Bible Translations

I really like the Message Bible! I remember when the Living Bible came out, churchgoers were going crazy! “It’s changing the Word of God!” Did you know the King James was a translation? Hello? If you want to have the original go to The Jewish Bible, the Old Testament was originally written almost entirely in Hebrew, with a few short elements in Aramaic. Both the Old and New Testaments have a long history of translation.

The Message Bible uses the modern-day language we are accustomed to today and easier to understand!

I enjoy reading that God is in control and will have the last word!! This scripture makes it plain:

“Count on it: Everyone who had it in for you will end up out in the cold — real losers. Those who worked against you will end up empty-handed — nothing to show for their lives. When you go out looking for your old adversaries you won’t find them — Not a trace of your old enemies, not even a memory. That’s right. Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go. I’m telling you, ‘Don’t panic. I’m right here to help you.’”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:11-13‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Casual prayer??

How many times do we pray a casual prayer?

I read a story several years ago about a lady who passed away in the emergency room. She felt her spirit rise above her body and could see her family weeping because she died. She related hearing her dad say, “I wish she hadn’t died!” Immediately, she saw those words shooting thru a glass tube to Heaven. As it hit the throne room of God, they instantly sent it back to her hospital room, and the prayer restored her life! It was a casual prayer, but a powerful one!

 

I remember when my friend JoAnn and I were on our way to Houston for a casual drive. I was hurting after being deceived and rejected! I casually said, “I want a man who will love me more than life and for who I am!

 

I did not know God would answer my casual prayer in such a wonderful way and so quickly! God sent me a man who was beyond my wildest dreams! A man who loved me with unconditional worshipful love!

 

We are so unworthy of God's love! Thank you, Lord, that you love us unconditionally and answer our casual prayers!

July post in ALT Magazine Independence Day

 The Fourth of July — also known as Independence Day — has been a legal

federal holiday in the United States since 1941. But it is more than just a

day off from the office, grilling hamburgers, or skiing at the lake!

It’s the birthday of our country! 

But what does that mean?? 

On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence

free from the rule of Britain. Two days later, on July 4th, delegates from the

13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring America as

an independent republic nation. The first public reading was on July 8th,

1776.

So technically, we can celebrate from July 2nd to July 8th and bosses should

give all those days off from work. Ha Ha

Have you ever wondered why we celebrate with fireworks? Since the 12

century, China has used them to signify national pride and patriotism and

in the 15th century, European monarchs used them to celebrate national

triumphs, the restoration of peace, and even the monarchs' own birthdays. 

Over 14,000 fireworks displays go off across the nation, including Las Vegas

and San Francisco, but the largest one is in New York City attended by

more than  2 million people for the 30-minute show.

From 1776 to the present day, we have celebrated July 4th, with festivities

ranging from fireworks, parades, and concerts to more casual family

gatherings and barbecues.

A little FYI: Three presidents died on July 4th. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson,

and James Monroe.

Independence Day, New Year’s Day, Christmas Day, and Veterans Day are

the only 4 holidays designated as a legal federal holiday on the same day

every year. Any of the days that fall on Sunday are observed on Monday.

So eat some barbeque and pop some firecrackers and celebrate the

freedom of our nation!

Happy Independence Day!

June Blog for ALt Magazine

Happy Father’s Day to All Dads!

Babies usually say dada before they say, mama! Most little girls idolize their fathers, and that superman status is maintained in their eyes until they become a teenager... Then it fades until they are ready to find a husband, and they look for someone like Dad, their first superstar!

I was no exception! My Dad was my hero! I thought, “My daddy can fix anything!” I respected his values, and my biggest fear was disappointing him!

In the fifties, church attendance was a family affair, and parents were revered. Most Americans were patriotic, and boys were proud to serve in the military. Today that sounds like a fairytale.

My fondest memories are of Sunday family dinners. My Dad worked from 3 to 11, and on Saturdays, he drove to Fouke to work at the farm. Sundays were set aside for rest and worship, and no one worked. The meal cooked during church, and after the service, we joined around the table, said grace, and sat down to eat together. We discussed our weeks' activities with no TV or cell phone distractions and learned about life from our parents, not a TV screen. 

When television arrived at our house in the mid-50s, shows were family-oriented. Lucy and Desi Arnaz slept in twin beds, and they could not mention the word pregnant.

The challenge of fatherhood is greater today than at any other time in our history! The family unit has changed, and over 69 percent of homes have more than one father figure! Technology has replaced our quality time, and the family is no longer respected. Today, it is not unusual for teens to be texting during mealtime with no communication with parents.

Writing this article has reminded me how different life was in the fifties. Entering the world of modern conveniences should have made life simple, but it has become more time-consuming. We have made significant trade-offs for our lifestyle. I hope it has been worth it.

Happy Heavenly Father’s Day, daddy.

Preface for AGAINST ALL ODDS We Found The Perfect Love

PREFACE

My high school romance began on February 13, 1958, followed by a separation through no fault of our own.

Fifteen years later, I found my high school sweetheart, who had been divorced for three years and raising his three boys. Most people thought I was nuts and did not believe our marriage would last. They were not counting on my deep feelings for this man that had continued through the years. I was unwilling to pass up my "second chance" and went against friends and family's advice.

With 450 miles between us, the odds of finding each other without Google was a miracle. We did not know what happened to each other but had kept a silent connection with an invisible bond.

I hope those who read my story will realize how life can begin again with pure love. Be encouraged. Happiness is still in your future when you put your trust in God. He is the giver of second chances to those who have experienced a divorce.

This book has been a labor of love spanning six years of research. It has been challenging to get data for circumstances happening over 50 years ago. Most people did not remember the events I was enquiring about or had died. They had torn buildings down to make way for progress, making it impossible to define without digital maps.

 Writing my life story has not been easy. We both had gone through a lot of turmoil during the fifteen years we were apart. While therapeutic, and I have recalled several wonderful loving memories, the painful times and events have made me deal with emotions I had suppressed. God taught me a lot about myself, and I have grown intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Odis' example of perfect love helped me to learn to trust again.

The most challenging part of writing a book is research. The Google search app has saved many hours of work in my quest to find information. I am thankful to my sister Racine, my friend JoAnn, Odis' friends Dalton, Willie, and Danny for allowing me to be a pest with many phone calls and questions to write my story that began at Lake Texarkana in 1958.

I am grateful to Odis's mom, Vivian, for not throwing away history.  She had copies of his tax returns starting in 1956. With his W2's, I put together the dates of his employment history from Texarkana until we married. She also had a small address notebook with every significant event in their life that proved invaluable. Odis kept a file of all the court documents of his divorce and custody battle. Sometimes being a packrat pays off.

AGAINST ALL ODDS We Found The Perfect Love

Available as an ebook on Amazon.com

Print available later.

On Loan From God For 24 Hours Introduction

Everyone wants a telephone line to Heaven. If one were available, we could talk with our loved ones who have left this earth. I wanted 30 more minutes with the love of my life. 

A few nights ago, I dreamed that Odis was talking to a men’s group, comparing the military soldier to that of the warrior as a Christian. I was in another part of the church, helping with the music, and when I finished, I walked down to the floor where I knew he was speaking. 

He was in a green army uniform with lace-up boots. The meeting was over, and I grabbed hold of his arm and walked up a long concrete ramp, holding on to him for dear life.

 

The dream seemed very real to me. For a moment, I thought he must not have died, and I only imagined it. As we reached the top of the ramp, I woke up. 

Be inspired by this short story, available on Amazon ebook and print

https://www.amazon.com/Loan-God-24-Hours-LOAN-Hours-ebook/dp/B07NGMDDR6

God's Facebook Page

Everyone that has a Facebook page puts on their best face for all to see!

But what is on God's Facebook page? 

Do you put one thing on your page of how much you love Jesus and your friends while on God's page, he writes down the real you! Your lies, backbiting, and how you loathe your friends.

Someday, our secret thoughts may be put on a blackboard written in white chalk for all to see!

Be real and truthful or stay silent on how you portray yourself for the world to see!

#GodsFaceBookPage #TruthorDare #RealorFake

The miracle of Chronicles 14:1

 

When I traveled with Marejohn Brock, we were in more spiritual meetings than out! I didn’t have time or opportunity to get in trouble!  

I will never forget coming home on a Sunday from a meeting and Odis gave me some startling news!

We rented a house on Kings Highway for over a year and had talked to our landlord about buying the house! She said she would think about it!

The news was, her son was moving back to Nash and wanted to live in her house so we would have to find a place to move!

I had all my church and Aglow friends praying for a house for us. God gave me the scripture in First Chronicles 14:1 and I claimed it by faith!

Odis was driving down Post Street and saw an empty gray brick house with a carpenter doing some remodeling! He stopped and asked him if it was for sale.

He told him he had just built a new house a few blocks away and planned to rent it but might consider selling it! Odis said, either way, he wanted it! I went over that evening after work to look at it and realized they had built it just for us! There were three bedrooms and 2 baths. They had built one large room onto the back that was big enough for my grand piano and away from the rest of the house with a private entrance! Perfect for me to teach piano! 

There was a garbage disposer, dishwasher, two ovens (as if I needed that), and two built-in cabinets on each side of a fireplace that could hold my trinkets in one! The other was perfect as a gun case for Odis! There was also a carport and a huge detached garage! God perfectly built and ordered it just for us!

God is good and fulfilled the scripture He had given me!

And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and masons, and carpenters, to build him an house. 1 Chronicles 14:1 KJV

Mothers Day Blog printed in ALT Magazine

 SuzieTK Snippets

 

A Mother’s Day Message

 

We have all made a plaster of Paris handprint to give our moms for Mother’s Day! We waited for her to unwrap it with pride and felt joy for the hugs we knew were coming! 

 

While Mother’s Day is a joyful occasion, there will come a day when we no longer have our mothers!  I remember the first time I had to experience it. I could not attend services that day when everyone else was celebrating their mother’s being alive, and I had to wear a white corsage for the first time instead of a red one! I chose instead to go with my sisters to the cemetery, take flowers, and discuss our “mom memories” together as her girls.

 

This day can also be a sad time for those who have never been a mother or lost a child at birth or later. No matter where you are in the sentences of these paragraphs, you are unique to be born a female, and we all have an extraordinary calling!! Isaiah 54:1 ESV*

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was chosen to birth the Savior! Whether you are a single mom, a new or seasoned mother, an adopted mom, a mother-in-law, a stepmother, a grandmother, or a great grandmother, God has a special plan for you that only you can fulfill! 

 

Whether you rock the cradle of a future president or give spiritual guidance to the next Billy Graham, God has chosen you for that special role that only you can play!

 

We all have a mother, whether by adoption or biological, and we celebrate her with joyful remembrance!

 

Have a blessed Mother’s Day! You are God’s special creation!

 

*“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.

 

 

Technology Can Be Dangerous!

 I often say I know just enough technology to be dangerous!

I was always curious and fascinated by new things! I know! My mother would say, "Curiosity killed the cat!"

In the nineties, I took a soundtrack and using a dual cassette system, cut the track down to a time limit needed for a pageant! It was slow and tedious but I persevered and accomplished it!

I played piano by ear but wanted to learn to play by music and in my twenties, took lessons and practiced hours to learn an Easter Cantata to play for our church choir! Persistence once again was my virtue!! 

I've never backed down from a challenge and the more difficult the task, the more determined I was!  

I have little patience when someone blames their circumstances for not achieving a goal! Don’t get me wrong, I've cried and screamed “I can't do this” and "This is too hard," but I wouldn't give up! That wasn't in my nature!

Today, in our throwaway world, nothing exists as permanent! Appliances, eating utensils, and even relationships are disposable! 

I'm ready to go back to the old days when things were simple and people could trust their neighbors! 

BUT, I do want to take my cell phone with me!!

#Technology #Dangerous #CellPhone #Don'tGiveUp #Curious #Fascinated

An Unexpected Song

Karmyn sang this song during high school choral class at Texas High in 1990. I was listening to her channel on Spotify playing a recording of someone singing it. For several days it stayed in my head!

Finally, at Karmyn's suggestion, I looked up the lyrics and could see this was the relationship that Odis and I experienced!

Odis was my unexpected song

I realized that in 1973 when we reconnected; I did not understand it and could not believe I was chosen to have a love like this! Odis was pledging his love to me and I could see his eyes pleading with me to love him, writing to me he could not again live without me!

No matter how I tried, I could not rationalize why he had appeared from my past like an unexpected song that only played in our hearts! I had not felt these feelings for 15 years and was at a loss for words. I never thought I'd know the love I now was feeling. His smiling face had really thrown my world in a tailspin! It was an unexpected song that changed my life and played just for us!!

Lyrics:

I have never felt like this.
For once I'm lost for words.
Your smile has really thrown me.
This is not like me at all.
I never thought I'd know.
The kind of love you've shown me.

Now, no matter where I am,
No matter what I do,
I see your face appearing.
Like an unexpected song
An unexpected song
That only we are hearing.

#AGAINSTALLODDSWeFoundThePerfectLove

#AvailableAmazon

#MyLoveStoryInANutshell

The 13 Folds of the Flag

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, began following the Civil War on May 30th. It became an official federal holiday in 1971 and changed to the last Monday in May. Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service, while Veterans Day in November celebrates the service of all U.S. Military veterans.

I never wanted to discuss death! In my fantasy world, Odis and I would go in the rapture! When he tried to talk to me about it, I didn’t want to hear anything different! Odis was a planner and said, “I’ve written everything down and emailing it to you with a printed copy in my planner!”

When it happened unexpectedly, his instructions made a hard task easier! Odis was an Army Veteran, and one of his instructions was to have a flag-draped coffin with taps played at the cemetery!

As I watched the soldier make each fold carefully and meticulously, I did not realize there were 13 folds, our special number, and each one had a meaning!

Reading the reasons for each fold makes it more special, and the number of folds is icing on the cake!!

The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life. 

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold honors and remembers veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives to defend their country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn to in times of peace and war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, 'Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.'

The 6th fold is for where people's hearts lie. It is with their heart that they pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and flag against all her enemies, whether foreign or domestic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the ones who entered the valley of the shadow of death that we might see the light of day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, love, loyalty, and devotion that molded the character of the men and women who made this country great.

The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for our country's defense. 

The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews' eyes the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit in the Christian's eyes.

With the completion of the 13th fold, the stars are uppermost, reminding the soldier of the Nations' motto, 'In God We Trust.'

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington and all the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today. It is a symbol of 'Liberty and Freedom.'

I love you, Odis, and thank you for your service to our country and your undying love for me!

Thank you to all fallen soldiers honored this day for the freedoms we enjoy.

Taps at Cemetery for Odis

#MemorialDay #honor #soldiers #ArmedForces #InGodWeTrust #FoldsoftheFlag

The Number Game from AGAINST ALL ODDS We Found The Perfect Love

God is the creator of numbers and our Supreme Guide! He created the Zodiac to be a gospel in the stars for biblical astrology. Man has used horoscopes that give your future instead of using God's Words to reveal a path to an overcoming life. Only God knows our future, and He never intended the stars for that purpose! God used the stars and numbers as symbols to foretell world events like the birth of Christ. 

Numbers have always fascinated me. I was thirty when Odis and I reconnected; he was thirty-three. Thru the ages, we have used the number 30 as a sign of physical and mental maturity, leadership, and refers to a significant event or responsibility. It was certainly a significant event and responsibility for us. We were in love!! I believe we were mentally mature to combine our lives, and history reveals it as truth for us!!

Jesus started his ministry at age 30, and Joseph was 30 when he became the second in command to Pharaoh in Egypt. David was 30 when he began his reign. Thirty-three is a numerical representation of the Star of David. Historian Josephus states that Adam and Eve had 33 sons. (Glad that wasn't a literal application for Odis and I) Thirty-Three means promise. It was our promise of love to spend the rest of our lives loving each other that made our marriage successful!

The number thirteen was significant throughout our relationship. Some dates just happened, others we planned. We met on February 13, 1958. I began my freshman year at 13, had my first job at 13, and my dad began his boot camp on March 13, 1943, when I was a few months old. On Friday, June 13, 1958, I prayed for Odis to come to see me, and he mysteriously showed up in my driveway a few months before we lost contact with each other! On September 13, 1958, Odis had his car wrongly decorated with wedding wishes when a couple married on our special day and went to our special place for a honeymoon.

Fifteen years later, we met again magically by a telephone call and met person to person 13 days later. Five months later, on October 13, Odis proposed, and we married in a Cinderella-style wedding on December 13. Yes, 13 was very special during our relationship. The love chapter is First Corinthians 13 and is no coincidence!

What is your special number?