hope – Susan Norris

Whose boat are you in?

What is your pastor teaching on during this Christmas season? Our church finished up a study of the book of Acts yesterday. Pastor Tom shared from Acts 27 and 28 yesterday. He talked of how Paul was on a ship caught in a horrible storm and it appeared all was lost, including the lives of everyone on board. Paul stepped up to the plate and told everyone on board they wouldn't die. In a time when he was the odd man out, he was willing to step up and speak truth, even though the circumstances didn't point to the truth [...]

By Susan Norris|2015-12-14T08:13:45-05:00December 14th, 2015|Christ Follower, Human Sex Trafficking, Women, Young Adult|0 Comments

Be the Key!

My favorite chair in my office. What does your office look like? Mine is a collection of the places and people I've served in ministry. My favorite chair in my office was a gift to me from the students I served in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). It is draped with a quilt that was gifted to me from the Adullam Orphanage in Ghana, West Africa, where I serve when I go. In the back of the chair is a pillow from Daughters of Hope, a factory in India I toured that helps employ destitute women. To the side [...]

By Susan Norris|2015-06-18T08:52:43-04:00June 18th, 2015|Christ Follower, Women, Young Adult|2 Comments

“Ignoring child sex trafficking doesn’t make it go away.”

Have you heard of the movie 8 Days? It is a movie that is traveling the country in Studio Movie Grill theaters around the country. It was produced by After Eden Studios Production. The Atlanta premiere was last night at the Studio Movie Grill on Holcomb Bridge Road. The majority of the cast attended the premiere and were on hand to take pictures and answer questions about the film. Jaco and Philippa Booyens learned about the issue of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) and were greatly disturbed by it. They felt they had to use their craft to draw awareness and enlist [...]

By Susan Norris|2014-09-24T07:27:03-04:00September 24th, 2014|Christ Follower, Human Sex Trafficking, Women, Young Adult|0 Comments

Got HOPE?

What does the word hope mean to you? It can be someone's name. One of my best friends in college was named Hope. It can also be a noun, meaning, feeling of wanting something to happen and thinking that it could happen; the chance that something good will happen; someone or something that may be able to provide help." Hope as a verb means, to cherish a desire with expectation of obtainment; to expect with confidence." In the world we live in, with almost every story on the news inciting fear, anger or depression, it would be easy to lose [...]

By Susan Norris|2014-07-14T08:54:26-04:00July 14th, 2014|Christ Follower, Women, Young Adult|0 Comments

Do you see it?

How many of you would say you've seen sex trafficking take place? Anyone? How many of you would say you've seen some things that just didn't look right but you didn't know what to do? Sex trafficking is all around us. Called the crime hidden in plain site, it may be hard to identify if you don't know what you're looking for. I didn't just decide one day I would start fighting against sex trafficking. I honestly didn't know it was taking place in my nation, my city, or basically my backyard, until I learned the indicators. I had been working [...]

By Susan Norris|2014-10-05T18:19:11-04:00February 11th, 2014|Christ Follower, Human Sex Trafficking, Women, Young Adult|0 Comments

“How did God get born?”

Do you have nieces and nephews? I'm blessed enough to have four nephews and three nieces. I love them all dearly and try to stay in touch with them often. The older ones are either in college or out in the workforce, so it isn't as easy to connect with them. They have busy lives of their own, always on the go. The younger three (6 and under) are out west in Colorado, so while we can Skype or talk on the phone, we don't get a lot of time together. I try to check in with my Colorado family [...]

By Susan Norris|2014-01-15T07:42:19-05:00January 15th, 2014|Christ Follower, Women, Young Adult|1 Comment

Is God dead or alive?

Picture by Kim Matthews Have you heard the song, God's Not Dead, by the Newboys? It was written by my worship pastor, Daniel Bashta. The song is originally titled Like a Lion, and was first released by David Crowder. While both the Newsboys and David Crowder have made the song popular among music listeners, you've never really heard the song as it was intended until you hear Daniel Bashta sing it live. It's far more rocking and less subdued than Crowder did it and far less pop music than the Newsboys. If you ever have the opportunity to [...]

By Susan Norris|2013-08-27T08:25:44-04:00August 27th, 2013|Christ Follower, Women, Young Adult|2 Comments

What does “hope” mean to you?

What comes to mind when you hear the word hope? For me, hope is many things. Hope is a person. She is the main character in my book Rescuing Hope. She was my best friend in college, who introduced me to my husband. Hope is also something you hang onto when all appears lost. It is a feeling that keeps you going. Those are definitions courtesy of yours truly, but what do the experts say hope is? Hope is defined as, the state which promotes the desire of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one's life or in the world [...]

By Susan Norris|2013-08-20T08:06:13-04:00August 20th, 2013|Christ Follower, Human Sex Trafficking, Women, Young Adult|0 Comments

“A tree takes time.”

Stages of a tree... What comes to mind when you hear the word hope? After writing the book, Rescuing Hope, I see faces when I hear the word hope, because I don’t hear a verb, I hear a proper noun, a girl’s name. Hope to me represents the girls I interviewed for the book, the ones still held in bondage in need of rescuing, and those who have yet to be lured but are on the brink of capture. The word hope also brings Jesus to mind. In 1 Timothy 1:1, Jesus is called our hope. Jeremiah 14:22 also refers [...]

By Susan Norris|2013-03-13T07:45:48-04:00March 13th, 2013|Christ Follower, Human Sex Trafficking, Women, Young Adult|0 Comments

Seven Days of Hope: Day 5, Hope is calling.

Will you answer her call? Do you know anyone who serves in the military? I have a young friend, Alex, who graduated from high school with my son this past May and joined the army. He’s gone through boot camp and he is now stationed in Kentucky. I have another friend in the army reserves who served for eighteen months in Afghanistan. It’s easy to forget there’s a war going on until you know someone in the midst of it. Then war takes on a face and a name. When you have a heart connection with someone involved, [...]

By Susan Norris|2012-12-28T20:42:32-05:00December 28th, 2012|Christ Follower, Human Sex Trafficking, Women, Young Adult|0 Comments