E-Spire Entertainment News

With the beginning of each new year, people are busy making goals and trying to find ways to help improve different areas of their lives. While making your new year plans, don’t forget to make time for God. "Live Like You're Blessed: Simple Steps for Making Balance, Love, Energy, Spirit, Success, Encouragement, and Devotion Part of Your Life" by Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook (Dr. Sujay) is written to show you how to find balance.

When President Clinton was in office, Dr. Sujay served on the Advisory Board of the President's Initiative on Race and Domestic Policy Council. Dr. Sujay resides in New York City with her husband and two sons and she's also the senior pastor of Believers Christian Fellowship. Dr. Sujay has traveled all over the nation spreading the gospel.

Dr. Sujay penned the phrase "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" in a previous book. Those few words have helped encourage millions. With her latest book, she wanted to write something to help people overcome anxiety after the horrendous 9-11 attack in New York City. "The book shows how to bounce back and move forward to a blessed life," says, Dr. Sujay.

Dr. Sujay lives the life she writes about. "I'm a multi-tasker, an author, a mother, I have a husband, I have a congregation and I am a speaker. The biggest word for me is balance—mind, body and spirit. Balance is a big part of it and the word boundaries. Everybody can't have a piece of you all the time. You have to put up boundaries whether it's professionally or personally. There should be times where people can't have access to you. I have set times where there's no computer on, no radio, no telephone. There's renewal and restoring. David says in Psalm 23, '...He leadeth me beside the still waters…He restoreth my soul...' Restore means without other things going on; taking time for God...for you and not feeling guilty about it."

Dr. Sujay continues, "God created us to be whole. God even rested. I'm in the midst of a sabbatical and people are like, how can you do that, you're a pastor? If you're not whole, you can't lead people to wholeness. There's a Proverbs (11:1) that says, "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight." A child of God needs time."

One tip that Dr. Sujay says will help women's lives be less stressful is the word, No. "No is a complete sentence. We say yes, to so many things. Learn to say no."

Dr. Sujay's the goddaughter of Coretta Scott King. "The Kings meant so much to us. The quality of life that we enjoy is because of them. I was honored to be part of her homegoing service," states Dr. Sujay.

Mrs. King was a great role model to Dr. Sujay and she's carrying on the torch by being actively involved in the community. Dr. Sujay suggests to those looking for ways to help others, "Find a support group that has your interests at heart and find someone you can support. You must give back in life."

For a road map on how to live a blessed life, pick up a copy of Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook's book "Live Like You're Blessed." Visit http://www.drsujay.com/ for more information.

Interview by Shelia M Goss, an entertainment writer and author of My Invisible Husband and Roses are thorns, Violets are true. For more information, visit http://www.sheliagoss.com/.