I. The Story of AYSF Founder: Susan Kusmin
Susan Castillo Kusmin is the founder of And Yet She Flourished (AYSF). She has been on staff with Redeemer Counseling Services (RCS), The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and Young Life, all in her native New York City. Susan began her studies in counseling and theology at Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF), went on to attend Westminster Seminary in P.A., and earned her master’s degree from Redeemer Seminary in Dallas. She is also certified as a Life Coach through CLCI. Susan is currently equipping herself to provide even more holistic guidance for her many clients who struggle with body care by pursuing certification as a nutrition coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Susan and her husband Sean have had the privilege of being foster parents to 32 children. These days, their home is kept lively by their “fur babies”: three dogs and two kitties. When not working, Susan may often be found engaging in “embodied spiritual warfare” (i.e. strength training, boxing, or Barre), hunting for antique & vintage treasures, or tending to her indoor garden. Susan also serves as a teaching elder at Mosaic Covenant Church in New Jersey.
Susan is passionate about equipping God’s people to prevail over whatever is keeping them from operating at their full potential. Her relentless study of the Word of God, and her ability to communicate its treasures in clear and compelling ways, have helped many sisters and brothers in Christ walk in freedom they never imagined possible.
II. The Story Behind Our Name
This world is a story, an epic story that God is unfolding. The fancy theological term for this is “The Meta-Narrative.” Within that complex, beautiful story, your life is a story, a sub-plot, that relates to the whole. And your story is precious to God. Not only the delightful parts of your story, but the whole thing. Even the “pages” you most wish you could forget, or tear out, have purpose and the potential for a redemptive ending.
Our name, And Yet She Flourished (AYSF), conveys our conviction that no matter how any part of your story started, or what turns it has taken, no matter how many mistakes you have made or hardships you have faced or fear facing, it IS possible to flourish. How can we be so sure? Because God loves nothing better than a redemptive ending. In fact, the story of the world has been moving towards its redemptive ending since before it began! Consider the following:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him… In him we have redemption through his blood… according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
(Ephesians 1:3-10)
Once Christ returns and destroys the enemy once and for all and renews the heavens and the Earth: that will be the fullness of the redemptive ending to the story of this world: an ending that ushers in the beginning of eternal peace and joy for the children of God. And yet… God invites us to collaborate with him in how we live our story so that we may experience redemptive endings to many of our personal plot lines here and now, even in the context of this fallen world. And not only that: we are commissioned and empowered to be agents of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-120), which means we get to show others how to flourish as they follow Jesus. So…
Let’s get you equipped to do that!
At AYSF, we invite you to partake of whatever best suits your present need- Christ-Centered Care, Transformative Teaching, or Training in Christ-Centered Care – so that “…and yet she flourished” can be where your story heads from here.
III. The Story Behind Our Logo
A. The Sword
The sword in the AYSF logo represents the Word of God. This is the weapon God provides for us to defeat our true enemy, who’s deception is involved in everything that causes distress.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm…. In all circumstances take up… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:12-17
The sword is the center of the AYSF logo to convey that the Word of God is at the center of all we do. Here are some interesting facts about sword-making that further illuminate why the sword is an apt metaphor for God’s word that we cherish at AYSF:
It is no wonder that the development of the sword took centuries… A sword needed to be solid enough to penetrate armor, to be flexible and durable at the same time… Proper balance and sharpness were essential… Because the production process was complex and [thus] the purchase price pretty high, swords were considered elite weapons. Sword makers tried to tailor the weapon to fit the individual needs of its owner; swords served as extended hands of warriors.
The word of God took centuries to “develop” or unfold. It is the most solid and durable weapon there is. Its wisdom is timeless and will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8) Yet it is flexible in that it has so many and varied implications and applications. It is incredibly balanced in the scope of matters it addresses and it is sharp in that it penetrates the surface of things to reveal the truth beneath. It is meant to be applied in a tailored way that meets the needs of its users.
The Word of God is not a showpiece; it’s the ultimate, elite weapon. “Bible study” is not meant to be a time where we simply converse about the sword, only to store it in a display case where it collects dust until the next study. Our sword should be “muddy and bloody” from regular use. So at AYSF, we don’t just teach about the Word of God; we prepare you to activate it wherever the rubber meets the road in your daily life. Our goal is to help you get so skillful as God’s warriors that you are able to use the sword as if it were an extension of your own hands.
B. The Jewel on the Sword
It was often the case that swords had a jewel and/or some other markings for the purpose of indicating what country or group a warrior represented. In the AYSF logo, the red stone (garnet) represents the blood of Christ, shed on behalf of his beloved. It is a declaration that the warrior who wields this sword belongs to Christ. Also…
Jewels on swords were a way for nobility and wealthy individuals to display their power and influence… they conveyed the status of their owners.
Within the AYSF logo, the jewel serves as a reminder to a child of God that she is “nobility,” an heir of the King who ever assures her “you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” (Luke 5:31)
C. The Flowers
Flowers and plants are traditionally symbols of flourishing. The flowers flanking the sword in the AYSF logo convey that flourishing is possible even in the context of the battles of life. Also, the flowers are the same red as the sword, symbolizing that it is because of the shed blood of Christ that it is possible for us to flourish no matter what we face. These red flowers are growing in a subtly heart-shaped way to signify that love is to be our motivation as we “fight the good fight.”
*Sword history credit to outfit4events.com
IV. The Story Behind Our Website Imagery
The Female Warrior
At AYSF, we are committed to raising up Christians, and women, in particular, to be the skillful, courageous, wise, resilient, faithful warriors for the Kingdom we were always intended to be. At AYSF, we train you in battle strategy: how to really listen to the stories you are hearing everyday, from within and without, about who you are, who God really is, and how to live this life. You will learn to identify the source and determine the validity of these claims.
Instead of falling prey to the narrative that you are stuck or trapped, instead of accepting:
…you will learn how to truly operate in your identity in Christ so you can make new choices that result in victories in areas of your life you had believed were hopeless.
So… all the warriors depicted throughout the website are representative of our beloved clients at AYSF. It is a joy and privilege to behold God transform those he leads our way into valiant warriors with every session of AYSF Christ-Centered Care, Transformative Teaching, or Training in Christ-Centered Care.
We do not wage war as the world does… We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3,5 [NIV]
The Stone Wall
The dark stone wall in the image is a reference to the cold, hard realities of sin and suffering in the fallen world. Though we are in the world, the Christian warrior is “not of the world.” (John 17:14-18) for Christ has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Our mission, as we sojourn through this dark domain is to proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) and as ambassadors of our King, to appeal to those still in rebellion to be reconciled to him. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
Flowers and vines are emerging from within the Kingdom and spreading along the wall. This imagery alludes to the following passage:
Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession,
and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
2 Corinthians 2:14-15
The Kingdom
The Kingdom in the image represents the Kingdom of God, of which a disciple of Jesus is a citizen (Ephesians 2:19; Philippians 3:20). This domain of righteousness and peace and joy (Romans 14:17) is the kingdom we represent as warriors. Though we are besieged by temptation to conform to the world, our allegiance is to our King and his kingdom. Part of how we “fight the good fight” now is by maintaining our perspective that
this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
No matter how bloody the battles of this life, the faithful warrior is both comforted and emboldened by the knowledge that her destiny is to dwell forever with our triumphant King where:
He will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
Revelation 21:4
The Gold Arch
The gold arch that gives us access to the Kingdom is a reference to Jesus, as it is only through him that we become citizens of the Kingdom
Butterflies and Bird
Butterflies and birds are universal symbols of freedom. In this image, they are symbols of how God has always been about setting his people free from whatever ensnares us: from within and without.
Butterflies, though not referenced in Scripture, are a universal symbol of transformation. The miraculous way in which a caterpillar emerges as a radically new creature is an apt illustration of the Christian life. When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are spiritually born again as a new creation, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, s/he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus has done all that is necessary for us to be free. He has ransomed us from an enemy who had owned us, by rights, because of our rebellion against the King. But like a bird that remains in a cage that has been opened, we have to learn to actually live free.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore,
and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
At AYSF, we help you learn how to “stand firm” and overcome whatever is keeping you from operating in the freedom Christ has won for you.
If you are ready to learn to flourish no matter what you face and to help others do the same, then it’s time to take the next step. Select the AYSF service that is right for you:
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
He is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer
Psalm 144:1-2
