Tail of the dragon – Not too far from Covemont. – Google Images

Winston Churchill is noted to have said that “success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” Should that be true, then my story could be a reflection of that maxim.  This is neither the place or the method to share my full journey, but suffice it to say life has been a series of outward successes mixed with an assortment of inner struggles and failures. This has created a tapestry which frames the backdrop for everything that The Retreat At Covemont is growing to represent. 

Several years ago now, my life came to a screeching halt. The world came crashing down, and the house of cards I created, laid strewn about with people I love in the wake of the aftermath. In the midst of that journey I came to discover, by the grace of God,  something I had long been told but never seemed to learn. You cannot depend solely on yourself or your own wisdom and expect to succeed in life. This was one of a thousand lessons that awaited me during that season and has played a significant role in how this place came to be. I was completely broken, homeless, and at the mercy of others. I was forced to depend on God and others in a way I never had before. Their kindness and example served to inspire this vision and to them I am deeply indebted. As you may imagine it was humbling and humiliating. In all of that, I was given the gift of love, acceptance, and hope of restoration in a way I had not experienced before. 

About a year or so into that journey I was laying in a hotel bed in a rough neighborhood in Jackson, Mississippi and the idea was born to have a place where people (especially men) can experience healing. The overwhelming  gratitude for how I was helped by people was guiding my steps forward. I determined that I wanted to do something about it when the time arrived. At that point I started looking to my life-long dream of owning a home in the mountains. About that time I discovered the beauty of Wears Valley, Tennessee. 

With the help of some newly found friends, I grew to not only admire the beauty of this valley but the untold beauty of the people that live here. I made friends, learned the area, and discovered another very real and present truth. Real Estate in this area is VERY hard to come by, and in 2021 prices were rising beyond my reach. One day in the early spring my phone rang, and it all changed. There was a property coming for sale that had been a rental property, and the owner was needing to liquidate it. I made an offer, not sure if I would get it, and well.. it was accepted. 

Two and a half years of wandering this long and winding road of recovery and restoration, I now had a home to begin to pay it forward. A time to invest in a community and beyond, and have an impact on others for many years. Here is just a taste of what is to come.