The number seventy (70) is made up of two numbers — seven, representing perfection and ten representing completeness and God’s law. One may wonder why the Holy Bible is saturated with the number seven and with multiples of seven like the number seventy. This is indeed a Biblical mathematical phenomenon that remains a mystery to this day. What is true, however, is that seven is God’s favorite number.

Knowing this information of God’s favorite number, it does not surprise me that the number 7 has been my favorite number all my life. As I look back on my life span of 70 years I marvel at the life changing moments which involved the year seven, with the emphasis of surrendering at the foot of the Cross and dying to self that Christ might live in me at the age of 35. That is 7 times 5!

May 24, 2020, I begin my 70th year and I have waited excitedly for this year with anticipation and praise to see what His plans are that we might celebrate His favorite number together.

I am excited to share that plans are currently underway to have a documentary made about the incredible life that God gave me. Where my excitement lies is that it will cover the full story, which means the old life being transformed to the new by His love, mercy and forgiveness. It will not be made in Hollywood entertainment style but for hurting lost people who perish without hope that they may find the same loving Savior that saved my wretched life. Yes, God has used the TV series, Sue Thomas FBEye, as a prelude to the documentary for the real life of Sue Thomas, who she was, what she endured, and her God that brought her safely home. If you would like more on this documentary being produced by Nickolas Barris, the creator of the TV series, you can contact him at nickolas@imaginary-films.com. 

As I have waited for this 70th year it appears God was preparing me to be like a woman with labor pains to experience the frailness of my body as I have never before known. The last two years I have suffered a stroke, had a pace maker and recently had breathing problems having my lungs fill up so that they needed to be drained into 2 large bottles. With every circumstance He sent my way I have endured, but the last with the lungs was so very scary that I clung to Him as I never have before. H is my breath! Oh, the precious lessons He has taught me during this time when I had no breath of my own, surely it was all to prepare me for the glorious 70th year before me! I truly know Him, I truly love Him, and I wait with the anticipation of celebrating our favorite number together!

Rejoice with me for the goodness of the Lord and the incredible journey He has given He. By His blood He has saved me, by His power He has raised me, to God be the glory for the 70 years He has given!!

Latest news…

This morning, Friday, May 22, 2020, I was given the first of my many blessings for my 70th year. After returning home from the hospital this week where my lungs were drained from fluid buildup we got the phone call from my doctor that showed the drained fluid has cancer cells. I will now undergo further testing to see if it is a tumor or lymphoma cancer or exactly what it is. It’s hard to imagine with so much that I wanted to do with this ministry that He has chosen this walk for me with Him.

I still believe my 70th year will be the best of best and it will be a year of continual celebration for the goodness of the Lord. Please pray for me and Deb as God leads.

I would like to see the completion of the documentary of my life in knowing they got it right this time about glorifying God. Don’t forget, if you would seriously like to help sponsor or make an investment, contact Nickolas Barris at Imaginary Films at nickolas@imaginary-films.com

Celebrating with 70 years, to God be the glory!
Sue

SUE:

My last blog I wrote about my self-imposed “House Arrest” and I encouraged you to simply Stay In to help smother out the fanning flames of the Coronavirus. I thought that I was doing the right thing to protect myself but God soon revealed that He had different ideas for me. Was I going to accept His Will and trust Him or would I give in to fear and resort to that fighting attitude of mumbling and grumbling? It was a real test of faith, and of realizing that in spite of my own precautions and plans, God will always have His way and do His Will. And when He changes my plans I always need to accept that His plans are not to harm me.

I had shared how I was considered a high risk because I will turn 70 the end of May and have multiple afflictions of MS and congestive heart failure. This is why I self quarantined to protect myself during this time.

Little did I realize that He had plans to take me from the safe confinements of my home straight into the battle field of the hospital where the people with the Coronavirus were fighting for their lives!

I had been dealing with increasing shortness of breath and being unable to sleep. I had stayed inside my house for several weeks already and refused to go outside so we called my doctor’s office to get his advice. I have an amazing family doctor…he personally called me right back with an order to increase my water pill over the weekend to see if my breathing would improve. So out went Deb to pick up the Rx through the drive thru window at Rite Aid. On Monday I was to call him back with an update. We made it through the weekend but no improvement so Monday I called the office back. Then came the test of my faith when he told me to come in for a physical exam and bloodwork to determine my problem. Now I was faced with needing to break my “House Arrest”! I had not left the house for 3 weeks and in that way was feeling secure about not contracting the virus, but now I was being directed to leave my comfort zone! Off we went to the office where he immediately sent me to the nearby hospital for chest x-rays. I was now being thrown from the frying pan into the heat of the fire! Deb and I were both fully aware that our County has the highest death rate and Coronavirus cases for the whole great state of Ohio! After several hours in an isolation room in the Emergency Department the ER doctor announced he would be admitting me as my lungs were filling up with fluid, most likely related to my CHF and they needed to do some IV meds to draw the fluid off. It was a relapse of my CHF.

My first reaction was, “No, I cannot stay, this is totally the opposite of what we have worked so hard to prevent, being exposed!” But I soon remembered that this was the immediate Will of God for me, He was directing my steps, sustaining my every breath, and brought me here for a reason and therefore I was in His loving care and in a state of greater protection than anything I could impose on myself.

At first they refused to let Deb go upstairs with me as the current policy under the Coronavirus problems is no visitors in the hospital. But with my fighting FBI spirit, I insisted that if she couldn’t stay with me as my interpreter they would need to send me home. Because I am totally deaf and read lips, there was no way for me to understand what was being said behind the masks. This is where God intervened and worked in their hearts to allow Deb to stay at my side in the hospital room. With every precaution in place, Deb was now in quarantine with me and could not even leave the room to go out into the halls or down to our car. Thankfully, when meals came up they sent us two trays at no extra cost, because even the cafeteria was closed!

That left us without our beloved boy, Rodney, who has not left my side for 7 years. Even with my last two hospital stays, Rodney was right there with his nose on the foot of the bed begging to come up (hospital beds are too narrow and uncomfortable to share with a 62 pound Lab) or curled up on a bath blanket next to my IV pole.   But this time because we were only planning a quick trip to my doctor’s office, we had left him behind, not expecting that it would turn into several days separation. Had I taken him along and been admitted, Deb would likely have had to take him home and then stayed with him, as they would not have wanted him there under the circumstances, and she would not have the freedom to walk him several times a day to relieve himself. God showed us His wisdom as He knew all this before we even left home. It is one of the very few times I have left him behind for a short period, and this was the first time ever that we would be separated for overnight. God always provides for even his furry creatures and a friend that Rodney loves stayed with him after work and throughout the nights we were separated. In this way the Lord our Provider met my needs and at the same took good care of Rodney! We were concerned he would enjoy his new companion so much he wouldn’t even miss us!!

And now I will turn it over to Deb so you can get her perspective…

DEB:

What was God’s plan for us in all of this? He gave us a new mission where we would not be able to safely hide in the bunker but would be out in the battlefield. And there He wanted to prove His Word to us, that He is present and He is faithful, and there is no need for us to worry when things occur differently than our carefully laid plans.

Jesus says in Luke 12.25-31…
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

As Sue always reminds us, His plans are never to harm us but that we might prosper in Him. At first it felt very surreal, with masked and gowned people coming and going at all hour of the day and night. We were in a large private room, (thank you, Lord) with a sofa for me to sleep on, and a full bathroom. Since I was not permitted to leave the room, these were indeed a blessing. That first evening after a long day in the ER as I sat on the couch watching Sue breathe, my eyes were drawn to a framed picture on the wall next to the sofa. It was a quiet scene of calm water and a small rowboat with a tiny caption at the bottom. I had to lean closely to read it. “The Lord takes pleasure in His people.” The words spoke to my heart and gave me both an excitement and a peace. True, we were in a Catholic Mercy Hospital, and it is very possible that picture was on the wall of every room, but at that moment I knew the Lord was speaking to me through His Word.

We had done what we could to stay safe and away from being exposed to the virus. I took great precaution whenever I needed to leave the house to not bring it back to Sue. And now we were “surrounded by the enemy” with Covid 19 patients above us and below us on other floors. Staff coming in the room had also been in the rooms of these patients. Whenever I felt that sense of fear rising in my chest threatening to suffocate my peace, I would look at that simple serene picture on an obscure wall next to the sofa. The Lord takes pleasure in His people. And I would be assured that we were exactly where we were supposed to be for His glory. In spite of our best laid plans, God overruled and sent us directly to this battlefield to be an encouragement to the doctors and nurses and other essential workers during these dark and uncertain hours! Didn’t He say we were to seek His kingdom first and everything else would be taken care of?!

With that, my concern for Sue was overshadowed by my nursey curiosity. As a nurse,I was familiar with the halls of the hospital. Each masked and gowned figure had a name, even though their faces were hidden. I was the only one not wearing a mask, so Sue could read my lips as I would interpret the conversations. As I chatted with various ones, they opened up about their own fears and concerns. One young single mom had 3 young children at home. They were alone all day while she worked 12 hour shifts, as she was too afraid to hire a babysitter or have grandparents watch them. A nurses’ assistant told us she was from Brooklyn, NY and her best friend was hospitalized with the virus. She was worried for her Dad, especially, who worked at JFK airport as a baggage handler. Another nurse felt completely lost as she was “new” to this floor. Her specialized radiology department had been shut down as non-essential and most of the staff was furloughed. She was grateful she kept a job. Others shared how they changed clothes at the hospital then went home to take two showers. Or slept in their garages, away from family. The talkative physical therapist (I had actually worked with him many years ago) spent his mornings on the regular floor and then went to be with Covid-19 patients in the afternoons. With a somber shake of his head he confided that some of them were not likely to make it. Even behind the masks the eyes and body language told me everyone was on edge.

One day stretched into another. The hallways were earily empty except for workers. The room we occupied felt smaller and smaller. The large window above the sofa looked down upon an empty parking lot. No visitors. Just six miles beyond lightly greening treetops lay the security and safety of home.

The doctors were all in a hurry to release the non-Covid 19 patients to make room for what might come. We learned that this hospital was already overwhelmed because people knew it had mostly private rooms, and were showing up here since no one wanted to go to the main city campus where they might have to share a room with the unknown.

When the room phone started ringing I knew we were being prepared to be released. Even billing department, and social services were social distancing! One call was from the Hospital Chaplain, who would normally be making rounds on the floor to personally pray with patients. When I told Sue he was on the phone asking if he could pray for her, she lit up. “Let me talk to him,” she said. I shared with him that she was profoundly deaf and would not be able to hear if he talked, but she wanted to speak to him. With that she took the phone and began to pour her heart out to her Father in heaven, that God would use this man and speak to him and through him to bring comfort to people’s hearts during times of great fear and uncertainty. She wept as she prayed for those who were fighting the Coronavirus 8 feet above our heads and that God would reveal Himself to people and His name be lifted up and glorified during these dark times.

In that moment I knew why the Lord had brought us to the hospital. First he wanted to teach us to fear no evil, for He is with us. Wherever HE leads us He will be there before us, behind us, beside us and within us. Secondly He wanted shine His glorious light through fragile and broken people so that those facing dark and uncertain times could see that Light shining out against the darkness.

“For we have this treasure, (Christ) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4.6

He speaks “Peace, be still,” in the midst of a raging storm. He knows peace. He is totally at peace…in fact, He is able to sleep peacefully in the boat during the worst of the storm. Our internal peace comes in knowing He is with us in the boat.

For He is our peace.

And He takes pleasure in His people.

I was a political science major in college and worked under the Ronald Reagan administration in Washington serving with the FBI. After several years there I foresook it all to lay my life down and follow the call of Jesus Christ down a different path.

With both political science and then Biblical studies, I have been exposed to much history and have been struck over and over by the fact that every prosperous nation in known civilization has lasted only 250 to 300 years before they fell flat. What triggered their collapse? First and foremost their economy crashed, and then everything else fell on top of it.

We celebrate 294 years as a nation on July 4th this year and again I am reminded of how history repeats itself. I have often felt it was coming in my lifetime and have shared many times with friends that we were about to be faced with the greatest economic failure that our nation has ever known. I saw it in the pages of history but it was beyond my wildest imagination that it would be caused by such a tiny thing as a virus. No place is safe. This invisible virus has such capacity that it is consuming the entire world.

Are you ready for life as we have known it to change forever? Are you weighing your life and the lives of those you love seriously?

Are you ready for tomorrow, or more importantly, are you ready for today? What are your thoughts of the current crisis that we face? I have heard everything from this is so political to this is fake news to this situation is just being overly blown out of proportion!!

Let me share with you my personal perspective…my ten cents worth…for you to chew on and make a decision. Believe it or not, you must make a decision. For by not taking action, you have already made a decision and you must be ready for the consequences of that inert decision.

I will be 70 years old this May if I can survive this outbreak. I am considered a very high risk with my age, having MS, congestive heart failure and diabetes. Am I scared and stressed out or planning and preparing?

I have neither fear nor anxiety for tomorrow for I realize nothing is going to happen to me that is not sent by my Father God. He ordains my paths and all that He sendeth is by His mercies.

But does this mean I should go on in my life as if nothing is happening in the world? No, it does not.

What is my responsibility in this time? Am I planning and preparing? I am. With prayers I seek His guidance as what I should do, how I should do it and when.

Sue Thomas, FBI, has placed herself under house arrest for protection. I am grateful for the loving care of Deborah, my registered nurse, as we have made a well thought-out plan that Deb only leaves the house once a week for banking, post office or groceries at the earliest morning hour before society starts wandering out. We have face masks sewn by Deb’s sister and are taking every protective precaution.

Personally we have decided to safe guard my fragile health at this time. By taking action I pray I am also playing a vital part in safe guarding other lives.

But what else can I do now about the life changing issues regarding income and finances?

I have been an international public speaker for the last 30 years speaking in every single state of this country except Utah and around the world in Japan, India, Germany, Holland, etc. My audiences have varied between 25 to 45,000. I am now faced with no audience at all as we are not permitted to gather together during this crisis. I had four speaking events scheduled for April, which were cancelled and today I am now under “house arrest”. Word went out today that the “Stay At Home” guidelines by our federal government has been extended until April 30th. In Ohio, our governor has mandated it as an order. I am faced with the reality of an indefinite future of no audiences and no income. Now, how will I face tomorrow?

This is where my faith is tested and tried to see if it will weather the storm. This is where I must raise my voice and truly sing with the heart those old words, “Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow”. I know that me and my house, we will serve the Lord, even in these uncertain times. We must. As Christians we have been called to be always abounding in the work of the Lord.

I know that the blood of Jesus will cover my door frame even as the blood of the lamb covered the doorframe of God’s people so long ago when they were in the land of Egypt. This world is our Egypt, and these times are a great reminder for us to remember that this world is not our home.

I know without a doubt that as long as I have breath on this earth He will meet all of my needs.

Each day and each moment that we have breath we have decisions to make. The most crucial one is deciding to give our life totally over to God and recieving His Son, Christ Jesus as sovereign ruler of our life in every thought, word, and action. This is not just one moment in time, but a state of being. It is for every minute of every day.

Every situation that we face in these next days, weeks, months, this decision marks the difference between life and death. It is the distinction between abundant life or simply existing in a survival mode.

Let’s make it practical. Did you ever think you couldn’t find toilet paper when you needed it? What about not getting that weekly pay check? The government is promising a stimulus check for every American, but how far will it actually stretch into the uncertainty of the unknown?

I believe the scripture from Proverbs 22.3 is a great reminder for us to be prudent in these days. The Word of God has much wisdom for us to guide us in our decisions.

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precaution, but the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

What would happen if every person took this verse to heart?

This coronavirus is not a political ploy, it’s not fake news or China’s or Trump’s fault. This is the hand of God that has come down heavily upon the world. It’s time to make a decision, a decision to start preparing, preparing how you will live. “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” Will you have the blood of Christ cover the entryway of your home?

Will you start acting as if you believe that the world as we have known it is temporal and has drastically changed? Will you make the decision that you must also change?

“We rest in Thee, our Shield and our Defender,
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the Praise.
We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
We rest on Thee and in The Name we go.” Edith Cherry

No, we could never have dreamed that we would be struck so hard by a lowly virus but we may have only caught a glimpse of what is yet to come. Will we survive the virus only to be brought to material poverty and such financial ruin that it will bring forth the collapse of our society? What if?

Regardless of what happens in this world we have this confidence, that “Whatever my lot Thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.” Horatio Spafford

Absolutely everything that comes from God will be sustained by God because of His love and mercies. The world as we have known and lived up to this point is gone. Now is the time for you to make many decisions about the future, but the very first concern should be your relationship with God and with His Son, Christ Jesus.

I can not wish you good luck for the days ahead. Luck accomplishes nothing, does nothing, is merely an empty word. But I do ask God to bless you, each and every one and you decide to follow Him and His Word.

It’s time to make a decision. Do not wait any longer.

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone, because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives!” Gaither

Sue Thomas, FBI
Firm Believer In Christ