those "Friends of the Well" who sponsored our event last April. My apologies for doing this so very late!! (from this post onward, you can look above on the blog and see a tab called "Friends of the Well" where we list the following sponsors as well.
We are grateful for the support of the following Friends of The Well through their financial generosity. We thank God for the sponsorship we received to make our 2017 Evening of Celebration & Giving a reality & a great success.
We encourage you to support these businesses, tell them Women Refreshed at the Well sent you!
