My Friends, 

I don’t even know where to start. So much has happened in the last seven days that I feel like every morning I wake, God has another “Holy Mind-Blow” in store for this ordinary, 5’4”, blonde girl. 

Do you remember back several months ago that I promised breakthrough. Well, boy howdy, I’ve had one. Probably SEVERAL. And likely the biggest thing that has yet to happen to me in the Kingdom is still coming. Woo Hoo!! I will be sharing this new adventure with you, step by step, as I move forward. 

But today, I have a word for all of you who worry about your kids. 

I worry about my kids. I pray, A LOT, for my kids. Today’s story has been more than a decade in the making. 

I’ve written before about my years of praying for my son who lived in Las Vegas. Since 1999 I’ve prayed years and years for God to move him to California that I may lavish God’s love upon him and help him to grow in his faith. And in February he, my daughter-in-law and my granddaughter moved here. They have lived with us since then. Well as they have stayed with us, God has revealed the areas in their lives that He is desperate to bring healing. What an astonishing answer to my mama’s prayers. But God’s not done. 

I also have been praying like a mad woman for them to find new jobs with a livable wage, jobs that they will love and have opportunity for growth. 

Now to set the scene, my son had an interview for an awesome job several weeks ago. For more than a week following that interview, I prayed with every fiber of my being, soul, heart and mind for my son to be the candidate that the company wanted. I prayed, scriptures, I prayed in faith. I prayed with conviction, belief and prayed for hours. 

My son didn’t get the job. 

I was saddened, of course, and my son was affected. However, for me, I was baffled and I will admit confused and disappointed with God. “Why, God, didn’t he get this job? Please grant me understanding as I prayed in alignment with your word and as Jesus taught.” 

Well this week the kindness of the Lord and in His tenderness, He explained the reason. 

This week I will be attending a conference in San Diego. And while out walking, God said to me, “Ask your son to go with you.” 

“But God, the likelihood he would say yes and attend is ridiculous. He would never go to a conference like this with his mother. And Lord, what about child-care. Someone needs to watch the little one. And then Lord, on top of that, my son’s wife needs to be on board with all of this because she is affected and will also need to watch the baby when she gets home from work.” 

The list of reasons why this was impossible surged in my head. But I prayed and said, “God I will ask and I trusting you to make all of the details fall into line.” 

I came home from my walk-n-pray. Sat down in the playroom with my son and with my granddaughter on my lap, I simply asked him to go to this conference with me. 

“Sure, Mom, I would like to go.” 

SAY WHAT??????? SAY WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!! 

Every detail fell into line and this Wednesday my son, Brad and I are off to a conference that God has promised will be the beginning of his healing.

As I sat in my office later that morning, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Lynn, this is the reason your son didn’t get that job. He would have been working and unable to attend this conference.” 

God is SO MUCH MORE interested in this young man’s heart, his soul, his healing and the rest of his life. 

I cried. 

Tears of love and thankfulness. 

God has good gifts for His kids. Many, many good gifts. And God is so much more concerned for our heart, our soul our emotional health and our healing than any old job. God has a million of jobs and when the time is right, my son will receive the perfect job. 

I know this because I know the tender love and faithfulness of our Lord. 

What have you been praying for that wasn’t answered how you wanted or expected. Ask the Lord to help you have understanding. Then wait. It may take a while to get the answer to you but I absolutely believe God wants us to understand He is good. He has good for His children and He wants us to have wisdom and understanding. 

Okay, gang, Brad and I are off on Wednesday. I’m expecting miracles, healing and more. Pray for this boy. I will keep you posted. 

I love you. 

And I promise, I still have so much more about Joshua and the Walls, so keep walking with me. The journey is exciting and breakthrough is ahead for all of us. I love you. I really love you, Lynn

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On this late Easter Sunday afternoon I find it absolutely the perfect time to update you about one of our community miracles. 

Many of you who are new to our community have yet to participate in one of our miracle adventures. But you can read about our past miracles on our Kingdom Miracle page. (Link is in the navigation bar at the top) 

But for many of you who have been family here for a few years you will remember our Kingdom miracle for Gina. 

You can read Gina's story by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post. 

So many, many of you prayed for this girl who was 17 years old and facing life-threatening melanoma cancer. You mailed letters, cards and sent emails by the hundreds. Makes me all teary-eyed again to just think how our community went to the Father in prayers of healing for Gina. 

Gina was and still is my teenage daughter, Caitie's best friend. The girls finished out their senior year as Gina went through several treatments for the ocular cancer cells. The cancer did not go away. There were many dark days when she faced this disease alone. 

Gina told me about a year ago that when she was feeling low, sad and despondent about her prognosis and the fact that she could be facing her death in five years she would pull out the letters we sent to her and read them over and again. She said, "They always made me cry but they also brought me comfort." 

My friends, MY FRIENDS, I spoke with our Gina on Thursday. 

Our miracle happened! Praise Jesus. She is in full remission with zero detectable cancer cells in her body. 

Can I get a WOO HOO!!  Hallelujah and thank you Jesus. 

We serve a God who loves. Who heals and who answers prayer. 

Thank you my family for surrounding this young girl. You demonstrative love helped to get her through the dark months. I love you so much. I love Jesus. 

And on this day where we celebrate the risen King, I fall to my knees and weep with joy. 

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 

Amen. Please thank our Lord for this miracle. And I wait for God to reveal the next Kingdom miracle that He has for us. Love you so much, Lynn

Gina's request now is to pray that she remain cancer free for the rest of her life. 

I posted a few of the prayers that were sent in down in the comments.. They will fill your heart.

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Good Monday Morning Sumites,  (This is a Community Miracle of the #SUMite Nation)

I have been praying to have the heart of God for a few months now. And as we move into the month of December, I feel God asking this community to LIVE THE GOSPEL. 

How do we do that? How do we impact people around us with the Gospel? 

The answer: WE LOVE

How do we love? 

Answer: GENEROUSLY

The video below is Todd White sharing his love with strangers. If you have ever watched the movie, Father of Lights, Todd appears in the last scene and it's a Holy Mind Blow.

This video is roughly 15 minutes long but it will inspire you to lavish love and give it generously. Take the time to listen and be inspired. 

You may say to yourself, I'm unable to be generous like Todd. How can I give like that? Well, my friends, give what you can. Be outrageously generous with what you have.

I have an experiment to offer you this December. See this photo?

Well, how about if each of us put a $1 or $5 or even $10 in a plastic ziplock bag. Include a blank sticky note and put at least 3-5 of these prepared bags in your purse or wallet. And then ask God to bring about an opportunity to share. Then leave a note taped somewhere, hand someone the ziplock with the money, or buy someone a coffee, pay for their groceries.

I did this once. I saw a women who I knew from church. Her and her husband were both unemployed. She was in the checkout lane at Walmart with her mother. They were counting change and looking for more money in their purses. I walked up, swiped my card in front of their astonished faces. They cried, I cried, the Walmart employee stood speechless as she watched.

or just ...... Allow God to direct you. I will make a bold promise. God will reward you and this Christmas will be the Best Christmas you have ever had.

I'm headed to Virginia on Wednesday. I'm loading my purse with prepared ziplocks and I plan to be generous. Sometimes anonymously but I'm hoping to love on someone in person to share "the Gospel" of love and generosity with strangers. 

God is a generous God. He lavishes his love and provision upon His children. The more we give the more He will give us..... And the more we give. The more He gives. What a fun and cool plan. I LOVE God's ways!!

Let's meet up here again in few weeks and share photos, experiences. But let's share how we loved God' and His people by our generosity. Email me your stories and photos of where you left bags. 

Please email me.

Are you up for this? Because those who dare to participate in this love experience will be the ones God blesses generously.

Here is my sticky note. I hope people will visit our #SUMiteNation on Facebook and Twitter to find out what it's all about. 

I love you. God is generous and wants you to experience the joy and miracles that happen when we love others with His generous and outrageous love. And people are so open to the love of God during this time of year. Hugs, Lynn

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My friends, I know we get a lot of stuff this time of year about thankfulness, but I have to share a story with you. I hadn’t even planned to post this week with the holiday, but this seemed the perfect time to share it.

The last week or so has been tough. In all honesty, I’ve been struggling with feeling down and melancholy. I couldn’t figure out why and the more I prayed about it, the worse it seemed to get.

Then late Sunday I read the devotional in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young for that day (Nov. 24th) and the pieces started to fit together. Here’s a snippet from that day, though I highly recommend you read the entire passage as well as the entries from the day before and the days after as they carry a theme of thankfulness. And if you don’t have this book, I highly recommend it.

“There is an element of mystery in this transaction: You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you Joy (regardless of your circumstances). . . Thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts.”

As I read it again Monday morning I realized I hadn’t been thankful much at all lately. I can’t even tell you how and when it happened, but there I say with a thankless heart and no joy. My focus had shifted somewhere to seeing only the challenges of late and a melancholy had settled in.

I wanted my joy back. Had been praying for it for days. Like Paul, I thought I’d learned to be content in my circumstances. Obviously not. Plus a good friend gave me some great words of wisdom on how the enemy comes in to distract us from what we’re doing, but not in the way we’d expect. He’ll hit a completely different area just to pull our attention away from what we’re doing to please and serve God.

Sometimes Abba answers us in pretty clear ways. Other times I think He likes to see if we can come to an understanding with a few nudges and connect the dots ourselves. Makes the “lesson” more memorable that way, I think.

Well, the pieces had come together and I had found my solution. I spent that morning thanking Abba, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for everything I could think of, mostly for Him. It took some effort at first (had to ignore the feelings), but as I continued, my joy began to flow back and grow! And I felt reconnected and closer to Jesus once again.

This was a big lesson for me, dear friends. In light of what we endured through my daughter’s cancer, I thought of myself as a thankful person, even took some pride in it, and that is where I let the enemy in—I was confident in myself, not Abba (2 Corinthians 3:4-5

Pride always gives the enemy an entrance. But thankfulness is one of the quickest ways to shut those doors. If I feel my joy ebbing away again, you better believe I’m going to check my thankfulness meter first.

I want to give you one more snippet from Jesus Calling to bring this point home:

“To protect your thankfulness, you must remember that you reside in a fallen world, where blessings and sorrows intermingle freely. A constant focus on adversity defeats many Christians. They walk through a day that is brimming with beauty and brightness, seeing only the grayness of their thoughts. Neglecting the practice of giving thanks has darkened their minds. How precious are My children who remember to thank Me at all times. They can walk through the darkest days with Joy in their hearts because they know that the Light of My Presence is still shining on them.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). Happy Thanksgiving, my precious friends!

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Tablecloth Of Thanks 2013

Hello My Friends,

Well, I'm bummed. Dineen and I had recorded a Thanksgiving video earlier in the month for today. However, the sound didn't come through. Anyhoo, we want to say, "Happy Thanksgiving."

Since the video was a fail, let's turn that around and let our praises open the gates of heaven over our homes for this week. 

We as believers have such a great opportunity to bring our love for God to the table on Thursday. Start praying now that God will open the door to allow you to pray over dinner, to share sweet moments of love with your family and to allow you some quite time with Jesus early on Thanksgiving morning. I've found early Thanksgiving Day, sitting with my coffee and Bible before a fire, writing my blessings into my prayer journal, make for a very special time and set the atmosphere for the rest of the day.

And let's bring honor to our Lord and change the atmosphere here today. Let's write two or three things you are thankful for this year in the comments. Let's celebrate the faithfulness of God in our lives. Hugs, Lynn

Dineen and Lynn would like to take a minute to thank the SUMites who have given a financial donation to our ministry this past year.Every dollar donated is us is strickly for ministry. Web hosting, design, maintenance runs in the thousands of dollars every year. In addition, donations cover free resources that we use when we speak at retreats and a host of other stuff. So thank you:

Vera, Jody, Christine, Pam, Elizabeth, Alaina, Cynthia, Teresa. 

We would also like to thank all of you who donated to Rosheeda's flowers. And finally, thank you to the many of you who are part of our ministry team this year:

Teresa, Lynette, Sue, Adrianna, Joanne, Martha Rosheeda (posthumously)

Mostly, thank you to each of you who has prayed for a SUMite. Who has left a word in the comments to encourage, others or Dineen and me. Thank you for your love for your spouse, your children and our Lord, His son Jesus and the Spirit.

We love you and truly give thanks that we are traveling this road toward heaven with you. Hugs, Lynn

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

I started a Thanksgiving family tradition a few years ago quite by accident. This tradition has become my absolute favorite. I'm sharing it today, as I do every year, so that our new readers can begin this tradition in their home. This is also a Family Faith Tradition I share in our new book, Not Alone.

Enjoy.....A Tablecloth of Thanks

It’s never too late to start a new tradition in your home, especially one which brings honor to the Lord. I have a story to share and a photo. I also want to give you a chance to share some of your holiday traditions or giggles.

Join in today and share a Thanksgiving holiday tradition from your home or share a funny holiday hiccup.

I will share with you that like many newly married young women, I didn’t realize the turkey was stuffed with bagged giblets. Yep, I cook the turkey with the plastic bag and the giblets still inside. We ate it anyway.

Also, three years ago, I set the oven on fire when I moved the giant bird around. I freaked out. My husband came running. The house was crazy, people were yelling, crying and freaking… Perhaps it was only me doing the yelling, crying and freaking. My calm man put the flames out and to this day, I don’t know how he did it because we didn’t own a fire extinguisher.

The next morning I rose before dawn and went shopping at The Home Depot. NO NOT FOR CHRISTMAS… For a fire extinguisher. And now, every year BEFORE I bake the turkey, I check to make sure the extinguisher is charged and ready.

Sheesh!

Today, I'm sharing one of my most favorite family traditions. Here is a post I wrote five years ago for the Internet Cafe. Hope you start a family tradition this year. It's NEVER too late to have a Tablecloth of Thanks.

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 poured into our lives. 

Like most wives living in an unequally yoked marriage, I long for my spouse to understand there is a God. To know He is intricately involved in our lives and everything we have is provision of our creator. I have also learned that forcing God upon my husband is a surefire way to push him away. I am careful to respect my husband and simply trust Jesus to reach him in his perfect timing. 

In spite of my husband’s unbelief, I discovered a unique way to draw him into the celebration of thanks, besides through his stomach. He loves turkey. 

Four years ago, I threw a new, pristine-white tablecloth across our dinning room table two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. I purchased several colored pens and placed them on top. A new tradition was born, a Tablecloth of Thanks. It began with my daughter. I told her, “I WANT you to write on this tablecloth.” She looked at me with skepticism in her eyes, wondering if her mother had lost her mind. 

“Really,” my smiled reassured. “Write down what you are most thankful for this year. Then write the year, 2004, near your name.” 

She grinned and began to write using several different colors. I joined in and wrote my thanks directly on the beautiful tablecloth. 

Later that evening my husband noticed the scribbles on the tablecloth. I watched as he walked over to read our words. I walked to his side and took his hand. I subtly asked him if he would also write down his thanks. He smiled and said maybe later. 

Finally on the evening of Thanksgiving Day, my husband picked up a pen and wrote; I am thankful for my wonderful family, great friends, and a very happy life. 

Wow! Was he giving thanks to our Lord? I am not sure. However, every year since he has continued to write a thankful list. Last year’s entry reads; I am thankful for all of my blessings…family, friends, and the dogs. 

What? Did he use the word blessings? Small steps such as these lead to the Savior. I can’t wait to read his thankful list this year. 

The Thankful Tablecloth is one of my most prized possessions. Everyone who visits our home during the Thanksgiving holiday contributes to this permanent memorial of thanks. It is a visible praise to the King displayed in our unequally yoked home each November. 

One of my favorite thanks is this: 

2006
I am thankful
to be able to sit
on the couch and have
my people pet me.
Peanut 

Hmmmm, I wonder how the dog grew fingers and learned to write???? 

Psalm 69:30 (NIV)
I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Lord God, I will name my blessings one-by-one….. Jesus… eternal life…. clean water to drink…..capacity to love…..empowerment to forgive….. just for a start….. 

It is never too late to start a new tradition. If you want to start your Tablecloth of Thanks, I have a few helpful hints.

1. Place a sheet of butcher paper under your tablecloth. (I have a permanent smiley face on my dinning room table from the year 2005)
2. Use colorfast fabric pens.
3. Store your tablecloth in an airtight Ziploc bag. 

Thank you my friends for sharing this Holiday treasure with me. I wish you were with me today and could share your thankful heart on the Tablecloth of Thanks.

(My friends, if you could, share this post on Facebook and Twitter. It's truly a wonderful tradition and I want so much for families to have an opportunity to share faith in this way. Thanks, Lynn  - click on the buttons below to share. Hugs)

Hi Everyone,

Lynn here. Still a bit under the weather so today's post is short and sweet. Before I get to that I want to give you a head's up that in my heart there is a series brewing, Open Heavens. I want to talk about what this term means and how an open heaven changes everything in our homes, our hearts, marriages and lives. 

It's going to be cool.

But for today, I think we must take moments to remember. 

Consistently throughout the Old Testament, God directs people to set up memorial stones. I think of the crossing of the Jordan toward Jericho. Does anyone have that scripture handy and can post it in the comments?

We must take active measures to remember and focus on God's Presence inour lives because the devil is continually bringing before us our irritations, our anger, dissapointments and failures.

ENOUGH!

We take every thought captive to Christ and live in victory.

So today I want to do two things. I want to hear about your top three moments where you KNOW God showed up in your life. Let's take a minute to remember the good things and how God was Present, active and changed our circumstances. (list them in the comments)

I also want to remember praises for our husbands. When we live spiritually mismatched, again, we tend to focus on everything that is wrong in our spouse. Today, share three things that you admire and are thankful for about your spouse. (list them in the comments)

I hope to be back on top of the world on Friday and we are going to ...... OPEN THE HEAVENS. Love and hugs, Lynn

My friends, thank you for taking this journey with me through the book of Nehemiah and praying through these valuable Scriptures that God wants us to see and understand. I wish I could completely explain what I sense from God's heart for us, the SUMites. The way this community has grown and come together is no accident. God has been intentionally moving here to bring us forward in His plan for the Great Harvest.

I want to clarify about the walls in this series, because a couple people have asked for clarification and that's important. I so appreciate their willingness to ask as it helps me see if I've not explained something as well as I'd hoped. There so much going on and around us, I can barely keep up let alone get it down to words!

In the book of Nehemiah, the walls were for protection, to bring unity and restore the purpose and place of the Israelites as God's people. The walls were to establish boundaries and for protection. Good walls! God wants us to be ready and strong, my friends. Lynn and I have both written in recent weeks how we have sense that God is going to use us in crucial ways to bring many to Christ. As the SUMites we have a unique skill set and God is going to use it, but we have to be ready first. We have to repair, rebuild and "shore up" those broken and weak places in our faith, our beliefs and our marriages.

I kind of think of it as something like this. The enemy has hit us hard, especially recently. There are cracks and breaks in our faith walls and our armor. We can't just toss a prayer here and there and hope it fills the gaps as if we were just tossing handfuls of cement at a broken wall, hoping they would land where they needed to and create a new structure. God wants us to be intentional as we stand strong and firm, and rebuild and repair. Then we are strong in Him and protected as He calls us to where He wants us to serve. It's hard to serve Him confidently when we are vulnerable to the enemies attacks, and one way I have found that enemy works is to bring such chaos into our lives that we even our prayer lives begin to feel chaotic and ineffective. THAT is what we are re-establishing! 

So let's continue shoring up our walls, SUMites! If you haven't read part one yet, scroll down and then come back and read part two. 

then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows. — Nehemiah 4:13

When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. Nehemiah 4:15-16

At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” — Nehemiah 4:20

For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “ They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. — Nehemiah 6:9

Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10

The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing. — Nehemiah 8:17

While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. — Nehemiah 9:3

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, “Arise, bless the Lord your God forever and ever! O may Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise! — Nehemiah 9:5

“You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, And You told them to enter in order to possess The land which You swore to give them." — Nehemiah 9:15

My friends, I hope you are seeing the promises here. Yes, we are in a battle but God is fighting for us! He is giving us such joy for strength. He intends for us to rejoice in our victory because He has ordained that we will succeed wherever He is calling us. And we will be fully equipped as we intentionally do our part to pray and stand firm.

I will stop here and finish this on Monday (be sure to come back tomorrow for weekend worship though!). Oh my friends, God’s mercies are new each morning and His promises are forever and for us!

Lord, we claim every promise You are giving us! Thank you for your great faithfulness. We love you!

I love you all so much, my dear friends! So very, very much! And I am praying and rooting for you! Let's share our prayers and hearts in the comments.
Dineen

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One of my major areas is a medication I have to take daily. It’s expensive. Each time my refill has come up I’ve prayed for God to help us find a way to pay for it. So far it’s been okay but still tight. We have muddled through.

Except for this time. Again, I found myself praying Wednesday night for God to provide the $80 I needed to pay for this month’s supply (thankfully health insurance has kicked in and brought down from over $600). And I prayed again the next morning during my walk (prayed for a fresh outpour of the Holy Spirit over our SUMite community too so look out!).

As I got to my house I remembered I hadn’t gotten the mail the day before. I brought it in and began going through its meager, junk mail offerings and found what I thought was a bill from our car insurance company. If you guessed it wasn’t a bill, you’re right. It was a refund.

For $80.11.

I was so overcome I broke into tears, praising and thanking God. I just had to tell Lynn (she’s been a mighty prayer warrior by my side in this) and was overcome with tears again and couldn’t speak! I scared the poor woman! LOL!

My precious SUMites, today I want you to share your testimonies of how God has supplied a need for you in such a way that you have no doubt it was Him. These testimonies are powerful and so uplifting. They strengthen our faith too. So share away and let’s give God glory today!

And thank you for all the prayers you have prayed on my behalf. Love you all so dearly, my friends!
Dineen
(P.S. I stepped out in faith and shared this with my husband too. Go, God, Go!)

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Good Monday Morning My Sumites!!

I arrived home this weekend after a few days of fishing in the California mountains. Yep, my daughter and I went fishing. We had a great time minus an almost visit to the ER when my daughter was ill. I prayed for her and so did many of you who are on our 1P3 loop. Thank you. God showed up. She felt better almost immediately... All was right with the world.

Below find photos from our adventure. I offer you a glimpse into an ordinary woman's life. An ordinary gal who is in love with an extraordinary God. Being in the mountains was like looking into the face of God at every turn. I glimpsed unmatched beauty in His creation. I inhaled deeply the gentle aroma of dawn (like the aroma of heaven) as I sat on a rock and read my Bible every morning. It was beautiful, peaceful and restful.

Now I'm home and I'm fired up wanting to stir up the Holy Spirit among our community, our homes and our world. So get ready because on Friday I'm going to talk about something deeply sensitive and we need to work through this particular issue together.

The following photos were from the Kern River and from the Sequoia Nation Forrest where we visited the 100 redwood giants. These trees are approximately 1500 years old and were simply astonishing. Thank you for allowing me time away. Thank you for loving me. Hugs, Lynn

Such Beauty. This photo is my screen saver.

The deer who came up behind me while I sat on a rock and read my Bible on Tuesday morning.

Crazy Kayakers... They were a hoot!!

Giant sequoias are slightly shorter than the coastal redwoods, more massive, and considered to be the largest tree in the world in terms of volume. The largest sequoia and the biggest living organism on earth is the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, which stretches 275 feet high and 36.5 feet in diameter.

You could throw a small party inside the trunks of some of these living trees. Astonishing!

On Friday, September 30, 2011, two giant sequoia trees fell side by side across several portions of the Trail. The two sequoias, joined together at the base, were approximately 280 feet tall and have a combined diameter of approximately 17 feet near the root ball. Caitie and I climbed up and walked the length. (Don't tell the Forrest Service *grin*) This is Caitie on the top of one of the fallen trees. Give you perspective.

We had a blast!

Some other interesting sights:

Yep, It's Caitie looking out from inside this living tree.

I love finding the unexpected.

I can't even begin to explain what this is or how it was formed in nature?????

Dinner!!! Sorry if I grossed you out!

Mountain Bluebells

I truly appreciate and give thanks to God that I was allowed to see His majesty and experience His Presence in such unsurpassed beauty of His creation. 

Have an amazing week. And I will see you all on our Facebook Page and here again on Friday. Hugs, Lynn 

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we ARE healed. 

They beat him. They pierced his body. They brutalized him and hung him on a cross. Then they watched him die.

They shamed him. Then they watched him die.

All because of me. 

And he took it. 

All because of me.

I am so convicted when I think of the cost of his love. I am just so convicted... 

But ya'll! Look at the emphasis in the verse. Just look at it. All the abuse Christ took, all the pain he bore, is in the past. It. Is. Finished. Finished. All done. Never to be done again. There is no need, because when my Jesus hung his head on that cross and died, he finished it for all eternity. 

The moment he died, he saved me. He saved you! Because he bore our pain, our shame, our torment, we are continually redeemed. We ARE healed. Are, as in, "in the present state of". It will never be taken from us, the gift of constant pardon from our overwhelming humanity... 

I type this and I am so frustrated because my words fail me. I cannot possibly convey the enormity of what Christ gave us that day on Calvary. My heart just wants to shout - one of those old down home black Baptist church shouts *grins*! And really. If anything is worth a shout, the fact that someone who didn't have to, paid for my mess - and then loved me after it - sure should be. Oh ya'll... As SUMites, this should resonate deeply and convict us beyond explanation. 

Ya'll... 

Tetelestai. It is finished. 

Lord,

I don't know what to say. I don't even know how to come to You right now. How could you ever have loved me so? How could you ever have been so passionate for me? Thank you Lord that it is finished. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

*insert church-lady shout here* :-) 

Love you.
Ro

He and I worked to clean up the rest of the pots and pans, unaware that our two daughters and their sweeties sat at the dining room table, hooked into an action packed game of Catch Phrase.

Only when we’d finished our clean-up did we become fully aware of the momentous scene playing out.

How many years had I prayed and dreamed of such a day? For my two daughters to not just get along (with four years between them they often struggled to connect) but hang out and enjoy each other’s company? To one day see them with them as adults moving into their lives and witness the fruit of so many prayers?

I’m so glad I didn’t miss this moment, my friends, because even as I sat there, I knew this was a gift. A moment to ponder and hold in my heart, much like Mary did as she heard the shepherds and wise men sing the praises of the tiny babe she held close.

My husband and I whipped out our phones and snapped some shots to capture this moment because even he knew this time was special. To my chagrin, he even took a few pictures of me because “I looked so beautiful.”

I know without a doubt what he saw was my joy in the Lord for this time, for this rich blessing, for this sweet “kiss” from God telling me He’d heard every prayer and what I now saw was the promise of what was to come.

Love abounded. Great love. Great joy. A Great God.

Part of walking in God’s presence is staying aware of moments like these and staying in them. Right there, right in the moment. I could only sit on our couch and watch, soaking in every bit of it.

As we enter this Christmas season already full of events and family visits, it’s easy to miss special moments in the chaos so prevalent this time of year but therein may lay some of our greatest gifts of the season! Here’s what I learned last year in my determination to have an “Intentional Christmas:”

Intentional Choice #1: Reject the chaos. Decide how many “things” you and your family realistically have time for, pick a number and stick with it. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Sometimes last minute “things” come up so do be flexible but factor in margins to accommodate those sudden events so that your plans aren’t totally thrown off. Spontaneity can visit but don’t let her roost.

Intentional Choice #2: Choose specifically. Which events and activities do you and your family want to partake in? Which relationships do you feel the need to invest more time in this year? Even make time for rest in your schedule. Have a super busy day planned? Make the next day one of rest and relaxation. Make it a Christmas movie day, a time to read stories and just enjoy each other.

Intentional Choice #3: Release expectations. We often walk into the holidays with unrealistic expectations. We can’t control everything. Let go of unrealistic expectations of yourself, your husband, your immediate family, your extended family, of others and even of situations that serve only to create conflict and resentment. Let’s face the reality that the Christmas season can bring the best and worst out of us. Extend lots of grace and enjoy those moments when things just seem to fall into place and go smoothly. Be Mary and give Martha the season off. Moments with loved ones are way more important than making sure all your dishes match. Take this from someone who knows (wink).

Intentional Choice #4: Accept whatever comes. Not as a passive gesture but as a willingness to let God surprise you. This is where not just the good stuff happens but the great stuff. Don’t miss a moment of it. Cover yourself and your family in prayer for God’s love to abound and bring His blessings in the most unexpected places. Look for opportunities to bless your family, your friends and even a stranger here and there. This is where we find true joy and share it with the world!

I’ll end here with a wonderful moment right from the Bible:

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. — Luke 2:16-19

Let’s ponder those moments of the heart together!
Dineen

Hello Dineen & Lynn! 

I don't know if you remember me writing you asking for prayer regarding my marriage, it's been few months. I just wanted to say I am so thankful for all your prayers and support and blogs of encouragement and direction that helped me so much during my time of need. 

I have fought for my marriage through prayer and God's word. I am just amazed at all that I went through and was able to come this far through the grace of Jesus and support from everyone like you. In July my husband was saying he was still leaving me for another woman and that he COULDN'T love me anymore. I pressed on in God's word. 

During this time I became more aware of the demonic presence that was acting through my husband to destroy our marriage. I became bolder. One night coming home from my prayer meeting, as my husband came to bed, I could feel the thing creep into our room, I started to feel fear and anxiety and the pure evil move over my husband and try to creep over to me. I shouted out Stop! LEAVE ME ALONE IN THE NAME OF JESUS! I literally felt it creep back through my husband and start to leave. At that point I felt as though angels entered my room and removed it. I have not had an ordeal since then. My daughter previously had started having dreams of an evil presence to this also, which is why I became angry and bold. At the beginning of August. I was praising God for being God and doing all that He said He would do. I began to see an image I could not dismiss.  It was an image of a very angry and disgruntled demon being removed by four angels. I believed at that point I was experiencing the deliverance of my marriage. 

A week later my husband said he was not leaving. 

The Lord had told me that 17 would represent my victory. Our 17th anniversary was Sept 24th. My husband did not acknowledge our anniversary but I kept going in prayer. A week later he told me he was no longer talking to the other woman. It has still been a step by step process, as God has continued the healing and deliverance process not only for my marriage but for us as individuals. He gave me a verse a few weeks ago that said He was going to remove the oppression and the aggressor would be no more in my land. It has been awesome as He has begun removing all strongholds of the past and restoring all areas of my life and family (including mother, brothers, and sister). 

I have such a huge testimony and so much new knowledge!  You wrote once that one problem is many people don't want to fight for their marriage. I am so glad I withstood the horrible things that my husband did and said. God's glory has shone through all the circumstances. 

God said He was faithful.  He was. He said He was going to give me new life, new joy, and new memories. He is! He is totally working a new foundation for me and my family. I am so thankful, and so grateful! 

It also took learning to walk in unconditional love. The love of God really does conquer all. I really am standing in awe. Thank you for writing your book and sharing your wisdom and experiences. Thank you for your blogs. Thank you for all our prayer support! I pray for continued blessings and protection over you and your family! 

Happy Thanksgiving with lots of love!!!
Rachael Foushee
Always a daydreamer, always a believer!

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Dineen and I bring each of you our friends before the Lord today and we give thanks. We are thankful for your friendship, your trust and mostly that you are part of our lives. We are thankful that you are living to thrive in your spiritually mismatched marriage. We give thanks that you love Jesus and are seeking Him with all of your heart. 

We are thankful that Jesus chose us, chose you before the world began. 

We are thankful. 

Lord we give you all praise, honor and glory. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

We are thankful for the amazing love you have shown to the Nepali people. We are thankful that we raised nearly a $1,000 through small donations. So many of you gave and I promise you it will have a lasting impact on the Kingdom. 

So today on this day marked specifically in the US to give thanks, we are sooooo thankful. 

And to Jennifer, Karen, Morag, Heather, Laura, Kathy, Dragan, Janet, Sherry, and Danielle, I have prayed this prayer over you. I BELIEVE it for you. I ask you to watch now what God will do in you: Pray along with me. 

As we received these offerings we are believing our Father for: 

Jobs and Better jobs
Benefits sales and commissions
Estates and inheritances
Gifts and surprises
Debts paid off
Blessings and increase
Raises and bonuses
Favorable settlements
Interest and income
Checks in the mail
Finding money
Expenses decrease 

Thank you Father for meeting all of my financial needs that I may have more than enough to give into the Kingdom of God and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah! * 

Now I want to leave you with a message from Lisa who started our miracle mission. 

Here's a thank you for your "bless my socks off" community.   Oh my goodness, if they only knew how often I think of them and pray for them! Thank you, Lynn, for bringing this family of believers into my life. I have been sooo blessed by you and by them!!   ~Lisa  

For those of you who have cheerfully contributed toward the purchase of the mosquito nets, a mere "thank you" falls so far short of what's really in my heart! You have never seen the faces of those who will receive your gift of love. You haven't walked their village paths or stepped into the doorway of their mud homes. You've not drank from their tea cups or eaten from their rice bowls. You've not held their callused hands or listened to their life's story. You don't know these people and they don't know you. And yet, because you know that Jesus loves them, you have loved them also. THAT is true Christianity! My "thank you" is immeasurably less than our Lord will give, but please accept my sincere "thank you, thank you, thank you!" and know that I am deeply moved by your great love and generosity. As Christmas draws closer, I'm continually imagining how AWESOME it's going to be for each family to receive their very first Christmas present...one more "kiss" from the Lord, whose eyes are always on them and knows their every need. 

Oh Father, Giver of all good things...Abraham could no more count the stars in the sky than we can count the blessings that you have poured out onto us. And now Lord, you have brought to our attention a beautiful way in which to bless others. Thank you for entrusting us with this plan of yours and for imparting such joy into our hearts as we have given! Truly, it is more blessed to give than to receive. May your love be entwined in each net, bringing help and hope to each family who receives one. And may your hand of favor rest on each of us and each of them as we anxiously await the time when we will encircle your throne and worship you together with united heart and voice!! 

*Bethel Church

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My friends......

SAY WHAT?

Over $800 so fare for our miracle Christmas present to the Nepali Villagers. And think about it. The most anyone could give was $15. I just want to cry. Please know that I have taken you with me to the throne of grace asking for your blessing and breakthrough and increase. 

Today I want to share with you a video of Lisa and one of her close friends, she calls her Neapli brother, Rubin. Rubin serves the new Christian church in these villages. 

I pray you are delighted. Here are the words. 

Chaina Chaina Chaina kehi chaina (nothing nothing nothing...there is nothing)
Mero munma kehi chaina (there is nothing in my heart...) 2x
Yeshu bahaek mero munma (...nothing but Jesus in my heart...)
Aru kehi chaina (there is nothing else)
Aru kehi chaina (nothing else) 

The bridge is different every time. Ruben would sing about other things in a person's life, and I would respond by saying, "Chaina"...meaning "no" each time. The song goes on like this for a few things (basically saying "no" to all things except living for the Lord) and then it goes back to the chorus.

And to Audrey, Courtney, Heather, Judy, Christy, Kathy, Julie, Morgan, Michelle, Susanne, Corinne, Carol, Janell, Rosemarie, Kindra, Tisha, Kimberly and Briana, 

I have prayed this prayer over you. I BELIEVE it for you. I ask you to watch now what God will do in you: Pray along with me. 

As we received these offerings we are believing our Father for:

Jobs and Better jobs
Benefits sales and commissions
Estates and inheritances
Gifts and surprises
Debts paid off
Blessings and increase
Raises and bonuses
Favorable settlements
Interest and income
Checks in the mail
Finding money
Expenses decrease 

Thank you Father for meeting all of my financial needs that I may have more than enough to give into the Kingdom of God and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah! * 

Thanksgiving Day we will shut down the donate buttons for this miracle. And stop back in on that day as Lisa has a special note just for you. Hugs, Lynn

Ask God about this. Ask Him if you are to be part of this love offering. You can give $5, or $10 or $15. But no more than $15. All of us must be part of this love in motion. And if you can’t give, it is absolutely OKAY… Really, really okay. But, if God moved your heart, then get your card out and click over to our Paypall account.

This is the $5

This is the $15.

As I was reading the Word this morning, I read this passage below. And in that instant God said to me, “Lynn, this is for all of you who I have laid upon your heart my people in the Nepali villages. Share this will them and give them hope and tell them how much their gifts have brought joy to my heart and a smile to my face.” 

Whoa! 

Here is the passage: 

Hebrews 10:23-24 NLT 

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

My friends, the greatest gift we have received is hope. Our hope that God CAN be TRUSTED to keep his Promises. And out of our great hope follows our joy which becomes ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

Listen to me now. 

This passage has come to life in this community over the past week. Dineen and I had no idea how this miracle would go or what would happen. We have never taken a love offering. You again have showing your hearts and we have prayed for each of you. 

So far we have raised enough for 50 nets. That’s 50 villagers’ homes that will be safe at night from the Malaria carrying mosquitos. 

THANK YOU! 

My friends, for those who still want to be part of this very first Christmas present, it’s not too late. Here is the Miracle Article. Hop over there and read about it. And if you can’t give, absolutely no guilt. This is a joyous sheer gift out of the Holy Spirit motivation and not from guilt. 

Here are the buttons. And on Monday, November 19, we will be bringing honor to God for the gifts and I giant thank you to all who have made this miracle happen.

Ask God about this. Ask Him if you are to be part of this love offering. You can give $5, or $10 or $15. But no more than $15. All of us must be part of this love in motion. And if you can’t give, it is absolutely OKAY… Really, really okay. But, if God moved your heart, then get your card out and click over to our Paypall account.

This is the $5

This is the $15.

Now to Dineen, Briana, Jewel, Noreen, Dionce, Martha, Ginna, Elizabeth, Theresa, Naomi, Rosalina, Sabrina, Marlene, Bridget, Kelly, Dorothy, Cheryl, Bethany, Kimberly, Karen, Stacey, Jennifer, Alyson, Suzanne, Nancy, Laura, Jere, Ashley, Elissa, Teresa, Rachel, Eva, Nancy, Juliane, Marian, Courtney, Deborah, Gillian, Brenda, Megan, Staci, Kristin, Kathryn, Alice, Lorraine, 

I have prayed this prayer over you. I BELIEVE it for you. I ask you to watch now what God will do in you: Pray along with me. 

As we received these offerings we are believing our Father for:

Jobs and Better jobs
Benefits sales and commissions
Estates and inheritances
Gifts and surprises
Debts paid off
Blessings and increase
Raises and bonuses
Favorable settlements
Interest and income
Checks in the mail
Finding money
Expenses decrease 

Thank you Father for meeting all of my financial needs that I may have more than enough to give into the Kingdom of God and promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah! * 

Now here is the end of the passage I read this morning. It is so fitting for our community: 

Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. 

Don’t stop meeting here in this online community because miracle-upon-miracle awaits and God is so anxious to show them all to us. 

Let God’s Kingdom reign on earth, in our homes, in the Nepali Villages, as it is in heaven. LOVE YOU, Lynn 

*Bethel Church 

It’s never too late to start a new tradition in your home, especially one which brings honor to the Lord. I have a story to share and a photo. I also want to give you a chance to share some of your holiday traditions or giggles.

Join in today and share a Thanksgiving holiday tradition from your home or share a funny holiday hiccup.

I will share with you that like many newly married young women, I didn’t realize the turkey was stuffed with bagged giblets. Yep, I cook the turkey with the plastic bag and the giblets still inside. We ate it anyway.

Also, three years ago, I set the oven on fire when I moved the giant bird around. I freaked out. My husband came running. The house was crazy, people were yelling, crying and freaking… Perhaps it was only me doing the yelling, crying and freaking. My calm man put the flames out and to this day, I don’t know how he did it because we didn’t own a fire extinguisher.

The next morning I rose before dawn and went shopping at The Home Depot. NO NOT FOR CHRISTMAS… For a fire extinguisher. And now, every year BEFORE I bake the turkey, I check to make sure the extinguisher is charged and ready.

Sheesh!

Today, I'm sharing one of my most favorite family traditions. Here is a post I wrote five years ago for the Internet Cafe. Hope you start a family tradition this year. It's NEVER too late to have a Tablecloth of Thanks.

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 poured into our lives. 

Like most wives living in an unequally yoked marriage, I long for my spouse to understand there is a God. To know He is intricately involved in our lives and everything we have is provision of our creator. I have also learned that forcing God upon my husband is a surefire way to push him away. I am careful to respect my husband and simply trust Jesus to reach him in his perfect timing. 

In spite of my husband’s unbelief, I discovered a unique way to draw him into the celebration of thanks, besides through his stomach. He loves turkey. 

Four years ago, I threw a new, pristine-white tablecloth across our dinning room table two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. I purchased several colored pens and placed them on top. A new tradition was born, a Tablecloth of Thanks. It began with my daughter. I told her, “I WANT you to write on this tablecloth.” She looked at me with skepticism in her eyes, wondering if her mother had lost her mind. 

“Really,” my smiled reassured. “Write down what you are most thankful for this year. Then write the year, 2004, near your name.” 

She grinned and began to write using several different colors. I joined in and wrote my thanks directly on the beautiful tablecloth. 

Later that evening my husband noticed the scribbles on the tablecloth. I watched as he walked over to read our words. I walked to his side and took his hand. I subtly asked him if he would also write down his thanks. He smiled and said maybe later. 

Finally on the evening of Thanksgiving Day, my husband picked up a pen and wrote; I am thankful for my wonderful family, great friends, and a very happy life. 

Wow! Was he giving thanks to our Lord? I am not sure. However, every year since he has continued to write a thankful list. Last year’s entry reads; I am thankful for all of my blessings…family, friends, and the dogs. 

What? Did he use the word blessings? Small steps such as these lead to the Savior. I can’t wait to read his thankful list this year. 

The Thankful Tablecloth is one of my most prized possessions. Everyone who visits our home during the Thanksgiving holiday contributes to this permanent memorial of thanks. It is a visible praise to the King displayed in our unequally yoked home each November. 

One of my favorite thanks is this: 

2006
I am thankful
to be able to sit
on the couch and have
my people pet me.
Peanut 

Hmmmm, I wonder how the dog grew fingers and learned to write???? 

Psalm 69:30 (NIV)
I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Lord God, I will name my blessings one-by-one….. Jesus… eternal life…. clean water to drink…..capacity to love…..empowerment to forgive….. just for a start….. 

It is never too late to start a new tradition. If you want to start your Tablecloth of Thanks, I have a few helpful hints.

1. Place a sheet of butcher paper under your tablecloth. (I have a permanent smiley face on my dinning room table from the year 2005)
2. Use colorfast fabric pens.
3. Store your tablecloth in an airtight Ziploc bag. 

Thank you my friends for sharing this Holiday treasure with me. I wish you were with me today and could share your thankful heart on the Tablecloth of Thanks.

Every once in a while we give thanks on Thursdays here at SUM. And considering all that transpired in the past few days, Dineen and I have so much in which to be thankful.

As I think over the opportunities we had to reach out to people who are unequally yoked, I'm undone. Let me just share just a few of the miracles and praises. Please celebrate with us.

From the Forum on Tuesday at Focus Communities: Hello Ladies, my name is Mark and I heard the announcement about this FOTF program while on the way to pay for a divorce with my wife....... The Lord stayed my hand on divorce yesterday, so I know He's up to something.

From 1 Peter 3 Living: Gill ~My mom was married to an unbeliever for 19 years. She prayed and prayed of course, but she didn't push, just lived her quiet example. In 1999 we were at a baptism or a first communion celebration for some family friends and for the first time in years he went up for communion, and when he came back and knelt down beside her she could tell he was really praying. A week or so later he had a stroke and died 2 days later.

With God, as long as our spouse is alive there is time, there is hope!

From Facebook: Tisha ~I realize now that I can do this, that I am not alone, and my faith has been strengthened by letting the truth sink in that my God will never forsake me, no matter what circumstances I find myself in. I also have renewed hope that my marriage can be everything I have always dreamed it could be, and that I TRULY need to get out of the way, not just say it, but do it!

From the comments: Brenda ~ I want to be sure to give God all the glory for turning my life around when He did... the light dawned for me that IT'S OK TO STAY WITH MY HUSBAND! IT'S OK TO HAVE A HAPPY MARRIAGE! IT"S OK TO GO TO CHURCH ALONE!

Juliane ~  I left a little later for work today and caught FOTF in its entirety. I cried all the way to work. I believe the message you both delivered today was God's way of telling me that there is always hope and that I am never alone with Him. Thank you for sharing your story!

CamDon ~ Hearing you guys on FOTF this morning gave me hope and reminded that we serve an amazing God that has everything planned out. Like one of you ladies said this morning, "God does NOT need our help" That simple phrase convicted and humbled me at the same time! I just wanted to say thanks for being obedient to God and giving a woman like me hope!

From email: Dave ~ I just wanted to thank you for articulating so well what many of us in unequally yoked marriages feel and, more importantly, reminding us that God still has a plan for us, our spouses and our children.

My friends, Dineen and I are in the trenches with you. We are only servants. But we are servants of the MOST HIGH God and His son, Jesus. It's all about our Lord. Every word of honor belongs to Him.

Giving thanks and praising our Lord can change everything. 

What are you thankful for today?

And tune in tomorrow because a few days ago when I was out on my walk and pray God gave me a question to ask every single one of us who is in an unequally yoked marriage. Your answer to this single question will determine what God will do in your marriage. Stay tuned.

Be blessed and let's storm heaven's gates with praises. Lynn 

My Friend Celia,  

Dearest Celia, Romans 10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

God is a mystery and we will never fully understand or know everything about him. Even in heaven, we will continually discover new facets of His love, grace, and character. And I am truly thankful that we don’t have God all figured out.  

If we did, how bland and ordinary life would be. How utterly boring. 

Living life with God is anything but boring. We, the CHOSEN, live an everyday adventure. It’s often scary, many times uncertain; we face seemingly insurmountable odds in our struggles, and fight against demons and every sort of evil. 

But we live. 

We live; fully-alive, 3D, full-color, spectacular, even supernatural lives. 

I am an ordinary woman Celia, who has an ugly past, have hurt many, have felt pain just like you. But just like you I decided one day to seek God with an earnest heart. And I found Him. 

Celia, you will never have answers to all of your questions, this side of heaven. And God is intentional to remain somewhat of a mystery to us mere mortals. That is what Faith is all about. Belief. Not science or religion. 

Faith is more precious than gold and it is the only thing we possess as humans that we can offer to God. It is our love and relationship that we freely give and receive from God. 

When we take that singular step of faith and earnestly believe, God will join us.

• And slowly, over time, you will discover you can face your past and live in triumph. 
• You can forgive what you once through impossible to get over. 
• You will find an authentic joy in your everyday living. 
• You will see the miraculous. 
• You will be astounded by His protection. 
• You will see prayer answered in such an extravagant and unexpected way you will fall to your knees and weep. 
• You will experience the supernatural. 
• You will hear God speak to you, words of love, wisdom, direction and affirmation. 
• Your fears will subside. 
• Your insecurity fade. 
• Your confidence rise. 
• Your countenance change. 

You will be transformed. 

You will encounter the love of God and His presence that surrounds you in such a powerful way that you feel like you just touched heaven. 

O Celia, say goodbye to your doubts, look at the people who love God and be assured. We are His trophies, living proof, that God is real, powerful, full of love and righteousness. 

Today is the day Celia. Today is YOUR day. Decide now and forever, to step into the astonishing, amazing and eternal Kingdom of the Most High God. And live for 

El Shaddai, God Almighty, and his reigning son, Jesus.

Be blessed my sister, Lynn 

Celia, I also want to answer your question, Why do bad things happen to good people, in a future post. I’ve asked a pastor to help me with that one. I hope to share that with you in the near future. Thank you for sharing your heart, your honest thoughts and your life. It’s now up to you my friend. 

Celia, the path toward faith is this. Belief, reading God’s Word, prayer and community. Remain faithful to reading your Daily Bible and praying in your prayer journal. Become a weekly attender in a Bible teaching, Holy Spirit filled church. That is the path I followed and it leads to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit. 

It’s not complicated but it does require commitment and effort but living the abundant, believer’s life is OH SO WORTH IT. 

Okay everyone, what have you experienced with Christ that has affirmed your faith? Now is the time to proclaim what God has done, is doing, in the lives of His children? Leave your praise, your story, your testimony in the comments and let our God receive great praise.

To read all of Celia's questions and our replies, start here: Doubts About God.

Hi Everyone,

It's a bit late in the day to join Thankful Thursday but my heart and Dineen's heart overflows with gratitude. We thank our Lord for allowing us to share the hope we have for our unequally yoked marriages with the team and eventually the listeners of the radio program, Focus on the Family.

We arrived at the Focus campus yesterday and went straight into the recording session. We will share more at a later date. For today, Dineen and I want to offer praise to Jesus for this day and to thank our Lord for the community here at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

You are our eternal family and we love you very much. Lynn and Dineen

Gave me Holy Chill bumps.
(only 2 short minutes)

 Shut down distractions.

Turn on Speakers.

Be moved. 

So thankful this Christmas. So utterly thankful. Lynn 

Lynn and I hope you've enjoyed this week's Twitter stream of praises and truths. The above is a compilation of all of them. Just click and download it. It's our gift to you! Keep it on your computer, print it out and hang it up somewhere, or even insert copies in your Christmas cards this year as a gift to those you send it to. 

Christ came and died to give us these truths, to remember that through His birth and death, we are adopted, accepted, blessed, chosen, forgiven and redeemed (Ephesians 1). Let's ponder these wonderful truths right into Christmas and continue to give thanks to our Savior for giving us the greatest gift of all.

Himself.

Praying and believing, 
Dineen 

(SCROLL DOWN AND READ MORE)

Who are you this Thanksgiving? Share your praises, your thanks, your acknowledgement of who you are because of Christ in the comments.

If you Tweet your praises to #praiseatSUM you will be entered into a drawing for a gift basket:

• The Husband Project
• $25 Berean Gift Card
• Winning Him Without Words
• Prayer Journal
• Daily Bible
• Lunch or Skype with Dineen and/or Lynn

The more you tweet #PraiseatSUM the more you are entered.

So start tweeting your praises today. To join Twitter, click here. To sign up for Twitter via Smart Phone, see Instructions below, or click here. Let's show the world that the unequally yoked spouses are giving thanks to our Lord even in the midst of a spiritually mismatched marriage. 

We love all of you. Watch for our Tweets this week. Have a blessed and beautiful Thanksgiving. Lynn and Dineen.

To create your new Twitter account via your phone...

1. Send a text message to your Twitter shortcode (such as 40404 in the U.S.) with the word START.
2. Twitter will send you a reply and ask you to reply back with the word SIGNUP to create a new account. Send SIGNUP.
3. Next, Twitter will ask you to pick a username. Your username must be unique and less than 15 characters. Reply with the username you want (see below for advice on picking a username).
4. You will get a confirmation message when you pick a valid username (Twitter will tell you to pick a new name if someone else already has the username you wanted).
5. You're all set! Send a message and it will post as your first Tweet.

Football rages in the family room, the aroma of a roasting Bidzilla satisfies the kitchen, kids play outside, red cheeked and with hands frozen. Ahhhh, Thanksgiving.

This is my favorite traditional holiday of food, family and ……stress.

Read more at the Internet Cafe Devotions, Marriage Counter.

The predawn light slips through the window as I sleepily rub my eyes and wait for the coffee to trickle into the pot. The smell rises to fill my head with a smile. I pour in cream and shuffle to the drawer, withdraw my familiar and tattered Bible and the spiral binder below it.

All is quiet. The family slumbers. It’s peaceful.

The heat from the cup thaws out my hands as the warming air from the heater finally circulates. I sit on the couch under the lamp and slowly open the pages. The precious and powerful pages that literally saved my life, changed my heart and continue to do so. I turn to November. The pages are marked with familiar writing as through the years I’ve scribbled my thanks across the top.

November 19, 2007 Praying for wisdom that comes from heaven.

November 20, 2009 Mike received offer for employment after a year of no work. Thank you Lord!

November 22, 2004 Submitted article to magazine. Thank you Lord.

November 22, 2007 Thanksgiving Day. Thank you Lord for your boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again.

November 26, 2006 Thank you for the new blog.

November 27, 2003 Thanksgiving Day. My Jesus, salvation, my daughter, son, time off, our home, my husband….Lord, may this year be the year of Mike’s salvation.

The handwriting speaks softly to me of years gone by. Of markers of God’s provision, His love, His grace and His ever present love in my simple life. I step into the words on the page this November 24th, 2011 and thank Him for the rich blessing of another year, a book, a chance to share the hope I have with others, a family that is healthy and under the profound protection of God Almighty.

I read the first chapter of Daniel. I hear God calling me though this story to be a woman of courage, of integrity, of commitment and purpose to serve God alone and never to bow to idols of greed, gluttony, and self. In Peter chapter three, I’m met with such power I’m overwhelmed. It’s as if on this cold morning God is confirming once again to me to keep walking the walk, talking the talk, living it out in my heart and before my unbelieving spouse. Jesus died for sinners that he might bring them safely home to God (vs18).

I sip the coffee and little Peanut jumps up beside me. He paws the sleep from his eyes and waits for me.

I smile at him and give him a quick pat.

As I turn to my journal, I'm touched by the softness of the morning. And feeling the real presence of God, I fall on my knees and I offer thanks. I pray a prayer from the depths of my soul, filled and overflowing with thanks for what truly matters in this world.

O Lord Jesus, my Savior,

Step with me before the throne of grace this special morning and let me recount my blessings to our Father. Lord, You have guarded me with all the power of heaven this past year. You have kept me from evil and sheltered me from disaster. And not only that but Lord you have spoiled me. I know it all can be gone tomorrow and I don’t take all the luxuries You give for granted. I rejoice that you love me and delight in giving your children, this child, great gifts.

Father, thank you for my salvation, for knowing the truth that sets me free, for the healing you bring into lives and you allow me to see it, to be part of it. Thank you for sharing your Words with me. To bring me closer to you and conform me in the likeness of Jesus. Thank you for my husband, my children, my home, my church, my online sisters and brothers. You know how I dearly love and care for them.

Thank you that ……. I am chosen.

I am chosen. I am chosen. I am chosen. Thank you this day that we pause to give you proper gratitude. I love you Lord, Jesus my Savior and Spirit that binds us all. Your humble servant, Lynn

A teary shimmer rests on my lash. The room has grown lighter. Peanut is scratching for his breakfast in the kitchen and I hear a stirring in the distant bedroom. The house is awakening. A full day awaits but for this moment on this day of thanks, I spent time with my King.

And I experienced HIM.

THAT is a perfect Thanksgiving.

Lynn

Spend time with the King this Thanksgiving. It is truly special.