In the inspirational book, Incident, Not Accident: Untwisting Our Spiritual Story, author Suzan J. Strader shares a wealth of insight brought to her when she was forced to face the circumstances of a change in her life brought on by an “accident” that brought her to a greater perspective of life and how we live it.
Suzan takes us through how she came to be where she is now and offers us ‘Ponder Points’ with sound principles for us to ‘get in the swing’ and untwist our spiritual lives, as she did.
It all began in her driveway when with their truck in neutral, rather than park, Suzan was dragged about 20 feet, through a metal fence, into the bushes and ended up facedown with a tire on her ribcage.
Suzan had stopped breathing and with no pulse, she had a revelation from within, a desire to be removed from this Earth. A response from within told her, “This is only a body; it can be fixed. You have a job to do. You aren’t finished yet, so get back in there.”
And thus began her new journey that she brings to us!
After being helicoptered to a major hospital and while in the Trauma Unit, it dawns on Suzan that she went through this for others, to share her story with the experiences of healing and the many miracles along the way!
She doesn’t consider this terrible event an accident. She feels that somehow she had agreed to go through a traumatic experience that would be a vehicle for sharing the effects of living out of our divine inner selves – believing anything is achievable, and that the Spirit, or God, is still in the business of miracles!
Suzan, with her spiritual evolution, is a facilitator who gives us a wealth of information and with her ‘Points To Ponder’, brings us to stop and further explore our inner spiritual gifts.
This book is for those of us who seek a deeper perspective on life and becoming all we were meant to be!
About the author:
Suzan J. Strader is a Spiritual Director and Life Coach Certified by Loyola Marymount University. She is noted for being a teacher of contemporary spirituality with a passion for being a helpful resource to others. Suzan’s passion drives her work in authenticity, intention, compassion, and acceptance for all people. She and her husband currently reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Incident, Not Accident: Untwisting Our Spiritual Story is Suzan’s literary debut.
A huge THANK YOU to my loving sister – Kathy – for helping me get unstuck and start my blog! Kathy lives in Ocala, Florida and has raised 3 children and is a grandmother and great grandmother. Kathy wrote the synopsis above and will continue to get me going by summarizing the books I want to share with you and explain how they had an effect on me while I was “Finding My Way Back”.
Two years ago I met Suzan at a book club in our neighborhood. A neighbor had told me I should come hear Suzan, who also lived in our neighborhood, speak at our clubhouse. So I picked up this book and gave it a quick read. I immediately felt moved and have been forever changed!
On September 11, 2019 I sat amongst neighbors and friends as Suzan spoke – I was immediately drawn to Suzan as if a magnet was pulling me. The strangest thing to me is that those around me were actually not warming up to her and in my opinion possibly negatively judging her. I quickly introduced myself afterwards and we set up a date to meet at Suzan’s home to further discuss her book.
Suzan and I sat in her beautiful study as I looked out the window at the perfectly manicured landscape. I felt at peace – I was absolutely where I was supposed to be at that very moment. Suzan and I got to know each other a bit – I scheduled to attend her mediation group that meets every Thursday – we planned to meet alone again after the upcoming Meditation Group.
As I walked out her front door and turned the corner, I saw a sundial in her yard and the tears just flowed! Since we moved into that neighborhood in 2012, that sundial, that yard, that home had become “My Inspiration House”!
John and I gave away everything we owned except the small truck of sentimental items; moved from Illinois without even a house hunting trip; picked out a house in a week; closed, moved in and realized – we know NOBODY. We needed to fill our time and one of our activities was to walk the beautiful, hilly neighborhood.
On our first walk, I was drawn to this home on the lake with a walking path next to it that led us to the water and gave us an opportunity to take in the front, back and side yards of this impeccably landscaped home. I told John, “This is what I want to do with our yard. They even have a shade garden!” That week I purchased a sundial I found at an antique store and so the journey began.
Over the years until this September day in 2019, we became “yard people” and slowly turned our yard into our outside oasis. Weekly I would ask John to join me on a walk to MY Inspiration House where I found so much solitude, peace and joy.
I quickly asked myself why it took so long to meet Suzan and I realized – I wasn’t ready – I had a spiritual journey of my own I needed to take and I needed to wait 7 years until my soul was ready.
Thankfully Suzan was brought into my life as I prepared for the most difficult leg of that journey which was about to unfold!
