July
2007
Update: Senior Moments Luncheon0
Hi All! The luncheon last Monday was amazing! Thank you to everyone who attended! It was a great experience and I look forward to seeing everyone again soon. Below are some pictures from the event.
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Also, Debra Jensen-De Hart of the Beloit Daily News wrote a wonderful article about the event which ran in the July 29th issue of the paper. Here is an excerpt from the article. This text is copyright The Beloit Daily News and Debra Jensen-De Hart. All rights reserved.
Inventing A God You Can Live With
By
Debra Jensen-De Hart
Features Editor
Beloit Daily News
Friday, June 29, 2007
Susan Cherry, the featured speaker at the Senior Moments’ group monthly meeting Monday morning, admitted she was a little apprehensive about speaking at the gathering.
Being able to admit that fear and still trust herself to move forward might not seem monumental to some people. But to Cherry, who lived for decades trapped by her fears, that action is part of the evolution she began 11 years ago to make things right in her life.
And it is part of an intensely introspective journey the two-time author has traveled and now shares with others through workshops and speaking engagements.
“God is with me today – that’s my favorite subject,” she began as about 125 seniors gathered in seats before her.
Cherry grew up in Beloit and moved to Los Angeles when she was 19. She lived there for 24 years, living a fast-paced life, packing in a lot of experiences.
Never really happy or at peace with herself, “After a divorce or two or three – I have to be honest, I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Her mother suggested she come back home to Beloit. She came back, but things still didn’t go smoothly. In denial at first about a drinking problem, she also realized one day after checking her weekly grocery list that whiskey always seemed to find its way onto the list.
Eventually, she found a 12-step program and began attending sessions.
That was the beginning of her metamorphosis and a relationship with God that sustains her, she said.
It also was the inspiration for her first book, “Circle of Love.”
What she learned was: “I found out alcohol really had to do with trying to fill the void inside me.”
Alcohol, sex, shopping, relationships, food and other things never satisfied the void, she said.
“I tried everything, but I was still unhappy.”
However, giving herself over to a high power, or God, did not easily, Cherry added.
“The God I grew up with was a wrathful God; I was afraid of him. So, I created a God of my own understanding. A loving God who would wrap his loving arms around me,” she said.
And what she came to believe was that “God was real.”
As a result, she wrote “Step By Step,” her continued path toward learning to accept herself and others and build a stronger relationship with God, she said.
Cherry said she is still learning to be OK with who she is.
“I actually give myself permission to not make my bed – that was a big step, living with my imperfections. And, learning to accept other people with all their flaws as well, then I can be of service to God,” she said.
Life is not about perfection, it is about learning to recognize fears, fear of rejection, financial insecurity, not being liked and more, Cherry pointed out.
“God can give you courage to face your fears. God has taken me step-by-step. He’s awesome, he’s beautiful, he’s changed my life dramatically.”
