Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined  Saving Savior. This week we will examine Freed to Free.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

 PROMISE: Galatians 5:13-14 Amplified Bible

PARABLE: Harriet Tubman is my favorite African American heroin because she used her escape from slavery to transform the trajectory of others. Over and over her selflessness was on display as with tenacity she WENT BACK to free hundreds of slaves. What she did with her freedom changed the history of African Americans.  Like Jesus, Harriet was a Freedom Freer. Jesus teaches us that our freedom is not for ourselves but for others. When I reflect on this hymn, I see Jesus breaking the chains of death for me and for you. I hear him saying, “I can’t stay buried because I must arise for Sherri!” I hear Jesus saying, “I arose for you so you must rise and help free others!”

 I have a burning desire to transparently share the bondage-breaking story from shame in my life. Like the Samaritan woman, Jesus met me at a well and cleansed me. I don’t want to waste the refreshing, healing, cleansing, freedom water by remaining silent. I want to take my pitcher of transparency and authenticity that is full of grace and mercy and pour it out onto others. Like Harriet Tubman, I want to go back and help free others. Going back is simply a metaphor of sharing the scars. 

After Jesus arose, Thomas demanded evidence of Jesus’ freedom. He said unless he saw the scars and was able to put his hand into the scars of Jesus he would not believe. Jesus showed and let him Thomas touch his scars. This is a word picture of transparency, vulnerability, and authenticity. It teaches us the power of our freedom story.  It is the SCARS – surviors confessing and releasing shame stories – that help to free others.  Can you hear Jesus saying, “Don’t hide the scars. It is for your freedom that I was freed. It is for the freedom of others that you were freed.”

Perhaps there is an area in your life where you were in bondage but that the blood of Christ has drowned. Perhaps you were drowning in the hurt of abuse, the habit of addiction, or the hang-up of aggravation before Jesus freed you. Only you know what held you in bondage. Yet, Jesus put THAT hurt, habit, or hang-up in cuffs and called you to walk in freedom and to share your freedom scars with others. Are you sharing your freedom SCARS? 

Soul care training exercise:  

• Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you how he wants you to share you SCARS?
  • Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Ask Him to show you THAT thing, perhaps the thing that you are most ashamed of that He freed you from. 
  • Next scan your mind and notice how you are living out your freedom. Scan your mind to see who in your life is living in bondage in that same area.
    • Now Ask the Holy Spirit to give you an image of how you can use your SCARS of freedom to introduce others to the freeing power of Jesus Christ.
    • Finally, Focus on what God shows you and offer Him thanks for the invitation to like Jesus, share your freedom.

PRAYER: Thank you Saving Savior that I don’t have to hide my scars. Authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability in you is like a healing balm rubbing out shame. Help me spread my balm to the nations. Authenticity is my super power. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to feel your freedom. Then take the mindfulness of God’s freedom cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post  Freedom scars appeared first on Resonant 7.

BONUS Meditation: I invite you to take 5 minutes and listen to the SCARS guided meditation.

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

Welcome to Wednesday Wanderings where we clear our mind of the clutter. Breathe in, breathe out and invite God’s Presence to help you be resonant.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined  Grief and Gratitude. This week we will examine Saving Savior.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

 PROMISE: Matthew 14:30 Amplified Bible

PARABLE: I have a vivid imagination and I can see pictures from the words I read. From the words of Lowery’s stanza, I see the image of my own deep and low grave and an image of a Saving Savior. Over the past year, we have reflected on some of the things that have caused us grief and how to invite Jesus to join us in the grief. This word picture of the psalm reminds us that there is nothing we are buried in so deep from which we cannot be saved. The dawning of a new day will always greet us with new mercy. 

Like me, can you see yourself laid in a low grave? Maybe we are still buried beneath the dirt because we have not acknowledged that we need saving. There was a time in my life when I was far away from God. My rituals and routines did not look like it but my heart knew it. I showed up for every bible study, Christian growth seminar, Sunday School, Praise and Worship rehearsal, and Sunday service. But in private, within my spirit, I was standing in quicksand. Sinking further into habits, hurts, and hang-ups that led me away from God. Sunday after Sunday I drowned.

There was also a time when I felt so close to God. I heard him calling me out deep into the sea into my purpose. His active power within me gave me the courage to look beyond the waves beating against the boat of life. He invited me to step out of muddy waters of hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I did and I even walked with Him to foreign lands. I did things I’d only dreamed of before. My focus changed. But when I realized that the water was so deep and the storms were still raging, I immediately sank.

However, this time I was in a different place. I did not desire to stay in the low grave that my hurts, habits, and hangups were digging for me. I had enough spiritual sense to release the weight of shame and confess that I was drowning in a lowly grave. I called on Jesus, The Saving Savior and He saved me!

Do you need to confess that you are drowning? There is good news. Holy week is the perfect time to focus on the resurrecting, saving power of Jesus, there is an invitation to ask the Saving Savior to save you and to rise up from whatever it is that you need saving.

Soul care training exercise:  

• Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you where the effects of the wind of life are blowing. What are you focused on that is causing you to sink?
  • Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Tell God the truth about where in your life you need Him to be your Saving Savior? 
  • Next scan your mind and notice times in your life where you have walked closely with God, without fear. With purpose. Following one step behind Him.  Allow these thoughts and emotions to be illuminated in your sanctified imagination.
    • Now Ask the Holy Spirit to give you an image of how your current situation will change when you admit to Jesus that you need saving.
    • Finally, Focus on what God shows you and offer Him thanks for gracing you with the opportunity to go from sinking in circumstances and from the strong winds of doubt and fear telling you that you are too far away from God’s shore to the admission that you need to be saved and the reality of walking from the deep and low into the arms of the Saving Savior.

PRAYER: Thank you Abba that no matter how deep the water or the rage of the storm, I can walk on water in the power of Jesus Christ. His hand holds me tight, it reaches into the depth of the grave I am in, pulls me up, and saves me. Saving Savior, save ME! In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to receive Jesus’ saving grace. Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post  Saving Savior appeared first on Resonant 7.

BONUS Meditation: I invite you to take 5 minutes and listen to the Saving Savior guided meditation.

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined  The SONshine. This week we will examine Grief and Gratitude .  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

 PROMISE: Ecclesiastes 3:4 Amplified Bible

Chorus

But drops of grief can ne’er repay

The debt of love I owe

Here Lord I give myself away

‘Tis all that I can do

PARABLE: Over the past few years I have learned more about the both / and concept. Before I opened my mind to a growth mindset, either / or was how I viewed things. I have learned that two polar opposite concepts can hold the same space in time. Particularly, I have learned that grief and gratitude can coexist. You can experience the emotion of grief generated by a loss yet at the same time offer God gratitude for being with you IN the loss experience. I know it is peculiar and does not make sense but the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit can give us an attitude of gratitude in the midst of adapting to a loss. 

I’ve shared in previous posts the despair that I have experienced from loss within my life. I understand the heaviness that sometimes walks with you like a shadow on the path to grief recovery. It is necessary to take the time to mourn our losses whether it is the loss associated with unemployment, death and dying, divorce, abandonment, addiction, illness, infidelity, relocation, incarceration, miscarriage, abortion, oppression, identity, or status. Taking time to grieve the loss and share your experience and feelings with God is a mandated part of the healing process. Christ is our example, He grieved the agony of His own death. Yet, with gratitude He obeyed His Father and took on our sins.

Everyone’s grief and loss process look different. What is the same is that the comfort of the Holy Spirit can help us to experience gratitude in the midst of grief. When life sends us grief, and it will, if we choose to give it back to God with a grateful heart, we can know He will meet us right where we are, right where we have need of Him. God is worthy of gratitude. We can offer thanksgiving to Him while we mourn because we know He is with us! We know He will understand. We know He will walk with us on the path of sorrow until our hearts lighten enough to adapt to the loss. No time expectation, just confidence of knowing the losses we experience on earth are temporary, one day we will weep no more and we will dance for eternity.

PONDER and WANDER:  Grief and gratitude are necessary and can coexist. As you review your losses over the last year are there any for which you still need to grieve and offer gratitude?

Soul care training exercise:  

• Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you any losses you have experienced over the last year that you need to grieve.
  • Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Tell God the truth about this loss. What did it cost you? What do you feel? What do you need from Him as it relates to healing from the loss?
  • Next scan your mind and notice any small wins or victories you experienced over the last year.  Allow these thoughts and emotions to be illuminated in your sanctified imagination.
    • Focus on what God shows you and offer Him thanks for being with you and letting grief and gratitude co-exist. What will you see differently as a result of this? How will view grief and gratitude co-existing?

PRAYER: Abba, you are a GOOD GOOD Father. It hurts you to see us grieve. You want us to share our tears with you. We hand you the weight of the many losses we have experienced. We thank you that you are attentive to the things which concern us. Even though we are hurting, we thank you that you will lighten our sorrow. We will look for the small wins and victories. We will celebrate life. Our strength will be renewed in you. Hold us close until gratitude rises in our hearts. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to offer Him gratitude. Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post  SONshine appeared first on Resonant 7.

BONUS Guided Meditation. I invite you to take 6 minutes to listen to the SONshine guided meditation.

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

 Take a look at the signage written in the bricks of the gate entering the Garden of Gethsemane located at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Imagine the agony Christ experienced just for you. Breath in, breath out, surrender and invite God’s presence to help you be resonant. 

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined True Devotion. This week we will examine The SONshine.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

 PROMISE: Luke 23:44-45 Amplified Bible

PARABLE: When Jesus was crucified, even the sun hid. I can imagine creation not wanting to see the agony of the Holy One taking on the sin of the world.  I wanted to hide from agony as we walked through the shadow of the pandemic death with our dad.  The pit in my stomach felt like a knot winding tighter and tighter until I could not breathe. The tubes protruded from the nose of our dad with the bright hospital lights in the background shining through the screen of the Ipad. It was our last encounter, our last one-sided conversation, and our last goodbye. The screen went black when moments later the agonizing apology of the attending nurse echoed through the speaker of my phone announcing our dad’s death. It was about noon that day when darkness took over the VA hospital, the health care workers on that shift, my husband, and our family.

It was the moment our dad became part of the statistic of over 500,000 COVID-19 deaths recorded. Though each circumstance is different, I feel confident that with the 499,999 other families that experienced the loss of their family members, that on that day, their world went dark. Perhaps it was for minutes, hours, days, months, or even a year. Darkness can represent depression. There are times when I have been in darkness. Not seen any hope for the next day. Not able to see the SON rising and greeting me with a new day.

Yes. Even though I know that in darkness the SON-Jesus Christ, Savior, Redeemer, Friend, Rescuer, and Light in the Darkness is always shining–there are days I sit in darkness. Days I wonder what the circle of faith heroes would say if they only knew the worship leader, intercessor, God lover, beloved one of Jesus bulb was dim. I pray as a non-judging, light bearer they would step into my dark place, offer me their light, increase the wattage, and let Jesus, the SON shine hope through them. During this challenging time of global emotional trauma as we experience vicarious trauma with each newscast, I invite you to open the shades of darkness and let the SON shine into the window of your soul. Even if you don’t feel like you are sitting in the dark, let the light of Jesus into each day. I encourage you to reach out to someone and share your light. It is the only way we will survive the residue of this ongoing trauma of COVID-19, social injustice, and renormalizing.

PONDER and WANDER: During this preparation time before Easter, I invite you to take time to ponder the question: What emotional, mental, or spiritual area of my life do I need the SON to shine?

Soul care training exercise:  

• Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you are there any areas of darkness (sin, depression, confusion, guilt, shame, etc.) that need the SONshine?
  • Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Ask the SON to shine brightly into any darkness.
    • Focus on what God shows you and receive the glow of His Presence.

PRAYER: Daddy Jesus, you ARE the SON shine. Shine brightly into the darkness of this world. Send light-bearers to those overtaken and hiding in the darkness. Expose sin, depression, shame, guilt, loneliness, and any dark seed rooted within our hearts. Help us be like candles lighting the way to peace. Let your light shine and glow until all we see is You and Your glory!

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to let the SON shine His vibrant light. Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post  SONshine appeared first on Resonant 7.

BONUS Guided Meditation. I invite you to take 4 minutes to listen to the SONshine guided meditation.

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added

Wednesday Wanderings with Dr. Sherri is biweekly and a time we set aside to wander in the Presence of Jesus and ponder His truths. When you are ready, prepare your mind, body, and soul to have a transformational encounter with Jesus.

Watch the Wednesday Wanderings Welcome for this week.

PREPARATION: In our last Wandering with Dr. Sherri, we examined Heart Treasures. This week we will examine True Devotion.  When you are ready, you may begin the dialogue with Jesus and state: “Jesus, I invite you to help me to leisurely wander into your Presence. Prepare my heart to receive, and illuminate my spiritual senses to encounter you.”

 PROMISE: Jeremiah 31:3 Amplified Bible

PARABLE: Though the roots of Valentine’s Day are questionable, modern-day Valentine’s Day is set aside to celebrate friendships, marriages, and romantic partners. It is a day that focuses on love and devotion. Love and devotion in a relationship take work. This Valentine’s Day, I participated in a Secret Sister gift exchange and virtual fellowship. As we opened our gifts, it was interesting to see how even though some of us did not know each other well our gifts reflected the personalities and prayers of the recipients. We each prayed and allowed the Holy Spirit to be the Gift Giver. So certainly, the gifts matched the sisters. I received a spiritual self-care journal and a Women of Color Devotional. The sentiment of being seen and known by God was affirming. 

 After the Zoom, I realized that to sustain these friendships it will take each of us to be devoted to investing in the sisterhood community, learning about each other, and taking the time to encourage and empower each other. True devotion is about lasting love, loyalty, and enthusiasm. It goes beyond one day of acknowledgment. It is about enduring with patience and serenity, regardless of what comes, looking for the best in each one, and remaining steadfast during difficult times without weakening, fading, or ending. Marriages, friendships, and romantic relationships are challenging because WE are a part of them. Our human nature is not always devoted to the work it takes to maintain a healthy love for others. The true devotion of Jesus can serve as our example of how to express and experience love devotion.

The love of Jesus is everlasting. His death, burial, and resurrection are a testament to His true devotion. There is no greater love and demonstration of devotion than the love that Jesus showed at the cross. This love was not just a “one and done” day. The sacrifice was a commitment to an everlasting love that continues to draw us to God. As we draw to God, we learn to love God, ourselves, and others not just with our words but in our actions. 

PONDER and WANDER: During this month where we focus on love, if you choose, I invite you to take time to ponder the question: Is there someone in my life to whom I have said “I love you” but have not shown my love? What does true devotion look like? 

Soul care training exercise:  

• Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you what does true devotion look like?
  • Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Ask him to show you who He wants you to increase your devotion to.
    • Focus on who God shows you and decide how you will show your love insteading of just saying you love.

PRAYER: Abba, I love you. Help me to show you my true devotion. Let my words not just be lyrics of a song, writings in a journal, or spoken phrases. I am so glad you chose to love me with an everlasting love. Let your love for me overflow in my love for others. Let me be devoted to sharing your love with someone who needs me to be the arms and legs of Jesus. In the loving name of Jesus I pray, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to devote your heart to God and let the work of your wandering fill you with wisdom.

Then take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post True Devotion appeared first on Resonant 7.

BONUS Guided Meditation. I invite you to take 4 minutes to listen to the True Devotion guided meditation.

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added