In the pages of this book, Sherrell encourages the backslidden and guides most everyone else through the process of moving from religion to relationship. In a way that only Sherrell can, she uses her power of persuasion and her years as a wellness advocate and coach to inspire the everyday believer to be more, do more and live his/her best life.

The race is not given to the swift or to the strong, but to he that endures to the end. Rest assured that no matter how far you’ve drifted from the Lord, there is a way back. Let “Transparent Faith” lead the way.

Through the teachings of Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr., Bishop T.D. Jakes, Pastor Keith Battle, Bible Institute classes, focus study classes, my family, my church family, and countless others I began to understand my new life in Christ, God’s plan for my life, and the process that God uses to birth purpose.

In the next few chapters of this book, I will share some stories of transparency in hopes that the lessons will help new Christians understand God’s divine plan and process for living a life of purpose.

I gave my life to Christ at 13 years old and tried really hard to do the right thing, but I always felt like I was struggling on a daily basis. Although I knew that God loved me flaws and all, what I saw with my physical eyes as a teen was different. I saw Christians as perfect!

People who could quote scriptures had a special connection with God that I didn’t have and that equated to “true Christianity” for me. Or as the old church ladies would say, “They were sho nuf saved.” I had been in church all my life and I could barely remember John 3:16! Then there were others who looked the part, talked the talk and walked the walk. I admired them. They seemed to be totally unbothered by the world. These were people who were always smiling, laughing, talking about the goodness of Jesus, and serving others. I would watch them as a teenager and wonder how they had conquered sin and were no longer tempted by anything. What was their secret? How did they get that special connection with God, that didn’t come so easy for people like me? No matter how hard I tried, in my mind I just couldn’t do it, so at 19 years old I gave up on being a Christian. Don’t get me wrong I loved Jesus but in my warped mind, I felt that I was doing the right thing for us both. Laughable right? You can’t straddle the fence with God is what the old church ladies use to say, so I stopped straddling and jumped over onto the other side.

During my years on the other side, I focused on school but there was always something missing. At times, I could sense Him calling me clearly through Kirk Franklin’s music (which was the only gospel music that I would listen to) and other times I didn’t hear a thing. Sometimes I would peek over the fence to see what the perfect Christians were doing and I would feel homesick. I remember deciding to go to church after a few years and I enjoyed it. On my way out the door, one of the old church ladies stopped me and said, “You know you don’t have to wear so much makeup or wear your skirt so short because God loves you just the way you are.” Needless to say, I didn’t go back. I hopped back over the fence and as I stood there once again on the other side I told myself, “I tried.”

Once I graduated from undergraduate college I set my sights on a master’s degree. By this time, I was working a full-time job and going to school full time. This degree would be the peak of my life! I had worked so hard to graduate with my master’s by the time I turned 31 years old and it meant the world to me. This graduation would be life changing and it would somehow make my life richer, more joyful and happy, but it didn’t. My boyfriend threw me a surprise graduation party and it was great! I was being celebrated for a job well done and people seemed to be impressed but when I woke up the next day it all felt so ordinary. Everything was over and nothing had changed. I still felt like something was missing and God whispered “Me”.

After all those years of working and searching for my own little bit of happiness, I was right back where I was at 19 years old. At 31 years old could I do this Christian thing now? Sad to say the answer was still no. I still wasn’t perfect even with two degrees I still felt like I could not be the type of Christian that God deserved. Looking back on that time in my life that wasn’t the real reason. I was flat out living in sin and didn’t want to stop what I was doing! Just being real. So being the sinner who desperately needed God I prayed the most selfish prayer that I had ever prayed: “God, WHEN I get married I will be settled and able to fully serve you. Please give me another chance to get myself together.” Sad to say this was the first time in years that I prayed on a consistent basis mainly because I was scared. I know the nerve I had back then amazes me now but by God’s grace, He kept me and soon after I got married I immediately began looking for churches. My co-worker Tamika Hyman invited me to her church and it was cool. It was bigger than what I was use to, but what caught my attention a few months later was that Kirk Franklin would be in concert at that same church: The First Baptist Church of Glenarden. I had never seen Kirk Franklin in concert and the cherry on top was the fact that the concert was free!

After the concert, an usher stopped me as I was leaving and said, “Come back and check out our worship services.” She was so nice and seemed genuine. Genuine in the sense that it didn’t sound like she was reading from a script. So after the concert I began attending their worship services and in April 2009, I repented, joined the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, and got baptized. That decision changed the course of my life.

I repented and instead of focusing on perfection I focused on learning all I could so that I could finally understand what God wanted from me. I attacked this journey with the same tenacity that I had when earning my degrees and the results were completely different.

Through the teachings of Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr., Bishop T.D. Jakes, Pastor Keith Battle, Bible Institute classes, focus study classes, my family, my church family, and countless others I began to understand my new life in Christ, God’s plan for my life, and the process that God uses to birth purpose.

In the next few chapters of this book I will share stories of transparency in hopes that the lessons will help new Christians understand God’s divine plan and process for living a life of purpose.

Ask anyone to define what a family is or consists of and the terms, mother, father, grandparents, cousin, aunt, uncle, and children would be a typical response. But, is that all that a family amounts to especially today? Growing up in Georgia I routinely heard my dad refer to everyone as cuz or bruh! Even though many of those people were not close family friends some were, and they played a part in my life as a child growing up. I learned early on that family can start with blood ties but transcends based on our connection and relationships with others.

God created us for fellowship with Him and with one another starting with the family. Our horizontal relationships are just as important as our vertical relationship with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.