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!
by sherricrandall | Jun 13, 2017 | General
Welcome Lori Wildenberg as our guest blogger today…
37 Cents Worth of Trust by Lori Wildenberg
What is God teaching you this year? What would be your one word?”
My friend Elsa posed this question to Lindy, Suanne, and me over salads at The Cow Restaurant in the cute little Colorado mountain town of Morrison. At first I couldn’t come up with anything. Then God popped the image of 37 pennies into my head.
“Trust, that’s my word, that’s what God is teaching me.”
Recently I have been wrestling with waiting on God. When I wait, my trust beings to waver and fear seeps in. It is so much easier to trust when being still isn’t involved in the process.
When I walk Murphy, my rust colored labradoodle –with blond highlights (some may say grey fur), I talk with God. I lament, I give thanks, and I petition. Sometimes my mom prayer sounds like this, “Come on God, enough. No more still small voice. Let’s get this going.”
I know… not very spiritual. But the God of the Universe isn’t hurt or offended by my words because He knows my mother’s heart.
As Murphy and I began our daily walk one Thursday morning, I noticed a penny as we crossed from the concrete driveway to the blacktop street. My son Jake would not have passed it by; he would have picked it up. My friend Pam would have retrieved it and pondered its message, “In God we trust.” I thought about the preciousness of that copper coin as Murphy and I made our way down to the lake. I decided I needed to pocket that penny on the return route.
God was reminding me to trust Him.
As we got to the edge of the driveway, I bent down to retrieve the penny. I noticed there was a second one about five inches away. I grabbed that one, too. Then I saw a few more. I picked up each one. Oh my goodness, there were 37 pennies scattered in front of my driveway.
I was convinced there was something significant about the number 37. I decided to check and see how many times trust is written about in the Bible. In the NIV it is mentioned 38 times. I went out to find the 38th penny. It wasn’t there.
I told my prayer partner Vicki about the pennies. She said, “Do you know what my favorite psalm is? It’s Psalm 37.” I looked it up. The psalm is all about trusting God in the struggle. Hmm.
Tom and I attended church on Saturday evening last week. The sermon series has been on 1 Corinthians. Last week our pastor tackled 1 Corinthians 11—a timely message for a culture debating sexual identity and bathroom choices.
A good portion of the sermon was on gender roles and appearance. My oldest daughter, a young adult, has gender identity confusion. She was going to be attending church on Sunday.
Do I want my daughter to embrace her femininity, to feel comfortable in her womanhood? Yes, of course. And do I want my kid to get hurt. No, of course not.
Tom and I ping-ponged, “Should we warn her?”
Fear was crowding out trust. “What if she never comes back to church?”
Trust. Can I trust God 37 cents worth?
Tom and I decided to let faith win over fear. I struggled mightily over this. It went against my mama bear protective instincts. I had to recall God’s great love for my child (bigger than mine) and God’s knowledge of her (deeper than mine). I needed to remember who my God is: faithful, good, all knowing, ever present, all powerful.
I cried a big ugly cry. (A really ugly cry.)
Sunday night Tom asked Courtney how she felt during the sermon.
“To be honest it was really hard.” Tears filled her eyes. Ohhh. Ohhh my mom heart.
“I’m so proud of you for staying and listening. You are so brave. Why didn’t you get up and walk out?”
“Nick was preaching from the Bible. He wasn’t stating his opinion, just God’s word. He said his message in love.”
Truth and love for Courtney.
Trust and faith for me.
God is working in both Courtney and me.
And when I struggle with trust, I now ask myself, “Can I trust God 37 cents worth?”
Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him.
Psalm 37:3-7
Lori Wildenberg is passionate about helping families build connections that last a life time. She is a licensed parent-family educator and co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting. She has written 4 parenting books with Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home published by New Hope as her most recent. She is a parent consultant, national speaker, and lead Mentor Mom over at the Moms Together Facebook Community Page. Lori is a contributor to a number of on-line magazines. Every Monday you can find her blogging about faith and family at loriwildenberg.blogspot.com . Mostly, Lori is wife to Tom and mom of four. The Wildenbergs home is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. A perfect day in Lori’s world is a hike with her hubby, four kids plus a daughter-in-love, and Murphy the family labradoodle. Connect with Lori at www.loriwildenberg.com
Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Journey-Grace-Truth-Prodigal/dp/1625915233/
Book blurb: Messy Journey is for parents walking the difficult road with a wayward child. Be inspired to drink the deep waters of peace as you draw closer to the Father of all prodigals. Author and licensed parent and family educator Lori Wildenberg offers practical grace- and truth-filled ways of navigating your relationship with a detoured child whether they are rejecting faith, dabbling in sin, or wholeheartedly embracing sinful behavior. There is hope. After all, their struggle isn’t really with you, it’s with God.
by sherricrandall | Jun 6, 2017 | General
Saying Goodbye To Cody
I remember walking into my house one Saturday afternoon after being at work all day and being welcomed by the cutest puppy I had ever seen. A beautiful yellow lab with oversized feet and an abundance of energy came clamoring to greet me and smother me in kisses – it was love at first sight.
I must admit I was holding out on the whole dog thing because I already had four kiddos and wasn’t sure we were up for the responsibility of a dog. I was afraid after the cuteness wore off I would be the one stuck with all the canine duties. I had reluctantly said yes to my husband taking the kids that day to “look” at the puppies after my son Spencer had written a very long letter pleading his case to be a dog owner. How can you say no to a kid who lists, I have great grades and I love Jesus, as part of his qualifications for being responsible.
We quickly were all about the puppy and he became a part of everything we did. He was an AKC registered dog and so we had to come up with a fitting name… “Sir Cody of the Ranch” was our choice and it fit him well.
The puppy stage really doesn’t last that long and soon we were all in our daily rhythms of taking the dog for a walk, feeding him, and snuggling on the couch. Yes the newness wore off and yes I primarily was in charge of the daily duties but I never really complained because Cody had become my buddy. First to greet me as I walked down the stairs in the morning and last to say goodnight to.
Cody was our protector. After a cancer diagnosis I faced a lot of surgeries and he would personally escort me to the bathroom, wait for me outside the door, and walk alongside me as I shuffled back to bed. He laid at the foot of my bed all day until I recovered and could walk with him outside again. He did the same for the many surgeries that came with having an athletic bunch for human companions. He never missed a slumber party, having to sleep right in the middle of all the kids. I always felt safe and protected when he was around.
He whined at the bedroom door of our sons empty rooms when they left for college and ran out the door to greet them when they returned. I swear he shared my emotions on that. Missing them and rejoicing when they came home. Now we are the ones that are missing him.
Those of us who love dogs, and choose to share our lives with them, must face the unfortunate fact that a dog’s life span is shorter than a human’s. Loss is an inevitable part of the human-dog relationship. There is much research that shows not only do dogs add character to the family but they can also help you relax, ease anxiety, boost self-esteem and can help a child’s social development. Cody was all that and so much more. He was one of us.
The loss of Cody was deep for all of us. I struggle for sure with missing him. For me the loss of our dog also signaled the end of an era. My boys are grown and off to college, my daughter is driving and fully immersed in all things high school. Our family dynamics are changing. Excited for the new adventures ahead and thankful we shared the journey of raising our kids with an incredible furry friend. Cody lived an awesome 15 years. I am thankful God is so creative in his design that He gave us dogs to share our lives with. RIP my sweet Cody B!!
Genesis 1:31a ESV
And God saw everything he made, and behold, it was very good.
by sherricrandall | May 22, 2017 | General
Love in Action…
Each year my church assembles teams and goes out into our community to do service projects. We call it – Love In Action. I signed up this year to help clean up landscaping at a mobile home park near our church.
In years past I have served with my family and friends and we happily went about our day cleaning up school yards, painting old buildings and passing out food. Today was different, today I met a friend.
Our project time started out as usual, me standing with my friends listening to instructions and ready to do some serious work. I gathered with a small group and we quickly began planting small shrubs and flowers as we listened to music and chatted. We finished our area and I went searching for the rest of my friends. They were finishing up cleaning out a gutter for a resident. I began talking and asked if I could do anything else to help her. She politely said, “no, I think I am good.” I offered to pick the weeds in her flower beds. She was hesitant and I assured her I knew the difference between a weed and a flower. She smiled and agreed to my assistance.
Soon my group left for the next home but I stayed behind to keep weeding the garden. For those of you who know me, you know it wasn’t long before I was deep in small talk with the owner of this house. Small talk about the recent snow storm, what we both did at our jobs, how pretty the yellow iris are in her front yard. I could tell she was shy and so I kept pulling weeds and all the grass that was trying to take over her flower bed and kept my chatter to a minimum. Soon she started asking me questions. Why did we want to help strangers? What kind of church were we from? Do we do this a lot? She was amazed I wanted nothing in return.
I found out her name and that she lives alone. She learned to garden from her Dad. She moved to this area to help her sister who had breast cancer. No more small talk. She joined me in the weeding effort. After two hours of work she asked me to come out back so she could show me more flowers. Her back yard is a sanctuary. It is nestled close to a pond. Hummingbird feeders dot the landscape and a beautiful purple clematis climbs and old wagon wheel. Peaceful and serene. The crazy thing is her mobile home is a block away from a very cool new micro brewery, restaurant and winery where it is literally almost impossible to get a table. She is not thrilled about this – too many people, too much noise. I have been to this restaurant and had no idea this peaceful little house with the beautiful garden, where the bunnies and squirrels and hummingbirds hang out was hidden behind the old oak trees lining the brewery.
At first I didn’t think we would have much to talk about once we stopped talking about the weather. She sported a long braid that cascaded down to the back of her knees. She told me she has not cut her hair in 25 years. I on the other hand schedule my hair appointment months in advance securing my every 6 weeks cut and color. She lives alone and I share my house with my husband, our four children and tons of teenagers who hang out too. She admitted she doesn’t like to be around a lot of people. I am an extrovert who loves a crowd. However; the longer we spent in the garden the more we shared about our lives and the more we understood we were alike. Each made in the image of God and each mesmerized by God’s gift of flowers.
I finished her yard, we hugged as we said goodbye and she invited me to stop by in July to check out all the flowers that will be in bloom. I will have to take her up on the offer. Love in Action… I set out to be a blessing and yet God so blessed me with the company of this sweet lady who shares my passion for beautiful flowers.
When was the last time you unexpectedly connected with a stranger?
Mark 12:31 NIV “ The second is this : Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
by sherricrandall | Nov 12, 2015 | General
I found myself distracted from listening to the tour guide as we strolled the “Precious Gems” portion of the museum. I was chaperoning a group of sixth graders on the annual trip to the Nature and Science museum. I was half listening and mostly preoccupied with not losing one of the precocious little boys who was entrusted to my care for the day. … Read More…
by sherricrandall | Oct 21, 2015 | General
Fall has been ushered in by the falling thermometer reading and the change of aspen leaves in my little corner of the world. Football and spiced cider. I love this time of year. I get out my recipe box and start making things in my crock pot again and start searching for all the recipes that have to do with apples.
– See more at: http://www.1corinthians13parenting.com/treasure-box-memories-recipes/#sthash.VGcwrcg5.dpuf
