a message from a reader. . .

May 30, 2008 | books

Suzanne -

This past weekend I randomly picked up “The Woman I am Becoming” at a local Christian bookstore. Little did I know I was going to read it from cover to cover in two days!

As a young adult leader, I’m always digging for resources to read in order to further stretch my thinking. Your book is an absolutely incredible resource! The layout and chapter sequence are very relevant and I look forward to sharing it with my gals very soon.

I’m not usually a crier, but as I’m writing you this note, I find myself crying. “Thank you” does not express how grateful I am to have read your insights in ministry as well as the lives of young adult women.

Still a single young adult myself at 27, I also appreciated the content on a personal level. Many of your book recommendations are now on my “to read” list. My heart is driven to minister to young women and I’m excited to see God’s vocation for my life unfold. Your book was a very timely encouragement to continue my pursuits!

On a side note, I also enjoyed the Tulsa references. I’m an ORU alumni and miss Tulsa a lot. But right now my family in Minneapolis is most important to me.

Thanks for making an incredible impact on the lives of young women. Hopefully this is one of many heartfelt “thank you’s” you’ll receive.

In His grip,

April Lindahl, twentysomething

From Suzie: Thanks, April. You just made my day. I always appreciate hearing from readers, but more so hearing from potential new friends! Suz

Making It Real: Whose Faith is it Anyway?

May 21, 2008 | books, media interviews

One of my favorite people (and author and speaker) is Lysa TerKeurst. I met her at a Hearts at Home event and then at another women’s conference. She’s honest and open and cares deeply for the women who she meets through P31 Ministries.

Lysa knows my heart for teens. I’ve worked with for nearly two decades, am a youth culture and parenting columnist, and write and speak to teens and parents of teens, and connect with teens through Real Teen Faith.

Lysa asked me to share my four faithbusters (things that can trip up a teen in their faith walk) from my book, Making It Real: Whose Faith Is It Anyway?, on her site this week.

This is an excerpt of Day One: Is your teen asking tough questions, like: Why can’t I feel God? What do I really believe? Where is God when things fall apart? If they are asking these questions, they are not alone.

Even the disciples—guys called to hard core ministry—wrestled with these uncertainties. They saw miracles happen right in front of them. They encountered religious people acting anything but godly. They were persecuted for their beliefs. The longer they spent time with Jesus the more they grasped real-life answers and also stumbled onto more questions.

It’s no different today for a believing teen. What your teen hears from his pastor may be vastly different than what they hear from unbelieving friends. They live out their convictions in a world that does not always understand them. In the midst of this complexity, they have to sort out what is truth and what is hype. (more…)

MIL’s get a bad rap, or do we?

May 20, 2008 | family

Josh was the first. He and Melissa married three years ago. He instantly felt like family. I knew his mother gave birth to him, and I would never take her place, but he felt like my own. 

And then Leslie came home. She talked about a guy named Stephen. This was big news because Leslie was in law school and my beautiful daughter dated no one, except “friend dates” and study dates. She was focused on her career and law school. Unlike Melissa, who tells us everything, Leslie is more reserved. If she was talking about someone, he was a big deal.

Four months.

That’s the amount of time both of our daughters gave us to plan a wedding. No year-long engagements for the Eller family. : ) As we planned, I wondered, “would we/could we love Stephen as much as our first in-law child?”

They just celebrated their first year of marriage. We fell in love with his silly antics, singing and swooping Leslie off her feet. He’s a lawyer, too, so there’s a serious side, but he’s in love with my daughter and a joy to know, and I’m grateful to call him son-in-law.

And then there was Kristin. (more…)

simple things

May 19, 2008 | family

Melissa and Josh are staying with us for a few days. They are in transition, moving from one state to another to start Josh’s Masters degree and Melissa’s doctorate.

I know that many people find a crowded home awkward as adults navigate around the parent/child– adult/adult relationship. Sure, there’s a learning curve as my children get older and as our family grows to include sons- and a daughter-in-law, but I absolutely love my home full of family. 

Funny, but I once thought the whole parenting aspect was complete at a certain time. (more…)

Wonderful article in Muskogee Phoenix

articles, interviews

I love it when I meet someone from my own hometown that has read one of my books, or an article, and they stop to talk about it. This is an article in the Muskogee Phoenix published on Sunday. Thanks, Phoenix!

Local author to be interviewed live on “The Harvest Show” 

Author Suzie Eller of Muskogee believes that youth culture shifts at an amazing rate.

She will share her opinion during an interview on “The Harvest Show” on LeSEA global broadcast network, which reaches 46 million homes in North America, and will air three times on Friday.

“I’m just excited to have my seven to 10 minutes to talk about my passion for faith and for today’s teen,” Eller said. “And then it’s back to work on my next deadline.”

Eller is the author of five books and hundreds of articles, and a parenting and youth culture columnist.

“Today’s 13-year-old experiences unique pressures, technological advances, and issues than the college freshman who was 13 just five years earlier,” Eller says.

(more…)

Cutest kid ever

May 16, 2008 | family, quotes

My daughter’s good friend, LeAnne, has a 2 1/2 year old son named Titus. If there was an award for the cutest kid ever category, I think he would win it. I checked in to LeAnne’s Facebook lately and she had shared some of Titus’ recent sayings. You got to read these. They are priceless.
 

We were sitting on the front porch sharing my ipod.
I asked, “Hey Titus, do you want some ice cream?”
He answered with his eyes closed:
“Just let me listen. I’m enjoying this music”
(John Prine, “Thats The Way The World Goes Round”)

After being asked: “Hey Titus, what do you want to be when you grow up? An architect, engineer…or an artist?” He was building a bridge out of his fort building kit.
He answered: “No…I’m going to help little children cross the street when im a grown-up.” Then finished building his bridge.

He was asked by a friend we had to dinner, “Titus do you work? Do you have a job?” He answered, “My job is to take care of momma.” (more…)

I’m hungry

May 15, 2008 | faith

Sometimes I feel a million miles away from God.

(more…)

Karon’s Story

May 14, 2008 | stories

 

Thank you for sharing your story. I wept when I read it. I found it by reading the interview on CBN — thank you for really good answers that were indepth and tangible - not just broad generics.  This is a poem that I wrote -and of all the things that I struggle with, the one that’s the hardest and means the most is for me to be a better mom. 

One Woman
by Karol Hansen

 A girl so young
 Her memory yet unformed
 Suffered under abusing hands

(more…)

I wish it were my doing, but. . .

family

So, how do you like the new look of the website?

I’m excited about the new direction. I wanted this to be welcoming, and to be a place where I could invite readers to join me to talk about Christ, life, issues, and books.

Speaking of life, this weekend my three children and two of their spouses graduated from college.

Somehow these five graduations–in three cities–in five different facilities–were all at the same time and on the same day. Ayee!

We attended as many ceremonies as we could, but I was torn.

(more…)

Article for moms (and dads) wanting to heal the past

May 9, 2008 | articles, family

I hope you’ll check out a great article on cbn.com today. I was interviewed by Belinda Elliot of Christian Broadcasting Network and it ran as a feature on their site.

Here is an excerpt of Be The Mom You Want to Be: (more…)