by sherricrandall | Dec 3, 2017 | General
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son”
John 1:14, NIV
December has arrived and today is the first Sunday of the month, which means it is Advent time. The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”. We soon will be celebrating the fact that Jesus came, born unto the virgin Mary, placed in a manger. He came – Emmanuel – Christmas ! He will one day come again! It is this season around the world that has Christians thinking about Jesus and who He is in our lives.
While Advent is certainly a time of celebration and anticipation of Christ’s birth, it is more than that. It is about taking the time to prepare our hearts for the true meaning of Christmas.
When my kiddos were little we tried to impart the true meaning of Christmas by talking about who Jesus is. My favorite was the kid friendly nativity set they would play with and we would act out the Christmas story, always one of the kids fighting over who could hold the baby Jesus. Those little figurines were well loved and played with until the year the dog ate Joseph and Mary, then we had to retire the set. We created Advent wreaths and lit the purple and pink candles, took turns praying for each other, our friends and neighbors, and people around the world. Trying to bring meaning to the words hope, peace, joy, and love. We also had the chocolate calendars which probably were their favorite because who doesn’t like a piece of chocolate to go with their breakfast.
Now my kids are teenagers and young adults but I still want to have those important conversations with them. Who is Jesus to you? There are many great Advent devotions online or books to share that can help us with this question. This year, I have a beautiful Advent devotion I will be reading and sharing with my family and I am going to keep it simple and create an Advent wreath. I must say I was tempted by my Pinterest search to go all out crazy but then I find myself back in the trap of preparing my home, the food, the gifts and gatherings more than preparing my heart.
A little history about this wreath… Ancient northern Europeans would light candles on a circle of greens in the dead of dark winter to symbolize ongoing life. The lit candles were a reminder of spring and the coming of lighter days ahead. By the 16th century Christians had adopted this wreath and used it as a symbol much as we do today. There are four candles on the advent wreath, three purple and one pink. The purple candles, are lit on weeks one, two and four – they symbolize hope, peace and love. The pink candle, lit on week three, symbolizes joy. Each week as Christians prepare for the coming of Christmas they ponder on and pray for hope, peace, joy and love! We always put a large white candle in the center to light on Christmas Eve as we put the baby Jesus in the manager of the nativity set. Advent – it is the fulfilled promise that Christ came and the unfulfilled promise that He will return again.
So many ways to ponder and prepare. My encouragement to you would be to keep it simple. Focus on Jesus this Advent season and find ways your family can show the love of Jesus by bringing hope, peace, joy and love into your little corner of the world. By doing so we appreciate the miracle of Christmas and the depth of God’s love for each of us.
Blessings !
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Nov 23, 2017 | General
This Thanksgiving…
This past week has been difficult. As the new Global Ministry Director for MOPS International, I have the privilege of interacting with moms all over the world. I spend most days communicating with moms via email, Facebook, FaceTime calls, all things tech to keep us connected. It has been exciting and I love learning about the different cultures and challenges that moms face in different countries. Even though our countries are different, motherhood is our common language. So it was shocking when I received an email that told me our new group in Rwanda had experienced a terrible tragedy.
MOPS recently began in Rwanda and these ladies were new to the MOPS sisterhood. Last week there was terrible flooding in Rwanda and while the group was meeting their building was washed away, killing 5 moms and hospitalizing 11, many of whom remain in critical condition. There are many small children who have lost their moms. Over 40 children affected by this tragedy. Some are now orphans and some are waiting for their moms to come home from the hospital. Husbands, family members, and a community grieving for the loss of their beloved.
The honest questions that arise in the hours of tragedy, the most prevailing always being – why? This side of heaven I am not sure we will ever really know the answers to all the times we utter, cry or shout – why? Trust and faith in a God who I believe is good and who is loving is what I cling to today. The answer of trust is simple but the application is hard.
Within minutes of making this profoundly sad announcement to our MOPS community, we had an outpouring of love, prayer, and offerings to help from women who never will step foot in Rwanda. The witness of this generous love was amazing and when the Rwandan families read them they were overwhelmed with love. The sting of grief will always feels lighter when you sense others will help carry the burden. Their emails to me were of thankfulness for this covering of prayer and love.
I have spent the evening preparing for my family’s Thanksgiving celebration. I admit I have had feelings of guilt that I will be surrounded by my loved ones, feasting, while others around the world; especially my friends in Rwanda will awaken to another day of grief and hardship.
I plan to honor these women tomorrow with prayer and with the ways I show I am thankful for what I do have. Loving my family well because none of us know for certain how long our time on earth will be. Tomorrow I will focus on what the T A B L E represents to me.
T – I will take the time to be intentional with each person at the Thanksgiving table. Taking time to interact and love on those around me.
A – I will ask questions that show that I am genuinely interested in what is going on in their lives.
B – I will be more interested than interesting – this definitely reinforces the first two and is a good reminder not to monopolize the conversation.
L – I will laugh and listen – There is nothing better than laughter . Sharing old stories , recalling childhood memories or learning about new friends. Laughter is good for the soul.
E – I will enjoy myself, and my family and friends – thankful for another day !
This Thanksgiving, I pray that my gratitude will be rooted in the character and nature of who God is more than my ever-changing circumstances—and this is my prayer for you too. And in our gratitude may our lives be a bright light declaring to others our thankfulness to the Lord!
Sending prayers to Rwanda this Thanksgiving –
Love and God Bless –
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Nov 6, 2017 | General, Uncategorized
Today is the day I launch my new website! sherricrandall.com… All things faith, family, and hospitality
I want to especially thank Mike Ruman and Danni Hauer for the beautiful design and functionality of this site – you both are incredibly talented. Thank you!
You will notice that I have listed a new job and that too is exciting news! Beginning January 8th, I will be the Global Ministry Director for MOPS International. I am beyond grateful and excited to start this new position with MOPS and look forward to working with the global leaders around the world impacting and empowering moms in the name of Jesus.
It is not easy saying goodbye to Mission Hills Church where I have spent the last 10 years on the Women’s Ministry Team. It has truly been an honor to serve the women of Mission Hills. I love you all so much! I am so blessed to have worked with a staff who truly are like family to me. My family will still be attending Mission Hills and we are excited to be part of all that God is doing through MHC.
Thanks for your support everyone, I look forward to connecting with you all here on the website.
Blessings !
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Nov 2, 2017 | General, Recipes
Every season has its special beauty and autumn is no exception. Watching the trees turn from a uniform green to all the varieties of gold, yellow, orange and red is always breathtaking. In Colorado the changing of the Aspen trees draws visitors from all around the world. With all this beauty there is a certain sadness in knowing that the changing colors foreshadow the arrival of a long cold winter.
Until then I will enjoy all that fall has to offer. My favorite fall recipe is a Pumpkin Cake that my friend Mary shared with me years ago. I’d like to share it with you.
The aroma of pumpkin and cinnamon baking in your oven is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Cake
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 C. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 C. flour
1 15 oz. can of Libby’s pumpkin
Beat eggs with a mixer, add sugar and oil. Stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add this dry spice mixture to the pumpkin then mix all ingredients together.
Bake in a well greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45- 50 minutes.
by sherricrandall | Aug 31, 2017 | General
Why I Blog…
I have always loved words. I devoured books as a young girl, never having enough time to read all the books I would check out from the library – stacks and stacks of books. I also enjoyed writing and I can remember my 5th grade teacher telling me I had the gift of story telling. I continued to do well in English and even had some poetry and short stories published in high school.
Fast forward through college and marriage and four children and the reader and most definitely the writer in me was placed high upon the shelf. Of course I made suggestions on the papers my kids wrote and are still writing in school but I didn’t take my own writing ability seriously. That is until a few years ago.
As the Women’s Ministry Director at my church, I enjoy the opportunities I have been given to speak to various groups and those opportunities have expanded my writing as well, especially the last five years. I began having people ask if they could get a copy of what I was speaking about which got me thinking about blogging. I started writing a blog called Encouraging Hearts. To be honest I was worried that maybe only my mom, sister, and best friend would read it. Self doubt reigned supreme. Much to my surprise people are actually reading this blog and I am getting e-mail responses thanking me for sharing stories. I have received messages from women in other countries telling me they could relate my experience to their own and it feels like writing this blog has acted in some small way as a chance for me to engage with women and their life stories, making this vast world seem a little smaller for all of us. There is so much division in our world today and to see my life experience resonate with others gives me hope that we are all more alike than we are different. So I began guest writing for other blogs and was picked up by online magazines which little by little has encouraged me to keep typing on my keyboard. I could not have pursued this without the encouragement from my sweet husband and kids, my family, my awesome girlfriends, amazing colleagues, other writing friends, and those of you who have written those notes of connection and encouragement.
I find myself today kicking off the new blog site and excited to share with you stories from my life. This blog is comprised of my life pondering, a christian perspective on my faith,family and hospitality. Those words sum up how I invest my time. I realize my opinions are just that, my opinions and therefore I know not always will we agree but I love wrestling with those gray areas of life and hope my site will inspire you to do the same. There is so much in this amazing world to be curious about.
I also acknowledge there are many websites,blogs,and articles to read so I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this one. Best to you as you pursue your own life story. God willing, we each have many more chapters to write.
Blessings!
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Aug 30, 2017 | General
A Travel Log – MOPS Guatemala
Day 1
I boarded my flight at the Denver International airport which took me to Houston and then to my final destination of Guatemala. It was a beautiful summer day with a typical bright Colorado blue sky. Anticipation for me was high.
As the plane took off, I was sitting next to a sweet mom and her little boys who literally squealed like they were on a roller coaster and began cheering loudly as we ascended into the sky. Their giggles were fun and contagious. It was obvious this was their first time flying and their mom confirmed they had been excited for this moment for weeks. They slept most of the flight and awakened in time for the descent which they approached with equal enthusiasm, clapping and laughing as they landed. They were so excited to see their family they had never met in Guatemala. My friend Christie and I shared in the joy and left the plane excited to see our friends too.
We were met with hugs and love from our dear friend Monica, who is our global ministry partner for MOPS in Latin America. As we were exiting the terminal we saw the sweet family from the plane being greeted by what looked to be a whole village of people. Some dressed in traditional Mayan clothing bearing treasures of flowers, balloons and gifts. Those little boys were being smothered in hugs and kisses and I loved this start to our time in beautiful Guatemala.
We were welcomed into Monica’s home with such hospitality. Her two kiddos gave up their rooms for Christie and I to stay and we were showered with beautiful gifts of flowers, coffee, and treats from Guatemala. White chocolate covered coffee beans topping the list.
Day 2
Up early and off to the mountains where we climbed a volcano. Guatemala is a country with beautiful scenery and volcanos both active and inactive dot the landscape. We climbed Volcano de Pacaya. The day was overcast yet the views were still breathtaking. I felt challenged by the physical climb but also challenged by the freedom I felt as I took in the scenery around me. God’s creation is overwhelming at times. Often in my busy American life I don’t take the time to really look at the beauty around me and I live in the beautiful state of Colorado. I vowed to make time to notice.
Evening came and I had the honor of speaking at a local church in Guatemala City. I joined them for a special Women’s event focusing on kindness. This church is doing great things in their community. Monica’s parents are the pastors and it was a very special evening. I was struck by how similar this event was to ones we put on in our church in Denver. The nuances of women felt very universal this evening complete with saving seats for friends and excitement over fun door prizes and yummy food. For me I was again amazed to hear women of all ages share their stories of bravery and trust in God. Their commitment to showing kindness to the world. I was given a beautiful pair of pearl earrings as a gift,a treasure I will keep to remind me of this very special evening.
Day 3
Speaking to a group of pastors from around Guatemala and sharing with them the vision and strategy of MOPS. One pastor and his wife rode on a bus for four hours to get to this meeting. They took pages of notes and were very inquisitive about the MOPS ministry. It was so great to have the opportunity to talk with them. They left that morning excited about MOPS and what partnering with this ministry could bring to the moms in the villages of Guatemala.
Next stop was the venue where the leadership summit would take place. Christie and I rolled up our sleeves and easily resumed the roles we perform in Colorado. Christie diligently setting the tables perfectly and I creating floral arrangements. We transformed the event center into a beautiful and inviting room. It was so fun to work alongside our ministry partners in Guatemala.
The evening brought us back to Monica’s home and a wonderful dinner with the leaders of MOPS Guatemala. Each lady brought a dish that they are famous for. Such a fun way to say “pot luck”. Each dish was so delicious and the conversation was incredible as they shared their hopes and dreams of what MOPS meant to them and how they wanted to be involved in the future. Tears and laughter, hopes and prayers were shared. I slept so well that night.
Day 4
The Event
All of the months of preparing and praying and today was the day. A great crowd of leaders joined us for this incredible day of dreaming and learning. I was so impressed with the speakers I shared the stage with and impressed with the leaders in the audience who were diligently taking notes and interacting with each other and those of us who were teaching.
As I finished the day, a sweet young woman approached me with a hand written note of thanks and talked about a part of the talk I gave and how it spoke to her heart. I was overwhelmed by her kindness to me but also to God because the part of the story she was referring to I had been stuck on during my preparation time. I remember sitting on my back patio and asking God to help me think of stories that I could share that could easily be translated into Spanish and also that would be impactful. A story was brought to mind and that was the story that spoke to her heart. We serve an amazing God!
Another highlight for me from this day was when Monica asked each leader to write her dream for MOPS on a piece of paper. They were then instructed to pin it on a message board and then we prayed over them. I took a picture of this board and to most it would just look like pieces of paper pinned to a message board but for me it signified the hopes and dreams of a nation, of women who believe with all their hearts that better moms make a better world.
We celebrated the success of the last few days with chips and guacamole.
Day 5
Always hard to say goodbye to those you love. I am so thankful God placed Monica in my life and that we are able to partner in ministry together. MOPS is growing and flourishing in Latin America. Truly a privilege to be a part of it all.
Homeward bound!
