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Help! I Need a Friend!

Won’t You be My Friend?

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” I John 4:7

Yesterday, I met with an author friend for a brief chat over coffee at 9:30 AM. (We had talked about meeting for months.) I knew she needed encouragement. What I failed to realize is how great my personal need was as well.

We chatted and prayed and cried and laughed. We prayed and cried and … you get the picture! Like the tiny kitty, we were helpless on our own; we needed a shoulder to cry on.

Two little girls across the room kept watching us and smiling back. With their Mom’s permission, I gave each of them a Little Bible to put in their pockets. And my friend and I continued to pray and cry and …

Soon, the mother came to our table to introduce herself and tell us she had just started selling Tupperware. As we exchanged information, she signed up for my newsletter and thanked me again for the girls’ Bibles. And I’m thinking, “I don’t need any Tupperware, however…”

As my friend and I prepared to leave, we made a date for next week—same time, same place. We vowed to pray for one another as we work toward our goals. For the record, our “brief chat” ended at 1:30 PM! (I accomplished more at home the next three hours than I would have done all day without the four-hour meeting!)

Do you have a friend like that? Someone you can confide in? A safe place to share your deepest fears and shortcomings? Someone who will lift you up in prayer? I challenge you to take time (MAKE time) for meaningful relationships.

The ultimate BFF is Jesus. He never leaves us. Do you know Him, really know Him?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Hugs,

Susie

A Tribute to Mother

Katie Geneva Phillips Kinslow – My Mother and BFF

Mother celebrated her last birthday with us twenty years ago by staring at the huge stack of beautiful birthday cards on her table. I wondered if she recognized any of the names. Did she realize it was her 90^th birthday? I took comfort in watching her smile as she carefully handled the cards, hoping that each brought blessing and pleasure to her for the moment.

Soon, all too soon, she would again be taken to the ICU and from there to a skilled nursing facility. Having the positive assurance of Heaven made our expected parting so much easier. This reassurance was repeated several times before she went home. “Mommy, I’ll keep you forever if you want me to; but, I’ll let you go be with Jesus when you are ready.”

Holding her hands in the ICU, I sang old familiar hymns to her. It had been months since she could communicate verbally; however, a few stanzas of “Rock of Ages” would spur her to “hum” along with me. Her hums and my singing left much to be desired to the outside world, but I knew in my heart that our Father in Heaven was honored and my precious mother was comforted. Amazingly, we who never sang in public could not have cared less who heard our duet.

Days later, in the skilled care nursing home, I caressed her tiny, cold hand and recalled all the work those hands had done in ninety years; good work and honorable. I thought of all the care she had given to others; of how much those who didn’t get to know her have missed. I wanted her to go to the home prepared for her in Heaven, but the miss was huge already.

At 6:40, God answered my prayer, and Mother peacefully went to sleep. No more pain. I was blessed to be holding her hand and singing to her: “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.” Thank you, Jesus.

My prayer for you today is that those in your care are ready to go to their final home and that they know Jesus personally. I pray that you have that assurance for yourself. What joy to know where Mother is; I look forward to seeing her again someday.

Today’s article is from pages in my book, MY MOTHER MY CHILD: available through Amazon.com, me, or Shady Oak Marketplace in Buffalo, MO.

Please drop me a note. How can I pray for you? Are you assured of Heaven? Be sure.

Hugs,

Susie

Finding Joy in a January Do Over

Not another January! Count me out!

2nd Thought… It’s okay; God’s got this!

“Trust the Lord in all your ways… ” Proverbs 3:5-6

Pics- Kitty not leaving his post (my January and April). Kitty is eager to face the days ahead, and so am I.

Regardless of circumstances, I praise Jesus for freely giving His life that I might be with Him forever. Praise God for His undying love and mercy. If you do not know Jesus personally, let’s talk!

You recall my January was a bit of a challenge (frozen well, burst pipes, leaky roof, etc.). Through it all, God provided peace in the midst of my storms as He blessed February and March beyond measure.

And then came April! 3. Heavy rains and wind pounded our car as we headed for Kirksville and the annual Missions Celebration, “What Joy“. Well, my joy plummeted as we tried to check in.

“Your credit card has been denied!” Ooops! After the second card was denied and they didn’t take checks, only God could have given me the peace to relax and enjoy the next three days. (And a friend with cash!) Later, I would verify charges on my statement and have new cards rushed to me. (Sounds simple, doesn’t it?)

My first card was delivered the next day. The 2nd card was another story. Most of the week was spent enduring robocalls to get to a real person. Following Robo’s instructions, I canceled all appointments and spent two days in front of my open door awaiting my package. At about 8 pm, the second day, a FedEx truck flew past my house looking straight ahead. A text followed on my phone: “Driver unable to locate the address.” Duh! BOTTOM LINE…I learned my package was in Springfield both days, awaiting pickup.

I want to tell you exactly what I repeated loud and clear each time I was privileged to speak to a live FedEx person. “I have great admiration for your FedEx guys. Every person I talked with has gone above and beyond to help me. I seriously do thank you. HOWEVER, that robo stuff is CRAP!” I will continue to give my delivery guys bags of candy, scripture, and a “God Bless You”. I can’t imagine their job in this computer age.

And so ended the 2nd week of the 2nd quarter of 2025. (I will spare you the details of the next week.) Life! Sometimes it’s messy, unpredictable, not good, confusing! And, I want to stay in my safe place, snuggled by the fence with Kitty, and wait until the storm blows over.

But I am reminded of who I am, a child of the King. I hear Father’s plea, “Come unto Me and I will give you rest…” April had some turbulent times, but as I pen this, we have just celebrated Jesus’ life, death, burial, and glorious resurrection. Somehow, that puts all the “stuff” in perspective.

Just as Christ rose from the grave, I, too, will rise to face what God has planned for me.

Just as Kitty moved bravely forward, ready to climb her mountain, so, too, am I.

I celebrate Easter every day. Christ is risen. Whatever comes my way here pales in comparison to the joy my Father has in store for me.

“What Joy,” indeed.

In a few days, I will be blessed to celebrate 25 years of directing DCASB’s annual women’s retreats: God’s Amazing Grace!

I have more speaking engagements booked this spring. God has sent two dozen amazing stories for our book: What Love Looks Like. (Seriously, prayer is appreciated so that I can hear God clearly as I put it together.)

I am rich! I see His hand at work all around me. I feel His presence. I praise Him for each of you.

How can I pray for you?

Let me hear from you…

Hugs,

Susie