Straying from the Presence of God

In a few days, we will celebrate Easter April 12th and Passover, from Sunset April 8th to nightfall, April 16th.  
Life is busy and filled with distractions. It's so easy to get caught up in our cares, errands, and worries that we lose sight of what matters most.
There's an interesting little story at the end of Luke chapter two when Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem for Passover at twelve years old. After the festival was over, they left to go home, supposing He was with them. I wonder how many times we suppose God's with us when we've wandered off to do our own thing?
Now here's the interesting part. Mary and Joseph had traveled a day's journey before they realized Jesus wasn't with them and then it took three days to find Him. Three days! The message here is that it's easier to lose that special presence of God than it is to get it back once we've lost it.
We need to be careful to remain in the presence of God. When we do, we make God feel at home in our hearts. This starts with being obedient to His Word. A commitment to turn from behavior that offends God is the number one sign of spiritual maturity. It shows you care about what He thinks. That means you will choose to be generous toward others. You learn to forgive and let go of your offenses and live in peace. When we make the choice to be intentional with our words, giving thanks to God and lifting up others, we'll feel connected to God all throughout the day.
Loving God is more than attending a church service!

To All The Guys I've Known Before

This is my answer to Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias:

To all the guys I've known before,

I'm glad that you knocked on my door,
You set the standard high,
You never made me cry,
To all the guys I've known before.


To all the guys that I once knew,
You went out with the one and only Sue,
You'll always be a part
And live inside my heart,
All you guys that I once knew.


To all the guys who were once my date,
You arrived on time and were never late.
Your love helped me grow
I owe you a lot, I know
All you guys who were my date.


To all the guys who once cared for me,
When I wanted to be fancy-free,
I know I owe a lot,
For the love I got.
From all the guys who cared for me,


To all the guys who once shared my life,
But took someone else to be their wife,
So glad you came along
I dedicate this special song.
To all the guys who shared my life.


To the special guy who won my heart,
You always loved me from the start,
You were my everything,
You made my heart sing.
You were the most special of all the guys in my life.

Copyright ©2020 Suzie Tyler 

My trip to the Big Apple

My trip to New York had two new experiences for me! When I arrived, I dropped my credit card in front of Karmyn's apartment and someone picked it up. I didn't miss it until the day after Christmas when we were getting ready to go shopping. I guess because most stores were closed so did not use it until the 26th. When I called the card company to cancel, it had been used twice at a high-end gourmet shop for small amounts to see if they could use it but I canceled it before they made a large purchase! I was lucky! 
Then ...
On the flight home, I felt uneasy as we flew into DFW but everything was fine and I heard the wheels go down as the pilot announced landing in two minutes. Just as the wheels were about to touch the runway, the pilot gunned it and we shot straight up back in the air! He announced that the runway was not clear and he had to circle back around Dallas to land! Thanks to an alert pilot we had averted hitting another plane! Guess God has a reason for me still being here! Thank you, Jesus!

This Thing Called Life ©2019

If you want to learn something about yourself, write your life story!!

You hear people say, "Everything happens for a reason."  I agree with that. It's what we do with the reason that matters.  

There is also an old saying, "Don't burn your bridges because you may have to walk over it again."

In the last 24 hours, I have seen how those things that happened 15, 20 and even 25 years ago are coming full circle.  It would take too long to tell it all on a blog so it will have to come in my next book!

I want to encourage those who have had bad things happen to them to put their trust in God, make Him first in your life and ask for His guidance.  Then listen! My faith began when I was nine years old!  Has everything been peachy rosy for me? No! But my faith has carried me through all the tough times.  When I didn't understand, I trusted! 

Our part is to trust God in all our circumstances.

God’s part is to take all our circumstances 

and turn them around for our good.

Copyright ©2019 Suzie Tyler

Daddy

Today is the love of my life's birthday. I miss him. This is a beautiful YouTube video from Karmyn as a tribute to her dad for his birthday.
#NotaDayGoesByThatIDontThinkofYou!
I will always love you!
My tears are #liquidlove© when I watch this!

Heroes

My daddy was my first hero! He loved me, protected me, taught me about Jesus, and spoiled me! I grew up with that as a standard. I thought all men did that! My first marriage didn’t quite come up to that standard and I moved on! Then Odis happened in my life! He loved me, protected me, taught me about Jesus' love, and spoiled me and became my new standard-bearer!
Today, there is a shortage of men like my daddy and Odis! I hope that changes soon! 
We need more Boaz men!

If you don’t know who that is, read the book of Ruth in the Bible!


#SuzieTylerWriter, #BeauMax, #ChildrensBooks, #ThePerfectLoveStory

Where is your Boaz?

I've always had a fascination with the Ruth and Naomi story because in the sixties everyone used Whither Thou Goest for their wedding.  I have played that song so many times I had it memorized by heart. Naomi was a loved mother-in-law and Ruth was a loyal daughter-in-law. 

The story of Ruth and Boaz offers many insights for today. Among them is the principle that God often works through those who have endured tragic circumstances to change the lives of others. Second, God will work through extraordinary means to carry out his will. Ruth was a poor widow and a foreigner, yet God used her as part of the family line of both David and Jesus. Her willingness to follow the God of her mother-in-law gave her exceptional favor. Third, God’s sovereign power is visible. He is always in control of everything that happens, even when we don’t understand. Those principles played out in our magical love story. Odis was my Boaz.

Every girl deserves her Boaz so wait for yours!!

Read the story in the book of Ruth 4th chapter.

#SuzieTylerWriter, #BeauMax, #ChildrensBooks, #ThePerfectLoveStory

It's a Grand Piano

God has preserved my hearing and fingers so I can still hear and play the piano for my own enjoyment. I started out as an 8-year-old, crawling through the window of the church to play the piano. I played and made up tunes from tones I heard in my head and transferred them to my fingers. I envisioned angels taking the sounds I was creating to homeless people (we called them hobos) to make them happy. It's up to angels to do their job. Maybe one or two of them will play their harp with me! 

Now I just play for myself and to entertain Muffin. She just lays there and listens and doesn’t even care if I hit a wrong note. I had my first position as a church pianist at 12 years of age.

Through the years I have served as the church pianist for several congregations from Pentecostal Church of God to Assembly of God, Non-Denominational and Baptist. I committed to playing Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night with choir practice after the service and a revival several times a year. I was like the postal service. I was there in the rain, sleet, snow, ice, and storm.

In the sixties, I lived in Conroe, Texas, and scrimped and saved to buy a Wurlitzer Console piano in Early American Furniture style. When I married Odis, I told him I didn’t care if we lived in a tent, to just make sure there was room for my piano.

In 1979, my husband surprised me and had a Kimball black baby grand piano played by Johnny Paycheck delivered to my house for Christmas. Sometimes while sitting at the keyboard, I remember how God has blessed me and tears flow down my cheeks as I play. I don’t deserve the blessings, but I believe He remembers the gentle, tender heart of a little girl at 8 years old and her love for God.

Sometimes a tender heart can become hardened because of experiences, but we need to return to a child-like faith and let Jesus put a guard on her heart. Jesus had a special place in his heart for children, and when the disciples wanted to push them back, He said, “Forbid not the little children to come unto me.” I want to always be one of His children with a tender heart for God.

#SuzieTylerWriter, #ChildrensBooksSeries, #BeauMax, #PerfectLove, #JohnnyPaycheck, 

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My wild writing experience

I do nothing halfway!

I started out writing my story for my children to know the heart of their dad and the unconditional love he had for me. After being apart and not knowing where each other were, we met again after fifteen years. Because of an abusive marriage with my ex-husband, my emotions were in disarray. My newfound love loved me through it and was an amazing man who kept me emotionally above water. 

Even if it were only for friends and family, I wanted my writing to be the best I could make it.  There were a few articles I had written on parenting and pageants with a short story or two but no experience in writing a novel. I set out to educate myself and equip my skills in the best way possible as I took on the job of writing a book about my love story. 

After taking a few classes with local authors, I took an online class with James Patterson. The class was a videotaped lecture. My daughter teaches online vocal classes, so I understood the precept.

I was just starting my book and a review now teaches me my knowledge is more than it was then. At first, I skipped the video on character development because my true story portrayed real-life people with real names. My daughter told me to watch it anyway because I might learn from it and I did. 

We had the opportunity to ask questions and make comments during the class period but I was too intimidated to do so at the time. Getting older has emboldened me and I would comment now.

His style is different because he writes fiction novels. I admit I had read none of his books and probably need to. I love all the TV murder mysteries: Murder, She Wrote; Diagnosis Murder and Perry Mason so I am sure I would like his writing. It surprised me when he announced he was collaborating with Bill O'Reilly recently. Not sure what is up with that. 

Mr. Patterson told how he wrote for a magazine and newspaper to supplement his income until he had a best seller. I am guessing he need not do that anymore.

My daughter (a surprise born to my husband and me ten months after we married) is an actress/singer and after doing a lot of commercial work in Dallas, moved to L.A. and did more TV drama acting. In 2012, she moved to New York to pursue more theater work because there is not a lot of that available in L.A.

One of her TV writer friends in L.A. told her that love stories are not in an abundance and now would be a great time to put one on the market. She thinks it would be great for a Hallmark miniseries. During my editing class, I did a paper on that concept. Her writer friend suggested I publish the book before allowing filming.

My story will promote classic country music which played a role in our love story. The industry needs a push toward the old style of country, so maybe I am doing this at the right time. I worked for a talent agency in Dallas, and the film and music industry can be volatile.

The difficult part of writing is the research. My story went back to 1958 and in 1973. They had demolished several buildings from that time period and many people didn't remember or had died.

AGAINST ALL ODDS, We Found The Perfect Love has been almost four years in completion. At first, I felt it was because of my inexperience but I’ve read about many successful authors who took longer than that. Priscilla Presley took three years to write her story with Elvis.


#JamesPatterson, #Writing, #LoveStory, #AGAINSTALLODDS, #ThePerfectLove, #Beau-Max #BoMax

My make-up tip for the day

This is cheaper than the ones you buy and works as well.

Carefully wash a small jar container with a lid and fill with 1/4 T Castor Oil, 1/4 T Aloe Vera Gel and 1/2 T Vitamin E Oil. Mix the concoction together thoroughly. Buy a new mascara brush and apply a light layer to lashes or brows every night before bed. Castor oil thickens your lashes while aloe vera gel lengthens. Vitamin E speeds up the length. After one month, you'll notice stronger, longer, more beautiful eyelashes.

#Suzietyler, #Beau-Max, #AGAINSTALLODDS, #ThePerfectLove

It's Complicated

Am I the only one whose life gets complicated at times?  I remember thinking when I first met Odis, I was trying to figure out if this handsome, compassionate, loving man was for real and why he loved me. I made the statement, "Geezz, this being single and dating thingy is becoming complicated."

I see people's FB status that says: "It's complicated." What does that mean? Is their life complicated or their relationship? Either you are single, engaged or married! Of course, social media has opened up a whole new "can of worms" for couples today. People can carry on a relationship on their Facebook page and no one is the wiser. Maybe that's what "complicated" means. Webster's defines it as "no longer simple and straightforward." Now that I understand.

What happened to Truth, Justice, and the American way? We need more men like Superman. Not the red cape but tells the truth, is loyal and has integrity. He never said he loved Jesus but Dean Cain, who played Superman does.  Maybe it was written on the cape and we never saw it.

I miss the days when your word was your bond and people had character and integrity.
#Suzietylerwriter #Beau-max #AGAINSTALLODDS  #ThePerfectLove

My Fishing Story.

I guess everyone in the south has a fish story. Mine is a little different from most.

My first fishing experience was in a boat with my daddy and Grandpa Bud and one I never forgot. He was a perfectionist. He unloaded the boat and checked it fifty-eleven times to make sure every little iota was in place. He made me wear a life jacket, which made me feel awkward and clumsy. How could I fish and relax wearing that? They wanted complete silence, and I made too much noise for them. I did not have an abundance of patience and became bored waiting for the fish to bite.

When Odis and I dated in 1958, he wanted to take me fishing. I pushed my dull fishing outing to the back of my mind and loved being with him whatever we were doing.

Not being fond of the live worms that wiggled, I let Odis put them on the hook for me. I did not know that when the red and white bobber bobbled; it was a sign of a nibble and I needed to yank the line so I could hook the fish. The fish gobbled up my bait, and I only fed them. I learned that I am a better observer than a participant, and Odis realized fishing was not my thing.

When I met the boys fifteen years later, they excitedly told me about their fishing experiences. I told them my story about their dad taking me when I was not too much older than them. They laughed as I explained, "He never asked me to go fishing again."
From AGAINST ALL ODDS, We Found The Perfect Love
Copyright ©2019 Suzie Tyler

Miss Louisiana Pageant Drama

Last week during the live telecast of the Miss Louisiana Pageant, Karmyn was a backup singer with the band in the opening number. She left the stage to get dressed to emcee. 

She was on her way to the dressing room to change to her gown and heard something pop. When she looked down, the whole bottom had come off a brand new pair of shoes! She had not taken any backup shoes.

I'm sitting in the audience and get this text:

      My shoes broke. Seriously! Trying to find some I can wear.

I'm trying not to get panicked but there is absolutely nothing I could do during a live event.

Then I get this text:

      Amanda let me wear hers.

It relieved me to see her come out dressed with shoes and a gown to emcee the talent portion of the top ten. 

   

She wore the shoes for the finale and I'm so glad it didn't happen then as she walked down several steps and danced in the final number. That would have been disastrous on live TV.  God is good!

Thank you #Amanda Joseph May, Miss Louisiana 2007