Earlier this month, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a book in the mail, D.E.A.P.: Drop Everything And Pray. The gift was from a high school friend, and her sister wrote it. I have been delighted with this devotional. I love how it's organized, and I love that the author, Suzi Ullmann, included song suggestions to accompany each day's devotional. Honestly, you should check this devo out. It's so different and so good! Suzi agreed to visit my blog for a nice chat.
Suzi, can you tell us a little about your salvation story?
Growing up, I attended a Catholic Church mass every week. I went to Catholic Schools (K-12). I always had faith. I believed in all of the tenets of Christianity. I did my best to live a “good” life. Looking back, I had a very simple, yet incomplete faith. I did not have a deep relationship with God and Jesus, and I did not put God first in my life. This started to change after God directly spoke to me during a time before and after my oldest son, four years old at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia. I did not know that "God spoke to people," so this was quite a revelation! A few years later, my sister Chris invited me to a non-denominational Christian church. One message was focused on The Prodigal Son. And BAM! Just like that I learned that I was the prodigal son. I was doing everything I wanted to do. Although I thought I was so spiritual and “good,” I truly wasn’t anywhere close to where I needed to be. And so my life journey with God began.
I was amazed at how I got so far in life without knowing, really knowing, who God is. I didn’t know that he communicated with people. I didn’t know the depth of His love, mercy, grace, forgiveness. I didn’t know that the parables, the Bible, all the scriptures actually related to me. I didn’t know my faith could and should positively affect my thoughts, words, attitudes, actions, and behaviors. And if I didn’t know, then perhaps other people didn’t know either!
For the last several years, I led a monthly prayer meeting at my school, where I was a teacher. I put out an invitation where all were welcome. I wrote a prayer and prayed it aloud. People seemed to receive it with enthusiasm and I was encouraged to continue.
Overall, I just felt that I needed to write the book to continue my “prayer meetings” and my ultimate hope is that someday D.E.A.P. will get into the hands of people who need a positive, uplifting prayer life that will also encourage their knowledge and relationship with Jesus.
And lastly, I wanted to share what I have learned through lots of study and experiences with my family.
Why did you include songs with each day’s reading?
A big part of my faith journey included Christian music. I remember doing laundry in my basement and singing the words to Casting Crowns’ “Lifesong.” I had another epiphany! It was like the light of heaven shined down into my brain with the thought: Oh!! My life, my behavior should be based on my belief in You, God!
I made a connection that I probably should have made long ago, that my behaviors—all that I do, should be attached to my faith.
There have been so many songs that have deeply affected me, have taught me, have led me, and have encouraged me at the exact time when I needed it. Music speaks to us in so many ways, and I felt compelled to include songs to encourage people in their faith journey. I had never seen anyone connect music to a devotional, and I wanted to make D.E.A.P. stand out in this way!
Which compliment has meant the most and why?
I have received lots of positive feedback about the book. Any comments that indicate people are using the book and are growing in their faith and closer to God mean the most. I hope people will read the book and feel compelled and inspired to pray daily. I pray God will send His Presence to those who are praying and they will know His love, peace, hope, and joy. If that happens and I hear about it, my prayers are answered, and I'll feel all of the ups and downs of this book-writing journey were worth it!
Will you be writing another book?
Right now, it's too soon to say. I sometimes get an inkling about writing a book to help folks with anxiety/ disappointments/ negativity. But I don’t have a strong motivation to do so yet.
I finished D.E.A.P. at the end of July and began to sell it at local vendor fairs on weekends, which I did right up until mid December. By December, I was pretty burned out from that. I’m not great at marketing and sales, so this is a struggle. Right now I have started a business Instagram account (@deapbyullmann) and I am doing my best to create posts based on the book 3-4 times per week. I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing, but I'm trying my best all the same! As you can see, I’m still pretty busy trying to get this book off and running, so a second book is not a priority just yet.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
Life is so much easier now that I am retired. Retirement IS all it is cracked up to be. I finished the book in my first year of retirement after writing it on and off for five or six years. I would not have been able to complete this book or do any marketing/selling while teaching full-time.
I also exercise. A lot. I’m at the gym three times a week. I lift weights and use the elliptical. I walk 2-3 times a week. Moving, especially outside, helps keep me level.
My husband and I love national park travel and hiking. I plan trips, and my husband drives “The Dreamweaver,” our Ford 15-passenger van that we turned into a bed on wheels. The planning and execution of our trips is a major, positive distraction from the stresses of the world.
And of course, I pray. I spend time every morning with God. Even though I wrote D.E.A.P., I use it during my prayer time daily. Praying centers me in uncomprehending ways.
What would you like to tell us about D.E.A.P.?
As I mentioned earlier, I hope the Drop Everything And Pray Devotional will find its way into the hands of folks it will help. D.E.A.P. covers 31 themes that come straight out of the Bible. I’ve researched scriptures that will shine God’s light on the themes. I believe the prayers were divinely guided, as I prayed before writing. I read the scriptures, and the prayers just seemed to write themselves. I also spent quite a lot of time researching the song suggestion for each day, trying to find the best fit to the scripture and/or prayer. Lastly, I pray every day that the people who are using D.E.A.P. will be blessed. I pray God would surround them with His light, His peace, His Presence.
How can readers find the book?
The book can be found on Amazon. It is available on Kindle, hardcover, and paperback.
I'm delighted to have connected with Suzi's sister, Chris, on social media several years ago. If it weren't for Chris, I wouldn't know about Suzi's book. We grew up in the same area and attended the same high school.
And in the it's-a-small-world news, a fun fact is that Suzi and Chris grew up in the home that used to be owned by my grandmother. My Dad lived there until WWII. My grandmother used to breed French Bulldogs. This photo is a pic from the 1940s of my Nana in Suzi's old backyard.
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