This is my daughter who got hit by a drunk driver one week ago. As her healing process has started the trauma on her body has begun to show. It became such a picture of how life can beat us up but GOD comes as our refuge of safety. I envision this seat-belt and the battle it had to keep her safe while her truck was flipping over and over again and how God provides us armor to put on every day. Like many who climb into their car and ignore the power of the seat-belt. We get up to face the day and forget the armor God has so graciously provided. Ephesians 6:10-17 shows us how to put on the WHOLE armor of God. I am guilty of running the second my feet hit the ground. I am going to put this scripture on my wall so I am constantly reminded how God has provided safety for me to get through each day!!!! We were chosen for such a time like this. Our world feels out of control, however, we have been given an entire safety belt to protect us.....we just need to put it on!!! ANDDD a practical reminder, please WEAR your seat-belt...If your belt will fight this hard to save your life...WEAR IT!!!!

XOXO, CHERI

If you know my husband you probably love him because everyone does!!!! But this will make you love him more! See this little book in the pic??? Several years ago I was going through one of the hardest seasons of life and to get through the day to day I decided to journal. So everyday I wrote from my heart. Lots of tears, and lots of confusion. As I read my journal entries I realized they were written as if someone else would read them. I found this to be odd and honestly disturbing, until I realized I had created a book. I had no belief in myself as a writer but ONE person did, my husband…..He took the pages I had typed and printed them out. Then he created this cover, that is my actual wedding dress I wore in my wedding, then he took it to the print shop and explained to them he needed to bind these pages and asked if there was any way he could be the one to actually make this a book and they let him. This was the first version of my book “Wedding Dress For Sale.” We all need someone to believe in us, without him actually creating this book I know these words would be sitting on a shelf tucked away in a little journal. I believe this book was written to change someones life. I am so, so, lucky to have my main man as my ONE person. I wanted to give a little back history on this book that will be coming out this next weekend and give some CREDS to where credit is due. I could never have done this without him!!!

I love you babe!!!

P.S. If you want to get on the list to receive this FREE EBOOK CLICK HERE

XOXO, CHERI

Dear family that my walls surround,

Things have drastically changed in the last few months. Your outings have halted, you sit sometimes with worry and sometimes with joy. I find you pondering walking out my front door and I also find you beating it down for a time of escape. I have become so many things, an office, a daycare, a school, a date night, a place of worship, and even a hospital.  I am busting at my walls trying to contain so much. I have found it an honor to be your place of safety. I wish it didn’t take a pandemic for you to realize this. My space has always desired for you to spend time with each other. For you to experience life and make memories. You are always walking in the front door exhausted from all the responsibilities as you run from one obligation to another, I feel you miss so much with the people you love. This has definitely taken a toll on these old walls but I hope it has created a time for change. I know behind every front door there are different circumstances, but my walls were made for protection, not division, keep my doors open so you can always find each other. I love the time spent around the table, did you know this is one of my favorite places to see you gather? The cuddles on the couch make me proud that you have a room called the family room and you have finally realized how to use it. You have discovered arts and crafts and games and adventures can be done right inside our home and the yard is finally used again. Did you know children used to play in the yard every day? Sundays sound so different but I love watching you worship and I love hearing your prayers. I guess because you have so much time you have figured out how to disconnect from all those screens that are constantly in your face, I have noticed you see each other more and have actual conversation. I know the shelter at home is a temporary order, but I do hope you will carry on some of the habits I have seen you enjoy, maybe this season becomes your new normal. Maybe when this is over you will share me with those who need some love and some healing. Watching you be together has been the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. More than new paint, or new walls, or new appliances, I appreciate the effort to make me beautiful but the beauty of this place is the people that live here. Who would have thought that the year 2020 would put the spotlight on me? That the entire world would be forced to stay at home. I will probably definitely need a good cleaning and maybe some paint after this is over.  I will be here, our walls will still be standing and as long as we go together we can conquer anything. We have endured this thing together, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, after all, I am not just your house, I am your home sweet home.

With Love,

Your Home, XOXO

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MY CLAN!

5 SUPERPOWERS YOU HAVE AS A MOM AND HOW TO USE THEM

Did you know the title mom instantly gave you superpowers? It’s true, the moment you took on this responsibility you were instantly granted the power that only a mother can have. Now more than ever we must know and exercise these powers. It is an exceptionally scary time and like superheroes, you have the power to save the day.  I want to look at five superpowers every mother has been given, it is up to you to use them. 

Super Power #1 VIBE CONTROLLER

What is the vibe in your house? Did you know you are the controller of this? Have you ever noticed when you are having a rough day everyone has a rough day? I was a single mom so raising 3 kids on my own had its challenges. I used every opportunity I had to maintain peace throughout my home and this was one I realized very quickly. It is not to say you can not have a bad day. It is to recognize the control you have. For example, I found if I got up just 15 minutes before everyone else put on some worship music and got myself calm and excited for the day it was contagious, but when we were rushing and trying to get out the door and I didn’t prepare it was chaos. We are trapped inside our homes right now. There is no better time than right now to exercise this amazing superpower. Here are some ideas when you feel challenged. 

• Music - set the tone with some tunes. Whatever you think will make your home a happy place. Sometimes it was worship music, sometimes it was country and we found ourselves doing the two-step, sometimes it was pop and the kids would be teaching me the Soulja boy (this happened) Music is a powerful tool that reaches our kids use it!

• Conversations - Talk to your household. Bring up a memory, ask a silly question, tell them a story about when you were a kid. Tell them you love them!

• Be present….don’t isolate yourself in your room or let them isolate. There is a time for this but try to make your common areas a place they want to be. 

Super Power #2 ARMS OF STEEL 

I am 49 and there is no hug like the hug of my mom. It is safe and genuine. Your arms have so much superpower I don't think we even realize it but I want to remind you of this so you will use it. My kids are grown, my daughter called me and was just having a bad day, I was close to where she was. I drove there and got out of my car and wrapped my arms around her real tight. She needed to know it was going to work out and that hug said way more than any words of wisdom I could give her. If you aren’t a hugger try it out...you might surprise yourself. Your arms are arms of steel and especially right now when we are hearing so many scary things about this pandemic, comfort your kiddos big or small, with your arms of steel, and make them feel safe and secure.

Super Power #3 LASER FOCUS

I never thought in a million years we would be facing the things we are facing right now in the middle of a pandemic. We have no control and yet we are challenged with not only taking care of ourselves but an entire household every minute of every day. Our daily routine now involves things we never signed up to do and we are tasked with trying to explain this new way of life to little ones who should not be trying to understand. But, we are moms and we have built-in a way of creating some sort of order, even if it is organized chaos our household depends on us to lead the way. I believe this is something we naturally do without thinking about it. I know there were plenty of times I had no idea what I was doing. My thought was as long as we were together I would figure out the rest and I always did. It is our superpower of laser focus that keeps our house on the inside in order no matter what is happening in our world.

Super Power #4 PRAYER POWER

I am going to say this with as much authority as I can. THERE IS NO PRAYER LIKE THE PRAYER OF A MOMMA. We can cover our homes in prayer like no one else! I take this superpower very seriously. I still consider it my responsibility to pray over my children and their children. Our heart cries differently as a mom, we scrape all the edges of life and go boldly with authority. If you have any questions about this please contact me this is so close to my heart. There was not one day, one circumstance, one challenge in our life that I did not fight in prayer. This was a superpower like no other. Your prayer is powerful!!!!!

Super Power #5 SEE THE INVISIBLE

Some call it a mother's intuition, some believe it and some don't. I believe we have been given the privilege to be so connected that we can see the invisible. We feel the unseen and can see into the souls that we are entrusted to care for. The side effects of this superpower can be painful. We can't fix everything but we can take action on things that haven't been said out loud. It can give us a heads up and allow us to prepare. We can silently relate and quietly encourage. I encourage you to see the invisible and enjoy the view.

I hope this encourages all my mommas out there doing our best to keep things calm at home and deal with our concerns. You truly are a SUPERHERO  and you do have these superpowers. You are not alone and you are prepared for such a time like this. Stay safe, I am praying for the moms of the households as we shoulder these extreme unknowns and navigate together our new normal. Mom, you are a superhero!!

Cheri XOXO 

PS If you would like to stay connected sign up for my news letter here.

There is so much tragedy surrounding this outrageous virus and I pray for those that are suffering. There is no physical benefit of this illness, however, there are some benefits as to how this has impacted us as a nation. It has targeted our homes and changed our relationships. We have been brought to a screeching halt of life as we know it. When this type of phenomenon inserts itself into our lives we have a choice!!! We can only see the inconveniences or we can open our eyes to the opportunities. Our homes have taken a direct hit of the latest developments, my question is Are your eyes opened to the benefits of Covid19? Why has it taken a pandemic for us to focus on our crippling broken homes? I believe our state as a nation just received a wake-up call the question is will we actually WAKE-UP? It only takes walking down your street and scrolling through your Facebook, to feel the impact of our day. It’s like a spotlight has been turned on in our homes and our focus has been directed on the ones we love. We are forced to make our homes our dwelling place and connect with the ones that live there. Not so long ago this was a normal way of life. We have a huge opportunity to create new habits, build stronger relationships, re-adjust our time management, and focus on building a stronger homelife. We have such an amazing opportunity to reset. I know there are a lot of unknowns right now but here is what we do know; Time is never wasted when we pour into each other, family no matter what yours looks like is YOUR family, and no money in the world can replace the value of those you love. So I challenge you today to soak up every moment of this opportunity, I have never seen a moment like this where life stands still except for inside our homes. Every distraction has been removed for us so we can have quality and quantity time to redirect our efforts. Make your home a place of permanent impact. I challenge you to discover the BENEFITS of Covid19 and that they would be embedded so deeply in your heart that you would create a new normal. Be intentional, forgive more, love always, and be grateful.

Cheri XOXO

I am SO PROUD of this group of ladies they meet each month to encourage each other in mom life .........I spoke last week at a ladies event on the significance of gathering around your table and the impact it can have, I introduced them to a game called table topics that we played each night we sat around the table at home to create connection. It inspired one of these ladies to invite her group over...... she MADE THEM DINNER and created her own table topics with questions about mom life!!! YOUR TABLE is a POWERFUL tool to connect and impact YOUR tribe!!!!

Cheri XOXO

In a day of emails, text msgs, and virtual friendships have we lost the art of face to face conversation? We had dinner last night and the age range at this table was from 3 to 70. I wanted to do a little experiment. As we got our food and gathered around the table instead of hushing the little ones I allowed them to be the first conversation at the table. I asked them one simple question, I said, “tell me something good that happened to you today.” To hear an 8, 5, and 3 year old try to explain a good thing captivated the table. After the laughs and more questions to hear the kiddos talk conversation broke out among the adults. I heard talks of college and careers, grocery shopping, and upcoming birthday plans. No phones, no scrolling, just good old face to face conversation. Technology is a great tool for many things but will never replace the effect of a real face to face convo with another human. It might take a little work to engage but the wealth of information and encouragement you will find will be worth the effort.

CHERI XOXO

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

With our busy lives, we have lost the art of gathering. Even with our busy schedules, I made sure this was on the calendar throughout the week. I was a single mom with three kids. They all played sports and had homework, we were active in our church and it definitely challenged my organization skills, but, I always made sure we had time to gather and this was the place it would happen. This is one of my Big 10 Design Commandments to Live by and probably one of my favorites. It’s just me and the hubs now and I STILL practice this routine. I have some practical tips on how to make this happen and why it is so important. Your table has significant meaning and purpose. Here is one of my all-time favorite tips for gathering. Go to https://www.tabletopics.com/about_us/ We played this game all the time the kids thought I was being ridiculous at first but it became a staple at dinner time and before long they were pulling out the game themselves and their friends were asking about it. My kids are grown and they still talk about this time around the table. You can learn so much about each other day by day and this time was so valuable to just connect. I am speaking on this subject at Valiant Church on Thursday, February 27th. We will talk about practical ways to make this happen, the significance of the table, and you will be encouraged to Set Your Table. Gather those you love around this very important piece of furniture and I promise you will enjoy the benefits of connection.

CHERI XOXO