Forever Free

Everyone get ready, Dirk and Sherry Tucker are making their first talk show debut!!!  We had the wonderful opportunity to appear on a locally taped show called “It’s Time for Herman & Sharron” on the CTN network (WCLF - TV 22).  This network is shown on channel 3 for Brighthouse subscribers and channel 2 for Verizon Fios subscribers in the Tampa area.  Along with sharing our thoughts about Unfinished Love, Dirk was able to experience wearing makeup for the first time in his life!  I had to chuckle a few days later when he complained about a zit that appeared and was sure it was from the makeup he had to wear - giving him just a glimpse of the fun that comes with being a woman! 

Herman and Sharron were very gracious hosts and asked many detailed questions about the book.  They instantly were taken in by the pictures of Zach I shared with them and were so kind in allowing us to visit.  Hopefully, I will be able to get the interview posted to this site some time in the near future if you are not able to see it.  It is scheduled to air on Monday, August 25th either at 10 am or 5 pm - set your DVR’s if you can’t watch in person! 

Another big event coming up is the Cure Kids Cancer Challenge (see www.fastercure.org) on September 13th!  This is the second year for this event and is a way to help raise funds for research exclusively for pediatric cancer.  Unfortunately, there is not much funding allocated to childhood cancer because 13,000 kids being diagnosed per year is not enough to make it economically feasible for most research companies.  That is where the Pediatric Cancer Foundation steps in - they are dedicated to raising funds to finding cures for these kids.  So if you are a runner, walker or just passionate about helping kids with cancer sign up for this event.  Remember September is National Childhood Cancer awareness month - do something to make others know there is much work to be done for these kids!

Forever in His love,

Sherry

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I wanted to rewind a moment and take you all back to the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) that we were able to attend a couple of weeks ago.  It was an amazing display of STUFF…books, books and more books and everything that goes with books as well as all the beautiful little trinkets that you find in your favorite Christian store.  I was overwhelmed with the shear number of books to the point I began to wonder who would even be interested in my book with so many other choices???  But then, after the initial shock wore off, we were able to meet many of the retail store owners and one by one found that most said there was a great need for a book like Unfinished Love - big relief for me!  I was able to get a copy of the book into the hands of various Chrisitian TV show producers - we even have had one call us to schedule an appearance!  Dirk and I will be taping a show with a couple that do a show on the CTN network (http://www.ctnonline.com/hs04.html) called the It’s time for the Herman & Sharron Show!  We will be taping at their studio on August 14th and I will post when the program will air.  I was also able to do an interview with Ruth Dinwiddie with Moody Radio (on 91.1 in Tampa) about the book.  She was a wonderful lady and the interview went very well.  She was going to try to tell me when it would air so I will pass that along as well. 

Each year at this conference they have an event called the “New Release Party” where all the new authors gather in one large room with 150 copies of their books and hundreds of retail buyers flood in to receive a free copy to evaluate and possibly carry in their store.  As I sat and signed book after book and shared just a small piece of Zach’s story with each person, the author next to me asked each person where they were from.  As I listened I realized Zach’s story was going to be travelling around the world!  There were people attending from England, Nigeria, Kenya as well as all over the US and Canada!!  It was amazing to think and imagine all the different hands this story will fall into!  My prayer is that it will fall into those hands that need it most and the ripples from the Zach Impact will continue to spread as more and more people read the story. 

The other thing I learned from attending this conference was that shelf space in retail stores is very limited and the only way my book will make it on to those shelves is by demand.  If enough people ask, the bigger stores will have it on hand, otherwise, it will be listed in their online store, but more than likely will not be on their shelves.  So spread the word and keep putting those reviews on Amazon (THANKS to all those brave ones who have done this already!).  It really makes a difference and will help entice others in reading the story.

Overall, this show was very enlightening in helping me to understand the “world of book selling.”  I am so thankful that I have been given this opportunity to share Zach’s story.  It is comforting to know his memory will be preserved for years to come and all the lessons that came from his short eight year journey with us will be used to help others and most importantly to glorify our amazing God. 

As always, thanks for visiting this site and walking this journey with us.  Your messages and e-mails of encouragement mean so much to me and continue to touch my heart every day.

Thanking God for His Love,

Sherry 

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When we decided to start our foundation, Giving Hope Through Faith, I knew it would keep us firmly planted in the cancer world.  It is a world no one wants to be in, but once you have entered the door, there is really no turning back.  Your mind knows the numbing reality this world holds no matter how far you distance yourself.  I did not want to distance myself because I knew there was much needed work to be done.  We needed to help shine a light of hope in some very dark places…so we dove in and began to learn about others facing the trials of cancer through all the wonderful families referred to the foundation. 

The blessings that have come from this outreach have been priceless.  I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to walk in the post office with a bulging bag of foundation packages each month knowing in a day or two, each package will reach the hands of a family looking for some much needed smiles and relief from the drudgery that comes with the unending treatment schedules they face.  Today, though, is one of those very hard days.  Because we decided to remain connected to the cancer world, we also continue to see the devastation that comes when all options have been exhausted.  Too many of our families have had to say goodbye to a loved one way too soon.  Today I learned two of our families are standing in this unimaginable place.  Two sweet children, were freed of their tired broken physical bodies.  One family said goodbye to a sweet daughter, Lily, who had been battling a brain tumor.  She left behind a half sister who is in a battle with her own brain tumor, two brothers, parents and many loved ones.  The other family said goodbye to a very brave boy, Jimmy, (www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimmyreichert) who has battled leukemia for over three years.  Jimmy left two sisters, parents and many others he inspired with his spirit.  Seeing his smile and reading of his strong determination made me think of Zach.  I am guessing Zach was surely waiting for both of these beautiful souls with a big smile and some sort of ball in hand as they celebrated their reward of being forever free of the cancer that had been such a difficult challenge here on earth.  Today is a hard day…

I had planned to share all that we experienced at the ICRS show, but I will save that for another day.  Please pray for these families.  Their hearts are broken and the road ahead of them long as they learn to live without their sweet heroes.

Sending prayers of peace and comfort to all,

Sherry

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“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where theives do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21 

July 10th…a day I can’t help but think of as our last day of naive living.  A day when pediatric cancer was not a word in our every day vocabulary.  A day when, what feels like, a big part of our destiny had not been revealed to us yet.  This day three years ago we were going to church, shopping for some new clothes for the kids and I was starting to really freak out about Zach.  He stumbled when I picked him up from church and I immediately became suspiscious that it had to be related to his left arm weakness.  My fears continued to spiral out of control as I realized he was no longer able to ride his bike and his facial expressions were not symetrical.  I look back on all this now and wonder how I could have been so naive to not even suspect a brain tumor…the thought NEVER entered my mind.  I guess it was a way to try and desperately cling to the naive world that made up our existence then.  A world I never realized could disappear so completely and quickly. 

Now fast forward to July 10th three years later - I still look longingly back at that naive world we once had - but I have found it is possible to live undefeated in this crazy broken world - through the grace of God.  I say it over and over again, I am afraid to think of where I would be if I did not have this hope and assurance in my life!  The scripture above from Matthew took on special meaning to me after Zach left for heaven.  I always wondered what “treasures in heaven” truly meant.  It is clear what treasures on earth means - we see many examples of these paraded in front of our face every day.  We live in a world filled with such extreme extravagance we become numb to it.  But what does a treasure in heaven look like?  As I pondered this I realized I already had one very big treasure in heaven along with a big piece of my heart - Zach.  Then it became clear to me what our true treasures in heaven must be - all those we hold dear to our hearts!  I know I certainly want to spend eternity with all those I love.  And so I continue sharing God’s message in hopes it will help assure that we will all be together forever!  What bigger treasure could we need?? 

The book signing at Joffrey’s yesterday was wonderful!  It was such a relaxing environment to have a chance to speak with many friends and share some thoughts about the book.  I am really looking forward to the signing this evening.  Lexi and I will be starting things up at 4:00 and be hanging out until 7:00.  So if you haven’t had a chance to pick up a book - come on by!!  Joffrey’s serves great coffee, snacks and sandwiches - a good excuse to get out of cooking dinner!

Sending love to all,

Sherry

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It has been humbling and overwhelming to receive feedback on the book.  Thank you to everyone who has been so kind to let me know their thoughts about Unfinished Love.  It has been amazing to see Zach’s impact continue on through this written account of his story.  To say I am responsible for this is a misstatement - I give the credit to my brave hero Zach and most of all to God who gave me the strength and the words to write this story. 

The book signing we had at The Crossing Church last weekend was great!  After working out a few kinks with our credit card machine, Lexi and Dirk managed the sales, while I signed the books.  I was not prepared for the outpouring of so many hearts as many of the people buying the book had faced or was facing difficult trials in their own lives.  Just a reminder of how very broken this world we live in can be - and how so much hope can be found in surrendering to God. 

For those of you in the Brandon area that would like to have your copy of Unfinished Love signed, I will be having another signing event this week at Joffrey’s Coffee & Ice Cream Cafe.  Joffrey’s is located in Plaza Bella at 1048 Bloomingdale Ave (corner of Bloomingdale and Bell Shoals).  I will be there on Wednesday morning from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. and again on Thursday evening from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.  If you do not have a copy of the book yet, I will have some with me to sell as well.  I truly look forward to sharing with anyone who can make it by!

For those of you who have finished the book, a big way to help me out is to go rate the book and write a review on Amazon.  Your words might encourage a stranger to this story to select the book over another.  That is my challenge now, to spread the word to people who do not know Zach in hopes his impact can spread to them as well.

Hope everyone had a fantastic 4th!  We had quite the extravaganza fireworks display here last night!!

Surrounded by His love,

Sherry

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“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 

Now that the month of June is almost over, it feels like we have settled into a summer routine.  Because Lexi swims six days a week in the morning, I get up early with Binx for our morning walk.  What I never realized until I started doing this was if I am out just before the sun breaks the horizon, the Cardinals have a concert!  It seems they have center stage for about 10 to 15 minutes because I can never hear any other birds singing during this concert from the Cardinals.  It is amazing and speaks to my heart whenever I hear it!

In case you did not know, I know the Cardinals song so well because Cardinals have become our sign that all is well with Zach.  A few weeks after he left for Heaven, I was working through some of my intense grief by digging a garden in his memory.  As I worked in it one evening, a vibrant red cardinal perched on a trellis in the garden and watched me intently for a number of minutes.  It took my breath away as I knew it had to be sign sent to comfort and assure me that Zach was doing great and was still surrounding us with his love.  Since that time Cardinals have shown up many times when my heart was desperate for assurance.  I have watched them carefully and learned their song.  They have become such a comfort to all of us. 

I now see Cardinals everywhere - when I am driving, when I am out walking, a couple come to visit a bird feeder about everyday just outside my office window.  I wonder - were they always there surrounding me with their assurance and I was just too busy or rushed to see them? 

I have also noticed on the early morning walks how I am treated to the most amazing art work in the sky every morning as the sun rises.  No two mornings patterns are the same and the colors that appear can be so deeply intense that I just have to stop and take it in for a few minutes.  Again, I know the sun has always rose every morning since I have been on this earth, why is it I am just discovering the unique beauty our amazing Creator paints for us every morning now? 

God is teaching me everyday how very present He is in my life.  Whether it be through a comforting sign of the Cardinals He sends, the amazing beauty of each and every sun rise or the intricate details in the tiniest of flowers, God is the creator of it all! I am learning His presence has always surrounded me, but I have to be willing to see it to appreciate how much He loves me and each one of us.  He had a plan with each and every creation on this earth and He has a plan for each and everyone of us!  We have to be willing to quiet all the destractions the world throws at us to listen to Him speaking to our hearts so that we can discover all that He is giving us every day! 

The book sales have been going amazingly well!  I have been signing books everyday for many wonderful friends and family members.  It has been a strange feeling to know many have climbed into my head and my heart and had a much more intimate look at the journey our family endured with Zach’s battle.  I never know quite what to expect when I see someone who has read the book.  I know it is a lot to absorb and digest - this was not an easy story for any of us to wrap our heads around.  I still have trouble thinking it all actually happened.

Thank you to everyone who has read the book and shared their thoughts on what they read.  I have to say I have shared some tears with more than one person as we talked things over about it.  My hope is the book will teach a little, and mostly change hearts to know God is always ready and willing to carry us through any trial we might face.  It is just up to us to let Him do this for us. 

The Crossing Church (www.crossingonline.org for directions) has been kind enough to have the first official Unfinished Love book signing event!!  It will be this weekend (June 28 & 29) before and after all of the services.  The services are on Saturday at 5 pm and 7 pm and Sunday at 9 am and 11 am.  Dirk, Lexi and I will be in the lobby at least 30 minutes before and after each service with a table full of books!  After that, I will see how much inventory I have left before I set up another local signing in the Valrico area.  If you would like to pick up a book before then please send me an email at sherry@sherrytucker.net and we can coordinate a time. 

I will also have a book signing in Indiana on August 3rd in Spencer for those of you in that area.  A family friend, Anita Kay, has a bookstore there and is making the arrangements for that event. 

Until next time I am…

Living in His Presence,

Sherry

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