Behind-the-Scenes of A New Song ~ Susan Habegger Ep. 105

Join me for a casual, fun, behind-the-scenes conversation with Susan Habegger of Thrive Life Skills. Registration is open for our online and in-person Life groups utilizing Susan’s A New Song course. You can register HERE for A New Song Life Group.

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Transcript

Transcript is auto-generated

Denisha: [00:00:00] Our last podcast, we got to know a little about Susan Habegger [00:00:05] story and how God led her to use her own journey with suffering and [00:00:10] trauma to write a course called a new song. If you missed it, be sure to check out [00:00:15] episode 1 0 4 where we dive into that a little bit deeper. So [00:00:20] today, Susan and I are with you again, and we're gonna have some fun.

We're gonna [00:00:25] share some of the behind the scenes stuff of our week together in Tucson, [00:00:30] Arizona. Now Susan, you live in Michigan? Yes. And there is a three [00:00:35] hour time difference between you and us. So we drag you up to Tucson and let me just say in [00:00:40] June, so it's 108 degrees here. And we got to spend six days [00:00:45] together.

And I can tell you that my heart is so full hearing how [00:00:50] those days impacted the women that God brought to us. And we have such an [00:00:55] anticipation of what God is gonna do through all of it. So we have full hearts and tired [00:01:00] bodies. I think we can say yes. Now at the time of this recording, you've been home for about [00:01:05] 48 hours.

So how are you doing acclimating back into life after this [00:01:10] crazy busy trip to Arizona? I will say that 

Susan: I'm a little bit cooler and [00:01:15] I'm really happy to be with you today, even though it was so good to be together [00:01:20] personally. Now we're far apart again, but it's. Solidified that [00:01:25] friendship and that call together from God.

So yes, here in Michigan, I'm a little cooler. [00:01:30] Took a walk last night and felt very good about that. And [00:01:35] I'm recouping I've gone to sleep and woken up in the time zone and [00:01:40] so that by my standards. Is what it takes. So I'm good.[00:01:45]

Denisha: Going much farther away internationally, that's, how do you deal with the jet lag [00:01:50]piece?

This was Michigan to Arizona, but how do you deal with, when you're going much farther [00:01:55]away how does that work for you? What's right? 

Susan: This sounds very arrogant and I don't mean it that [00:02:00] way, but I just don't do jet lag. You can't. You can't pay too much attention to it [00:02:05] when you go and you need to hit the ground running.

But one thing I do is as soon as I get [00:02:10] on an airplane headed somewhere, I turn my clock to the [00:02:15] destination time and my watch. And so that helps me look down and think, oh, and [00:02:20] begin to think a little bit in that time zone, and then sleep well at night and [00:02:25] stay by the clock where I land instead of thinking about what's.

What time it is in the previous [00:02:30] place and that, that helps me grab 

Denisha: hold. That's good wisdom. That's good wisdom. I [00:02:35] think that is a very 

Marker

Denisha: just say I don't do jet lag.

Yeah. That's a very, I think that's a very [00:02:40] good self-control. No, we're just not, we're not playing that game. We're not doing it. When you came to [00:02:45] Tucson, it was so fun. I got to pick you up from the airport and you and I had lunch [00:02:50] together and it felt for me that was the very first time we've been the, from when Rhonda and [00:02:55] Jeff connected us about a year ago, that was the first time we'd actually met in [00:03:00] person.

We've done zooms. We've done. Emails and phone calls, but that was the first time that [00:03:05] we have actually met in person. And I have to say that I've felt like I've [00:03:10] known you for a lot longer than I have it.

Susan: It felt the same for me. I know that [00:03:15] Zoom helps and you get to have these conversations. However, there's nothing [00:03:20] like, seeing each other in person and having that back and forth [00:03:25] over a glass of tea or something to eat whatever you're doing.

And [00:03:30] so it was another evidence to me that it wasn't just a, an opportune [00:03:35] thing. That it was something that God brought together. Knowing our hearts and [00:03:40] our experiences and the intentions that he has 

Denisha: for us. 

Susan: [00:03:45] And so because it was him making that connection, I really believe we [00:03:50]both felt a peace and a safety.

There's a feeling of safety with certain people [00:03:55] and I think we felt that together. It was a good thing. It is 

Denisha: a good thing. Yes, it [00:04:00] definitely was. Oh I couldn't agree more with that. So let's see. Then you met up [00:04:05] with our friend Lori, who is now your friend as well. And the next morning [00:04:10] we all went to breakfast.

Now, if you listened to the last episode, you [00:04:15] will know that Rhonda and Jeff connected us. Some friends of mutual friends of ours connected [00:04:20] us across the states, and we got to go to breakfast as a team, the reclaim story [00:04:25] team, and Lori, and we were sitting at breakfast, and then I think we may have caused a [00:04:30] ruckus.

Because we'd all been texting with Rhonda saying, oh, we wish you were here [00:04:35] for this conference, and Oh, we wish you were here. And she just kept saying, oh, me too. Or, [00:04:40]didn't give us any insight. But then we found out a surprise during our [00:04:45] breakfast. 

Susan: Yes, that she was coming and that, that [00:04:50] was, it was like full circle for, to bring all the people, all the [00:04:55] players together in one place and.

I think that was [00:05:00] just a kiss on the cheek from God to say I have been seeing, I have been knowing [00:05:05] what was going to happen and how he's going to bring it together and now I'm going to let you [00:05:10] rejoice and revel in that visual because that's what we like. We like the [00:05:15] visual and hands-on. So for all of us to be in the room together for her to come was [00:05:20] just lovely.

It was wonderful. And circumstance, circumstances [00:05:25] changed to allow her to do that, and it was good. 

Denisha: That was so fun. That was so fun. We even called her [00:05:30] out at the conference. Yes. We're like, Rhonda's here from Colorado. That was really [00:05:35] fun. I'll bet. It was neat for her too. I didn't get a chance to process, but just to go, [00:05:40] wow, this is what God did with that simple act of obedience, of saying, I think [00:05:45] these two people should know each other and there's something, God's moving on here.

Susan: I think [00:05:50] so. In fact, I. I think it was in writing that I saw somebody wrote, I wonder if Rhonda [00:05:55] knows what they did when they brought these two together. [00:06:00] And so I hope in some sense she can know and Jeff can know and feel [00:06:05] that in their hearts. 

Denisha: So fun. Let's see. Then we went for, we went from lunch or [00:06:10] breakfast, I guess that morning, and then you got to go see a little bit of Arizona at Ner [00:06:15] Caverns.

How was that for you? 

Susan: That was really nice. It was it's so [00:06:20] beautiful. And I've told people, ar I've been to Arizona before, but I've not been to this [00:06:25] particular area. And there is even with all the dry [00:06:30] and the hot and the lack of some of the green that we have here in Michigan, there's just a [00:06:35] real beauty in the in all that the landscape [00:06:40] and the way.

As Nancy said to me, the way the landscape and the [00:06:45] wildlife adapts to what is taking place. And so it was [00:06:50] really beautiful. We enjoyed the caverns and a couple days later they were closed due to [00:06:55] wildfire. And so we got in at a good time.

Denisha: Oh, good timing [00:07:00] there. We knew we needed to give you an afternoon of rest and just a little bit, a little [00:07:05] tourist moment there because the next two days, while Karner [00:07:10] sounds like closed, we had you doing some pretty intense training that you [00:07:15]gifted us with.

We had 15 women come together. To [00:07:20] say, okay, we are ready to serve women with a new song. To [00:07:25] take your course, a new song, I believe there were two layers presented during those [00:07:30] days.

You, you had a little bit of rest, and then, woo, did we just, you were on a speed [00:07:35] train with us. It was so awesome, but two full days, I think it was like 15 hours. [00:07:40] Total to prepare us to be able to lead these life groups [00:07:45] that are coming out. And maybe just share a little bit about your experience of the training.

I could share a [00:07:50] ton of stuff because I had so many personal aha moments and moments where I thought, [00:07:55] oh, I can't wait to watch this unfold in the lives of the women that we [00:08:00] serve. But what was the training like for you as you just poured out so much into [00:08:05]such a short amount of time really? It 

Susan: is.

You come together with a group of women [00:08:10] and you just have this. You hope that you're going to have a connection, that you're [00:08:15] going to have a coming together and a meeting of the minds and the women that [00:08:20] you have brought together were just wonderful. They were they were ready. They [00:08:25] were Committed and already well trained in the work that they did.

But some [00:08:30] of this, these were new ideas and new thoughts or a different way of coming in a window instead of [00:08:35] the front door. And so everyone was very gracious in allowing me to [00:08:40] share and allowing us to work together. So a part of the time they were [00:08:45]considered Participants in a small group to do some of the [00:08:50] activities and learn about some of the tools that we might use on our journey.

And [00:08:55] other times they were considered the leaders of that group and how to [00:09:00]negotiate and ne navigate that whole process. And so it was a [00:09:05] really sweet time of being together and me sharing what's was on my [00:09:10] heart and. Responding and collaborating with them as well. 

Denisha: [00:09:15] One of the many things that was a takeaway for me from that [00:09:20] training was that we aren't there to fix it.

As we [00:09:25] lead these life groups coming up, we are not there to fix it for someone. [00:09:30]And I love that you empowered us to sit and just walk alongside what [00:09:35] you taught us, Susan, was such a beautiful reflection of really what I believe that the [00:09:40] Lord does. He sits with us in it. He doesn't, he's [00:09:45] fixing things.

He's doing things. He's planning behind the scenes, but we are not God. And isn't [00:09:50] that wonderful? Yes it is. Yes it is. We just get to sit, we get to sit [00:09:55] with the women and not feel. There has to be some fix. And so I think that's [00:10:00] really encouraging. If I were a woman who was considering attending a life group with these trained [00:10:05] leaders that you spent two days with, I would think, oh good.

Nobody's gonna try to [00:10:10] make a quick fix. Give me pat answers that they're just gonna be with me along the [00:10:15] journey and allow me to explore and discover what God has for me in that. And [00:10:20] I think that was a huge takeaway for many of us. I think that's 

Susan: really [00:10:25] important because it it calms the heart of the person who is in [00:10:30] the suffering and the expectations that might be put on her, and it [00:10:35] also, in many ways, calms the heart of the leader.

Because you know that [00:10:40] this is not a time when you have to, as you said, come up with all the answers. [00:10:45] We don't have all the answers. So when we try to, when we try to create [00:10:50] them, we often do very poorly and get ourselves into [00:10:55] trouble. So it's a good time to just take deep breath and sit for a while, and then [00:11:00] discover the ways forward as we

Denisha: move.

in that room as you were teaching this [00:11:05] wonderful. New thoughts, new ways of going about things, new ways of [00:11:10] looking at suffering in our stories and as we serve the women that the Lord brings [00:11:15] to us in that room. We also had three ministry [00:11:20] collaborations who have joined us for training and they're also gonna be implementing [00:11:25] a new song course within their organization under the leadership of reclaim story.[00:11:30]

And one, I know one of our gals is gonna be using it with her staff. One, [00:11:35] we're gonna be in collaboration with a local church to host our, the [00:11:40] in-person group through their church and also our good friends, which you [00:11:45] got to go visit on your way to Kaner Caverns. Intended hope [00:11:50] and that they're gonna be utilizing a new song as they serve women coming out of [00:11:55] domestic violence, circumstances.

And so there's such a cross pollination [00:12:00] of ministries going on. And did you think that was gonna be [00:12:05] somewhere the Lord was gonna take you when you sat down in 2013, 14, [00:12:10] began to put this course together? 

Susan: Oh I would say no. My thoughts [00:12:15] were not in that place at all. I think at that point in time, I was doing what God had [00:12:20] put on my heart and my mind.

And my [00:12:25] emotions were not strong enough to even think that far ahead at that point. [00:12:30] But the way I saw it as something that I was going to use, [00:12:35] and as I did that, I saw value in it. But I can second guess [00:12:40] myself and think maybe coming from my perspective, this is a good [00:12:45] thing, but what would someone else think of it?

Will they connect? Will they key together in, in [00:12:50] what I'm saying? Will this make sense and be relevant to others? And To see it [00:12:55] come together in that room of 15 with people from [00:13:00] different ministries. All looking at how to help others [00:13:05] navigate life and pain and suffering [00:13:10] to see light on their faces and see their [00:13:15] smiles of connection.

And the responses of connection. That [00:13:20] was a real highlight for me to and to hear God saying, [00:13:25] yes, Susan yes. That was a good thing. That was a highlight, and I'm very grateful that [00:13:30] he just allowed me to play a small 

Denisha: part in that. we had this two amazing days of [00:13:35] training and then it was time for a new song conference and that was where we [00:13:40] partnered.

And we just wanna say a huge thank you to Pantano Christian Church in [00:13:45] Tucson, Arizona. They have just been such amazing partners and [00:13:50] collaborators with us as a ministry, and we've just gotten to do so many fun things [00:13:55] alongside Pantano and they have just been such a gift to our Reclaimers as [00:14:00] well.

And at that night, at Pantano Friday night, so [00:14:05] we have, a few hours Friday night and Saturday morning and. [00:14:10] One of the things that got released Friday night on top of incredible [00:14:15] teaching, Susan, that you brought forth to a room of 200 women was [00:14:20] Deborah Murphy wrote a song and she said if we are gonna do a [00:14:25] new song conference, Then we're gonna need a new song.

And she [00:14:30] wrote this song from just the Lord downloaded it to her in different pieces. From the [00:14:35] melody to having the track created to the lyrics. How was that for you? Did you [00:14:40] ever think you'd have a singer songwriter making a song just for your course? [00:14:45]

Susan: No, when you wrote to me and told me that I thought, this is [00:14:50] absolutely amazing, and I do believe that God [00:14:55] gave that to her the verses, the words in, in all of it.

And [00:15:00] I think. One of the things that made that so special as well, that [00:15:05] it seemed to be a real connection for her personally. And so that's [00:15:10] why perhaps one of the reasons why God saw fit to give that to [00:15:15] her was because it was truly a gift to her. And then of [00:15:20]course, through her to us as well.

So it was, it's lovely. It's a beautiful [00:15:25] song and it is one that, Can sink into [00:15:30] your heart and you can pull up the tune again. I heard a couple of people say I was humming [00:15:35] that tune in my mind. And so it was a wonderful gift from God to [00:15:40] her and through her to us. 

Denisha: I know I had a few people ask too, where do I find [00:15:45] that?

Is it on Spotify? Where is it? And I thought it was here. So we are [00:15:50] working with Deborah Murphy to how she wants to release that. And she has given you [00:15:55] the gift of. That going, wherever this course goes, wherever the Lord takes a [00:16:00] new song, course, that song can also go with it. So we'll keep you posted guys, if we're gonna [00:16:05] do it, if she's gonna do it on Spotify or YouTube we'll keep you posted on that.

But it [00:16:10] really was such a beautiful song. we had Friday night and Saturday morning So what was [00:16:15] some of your either feedback or thoughts on that? 

Susan: It. Again, having [00:16:20] all of those women together in that room around tables [00:16:25]and we were close together, which was nice. For us all to be [00:16:30] in close proximity and to once again, know that [00:16:35] I believe, God called each one of those, drew them there, each [00:16:40]woman there.

And so to be able to look at [00:16:45] faces, to see faces and see them responding or [00:16:50]shaking their head then is a wonderful way of [00:16:55] connecting and knowing that this idea of suffering needs to be talked about and it needs to be [00:17:00] talked about in a way that That is actually touching how we're living [00:17:05] through it.

So sometimes we want to give as we've talked about, the [00:17:10] answers or the steps to get through it or how to do it [00:17:15] in a god godly way, which means sometimes a prescription of [00:17:20] how we're going to show ourselves to others. And so I think it [00:17:25] was something very it was something unique to come together and say, we're going to talk about this in a [00:17:30]way that is real, and we're going to talk about this in a way that might be raw.

[00:17:35] And so I loved being there with the women. And I [00:17:40] think there's strength in that as well for us all to say, here [00:17:45] we are. We've all suffered in some way. We are not going to compare our [00:17:50] suffering mine to yours, but we've all suffered or we are suffering and [00:17:55] in that we're coming together to find a way forward.

We're gonna do that not as [00:18:00] a victim, but with courage and peace and hope. So I think [00:18:05] even though we were talking about suffering, there was also a lot of laughter and there was [00:18:10] joy together and that was a beautiful thing to see. 

Denisha: Sure was. It sure was.[00:18:15] You have blessed Tucson and we never know the ripple effect that God is going to [00:18:20] do through what he has given you and your Yes.

To come out here to the hot [00:18:25] desert in the worst time of the year to visit. But we're so glad for your [00:18:30] courage and the hope that you've brought us in that. So what is next for you? [00:18:35] What's next on your schedule if you could share? 

Susan: Yes. Right now I am preparing [00:18:40] to leave for Ukraine in July.

I will be there for just 10 [00:18:45] days, but it will be a time of teaching and encouraging about. [00:18:50] Moving forward through, through suffering as we know they are experiencing this so [00:18:55] much. So there will be people coming from around Ukraine where I will be, is in a [00:19:00] safe area in the western side. So I will be there [00:19:05] and I'm looking forward, I'm looking forward to that.

That will be a new location. In the [00:19:10] world for me, I have not been to Eastern Europe before. So I'll do [00:19:15] that and then come back and prepare for two later trips in the year to Uganda and [00:19:20] Ethiopia. But right now I am, my sites are set on Ukraine. Oh, 

Denisha: We can't wait to [00:19:25] follow your journey and see what God has planned for them as well.

I 

Susan: am [00:19:30] also looking forward to all the things that we are going to do together with reclaimed [00:19:35] stories. So even though I'm going to these places, there's now a new [00:19:40]thread being woven through that this was not just a one [00:19:45] time event for us to be together, but we can see the ways that God [00:19:50] is weaving our ministries together, and I look forward to that.

Denisha: Oh, so do [00:19:55] we. we sure appreciate you. I know that people might be listening and thinking, oh, I wanna know [00:20:00] more about how did this go? How is your trip to you, Ukraine? How can they find you [00:20:05] and how can they get on your newsletter?

The best way is 

Susan: to go to thrive [00:20:10] life skills.com. That's our website and there's opportunity there for [00:20:15] you to sign up to even send a message to me through the contact or just to sign [00:20:20]up for our newsletter. And you can always email me as well [00:20:25] at susan h@thrivelifeskills.org. 

Denisha: So [00:20:30] good. Here we are past this incredible week of training, of [00:20:35]conference and celebration, and registration is open [00:20:40] for a new song life group, and we're gonna have one in person and one [00:20:45] online.

And this is going through Susan's. Course a new song. So you can go [00:20:50] to our website@reclaimedstory.com and on the [00:20:55] homepage there's a big green button that says, register here for a new song life group and [00:21:00] wherever you are in the world, we would love to have you. We're so excited to be able to [00:21:05] offer our first Zoom.

Class Zoom session so that we can meet up with our [00:21:10] reclaimers that are all over and also have an in-person one in Tucson, Arizona. So we [00:21:15] wanna invite you to join the journey to singing a new song and we hope[00:21:20] that we will see you there. And also check out Susan's website and stay connected [00:21:25] with her as well.

This definitely won't be the last time you hear from Susan from [00:21:30] Reclaim story. In two weeks, we are gonna have some time where we know a lot of you didn't get to [00:21:35] make it to the conference. And so if you're in other parts of the country or the world, we wanna [00:21:40] give you an opportunity to hear some tidbits of some things that Susan shared and more on the [00:21:45]next podcast episode in two weeks.

So we'll see you there, same time, [00:21:50] same place.