Hi my dear friends, it's Ann here.

Well, it's December (hooray!) and today I wanted to chat about personal rhythms and routines over Advent.

With the cosiness of Christmas in the air, I just love December. And one of the reasons for that is I have a few little special things I do to connect with God. These things are special enough to me that I start to look forward to them in November!

Centuries ago, the Western church developed a liturgy to help their congregations connect through the year with the Gospel. Specific scriptures were read on certain dates, and specific stories from scripture were celebrated. I imagine that was a very helpful thing for those who loved God but couldn't necessarily read his word. Well, these days I think we can do the same in our personal lives: We can find some special personal routines throughout our year that help us remember and connect with aspects of God.

When it comes to Advent and December, I thought I might share with you my three special practices, and I'd love to hear from you in turn if you have any special Christmas faith routines. I'm sure I'll adopt more routines as the years pass, but for now here are my three:

First of all, on 1 December I pick up my heavy leather Bible, open up its beautiful pages to the nativity sections in Matthew and Luke and start to read. I say Matthew and Luke because they're the only two out of the four Gospels that cover Jesus's birth. I take my time over them, marinating in them, piecing them together like a jigsaw puzzle, and reading one section a day. 

They are fascinating narratives; they never get old. I find I look back sometimes on the Old Testament prophecies that go with certain parts. I shake my head in wonder at the Bible and this part of it -- The nativity story. It is truly a mind-blowing thing, and also a very surprising thing that God did here: A baby in a manger. A messiah born to an 'unmarried' woman? Bemusing. Mesmerizing. Full of symbolism. 

The second thing I do is crack open my own journals for the whole past year and start to re-read them over the month of December. Now this one involves a lot of sitting around with a whole lot of coffee; which, to Bryce, does look a little lazy. But it's amazing to look back on what God has done. I find I've asked God a lot of questions and have written down everything I've prayed for, so sometimes I find myself startled to see within the pages of those journals that "Wow, Lord, you really did answer that."

And finally, as Christmas approaches I book myself a hotel room for the night and take 24 hours away with God. It's indulgent, I know, but sometimes a mother's got to do what a mother's got to do. I tell my family it's 'Mum's strategic planning day', at which they burst into laughter. But truly it's to talk to God about the coming year. 

I guess I'm writing this because the success of our walk as SUMites is so heavily driven by how deep our intimacy with God is. And now, our ability to cope with this pandemic is also going to be impacted by the same. Yes, we have at least two tough things we are enduring (the SUM, the pandemic) .. And if we have tough stuff in our lives, oh how we need Jesus like we need air!

How about you? I'd love to hear of any routines you have at Christmas time. Yours might look completely different to mine but hey, variety is just great, and so I'm looking forward to chatting about this one.

Ann

Hi Friends, Lynn Donovan here:

I'm coming to you today in the midst of a very busy season and yet hopeful you will take five minutes to step along side of me and especially my husband, Mike. 

I would love to receive a short, one-to-two paragraph prayer, for healing. I want to pass these short prayers to Mike, one a day, throughout his treatment with begins December 13. Read About it here.

Please take a minute to login here and post in the comments, a SHORT prayer, from your heart, that Mike could pray to build his faith for healing. 

I am absolutely leaning on you and your love during this season. 

I love you. I feel surrounded by your goodness, your love and your faith. Hugging you with a full heart today, Love, Lynn

Lynn here:

I'm overwhelmed by your generosity. Your gifts and your words of encouragement are a balm to my heart this season.

I can't wait to see all of you in the seminars about the End-time church and also the Journey around Jericho.

Watch for your email regarding the seminars. It's not too late to participate in either or both. Donate today. 

DONATE NOW <------

Read about the content here: Give AND Receive

My friends, Lynn Donovan here.

I pray you found kindness here. I continue to pray that you discover more about our Father and his love for family and marriage in this church without walls on the web. 

On Giving Tuesday take a minute and ask the Lord, what should I give to help this ministry stay on the web another year?

It takes about $6K to keep all the parts moving in our ministry annually. Ann and I can't fund this alone. But we can provide value to your giving.

So, I'm offering a couple of things. Mentioned yesterday:

Offer Number One: For any donation over US$35 or any recurring donation of $5 or more, we'll give you free admission to six classes that I will be teaching in January via Zoom.

We'll advertise more about these six classes soon, but we're excited about them as they'll be a great opportunity for us to come together online a little more in person. The classes themselves will be a weekly live teaching on Zoom on a variety of topics including spiritual gifts, intimacy with God, understanding the occult, walking in your authority in Christ, and more. We'll be building on the concepts in the book Marching Around Jericho, and delving a little deeper into some of those things. It should be good.

Offer Number Two: I will teach a 2 1/2 seminar on the End-Times Church. This will be on January 20, 2022 at 11 am Pacific. Via Zoom. This seminar will:

• Lay out the many scriptures describing the End-Times Church
• Discuss the Philadelphia Company
• Where we are in prophecy today
• Is the Jab the Mark of the Beast
• Where is the Bride
• Where are the Jews
• Rapture
• The Terrible Day of the Lord
• Live Q&A. Ask me anything!

Expect scripture-upon-scripture and to be GREATLY encouraged by truth that you can stand upon and take hope.

Any recurring donation of any amount and you are included in this teaching. Recurring donations make up the bulk of our giving. And to our current recurring givers, please think about increasing your giving and you are included in this teaching.

One-time gifts of $60 or more.  Donate $100 or more and receive both seminars.

If you are unable to attend, you will receive a link to the teaching to watch later.

Make your donation by clicking below. Make your selection on the Donation page with the link below.

Mostly please give cheerfully and because you find the love of Jesus in this house. I love you and I continue to urge you forward in faith. Love and hugs, Lynn Donovan, Founder

Donations go to Lynn Donovan/Three Keys Ministries 501(c) 3. You will receive a tax document in January, 2022.

Donate PayPal

Hi SUM family

I hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving!

If you've followed our blog for a while you'll know that on Giving Tuesday, which rolls around once a year, we take the opportunity to do a little fundraising to help cover the costs of our ministry. Giving Tuesday is tomorrow -- Tuesday 30 November 2021.

We're super grateful for all your support to date - Thank you! The ministry does cost a certain amount to run given the various technological parts involved. And then we also donate and mail out some of our books to worthy causes. So anything you give will enable us to keep at it and will be a great help.

Now from us to you: For any donation over US$35 or any recurring donation of five or more, we'll give you free admission to six classes that Lynn will be teaching in January via Zoom.

We'll advertise more about these six classes soon, but we're excited about them as they'll be a great opportunity for us to come together online a little more in person. The classes themselves will be a weekly live teaching on Zoom on a variety of topics including spiritual gifts, intimacy with God, understanding the occult, walking in your authority in Christ, and more. We'll be building on the concepts in the book Marching Around Jericho, and delving a little deeper into some of those things. It should be good.

So that's Giving Tuesday. Thank you again for your support, and we pray blessings to be poured out on you all.

Ann

Hey SUM family, Tiffany here!

I just wanted to pop on quick and share a wonderful song with you all. In searching for the original, I found a cover by a group called the Creative Trio.

There is something prophetic about this group covering the song. I know a lot of us have young ones still at home. We pray and intercede and hope and dream for their future. I am reminded of Acts 2 - 

¹⁶ But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
¹⁸ And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
¹⁹ I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
²¹ And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’

Hi SUM family,

Well, it's that beautiful time of year again -- Thanksgiving time. Those in the USA are about to celebrate that, and we wish you fun and good memories.

Even though Thanksgiving is not the norm here in New Zealand, being amongst so many Americans here in this community has had an effect on me. Somewhere along the way I too took on the annual tradition of cooking up a delicious turkey with pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving weekend, and inviting some people over. So, that's what I'll be doing here too. I love it! It feels like a great excuse to be hospitable.

As for us here on the blog, we're going to take a few days off. One of the things we'll write about when we're back is Giving Tuesday, 1 December, an annual day where we raise a few funds for our ministry with some giveaways too. We're so grateful for your financial support and we'll write more about that on Monday.

Then, Advent season begins, and we'll be delving into some of those advent stories in the Gospels as we count down to celebrating the birth of Jesus.

So, that's all from us for a few days. Enjoy your food and family, our American friends. We love you loads, and we'll see you after Thanksgiving!

Ann, Lynn, Tiffany and Ian

Hey SUM family, Tiffany here!

This has been quite the transitional season for the Carter household. We have been living with my in-laws for 8-9 months now. As far as our current arrangement, time has flown by! As far as our new house being built and completed, it can't go by soon enough. I am so excited with anticipation at the new chapter ahead. I can hardly wait!

Below are a couple of my favorite photos of the house taken within the last couple of months. Please forgive the photos if they are not angled correctly...sometimes they go sideways on me. Click the pictures to see a larger view.

Much prayer and intercession has been sown into our beautiful house.

The bottom of the stairs leading to the basement. This is where the above inscription is hidden in plain sight.

This prayer is written on the framing of our house - overlooking the kitchen, dining room and living room. Thank you Dineen for your example! I have had this upon my heart since reading your blog post about anointing your home years ago.

A close up...do these look familiar? I wrote a prayer over our homes not too long ago.

Look at this beautiful surprise I found when anointing our home. This is one of the boards in between my bedroom and bathroom!

Stone was recently put on the house. I screamed with glee when I drove up and saw this.

In the midst of covid, supply and worker shortage, and materials stuck on barges, our house is slowly coming along. When we signed papers back in January of this year, we were thinking we would be move-in ready by October. Delays in the beginning of the process has caused our projected date to be this coming February or March.

Family, please be praying with me that we do not encounter any more delays. God has called me to run for the school board. I believe the time is now. I have a deadline to meet to file to be on the ballot. I WILL run this year even if it means that I become a write-in candidate like last time. However, I know that being on the ballot will better hold me accountable to follow through - especially in the midst of adversity.

Pray that I continue to make connections with people. It is amazing the difference that one year can make. So many more people are awake to the evil agenda that is coming after our children. So many more people willing to stand and help support - even financially! I need ALL the help I can get!

Holy Spirit is chipping away layers and layers of things that are holding me back. Please also be praying with me that I keep pressing in and allowing Him to do what needs to be done. I will have no choice but to be in the limelight in this next season. Fear of man, insecurities, etc need to be burned off and the dross removed forever.

Lastly, pray that I continue to seek God and keep Him first. I know that like my house (what a great type and shadow of my life right now), if God's hand isn't in it, I am laboring in vain. I must never lose sight of the fact that He has called me. It is not of my own power, might or accord but by His Spirit. I need my Best Friend by my side.

I don't know what God has in store for me...but I know I cannot hide or run any longer. Great things are head. I can feel it.

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, - Acts 17:26

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? - Esther 4:14

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. - Luke 1:45

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. - 2 Corinthians 1:20

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. - Hebrews 13:20-21

And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. - Jeremiah 29:7

Thank you so much for all of your love and support. You and I both know that this SUM life can sometimes be lonely and we can often feel misunderstood. I can't express in words how much you make a difference to me. I truly love you all.

See you in the comments. Be blessed.

Tiffany

Ann here!

As I write, it's late night here in New Zealand, and somewhere over the Pacific ocean, three from our community are kicking us off. What a lovely thought!

Now, don't worry if you didn't sign up -- Just jump in and worship any time during this day. You can look at the list below to see who else from our community is worshipping along with you and know that you are joined by at least one other. 

The picture accompanying this blog post was sent to me today by one of our UK SUMites, Libby Finan. She told me she had received this picture of worship from the Lord last year and had then drawn it. She had just remembered it while thinking about today. She said:

I saw how our worship ascends to heaven like rainbow colored vapors.

His word says that rivers of living water will flow from our inner being. I saw the light and heat of the Holy Spirit causing a reaction within us, and as we worship it evaporates and rises to heaven like vapors. It was as though our worship became visible to me as it is seen in the spiritual realm, and it was stunning! The worship was rainbow colored -- Each person brought a unique shade of color and they merged to form a beautiful rainbow symphony of worship to our King.

Then she gave this scripture, which perfectly captured what we're doing:

"Let my prayer be as the evening sacrifice that burns like fragrant incense, rising as my offering to you as I lift up my hands in surrendered worship!" Psalms 142:2 (TPT)

Dear friends, I hope that gives you encouragement as you worship. As Lynn said in her last post, hop into the comments and share anything from your worship. Photos, anything. And thank you, Libby, for this beautiful picture and words.

Happy worshipping!

Ann

Our worship day, Thursday 18 November, 1am Pacific to Friday 19 November, 1am Pacific.

1am Pacific (9am UK, 10pm New Zealand)  - Gladys, Robin, Teri

2am Pacific (10am UK, 11pm New Zealand) - Lucie

3am Pacific (11am UK, 12pm New Zealand) – Bonnie, Vicki

4am Pacific (12pm UK, 1am New Zealand just turned Friday) – Martha, Pam

5am Pacific (1pm UK, 2am New Zealand) -- Jeanne

6am Pacific (2pm UK, 3am New Zealand) – Libby, Gillian

7am Pacific (3pm UK, 4am New Zealand) – Angela, Christina

8am Pacific (4pm UK, 5am New Zealand) -- Mirta

9am Pacific (5pm UK, 6am New Zealand) -- Kim

10am Pacific (6pm UK, 7am New Zealand) – Jenny, Julianne

11am Pacific (7pm UK, 8am New Zealand) -- Maureen

12pm Pacific (8pm UK, 9am New Zealand) – LuAnn, Laura

1pm Pacific (9pm UK, 10am New Zealand) -- Joanne

2pm Pacific (10pm UK, 11am New Zealand) – Paula, Diana

3pm Pacific (11pm UK, 12pm New Zealand) - Shelley

4pm Pacific (12am UK, 1pm New Zealand) - Barb

5pm Pacific (1am UK, 2pm New Zealand, both now Friday) – Karen

6pm Pacific (2am UK, 3pm New Zealand) – Amanda, Karyn

7pm Pacific (3am UK, 4pm New Zealand) - Stefanie

8pm Pacific (4am UK, 5pm New Zealand) - Chrissy

9pm Pacific (5am UK, 6pm New Zealand) -- Ian

10pm Pacific (6am UK, 7pm New Zealand) -- Ann

11pm Pacific (7am UK, 8pm New Zealand) - Tiffany

12am Pacific, just turned Friday (8am UK, 9pm New Zealand) – LuAnn, Gillian

Tomorrow is our “Church-without-Walls” community worship event. My friends, determining to worship together brings the Kingdom of God near.

1am Pacific, Thursday 18 November to 1am Pacific, Friday 19th

I’m convinced that worship thins the veil. Worship is an invitation into encounter, an encounter with love. An encounter with our Savior who affirms; we are worthy, we are more than enough, we are accepted…..

WE BELONG!

You BELONG HERE.

As we worship over a 24 hour period, pray, sing, dance, paint, create……. let's Love.

Consider this: Someone in New Zealand worships the King. Then they pass the baton to me, who currently lives in California. My worship builds upon the last hour. I pass the baton to New York. The next to England, then back to Florida, then to Canada, back to Washington. Imagine in your mind this beautiful weaving of his love, covering the globe.

We belong to this amazing mismatched family. We understand standing in faith. Because we do it…. every…. single…. day.

We don’t have to merely fit in. We belong. We belong to Christ. We belong to our Father. We belong to one another. It is a love, born of acceptance, that truly is eternal.

So worship this next 24 hours whether you signed up for a time or not. Join your heart to our community. Because as we worship, the heavens open. The veil thins and we will have an encounter with the Lord of the Universe.

And Worship is so beautiful. I plan to worship with praise music blaring as I paint. I’m going to paint an eagle on a black canvas. I can’t wait. (One of the four faces of God).

I feel so very loved and close to the King when I worship in the middle of creativity. Ask the Lord today, “How do you want me to worship you tomorrow? I wouldn’t be surprised if you put on the worship music blaring and you create some tasty dish in your kitchen. Or perhaps knit a beanie for someone at church or a grandchild. Blessing each stitch with love and a desire for that child to know Jesus.

Please pop in tomorrow and share pictures of your worship. Share what music you are listening to. Mostly share how your worship thinned the veil and you encountered Jesus.

Below is a link to the album I’ll be listening to… (But I may also listen to Christmas music. I just can’t help myself 😊)

I love you deeply. I'm praying you encounter the King as you thin the veil over your head.

For those following my moving adventures, I’ll post an update this Friday at lynndonovan.com/blog.

"and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Acts 7:56