Hi friends!

I would LOVE if you would all start checking my new blog!
Thank you for visiting and walking with me through life!

Shae Suzanne


Music for the Week:
All the Earth, Charlie Hall (video)
@CharlieHallBand

Sorry I haven't blogged lately! Check back soon for updates about a NEW blog that will allow me to post more frequently (meaning from my phone)! It should be live this week, I have a lot to update ya'll about :)


Shae Suzanne


Music for the Week:
So Close Now

Well, ya'll, a lot has changed in the last week and a half.

First, I had a birthday. For those of you who don't know, I do look quite a bit younger than I am. Thankfully, this will work for me when I get old. I'm now all of 21, and as my dad kindly pointed out, I have lived 1/4 of my statistical life. What have I done in those 21 years? I have trusted God with my life and learned that 's the best decision I will ever make. I have painted my nails blue (don't worry, they'll be pink again by tomorrow). I have started a blog, though I'm not the best at keeping up with it. I have secured my third internship at the first company I had a big girl job at (that's right, I'm headed back to Riverwind this summer). I have fallen asleep on the Swim House couch during every movie we ever watched. I have discovered no matter where I go or what I do, I'll always be daddy's little girl. I have completed three years of college, which brings me to the next point.

I'm officially a senior. I will graduate in December from the school I dreamed of since I was a little girl. Thank you Daddy and Mom for enabling and encouraging me to chase my dreams.

My big is officially graduated. Caylee, I'm so excited for you. I will miss you soooo much next year, but I know God has big plans for you! Also, congrats to my twin, Stephanie, for graduating as well. I love you both!!!

Another change/cause for excitement - I got released (temporarily at least) from physical therapy!!! I'm so excited! I LOVED everyone at PT, but I'm not sad not to have to do it anymore... I still have exercises to do and I might have to return as my arm heals some more, but mostly I'm just so excited not to have to start out the summer in PT. Thanks to everyone at Newcastle and Stillwater who helped in my healing :)

Also, thank you Denise and Brenda! They brought goodies to physical therapy to celebrate birthdays (and found cause for a celebration almost every week, I think) and mine happened to be one of those. You two ladies are awesome!

Now on to blogging...

I realized after my last blog post that I went in a completely different direction than originally intended. I planned to blog about Idina Menzel's new EP, which has the song Defying Gravity on it. 

"I'm through accepting limits 'cause someone says they're so. Some things I cannot change, but 'till I try, I'll never know." How many times do we let people dictate what we are and are not capable of? I let people do that more times than I can count. Not things like following rules, because clearly that has to happen. But people telling you that you can't do something? Why can you not do it? Because you let one person (or group of people) influence your thoughts. Turn that around - make it an encouragement. One time, my dad told me I couldn't win Grand at county. At the time, it was true. He said if I won he would build me a half court basketball barn. I had awesome sheep, don't get me wrong. But I wasn't working. He said I couldn't win and it made me mad. I wanted to prove him wrong. Did the months of solid hard work pay off? Well, there is now a 40 x 40 barn hanging out behind the house... Maybe this isn't the best example, because I had the talent and the goods I just wasn't applying myself, but once Daddy tried to limit me, I wouldn't take no for an answer. Don't let others create limits for you.

How has not accepting limits created an opportunity for you?

 "As someone told me lately, everyone deserves a chance to fly."
Shae Suzanne

Idina Menzel, Defying Gravity

Hey, so, it's been a while. I hope you, my loyal few readers, are doing well. I have been rather ill for the last few days, but I am on the downhill side of my sickness; I haven't had a fever today! Awesome blossom. Anyway, a lot has happened since I last blogged, so I'll catch you up to speed then give some words of wisdom before peacing out for a bit.

I'm sure you were waiting anxiously to hear the results of Phi Lamb / Lambda Chi's Spring Sing performance... We did great, worked our tails off, wore a RIDICULOUS (-Amanda-) amount of makeup and hairspray (some in the eyes, sorry!) and...got 7th. Which clearly isn't last, and for most of us really not knowing what we were getting ourselves into, I don't think that's too bad. Phi Lambs - if we get the chance to do it next year, more girls better try out! It was an awesome experience and it was great getting to know the Lambda Chi's!

Also last week was AMPLIFY!! It was absolutely incredible. Shane and Shane even sang Christmas music! The BYX had their Island Party that day as well, and it was great to see God moving on campus. Pray for Phi Lamb and BYX, that Jesus will shine through us!

I had a lunch interview at Riverwind Casino last week! I will be interning once again at Riverwind beginning in May, and I am very excited about it! Although I'm not sure exactly what I will be doing yet, however, I am certain it will be awesome! I already like the people and the environment from previous years' experience, and I am glad to have the opportunity to go back.

Most of you know that I applied for an week-long internship at CMA Fest. I got an email yesterday saying I didn't get it, unfortunately. I was really bummed at first - anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE music. Getting to report at CMA Fest and work with the best in the music industry would have been a dream come true. I know that God has a reason for keeping me... Romans 8:28 comes to mind. I don't like that I'm not going to Nashville, but I know that God has a plan and purpose in mind. So, thanks mom for reminding me that there is a reason for this. :)

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is Saturday, keep up with it on Twitter by searching #ocmm or by following @OKCMarathon. I'm not running the 5K this year like I hoped to, but my family will be walking it & I hope to be volunteering! NewsOK wrote a story about why my family walks - we do so in memory of my cousin, Blake. The story is incredible, check it out here. 

Thanks for keeping up with my life! Have a super weekend! 

Shae Suzanne

Music for the week: Clear the Stage, Ross King

...are three of my favorite things. Feel free to buy me a diet coke, add me to your BBM contacts and compliment my nail color. I also enjoy acoustic guitars, Twitter, OSU and shoes... and that part of this blog post is now over.

It's been a crazy week since I last posted! Last Friday, I finally got to go play dress up with my little cousin Kiera. Every time I've talked to my grandma, she has told me Kiera asks when I can come over and play dress up with costume jewelry... She even made grandma call me one day so she could ask me to come home! If I wasn't two hours away, I would have been there in a heartbeat. So, I decided to surprise little miss KFL and show up at grandma's Friday. She was really excited to see me...until the sleepiness sat in! Anyway, we had fun for a few hours at least & I always enjoy getting to play with her.

Later that night was Brittany's birthday party downtown! We had so much fun at dinner and posing for silly pictures, and the girls who actually stayed awake for the midnight movie said it was good! Happy (late!) birthday Brittany!

Saturday I got my nails done (Shae Pink, of course) and went to get garden stuff with mom. I tried to convince her to buy me a bunny but they were out :( She wouldn't go for the turkey either.

Easter was wonderful - I was glad to get to spend it at my home church. My pastor said something along the lines of God has a plan in everything he does, good or bad, even if we don't know what it is or understand why it happens. That part of his message really stuck out to me. It's was nice to be reminded of - I understand it but I don't always remember.

This week has been full of spring sing, class, work, PT and writing papers! I also have a doctor's appoint tomorrow morning to find out MRI results...pray they'll decide what to do about my knee!

Don't forget - Spring Sing is Saturday! After Mom's Day activities, bring your mom to GIA at 5:30 to see all the hard work we've put in! 

-Shae Suzanne

Music for the Week: Danger Zone (Who doesn't love some Top Gun!?) and Footloose! Thanks goes to my brother Kaden - his favorite songs have been rocking my playlist all week.

So, there are only 5 people in my class today, including my professor. My suggestion was bonus points then leave. His suggestion was for him to give us quiz answers for next week. I'll take that. Anyway...

I went to the Taylor Swift/Kellie Pickler/Gloriana show last night! I loved it...thanks for the ticket Katie! Gloriana was an incredible opener and I can't wait until they headline their own tour. Kellie Pickler has one of the strongest voices I have heard and I loved listening to her...and her shoes were fabulous! Taylor Swift put on an awesome show, however...standing and listening to people scream for ten minutes between every song got old pretty fast, and I think she might have forgotten some words words during Today Was a Fairytale...something like "sajdklandskafndskja PRIN-CESS" came out of her mouth. But her set was good and I had a great time!

Also yesterday, I had MRI #2 on my knee. MRI #1 was 4 days after the accident and a bad experience because the MRI lady smashed my knee onto the table (ouch!). This time was a horrible experience! They were doing an arthogram, so they get me on an x-ray table and started poking me with needles. OK, actually they took two x-rays before the poking started. Then the doctor came in and poked me FIVE times...trying to find a good spot to put the lidocaine! Note: sticking a needle inside the place where a knee exploded isn't a good idea. Neither is touching it just to see what it feels like. Then came the dye, which apparently wasn't going in because of what the doctor thinks might be scar tissue. She decided to wiggle the needle around MORE inside my knee. I was NOT a happy camper by the time all the poking was done. My knee was full of dye (fluid), swollen and hurting. At least by the time I got to the actual MRI the lady didn't smash my knee into the table again. I go back next Friday to find out what (and if) they found.

As for my arm, I got a new accessory for it yesterday. I got a bone growth stimulator, which looks like a giant watch...or a mini robot. It doesn't hurt, thankfully, and is portable, so I don't have to just sit around while wearing it.

Everything accident related yesterday kind of put me in a grouchy mood. The tightness and pain of my knee reminded me of how it felt in the weeks after the accident. It hadn't been as swollen as it was in probably three months. I couldn't walk and I thought I was going to have to drive my mom's car again instead of my beautiful mustang Gerard. I was so upset about what was going on, so confused as to why the accident happened, and so irritated with the pain! I lost focus of the faithfulness of God. I forgot how far I've come. I quit thinking how blessed I am just to be alive. I stopped asking God to use this to reach people. I pretty much gave up. Thankfully, that only lasted for a few hours, but just going back to where I was after the accident wasn't a good thing. I realized yesterday that things aren't always on an smooth road. We are going to hit potholes. We aren't perfect people and this certainly isn't a perfect world. Philippians 3:14 came to mind: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (NIV). I lost sight of all the greatness going on right now for just a small amount of time. Don't let yourself do that, press on.

BTW, my sorority retreat was last weekend. It was awesome. I'll reflect on it later :)

-Shae Suzanne


Music for the week: Pressing On, Reliant K

Hi! Sorry I've been silent for so long... I wasn't online much over spring break! I got to help Katie with wedding planning, get my toenails painted teal, watch the Kennedy Cousins show at OYE and repaint my nails "Shae Pink"! It was quite a week!

When I was in high school, my youth minister Marty did a series on Wednesday nights along the lines of Biblical lessons found in country music. While we didn't learn something deeply theological in every song (Honky Tonk Badonkakonk?), it was a really cool series. We dissected the songs pretty much line by line. One song I wish would have been around in 2005(ish) was Need You Now by Lady Antebellum. Now, before we go any further, let me remind you, I love Lady A (and about all country music!). I'm just going to offer my thoughts on the song, so take it as you wish.

We've all had those "crushes" where you just can't get the person out of your mind. Day and night, it seems, you see him everywhere... even if he's not there! (We're gonna say him, since I'm a girl and know how girls think. Guys, your insight is appreciated in comments too!) Let's think about this from a different perspective though. God thinks about you all the time. He made you. He thinks you are the coolest little being on earth. But does he ever cross your mind during the day? Maybe at mealtime, when you're supposed to pray so the devil doesn't poison your food (kidding, kidding). Oh, definitely during your Bible study! No, you're too busy watching the clock and texting? OK, so apparently he is only on your mind at bedtime and in the fifteen minutes you take to read your Bible and say a list prayer. I'm not pointing fingers, because I don't know your life or your relationship with him. But I do know how easy that routine is to fall into, because I've been there. Then suddenly...

BAM!
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone, and oh yeah, hey God? I need you to do a miracle, pronto, K? 

WRONG. Yes, God is ALWAYS there. Yes, he's better at rescuing than the NYCFD. But he's not 911. Don't look at God as a last resort. He is someone you can't live without. Maybe you think you can live without him right now, but if you want to live forever, you can't do it alone. You need him now. Trust him :)

In the second verse/chorus, I don't have much to offer other than a little advice... Don't call your crush/ex/etc when you're drunk. First, I recommend not getting drunk, I have plenty of fun and have never included alcohol in an adventure. But if you're gonna drink, be smart. Be classy. Remember, what happens after five matters. Your current or future employer could find out about your extracurricular activities and, right or wrong, that might not be how they want their business represented. You'd hate to call Grandma at 1:15 a.m. instead of a guy...talk about  awkward family dinner. Anyway, that's my second verse lesson. 

Next time you're alone and awake in the wee hours of the morning, reach for God instead of the phone. He'll always be there. If you're having trouble deciding where to start, check out the book of Job. Reading about his life will for sure make you think better of your own, because he had a pretty rough time. You'll also see how incredible God is, so stick it out through the end of the book. 

Have a great week, I'm off to listen to some more Lady A!


Check out Need You Now.

I've put off blogging this week because I don't really know what to say. Those of you who know me personally or follow me on Twitter probably know by this time what's been going on. For those of you who do not know/follow me, my cousin's husband passed away this week. Please pray for Christie & her wonderful three year old twins, Avery and Ainslee. Talking with people about our favorite memories with JR got me thinking...

"In the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides the temporary trappings of this world // I want to leave a legacy, how will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering, a child of mercy and grace who blessed your name unapologetically, and leave that kind of legacy //...// Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred. I just want to hear instead 'Well done, good and faithful one...'"

Those are lyrics from one of my favorite songs, Legacy, by Nichole Nordeman. My favorite part is the bridge. When I'm gone, I don't want people to remember the worldly things I've done. My car, my house, my GPA, my net worth, my job, my clothes, etc., won't matter at that point. I'm not telling you to sell your car, live in a box, flunk all your classes, quit your job or walk around naked. What I am focused on is priorities. I would much rather people forget all that stuff about me and remember my love for Jesus, my love for people, my passions, my character. If all someone remembers about me is that I drove a black mustang with hot pink seats, they don't actually know me, nor do they remember anything of significance about me. If all someone remembers is my love for Jesus, they know my heart. 

My challenge is to figure out how you want people to remember you. What do you need to do to make sure that is how you are remembered? Are you living as one person around one group of people and another person around another group? Be consistent. Why? So that when people talk about you, they'll all have different memories but they'll remember the same person. JR is remembered as a great daddy, husband, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. We will all miss him, but remember him for being a wonderful person.

Other things this week...
Brand Marketing test - ugh. OSU beating Nebraska - awesome. Please, James Anderson, one more year. Happy birthday on Tuesday to my Adopted Hollee! Congrats to all the Kennedy kids for a great job at the Grady County Junior Livestock Show!

Care to share what has God been teaching you lately? Use the comments section, please. Have a great pre-spring break week!
-Shae Suzanne

Music: Video:  Legacy, Nichole Nordeman. Save a Place for Me, Matthew West. iLike: The Altar and the Door, Casting Crowns. It is Well, Kutless. 

What a week this has been! I'll give the condensed version, because the long one might take a year!

Freeway was Thursday. My sorority gave out free water/pop, treats (brownies/etc.) and encouragement notes to the OSU campus, and it was such an encouragement to me. Seeing the campus smile at 8:30 a.m. because of a note saying "Happy Thursday!" and a free bottle of water was awesome. We also labeled the stuff with Bible verses, and I think the impact made on campus was greater than what I expected. Hearing people talk about the verses, read their note over and over and get excited about free stuff (OK, we're in college and that's normal) was awesome. I think God used Phi Lamb in an incredible way to reach OSU.

My friend Sarah, who happens to be a huge KU fan, came up Friday. Before hitting Bad Brad's with Caylee, we decided to go shoe shopping. I never thought I would own a pair of Tom's. First, they are flats. Second, I am short. Those two things don't mix. However, since this whole knee thing has me out of anything with the tiniest heel, I needed some new shoes. My poor zebra shoes are falling apart (read: daddy, buy me new ones! (-; ). Before our little excursion was over, I was the proud owner of a pair of sparkly Tom's. Not only do they look cute, but they help a kid who needs a pair. If you only get them for that reason, do it. But you'll like your shoes too... I didn't even have to break mine in!

Sarah also took the chance to break in my new guitar, which I haven't got to learn thanks to my cast/brace/healing. I will be learning to play as soon as I get healed. We decided to start a band. So expect something. Sometime...hopefully :) But really, it was cool singing and thinking about the songs we played when leading worship in high school, and the impact those songs had on our lives and walk with God.

Possibly my favorite part of Saturday was...beating Kansas and rushing the court!! It is something I have always wanted to do (court, not KU). While it might not have been the smartest idea to run onto the court with hundreds of other students while wearing a knee and wrist brace, I did it. And I loved every second of it. I am so proud of the OSU team, and having the chance to celebrate with all the other sweaty students just made victory that much sweeter. My friends and I got separated, but I figured out singing the alma mater can bring together anyone... None of the people singing around me knew each other. KU, good luck at the national title run, I pick you over the other top teams!

I'm still holding tight to Jeremiah 29:11. Sometimes, I need encouragement in order to do so. Encourage someone. You'd be surprised how much you get out of it.

-Shae Suzanne


A few of the songs we played in our high-school worship-leadin' days:
The Heart of Worship, How Great is Our God and Marvelous Light.

Over the weekend, my cousin and close friend Katie got engaged! I am so excited for her and Jared!

Thinking about Katie's engagement made me reflect on a big promise God has made to us...

One of my very favorite verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11. It reads: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (New International Version)

I often worry about things...one of those being my future. I will graduate in December. To be exact, I graduate 297 days from now. I have no idea what I will do. I am just a 20 year old filled with dreams.

I also have a habit of pretending I'm OK with not knowing what I'm going to do. I am getting good at offering a variety of answers to the dreaded question: "What are you going to do when you grow up?" 
*Note...I do not consider myself, at 20, to be a grown up yet. If you still sit at the kids' table at family gatherings and get Christmas presents from all the Greats, you aren't a grown up, in my opinion. I have no problem with this.

Instead of fretting about the answer to this question (grad school? big girl job? chase crazy dreams? run to daddy crying?), I have recently begun to cling to Jeremiah 29:11. The verse doesn't give me the option to do nothing and just wait for God to dump something in my lap, but it encourages me knowing that God, who designs the coolest things, has big plans for me. He knows what my future holds. 

I have hope for my future. I know it will be bright. I know God is going to do something awesome, because He always does. I know as long as I keep growing in God and doing the things I am passionate about, I will be OK.

I don't worry about knowing what tomorrow holds, I know the One that holds tomorrow.

-Shae


Music: Brandon Heath is one of my favorite artists at the moment. My top two most played songs this week have been  Wait & See and London.  Lady Antebellum's new CD, Need You Now, recently came out. I recommend I Was Here.