I am a ragamuffin...  I am a sinner.  But although I continue to mess up, God continues to pour His gracious love on me and guide me.  I'm continually being sanctified, living more and more the way that Jesus wants me to live.  The more I learn about following Jesus, the more I fall in love with Him and His Beautiful Message...  God loves us.  We are His.  He does not place a value on us by our works here on earth.  We could never do enough here on earth to earn an eternal heavenly life.  He simply loves us because we are His children.  He loves us so much and wants us to be with Him in heaven so very much, that He gave His only Son to die for our sins.  So that if we just believe in His Son, if we follow Him, our sins are gone and we can enter heaven.  Salvation is in an instant.  And it is forever.  God's Message is loud and clear...I love you; you are precious. 

I don't know why so many people I meet have such disdain for such a beautiful message.  Maybe because so many people who call themselves "Christians" have given the "religion" a bad name by living prejudiced, haughty, exclusive lives.  Maybe because many Christian people turn non-believers away from the Beautiful Message just by the way they treat others.  And maybe also because some who claim to follow Jesus have twisted His Beautiful Message into their own brand.  Jesus didn't irately, condesceningly scream God's message.  And He didn't reserve it for only those who did "good" things on earth.  He lovingly and peacefully emitted God's Beautiful Message to everyone, without exclusion.  Those who are believers in His message are instructed to do the same.  Believers, we need to act on what we believe...revolutionize what we're doing.  And non-believers reading this...give Jesus a chance.  Don't judge God's message by what some people here on earth have done to you.  Jesus has a Beautiful Message for you.  If you follow Him, you will never be the same. 

A little background...  I was born in a small town in the Appalachian Mountains outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The song Daddy's Song explains why we had to move.  My father knew that he had to go where he could best provide for us...where he could find work.  We moved east, but we always went back home, as if we had a rubber band tied to our heels.  That became a part of me....to keep what I was raised with, even when I venture off.  We settled in Eastern PA and when I grew up and left home, I remember telling my mom, "the best part about going away is coming home."  I have lived in South Carolina, Kentucky, and now Florida.  Oh, so many wonderful people God has allowed me to meet!  I am thankful for every place that I've traveled and every person that I've met.  And I have found that any place can be home when you are with those who love God and follow Jesus. 

The fire and the mission... As for my musical interest, my mother is very musically talented and plays piano and the accordion.  As a child, I remember her singing and playing songs like "You Are My Sunshine" and "Amazing Grace."  The spark was ignited and that's why I decided to learn piano.  As a teenager, I played and sang in my brother Guy's band and began writing rock and country music.  And now, in the last few years since I was baptized, I've been blessed with a fire in me to write songs for my Lord Jesus.  And it all started with the last conversation that my dad had with me before he passed away.  Through that conversation, I feel that God directed me toward this mission for Him, and that is to write and sing songs to praise Him and to get His Word out there!  God's rubber band is tugging me home!

Of course, I can't take credit for the songs I have written because I know that everything comes from God.  It is all His.  And it is all for His glory, not mine.  He allowed me to write these songs and He gave me any and all abilities that I have.  And I thank God that He is using me in a way to spread His Word about Jesus. 

More of God's blessings...  To my dear husband, Terry.. your work in growing as a godly man has been such a blessing.  Thank you for all of your support and love.  Thank you, Heather, for singing backup in Nashville for the CD.  I know that you did that as a gift to me, but most importantly, it was a gift to God.  Thanks to my family for keeping me on track.  Jeep, your prayers are immeasurable; Jule, your Christian counsel guides me to be a more godly woman; Guy, your steadfastness, support and knowledge are invaluable.  And Mama, your love is a gracious blessing from God.  To all of you, your allegiance to God has protected me...Thank you. 

Susanna