473- Cheri N Part 2 - The Purpose of Abundance473- Cheri N Part 2 - The Purpose of Abundance
Sober Speak- Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Interviews
Sherry Norris talks with host John M about seven years of sobriety, faith-led journalling, and building second‑chance careers for people with criminal records. Her story covers addiction, family, entrepreneurship and practical tools for finding joy and purpose without alcohol.
53:34•6 Nov 2026
Finding Purpose in Abundance: Sherry Norris on Sobriety, Faith and Second Chances
Episode Overview
- Simple routines like waiting for sundown, going to the cinema and playing Christmas music helped Sherry get through the toughest early sober days.
- Daily “Dear God” journalling gave her a way to pray, ease anxiety and later recognise how past events were often unexpected answers to prayers.
- Sherry’s book, *The Purpose of Abundance*, offers a 40‑day, story‑driven guide to hearing God while keeping readers engaged with real‑life twists.
- Her work with Cornbread Hustle focuses on paid jobs and business support for people with felonies, reflecting her belief that this is a uniquely good time for second chances.
- She emphasises replacing old drinking habits with activities you loved as a child and surrounding yourself with people whose lives you’d genuinely like to emulate.
“Drugs and alcohol will strip you of your innocence and make you forget about the things you once loved.”
What drives someone to seek a life rich in sobriety, faith, and second chances? In this conversation, author and entrepreneur Sherry Norris shares how seven years of sobriety have reshaped everything from her love life to her career, and even the way she sees God.
Speaking with host John M from Dallas, Sherry talks about getting sober on Christmas Day 2018 and learning to survive the early days of recovery with simple, practical tricks: waiting for the sun to go down, hiding in the cinema at “bar o’clock”, and even blasting Christmas music in July to feel childlike joy again.
As she puts it, "Drugs and alcohol will strip you of your innocence and make you forget about the things you once loved." A big part of the episode centres on Sherry’s book, *The Purpose of Abundance*, a 40‑day guide to hearing God. She explains how decades of journalling, starting with “Dear God” and sometimes writing back as “Beloved Sherry”, allowed her to see that many events she labelled as terrible were, in hindsight, unexpected answers to prayers.
One striking journal entry even described her future husband Ben in detail, written on the same date they later chose for their wedding. Sherry also talks candidly about meth use, becoming her father’s dealer as a teenager, and the heartbreak of watching him stay in addiction and eventually die. Her experience fuels her work today with Cornbread Hustle, a staffing agency focused on second chances, connecting people with criminal records to paid work and even helping them launch businesses.
This episode will speak to anyone in early sobriety, women in recovery, and people who are incarcerated or newly released and wondering if a meaningful future is still possible. If you’re craving proof that life, love and purpose can grow out of chaos, could Sherry’s story be the nudge you need to take the next step?
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