Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I get plenty of emails about the condition of just about anything and everything one can imagine. But, as I sat at my desk after reading many emails, I realized that the only subject I hardly read about anymore is integrity.

I’m speaking of that self exploring surgery of the soul (mind, will, and emotions). I remember my dad telling many times as I was growing up that a man’s word is his bond. I didn’t know it then but he was teaching me a biblical truth. He was telling me my yes should be yes and my no should be no, and how I walk out that statement will let others know if I was a man of integrity or not.

So, as I grew from a child to a teen and then into adulthood, I have always held that as a high part of my character. I have learned that there are two tests that reveal our integrity more than anything. The first is the test of adversity. This test shows how strong you really are. The second test is prosperity. Prosperity is what really tests our integrity because it reveals the truth about our most basic value system.

Daniel was a prime example of a biblical character who was the epitome of integrity. Do you remember the story of him in the lions den? Most of us see that story as a faith builder but we forget why he was in the lions den to start with. It was because he would not bow down and worship the King. Sometimes we do right and suffer wrong as people of integrity but at least we can walk around proud, knowing we did right in God’s eyes. Ultimately that’s the only one we need to concern ourselves with anyway. Pride in ourselves falls short, but pride in our Lord and his character will stand the test of time.

Let me sum up by giving you an example of Daniels integrity. First he had an excellent attitude. Next, he stayed faithful and diligent at work. And finally, the consistency of his walk with God stayed true.

We need to remember this nation as a nation of integrity and, as our forefathers, put God at the forefront of all we do. We need to get back to that place! We as a people need to let our yes be YES and our no be NO. We need to get back to “In God We Trust” because whatever difficult situations we are facing God is the only one that can take away the anxiety, fear, and feelings of frustration. When we trust in the Lord we can rest in the fact that He wants to care for us.

So today let’s start to be a people and nation of true integrity.

In his service,

Pastor Joe

Testimony

             A year ago, I was in a very scary place that I didn’t want to be apart of in the slightest. I was heavily reliant and addicted to painkillers. My family wanted nothing to do with me, my friends wanted nothing to do with me…heck I wanted nothing to do with myself. I hated what I became. I just got out of another program three months earlier and fell flat on my face shortly after completing it.

            My family was very disgusted with the way I was acting, but mostly they were concerned about my well-being. My outpatient therapist referred me to Fresh Start because he had a friend (now deceased) on the board of directors who truly believed in it. After a couple of weeks of couch surfing from house to house I finally had nowhere else to go but to stay out in the streets for two nights. I believe that was my rock bottom. It was late January and it was extremely cold for those two nights. My best thinking and manipulation brought me to a concrete bench outside of an Albertson’s. I knew I needed help.

            I was pretty reluctant to go to Fresh Start, not only because the thought of staying in a program for 365 days can be quite intimidating, but also because it was a faith-based 12-step program. I was fine with the 12-step aspect but I had a falling out when I was younger with the God of my understanding.

            I pretty much grew up in a youth group, went on multiple mission trips and retreats, and was even in the band for one of the church services. After spending six years in the church, my father was arrested and sentenced to prison when I was only 13. He was the person I most looked up to growing up because of his support in everything that I did. My earthly father was yanked out of the picture and my heavenly father was the next to go. I was disgusted, confused, and vulnerable.

            I began to question what I believed previously was a loving God and why He would allow something like that to happen. I began to question every little thing that I didn’t think added up. I went from being a leader in a church youth group to a full-fledged Agnostic.

            For the first few months of Fresh Start I only stayed because I was out of money and didn’t have anywhere else to go. I was there for all of the wrong reasons. After that first phase though I realized that I was sick and tired and didn’t want to return to my old lifestyle. I noticed that everyone who graduated the program was content, restored trust with their loved ones, and were optimistic about their future. I also noticed that all these people previously stated had one common denominator; an intimate relationship with God. I wanted to give myself the best chance possible of staying clean so I rededicated my heart to God and was baptized the following day on July 4^th.

            A year later, that same frightened kid who walked through Fresh Start’s threshold has been transformed into a confident, loving, child of God. Now, my family looks forward to spending time with me. I’ve cultivated healthy friendships with people who have been in the same shoes that I’ve been in. I thank God everyday that I didn’t wind up in a correctional facility or in the ground. I owe all thanks to the staff at Fresh Start, but most importantly to God.

 -Patrick O.

Church

• 5/06/12 - Journey - 9:30 am
• 5/13/12 - Northland - 9:00 am
• 5/20/12 - Christ Church - 9:00 am
• 5/27/12 - Church in the Son - 9:00 am

Support Group Teachings

• 5/01/12 - Tim Carlsward - Root of Rejection, Pt. 1
• 5/08/12 – Bentley Lovely – Root of Rejection, Pt. 2
• 5/15/12 - Lucas Brown - Root of Rejection, Pt. 3
• 5/22/12 - Jim Sansom - Root of Rejection, Pt. 4
• 5/29/12 – Graduation -  Andre N., Shane A., Sean S.

Needs

• Weekly or daily bus passes
• Liquid laundry detergent
• Chest of drawers
• Working adult bicyles or bicycle tubes
• Bicycle U-locks (8)
• Cypress mulch

10% of American adults consider themselves to be in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse problems, according to a new survey by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).

An estimated 20.5 million people needed but did not receive alcohol or drug treatment in the past year, according to data from a 2010 National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health. According to respondents, the main reason for not receiving treatment was that they were not ready to stop using alcohol or illicit drugs (40.2%). The second most commonly cited reason was because they didn’t have health coverage and couldn’t afford the cost (32.9%).

According to a new SAMHSA study, nearly half of substance abuse treatment admissions for college students were primarily for alcohol use disorders, and the rate of primary alcohol-related treatment admissions is far higher among college students than for non-college students in the same age bracket.

You’ll need 1 or 2 outfits suitable for church &/or outside meetings. We require a collard shirt (dress or polo). Clothes for job hunting & work work, jeans & tee shirts. And you will need 1 or 2 shorts or hanging out clothes. Underware, socks & all personal hygiene items. Shoes: 1 pair of casual or tennis shoes, 1 pair of work shoes & if you want, 1 pair of dress shoes. You will need an alarm clock & it must be one that does NOT play music. If you have it, you may bring a bible.

We provide all bed linen. If you’d like to bring your own pillow, it must be freshly laundered and covered in a zippered cover to prevent bed bugs.

Cell phones are o.k., but are handed in every day at 6pm.

Bikes are a good source of transportation but must have locks.

What NOT to bring

• No drugs or pills of any kind except aspirin, unless you have prior staff approval.
• No Laptops, DVD players, MP3 players, or Ipods.
• No clothes with advertisements of drugs or alcohol.
• No valuables. We will not be responsible.
• No pornographic or suggestive materials (including pictures of wives/girlfriends)
• No body building products.

If you have a question about something in particular, ask the staff prior to bringing it.

1. What is your definition of an addict?

An addict is someone who can choose when they start using, but not when they stop using. (something other than themselves dictates when they stop, for example, they run out of money, pass out, get arrested.)

2. After an addict realizes their problem & seeks help, is it possible to be normal again and not crave their specific addiction?

It is possible to have a normal life but once they cross the imaginary line from dependence to addiction, they can never go back to using the chemical socially again. The cravings will eventually slow down to only once in a great while but never leave them totally.

3. What is the most important thing to focus on during the stages of recovery?

Be “teachable” & honest. And to change people, places and things.

4. Is there an average amount of time you need in order to recover?

Each person is different, but the rule of thumb in the AA big book is not to make any major life decisions for a minimum of 1-2 years.

5. What are the different types of addictions? What sorts of things can a person be addicted to?

Alcohol, drugs, working, spending money, gambling, rage, anger, sex, pornography, etc. (not necessarily in this order).

6. What is your definition of codependency?

It’s the illusion that you can make yourself happy by trying to control people and events outside yourself. A sense of control or the lack of it is central to everything you do and think. Simply by being in a relationship with someone who has an addiction issue, family members are automatically Co-Dependents.

7. How can addiction change a person’s behavior?

It’s like falling in love. When you’re in love with someone you do things that you wouldn’t normally do. Example: you may stop hanging around your friends as much, talk ing on the phone more than you usually do. With addiction we make choices based on getting high, for example we might not have enough money to buy our dope so we use the rent money or we rent our car to the crack dealer who trashes it, at the very least.

8. Before seeking help with an addiction problem, what first must a person realize?

They must realize they are powerless over their addiction. They must ADMIT they have a problem that they need help for.

9. What determines if a person is codependent or not?

A co-dependent is bound and tormented by the way things were in the dysfunctional family of origin. Example: father was an alcoholic, so his daughter becomes a compulsive volunteer.

10. Would you say that, generally, codependency and addiction go hand in hand?

Yes, actually the addict needs someone to take care of them and the co-dependent needs someone to take care of. Also, the second major characteristic of addiction is codependency. Once an addict gets into recovery, then all of his codependency traits rise to the top and then those must be dealt with also.

11. Would you say addiction is a mental desire/habit or more along the lines of a disease?

When you say disease, I take it to mean ‘is addiction a physical thing?’ In that context I believe it is more mental. Example: alcohol is out of your system in 72 hours, cocaine in any form the same, pills have half-lives so it takes longer to leave your system; same with methamphetamines. Once the stimulant is gone, then it is the “stinkin thinkin” that keeps the addict going back.

12. When someone struggles with addiction, what do they usually require?

Some may require detoxification, but all will need to be sick and tired of being sick and tired, and then will need to get in a program that will help them learn to rely on a higher power rather than themselves, and to learn how to make better choices.

**If you have additional questions, feels free to send an email to: info@freshstartministries.com and we will answer your e-mail and post it on our website for others to view.

If you are currently in a Florida State Prison on drug related charges and are soon to be released and you are interested in coming to Fresh Start here are some things you should know:

Overview:

Fresh Start Ministries (FSM) is a twelve month, 60 bed, faith based, residential facility located in Orlando serving males 18 years of age and older since 1986. It is designed to provide professional services for the painful and self-defeating cycle of alcoholism, substance abuse and other life-controlling problems.

The clients live on the property, find and work a full-time job during the day, while receiving classes, counseling and substance abuse recovery in the evenings, five nights per week. Fresh Start is a “faith-based” program designed to help men build a personal relationship with God while receiving help with their recovery process.

Program Design:

• To heal men who are damaged by addiction or other life-controlling problems by implementing a Christ centered 12-Step program. Using the principles of discipleship, FSM introduces the redemptive love of God, thereby producing new attitudes from which generate new functional behaviors.
• Fresh Start also helps the substance abuser treat the consequences of the addiction such as poor health, collapsed finances and damaged relationships.
• Clients will receive curriculum that will help re-align negative character flaws into positive, producing a productive, meaningful life. Many issues & treatments are customized for each man so that their program is targeted to their personal problem areas.
• FSM prepares the client to become a responsible member of society by teaching them a new way of life. Since Fresh Start is a working program it enables the men to build a savings account, which we encourage so that upon graduation they will have the funds necessary for expenses such as rent, utilities or car payments which teaches budgeting and provides a foundation for independent living.

Our residential facility is located in the College Park area of Orlando and houses up to sixty (60) men. The clients live comfortably in a beautiful 17,000 square foot facility.

Admission:

To be considered as a client the inmate must first thoroughly read the rules, regulations and policies of Fresh Start Ministries that is included in the information pamphlet that the Release Officers have available. The inmate needs to state that he fully understands the rules and will adhere to them to the best of his ability. This is a very structured program with high levels of accountability for the purpose of helping a man change.

The next step is then the phone interview; 30 to 45 days prior to release, each inmate needs to contact his classification officer or Chaplin to set up a time that he can have access to the telephone for at least 30 minutes. At this time it will be determined whether or not the inmate will be accepted into the program and whether their will be bed availability at the time of his release. The interview is designed to determine how serious the person is about their recovery and if this program is suited to their needs. Admittance into FSM is based solely upon management’s discretion. FSM has the right to refuse treatment to anyone. However, FSM’s goal is to give help to those who are ready and willing to receive it. However, we do not want to jeopardize other residents who are serious about their program. CALL 407 293-3822 Monday through Friday 8:30 to 4:30.

Program Fee:

In society the cost of maintaining a client in a residential facility can range from $200 to $1,000.00 per day. It costs almost $27,000.00 a year to jail an addict and that does not include any type of treatment. At Fresh Start D.O.C. clients are responsible to pay a program fee of $113.40 per week. The Department of Corrections will supplement the remainder of their program fee. (this rate adjusts up slightly every July)

This fee covers program related counseling, classes and materials. Housing, utilities and meals are also included. The only additional money needed would be for laundry & bus transportation.

The Fresh Start support group meeting targets issues such as addiction, codependency and life management while at the same time helping families build strong support networks. The meeting is a non-threatening enviroment made up of an educational teaching on addiction or co-dependency.

There is no charge for the meeting, however an offering will be accepted. Fresh Start is a non-profit organization helping the addicted community in Orlando since 1986.

If you have a husband or boyfriend in the Fresh Start program, you are REQUIRED to attend these weekly meetings.

All other family members are STRONGLY encouraged to attend. Healing can not be isolated, & family members can learn important topics such as Boundry Setting, Signs & Symptoms to look for when he is on a Build Up to use, Steps for detaching when necessary, Marriage 101, How your life will need to change now that he is changing, and many others.

We hope you will join us as we travel the road of recovery and healing together.

The meeting is Tuesday evenings, 7:30 to 9:00.

Doors open at 7:15.

Due to the sensitive nature, NO children please

Come be a part of our weekly support group meeting at:

FRESH START MINISTRIES

4436 EDGEWATER DRIVE

ORLANDO, FL 32804

or call us for information at 407-293-3822