Reclaim the True You Identity Retreats, Year 1 ~ A Fruitful Harvest
It began as a dream when my husband, Bill and I, first toured our future home in October, 2011, before moving to Santa Rosa in 2012. As we stood in the Great Room gazing out at the mesmerizing view of Annadel Mountain behind the house, I sensed the Lord say, “I want you to do retreats here.”
A New Vehicle for the Identity Message
It was quite a word because at the time I was leading a ministry that scanned four continents and kept me overly busy. I knew, however, the identity message the Lord had given me that year, click here, was vitally important for God’s children, and wondered if perhaps he wanted me to lead retreats with an identity theme. I shelved the thought for later as we were very focused on our relocation from Seattle, WA to Santa Rosa, CA.
I still remember the August day I was awakened at 4 a.m. with a call to get up and listen to the Lord’s direction. As I settled into a place of connection with Jesus, he began to reveal to me his dream for the Reclaim Identity Retreats I was to hold in our home.
A New Partner for the Identity Message
He showed me that Jewell Sedgwick was to be my partner as she was a perfect complement to my gifts through her gourmet cooking and worship leadership. We were to build a team of people who were focused on undergirding the identity message through their unique gifts. Further, we were to celebrate our Heavenly Father’s goodness as we showered the retreat participants with delicious healthy food, Sonoma County wine, and opportunities for healing massage with Jewell. Finally, we were to provide open space in the retreat schedule so people could rest, reflect and enjoy the beautiful property upon which God had generously given us to live.
Our 10:02 Prayers
Jewell and I began to pray each day at 10:02 for the Lord to provide a way for her to participate as she needed to work and was searching for a job. We knew the retreats had to be during the week as my husband Bill commutes for his job and is home on the weekends. We prayed at 10:02 because Jesus commands us in Luke 10:2 to pray for the harvesters; so we were obediently praying that we would have the opportunity to become harvesters through the Reclaim Identity Retreats.
Amazingly, after two weeks of praying, Jewell shared that she had found a job as a gourmet chef for a couple who came to their estate in Napa on weekends, and the days off were Monday through Thursday—exactly the days we needed to lead the retreats. We kept praying, and within a few weeks, she was offered the job!
Our First Season of Harvest
We kept praying as we reminded our Heavenly Father these retreats were “his dream” and our trust in his provision began to grow! We chose to do pilot retreats in January and April 2013. God brought just the right people to both retreats. When they were over, we knew our Heavenly Father was up to something really important. Since January of last year, God has brought a harvest of six Reclaim Identity Retreats to this fertile property. Two more are scheduled this spring: March 25-27 and April 29-May 1st.
Momentum has also been building for the launch of Reclaim the True You Part 2: Reposition Identity Retreat, this week. Part 2 is for those who have completed the first Reclaim Identity Retreat. Forty percent of those first year retreat graduates are returning to embrace their invitation to partner with the King of the Universe for the redemption of all creation.
With More to Come
Watch for my upcoming posts for glimpses of how these retreats are showered with God’s provision, his presence, and his power to experience kingdom breakthrough. In the meantime, take a moment to go to the www.reclaimthetrueyou.com website and find out more, along with numerous pictures highlighting the retreat venue and team, as well as the retreats!
Oh, I need to go now, it’s 10:02 and my alarm just rang for us to pray for the harvest!