Newsmaker: Suzie Jones

Every week, Talon News interviews a member of the Oklahoma Christian University community, a “Newsmaker,” to answer questions about their role on campus.

On September 29, Talon News interviewed Oklahoma Christian University first lady Suzie Jones.

What is a challenge about being the president’s wife that the students don’t know about?

“I’m a wife, mom, and grandma, so it’s always hard to see people I love go through difficult things—that’s the biggest challenge. But my daddy was a preacher, so I grew up involved in people’s lives and loved it, and when Ken preached, I loved that too. Being here is the same, being part of people’s lives, and it’s really wonderful.”

Considering your husband’s push for a kingdom university, do you have a personal mission or a personal role in that?

“My personal role is just to be there for Ken and to support him, I’m kind of a background person. I do love being involved in people’s lives, anything that I can do for the students, I want to do it.”

What has been your background with Oklahoma Christian University?

“My older sister came here and she thrived here. So, I was like ‘daddy says I got to go, so I will go.’ One day my sister saw me with this big smile on my face, and she was like “Suzie, what in the world’? I told her I made up my mind. I am going to finish this and what I have to do then I’m going back home. I am just a very home person. But, there’s been several times through the years that Oklahoma Christian has talked to Ken about different things. Something interesting, a couple years ago for Ken’s and my anniversary Jenny, our daughter said ‘let’s all go to Oklahoma City and have family pictures made’. You know where she planned the pictures, the pond right beside the president’s house. Isn’t that incredible? God knew, he knew I was coming to Oklahoma Christian.” 

What has been a time when you have seen God show up in a big way?

“Us being here is huge—Ken was at a time in life when he could start over and be given that opportunity. Back at LCU, I didn’t want him to quit preaching, because there’s such a need for good preachers, and his grandpa told him, ‘If you go to LCU as president, I’ll give my blessing on one condition—that you never stop preaching.’ We had 72 hours to decide, and during that time all sorts of things happened. There was one little thing I kind of had in my head for a long time, and that was, I would love to go to Austria. One night, riding in the car with the president of LCU and his wife, he asked his wife where the next president’s meeting was, and she said, ‘I think it’s in Vienna’. It had never been there before and it has never been there after.” 

Who has been the biggest influence on your life?

“My mama. My mom died a little over a year ago, almost 100. She grew up in the Depression with nothing, and a lady across the road, a member of the Church of Christ, would pick her and her sisters up for church. All four girls grew up, married men, and brought their husbands to the Lord. Mama was so devoted to our Lord. One thing she and Daddy always wanted to do before he died was skydive. So, for her 80th birthday, my brother planned it—we all went skydiving. She wore a locket with Daddy’s picture, so they kind of got to do it together.”

Regarding the theme of love, do you have a story of your husband exemplifying that characteristic?

“Absolutely every single day. Just two days ago, he was on the phone with a guy who was down, and every time the man said something, Ken came back with the most encouraging words. When he hung up, I said, ‘You are such an encourager, babe.’ He may not be real affectionate, but he shows his love by doing things for people, and that’s huge. It’s every day I see it.”

What role do you find most rewarding as the spouse of the university president?

“I just love learning about people’s lives and getting to be involved with them. You know, in wonderful happy times, challenging times, and then in really hard times. That’s what I love most about it.” 

What is your biggest piece of advice?

“Really seek our Lord every day, to make time for Him, even when you don’t feel like you have time. So many times I’ve wondered how the day would work out after prayer, and it just fell into place. I’m just trying to be devoted, to see Him in everything. Every night before Ken and I go to bed, we share our golden list—what we’ve seen God do in our life that day. It may be a hummingbird at the feeder or something huge, but it keeps him first in our minds.”