by sherricrandall | Apr 15, 2013 | Uncategorized
I am the person who can carry on a conversation with a total stranger, the lady in front of you who is talking to the cashier about her day or the weather and annoying you because you are in a huge hurry and you just want the line to keep moving – yes that is me. So why did I find myself for such a loss of words when I was confronted with the question ” So, tell me, who is Sherri?”
It happened the other evening when I attended a dinner with people who work with my husband. I was happily introducing myself to everyone and carrying on small talk about work, my children, the crummy spring weather we have been having in Colorado, the brackets for college basketball, you know, small talk. Then I met a lady who after I said ” Hello, my name is Sherri”. She came back with “So, tell me, who is Sherri?” She stopped me in my tracks. She was sincere and had just moved to Colorado and was wanting to know who are these people I have been thrown into life with. My mind started thinking about what I should and shouldn’t say. As a Christian, I wanted to tell her that first and foremost I am a Christian, I believe in Jesus. I also didn’t want to scare her away – run a Jesus Freak. So I took a deep breath and started telling her about me. As I started telling her about myself, I started praying at the same time, asking God to direct my words so I would make a positive impact and give her something to think about. As I was sharing, she too was sharing about who she was and she told me she was not into religion but that she was spiritual, still seeking for the right answer. I was able to really talk to her about life and why my faith in God is so important to me. She said I gave her a lot to think about. I honestly don’t know when or even if I will ever see her again, but I left the restaurant hoping what I said would make a difference in her seeking God.
I think so many times we as Christians get flustered when someone directly confronts us about who we are. Evangelism can be such a scary word and I believe most people think if they don’t work at the church they can’t possibly tell others about Jesus. I would encourage you by saying, just tell your story. Who are you? Simply telling others who you are and why Jesus is the most important part of that equation is easier than you think.
On the way home I was reminded of a Beth Moore Bible Study I did years ago about the life of Paul. Paul was going to prison and was convicted of being a follower of Jesus Christ. The question arose, is there enough evidence in your life that you would be convicted of being a believer in Jesus Christ? Do people know you are a Christian? As the Casting Crown song states, ” Let My Life Song Sing to You”. Can you sign the name of Jesus at the end of your day? Tough questions, real questions.
My encouragement to you this week is to tell your story ! You never know how God will use you to bring others to Him.
Blessings !
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Feb 27, 2013 | Uncategorized
Beauty is not easily defined. I, like you, read various blogs and magazines each month. This past month I was intrigued by how many times I came across an article or a blog where the main topic was focused on beauty. Some of the articles were about inner beauty but the overwhelming majority were about enhancing our outer beauty. Why are we so obsessed with our outer beauty? Great question, and just so you know up front, I don’t have the answer.
Have you ever heard the saying ” Beauty is skin deep but ugly is to the bone”. I’m sure we can all think of people we have come across who were nice to look at but not so nice to be around.
I wish I could say that my inner confidence is not at all tied to my outer appearance and that my total focus is on my inner beauty intended to glorify God, but I would be lying.
I find myself focused on the exterior a lot. I have a shallow side that reverts quickly to looking at clothes, skincare, jewlery, well let’s just say all things to accesorize. The topic of beauty and all things beautiful is a complex and fascinating subject that most women spend time thinking about whether conscious or unconscious, it is part of the fascinating subject of womanhood.
What makes someone beautiful? I turned into a roving reporter and asked my friends both male and female to describe to me what they find beautiful in other people and here are some of the words they used to describe beauty. Kind, caring, great hair, beautiful skin, white teeth, great smile, lots of muscles, confident, wrinkles to show character, scars to prove you have lived, birth marks to make you unique, symmetry, intelligence, grace, charisma, and one said bald guys. ( I promise not to name names) Obviously a broad spectrum. Isn’t that the beauty of beauty or as the saying goes… “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. The truth is what I find to be beautiful you may not. All the answers I received had outer and inner beauty combined. That allusive balance that a lot of us strive for.
One of the Christian blog sites I was reading had a huge debate raging about the verses in I Peter Chapter 3 where women are told to care more about having an imperishable beauty of a quiet and kind spirit than to being overly concerned about adorning their external selves. One comment said you can only be a “strong Christian” if you are a “plain Jane”. Then following that comment were about 50 others debating whether women should wear make up and jewlery. My personal view is that most of them missed the point. God really does care more about our inner beauty, it is the soul care that will make an eternal difference in my life. I’m not sure God really cares whether I wear make up or not.
I am now a woman in my mid forties and I can attest that with age our beauty fades in some ways but I find that it grows in others. I am inspired by a friend of mine who is turning 60 this week. She is physically beautiful and sports an amazing wardrobe filled with great accesories. My favorite thing about her; however, is her genuine love for the Lord and her caring spirit. She shines from the inside out. I also celebrate my best friends birthday today ( promise not to share numbers) – she is gorgeous, super model pretty. She too loves Jesus and that is what most people find to be the most beautiful thing about her. Just like taking care of our outer appearance takes time, so does caring for our inner being. Taking that time to spend reading God’s word, praying, caring for others, and most importantly having a personal realtionship with the Lord, these are the things of lasting beauty. I marvel at the women who walk in beauty balancing the importance of caring for their souls while sporting great shoes on their soles. Encourage each other to be beautiful from within.
Blessings !
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Jan 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
It was the day after Christmas and I was watching one of the morning news shows when the reporter started asking people on the street about their New Year’s resolutions. Really, I thought, I was still enjoying Christmas and relishing in the fact that I didn’t have to return one thing this year. I wasn’t ready to start thinking about my resolutions. I continued to listen as people on the street shared how they wanted to work out more, loose at least 10 pounds, get along with their spouse or co-worker, eat healthier, travel more, be more “green”, the list went on and on. There wasn’t one person who mentioned they wanted to work harder on their relationship with God. That fact doesn’t surprise me but it does concern me.
When our country was in its infancy, many denominations would hold what was called a watch-night service. The history books say that these services were very important to the townspeople because it was when they made their resolutions to make God the number one priority in their lives. They took time to pray and reflect and work on character issues. At the end of the 19th century women were very concerned about their internal character. At the end of the 20th century women are obsessed with their body image and their outward appearance, the internal character has taken a back seat on the priority chart.
Now, I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that this year some of my goals are to lose weight or to exercise more regularly, eat healthier, those types of things. Most of my friends would say the same thing. What is different about goal setting when you are a Christian, is that it is the main goal to put God in the center of all your resolutions.
A resolution is a commitment to complete a goal. A goal is a specific item you wish to accomplish. I view the two as working harmoniously to achieve a higher standard of life. I do set goals each year and I encourage my kids to do the same. I think it is important to keep in mind what our priorities are and it helps us filter what we say yes and no to in our busy American lives. Some of my friends set goals, some even claim a Bible verse that will help them direct their life this year. Other friends have chosen words to help keep them motivated in living a Godly life. Whatever you do I feel it has to be done with intention. This year my goal is to be intentional on accomplishing those things that I have chosen to have priority in my life. I am working on being intentional with my relationship with Christ each and everyday which means I have committed to reading through the New Testament with a group of ladies from my church. My goal is to complete that by December 31st.
Now for some of my other resolutions, let’s see it is January 17th and I was going to keep my car very clean so I guess I better stop blogging and get busy and I better cut up the fresh vegetables for my lunch… some goals are much easier than others, I think we can all agree on that.
It is a new year, new beginnings, and time to be intentional on our purpose for the year 2013. I love Proverbs 3:5,6 – Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. I pray you allow God to be the center of your goals this year and allow Him to direct your paths.
Happy New Year !
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Dec 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
As I sit at my desk on this snowy December morning, the snow continues to lightly fall outside my window and the evergreen branches look like they have been dusted with powdered sugar. I am baking Stritzel bread today, a recipe that has been a family tradition for us for over 100 years. When my grandma died at the age of 94, she had never had a Christmas without Stritzel. She told me once that her mom and her grandma also had never had a Christmas without Stritzel. I love that she taught me how to make this yummy treat and I am passing the recipe and tradition down to my daughter. My daughter is only ten but I hope one day she will make it with her children. How fun and unique that is to our family. I love Christmas traditions and I enjoy talking to other friends about what is important to them during this time of year.
I was having a chat with some friends this past week and we were all sharing our family traditions. What I loved most about this was the fact that it is not only the tradition itself that we love but those family members that came before us and either started or continued the tradition. As I mentioned earlier, for me the tradition of baking Stritzel bread makes me think of all the fun times I did this with my grandma. I called her Momo and I loved her dearly, and still miss her terribly; especially this time of year. One friend shared how they cut down their Christmas tree from their property up in the mountains and then drink hot coco out of their special Christmas mugs. Another lady shared how they sit around the tree on Christmas Eve and read from the BiBle in the book of Luke where the birth of Christ is retold. Many had baking memories and sledding stories. One family buys matching hats and carols around their neighborhood. Each tradition shared brought a smile to the face of the person sharing, sometimes giggles, and sometimes tears. Christmas traditions are priceless.
Each person and their family story is unique, just like the snowflakes falling outside. I believe snowflakes reveal both God’s creative genius and his concern for the smallest details on earth. Snowflakes form in a variety of shapes and sizes, each a unique creation from heaven, just like you and I and just like our family traditions. A snowflakes journey begins high up in the clouds and continues as it slowly falls to earth where it makes a brief and sparkling appearance on a child’s mitten. In the big scheme of things, our lives are similar, we are only here for a brief moment in time. I encourage you today to embrace your unique self and all that makes up your family traditions. Hoping one day someone I will never get the chance to meet this side of heaven will be baking Stritzel bread.
Enjoy this wonderful holiday season as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Merry Christmas and God Bless –
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Sep 10, 2012 | Uncategorized
Have you ever noticed that the good things in our lives become obscured by the overwhelming ugliness of the “weeds” in our lives. Weeds in the garden are the plants that are considered undesirable, unattractive or troublesome. Can you think of some “weeds” you need to pull?
This past weekend I set aside time to weed an area of my backyard that had gotten totally out of hand over the past month. I had been busy getting ministry plans in order and getting my kids back to school. Neglecting the rock area didn’t seem to be an issue until it actually was time to pick the weeds. I had promised myself that this summer would be different, I would tend to the rocks weekly so that it did not become an overwhelming task. I did quite well until last month when the busyness of life overtook me once again and I slacked on those darn weeds. Luckily I had a sweet friend willing to help me and we spent three hours picking at weeds, talking and laughing. It is amazing how much you can get done when you have someone by your side to help you.
Garden analogies work well for me because I can see how it mimics my own struggles in life and since I spend a lot of time outside, it gives me time to ponder about the bigger things in my life too.
My husband teases me that I spend all that time picking at the weeds when you can just spray them. I have found that when I just spray the weeds with chemicals, it just kinda works. The top of the weed turns brown and eventually over time it withers and blows away. It doesn’t always get to the root and so in a few short days, you got it, another weed. I like to pull the weed and get that root out. Some weeds have shallow roots and come up easily. Others, like thistles, have tiny little spikes that hurt your hand when you touch them and they have long roots that take effort and tools to remove. Can anyone relate?
Soon the weather will be changing and my summer garden will fade and be covered by the snow fall. It is important for me to get the weeds out so they don’t germinate , spread and return stronger in the spring. I am thinking of things in my life that need weeding too.
Caution: Some weeds if left long enough will eventually flower. It is important to recognize the weed before it takes root and blends in with the rest of the garden. From a distance it can look like any other bloom but when examined at a closer angle the spikes on the leaves give it away. My encouragement to you this week is to look closely in your life for those “weeds”. Dig them up , get to the root of the problem and get rid of them once and for all. Happy weeding !
Blessings !
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Aug 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
Do you appreciate the small things in life? Are you waiting for an answer to a big prayer and not seeing the purpose in your struggle? Often times we get ourselves so consumed by our desire or our own issue that I believe we miss the blessings that come from enjoying the silly,the minute, the everyday miracles that overtime become just stuff that makes up our day.
I was given a book last year that I just recently took the time to read. In this book titled ” The book of AWESOME” , Neil Pasricha explains all things he believes to be awesome. Here are a few things that made me smile and at times laugh out loud. In reading this book I realized not only are these seemingly everyday things noteworthy ,some of them truly are awesome. My favorites from the book plus a few of my own…..
Finding out your birthday is on a Friday or Saturday this year. The smell of freshly cut grass. A long hug when you really need it.
When you are running late and you find your keys right away and make every green light. The smell and sound of a campfire.
When the socks from the dryer all match perfectly. Perfectly popped microwave popcorn.
The smell of crayons and new clothes as the new school year begins. The day you realize you can drive without your parents sitting in the front seat.
Licking the batter off of the beaters when you are making a cake. Watching a baby giggle in their sleep. The first few potato chips after you open a new bag.
When the thing you were going to buy is already on sale. When you hit the perfect ratio of milk and cereal.
The thank – you wave you get when you let somebody merge in front of you. Getting a sweet handwritten note in the mail, just because.
Picking up a q and a u at the same time in a game of scrabble Getting out of your car at the highway rest stop and stretching really big.
Getting the eyelash out of your eye. The dew drops on the roses in your garden. When your child searches for you from the stage of the play, finds you, and starts waving with a huge smile on their face.
Getting your car parallel parked on the first try. Seeing a hummingbird or butterfly visit your backyard.
When your child reaches up to hold your hand. When your spouse smiles at you from across the room.
I hope by reading these “awesome moments” you will stop and think about what are the small things in your life that make you smile and bring you joy, even if they seem trivial.
My challenge to you this week is to stop and reflect on those moments when they happen in your everyday life and then thank God for making us creatures who have been given senses to enjoy such small things. I think of them as kisses from God ! Enjoy and be grateful –
Blessings!
Sherri
