Unequally Yoked
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Reflections on Attending Church Alone
Dear friends, Ann here! Today I want to chat about one of our topics that is an old favorite: Attending church alone. I type this with a smile, but it's a wry smile. Whether or not we've got into a routine, I think most of us would say that Church-plus-SUM is super tricky! I shared…
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Top Three Tips for Thriving in a Spiritually Mismatched Marriage
Ann here! Today I had an interesting faith conversation with a man with whom I cross paths occasionally. I know him in a professional rather than social capacity, but whenever I see him we have a good chat. So, I'll call him a 'friend-acquaintance'. Anyway, today I saw him for the first time in a…
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Belief vs Unbelief: The Power of Free Will
Hi friends, Ann here! I've been thinking lately about the topic of belief vs. unbelief, and all the different spiritual ingredients that go into that. Like many of you, I have a mixture of believers and unbelievers in my life, and often look at those who don't believe and wonder what is going on there. …
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The Soul Redeemer – A Note From Dineen Miller
Hello SUMITES! I’m thrilled to be here today! I’ve missed you dearly and it’s been so wonderful to continue to watch this community grow under Ann’s wonderful leadership. When Lynn asked me to share my newest book release, I was overjoyed, because it’s the conclusion to Lexie and Hugh’s story. When I wrote The Soul…
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When a Spouse Leaves the Faith — Part 3
Hi friends, Ann here! When a spouse leaves the faith — part 1 When spouse leaves the faith – part 2 I’d like to thank those SUMites whose stories have helped inform the last two posts on this topic. It is an intensely difficult path. The grief of a lost shared faith in marriage is…
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When a Spouse Leaves the Faith — Part 2
Ann here again! When a spouse leaves the faith, Part 1 Today we're going to continue with the above topic, and I thought I would start with a little story: Last year, I attended a ministry conference. We were a small group, perhaps 100 in the room, and Auckland is a small place so we…
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When A Spouse Leaves Their Faith — Part 1
Ann here! Today I want to talk about a path that is walked by so many here, and it's a really difficult one: ‘When a Spouse Leaves the Faith’. In our community we have many a story to tell about how we found ourselves in a SUM. In my case, for example, I was far…
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On Shedding the ‘Unequally Yoked’ Badge
Hello friends, Ann here! It's been a couple of weeks since I last wrote, but in my last post I shared a story from our archives where the Holy Spirit had given us a caution about using the ‘unequally yoked’ label too much. To catch up, you can read that post here. Today I'm interested…
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THIS MAY STING! Sorry… Ahem, not sorry????
So, ya….. This post may sting. This is an area that I have confronted over and over again throughout my life. How do we walk through life and handle the disappointments, the let downs, the betrayals without slipping down the slippery slope into the dark abyss of bitterness? My friends, I’m telling you, this sly…
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Taking Off the Badge
Hi friends, Ann here! We’re currently looking at past words that God has spoken to our community. To catch up, here are the recent posts: Part one – 'Museum of SUM' Part two – 'God is Calling our Spouses' Now, this next word I’m going to share is one where the Lord gave us an…
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How to Pray Psalm 91 For Your Children’s School
Praying Psalm 91 by Vidya Rodney Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every…
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Our Summer Study: It’s a Wrap!
Hello friends, Ann here. Today I wanted to write a final word on our Summer Study to properly wrap it up. We’ve spent the last few posts looking at Jesus and the Church as the ultimate spiritual mismatch. And prior to that we raced through so many Bible characters. I hope you enjoyed it as…
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Jesus and the Church: The Ultimate Marriage Story
Hi friends, Ann here! I hope you've enjoyed our race through different Bible marriages this summer. We had much to look at and there were some marriages we didn’t even cover, such as Hosea's. Alas, summer is nearly over. In the middle of this summer study I received a message from one of our friends,…
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Nabal, Abigail, and David -SUMITES in the Bible- Summer Bible Study
We left our story in 1 Samuel 25 with Abigail meeting David with provisions and a great big “SORRY.” Whew, that sorry and the honor she bestowed upon David saved probably more than 100 people from bloodshed. (verse 33 & 34) She went home and arrived to ANOTHER drunken banquet. – Ugh! Abigale was likely…
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Who Is Abigail? SUMites of the Bible Summer Study
Todays passage, 1 Samuel 25. Abigail was married to a wicked, unbeliever, Nabal (Hebrew name means mean, base, vile, unbeliever) who denied support to the future King of Israel. And if you read through 1 Samuel 25 again today, you will notice how much this woman was a woman of deep faith. And just as…
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Here’s One For the History Books – Literally- SUMites in the Bible
SUMers, I could write for days about 1 Samuel, chapter 25. Whoa. There is so much in here. So, get a cup, sit down, strap in, and hold on as we jump in and learn from God’s Word. Hallelujah! PLEASE go read the chapter, click here for the NIV version. I’m going to be teaching…
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From A Black Friend to My White Friends
SUMites, We need to chat. I realize that we don’t often take on social issues here at SUM as we are trying to focus on our marriages. However, I know that so much of my marriage discord would rise to the surface because of the social climate, politics, and religion. So, today, I am compelled…
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To Cherish …
Hi friends, Ann here! The other day I noticed something new about marriage in scripture. It was like a big flashing light-bulb going off in my mind, so I thought I’d share it. See what you think of this: In the Bible there are a few key scriptures about marriage, as we know. But what…
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SUM and a Donovan Clan Update
Hi SUM Nation, It’s time for a Donovan Clan update. And well, it’s difficult to share that my amazing husband is still diligently job searching. It’s interesting that when your older, finding gainful employment becomes more challenging. Hmmmm. And believe me I’ve done so much praying about all of it. I’m convinced I’ve heard the…
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Be Like Nehemiah: Rise up and Rebuild
Come with me to the first chapter of Nehemiah, and let’s listen in on a conversation Nehemiah is having with his Jewish friends. “How are the Jews getting along who have returned to Jerusalem from their Babylonian Exile?” “Well, things are not good; the wall of Jerusalem is still torn down, and the gates are…
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Marriage Devotion – Patty Tower
Forgiving My Spouse Forgiveness is not just an act we do for someone else, it is more so an act we do for ourselves. Unforgiveness harbors resentment, bitterness, anger, and negativity. When we harbor these emotions, the act of portraying love faints away. Is that what I want for my marriage? I thought about what…