Hey SUM family, Tiffany Here! During the leader's meeting on the Friday morning before the conference I said I would share a spoken word piece during the offering time. I didn't have anything prepared at the time of volunteering. In fact I just heard the words come out of my mouth. You know those moments when you realize after the fact that you were pushed into things by the Holy Spirit? Maybe it's just me. It happens quite often. *grin* The rest of the day seemed to fast forward pretty quickly. Filled with fellowship, food and fun. I was exhausted after the meet and greet at Lynn's house - in a good way - and went to bed shortly after everyone left. Saturday morning I wake up and realize that I didn't take time to prepare a spoken word! Out of desperation I laid flat on my back with my... Read more →

Hi all - I am new to this community and wanted to ask if it was natural and normal to feel anxiety and a little bit of fear when feeling as if we live in the end times and our husbands are not saved? Read more →

I hesitated in writing this post. If you live unequally yoked, I think you will understand my perspective. If you aren’t, consider what I have to say. Several days ago, I received a phone call from a woman who lives in Wisconsin ( I live in California). She had heard about our book and took time to call me. She shared that she has lived with her unbelieving spouse now for 33 years. Wow, thirty-three years. She loves him and in the past, fought many spiritual battles and persevered with Christ. She went on to tell me that her strength to walk this road came from a scripture verse she heard as a young woman. Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s (woman’s) ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him (her). She told me that she believed this and this verse has proven... Read more →

Photo courtesy of Pexels.com Hello, dear friends. Ian from sunny Sydney here. It seems ages since I’ve written. I trust the New Year has started well for you and you’re excited for what 2019 holds for you and your family. Recently, I was reading something written by Will Graham, the grandson of the late Billy Graham, where he sought some counsel from his famous granddad on navigating the challenges of a ministry that required a lot of travel around the globe. He was expecting some advice on how to run meetings better or how better to emphasize a point but instead received this simple message, “Pray, pray, pray” and “study, study, study.” It made good sense as this was what Will had seen his granddad doing most times he visited, praying and studying. Abiding and Bearing Fruit “I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in... Read more →

.....looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. While Jesus carried His cross, THIS MOMENT was on His mind.... This moment in time when His bride gathers together in unity! Astounding! Read more →

A lasting power outage yesterday kept me from writing. So I'm sharing two videos that are worth a listen. Turn them on when doing the dishes or driving and I pray you feel the Presence of the Lord and the Spirit of Wisdom in the words. Hugs, Lynn Read more →

Hey there SUM family, Tiffany here! We are on the verge of a major breakthrough. I believe that this is both individual and corporate for our SUM community and our families. Already we have seen a few wondrous accounts of spouses getting baptized into the faith! Hallelujah! Strongholds are breaking in our lives as well as our spouses. We are seeing addictions begin to cease. Affections returning in marriages. What a great time to be alive! I wanted to share something that God is stirring in my heart. During the fast and even recently, I am hearing the phrase "new wine." I am barely scratching the surface of where Holy Spirit is trying to take me but I wanted to share my heart because I feel it is important. When breakthrough is upon us, there is always a push back from the forces of darkness. Freedom, identity, purpose, birthright. These... Read more →

Joseph & Jesus I’ve been reading the Christmas story in the Gospels the past two weeks. My time in the Word has been utterly revelatory. Father, God has been speaking to me in His kind voice and uncovering treasures of the Christmas story that I didn’t even know were there. Such was the post from Friday about Zechariah. After having my mind blow up over Zechariah, God led me to read through the first chapter of Matthew. That’s when my eyes were drawn over and over to this heading: Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son On the surface, nothing is noteworthy to most. However, for me. I was drawn over and over to the implications of this heading and then the passage that followed. And that’s because, in my Healing Prayer sessions, over and over again, I pray with believers to restore their voice. So much of human misery is... Read more →

From our archives, articles which remain relevant for the spiritually mismatched marriage. This post is part III in this series. Click on Part I and Part II to read the precursors to this article. This was originally posted on April 20, 2012. ***** Unequally Yoked and the Atheist Blogs A few months ago I was emailing back and forth to a friend of mine whose husband is a reader of atheist blogs. She was in such pain and in a quandary as to how to cope. Now I don’t pretend to have all the answers for each individual situation. I can only share what has worked in my life and marriage. Let me say that I love this young mom and wife. She is in the midst of fiery battles daily and is yet living for Jesus under tremendous persecution from her own spouse. And to add to the dynamics... Read more →

Every year I share a wonderful tradition that I began when my daughter was little, A Tablecloth of thanks. I’m reprinting the story today for all the new readers. It’s never too late to begin a tradition of faith. And this one is perfect for believers and our pre-believers as well. Have a blessed Thanksgiving. I am so very thankful for all of you. Hugs, Lynn ----- Tablecloth of Thanks Many of you know that I am married to an unbeliever. This past May we celebrated 15 years of marriage. Our unequally yoked marriage has had its challenges to say the least. Over the years, however, our ingenious God has maneuvered us through many touchy issues. Our disparity becomes more apparent during the holidays. Giving thanks to our Lord in November is a treasured time for me. I name my blessings one-by-one in prayer, thanking God for His lavish abundance... Read more →

by Niki Hathorn Hello SUMite friends! I have some wonderful news today. When I met my husband in our early twenties, we were both believers but not even close to walking with Jesus. Fast forward to my early thirties, we were married, and I was pregnant with our first child. It was at that time when Jesus finally got hold of me. I found a church to attend, started reading my Bible, I became involved in community with some wonderful ladies, and really began to grow. My husband would participate once in a while - when convenient for him, but I wasn't seeing much change in his life. In fact, debauchery and anger seemed to take over any joy that he had. It's been a long and difficult road. In August, I went to bed on a Sunday night and fell asleep telling Jesus that I didn't think I could... Read more →

Hello SUM Family, Tiffany Here! The last couple of months I have been sharing a bit about what I have learned from reading a book called From Dream to Destiny by Robert Morris. I was assigned to read this book in class and I am so glad that I read it! This book has been truly amazing. To read the previous two posts I've written in this "mini-series" click on the links below. This Is Just The Pits! Do You Want Evidence Or The Truth? In September I began to take steps to transition into a new church. As you read this, I have now been at this new church for 3 weeks. Each and every week has been so powerful and effective. Today I want to share with you a recent experience unlike anything I've ever had. It happened a little over a week ago on October 14, 2018.... Read more →

Hey SUM Family, Tiffany here: ev·i·dence - a : an outward sign : indication b : something that furnishes proof : testimony; specifically : something legally submitted to a tribunal to ascertain the truth of a matter (Merriam-Webster online dictionary) Last post (This Is Just The Pits!) we began to take a look at the life of Joseph. We discovered that there are ten tests we must face in order to fulfill our God-given purpose (I highly suggest you read From Dream to Destiny by Robert Morris for more on this topic). I want us to really dive into the deep end of the pool as we learn more about the pit test. First, let's continue on in the story of Joseph. At this point he was ambushed by his brothers and thrown into the pit. Changing scenes, we see what happens with his family next: So [Joseph's brothers] took... Read more →

The following post is by Lori Lyn Skipper. _____ Pic credit: Laura Mowrey With salty tears running down my cheeks, swallowing over the lump in my throat and my heart aching, I begin this blog. I learned yesterday a long-time friend and co-sharer of the Gospel passed on to Glory in the morning. Upon reading the news yesterday my mind began wandering to years past. And conviction fell. And today as I was looking at her pictures, again, conviction fell. She was one of the most beautiful, God-fearing women I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Not only was she beautiful on the outside, she genuinely had a beautiful heart and spirit. My heart aches for her husband, her children, her brother and best friend/sister-in-law and her parents. It also aches for all those who knew her and for those that never had the great pleasure of making her acquaintance.... Read more →

Hello Sum family! Tiffany here: It is very easy to see the heaviness and struggle going on in the world. Just in our own community there is a weight of illness, backsliding (in ourselves or our spouses), addictions, anger, depression, anxiety, spiritual attacks to our identity, self-worth, motivation, and will to keep going in the faith. There is bitterness and envy, there is confusion and doubt - toward others and even God Himself. It's like we have lost sight of who we REALLY are (we'll talk more about this later). Before I continue, I want to preface that I don't believe that our SUM community is in this bad of shape. I don't believe that we are all struggling at all times. I do however, see a trend of these things happening in the ranks...and it seems to be increasing. I myself have been struggling a lot lately. I feel... Read more →

By Martha Bush It was 4:30 A.M., April 22, 2017. My mother’s nurse tapped me on my leg while I was grabbing a short nap on the sofa down the hall from my mother’s room where she lay at the point of death. I sat up quickly at the feel of the nurse’s soft gentle touch and immediately said, “She is gone, isn’t she?” “Yes,” the nurse nodded. As the dawn of day lurched forward with a beautiful array of sunshine despite death all around me, funeral arrangements had to be made and relatives and friends had to be called. A few days after the funeral, we left Georgia headed back to our home in Texas to clear my mind before I took on the task of returning to Georgia in a month to empty out my mother’s home, so I could sell it. However, two weeks later, we received... Read more →

By Ann Hutchison “It’s excruciating”, I murmured to myself, munching on my toast and staring out the window. As usual, I was mulling over the fact that my husband and I had found ourselves in this … 'horrible' … spiritually mismatched situation. It happened to us late in life. There we were hitting forty, and life had been going according to plan. Then, one day, God landed in our home – through me. It shook us to the core. My husband is a good planner, so this one blindsided him. “I'm not the one who changed and this is not what I married!” He sounded almost angry. I couldn't blame him; I was the one who'd changed. I felt so bad. Bad, that was, until God nudged me differently. Don’t, Ann. However it looks and whatever the hiccups, this conversion will only cause home improvement (Proverbs 31:10-12). Ok, I really... Read more →

Fast concludes at Sundown today. ***** Have you ever pondered the weird story in John 6 where Jesus commands his followers to eat His flesh and drink His blood? Of course, today we understand the meaning, post cross. But what if you were a follower of Christ sitting among others, prior to the cross, and this man tells you to eat his skin and drink his blood. Ick!!! Many became offended and this is why. At the time, animal and human sacrifices were common place. The people of antiquity, Jerusalem, were aware the occult world drank human blood to increase their power on earth. This still happens in the occult world today. Followers of Christ were repelled to consider this practice because a blood covenant is/was the highest form of a covenant/agreement. When you eat/drink the flesh and blood you are taking in the essence of life, consuming everything associated... Read more →

Thank you, Martha, for your powerful post about submission vs obedience on Friday. I believe she is working on a follow up and I will post it when she sends it along. Today, I want to continue with what the Lord was showing me a few weeks ago about 1 Peter 3. If you recall, God has me camped in the books of Peter and He suggested I read all of the chapters. Reading chapter three, I sensed the Holy Spirit focus on something we, the unequally yoked, usually miss because we are hung up on the first verse and we miss the rest. And the rest of the passage is amazing. So, let’s look at this passage. 1 Peter 3New International Version (NIV) 3 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be... Read more →

Do you read the stories in the Bible about those who died, who gave their lives up, for the cause of Christ? What about modern martyr accounts of believers in the middle east who are being killed for their Christian faith? Do you walk in faith that you could do the same? I often cry out in prayer, “Lord, I want more of you. Lord, make me so strong in faith that if one day I must choose to die or take the mark of the beast, that I would be willing and able to die for the cause of Christ.” Perhaps you don’t pray like this. It’s just that for me, I sometimes wonder if I could stand on my faith and die for Jesus. After all, there are believers right now, today, who will stand for Christ and ISIS will kill them. GULP. Recently I was reading in... Read more →

Hi Family, We are a family. Being a part of something bigger than ourselves is part of our spiritual DNA. We were created for connection. We were created to belong. To live in intimacy. Learning to love one another and learning to love our Father. I’ve just returned from the Heaven Come conference. Three days filled with profound, life-altering worship and teaching that will live forever in my soul. Attending an event for the Christian faith is an interesting experience. I wonder if you are like me in that you have attended many events that make you feel good about yourself and living for Jesus. However, you return home to the same-old-same-ole and quickly lose all the joy or hope that you came home with? Anyone relate? However, each year that I attend this conference, something profound occurs. And this year I arrived home with such a powerful conviction to... Read more →

My friends, did you experience a breakthrough through our study together? What do you feel God did in you through the revelations of His love and promises for you? Please share your heart, your doodles and your coloring pages. And thank you again for joining me as we walked through the truths of Romans 8 through Scriptures and coloring. I pray you are continually embraced in and transformed by God's great love for you! Love you so much! Dineen TWEETABLE TRUTH: “Jesus has the authority to condemn, but He chose another way—the way of sacrificial love. For He knew to condemn would drive us away and His desire was to be the solution to draw us near.” pg. 50 #youarelovedcoloringbiblestudy goo.gl/qG9HBT Order from The SUM Shop or Amazon Read more →

Remember to share what you're learning in the comments. Did you identify a struggle? What is God's promise and provision for that? For you? Share your heart, your doodles and your coloring pages! Hugs! ~Dineen TWEETABLE TRUTH: “His loves reaches us from the past of the cross, carries us through the present, and ushers us into eternity. It’s constant and relentless—for us and for those we love and pray for.” pg. 46 #youarelovedcoloringbiblestudy goo.gl/qG9HBT You Are Loved Coloring Book Study Schedule Aug 28: (Share pages!) Video: How Much Does God Love Us? Wrap up! Order from The SUM Shop or Amazon Read more →

Remember to share what you're learning in the comments. What is your believing statement? Share your heart, your doodles and your coloring pages! Hugs! ~Dineen TWEETABLE TRUTH: “God’s Word will transform you. Reed it, believe it, and trust Him to do it—because He watches over His Word to fulfill it (Jer. 1:12).” pg. 37 #youarelovedcoloringbiblestudy goo.gl/qG9HBT You Are Loved Coloring Book Study Schedule Aug 23: Bonus Coloring Page Download Aug 25: (Share pages!) Video: Is God Good? Decorate, Delight & Discover!: How Much Does God Love Us? (pages 49-53) Aug 28: (Share pages!) Video: How Much Does God Love Us? Wrap up! Order from The SUM Shop or Amazon Read more →

Remember to share what you're learning in the comments. What is God's promise for you? Share your heart, your doodles and your coloring pages! Hugs! ~Dineen TWEETABLE TRUTH: What is God's promise for you? pg. 33 #youarelovedcoloringbiblestudy goo.gl/qG9HBT You Are Loved Coloring Book Study Schedule Aug 21: (Share pages!) Video: Why Do We Wait and Hope? Decorate, Delight & Discover!: Is God Good? (pages 43-48) Aug 23: Bonus Coloring Page Download Aug 25: (Share pages!) Video: Is God Good? Decorate, Delight & Discover!: How Much Does God Love Us? (pages 49-53) Aug 28: (Share pages!) Video: How Much Does God Love Us? Wrap up! Order from The SUM Shop or Amazon Read more →