Hey my friends why am I writing about a retreat that happened 4 years ago? Well..the weird thing is that is happened almost to the day 4 years ago and somehow what I am about to write may help someone who is hurting and someone who may need help now!...This was a fabulous retreat that saved me and made me see things that I never did see before..I hope you all read it and understand that it was important and it could be important to someone else...
Womans Retreat April 22-24 2005
"Praise God! What a weekend! This was MY retreat!! I met the Lord! Through all the hardships that I have encountered, through all the prophetic words, whether I was struggling daily weekly or yearly..the Lord Jesus Christ told me this weekend that I was HIS!!
I know I always had been HIS, but I've been a failure and have been forgiven, I've made mistakes but knew they would be fewer and fewer. This time was different..(the retreat)..my generational curses have been healed!! My heavenly Father has seen my tears and counted each one, I was a little girl whose heart was like an onion with each layer being peeled until the core was reached..I was the one in the forest crying out..being lost and finding both my earthly and heavenly Father.
I remember also having a prophetic word about how my life was going to be majorly changed and the Lord was going to show himself in such a real way, what wonderful words..yet all were said 7 to 10 years ago (that would be 1995-1998). God's timing is not ours!!
Each time I felt like I was going through a miraculous change the Lord was only pruning me for the future. So I want to write down as much detail that I can remember for this weekend (April '05) Lets start with Friday night. I was tired and noticed a couple of the Spanish worship singers were on the microphone. So the enemy was tugging on my heart..boy was I pissed!! I should of been there not them~
Mireal Johnson-Sandbo was introduced as our speaker. The woman who introduced her said "This special woman grew up in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, NY...I immediately knew something was up.. I GREW UP IN BROOKLYN. She then got up and started the usual sessions..one thing I noticed was that she had a tendancy to get on a lesson and drifted off, but always came back. She then started speaking about how she gave her bicycle, as a 5 year old, to an older gentleman whose name was "Mr Kyvik". Mr Kyvik that was a guy I grew up with from Bklyn who was his great, grandfather!! My ears shot open!..she then said"in a church named Salem Gospel Tabernacle"! Did God ordain this weekend or what! Each thing she said related back to my Dad, my past and the church I adored..I approached her adn she immediately knew my family, my Mom and Dad and of course me and my sisters growing up in NY...I started running around the retreat and telling everyone, "she was talking about MY church!!
Well, that was Friday night so lets skip to Saturday afternoon. The lesson was on Genesis 12:24 about Abram, Sari, Haggi, Ishmael and Rebekkah. She spoke on how Abram slept with Haggai and how Sari became so angry with her and Haggai basically felt like "Hey what did I do, you wanted me to sleep with your husband so he would have a son"!! She was being loyal to her master..Because of all of this and the son no one wanted, there was generational problems. Ismael is Sudan Hussan 16 descendants back Grandfather!! (well now he was..Sudan Hussan..)
And then out of the blue, it was the Lord, she said "There was never a more loyal woman in Salem that I ever met than Jean Smith (my Mother), who put up with emotional abuse from a man, Malcolm (my Father)..She then looked at me and said "oh sweetie what you all endured, Honey where are you now, do you remember when I took you and your sisters shopping?" I was grinning from ear to ear. At this point in my life I needed her and she didn't know it. After all of this at a break she said to me, "Honey please forgive me, but you were hurt by your Dad, weren't you?" I nodded and said Yes..and then..after the break she said.."I want all of us to pray for Donna...Lord may all the pain and hurt she has gone through be gone in your name and all the the generational curse's be healed"
I know more was said because I was incomplete awe and knew Jesus was in the midst of this meeting..She said to me privately, "I hope you forgive me for saying all that about your Dad". Forgive you!! I am being healed!! Healed and released of all my hurt and pain from my Past abuses! I will no longer be crawling and falling but I will be working, holding my head high and knowing every thing I make will be done because Jesus allowed me to have a present and a future..of course I cried and told her about my pain and hurt. The Lord began a healing in me right then and there. After the afternoon was over I felt like a new woman..like the first time meeting the Lord. I felt alive, in love with Christ and on longer afraid of the world. Satan was defeated at the cross and he is a liar!! Jesus is alive in me!!
To come to an end to this retreat 4 years ago I want to tell you what she said in her sermon.
"It was a continuation of Abraham, Sara, Lot, Issac and Rebekkah. This I concentrated on hearing her through all the stories intertwined with Genesis. When she got to Rebekkah and the camels she had to feed at the well, I knew I wanted to be like Rebekkah. A woman who was asked by Lots servant, "Can I have a drink? She not only fed the servant but according to history, she gave gallons of water to the camels as well as cleaned them. The question to us was..are we willing to do things with no agenda!! If we think about it do we ever do things without a reward?!
People in church love to volunteer for things such as worship, childrens church, etc. and all of a a sudden if the Pastor doesn't give them a "hand" or some sort of attention, they quit!! We have to do all things, whether in church or out of it (in the world), without an agenda. If we are a light in our jobs, at home or at church, then we will glorify the Lord and that pleases Him..so much!! Isn't that what it's all about in this life!? ONLY TO GLORIFY HIS NAME!!?? YES!!!!
I could go on and on and I do have about 3 more pages..but ladies I want you to read this with understanding and realizing we all have the same issues but different times..I have to re read this over and over. I felt that someone really needed to read this and I truly hope the Lord brings it to light for someone or many..Praise God for His Mercy..and Praise Him for His healing on my Life and many others..
Love Donna
p.s. if you want the rest please ask and I will be happy to finish..
9 comments:
Praise GOD! What an awesome testimony so far! I am planning on going to a retreat in June in Clearwater and I can't wait. I feel that GOD is going to move mightily and like never before. I will like to hear more about your experience. Thanks for sharing. I, too, am still healing from past hurts. I too am still like an onion with layers and layers of pain being peeled off. Yet GOD is good all the time. Your story truly touched me. Thank you for posting.
Donna,
I just love stories like this when God brings the pieces of a puzzle together to "work it out" in his timing!!! Thank you so much for sharing your stories and what God is doing in your life. You encourage me!
Kim from Pa
Wow, Donna. Retreat are always wonderful and inlightening but this one for you was....out of this world. Did you know who this lady was when she was introduced? I noticed that she said she took you and your sister shopping. I bet you were just floored when she mentioned your mom and dad's name. I mean to mention your town, then church, then specifically name your parents. What a holy moment you must've had!!!!!
If the rest of the weekend was like this, yeall bring it on. I like the transforming power that takes place during retreats.
Good to hear praise, healing, and rejoicing from your heart and spirit!!
Paula
What a wonderful testimony. I, too, would love to hear the "rest of the story" (as Paul Harvey used to say). This gives me encouragement. I have had 5 neck surgeries in the past (a rod was put in during the fifth surgery). I was given Demarol because the pain (according to my husband, I have no recollection of any pain, praise God) was so severe. I immediately stopped breathing, but was brought back and sent to ICU.
I had to quit work and one day while helping a lady at church, I asked what she thought about a card ministry. Our church is very large and I felt maybe some people were falling through the cracks. God gave me a wonderful card ministry which I did for about 6 years until May of 2007. I had to have back surgery and 3 rods were put in. Again I felt no pain, (morphine sends me in another world) and remembered things as I thought they were. Again I was given the same medicine and my niece noticed I was not breathing and my lips were turning blue, but again God spared my life. (All my doctors now know not to give me this medicine every again.) It has been almost a year and I'm still not totally recovered (the dr. said it could take that long). The things is I lost my passion for the card ministry. I did my own cards with God's help. I'm not a writer but He always gave me something to put in the cards and pictures that went with them. It was really awesome. But I feel there is something else He wants me to do but I'm not sure what it is, maybe the blog I've started. Also we had a 3 pm service at our church for Senior Adults which was really great, but the Senior Pastor has stopped it and my husband and I have not been back to the "big" church. God is working in our lives. This Bible study has been so awesome and helpful for me. If you will include us in your prayers, I would appreciate it. I know we need to be in church but just haven't found one. Part of the problem has been my recovery from the back surgery. Jesus is my source of strength and I am confident He will guide us to the right church.
Thanks, you have been a blessing throughout this study to me and I'm sure to a lot of others.
AliceE.
Dear Latonya, Kim, Paula and Alice
First thank you again for blessing me daily with your visits and reading my words. I found these notes last night and God was just tugging at my heart to write them, I am so blessed that you all feel they too were good to write down..even after 3 years have gone by..I put 4 but I know it's 3 :)
Latonya, thank you so much for relating to your heart been pulled like an onion, because you know how it feels to be having the Lord working on you like that and just having all that crap coming out of your life! Kim thank you for telling me that I encourage you..it is truly the Lord..Paula amazingly enough I had no clue who this woman was before she was introduced..I wasn't just floored I felt like I was the only person in the room and that God ordained this moment just for me..to this day I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that April 22 05 was my night and you couldn't of said anything different :) And Alice I remember when you told me about your surgery because of my husband being on methadone for his pain..I feel for you because I know that when you are able to do something and then all of a sudden your life is turned upside down..I go through it daily with Mike. I will pray for you to find a "big" church and that God will plant it right exactly where and what He wants you to do there. I know you are not discouraged because I truly too believe that your blog is reaching others also.
We all have to stick together and encourage one another just as I was 3 years ago. We may get down but just like Dr. Stanley said last week in church..God doesn't want us to live for Him on feelings..when we do that then we are not serving Him because we only want what we feel. Believe you and me I have to stop myself many times from just "feelings". Thats why we always say, "He's not done working on us.."
I Love You All..the next posting I will finish the story and it gets even better with a woman I touched that weekend too :)
Donna
Hi Donna,
What a truly wonderful & blest experience for you! I am eagerly awaiting to read about the remainder of your weekend.
You and your family are in my prayers, and I am praying for fulfillment and peace with your job.
God bless you and the work you our doing reaching out to others as you are.
Your Sister in Christ,
Karyl ~ Bonners Ferry, ID
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Donna, Thanks for your words of encouragement and prayers and please forgive me for repeating what I had already told you. I'm at that age when I can't remember what I've said to who. I finally put what I call My Family Legacy on my blog today. I hope you will stop by and read it.
I am a little concerned that Rachel has not gotten back with us. Maybe we just need to band together and say a prayer for her. She does a lot of ministry along with other things in her life.
Thanks again,
AliceE.
Donna,
What an awesone testimony. I love how God uses differnt people to help us heal. Have you had a chance to stop by my blog? Let me know what oyu think.
God Bless you.
Tommie
Donna,
What a wonderful testimony of how much God pursues us to show us and convince us that He loves us so very much. Your story brought up a beautiful memory for me that I wrote about this evening. Thank you for your inspiring stories of God working in your life.
Katrina
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