Granny always taught me that the Bible was the Word of God.

Thirty-eight years ago, I began an adventure of becoming. I asked God to help me reinvent myself. I always told everyone close to me that, ”God took me apart, and put me back together the way He wanted me to be.” In fact, He’s still reworking the puzzle of Sue, and rearranging her into His Fearless Faith.

My story is an adventure with God. After He made some major changes, I prepared to return to teaching. First, I earned a K-8 Elementary Lifetime Certificate. (90). If anyone told me that I’d go on to earn a Masters in Ed.(95), and retire with 30 years in education(2014), my answer would have been, “Yeah, right! You got to be kidding me. Not in my lifetime!” Well, God knew the plan. All I had to do was to seek Him, and figure out how to achieve that plan, step by step.

One of my personal, favorite scriptures, told me otherwise. Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the plans that I have for you. Plans, not to harm you, but to give you hope and a future.”

In the 50’s and ‘60s before Vatican II, we were not encouraged as Catholics, to read the Bible. Praise God, that Changed! My mother encouraged me with the fact that, ”Jesus has no denomination.” Therefore, I was raised somewhat charismatic and open minded.

All Catholics who truly practice their faith are born again believers. It’s all about the Trinity, and what Jesus sacrificed for us one, dark Good Friday. Our mass is based on scripture, and Bible study is an ongoing thing.

During my rebirth adventure, I turned to Him, and began to seek Him diligently. Through the years, as I was busy raising my family/teaching, I tried my best to spend time with Him daily. However….Life takes over.

God lay upon me the following: I needed to rework my thinking patterns. THEN…GOD SENT ME BOOKS AND TAPES FROM MY HERO.

When I get to heaven, one of the first persons that I want to hug and thank is Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the author of, The Power Positive Thinking.

It’s unfortunate that it took until I was 30 years old to realize the following quotes from Dr. Norman:

Mental Purification..Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and prove what God’s perfect will is for you.

Phillippians4:7 Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.

Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest we confess.

1.The chief struggle in gaining mental peace, is to revamp your thinking to the relaxed attitude of the acceptance of God’s gift of peace.

2. Fill your mind with healthy, creative thoughts.
3. Affirmative Prayers Release Powers By Which Positive Results Are Accomplished.
4. Prayerize-pray without ceasing in all situations daily.
5. Picturize-Whenever success or failure is pictured in your mind, it strongly tends to actualize in terms of equivalent to mental image.
6. Actualize-What you believe you will become…..will come to pass with God’s help.

Your mental images, when conditioned by invoking God’s power upon it, will become reality. In other words..YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK.(A Granny quote).

IT’S YOUR JOB TO CREATE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS!

I have two close friends who were both the only children in the family. Trust me when I say, their mothers put an albatross around their daughter’s necks. All of their lives, the daughters lived this scenario, ”Don’t cross mother, or you’ll have hell to pay!” Both of their fathers were kind, non-threatening parents, so the moms controlled.

As usual, both fathers passed first. I viewed my two girlfriends struggling as adults, to be the good little girls, and keep mom happy.

If you are not happy with yourself, you will tend to lash out at others. I had taught school for 3 years, then became a stay at home mom for 5 as I raised 2 sons…….while my hubby worked….and worked….and…worked. I had a man who loved his family dearly, but at that time, he was clueless how to be a good husband. Yes, he had a controlling mother and aunt. Yes, their two husbands were sweet, kind, adorable men, and thought it was easier to go along.

When my hubby finally realized that I either had to reinvent myself, or be put in a rubber room, he encouraged me to the max! He grew and changed, as well as I. True Love won the battle.

I began to teach preschool, and took the kids with me. I went back to school, got a Masters Degree in Education, and went back to my fulltime teaching job. I also returned to my art activities, Bible Studies, and creative writing.

One of my close friends and I have written 13 children’s books-2 published. We often perform in our costumes : Queen Camilla Carnation Chrysanthemum-purple hair /dress.

Queen Gwyneth Geranium Gardenia-pink hair/dress. We perform at libraries and various events.

Our next adventure: We are creating a Granny comedy act.

IN case you haven’t guessed it…..I’M NOT A SIT AROUND PERSON. I ask God to kick me in the butt every day, and get me going, so that in me…THEY SEE HIS LIGHT.

Get busy and let your light shine!

Love,

Granny