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 Martha Bush It's that time of the year again - - a time we set aside on the calendar for "stuffing the turkey" and "giving thanks for our blessings." We pull out our recipes, head to the grocery store to buy the ingredients needed for stuffing the big bird, and the cooking preparations begin. When Thanksgiving Day arrives, families gather together, have a time of giving thanks, and then carve the stuffed turkey waiting on the platter. For just a brief moment in time, most of us capture the true meaning of "giving thanks unto the Lord" on Thanksgiving Day, no matter what kind of trials we have been through during the year. But, what about the day after Thanksgiving--“if you could actually put your heart on a platter like the stuffed turkey, what would you see stuffed inside that might rob you of a thankful heart throughout the... Read more →

SUMite Nation: Sorry for the radio silence. I’ve been balancing three speaking engagements this past week and I have laryngitis. Yesterday afternoon I was going to cancel my talk: Maintaining Your Healing Following Prayer. But at 2 pm, (the meeting began at 4) the Lord said, “Get up and I will heal you as you are speaking.” WOW! Suddenly I was filled with energy. Jumped in the shower and gave a powerful talk, equipping believers with tools to walk further into their healing. I was able to speak clearly and then prayed with several and watched God release His love and fire!!! It was awesome. ----- I want to let you know that the Lord said that I should hold off with the SUMite Summit registration until January. He said the momentum will be lost in the busy of the Holidays. Following our community fast on January 14th, I will... Read more →

Image courtesy of renjith krishnan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Hello SUMite friends, Ian from Down Under here. I keep bumping into a recurring theme of how to do this Christian life well. I’ve probably made reference to it in previous posts. It has two elements to it, and different people use different terms to describe these elements. A nun I listened to a few years back described a typical day as consisting of time for ‘contemplation’ and then time for ‘action’ ending the day with more of the former. Interestingly, if you studied a typical day Jesus lived we would probably find that’s how His day would be broken into. What’s critical is that a good life includes both elements. Recently I came across an alternative description: ‘abiding’ and ‘abounding’ which are taken from two key New Testament verses: John 15:4 (NRSV) – Jesus says, “Abide in me as I abide in... Read more →

SUMite Nation: Tomorrow in America many will go to the polls to vote. Please pray for our nation because the potential for rage, distrust, destruction, and lawlessness looms high. (These are all demonic principalities, by the way.) Our local friends who know Mike and I, always joke around election time that we cancel out each other’s votes. I might be a bit more conservative and Mike is far and away, liberal. Ya, just another area in our lives where we are mismatched. I know I’m not alone in this kind of a mismatch. So, for those of us who are trying to avoid arguments over candidates, issues, and government in general, I bless you today with peace. Be the peace maker. I know that many marriages on Tuesday will feel additional strain because the political climate is volatile and highly charged. I know for me, I MUST press into the... Read more →

Shelley Cruze with Husband and Son By SUMite, Shelley Cruz I was raised in a wonderful Christian home but walked away from God as a teenager because I thought that I was missing out on all the fun in life. I married, started my career, bought a home with my husband and had two babies. After 12 years of living for myself, I finally realized that the “fun” and all the other things I used to fill the void were leaving me feeling empty. I knew what I was missing was a relationship with Jesus and in 1996, I rededicated my life to Him. I wanted my children to know Jesus and began to teach them and brought them to church with me. I longed for my husband to know Christ, so I began praying for him. Soon after, he began coming to church with me, but it became quickly... 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 →

Originally posted: October 30, 2014, But remains Powerfully Relevant for HALLOWEEN. Greetings, I have some thoughts about Halloween. Halloween was always one of the highlights of my year as a child. I mean really. Come on. Free candy…. It’s a day to pretend you are someone else, costumes, parties, bobbing for apples, being scared (but not really). I know that there is disagreement about how believers should handle this day. I’m not going to judge. You need to follow the Holy Spirit as He directs your heart for your family. But today I want to share a prayer God has placed heavily on my spirit and with power. Because after the kids are home sorting their candy, after the paint is washed from their faces and the jack-o-lanterns have long burned out, there is a reality. There is a very real enemy of God and His people. And on this... Read more →

by Lori Skipper Psalm 139 NLT Too often, we as believers, do not realize our value or our worth. We forget that God is with us ALL the time. We feel we were a mistake. Psalm 139 breaks down our value and our worth for us. This powerful Scripture also reinforces that we are not nor were we a mistake; regardless of what others may have said to or about us. The One that matters the most has told us we are NOT a mistake. When we sin or make a mistake, we spend so much wasted time beating ourselves up and trying to make up for the wrong we’ve done. But, Psalm 139 verse 1, 4, 5, 16 & 17 assures us that our Father already KNEW what we were going to say or what we were going to do, before we said or did it! I’m certainly not... 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 →

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... Read more →

Please listen to this short video. Then PRAY! Read more →

Monday’s article elicited quite a response. I received some amazing emails. And my dear friends, God is in the business of healing. Today, I want to share what I have learned about the spiritual realm and sex. I’m going to discus only a small portion of my knowledge in this area as our sexuality, sexual practices and beliefs regarding sex have a vast affect on our lives. But today, I want to talk about the union of sex in the spiritual realm. And as you read this post, PLEASE, DO NOT go into condemnation. This post is your spiritual warfare and your freedom. Once you have awareness, your victory is at hand!!! Hallelujah! ----- I wonder if you have taken note of the explicit warnings about sex in the Bible? But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or... Read more →

By Ann Hutchison “Away with Him!” roar the crowd. I open my curtains and peek out. In the crowd I see people I know: Atheists, agnostics, those who’ve left their faith, and some of other faiths. I stand and watch for a while. My eyes scan them, person by person. Some of these people are my friends. Finally, I go back to the calm of my living room and sit on the couch. I pour myself another tea, and say: “Jesus, help me again: Show me You're real?” Sometimes, I word it differently: “God, can I check again that I'm on the right path?” His response always comes in some way or other: It is Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Once, I had a night I'll never forget: It was a few years ago, and I'd been reading a book about another faith. I didn't know what I believed. That night,... Read more →

A couple of days ago an interesting article popped up in one of my online feeds. “Couple Takes A Year Off From Marriage” Ya, I had to do it. So, I popped over for a read. After 17 years of marriage, the article begins…. Basically, this woman is board. She asks her husband to agree to a year-long open marriage. He agrees and they establish a few hard and fast rules. M-F they live separate lives, her in an apartment. They reunite for the weekend. They practice safe sex and don’t date mutual friends and finally, no serious relationships. BTW, they both broke all the rules. A year later she returns home. Of course, the marriage is OVER. He dated a friend and was in a serious relationship. And his wife, well she was more confused about everything than before. So, I decided to ask Mike’s opinion about all of... Read more →

Ya, so, I've struggled for a couple of hours tying to decide what to write about..... (BIG sigh) My writer is broken today. So, below is the video from Ask Me Anything from Wednesday's Facebook Live. The Questions: How do you handle husband's objection to church Maintaining Hope What seeps from the Television Put in your earphones and listen while cleaning or cooking dinner. :) My friends, when I was a young wife and mother, Dr. Dobson's daily radio programs were life-blood to my sanity and hope. I love Dr. Dobson and pray for him continually. Below are some links to great articles on marriage. I love you all. Women Have Needs That Men Do Not Comprehend Men and Women Have Different Needs The Ways Men Need Their Wives Stay tuned for details about our SUMMIT!! And if you have decided that you can't attend, don't listen to that voice... Read more →

By Martha Bush Background Libby Finan Drawing A former pastor of mine, the late David Berkheimer, made the following statement in his sermon: “I believe with all my heart the greatest trials of life are the obedient things God calls us to do.” He pointed out that the trials we face are often in the path God is leading us. A prime illustration of this is in the life of Abraham, the father of our faith. Abraham was seventy-five when he left the comforts of his homeland to obey God and, indeed, walked straight into trials and difficulty. The trials were the kind of things that would, perhaps, challenge his thinking. “Did I really hear Your voice leading me this way, Lord?" (Genesis 12-16) 1990's I agree with Pastor Berkheimer’s statement that the greatest trials of life are often the obedient things God calls us to do because it happened... Read more →

Hello Gang, I've been on the road since last Tuesday. I will finally arrive home tomorrow. I have been at Open Heavens and I hope to be returning with fresh fervor and many stories of God's goodness. Today, I want to let you know that I've nearly secured a place for a spring SUMite Summit. So, save the date, April 5-6th. I would like to have a reception at my house on Friday evening. A Meet-n-Greet for all SUMites. Then on Saturday I have a room reserved for us at a local Christian school. So we can host a crowd. It is my intention to bless each of you. Lay hands upon you and pray for your marriage, healing and to release you into a greater intimacy and giftings of the Kingdom. Who wants more of that? All that I have I want to pass along to you. Expect to... Read more →

Redeeming Prince of Peace A word, harshly spoken. The altering of what once was. The pain of loss collies with the demand of unwanted change. Regret knocks upon the heart. Remorse follows close on the heals as the hope of restoration dims with the silence of unanswered pleas to be heard, be forgiven. Beloved, I am here. I am your comfort in the pain. Bring the rejection before me. Place upon the alter, injustice and robbery of your peace. I gently collect your tears, each a glimmer of a rend heart. I am present to walk with you as you face your fears. My Beloved, you were never intended to defeat this dragon named offence and its blackguard, bitterness. I stand in the gap of your gaping wound to shelter your innocence and bear the blows of grief in your pain. I am Jesus. My intentions toward you are eternally... Read more →

Photo credit: Austin Neill Hi everyone, Ian from Sydney here. For most of my SUM married life I thought I was okay doing the Christian life on my own. I’m an introvert by nature and enjoy my own company and for a number of years struggled with being in crowded situations. I still do and will usually choose to sit on the end of rows in any theatre or auditorium. This is purely a relief mechanism so that I know I can ‘get out’ quickly if I need to. As we’ve talked about many times over the years, it’s often easier for us Christians to maintain peace in our households by not engaging too much in church activities and such like. I’ve actually been very blessed by my wife who has always actively encouraged me to attend church: she knows it’s good for me. However, I resisted for years getting... Read more →

My SUMite sisters and brothers. Are you weary? Are you tired of shouting down the demonic realm that surrounds to destroy you and your family? Are your prayers altering only momentary change? Rise up and receive the gift of God, The Eagle. God is surrounded by eagles in His throne room. Let’s take note of what they offer. Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. — Ezekiel 1:10 But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40: 31 Eagles soar for two reasons: To climb above... Read more →

Hello SUM Nation, On Monday I posted a question. See below. Today, I’ll share my perspective. Hugs, Lynn Anne M. wrote: Answering questions about the eternal fate of unsaved family members to your children, knowing that your words may be repeated to those family members. It's walking a line of truth, comfort and diplomacy. Anne, it IS walking a line of truth, comfort and diplomacy. So true. Let me share how I view my pre-believer spouse. HOPE. I will never surrender hope that God will reach my husband. I’m so utterly convinced that God will answer my 26 years of prayers, that there is no other option for me. In fact, I’m nearly convinced that the prayer Mike prayed with Joe on the driveway in front of our house, sealed the deal. (I share this story in Winning Him Without Words) I won’t know for sure until glory, but the... 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 →

What is a Spiritually Unequal Marriage Blog topic you would like to read about? This was the question posted to the SUM FB page on May 21, 2018 Today, I would like to put forward a question to the SUM community that was asked. I know there are many wise SUMites who have walked this journey for a long season. So, let’s put forth this question and have the community chime in. On Friday, I will add my experience and perspective. Please, if you have an experience that releases hope to your sister or brother in Christ in this area, make time to share in the comments. We have thousands of readers who never leave comments, but they read everything. Bless them today. Anne M. wrote: Answering questions about the eternal fate of unsaved family members to your children, knowing that your words may be repeated to those family members.... 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 →