Where’s Cheryl?

John and I had frequently talked about how we would love to visit Celebrate Recoverys all over the world when we retired. After the cancer diagnosis and while he went through treatment, it was hard to stay home from the training conferences put on by the National Team. We missed the Team, and we missed the incredible leaders coming to get more information on the DNA of CR (the characteristics of a model Celebrate Recovery). But we continued to dream that someday, we would close our eyes, our fingers circling a map, pointing to a random place, getting in a car or plane, and dropping in on a Celebrate Recovery in that location.

A couple of weeks ago on Facebook, I shared about stopping at Journey Church in Medford, Oregon before visiting my brother on hospice. I totally loved the experience, and it was just what I needed before I saw him. As we were driving back home to Orange County, my daughter, Laura, asked me if I wanted to make another CR stop. We were going through an area where we lived when the kids were little, so we decided to visit our old house and some favorite spots and extend our time a little.

I found a Celebrate Recovery that met on Friday night at Harvest Valley Church in Pleasanton. It was a very small group due to vacations and coming back from Covid, but they were still committed to meeting. It was so great to laugh and hug before the meeting began, participate in worship, recite the principles, and listen to the local announcements. I heard a great lesson from Gloryann and got a warm welcome from Pastor Ed. And, of course, we finished up with taking photos.

I’m starting to wonder if I could start a “Where’s Cheryl”? game similar to “Where’s Waldo”? After the Summit, I think I’m going to visit CR’s close to home and then start going further distances. I would love to extend this game to the entire country/world, but one step at a time!

Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Where would you like to go to visit a Celebrate Recovery?