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 →

By Martha Bush In my post last month, I told of a betrayal that touched the lives of all my immediate family. This betrayal, with all its false allegations, lead to a court trial. Convinced that I had forgiven the parties involved, even before the trial began, I still had a gnawing feeling that something was still missing. I discovered that the missing link was to Take a Step Beyond Forgiveness - Bless My Enemies. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and Curse not.” (Romans 12:14) My efforts to find out “HOW” to apply the blessing principle lead me to Numbers 6:22-27: The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron this is HOW I want my people blessed: the Lord bless and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” You can... Read more →

SUMites, Wow, this fast was amazing. I fasted food for five days. Only had an egg and a piece of bread Wednesday morning and Thursday. Friday, day five and very hungry but determined, I sat down at my computer to write a new chapter in a new book, Kingdom Keys. Gang, I wrote stuff that was so inspired that I’m kinda freaked out. It is revelation about Simon Peter and His moment when Jesus asks a life altering question. I can’t wait to share it with you. I was covered in holy chill bumps as I finished putting these thoughts on the screen. Mike walked in and I read an entire passage of scripture and then what the Holy Spirit prompted. Mike stood in my office and listened. Of course, he wasn’t sure how to process what I shared but he listened to his wife SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD... Read more →

Hi everyone, on the last day of our fast - we are so close to the finish line! It’s been wonderful adventuring with you and, as always, we’ve made memories. I often think of this site as a memorial of where we’ve been. I can just imagine sitting in a rocking chair as an old lady, looking back. Today we’re going to take communion together; it is the finest food and drink. In giving us this bread and wine, it is as if God has set us the most wonderful table; one we really cannot imagine. In today’s post I’d like to tell you about a treasured item that frames my home. I’ll tell you about it, and then we’ll have communion. Several years ago, when my husband and I bought our house, we decided to put in a new front door. We wanted one with a stained-glass window, and... Read more →

Hi everyone As I write, it’s Thursday morning here in New Zealand, and I'm a hungry girl. Each fast I do more than I did before; and yet, this fast, like my others before, has been an imperfect one. Yesterday, for example, I went to work hungry. By 1pm it was awful. I left my office where I was putting on a cheerful front, shut myself in the toilet cubicle and said to Jesus, “HOW did you do this for 40 days?” It made me realize I hadn’t ever considered Jesus’s 40 days of no food or water. At 2pm, I freaked, I had a class to teach: “What if I faint in front of the class?” That was it. Seizing control of my situation, I reached for my bag, pulled out a small wrapped bar called ‘one square meal’, and gobbled it up. My hunger disappeared and I missed... Read more →

Hi friends How’s the fasting going? This one's ambitious for me – soup only for dinner has made me starry-eyed! But I'm enjoying the afternoons where I can just sit. I hope you enjoyed yesterday's clips. Amazingly, there is a part two to that story, which I've been excited to share. I'll start with this scripture, which I believe is for us today: “In that day, there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; ... And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria and Egypt, from Pathros and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, from Hamath and the islands of the sea.” Isaiah 11:11 (NKJV) Now to the story: Remember back in June the twelve Thai boys and their... Read more →

Hi everyone! It's day two of the fast, and I hope you’re doing well. If one day you don’t manage what you set out to, don’t worry -- we just pick ourselves up and carry on. One thing that I believe God adores about the SUMites is our HOPE. Like Abraham, who had a son at age 100, we have been given something unbelievable to hope for: The turning of hearts among those who would be the least likely. Holding on to this hope is pretty difficult, but if we choose it we are partnering in God’s move: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations.” Romans 4:18 (NIV) What is hope? One possibility is that it's the actual picture of the victory, which we then choose to believe. It is, perhaps, the ‘different spirit’ held by Joshua and Caleb, who were sent... Read more →

Hi SUM family Welcome to day one of our fast, and happy new year! From what I’m hearing, we’re not the only ones who are being led to fast right now. Quite separately, even my home church is fasting and I know other Christians are too. We’re led by the same Spirit. This is my eighth fast with the SUM community, and every time it has been extraordinary. From these shared adventures, I now know that fasting does something very special. With that in mind, I thought I’d share my first ever fasting story. It’s a fun story, but it illustrates the fact that fasting shifts things. It was just before I found the SUM community. I’d noticed in scripture that fasting makes the impossible possible, and so I quietly planned to try it. The opportunity finally came when my husband and boys planned a trip away, leaving me home... Read more →

Hi everyone, Ann here. Next Monday it is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. This day, also known as the Feast of Trumpets, was a festival given to the Israelites by God, commemorated by trumpet blasts (Leviticus 23:23-32). Trumpet blasts in scripture often symbolize gathering the people together for victory. To that I say, yes please! In past years the SUM community has honored this time by fasting together for the week. We’re going to continue the tradition this year, starting on Monday the 10th at sunrise, and finishing at sunset on Friday the 14th. I always find this fast a beautiful time. It seems to knit us together and bring breakthrough to different parts of our community. We’ve had some amazing things happen in these fasts, and I still get a high when I look back on the comments and remember those moments. Personally, because this time is one... Read more →

Hello, Ian here once again. As you probably have noticed in many of my posts in the last few years I’ve sought to desire more of God, to experience that oneness with the Father that Jesus prays for us about in John 17. Hey, and isn’t it fabulous that Jesus, Himself, actively helps us in the process? Everyday. As He continually intercedes in prayer for us. This desire for more brought me, firstly, to writing a new non-fiction book, and then when I discovered I didn’t have sufficient material, secondly, to take up study again in participating in a Spiritual Formation course. To date I marvel at what I’m both learning and experiencing. The Heart It’s a journey of the heart as the prophet Jeremiah declared: “I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their... Read more →

From my prayer time. February 3, 2018. Lynn: I’m here. I’m listening. Speak to me….. Father: I love you with an everlasting love. Lynn: Papa, when did you create me? My Spirit? Father: Before time began. We created the stars and marveled at their beauty. Fathomed the universe and beheld the forming of oceans and the waves lap upon the land as it rose up out of the water. Lynn: Dad, why does it have to be so hard and ugly on earth? Father: It doesn’t have to be that way. You can always change it. Lynn: But why don’t we? Father: Fear, helplessness, selfishness, pride, laziness. (He pauses) The wickedness of satan. My child, yet, you do not perceive all the goodness that surrounds you. Goodness is everywhere, in pockets of unrecognized love that is passed, person to person, good deed to good deed. Goodness is beheld in my... Read more →