Episode Description
With Valentine's Day soon, we're hearing the riveting love story - for each other and for Jesus - from 2 of my favorite people in the world, who join me on the podcast, which you really should subscribe to! My intro includes some background on this couple who both have dealt with immense obstacles, trauma; also how you can get texts from "God."
(6:11) Ron & Susanne Cox from Central Alabama, near Birmingham, talked with me for more than an hour, starting with her journey from being a full-blown cocaine addict, depressed and suicidal...to God making a radical change in her life at age 31, starting with a sign for a church "camp" meeting. Find out why she went to India, (7:20) and what God did through her Holy Spirit date nights, while she waited on a husband. Find out how fate brought Ron and Susanne together, after he helped take care of his first wife for decades while she battled the devastating neurological disease Huntington-Correa.
(27:12) Pastor Ron talks about what we can do when we write the story of our life, and the pen runs out of ink, where God can do amazing things in those blank spaces. He wasn't even looking to date when he and Susanne had a whirlwind romance. Hear how the church he led for 35 years was fruitful, because he was faithful, while taking care of his invalid wife and being essentially a single dad to 2 daughters, (31:34) While we focus on "doing church," he talks about revival coming from marriages which he describes as a "spiritual laboratory."
(37:06) Spiritual giant David Wilkerson helped connect Ron and Susanne together in NYC. The story of his romantic proposal there will touch your heart. They married 2 months later, in February 2001. In church, they both use their pain as their platform. You can also read about their love story in the book "Call It Incredible: The Ron & Susanne Cox Story": https://www.amazon.com/Call-Incredible-Ron-Susanne-Story/dp/0615289584.(47:20) Do they ever ask God WHY, while going through so much trauma? Both their daughters also got their mother's disease, this family shaken again.
(53:35) Despite all they've been through, this fun couple talks about life and Jesus with such joy and excitement! Pastor Ron says the key is getting outside yourself and sharing your struggle with others. He also tells the story of going from an inner city kid to being saved on Alabama Street in Indianapolis to being a pastor for more than 4 decades.
(1:02:22) There's also a lot of parallels between running and obstacles in life. They walked hundreds of miles together during several weeks of COVID quarantine, as part of the Great Virtual Race Across TN. Susanne talks about hitting the wall hard (and losing a toenail) when she ran her first marathon at age 50. Their message: We cannot give up - in a race or life!
(1:10:20) This couple now travels the nation for the ministry they started called "Legacy of Purpose." Asking about that name, Pastor Ron says there are 4 things we all leave behind when we're gone, and the only one that's not temporary is legacy. Along with doing marriage/church conferences, they also focus on causes like Project Rescue, which helps women in India, some of the 27 million victims of modern day slavery. Find out more and get involved: https://legacyofpurpose.org/
(1:18:23) We close out with Pastor Susanne's stunning story of being kidnapped by a taxi driver in India, how God supernaturally saved her, by using his name out loud! (1:25:08) Pastor Ron closes us in prayer, followed by my final segments - me singing "Love Never Fails" for Stuck in my Head, and a love Bible verse for "Parting Gift."
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