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My guest Suzy Ryan is no stranger to childhood abuse, feeling unloved, and devastating tragedy. She is here to talk about her new book, Saving Summer, which is a fictionalized account of her life. We have a wonderful conversation about being a teacher, the love of Jesus, and how she keeps the memories alive of her late brother and one of her students in her book. Suzy’s joy is infectious and you enjoy her storytelling!
Bio:
After more than 20 years as an award-winning educator, Suzy Ryan is now an acclaimed author
with her newly released book “Saving Summer” offering a message of hope in this powerful story
about overcoming trauma and abuse. Suzy is a renowned public speaker and the founder of
Warrior Publishing.
savingsummerbestseller@gmail.com
website: suzyryan.com
Buy Saving Summer at Amazon and anywhere books are sold!
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Transcript:
Suzy Ryan
[00:00:00] Brian: Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer, songwriter, speaker, and domestic violence advocate, Diana Winkler. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. [00:00:26] Brian: Now, here is Diana. [00:00:33] Hello, everybody. Welcome to the podcast. Glad that you’re here. I hope that you are doing well and that you enjoyed last week’s guest. We had Orazie Cook talking about her corporation that she started to give dogs and cats and other pets a safe place to go when their [00:01:00] owners are leaving a domestic violence situation. [00:01:03] She’s doing a great job and I hope that you support her. Tell others about her organization, donate, follow her on social media. This is so important that survivors have peace of mind when they leave, that they… Can take their animals with them. And I know that you are all animal lovers like myself. If you haven’t heard the episode, be sure to go back and listen to it. [00:01:29] We had a great time. We also have another guest today. We’re going to have another good time. And we have Susie Ryan on the show today. And she’s going to be telling her story about domestic violence and her abuse story. She’s also an educator, a teacher, and has written a book. So, let me read you some of her bio. [00:01:55] After more than 20 years as an award winning educator, [00:02:00] Suzy Ryan is now an acclaimed author with her newly released book, Saving Summer, offering a message of hope in this powerful story about overcoming trauma and abuse. Susie is a renowned public speaker and the founder of Warrior Publishing. We had a great time. [00:02:24] Diana: I hope that you will enjoy my conversation today with Suzy Ryan. [00:02:29] Diana: Please welcome my guest today, Suzy Ryan. Thank you for coming on the show today. I’m so excited. [00:02:37] Suzy Ryan: I’m so glad to be here. Thank you for inviting me, Diana. [00:02:42] Diana: We were talking before the show and already you’ve been such a blessing and we’re, gonna talk about your book, Saving Summer and, your Education background as a teacher. Let’s set this scene here. [00:02:56] Diana: So tell us, a little bit about yourself, where you [00:03:00] are. Where you’re from and what you do and a little bit about your family, just to start out with. [00:03:09] Suzy Ryan: Well, I am very blessed. I live in Carlsbad, California, and I grew up, I was very blessed to live in a little small town in Kansas. [00:03:17] Suzy Ryan: And that is where the setting of Saving Summer takes place. It’s a 60s and 70s period piece. And I fictionalized my story growing up and chose my little small town. But after college, I moved to California, just took off, Diana, graduated from the University of Kansas on Sunday, but I had packed on Saturday and I took off on Monday. [00:03:42] Suzy Ryan: Woohoo! Who does that? And I loved it. And that’s where I am. My husband and I have three grown kids and, uh, the most incredible blessing of my life. Has been able to be a mom. Hardest job I’ve ever had. Most humbling job I’ve ever had. [00:04:00] But I am blessed to be a mom. [00:04:02] Diana: Awesome. Now, what was your life like growing up? [00:04:08] Diana: What kind of, family did you have? [00:04:10] Diana: Well… [00:04:13] Suzy Ryan: There we go! Hang on. Well, my parents were divorced when I was four. And it was devastating for me as a kid because I My mom, although she’s got a lot of great qualities, being a mom just wasn’t as important to her. And I grew up not feeling loved. [00:04:36] Suzy Ryan: And when you grow up as a kid and you don’t feel loved, it’s brutal because you always think it’s something you’re doing wrong. It’s something that, oh, if I just do more and I’m a hard worker, so I worked hard thinking if I just did one more thing, then I’m going to get the love that I want. [00:04:55] Suzy Ryan: And, and I developed this performance based [00:05:00] security. Which on the surface doesn’t seem bad. I was grew up and I, I achieved in everything. I get a great grades. I was a track star. I was in all the sports I could be in. I was in every activity and I do like being involved, but it became more for me. I was only as good as my next race I won, or my next A, and there’s no peace in your life when you’re constantly needing to achieve, and then you become this people pleaser, and when you’re a people pleaser, you’re always at the mercy of everyone. [00:05:35] Suzy Ryan: So I needed to be liked then by everyone. It was a prison. It was a prison. It was growing up, but I had an older sister and brother with my mom, on my mom’s side, and my mom was married. Quite a few times. And, and so I had my siblings, but I always felt that, that I had to continually achieve. To be [00:06:00] liked. [00:06:00] Suzy Ryan: And I wanted to be liked. I wanted to be loved. [00:06:02] Diana: Wow. [00:06:03] Diana: It is really hard. I didn’t come from an abusive home. I had a loving family. They weren’t perfect. But, I knew right and wrong and was taught about, God and salvation. But yeah, I understand. My mom and I didn’t get along really good. I was very close to my father more than my mom. [00:06:28] Diana: Our relationship is much better now as an adult but I definitely, I can relate to not feeling, that connection or unconditional love. [00:06:40] Suzy Ryan: And it’s painful. And then my mom remarried and I had some stepfathers that were incredibly abusive. So I didn’t see my dad all the time. I wished I could have seen him more and the abusive stepfathers were, were it. [00:06:59] Suzy Ryan: What can you say to [00:07:00] that or what they were sick themselves. So I’m a teacher and every year I have to do mandated reporting where you have to identify children who suffer who at risk and you have to identify neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse. emotional abuse, verbal abuse. And every year, Diana, I’m triggered. [00:07:25] Suzy Ryan: I’m getting ready to fill it out now. And I said, Oh, I think I’ll wait because I suffered all of them. I suffered all of them. And it’s very difficult for me to go through that training every year because I realize, well, it’s difficult because it’s painful. But then I realized I was an at risk kid. And guess what? [00:07:48] Suzy Ryan: I overcame it. I’m a teacher. I graduated. I have a family. I’m very content and happy in my life. And I give all the credit to God because when [00:08:00] I found out he loved me unconditionally, and this is in the book, Saving Summer, the book is not a Christian book. It’s a gnarly, gnarly book about overcoming suffering. [00:08:14] Suzy Ryan: But it’s a Jesus book, and he doesn’t come in till the very end, but when he shows up, and I am the character Summer, it’s based on my life, fictionalization of my life, when I hear that Jesus loves me unconditionally, and I don’t have to perform for it, that makes me teary. Because I remember thinking, I’m in. [00:08:38] Suzy Ryan: I was 18. I’m in. This is what I’ve been waiting for my whole life. I’m in. I love you, Jesus. And I felt his love and all that pain of not feeling loved. I’m not saying it went away because there were still parts of it that I’ve had to continue to heal from, but I knew I was loved and I loved him and I was [00:09:00] sold out to Jesus. [00:09:02] Suzy Ryan: From the minute I heard he loved me, and I wonder, Diana, if I hadn’t had that hole of not feeling loved, if I would have sold out to Jesus. As, as much as I did, because I knew, oh my gosh, I feel so loved. And then it was an emotional experience, but then I had to figure out what it was that I just did. So then I had to do the work to study the word and get to know God and his word. [00:09:30] Suzy Ryan: But it was such joy and pleasure. [00:09:32] Diana: I love that! I love hearing those stories. Even as adults, I think we can go through the people around us not being very loving toward us or we’re going through suffering and trauma. And we, we don’t think that God loves us. I definitely, when I left my abuser, which was my ex husband, um, I thought that God was going to come and punish me for leaving my [00:10:00] husband, leaving an abusive man. [00:10:02] Diana: And what I felt was the opposite. Just laying there in bed, laying there in bed, waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop, you know, waiting for the fire and brimstone because I had left my husband and got divorced, and that’s, you know, forbidden in the church, blah, blah, blah. But I just felt nothing but love and tenderness and comfort, and I don’t have a Bible verse for it, but that’s how I felt. [00:10:32] Diana: Totally opposite than what I expected. I definitely, I felt very loved and everything’s going to be okay. I’ve got a plan for you. [00:10:43] Suzy Ryan: I love that. I think I try to memorize scripture and I’ve got a long ways, ways to go. But I think of that verse, God is close to the broken hearted and saves those crushed in spirit. [00:10:56] Suzy Ryan: And he came alongside you because [00:11:00] being with an abusive husband, I can’t even imagine. That would be a soul crusher. And, and then the guilt that, that the world puts on us, or maybe Christians do, I say, walk in my shoes and then know what I’m going through. And God doesn’t want you with an abusive husband. [00:11:16] Suzy Ryan: So the comfort he gave you is better than all kinds, any kind of love or comfort you can get. And I’m so thankful. He always shows up, doesn’t he? He always shows up like that. He’s such a faithful God. [00:11:30] Diana: He is. Now did you always want to be a teacher? [00:11:35] Suzy Ryan: I did not. I, I grew up, I’ve got a great metabolism, but I grew up hungry all the time because My mom was just preoccupied and, and I, I was always hungry. [00:11:49] Suzy Ryan: So I thought when I go to college, I’m going to get a business degree. So I’m going to have enough money to always buy food. Oh my goodness. So, so until even to this day, [00:12:00] Diana, I carry food with me in the car. I’m never going to be hungry again. I, and my three kids. We would go and I always had snacks for us, water or string cheese. [00:12:10] Suzy Ryan: I always had snacks when we went along in the car and at swim camp. No, not swim camp, swim practice with my 3 kids. Our coach leaned in and my younger son when he was 4 and he’s now 29 said, oh, are you going on a road trip? And he said, no. Oh no, my mommy always packs like this. And I thought I had to laugh because I did, because I didn’t want my kids to be hungry. [00:12:30] Suzy Ryan: So I got a business degree and I was in sales, but then a real tragedy happened and it, it changed me. And I think of the verse, what the enemy means for evil, God uses for good. It doesn’t mean things are good. And this was not a good thing, but he used it for good. And, and made me want to be a teacher. And the terrible event was my brother killed himself and it just [00:13:00] didn’t seem like I wanted to be in sales anymore. [00:13:05] Suzy Ryan: I wanted to go back and I wanted to do something and make a difference. And I give my brother and his death. death, his suicide, all, all the reason that I took the course change and I have been able to go back and be a teacher for over 20 years and find at risk kids. All at risk kids need, I mean they need a lot, but they just need to know you love them, you love them. [00:13:36] Suzy Ryan: Once they know you love them, they can heal, they can do their work. It doesn’t mean you can save, I mean I’m just a mere mortal, but my students know. I love them and that is my goal. To teach them too, but to, that they would know I’m not going to flatter them. I’m not going to say something that’s not true, but I am going to speak the truth and love to them and I’m going to find [00:14:00] their good qualities and they’re going to know that they are loved. [00:14:03] Suzy Ryan: And that is what my brother’s death did for, for me. It changed me. I also wrote the book and it’s dedicated to him. I wouldn’t have written the book without him. I wanted to keep his memory alive. I wanted to keep his memory alive. And that’s why I even talk about him in my classes. He’s the reason. That’s why I’m talking about him now. [00:14:26] Suzy Ryan: Every time I talk about him, his memory stays alive. [00:14:32] Diana: And I bet your students just love you. Who wouldn’t love Susie? I’ve known you for what, half an hour? So sweet. I feel like I know you. Want to be around you. So I’m sure your students feel the same. [00:14:48] Diana: You know, what’s interesting is I, people used to tell me I was fake growing up because I had this just exuberant personality and I wanted to be loved and I wanted to hug, and then I tried to temper it [00:15:00] because I didn’t like people calling me fake. [00:15:02] Diana: Because it hurt my feelings. When, when you don’t feel loved, and my feelings, I have a lot of feelings, they would be hurt. And so I would try to keep myself contained. And then when I became a Christian, and God said, Hey, you don’t surprise me. You’re not too much for me, Susie. I was free to just be myself. [00:15:25] Diana: And if someone else doesn’t like me, I pray for them. That’s not on me. I get to be who God created me to be. And that was to be really loving. I love people. People energize me. You’re energizing me. Talking about your story energizes me. That’s, that’s how God created me. [00:15:45] Diana: Absolutely. And it shows. You had heart attacks that you experienced. [00:15:52] Diana: What happened there? [00:15:54] Diana: It sounds like a movie, but I was in my seventh grade class, English class. We were in a big [00:16:00] poetry cafe, lots of parents, lots of students, lots of food. I was at five parties. There’s lots of food, lots of food. And my chest felt like there was a TV on it. I started sweating. I was I was feeling like I was going to throw up. [00:16:19] Diana: Someone came up to me and said, you’re white as a sheet. I thought I was dehydrated, but I was having a heart attack in front of my class. Who can say that they’ve been teaching and had a heart attack in front of the class. Diana, I am an iron man. I’m a terrific athlete. My dad gave me phenomenal genes. [00:16:38] Diana: I’ve got his muscles. Athleticism has been just an anchor for me. So I thought, I was dehydrated. I couldn’t be having a heart attack. I did the Ironman only one time. It was brutal. It’s you, you know, it 2. 4 miles. And then 112 miles you bike. And just for fun, you put on your running shoes and run a [00:17:00] marathon. [00:17:00] Diana: So of course I can’t be having a heart attack. So I had, I thought I needed food. So I had someone get me some chocolate donuts from the Bay, ate chocolate donuts. Pop back up and start teaching my class again. I didn’t know I had a heart attack. I have an incredibly strong heart from all the exercise. [00:17:20] Diana: Three days later, it happened again. I still thought I was dehydrated. I thought, wow, my body’s changing. Complete avoidance. The third time I jumped in the pool and I was swimming, I swam a lap, flip turned and I hear a voice and the voice says, Stop swimming, get out of the pool. Now you and I know that to be Jesus. [00:17:43] Diana: I knew it to be Jesus too. In the book, I hear it when I’m in an at risk situation and near death, it’s getting ready to happen in the book. I hear the voice as a 14 year old. I didn’t know it was Jesus at the time. I still obeyed the voice. This [00:18:00] time I knew it was Jesus and I got out and I went to the urgent care. [00:18:03] Diana: They couldn’t find anything. wrong. My EKGs were fine. They sent me to the, the ELAR. They still couldn’t find anything. My EKGs were fine. The doctor, my phenomenal cardiologist, Dr. Kenneth Carr, he kept me overnight because he said something was very strange. He wouldn’t let anybody else have my case. I guess when you’re in the urgent care, they… [00:18:26] Diana: Choose who they’re going to take. He said, I’ve got to have her. The next day he did a, was getting ready to do a stress test and did another EKG. And he said, Oh no, we’re going to the cath lab and the cath lab, they go through an artery or vein and they look at what’s going on and my main artery. My main artery, the LAD, the widow maker’s artery had shredded, dissected. [00:18:51] Diana: That’s why I was having heart attacks because the blood was not getting to my heart. It’s called SCAD, spontaneous [00:19:00] coronary artery dissection. You have to have a main artery. He was such a superstar. He put in three extra long stints. The crazy thing about it, Diana, is you’re out, but you’re not. You wake up, I woke up three times. [00:19:16] Diana: Now, why would that you ever even, why would they make you wake up? And I saw my heart beating and I heard Dr. Carr, who’s a Stanford graduate, very calm, say, it’s not working. We need another. I hear my, I see my heart and I’m praying, Jesus, heal my heart, Jesus, heal my heart, Jesus, heal my heart. I go back out. [00:19:38] Diana: I wake up again and I don’t know how much time has passed because I was in there over two hours. I hear Dr. Carr say again, it’s not working. We need another. It’s not taking. We need another. Jesus, heal my heart. Jesus, heal my heart. Jesus, heal my heart. Went out again, wake back up and I hear him say. with just a little [00:20:00] bit of emotion it took. [00:20:01] Diana: So he was putting stints in and he had to get past the raveling the shredding and he had so he had to so I have three extra long stints and it was shredding from the top to the bottom sort of like the curtain that . The temple curtain remember when Jesus was crucified and it tore from the top because if it would have top to the bottom if it would have shredded from the bottom there would no way there was no way they could have If Dr. [00:20:26] Diana: Carr would have sent me home. I would have died if I wouldn’t have gotten out of the pool and kept swimming, but God, but God, that’s Jeremiah 1 7, but God saved my life. Saved my life. Saved my life. [00:20:40] Diana: Wow. Who gets to say that? And then Diana, I got to see my three kids. Get married. I think that was, that was six years ago, almost seven or six and a half. [00:20:50] Diana: And I think of what would have happened had I died then and that I got to live. And we know it’s Christians absent from the body, present with the Lord. And we know [00:21:00] God has great spirit body and, and in heaven, there was no more sorrow, pain or any type of trauma in heaven, but I got to see my kids and I’m so thankful. [00:21:13] Diana: I’m so thankful that I got to live. [00:21:16] Diana: I love that story, amazing. Hats off to the doctors and God, yes. Guiding their hands and giving ’em the wisdom, guiding his care. [00:21:24] Suzy Ryan: You. Mm-hmm. and Dr. Carr, I said this, but it’s really important. It’s really important to say again. He knew he had to take me. Now, he didn’t know it was God telling him that. [00:21:36] Suzy Ryan: Because I went in and I was like, you’re gonna laugh. No, you’re probably gonna laugh. I said, Dr. Car, you saved my life. I’m yours forever. How can I pray for you? When I got better, he’s like, What does that even mean? You know, you know, but he saved my life. He gave me my life back. So he did not know that God directed him, but God directed him to [00:22:00] take my case because he was so brilliant and he was so schooled and he knew, he knew something was wrong and he identified the scat, which doesn’t happen very often. [00:22:12] Suzy Ryan: It’s usually women and there’s no plaque. Your arteries shred. So there’s no warning signs. [00:22:20] Diana: Is that caused by stress or what, what causes that? I mean, that’s so surprising that you’re in such great shape and you had 3 attacks. [00:22:30] Suzy Ryan: Such a good question. They say Dr. Carr’s words were bad luck, but we know through research that kids who suffer growing up trauma, research provides, they have unexplained heart issues, physical issues, premature death, and things that aren’t explained. [00:22:53] Suzy Ryan: This type of trauma is important to identify in kids so they can get past this [00:23:00] and not have these, these terrible physical problems. There’s no rhyme or reason I should have had that. There’s no way. But, but trauma and then stress. can do together. It’s the terrible twos, right? The terrible twosome. [00:23:16] Suzy Ryan: So it is a real thing. Trauma is real and what it does to our body. And I didn’t feel any trauma. People were laughing. I do have a great story about how God used it for good. I’m a healthy eater. I try to exercise. I try to take care of myself. And my cousin, who’s about my age, He said, if someone like Susie had to go in with some sort of heart issue, that he’s just going to go get checked. [00:23:42] Suzy Ryan: Now, he had no symptoms at all. And he went in, Diana, he saw the story on Facebook. Because he still lives in Kansas, he was 95% blocked with plaque. They rushed him immediately to the ER. And then transferred him to [00:24:00] another hospital, and he had triple bypass surgery, and it saved his life, because he went in. [00:24:06] Suzy Ryan: Is that so cool? [00:24:07] Diana: That is, that is great. You’re a good influence on him. [00:24:11] Suzy Ryan: And he went in to check, and I. I love that my story saved his life and his beautiful wife. Oh, when I saw her the next time she was teary and she said, Oh, to lose him. He’s such a great man and a great father and a wonderful grandfather. [00:24:31] Suzy Ryan: I’m so thankful. I mean, that’s why we share our stories so it can help people. That’s why you’re doing your podcast to help people. [00:24:41] Diana: That’s right. That’s why I get up in the morning is to help others just like you. So your book, what do you want the readers to take away from the story that you’ve written? [00:24:56] Diana: I want the readers to know [00:24:59] Suzy Ryan: just like [00:25:00] my students, no matter what they’ve suffered, I can’t say God and the public school, but no matter what they suffered. It can be used, or we know God can use it for good, and they are not victims, they are victors, because the world needs to know that they are victors, and that God, or if I’m in public school, that it can be used for good, and they can take that trauma, and it can create resilience. [00:25:30] Suzy Ryan: So, they can go out and help people like you’re doing. This is what we need to teach the kids. It can be used. They can be resilient. And I also want them to know, and this is a tricky thing that people kind of get a little bit funny about, but we know as Christians how important it is. To forgive fast, forgive fast, because we don’t want to carry the trauma that happened to us. [00:25:57] Suzy Ryan: We don’t want to carry other people’s darkness. I have [00:26:00] forgiven everyone. I know that I’m the person I am because of the trauma I experienced. Now, I’m not. I’m not thanking them for the trauma, but I have forgiven, forgive fast and love fiercely. That’s what I want people to know, because we know that hurt people Free people, free other people. [00:26:16] Suzy Ryan: And that’s true. [00:26:35] Suzy Ryan: And that’s what we need to do. We need to share our story. And that’s what I want people to know. Yeah. [00:26:42] Diana: Put the oxygen mask over your own face before helping the person next to you. Right? [00:26:48] Suzy Ryan: It’s so funny you say that. I had a friend over for breakfast today and we were talking about that. She’s a teacher friend. [00:26:55] Suzy Ryan: That exact same thing. You have to take care of yourself in order to help other people. [00:27:00] And I use that same thing, the oxygen mask for kindred spirits. [00:27:05] Diana: Yeah, I feel we definitely are kindred spirits. Was there anything else about the book that you wanted to tell us? I know we we’ve covered a lot of ground. [00:27:18] Diana: But anything else that we left out? [00:27:22] Suzy Ryan: Oh, I could talk to you all night, but I know we have to go. Here’s the last thing that I want to say. I had a student named Jack Monday. And the dedication to Saving Summer reads like this. Saving Summer is dedicated to and written for Bart Bradford, my brother, and Jack Monday. [00:27:43] Suzy Ryan: Shakespeare said it best, flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. You too are missed every day on this earth. Jack was my [00:28:00] student in the seventh grade, and you can connect the dots, and he died. Right at 2020, he got into a car in the middle of the night with some friends, and two blocks from his house, she flipped the car, and he died. [00:28:17] Suzy Ryan: In the book, Saving Summer, about his age, I get into a car, she flips the car, and we walk away without a scratch. I wrote a story about that in the Chicken Soup for the Soul type book, and I read it to every student that I have. Jack heard that story. Here’s what I say to my students. I got in that car because I wanted that girl to like me. [00:28:44] Suzy Ryan: Should I have done that? And they all know the answer. No, Mrs. Ryan, you don’t need to have the girl like you. And then I say, but did Mrs. Ryan get in that car? And they say, yes. And I say, I did. I got in the car because [00:29:00] I wanted to be liked. I needed to be liked by this girl. I got in that car and 2 miles from her house. [00:29:06] Suzy Ryan: Now, this is back in Kansas where I grew up. She flipped that car. She flipped that car and she totaled the car and there was nothing left of that car. We walked away. So when I was at Jack’s paddle out, his vigil, his beautiful mom, who’s just crushed, said, keep my son Jack’s memory alive. And I was working on Saving Summer and I thought, why can’t I write him in my book? [00:29:37] Suzy Ryan: It’s fictionalized. I can do anything I want. So I wrote Jack into a scene in my book and he’s with my brother. And the scene in the book is the three of us go to Star Wars. Remember, it’s a 70s piece. Yes. Jack steals the scene because Jack was spirited and fun and kind to everyone and the neatest kid.[00:30:00] [00:30:00] Suzy Ryan: And I got to keep. His memory alive just like I’m keeping keeping Bart’s memory alive. And I see them, Diana, in the streets of heaven, the diamond dust, the streets of gold going over to the crystal sea, Jack was a surfer, surfing. I’m sure Jack has taught Bart to surf and they are celebrating. And that makes me happy. [00:30:26] Suzy Ryan: And that was a great thing I did. I wake up every day and I say, something great’s going to happen to me today. And then I say, I’m going to do something great for someone else today. And that day that I wrote Jack into my novel and his mom got to know her son’s memory was kept alive through my story, that was a great day for me. [00:30:49] Diana: I love the word pictures that you create. in your stories and I can’t wait to read your book because it sounds amazing [00:31:00] and you gave us a warning about some of the aspect of the book that it’s a little bit rough but it does have a happy ending that there is redemption in this book. [00:31:16] Diana: I [00:31:16] Suzy Ryan: couldn’t write, Diana, a book that wasn’t full of hope. [00:31:20] Suzy Ryan: Yes. I couldn’t do it even in the hard parts. There’s hope. There’s hope. And you know why? Because before I wrote that book, I prayed God the Father, God the Son, Holy Spirit, Angels, Team Summer. That’s the protagonist’s name. Here we go. We’re writing it. Help me. Fill me with your Spirit. And there is hope in that book because it’s filled with God’s Spirit. [00:31:47] Suzy Ryan: Hallelujah. [00:31:49] Diana: Hallelujah is right. So I am going to, read your book and do a review for the listeners. Tell the [00:32:00] folks how they can get their own copy. [00:32:03] Suzy Ryan: Oh, I would love to. So it’s on Amazon, Saving Summer by Suzy Ryan. And I have a website, suzyryan. com. S U Z Y R Y A N. com. It’s all on there. suzyryan. com. And you’re on social media too as well, right? [00:32:26] Suzy Ryan: Yes. And if you go to my website, it’s all linked. I’m on Instagram. My daughter’s got me on this, this social media reel going thing. She’s doing reels and she’s talented. So she, and she’s really good. And you know, she’s so, she’s so for me. So we’re doing lots of reels. I’m actually having a blast. [00:32:47] Suzy Ryan: I’ve had a blast. I’ve had a blast promoting Saving Summer. I’ve had a blast on your podcast. I love to talk about the Lord and the Lord is so prevalent in your spirit that it makes me [00:33:00] happy. I can be totally unhinged for God, which is my favorite place to be because he’s done so much for me. We’re miracles. [00:33:08] Suzy Ryan: That’s right. That’s right. Miracles. It’s the, it’s our honor to give him back the glory after all he’s done for us. [00:33:17] Diana: Absolutely. I know you prayed before the show, but would you pray for our listeners? [00:33:25] Suzy Ryan: I would love to pray for the listeners. I would love to pray for the listeners. Abba Daddy, Daddy God, you’ve been on this podcast, you’ve been Singing, through Diana, through me, you’ve been singing how much you love the audience. [00:33:47] Suzy Ryan: And I know there’s people listening that need to hear you, Jesus. And I thank you that your Holy Spirit is taking this podcast and it’s translating it to just what the people [00:34:00] need to hear. I thank you that the hurting person is going to know that you love them unconditionally, that you’re close to the brokenhearted, and you save those crushed in spirit. [00:34:13] Suzy Ryan: And your Holy Spirit is meeting the needs according to your glorious riches in Christ Jesus. So I thank you that on this podcast, when people listen, they are going to know you’re real and that you love them so much. That you died for them, that you became a sacrifice for them, that you, they, that they suffered. [00:34:33] Suzy Ryan: Yes, but there’s free choice in the world. And you were there, even though it was tough for them. And Jesus, that you can take all their suffering. What the enemy meant for evil and you can use it for good. So God, I thank you that the people listening have hope, hope that you can cleanse them from all the darkness that others have, have [00:35:00] trampled on over them and that they can be free and if the sun sets you free, you’re free indeed. [00:35:07] Suzy Ryan: And Jesus, we give you all praise, glory, and honor. And with everyone listening on this podcast, know that they are loved by you, Jesus. In your name we pray. Hallelujah. [00:35:20] Diana: Amen. Thank you, Suzy, so much for the prayer and for coming on the show. You’re a kindred spirit. Oh, I love that! The little hearts? Yeah, I do the little hearts. [00:35:37] Diana: Yeah, so sisterly love to you and keep in touch and you’re welcome back on the podcast anytime. [00:35:45] Suzy Ryan: Well, I’ll come back. Thank you, sweetie. Thank you, Diana. I appreciate it. [00:35:50] Brian: Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you, please hit the subscribe button and tell a [00:36:00] friend. You can connect with us at DSW Ministries. org where you’ll find our blog along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week!