Who is Cheri Hardaway? She's the adult child of an alcoholic; a wife; a mom; a grandma; a friend; a writer; a dog lover; a homeschool mom; a former court reporter...

In short, I am simply an ordinary woman. I wear many different hats throughout the course of my days. Truth is, it is not who I am that makes me unique, but rather Who I serve. I am just another ordinary woman, but I serve an EXTRAORDINARY God. My heavenly Father continually takes the broken places in my life - in me - and makes them whole again. And when God restores something, it's always better than brand new!

Life's trials and tribulations can make us feel as if we are alone in a desert wasteland, but the truth is that God never leaves our side. He's right there, waiting; waiting for us to call on Him; waiting for us to get out of His way; waiting for us to acknowledge our need of His saving grace. He longs to bring refreshment to our parched souls. We have only to ask Him. Sounds simple, but it is often the hardest part. I speak what I know, for I have learned this truth - relearn it sometimes daily - the hard way; the art of surrender is not my strong suit. =)

But nothing is ever wasted in God's kingdom. What the enemy intends for our destruction, God uses for our good. I have seen this time and again in my own life. My hope and desire in writing - in sharing my life with others - is to bring a word of encouragement to another life, is to share some of the things God has taught me, in order that my words might be like a stream in the wilderness of someone else's desert.

So then, who is Cheri Hardaway?

I'm a wife. I met my wonderful husband in 1983, on a blind date. Neither of us knew Jesus then, but He knew us; He knew we needed Him, and He knew we needed each other. He brought us together, two love-wounded souls, and challenged us to dare and love again. Throughout our first year of marriage, Christ wooed us to Himself, and just before our first anniversary, we both accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. For the past 24 years, we have walked through life together, experiencing both blessings and trials. For every blessing, we give thanks; through each trial, we are learning to rejoice... in God's faithfulness, in His provision, in His grace and mercy, in the lessons He is teaching us... learning to rejoice in growing up.

I'm a stepmother. I'm a grandma. When my husband and I married, I got an instant family. Hubby came with a three-year-old son. This little guy may have started out a stepson, but he soon became a son of my heart. The past two-and-a-half decades have afforded us many opportunities for growth, and I am proud to be a mom to this special young man. He married a lovely young woman, and they have added three beautiful grandbabies to our family - twin boys and a little girl.

I'm a mom. Once married, we added three more to our little family, another son and two daughters. Our second son took us on an incredible journey as he struggled with addiction in his teen years. When he graduated from Teen Challenge in December 2007, the keynote speaker said this: "Before it was incredible, it was impossible." There were many times when we thought we'd never see our boy walking with the Lord, but God did the impossible. This young man is an inspiration to our whole family, and he is a picture of what God can do with a life fully surrendered to Him.

I'm a homeschool mom. When we first started homeschooling thirteen years ago, I wasn't sure I could do it. It looked like an impossible task, to home educate through high school. We have two graduates, homeschooled through high school, currently attending college. In May of 2009, we will graduate our youngest daughter from high school. This will effectively end my homeschooling career. Once again, God has seen us through.

Remember: "Before it was incredible, it was impossible."

Matthew 19:26 tells us that "with God all things are possible."

I have watched Him take my life - my family, my struggles, my shortcomings - and do incredible things. Let Him make your life incredible too.