Donovan Clan Update   Three Million Dollars

As I turned the calendar to November and consider the holidays are upon us, I’m sensitive to the praise and thanks that is welling up inside my heart.

2024 has been a challenging year. I prayed for so many things that needed divine intervention. One specific prayer was for provision. When Mike became sick and I was left to figure out how to navigate all the government agencies and insurance forms, I felt panic. Without a paycheck I was facing the probability that we could lose our new home. I didn’t know what kind of medical expenses would occur and how I would pay the bills.

I know so many of you face or have faced financial insecurity as well.

But now as I am watching the leaves turn colors, I will tell you, God provided in a surprising way.

First, every bill we owed was paid in full and on time. Thank you, Jesus.

Second, our mortgage was paid and even extended so it took some pressure off our finances.

Thirdly, that this is the most unexpected.

Three Million Dollars

The first bill for Mike’s stay in the hospital in May was nearly 1 million dollars.

The bill from Stanford was 2.2 million, so far.

Mike is the Three Million Dollar man. I didn’t even consider that my good Dad in heaven paid three million dollars to save Mike’s life. Our insurance covered all of it but a few thousand dollars.

God spoke to me recently and said, “Lynn, did you see that?”

I knew exactly what the Lord was showing me. Provision that I didn’t even think about…

Our Great Father in heaven is rich. He is dependable. He is trustworthy.

We are heading home from Stanford today as you read this. We serve a great King. And I’m also thankful for all the doctors, nurses, and care teams who saved my husband’s life.

I’m thankful for our neighbors who really helped us out.

I’m mostly thankful for the prayers of all of you. I felt them. Truly, I believe that your prayers made such a difference. Mike has done so much better than many who go through this process.

All month long I’m writing in a praise journal. I’m so thankful to the Lord for all of you.

I love you and bless you this season. Look for the unexpected and then rejoice.

Blessings and hugs, Lynn

Ephesians 1: 15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22 And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

There are a number of you who have been readers here at SUM for a long time. And then there are those who have read the book Not Alone/Raising Kids.... You met my daughter, Caitie, here on the blog and on the pages of that book. (Raising Kids)

On Friday, my daughter married her dream man in a beautifully simple ceremony and on a perfectly clear and sunny day in Portland. It was a small and intimate setting in the woods with a few close friends and family. That's my daughter. 

So, in the midst of a lot of crazy, we enjoyed some goodness. It was a bummer that Mike wasn't able to attend. However, in the ceremony, Caitie made sure to mention her daddy and that he was there in spirit. 

I cried. 

So, all you mamas who are still in the trenches, don't give up. Don't stop loving and NEVER stop praying for you children. Here are a few photos. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, SUMites, for walking this walk with me. 

PS. The granddaughters were the hit of the weekend, besides the bride and groom, and we all enjoyed an impromptu and wonderful family reunion on Saturday. 

Back to the series in the book of John on Friday. Love you!

Prayer for Caitie and Matthew. May the Lord bless your covenant with love, peace, and provision. May you find fulfilment, joy, and laughter as you discover the purpose for your lives together. I pray you discover contentment, sacrifice, holiness, and service together. May the Lord keep you close, safe, and in His hands all the days of your life. Know that mom and dad love you and are proud of you. In Jesus name. AMEN

Hi SUM Nation,

It’s time for a Donovan Clan update. And well, it’s difficult to share that my amazing husband is still diligently job searching. It’s interesting that when your older, finding gainful employment becomes more challenging.

Hmmmm. And believe me I’ve done so much praying about all of it. I’m convinced I’ve heard the Lord, but His answer appears so impossible, that I can only cling to faith and remain in peace as I wait for the Lord to bring things into reality. And with transparency I'll tell you that it hasn't always been easy.

However, in the waiting we have exhausted our financial reserves. It’s humbling and vulnerable to share that truth. But, this is our real situation.

For over 13 years Mike’s job supported all of the financial needs for the online ministry. But this year, I’m turning to all of you.

I need you.

So, all I can do is share the expenses and ask you to prayerfully consider adopting one and cover it or a portion of an expense for the ministry?

On Tuesday, #GIVINGTUESDAY would you be prepared to give a recurring gift of $5, $10, $15, $25 or $50 a month. This recurring gift will cover the monthly expense for example the monthly expenses of mailing the post emails, $27.00 or the annual renewal of the web hosting $150.00 On Giving Tuesday Facebook and PayPal are matching contributions.

OR consider a one-time donation to apply to the Domain renewal for spirituallyunequalmarriage.com. That expense is $85. I support about nine web domains for various ministries under the Three Keys Ministries umbrella.

So, here are some of the items that are a must for this ministry to continue. All told, annually all the expenses roughly total $6,000.

It is my heart to help others. I know that is your heart also. We want others to discover what we know, Jesus makes the difference in every way and every area of our lives and marriages.

Today ask Jesus, “What could I give? What could I cover this year? How much could I pour in to help someone on the road behind me?

I’ll share more as Giving Tuesday arrives. But you can give now through the PayPal app in the sidebar of the website. And for all of you who already give, Thank you. Your faithfulness has kept the internet a blaze with hope for the spiritually mismatched. 

For those of you who can give… I love you.

For those of you who can’t….. I love you.

Thank you, Jesus as you provide through some of the most amazing believers on the planet. In Jesus name. AMEN

Give generously from your heart not because of guilt. Hugs, Lynn

Hello SUMite Nation!

Lynn here. I’m coming to you from my prayer room on a beautiful and somewhat unusually cool July morning here in southern California. It’s peaceful and a breeze is drifting in the front window. Oh, how I wish you were sitting here with me. I long to sit with each of you and listen to your story. I will one day. And it will be GLORY!

I just clicked off the phone after talking to my mother who called to check in on the job search, the book progress but mainly to tell me, I love you.

But as we talked about the book she said, “Lynn, I’ve shared that story with nearly everyone I meet. I tell it over and over.” She’s talking about Mike’s baptism story. “I tell them to NEVER give up praying.”

Never give up praying.

Don’t stop hoping.

Always lean into the impossible.

Twenty-seven years. I won’t look back at the years with longing for what might have been. I look back at the decades and see Jesus in every turn along the journey. I view the Father’s hand of favor and love and I feel the peace of the Holy Spirit as the Trinity lived within.

It was worth the price of waiting.

To all the weary SUMites, who linger in prayer and continue loving Jesus and your unsaved spouse, words from my beloved mother who has lived with the Lord for nearly eighty years, “Don’t give up hope. Don’t stop praying.”

I adore you my friends. Stay tuned because God is brewing up more fantastical stories in the Donovan Clan. I feel the excitement in the air and can’t wait to share all He brings about in our immediate future.

March on Warrior!!!!  WE WIN!!

Hugs, Lynn

Hello SUMite Nation:

Wow, I missed all of you so much while I was away frantically writing. But guess what? I’ve finished the basic manuscript, Marching Around Jericho, Praying Your Unsaved Spouse Into the Kingdom. Hallelujah.

This is a radical book. It will stretch you and challenge every demon of complacency, doubt and religiosity. This book will place you on your march around the walls of your unsaved spouse’s heart. I’m convinced this is my best work ever. Thank you, Jesus.!!! I promise you this, read it and exercise every tool I share with you and at the end of the journey, your life and marriage will be different, better, changed and holy. God did it for me. He wants to do the same in your life.

God is just that good!!!   AMEN!

So, an update. While I was away, Mike was laid off from his company of 25 years. Ouch. How many of you have been readers here for a long, long time and remember when we went through a layoff 10 years ago in 2009? I wrote extensively about the amazing lessons I gained from that season. I’ll be straight forth here. I felt fearful most of that year during his job search.

Today, I absolutely feel no fear for our future.

Let me ask you this, what is the opposite of fear?

Faith?

Peace?

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. ─ 1 John 4:18

The opposite of fear is LOVE. When we KNOW fully that we are loved by God, fear is defeated and cannot speak to us.

What are you fearing today? In the last several days I’ve been consistently praying two prayers.

Father, I’m asking for a greater revelation of your love.

Father, I’m asking for a greater revelation of grace and how to walk in the pace of grace.

WOWEEEEEE! I received a revelation of God’s love two days ago that blew my mind.

SUMites, if you are fearing anything, Ask the Lord for a greater revelation of His Love. Ask out loud. Ask frequently and believe He will reveal. Don’t’ stop asking until revelation arrives.

It’s powerful.

Today, I’m surrounded by the love of God even in the midst of uncertainty. I know who my Father is and He is rich!  Hallelujah.

Since Mike’s layoff at the end of May, the Lord has impressed upon me; 20 days or June 20^th. Join me for the ride and let’s watch our Great King in action. I can’t wait to share with you how God works all this out. Stay tuned.

Another update. I still have hours and hours, weeks and weeks of extensive editing and accumulating the supporting pages of the book. So, I plan to remain here at SUM but perhaps write a little less.

THANK YOU to the team of SUMites who stepped up and covered for me while I was writing.

So, today in the comments, I will stand with you in faith.

Ask God for what is on your heart. I will echo each request with you and let’s watch the Lord in action in your life too.

I’ll see you in the comments my dear SUMites friends. You are loved. You are more powerful than you know. You are gifted and talented and highly favored.

March on Warriors!!  WE WIN!!!

Be blessed, Lynn

Dear SUMites,

I pray your Easter was amazing. And no matter if you sat next to your spouse or not, it mattered a great deal to our Lord that you were present in His House. It touched His heart that you rose to be ready and dressed the kids. It mattered greatly to His heart that you joined the billions around the earth to honor the resurrection and to acclaim what became ours through a new blood covenant.

Friends, I will tell you that my Easter was strange. I attended my church on Saturday evening and was overcome by the presentation and the holiness of Jesus and what He gave to me. And then on Sunday morning, I attended my old church with Mike. It was weird and different and good.

The message at my old church was perfect for Mike. It was designed for people who aren’t churched. Those who don’t know what they don’t even know. And it was weird again to have a discussion with Mike about the service and what he liked, what I liked and what was different.

You see, we are still unequally yoked??? No, I don’t want to say that. Because for the first time sitting in church, I didn’t feel a weird tension. I wasn’t wondering if the message would finally breakthrough. I didn’t speculate if the prayer would be offensive. I actually was at peace. I didn’t care that he may not like the message. These kinds of thoughts used to ruin my church experience in years past when he would attend church with me.

So, we aren’t unequally yoked but we aren’t going to be a couple that instantly travels and preaches the gospel together to the masses. It’s not who Mike is. He will never be “that” kind of Christian. And I’m am so absolutely okay with all of it. I’m okay that Mike is quiet about his faith and doesn’t want to tell a bunch of people and have to explain it all to them.

He is a believer in Jesus Christ. It’s his faith and not mine to control or manipulate.

I think so much of our marriage and unequally yoked journey together wasn’t even about Mike. It was about me. I needed to let go of preconceived ideals and expectations that were never going to be “us.” Mike isn’t one who will grab my hands and say, “Let’s pray about it.” He doesn’t operate that way.

However, I have learned to grab his hand and just start praying. It doesn’t matter if he is ready or not. I keep it short and just speak directly to Jesus. It’s a beautiful model of everyday prayer that he is catching. And he doesn’t even know it. Oh, and by the way, I’ve been dropping faith habits into our relationship for nearly five years now. Slowly a faith statement here. A quick prayer there. A blessing over the dogs. I’ll share a conversation about a miracle while driving to Costco.

These are the everyday moments of a believing wife who lives with Jesus. Our spouses cannot help but be affected by the love we carry.

SUMite brothers and sisters, just be persistent and be patient. Keep learning, remain hungry for more of God and never cease to pray. These are the habits that change a heart and change a world!

So, my friends, may I ask you to extent patience toward me as I now sort out this new but perhaps, not so different, faith walk. I may ramble a bit in my writings. I may PREACH, just because I can’t help myself. I will praise Jesus. And I will love God, my family, and love you OUT LOUD!

Now, what is awesome it this: MY VICTORY AND TESTIMONY IS NOW YOUR VICTORY AND TESTIMONY. In your prayer time, place a demand upon your faith and talk to the Lord about the salvation of your spouse. It’s okay to say to the Lord, “You did this for Lynn and for others recently. I’m contending for the same for my family. Teach me what I need to know to move my faith forward and allow my spouse to catch it. In Jesus name. AMEN”

SUMITES, make your statement of faith today. In the comments, leave your prayer for the Lord: DO IT AGAIN LORD FOR___________________. See you in the comments.

Be blessed, Lynn

This is the painting I'm speaking about in the video

Hello my dear friends,

I have had a heavy heart for all of you who are in the throes of battle right now. So, today, I’m not going to talk about marriage killers.

NO!

I want to talk about the marriage saver.

Jesus Christ.

I’ve been in a deep reflection upon my life in the past few weeks. It’s as though Jesus is pouring revelation upon me about the many seasons of my marriage. Pointing to how He used my very own wrong choices to work with. How inside my rebellion, He loved me, taught me, and led me into peace.

I’m on a wonderful journey right now with the Savior. And the tension of what waits around the corner of the unknown, is almost palatable to my spirit. It’s BIG… REALLY, REALLY BIG!

With that said, I’m not going to write much today. But share one of my NEW experiences with Jesus.

A GREAT RISK! It’s worth a listen.

I want you to know something. Truly, from the depths of my heart: I LOVE YOU. I love you as my family. I grieve with you. I rejoice in your victory. I see you in my prayer time, sitting with your Bible and talking with our Jesus. I pray over you OUT LOUD daily now and for your families.

Something GREAT….. The GREATEST is about to dawn. I feel it in my bones.

Please feel my love wrap around you. As it is love from my heart and the heart of our Father. Hugs, Lynn

When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron's staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds! -Numbers 17:8

PS. I'm still praying! I believe!

Now for something completely different.

You know, I have discovered a secret to a happy marriage. Well at least it applies to the Donovan Clan.

Feed the man.

I’ve learned to cook. I didn’t know much more than spaghetti when we married. But I find cooking is one of the creative expressions I enjoy, a gift from God. So today, I’m delighting in the beauty and abundance of Autumn. I want to share what’s going on in the kitchen.

From my Pomegranate tree out back:

Roasted Veggies with pomegranate: A Pioneer Woman Recipe Served with Salmon with a mustard and brown sugar glaze.

I forgot the poms in this pic... Oopie. Grin. But it turned out great!

Yum and eee.  I was pulling the seeds out of the shell, when all of a sudden a spider was crawling across the cutting board. Eeeeek! 

Love you SUMite Nation! Hugs, Lynn

Fill your home with the smells of home cooking. Find your creative side in the kitchen. Enjoy some of these simple but wonderful treasures of living the abundant life.

Elise (Love her shirt)

SUMites,

As I type this post, it’s Tuesday morning and I’m sitting in my backyard garden with little, Avery, age two. She is chattering up a storm as the rest of the family sleeps. We have been all over southern California with my son and granddaughters.

Yesterday as Elise, age five, crawled into bed with Nana after a very busy beach day, her dad came in to tuck her in. “Daddy, we have blessings. In Jesus name.”

He grins, looks over at me, “I can tell we have been at Nana’s house.”

My dear SUMite family, THIS is what a legacy looks like.

Are we perfect Christians.

Nope.

But this Nana, Mom, and wife prays. I bring these babies, their daddy and my husband before the Lord with petitions of love and protection, salvation and the good gifts of God.

And I’m fully convinced that my humble voice has lasting impact.

So does yours.

The battle is blazing hot and every vile thing is poised to take our hearts and souls and those whom we love.

BUT GOD!

Our faithfulness matters.

But God’s faithfulness is everything.

Don’t give up or give in. Because I am bearing witness to a lifetime of spending my life for the unbelievers in my family. Last night in the nighttime hours I could hear the whisper of my Lord as He granted me a snapshot of the future and I saw three generations of believers that came out of my granddaughter, Elise.

The Lord showed me this to affirm that my prayers of intercessions for the generations that follow are absolutely creating a legacy of faith and a family that loves the Lord Jesus Christ.

Tarry in prayer even if you do it alone all of your life. For I am fully convinced more is happening in your family line than you are aware.

I love you so much. Have a blessed week. Hugs, Lynn

Family at Safari Animal Park

Mike and Lynn, 26 Years and Counting!

Gang, I was considering starting into a Bible study at this time but I think I want to save that study for our annual Summer Bible Study. Today, and perhaps for the next few weeks, I’m feeling led to walk through some confession.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. —James 5:16

I quote this verse often. In fact, I sign my prayer book with this inscription. I refer to the last half of this verse because I absolutely, wholly, believe it is truth. However, I want to reveal something that most of us miss. It’s in the confession to one another that we find healing.

Ugh!

We don’t want to confess. This world shouts that we are weak and stupid to admit our shortcomings, failings and outright sins. But, as I grow up in the Kingdom, confession to the Lord is absolutely paramount but confessing to one another is also critical to our spiritual health and our physical health. I can’t fully explain why this is true but through years of prayer, it unquestionably is truth.

So, let’s have some brave communication and receive our healing.

Here are my wife-ey confessions:

• I placed way too many expectations upon my husband to meet my emotional and spiritual needs.
• I got it wrong often when presenting Jesus to him.
• My insecurity about my personal faith in the early years, led to many arguments that just weren’t necessary.
• I am faaaaaaaaaaar from perfect as a wife. I’ve messed up things often in my relationship with my husband and my kids.
• I also confess that I have loved fully, with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength, both the Lord and my family.
• I have loved with the full capacity of my heart and then some, only through the redemptive love of Christ.
• I’ve laughed at myself and surrendered many dreams.
• I’ve created a home. A place of lasting memories for me, my husband and my kids.
• I confess that I’m a goof, but my family loves me anyway.
• Pride has been a battle and insecurity as well.
• I love my dogs. I’ve raised chickens from eggs, gardened with my daughter, attended every high school play in the area for several years in a row, cooked mountains of taco meat and have smiled into the eyes of teenagers who were in pain and afraid.
• I’ve prayed.
• I’ve wept.
• I’ve busted out laughing so hard I tt’ed my pants.
• I’ve walked in lonely seasons and seasons of profound victory and grace.
• I’m blessed to have lived the human experience with Jesus, my family and my friends, my eternal brothers and sisters.

These are my confessions today. What are yours? With all my love, Lynn

Gang,

So, I think it's time for a ministry update. This is the home of The SUMite Nation. A Church Without Walls that loves God and loves people. We are dedicated to live our lives to honor God through His promises and instruction in His Holy Word. And we are living to honor our marriage and raise a family in the love of Christ Jesus. And we are powerful people of prayer and warfare in the Kingdom. We will not ever lose hope or faith nor will we allow the devil to steal our children. Never Ever. We are a bunch of gentle but fire-filled servants of the Lord and we mean to live in truth and freedom and set others free along the way. We LOVE Jesus and will remain loyally steadfast to His Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. AMEN

Church, we are waving goodbye to Dineen Miller who joined me on this wild adventure eleven years ago. What a ride it has been. She went with me to some crazy places and we experienced together, fantastic encounters with our Lord. I dragged her into many unsuccessful entrepreneurial and ministry experiences and some that were fabulously successful. We are ordinary women who are trying to live well in challenging circumstances.... just like all of you. I pray for her success and wish her every good thing from the Father. I have a heart filled with love and respect for Dineen.

Where do we go from here?  ONWARD, PEOPLE OF GOD... WE MOVE FORWARD!

I am settling back into my Monday, Friday posts. Ian and Christy will continue to post and I have a few guest posts that will come online. Right now the Lord has not indicated to me that I should take on a new partner. I feel as though I'm a partnered with all of you. So if you have something you want to share and write, visit the guidelines in the sidebar and then email me.

The ministry continues to grow and I've heard from several places that groups of women are studying Winning Him Without Words this fall. Awesome.  Three Keys Ministries, the parent 501(c)3 Corporation of SUM ministries has been blessed with some substantial donations. We have provided books for women's prisons and I have mailed free books out all over the place for those who can't afford to buy one. The prayer book, Winning Them With Prayer, has had profound impact on the faith lives of many. The feedback on that book continues to blow my mind. Dude! These prayers really work! Try 'em out!

I am filled up to overflowing with words of encouragement and feel as though God is transitioning me into a position of a Mother in the Kingdom. (A young mom of course *grin*). So many people haven't been mothered or fathered well. So, I will continue to pray with many of you over the phone to help you find freedom and walk closer with God. (Prayer Ministry) And I pray the Lord will lead me into this new transition with powerful revelation of how to lead our family here and how to love all of you well. Please know this. I truly love you. I care deeply about your heart, your marriage, your kids and your faith. I will always pray for you.

Many of you have mentioned over time that you would like to know how I developed my intimate relationship with God. I'm currently starting a series on my lynndonovan.org blog where I share the practices, thoughts and prayers that have led me into a powerful and transformative faith life. Join me there.

If you live in Southern California, I will be speaking at an event and teaching about transitions and how to walk through them well. I believe God has me smack in the middle of this classroom right now and I'm learning a ton. If you are in the area, this is a free event, for more information and to register visit: Glorious Bride

This fall I expect some major things to start shaking in the spiritual realm. And we need not be ignorant of shaking nor be afraid. So, I will likely be posting on transitions as well as other topics in the months ahead. I will also be writing on topics that were mentioned on the community survey I took a few months back.

So, SUMites, where do you fit into all this? Can you pray that God would grow our outreach. I run into so many who said, "I wish I had known you were out there." Let people know we have this amazing place here to gather and love on one another. Tell your pastor. Give him/her a book. Pass your old books to others. If a post brings healing and hope to you, forward it to someone. 

Today I leave you with a word that God spoke to me a few days ago about all this transition. I pray it fills your heart. 

Something is about to break. A paradigm, a transition, change. Looming, thick awareness.
The pressure is building, seismic. The tension is tangible.
The strife you are feeling and warring with are the birth pangs of something born of heaven. A change, a repositioning of significance.
Breathe through the transition. 
Fix your gaze wholly on Me. In the pain and confusion that swirls about you, let My years of faithfulness be your strength and truth. 
The moment of revelation draws nigh. And the labour in prayer hastens the end. You are in the midst of the transition and the struggle is great. Your efforts intensify, anxiety is prone. 
Grip My hand as you push forward. FEAR NOT! For great is your reward. 
You will see the goodness of the Lord in this hour. Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord!

SUMites! Rise and walk into your destiny. You are sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty!!! 

Love you, Lynn

Next post: Tuesday following the Labor Day weekend.

Chronicles of the Donovan Clan.

My friends, it’s been a long while since I’ve simply sat down and shared with your what is happening in the Donovan life. Well, today, as you read this, I’m sitting in an audience and watching my daughter, Caitie, walk across the stage to receive her degree from BIOLA University (Bible Institute of Los Angeles). She graduates summa cum laude and also with high commendations from Torrey Honors Institute.

It’s interesting to reflect as I consider the fear in my heart all those years ago when she started kindergarten. Would she grow up to know Jesus? Will her dad’s unbelief impact her for eternity? I wrangled with a hundred terrifying questions. I shared about so much of my parenting journey in our book, Not Alone. And I wrote that while she was still in high school. But here we are. She graduates from a Christian college.

I will share with you that my daughter has a solid faith. She also walks in some kind of gifting from God in prayer. She PRAYS. I will tell you at that age, I didn’t pray. I partied!! I’m so glad she is not a chip off the old block.

I will also share that her faith doesn’t look like mine. She has spent four years of study and has read most of the classics and her views can and do differ on faith from mine. Her spirit is different than mine. I’m a warrior. She’s a servant at the core. It’s beautiful and I truly learn so much from her. She challenges my ideas and my preconceived opinions about Jesus, faith and the church. It’s frustrating at times and I need it as well.

She is a wonderful and beautiful young woman now.

So, if you are parenting a child right now, remain steadfast in your faith. Your faith and your prayers are, at times, the ONLY THING that keeps the devil from them. As a mother, I cannot shout this message enough. Your faith and prayers are more powerful than you know. Just read 2 Timothy chapter one about Timothy’s mother and grandmother.

Caitie is off to Purdue in the fall for graduate work with a full scholarship. Thank you Jesus! She continues to grow and live and love Jesus. I can’t wait to read the fantastic books she will write one day.

Now about my husband, Mike. I think in some way, he’s a closet believer. Can that be a thing? I’m convinced he thinks Jesus is real. He just struggles with “religion.” Does that make sense? He is a kind man and quite gray now. He is my rock in this life, next to Jesus. I love him deeply.

I will tell you this, the Donovan Clan House is known in heaven. Our home is love. Our home and family isn’t perfect but we are moving that way only by the grace of God. We are protected and we are guided. Our Clan is blessed.

So from one ordinary woman to all of you, Be Blessed and know that you are loved by our Savior and by me. Have a wonderful weekend with your family. Hope to post photos of the graduation on my FB page. Find me there.

I love you so much. Lynn

-Chronicles of the Donovan Clan

Okay, ya… There’s more. 

I’m not sure what classroom I’m currently enrolled within the Kingdom. But I think the sub-title is humility, mixed with a large study of personal revelation, confession and healing. This is a good and can also be extraordinarily challenging learning season for a believer. However, when the instructor is the Holy Spirit and the personal coach is my Jesus and the school is owned by my Papa, I’m going to graduate, Summa cum laude. 

My friends, I am willing to bet there are several of you who are also in this classroom with me, or about to be enrolled or perhaps a few graduates. But, this is what the Lord is teaching me which coincidentally, dovetails with my post about bitterness on Monday.

Recently I was listening to a podcast as the pastor described the three main things he considers to be the greatest hindrances in a Christian’s faith life. These three things are “blocks” to spiritual boldness, to growth, and to walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. These hindrances are significant and binding. They restrict us from the breakthroughs we are seeking and prohibit our journey to step into further areas of faith and experiences with the Lord. They are wicked and highly EFFECTIVE weapons deployed by the demonic realm.

Resentment, disappointment, and fear of man.

Oh Boy. Yep, we are stepping into some stuff here!

So for the next few posts I want to look at these and share what God is teaching me.

I clearly remember the first time I listened to this particular podcast as the pastor mentioned these three enemies of our faith. I was seated on the couch in the family room. It set in motion an inquiry to discern if I am held back because by the "deadly three." I turned off the podcast in mid-stream to Google the exact meaning of resentment. At the time I thought I knew what resentment meant, yet when my Phone reflected this:

I was hit with each word: bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly.

Why is it the Lord is leading me to the word bitter?

Let me interject here. I honestly have prayed through a very long season, to be free from bitterness. I’ve asked forgiveness and have been intentional to give the Lord any bitterness over various life events, situations, people and circumstances. Ya, this process can take a long time. Anyone???

I looked at this definition and thought to myself, yep. Check. I’ve done this. I’m over bitterness. Then I don’t know how I decided to look up the definition of indignation. But this is what the IPhone said:

When this definition popped up on the phone I knew I was -toast. The word anger hit me. But at the time, I thought to myself. Yep, I’ve done that too. I’ve repented of anger. However, the Holy Spirit prompted me a bit more. I sensed the Spirit saying to me, Lynn, is their still anger harbored in your heart over what you have perceived as unfair?

Gulp!

Toast!

I tell you T-O-A-S-T!!  Double exclamation point.

I realized I’m still struggling with some amount of anger. So there are two parts to the anger issue. I want to talk about my anger in the past and how I deal with today. Let’s start with the past.

And if you don’t struggle in this area of your life or marriage over anger, would you please pray for me and all of us who do. Thank you.

I want to be vulnerable again here because I believe many who read this will absolutely be delivered from anger. I need to describe the anger I was battling and the process that freed me.

I am NOT an angry person by nature. In fact, I’m one of the happiest, positive, hopeful people I know (not bragging. I just really am because of Jesus) I deal well with challenges and I handle anger about the world and unfairness through the love of God and through the truth of the Word. However, once in a great while a burst of anger would roar out of me that would fry anyone in its path. It was rare when these outbursts would happen but on occasion this strange, angry person emerged and devastation was left in her wake.

I came to the full realization that although I have repented of anger and am mostly a happy person all the time, I had an anger problem once in a while. This revelation crystallized in a singular and utterly disastrous moment.

Some of you remember my son and wife lived with us for a while in 2014. Well to make a long story short, a disagreement went down between us and I was wronged. I cried about this. I went in my room and paced. I prayed. I mourned. I was devastated, hurt and felt betrayed. And I spent most of the day in my room. And I will tell you that it wasn’t Jesus who was in the room with me. It was the enemy of my soul. And after hours of licking my unfair wounds and letting the demonic have a foot hold in my thoughts and emotions, I emerged and proceeded to give a sound tongue lashing to both of them.

This singular outburst of anger nearly cost my son his marriage. Okay, not entirely but my anger didn’t help their marriage.

Okay, there I said it. Again. Sheesh.

I reacted so filled with anger that not only were my feelings hurt but so were theirs. It took months, they separated and finally by the grace of God, they reunited. My anger wasn’t all that contributed to this mess but it sure was the catalyst to a summer of turmoil. By the grace of God and through hours and hours of prayer, they reunited and today they are really doing great. I have a new grand baby and we are all at peace with one another. Amazing. Thank you Jesus!

BUT…. This is what I learned from that experience.....

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Okay, this post is already long. So on Monday, I'm going to share a POWERFUL PRAYER TO DEFEAT ANGER IN YOU AND/OR YOUR SPOUSE. I love you so much. These posts are part of our healing and deliverance -For such a time as this. 

I pray you are blessed with joy today and anger is defeated. I pray you are blessed with peace and confusion is silenced. I pray you are filled with righteousness and the devil is defeated in every way today in your life. In Jesus name. AMEN

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. -Ephesians 4:30-32

I'm a work in progress. You? Love you, Lynn

So, I kinda feel like today is my confession.

This post is likely to be raw and vulnerable but someone needs this word. Or perhaps it’s only me?

Many times when I’m speaking people will ask me if I discern what God is doing in my husband’s faith life. I reply that unfortunately or perchance fortunately, God rarely gives me insight into my husband’s heart journey.

However, I pray for him every day, covering many aspects of his life, career, health, salvation, protection, etc. etc. I believe the Lord has instructed me through His Word to pray unceasingly for Him and to cover him with the promise of 1 Corinthians 7:14, which holds great power and authority as a believer married to an unsaved spouse.

However, on Easter Sunday morning, God opened up a big ole pile of revelation to me.

So weird.

Why on Sunday morning and especially why on Easter.

A rare event to be sure both the revelation and the fact that my husband attended church with myself and our daughter, Caitie. This is our selfie before church began.

There are so many things I love about this photo. But the light shining directly on our heads is crazy and filled with brilliance. It’s actually dark in our rather large church auditorium.

Once again…. Weird. But wildly cool. Could this photo be reflecting the glory of God’s children? I don’t know but these are things I love to think about.

Anyhoo, moving along.

It was nearly the end of the service, the worship team took the stage and in an unusual event our pastor invited anyone to come forward who wanted to be touched by God. And many went forward. I stood, as the awesomeness of the music compelled me to worship. A minute later, my daughter stood.

My husband did not.

He remained seated…….

AND THAT’S WHEN IT HAPPENED.

I began to sense the Holy Spirit speaking to me about Mike. And Yikes, it was revelatory and profound and difficult.

It took me a few weeks to process what God revealed in that moment. I have wrestled with the information and I have grieved. And I have apologized.

A week or so ago, I was on the loveseat and my husband on the couch. I looked over at him and started our conversation, “I need to tell you something.” Most men panic when they hear this.

“Don’t panic. I just need to say something and can you just hear me out?”

Hesitantly, “O, -kay.”

“I recently realized that I have caused you to become bitter toward God. I didn’t mean to do it and I’m grieved that this has happened.” I watch his face; he’s listening but guarded.

“I’ve come to realize that it could be due to the ministry in which I’m leading or perhaps because of my need for healing and turning fully to Jesus in our early years of marriage, I made God the problem in between the two of us. In our early years, like most marriages, we had struggles. Unfortunately, we didn’t seek marriage counseling and in my frustration and pain, I turned to God.”

“Jesus healed me from so much and I in error believed that if only you would come to Christ, everything in our marriage would magically be made better. Sheesh! What an idiot.” I rushed on as I didn’t want to lose my courage to own and act on this revelation.

“Our problems were rarely about faith. And somehow, I may have made God the only answer. I was naive or immature, likely both. But on Easter Sunday the Lord revealed all of this to me and I’m greatly grieved over it. I ask your forgiveness. But more importantly, I ask that you would see my part in this, came out of immaturity and please, please don’t be bitter at God.”

“God loves you so much, Mike. And in spite of having a block-headed wife, please, please don’t look at God with eyes of bitterness.”

Gulp!

Okay, there it is.

I’m still processing and praying through this revelation, our conversation and the implications. Geeze. I even had to call my daughter and share and apologize. She said, “Mom, this isn’t news to me. I’ve actually talked about this very thing with a few friends.”

Good Lord, Almighty!

Why am I sharing this with you today? I want other SUMites who are on this long journey to receive a word of caution through my story. I don’t want you to become a bitter root in your spouse’s faith journey.

So, the great thing about this apology was the ensuing conversation between Mike and myself. It’s was honest, clarifying and it was hopeful. We talked about his thoughts about God and he was very honest with me. He remains undecided about it all. And my confession broke the bitterness that may have held power in our marriage and in his faith journey.

Okay, I hope all this isn’t too much. Sometimes I feel as though I must be brutally honest about my struggles as well as my victories. And in the telling of this story, healing happened and perhaps healing will happen in another marriage.

Jesus, I pray with all that I have within me, in faith, this is true. In Your name, Jesus. AMEN

It’s today, March 14, 2016. Twenty-four years of married life. As I pondered my husband and our marriage this week, the Holy Spirit revealed something utterly unexpected and peculiar…. a letter. A letter to my husband as I see him in the future.

When I See You In Heaven

Mike, when I see you in heaven, will there be tears in my eyes?

Will I glimpse your face across the expanse of the Great Assembly of worshipers? Will I run to you? Will you run to me? When I see you in heaven, I believe we will both run, full-out, with every bit of intention and intensity, to reach one another.  

When I see you in heaven, will you have tears in your eyes? Will you wrap your arms around me in a fierce embrace? Will you pull away and place your hands on both sides of my face as you draw my eyes unto yours?

When I see you in heaven, will you whisper into my eyes through gulps of love and emotion, a breathless thank you.

At that moment will your heart expand as you fully grasp the impact of the years I prayed for this very moment? Will you utter deep groanings of intense joy knowing that I tarried for you in earnest prayer year after year?

When I see you in heaven, will you look upon my face and gently brush away the drops of joyful tears falling on my cheeks.

When I see you in that moment, I will place my finger over your lips to hush your words of thanks. I will tell you, “It’s our Father’s love that saved us. It’s our Father’s love that walked with me through our many years of married life. It’s our Father’s love that held me in the lonely moments and it’s our Father’s love that stood with you when you felt alone and weary of our quarrels.”

When I see you in heaven, I will join my hand in yours as we turn toward the throne. In that moment, our Father will look down upon us both with profound joy and love upon His face. In that singular moment, a life-time of battling the enemy will be revealed. The days and nights I called out to Jesus to protect you, to keep you from the lies of the enemy and to save you from his evil intentions, they all will flash before you. In that moment we will comprehend God’s purpose which placed me at your side as your life-long partner on earth. Under His full understanding we will comprehend that this tiny, 5 foot 2 blonde, girl was a commanding intercessor for your health and prosperity. In that instant you will bear witness to the relentless combat I engaged for our children.

When I see you in heaven, we will share in the greatest joy- your full salvation. Every harsh word ever spoken will be erased instantly, lost in the glory of our King. We will look upon one another’s face and realize that every hurt and disappointment is forever forgotten and forgiven. Our brokenness is instantly covered by the crimson blood of Jesus our King.

When I see you in heaven, I will lead you by the hand to the steps of the throne. With utter sobs I will look up into the face of my heavenly Father and tell Him, “THANK YOU. You gave me this man and I did not fail my assignment. I walked out many years of hope deferred and I did not stop for one moment and give in, give up or lose hope.”

“Father, I couldn’t have done any of it without your love, grace, mercy, kindness and wisdom and power. I’m utterly undone, Father, the faithful love You poured into my life over and over and over is evidenced today, as I see Mike in heaven.”

When I see you in heaven, I will turn toward the vast expanse of the saints and I will honor, celebrate and declare for all eternity the fathomless love of our Father before them as I grasp your hand. And Mike, when I see you in heaven standing there beside me, you will do the same.

When I see you in heaven, Mike Donovan, my heart will be full and we will have all of eternity to discover, recover and uncover things that were left undone or unfinished on earth. I’m so excited to take your hand and step into our eternal life in Jesus Christ, when I see you in heaven.

Happy Anniversary,

I love you, Lynn

My friends, can I just tell you how GLAD I am to be back at my desk and typing. I’m thrilled. After traveling in January, I came down with some serious illnesses and one in particular could have been devastating. I will share more about that as we move through the story I’m about to tell.

Already in this Jubilee Year, I’ve been utterly privileged to watch Jesus restore, heal and save. And today I’m compelled to ascribe Great Glory to our Jesus because of His endless and fathomless love, mercy and kindness. I have a testimony to share that is partly mine but mostly it’s a magnificent story belonging to my mother.

This story is a telling of a love dance between an old woman of 76 years of age and our timeless Lord Jesus. I pray I bring him honor through these words.

I’ve watched as a close up participant, and also from a distance. I have perceived and viewed from many angles, a life-long love dance between my mom and Jesus. But it’s only been in the last few months that I’ve born witness to the truly profound and supernatural moves of God in my mother’s life.

Let’s set the stage.

My mother, Sharron Sue Parks, was born in a small-town, a farming community in southern Colorado. Her childhood was wonderful and she was adored by my grandparents. My mother told me years ago that the Lord called out to her to draw her unto his love and a life of faith. On Sunday mornings as a child of eight or nine she would set out to walk to Sunday school alone. Sometimes her Aunt would take her to church because her parents didn’t attend (another story for another time). But she was drawn to Jesus and many a Sunday morning walked, by herself, to church. She grew up in the First Christian church in her small town and married by father there in 1959.

The newlywed couple moved to Denver and I was born a year later. Married life was challenging from the beginning but she pressed into living for her family and marriage. Three kids later and a few moves of the family found us in Las Vegas. I was a teenager and my siblings and I were shuffled into new schools, a new culture and a new life, once again.

May things occurred over the years. My father left my mom after 25 years. Following a long and protracted divorce proceeding, she found herself alone. The night the divorce was finalize, she cried herself to sleep. When she woke the next morning, she vowed to herself that crying didn’t solve anything and that she would never cry again.

She never did. Years and years passed. Not a single tear.

My mother’s tender heart was crushed further when my brother passed away at a young age of 41, following a long illness where he battled with cancer. Her pain and emotional beating was barely survivable. But she never stopped praying. Even on the day of my brother’s passing when three demons appeared before her and said hissingly, “We’ve got him now. He belongs to us.” My mother in her darkest moment said the only truth she knew and held in her heart, “I believe in Jesus.” And the demons immediately left. (BTW, demons lie. My brother was a believer.)

Her pain increased in other life circumstances but somehow through all the pain, she still remained loved and in love with her Jesus. The same kind Savior who once walked with her to Sunday school when she was a small girl. He adored her then and never left her even in the darkest of years that passed. Even when her questions and doubts overwhelmed her faith.

Sue eventually retired from her management and nursing position in a large Oncology center. She moved back to her home state of Colorado. It was during this time she faced a life-threatening surgical complication. She virtually faced death’s door. I remember praying and praying for her life. And I clearly heard the Lord give me this passage of scripture for her:

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was near death. Isaiah the man of God, the son of Amoz, came to him and said, “The Lord says, ‘Make those of your house ready, for you will die and not live.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “O Lord, I ask you from my heart to remember now how I have walked with You in truth and with a whole heart. I have done what is good in Your eyes.” And Hezekiah cried with a bitter cry. 4 Then the Word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘The Lord, the God of your father David, says, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. See, I will add fifteen years to your life. — Isaiah: 38 1-6 NLV 

I knew the Lord intended to extend her life. God had heard the years of prayers uttered by my mother to one day be reunited with her granddaughter, her son’s only living child. She had not seen her for years following my brother’s death because there was great pain on both sides of this family when he died. Yet, in my prayer time, I KNEW, THAT I KNEW, THAT I KNEW, IN MY KNOWER, God would reunite them and all would be forgiven.

My mother didn’t have the faith for this but I did and I stood in the gap with faith for her reunion and knew God had granted her extended years to answer this old woman’s heart’s desire.

And indeed, a second and successful surgery saved her life. AMEN!

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Okay, this is the end of part one of the story.. But it's also the beginning of even more amazing testimony. Stop back on Monday as I share what happened next. I love you my SUMite family. This testimony bears witness to the love of Jesus and becomes a powerful in our own lives. My mom is 76 years of age but Jesus is moving with great power in her life right now.

Jesus never stops redeeming, healing and restoring our lives no matter how many years it takes.
Never, ever. AMEN!

See you Monday. Hugs, Lynn

Dineen,      (please leave a birthday note for Dineen in the comments)

Today you turn the BIG 5- oh! I'm here to celebrate your life and to thank you for the many years of ministry we have walked together. So much has happened to us and between us in this journey of life with our Savior. Every memory is a treasure and your life is a rich blessing to me AND to so many others.

I don't think there is anyone else on earth who knows me as well as you and you love me in spite of that fact. You are kind, giving, lavish in your love and full of God's grace. Your heart often leads me to better understanding, as a child of God.

We have laughed together. Cried our eyes out. Traveled all over the country together. Prayed for hours and hours together. We giggle and we mourn. We love and we love some more. You are indeed, the Biblical example of a Sister in Christ.

I will never be able with mere words to convey my love and respect I feel for you. And I literally get on my face to thank our Jesus for bringing us together nearly 10 years ago. 

I pray that our Jesus blesses you today with every desire of your heart. Please know that I love you beyond words of description and I look forward to spending centuries with you as we worship together in the Great Assembly.

Happy Birthday my friend. I love you with a full heart. Lynn

PS. Have you received your AARP card yet? Just kiddin around!

Here are some photos from the years together. I pray you are blessed with the memories. Hugs.

I love you my friend.

SUMites, please wish Dineen happy birthday in the comments!!! Hugs, Lynn

This is an unlikely story.

This is a story of a God who loves one ordinary woman with such capacity and faithfulness that He would move His hand in astounding circumstances to touch her life and respond to the cry of her heart.

This is my story.

An ordinary blonde, sometimes whacky and somehow hopeful, found herself sitting in church holding her open Bible upon her lap. Her heart cry, “Lord, I believe your Word. Where are the miracles that I have read about all of my life?”

He heard me.

And a journey was set into motion.

God sent me to find the answer to my question in Grand Junction, Colorado. Yep, weird I know.

I was visiting my mother who moved there several years prior. In fact, my entire family was there that week in July of 2012. Sunday morning we had plans to travel to a Hot Springs resort and spend a few days swimming and lounging by the large pools. That morning dawned and in a very spontaneous moment I said to my mom, “Mom, let’s go to your church before we get on the road.” Everyone was still sleeping and it was evident we weren’t going to get out of town early.

Mom and I arrived at church. The worship rocked and then the pastor introduced a guest speaker, June Felhouer. June soon began to share stories of modern day miracles the kind I have read about all of my life. I was undone. I sat utterly stunned at the stories of broken legs mended, cancer healed, ears opened and more. I introduced myself to June after service and chatted briefly.

We continued on our vacation however, my heart, spirit and mind was now intrigued. Is it true that REAL miracles are happening at a church in America? An unlikely church, Bethel of Redding, CA. Arriving home I began to ask my friends who work in the Christian industry about this place of miracles. My editor said to me, “Lynn, if you ever get a chance to visit Bethel, you should do it.”

So without hesitation, I called my partner in all my God adventures, Dineen and said, “We should visit this place and see what it’s all about.” Now even more amazing, Dineen agrees. We were nuts but I was so hungry for more of God that I would have traveled far and wide.

Dineen, Heidi and Lynn, 2012

Not knowing anything about anything, I booked us for the next available conference, Open Heavens. Little did I know that conference would forever alter the lives of two ordinary women. Dineen and I were forever changed by our experience with God at that conference.

I’ve written many of my stories of encounters with God and Jesus in that environment. Here is a link to my story of the vision I had of Jesus. The Vastness of Our God. 

Today I’m home from my fourth visit to Open Heavens. And as I look back at the extraordinary circumstances that God went through to respond to my hunger, I’m undone. And this moment of humble thanksgiving was magnified when at the beginning of the conference the Holy Spirit whispered to me something very sweet.

Looking at this photo that we had just snapped of my group of friends, the Lord whispered, “This is your legacy, Lynn. These are the children that have come to find more of me because of you.”

You see, the next year in 2013, Dineen and I attended again. We invited Sue Louch (tall blonde in back) who was also desperate for God. She had battled cancer, shingles and fear for years. She was so desperate for God’s touch, she took this crazy journey with us. And she was fully healed! Praise Jesus.

From there Sue began inviting people. I invited more. We made friends in previous years in the line waiting to get into the building. (Some of the best things happen in line.)

Next year for the 2016 Open Heavens Conference, we are praying there are at least 40 of us gathering together to seek the face and voice of God. Forty more of our family who will receive healing from fear, anxiety. Forty in 2016 that will be healed physically and emotionally.

The legacy grows and I weep in humble praise. It’s all about our Jesus.

But as I type, I’m overwhelmed with love that my Savior would go to such great lengths to send me to Grand Junction to take me to Northern California and to bring the healing and anointing I received to this group of people.

But not only these in the photo. He graced me with so much of His love that I have poured it out here and upon hundreds of SUMites. I pray that because you have cried out for more of God, you have received a touch of love and encouragement from me and from Dineen. Two crazy women who took a chance on a outrageous journey to discover that modern day miracles are real and available for every one of us as children of God.

In the three days of the conference this year, I watched God heal hearts. I prayed for many of those. I watched as little girls danced and their eyes were healed. I saw people’s lives restored from the years of the devil’s oppression.

Lynn, Paula, Barbara, Ruthie, while we were in line

I listened as the Lord spoke through the guest speaker to people in the audience. He called out my friend, Barbara. I met Barbara and her sister, Paula on Friday morning. God woke me at ten-til-five, that would be am. He said to me, “You can sleep when you get home. GET UP!” I crawled from bed, slurped coffee, dressed and headed over to the church to wait in line before dawn. Barbara, Paula and Ruthie stepped in line behind me and it was a divine moment in time those three hours together. Later in the evening before the entire church God spoke to Barbara about her life and encouraged her. It has changed her and her sister’s lives forever. Oh, thank you God that you woke me. I would have missed

Ruthie in line with me at O' dark thirty!

that beautiful time with my forever sisters.

Profound and life-changing encounters happened to the people but many, many happened to those whom I knew personally.  

I will share one of those amazing stories on Friday.

Today, I want you to let me pray for your journey. Leave your prayer request in the comments.

My dear, sweet brother or sister in Christ. You are valuable. You are adored. The Lord DOES see you. He is standing before you right now with arms open, urging, pleading,

“Come to me and allow me to heal you. Allow me to set you free from the doubts, the lies of the devil and to show you a love that is unfathomable. Let me touch your face with gentleness and relieve your worry and pain. Let me speak words of kindness into your circumstances. Let me dance with you in the kitchen and kiss your children at night with you. Let me carry you when you are weak. Let me sing over you with gladness and bless you with every gift from on High. Let me love you well, my child.”

“My arms are wide open. I’m calling you to a crazy journey. The Grand Adventure of a lifetime that will heal, bless and change everything. Step into my arms of love and allow me to hold you like a protected and loved child. I adore you and will never forsake you.” 

SUMite, Jim Edwards and me

Me and Sue Louch

Do you want to join us on this fantastic and life-changing journey? It's a journey of HOPE. It's worth every sacrifice, every penny you spend, the time away from your family and job. I PROMISE that you will find it the best thing you ever did this side of heaven. Let me know and I will email you next July when registration begins. Hugs, Lynn

Sumites:

Roommate and Caitie

Saturday my husband and I drove my daughter to college. She is a Junior this fall at BIOLA and has moved into an apartment off campus with her roommate. It’s the next step in her life toward independence and adulthood.

Wow.

It’s a profound truth, as things change, they stay the same. Although this is a season of great change in my daughter's life, I’m compelled to pray similar prayers to those that I prayed during the years she lived at home.

As I prepared to leave her in her new home, I embraced her on Saturday and pulled her head to my shoulder. I prayed protection over her. I blessed her in Jesus name and prayed for her mind, her heart and her spirit. I also blessed her roommate. They probably think I’m just a bit wacky as I also walked about the apartment and prayed the blood of Jesus over it and for angels to come and stand in watch. I don’t know if they saw me doing this but this mama leaves nothing to chance. *grin*

As I think of chapter eight, Triumphant Kids, in Not Alone, I’m moved mostly by the prayer in the middle of the chapter. It was a prayer I prayed fiercely as my daughter dealt with a bully in high school. I’ve adapted it to my daughter’s current season. So, today moms and dads, please pray this over your children and let this school year be the best ever for your sons and daughters:

Lord, my holy God, This very moment I’m asking for Your presence to surround Caitie. Lord, go with her into the halls of her college and in her apartment. Father, in the name of Jesus I take authority from the enemy who is speaking lies into my daughter’s heart and mind. I renounce any lies that my daughter believes, such as she is insignificant. I bind the enemy who has told her that she is ugly, stupid or a fool. O Holy Spirit, rush to my daughter and remove thoughts of insecurity or fear from her heart, mind and soul. Powerful Lord, my Father, Abba, now I hold up my daughter, Caitie, and in place of the lies, I ask You to affirm her.

Place Your truth in her. Let others say things about her and to her that are truthful and uplifting. When others hear her name, change their thoughts toward her to be good and not evil. When her name is spoken, prompt her friends and professors to affirm her and to build up her character. Lord, speak through her friends to break the lies and to pour Your truth into my girl. Father, speak gently into my girl, and remind her that she is beautiful. She is a daughter of the King. She is confident in her identity. She is a believer in truth and justice. Affirm her worth, and let her see herself as You view her. Affirm, protect, love on her with passion, and reveal Yourself to her daily. I pray this in the name of Jesus and by His authority and power. Amen.

I will join you in prayer for your children. Leave their names and we will stand unified under the Banner of Love for their identity and life in Christ.

I love you moms and dads. You are amazing and you are parenting better than you believe. God is standing right next to you. Now let’s help our children SOAR!!! Have a great week. I’ll see you in the comments. Hugs, Lynn  

PS. Winning Him Without Words is also on sale for $2.99 (e-book) this week and Not Alone remains $1.99

Find me today at lynndonovan.org as I share the Power of Ephesians and my personal testimony.  Leave your kids names before you leave. Hugs.

I began this series on disappointment from a place of victory. Last week I have shared my defeat, struggle in captivity of the enemy and my escape. I have told you that we face a very real enemy who is continually looked for ways to derail our faith and life in God. The enemy will work relentlessly in one area, which has proven to be quite successful. The demonic realm will try to drown you. Not in water but in problems. And if he can’t get to you directly, he will overwhelm your family.

I'm mad!!

My disappointment and oppression ended while I was visiting my mother in Colorado. Finally, the day prior to my departure, the Lord began to talk to me again. I felt the oppression lift. The Dove came home. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!!!!

I prayed with people that day with power and God showed up. But wouldn’t you know it, that day my daughter called from Cambridge bawling her eyes out about something. I was stunned. She should be having the time of her life. I spent an hour encouraging her, praying assuring her through FaceTime. Later that evening, I’m praying again with others, my son texted me with bad news and my husband told me an hour later that he had one of the worst days ever, at the office.

I kid you not.

If the enemy can’t get to you, he will come at you through your vulnerable family. I became furious. I began to pray with power and vowed that every day for the rest of my life that I would pray with power and protection around my family. I told the devil he can’t have me or my family. I walked around the vineyards, my house, on the phone with Dineen, with my prayer partners. My family is no longer open to attack because by God’s Word they are covered and sanctified through me. (1 Corinthians 7:14

I’ve been praying every day and will for the rest of my life for their protection, favor and covering. I saturated my prayers with passages of truth and promises of God’s Word. The devil must bow to the power of God’s Word and Jesus. So quote The Word of God to him my SUMites. And then I let Jesus loose on his head!!!!

My friends, I’m convinced God is raising up a great company of woman. We have been prepared for such a time as this as we enter in to the “End Times.” Our men are stressed, deceived, over-worked and broken. They NEED us gals. And at just the right time, Jesus will raise us up. The men will welcome us and we are going to do battle with powers of darkness. But we, who have been fighting in the trenches for decades, will be ready. We are already powerful. Full of faith. We swing a sword of such great power that the demonic realm trembles. When we arise, this great company of women, we will startle the world with our determination, our wisdom, love, kindness and our convictions. Our convictions and the love of Jesus in our hearts will conquer nations, restore homes, heal the people and bring the greatest glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.

So BATTLE ON WARRIORS!! We are in the trenches now. Jesus is teaching us as fast as He can so that we will walk in victory in our lives. And soon, very soon, we will bring victory to our communities, towns, our cities, to our friends and neighbors. Literally, we will be looked to for wisdom, healing …..  hope… And we, this great company of women, will point people to: The One.

The Holy King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus…. Our God, The Great I AM and the Holy Spirit. The powerful and loving Triune God. AMEN.

Let these words come forth and set us in motion Jesus. All for your Kingdom! In Jesus name. Amen.

Many interesting perspectives, truths and revelations have come out of this season. I realized I truly have a powerful faith. I REALLY, really believe the Bible. I also sense that the Lord is giving me a new dream:

How about a retreat or a camp where we all meet and learn to walk in the gifts together? A place where we meet and allow the Lord to have all of us. A weekend together where we let God have His way and He raises up “A Great Company of Women.” Can you imagine what will happen in our world after a weekend such as this? It’s in the planning stages. Let’s pray about it because it will take a community to make it happen.

I love you so much. Get ready, the Kingdom is advancing. And always remember this: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 ~Lynn

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Hello SUMites;

My friends, where do I begin? I have experienced tremendous defeat and disappointment in the last 30 days as well as amazing breakthroughs coupled with providential appointments, miracles and more.

The spiritual warfare has been relentless.

My friends, now I’m mad. I want to punch satan in the face and I promise you this, my mission for the rest of my life is to hurt the devil and destroy the demons.

But before I bring you to this place of war, what I found is that God needed to teach me about surrender. And man, can I just say, bummer! It’s hard.

Most of you know that I’ve been working on a new manuscript for over a year. My ability to write came under intense warfare last year through my son’s arrival in California. His family moving in, baby and all. His marital separation shortly after and what followed was six months of illness. Both myself and the baby. I kid you not, I was ill every two or three weeks, on the couch, in the doctor’s office, ill. I couldn’t pull myself out of bed let alone try to be creative and write. A entire year of warfare in one form or another was at hand.

But there are great answers to prayer even in the midst of spiritual warfare. My son’s wife returned to her marriage nine months later and the family is doing well. This was an outright miracle! Truly! Time marches on. I finally complete my book proposal and four chapters of the book.

Then on June 16, 2015 my manuscript was turned down for publishing. My title and content were now old and many new manuscripts with similar content and title were already in the process of coming to market.

I missed the window.

Disappointment doesn’t come near to describing the feelings that swirled within. I have learned to release offense and disappointment which I experience at the hands of people. But my friends, what do you do when you feel disappointed by God?

You see, I KNOW the Lord gave me the outline for this book. He spoke the title to me, clearly during my prayer time. I had several people, who don’t know me, speak prophetically over me about it. So, what do you do when you feel like God set you up for a great disappointment?

I truly struggled with trust for the first time in a long while. During the past year, I believed scripture promises and I spoke them over myself and my writing. I believe so fully that this book would come to market, that I had set a number of things in motion in support of the future book launch. I was that confident in my faith and in hearing the Lord.

Devastated, I wrestled with confusion. My prayer time faltered. I felt a terrible and great distance come between myself and God. I cried. A lot. I asked Dineen to pray for me. I tried to understand why God would tell me to do something then allow the warfare to ensue to keep me from completing the assignment.

Am I alone in this?

Anyone?

In this season that I experienced beginning mid-June through early July, faith was difficult and the core of my belief was challenged. But ………

Praise be to Jesus because He will not leave us in this place.

I have so much more to tell you, so stay tuned, as you have me all week. (Dineen is traveling this week) Get ready for some blondeness, some crazy antics, and get ready as we learn to deal with “our stuff.” Do you truly want to walk in freedom? Do you want to walk in powerful faith? Well stay tuned as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. There is something waiting at the end. And can I just tell you…. Everything is going to be okay.

Today, in my heart I’m moved to pray for you. Perhaps you are also dealing with faltering faith or great disappointment, let me pray for you. Tell me how to pray and the specifics in the comments. Because our God is not dead. He will bring beauty from ashes. We are on the road to learn all about His redemption of disappointment. We need to know how to walk fully in this kind of tried and true faith because it’s going to take every bit of our conviction to walk in the months ahead in this world that is growing increasingly darker and more evil.

I love you, SUMite Nation. You are more powerful than you know. You are braver than you think. God has not abandoned you. He will, in due time, explain all things. He loves you WAY TO MUCH to leave you where you are.

See you in the comments. Love you so much, Lynn And stay tuned because there is MUCH more to come. Hugs.

I’m going to interrupt our Bible Study today. I had prepared a post for today. It’s written and ready, however as the weekend progressed and while standing in line with my husband at Walmart, I sensed the Holy Spirit, strongly caution me to wait and pray and contemplate that particular post. (There must be more He wants to teach me.)

So, I’m going to pray about it. Stay tuned.

In place of that post, the Holy Spirit, urged me to relay a message to our community. To all of you in our amazing family on the web, our church without walls. This is the story.

This past week has been very difficult for me. And I can’t express nor explain all that transpired but I came under heavy persecution for my faith. And I guess it was to be expected as I wrote about persecution last week. I didn’t realize I would live it out in real-life, color. Sheesh!

I’ve cried a lot this past week. I’ve felt a heavy weariness -in doing good- which is difficult for me to understand. Most of the time, I’m one of the most hopeful people on the planet but this past week has challenged me numerously.

But God……

I literally cried out to God. I felt like this was what David felt and cried out when He was persecuted. But low and behold, out of the blue my hero showed up. In the form of my unbelieving husband.

Saturday morning Mike found me in my office, typical. He looks at me and says this:

“I thought we might do a few things in the yard, then have lunch and then we can go to church.” Yep, deer in headlights. He continues, “And since we are going to church on Saturday night, let’s get up and go to the early matinee of Jurassic World. Then we can go to a late breakfast. What do you think?”

I’m dumbfounded. I think my ears were ringing and I couldn’t hear anything else after he said, “We can go to church.”

SUMites, it’s late in the day Sunday afternoon and we did all of those things. Why am I sharing this with you? Because of HOPE. Just when I felt weary, God moves my husband’s heart to love on me.

God can work outlandish circumstances to love on His kids. So this message is for those who are weary. Those who can’t even comprehend a spouse saying to you, “Can we go to church.”

God can move anyone at any time.

Do I understand why my husband doesn’t surrender to Jesus? No. Do I understand why my years of praying for his salvation go unanswered? No. But my Papa, God loves me. He is with me even in the weariness, the doubt, the discouragement, the fear and He restores my hope.

Pray this with me:

I am a child of the Most High God. I am adored. I am cherished. God has planned my life and it is awesome. He has great adventures for me and every day I will seek to see His miracles, His beauty and His love.

I will never back down from my high and holy calling to live with courage, boldness and perseverance even under the great pressures of persecution. Even if the gates of hell are opened, I WILL STAND FIRM in His protection and love.

I will never relent in praying, seeking and loving others into His Kingdom. I will NOT be defeated. I will never let satan have my family and it is my life’s mission to free anyone and everyone I can from the chains of hell.

I am called, I am chosen. I have authority. I walk in the Holy Spirit power and anointing to defeat the minions and bring the love of Jesus to the broken, the sick, the lost and bereft. I am an ordinary woman but in the Kingdom, I stand 14 feet tall and wield a sword of such magnitude I terrify the darkness. I will swing that sword of truth to bring deliverance and healing through scripture and the love of King Jesus.

I am an ordinary wife, mom, believer but I will not bow down to fear, weariness or defeat. EVER!

In the Most Powerful Name – The Name above ALL NAMES, Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lord. AMEN

Thanks my family for allowing me to share even when I’m living in a vulnerable place. I adore you. Tell me how I may pray for you this week. Love, Lynn

SUMites,

It’s late in the day on Sunday, Mother’s Day. And it’s quiet now as my son and his family have left for home and my hubby of 23 years is having a Sunday afternoon snooze. I’ve waited years and cried many tears hoping for a day such as today. Mother’s Day was simple yet profound. My family attended church with me this morning and then lunch was at our house. Yep, Mike sat beside me in church again.

Yet as I’m alone in my hallway office, typing, my heart is stirring with some emotions and thoughts about you.

I know Mother’s Day can turn out to be a giant disappointment to many in our community. I want you to know right now, I’m praying for your disappointed heart, even broken heart. Often our family members don’t remember to send a card or phone. Often our husband doesn’t remember and we feel forgotten, taken advantage and hurt. We tend to have high expectations of this day that even a super human would be unable to meet. Yet, we want to be validated for the blood, sweat and tears of mothering. So, let me share some words I scribbled down about two weeks ago as I was thinking about mothering from God’s place of vision.

Two weeks ago my daughter, who will turn 20 years old next month was home from college. She was preparing an assignment for one of her classes in which she was to interview her father about his thoughts, his formative years, his beliefs and opinions. I wanted so badly to listen in but I refrained. I did hear one question from the other room however that struck a deep cord in my soul. She asked her dad, “Do you believe in God?”

I couldn’t hear his reply in the distant room. But as I sat there on the couch, 20 years of God’s faithfulness rush past my eyes. Here is my little girl, whom I prayed for like crazy, dragged to church, preached to, loved on, protected and begged Jesus to keep her heart in His hands, here is my little girl, all grown up… Now as a young woman, full of faith, brave enough to have a conversation with her Dad about faith.

It’s 20 years in the making but I’ve been blessed to see the validation of my years of mothering.

So, today, I will be the voice of hope for you today. I will tell you that the years of poop wiping, dragging kids to church, praying with them, crying with your kids, the years of soccer practice, play rehearsal, cramming for a Monday morning test, the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and on and on and on… All those efforts and thankless tasks, well mom. THEY ARE WORTH IT.

To watch this moment where my daughter, a believer in Jesus, interviews her dad about faith, this is what I poured 20 years of my life out to watch happen before my very eyes.

Faithfulness.

My friends, it’s not just God’s faithfulness but my faithfulness as a mother. We, the believing parent, absolutely impact our children’s faith decision. What we speak over them is powerful. What we model is the life they will live. What we pray matters.

So this Mother’s Day I want to share what I did as an ordinary mama beginning years ago. I prayed. I prayed for that child since before she was born. I pray for her now, by name, every day. I pray for her friends, her heart, her studies, her teachers, her mind, her faith, her concerns, triumphs and heartbreaks. I pray for her future spouse and I pray for her in-laws.

My dear SUMites, if we as parents aren’t praying for our children, who is?

We have the most profound opportunity to prepare our children for success in this world but even greater than that, we have the privilege to prepare them to live forever in the Kingdom of God.

Our prayers matter.

Our prayers are powerful.

God’s heart is moved by the prayers of a righteous mama.

Release your unmet expectations today and just know down deep, you are doing the right thing even if not one noticed today. God approves and is so very well pleased in you, Mom.

I love you. Lynn

I believe. I’ve decided that I believe the Bible. I believe the sun and moon stood still and there has never been a day like that before or since then. But I believe that if God tells me to command the sun, He will surely do it. And He will send the hailstones as well if that will serve His purposes.

What is mind-blowing about all this revelation in the past week about locks, lockers, keys and such is the GIANT breakthroughs in my life that came with it. Personal breakthroughs such as losing weight, a long area of defeat for me. Breakthrough in writing and other areas. I finally found a new church for which I had been praying for months. My husband attended church. I’ve prayed over him, literally saying, “I blast you with the Holy Spirit.” And this past week, in church, he raised his hand toward the platform as we prayed corporately over a family. Say What? Who is this man?

I tell you he is a man for whom I will never stop “loosing” the Kingdom over his life. I remain hopeful through the Resurrection power that one day SOON he will step into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. And I will never stop praying for that glorious day!

My friends, I’m convinced in the depths of my soul and so is Dineen that we are living in a unique period of time never seen before nor again. We as believers are positioned to be part of the greatest outpourings of His love and power on earth since the time of Christ.

If you are a reader here, you have been sent here by design. (AMEN!) I’m convinced that the Lord is holding out your key of invitation to step into this time of great preparation. Jump in with both feet. No, I say: Jump off the cliff and BELIEVE He will catch you. Take the keys from His hands and together we shall loose on earth His love and healing. We will bind lies, death, disease, marriage troubles, relationship difficulties, tears, cruelty, fear, depression, sickness and frailty as well as every other mission of the demonic realm. In Jesus name.

So let’s begin right now. Pray with me:

Lord Jesus,

Today this family on the web, who by design is strategically disbursed throughout the planet arises with Joshua courage to fight and DEFEAT the enemy. We are honored that you have trusted us with the keys of the Kingdom. Give us now your Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to use these keys to open gates that must be opened and to shut those that must be shut upon the demonic realm.

Lord, make us fearless.

Papa, God, make us strong as we stand in faith.

Papa, Almighty God, fill us with a fierce love that knocks down every wall and releases your kingdom here on earth.

Lord, we thrill to see the daily miracles which we will be apart. We expect You to speak to us so that we know your thoughts and wishes. We pledge you our time, our heart, our life, loyalty, worship and love. Forever and ever. We ask you to heal us quickly that we may then bring your healing to the world. And they will know we are Christians by our love.

We adore you. Thank you. And stand in faith… of a mustard seed. In Jesus name. Amen.

PRAY WITH POWER. Hugs, Lynn

Well my friends, I think it’s time finally, to give you an update on the Donovan Clan. 

If you have been a reader here for longer than a year, you will remember that my son and his family relocated from Las Vegas to California last January. They moved in with us and lived here for a little over a year. Well, except, if you remember my son and his wife separated in June. I was heartbroken and bereft over the pain in all of our lives. We all were. 

This was especially difficult as I am an advocate of marriage and to watch my son’s marriage crumble in my own home, well, it was beyond devastating. 

Time marches on. It was a difficult year. Elise was sick often. I was sick often. Now as I look back I see with clarity that the last six months of the year were steeped in spiritual warfare. I wanted to write so badly, as this book is about to explode out of me. Each time I thought I would sit down to write, bam, another illness put me on the couch for two weeks. And that would usually follow two weeks of care for a very a sick little baby. I was her primary caregiver last fall/winter as her father worked the night shift and slept during the day. That kind of care is all consuming. 

Sheesh! 

That is all I’m gonna say about that except that I’m SO glad it’s over. I’m writing now and so amazed at how Becoming Brave is coming along. Elise is well. I’m well. Jesus is awesome. 

With all this said, I want to share something for which I prayed, yet, somewhere didn’t think was likely to happen. Next week my son is heading to Las Vegas to move his wife back to California. 

A miracle indeed. 

Thank you Jesus. 

My friends, I’m so thrilled. My granddaughter turned two on Tuesday. She is so fun and cute that she wrecks my heart each time she says, “Nana, please.” I’m just wrecked. 

I know there are many reasons that this prayer was answered. I’m glad I decided to forgive and not hold on to offense. 

My son now lives five minutes away. They come for Sunday dinner. We celebrated Elise’s birthday and were all at the beach. Life is good. This is what I was intending all along when this great adventure began over a year ago. 

I realize that there are many remaining issues but I am a praying mama. It is likely that I won’t write much about them and their lives in the future. I feel as though the Lord wants to work in their hearts and I must remain slightly at a distance. Thank you for praying for all of us. 

But it’s my glorious honor to share the answers to prayer and glorify our King. He listens to His children and He is good Father. He is always good. I love you, Lynn