by sherricrandall | Mar 8, 2024 | General
Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I was reflecting on my day and mid way through brushing my teeth, I ended up in tears. Why?
I am so grateful for my relationships with our four adult kids. It just so happened that I had talked to each of them yesterday and those conversations were filled with details of their everyday lives and their hopes and dreams for the future. Each call ended in an exchange of I love yous.
Mamas – read the story book ( for the 1,000th) time, make time for snuggles, stay up late and talk to those teenagers and cheer them on in their activities. I am convinced those hours spent long ago were the building blocks to where we are today! Have there been bumps along the way, of course! Parenting isn’t easy but it is easily the best gig on the planet!
You are most likely tired and often feel overwhelmed, honestly – at times I still do because you will always be their mama – but I can tell you your investment today is your reward in the future! God chose you to be the mom to your kiddos and He does not make mistakes. You got this mama!
by sherricrandall | Oct 17, 2023 | General
I took a walk this morning on a beautiful October day in Colorado, complete with bright blue skies and changing leaves. Here is what struck me today… some trees were still green and had no sign of autumn, others were brilliantly displaying their hues of vibrant orange, yellow and deep purple. There were even trees who had dropped all their leaves bearing only their knotted branches. Then I came across this beautiful tree laden with berries and I thought- Everything blooms in its own time. Such a great life lesson and one I wish I would have taken to heart in my younger years. It might have stopped me from comparing or feeling as if I was behind in life.
These trees, this idea of everything blossoming in its own time is a reminder to me to take a deep breath and focus on my own growth, my own journey in this current moment. Let’s not rush the process or compare our growth to others. Your beauty is your own!
Allow it to bloom and trust God’s timing.
by sherricrandall | Nov 15, 2021 | General
Gratitude, I think many of us if asked would say of course I am grateful for what I have but that statement doesn’t always play out in how we live our every day lives. Right?
Yesterday, my husband and I went for a walk. It was a beautiful fall day in the city of Nashville. Crisp fall air, bright blue sky, and golden leaves shimmering in the sunshine. We walked past the historic First Baptist Church which was built in the late 1800’s. It sits right at the edge of Broadway, right before you get to the main part of the street filled with Honky Tonks and dreams of the young and old singers and songwriters trying to make those dreams come true.
I thought about all the people who have passed through these historic doors over the many years and all the stories of God’s faithfulness. This church still has an active community and I was feeling grateful or at least I thought I was – until…
A homeless man was walking toward us with a rose in his hand. A rose he had obviously picked off of a nearby bush that was still blooming. He went to hand it to me and I said, “oh no, thank you.” He looked me in the eye and said,” I don’t want any money, I just want you to have a blessed day and enjoy this rose.” So I took the rose from his hand and he smiled so big. I thanked him and told him how sweet it was for him to offer me this flower and I hoped he had a blessed day too.
I put the rose in water when we got home and it has opened and is blooming. It has been a beautiful reminder to me to open my eyes to the blessings right in front of me. Isn’t that what gratitude is? Often times it is right there, we just need to open our eyes, see it and be thankful. I almost missed an opportunity to join in another person’s gratitude because it felt awkward. I didn’t have any money with me to give this man, yet he wasn’t wanting anything in return, he truly just wanted to put a smile on someone else’s face. A gift, without any strings attached. A reminder to me of God’s gift of grace and sacrifice.
As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I hope you will be inspired by this story, share freely your gratitude with others and invite them in to sharing their gratefulness too.
I am praying we all will recognize the beauty of life that is right before us and celebrate that in gratitude.
Blessings!
Sherri
by sherricrandall | May 28, 2020 | General

Fourteen years ! That is how long I have been cancer free. A lot has happened in those fourteen years. A lot of life… to quote a favorite song of mine from Jimmy Buffet – “some of it magic, some of it tragic, but I’ve had a good life along the way.”
Lying in the hospital bed fourteen years ago after having a double mastectomy, I remember the anxiety and the pain and the uncertainty of it all. It weighed me down,.It had me shallow breathing and struggling to get through each hour. The first year was filled with doctors appointments and more surgeries and physical and mental recovery. It was hard and yet it was beautiful to be surrounded by my loving husband, our family and friends. I quickly realized by sitting in a lot of waiting rooms that not everyone was so fortunate. Many sat alone and many didn’t have the resources or support to help them heal. I met a lot of incredible women that year. Despite rough circumstances they were clad in pink and ready to fight. A club none of us wanted to be a part of yet somehow it was a gift that you were. Warriors fighting our way back to normalcy even if that normal was severely altered. I met ladies who didn’t make it and others who are still going strong, living their best life.
I kept a journal during that time and I wrote down lessons I learned from having breast cancer. A portion of that journal was featured in the book “ If I Only Had One Chance to Tell You… Inspiring and Encouraging Real-Life Stories” by Ana-Christina Wadle. I share these lessons with you today in hopes that they encourage you to live your best life too. Having cancer changed my perspective. I am beyond grateful to have had these past fourteen years where I got to see my kids grow up and be a part of all the chaos and fun. Life is precious, let’s enjoy the gift that it is.
My life lessons from battling breast cancer…..
My husband has taught me the power of loving someone unconditionally. He has proved to love me for the essence of me and not just the physical me. This has helped me handle the insecurities that I have about my scars and the breast – disfiguring that came with my mastectomies.
I have learned that 90% is still an A. I don’t have a guarantee that I will be here tomorrow, so I strive to pursue excellence in all areas of my life; but I no longer seek perfection.
I have chosen to go deep versus wide. By this, I mean that I am striving to go deeper with my relationships and time commitments. Gone are the days that I say yes to everyone and everything. I choose carefully what I say “ yes” to.
I learned to forgive others. Forgiveness is powerful – if it is withheld, it damages. If it is granted, it heals.
I learned I am more effective in ministry when I share my struggles. I never want breast cancer to define who I am; it is just part of my story.
I choose to live a life of joy despite my circumstances. True joy comes from knowing the Lord and seeking a relationship with Him.
I hope you can take something from what I have learned and apply it to your daily life. Enjoy the journey!
Blessings !
Sherri
by sherricrandall | Mar 22, 2018 | General
I just spent three days in the hospital with my daughter as she was battling a kidney infection. She was very sick and needed IV antibiotics and fluids to battle the infection and dehydration. Scary for sure. We were scheduled to leave on a beach vacation the day she was admitted so obviously we were disappointed, yet so thankful we were not in another country navigating a serious health issue.
Thankful for God’s provision and timing!
I immediately contacted our family and network of friends asking for prayers. Amazed at the response of texts, phone calls, flowers and cards.
Thankful for a loving family and amazing friends!
I sat next to her bed and worked on my laptop and made phone calls in the hallway. The mom who was on her phone next to me was in tears because she said she was getting nowhere with her boss in extending her time off to care for her sick son.
Thankful for a job where I had the flexibility to be at the hospital when I was needed !
As my daughter improved we were able to take walks down the hallway, pushing the IV pole. She was still receiving the fluids and medicine needed but the machine only worked for a short while before it started beeping and needed to be plugged back into the wall. The nurse said, “You won’t get very far on your own without being plugged into the power source.”
How true is that statement?!
How often do I try and do things on my own. Relying on my own strengths and abilities and forget where the real source of strength and abilities come from. A gentle nudge and reminder from the Lord as I walked next to my daughter and the IV pole.
We got her back to her room, plugged in the IV and tucked her back into bed. I snuggled up on the couch with a blanket too and pulled out my Bible and “plugged in”. Thankful for the sweet moments in a difficult situation and how God reminded me of all I have to be thankful for ! We both fell asleep to the background noise of the drip of the IV…
Happy to report she is home and returning to her sweet 16 year old self !!
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.