What? Me change? and more...

Hi! Ian here. I trust all of you in the northern hemisphere have enjoyed a glorious summer season and managed to get away to enjoy some rest and relaxation.

Spring has certainly sprung here in Sydney, even though winter is trying this week to remind us that maybe there’s still some cold around the corner.

Change

We SUMites pray and hope our pre-believing partners will change and come to find the Lord. We often, especially in the early years invite our partners to join us at church, meeting Christian friends, etc in the hope these will assist them in their discovery process.

Two things I’ve learnt over almost thirty years together with my wonderful wife, Fiona, is:

• God is responsible for our partners coming to him. He has them in his very trusty hands. Yes, our prayers are important and having our partners share in our friendships, and such is very positive for them and your relationship.
• Expecting our partners to be the only one who changes is flawed thinking. We too need to change. Think of it as setting an example.

Transformation is a better word

Standing still in a relationship isn’t generally a positive thing. Whether that’s with a spouse, a friendship, sibling and of course our Lord. All relationships require positive momentum if they are to survive and thrive. There are mountains of books and such that will affirm such.

As partakes our relationship with the Lord, once again, he is responsible for the transforming, he does it, not us. We simply choose each day to abide with him and position ourselves so he can do the work in us.

Remember those words in John 15:

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (v 4-7 NIV)

I’ve highlighted two phrases that keep convicting me:

• ‘for apart from me you can do nothing’

Yes, we can do lots of things but anything of heavenly consequence doesn’t count for much if we do it without abiding with him.

• ‘And my words abide in you’

I’ve recently appreciated how slack I’ve been in the old-fashioned practice of memorising Scripture, so I’ve started it again. Funnily, it coincided with my church doing similar in our current prayer season. I’m loving it. I use my morning walk to recall me memory verses. My chemo fogged up brain makes everything a bit slower but I know it’s good for me and helps in my abiding with Jesus.

The effects of memorising Scripture is it gets inside and transforms us. “For the Word of God is alive and active …” (Hebrews 4:12). It’s supernatural and the more we have it chewing around inside us, the more God’s Word grabs our hearts and minds to change us.

And maybe our partners take note that there is something going on inside us as the Word bubbles around and transforms some of the things we say, giving us more patience, greater willingness to forgive and greater kindness. Yes, this doesn’t happen overnight but over time, perhaps a long time as is God’s way, and our relationships deepen as one possible outcome.

If you haven’t tried memorising Scripture or it’s been a while, start small. Take your favourite verses, write them down and take as long as you need before moving on to another verse. Try it. See how you go and give yourself lots of grace. Don’t let it become a chore or burden. Try to enjoy it and celebrate the little wins like recalling that first verse you try and then the next one.

Let us know how you go.

Who amongst us already has a regular memorisation habit? Love you to share a little about your experience. What works, doesn’t work and what transformation you’ve seen in yourself as a result. And whether anyone else noticed those things.

Go well, dear SUMites.

HALLELUJAH

For the past two weeks I’ve been unable to login to the site and write a post. I’ve missed all of you so much.

Let’s have an update. Because of my technical issues with the host site, we missed our timeline to finish the Healthy Relationships posts, and I missed the start of the fall Bible study. Perhaps it’s for the best.

I would like to actually draw your attention to something I believe is more important today. This Friday is Rosh Hashanah. If yo have been a reader here for a while, you know that I have shared how much this season reflects changes in my life over the years.

Here is what you need to know. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish calendar New Year. I’m convinced

I believe God doesn’t change and He views this day as a start of His year and timeline. Year-upon-year I’ve watched many things end in August and September. Relationships end. Employment ends. Ministry has ended. Living in one place and moving to another. All of these things have happened right around this time.

And this is why. God is closing out seasons, relationships, participations; both good and bad, to make room for new assignments.

So, as we lead up to Friday, I want you to take five minutes and share with me what you have seen come to a close in your life. Then if you have a hint as to what new assignments might be ahead. Share that too.

For me, I often find things coming to a close in September and the new assignments begin in November. I also encounter tremendous spiritual warfare that month. So, just a heads up.

Okay, let me know what is happening in your life. I love all of you so much. I can’t wait to share with you what I am learning about healing…. I had a profound experience praying for a woman on Sunday. Jesus showed up and blew all of our minds.

Stay tuned because this fall into the holiday season is going to be EPIC!!!!  Love and hugs, Lynn

What I Know For Sure by Barb Twigg

Hello SUMites! Don’t beat yourself up! Watch this and be encouraged

 

Hello SUMites,

In our Healthy Relationships in August. The next topic of a vital communication is………

Parenting.

Can I just say, UGH!

This area in an unequally yoked marriage is ……. STRESS. It’s likely when we were young and engaged, we never considered parenting roles and ideals. But you still can have conversations with your spouse about raising the children. I know all of us readers here want to raise our kids in morality and faith. Most unbelievers also want to raise children with a moral underpinning.

I think one area to focus on is how to have one another’s back. I know I wrote a lot about parenting and raising kids in faith in Raise Kids book. And now as a grandma and my kids are grown, I know I was able to raise moral and contributing to society adults. Both are living their lives and they have a faith foundation. However, it is interesting that they do not practice faith similar to me.

Well, ahem, I’m a bit of a self-proclaimed, over-the-top, fanatic about Jesus. grin

They are not.

But I know they met Jesus and He is their savior.

There was a lot of conflict when the kids were little. Always about church attendance and certain media choices.

Here is the message to the young parents: Your faith matters. Your faith is impacting your kids. Your prayers of protection are working. Your love and encouragement is utterly the most important aspect of healthy development. Be assured, they will discover Jesus in their own way.

And, the next gen, my grandchildren are enthralled with Jesus right now. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I baptized them last month. Hallelujah.

Parents of adult children: It’s hard. We watch them make poor choices sometimes and must standby as they will not listen. Indeed, it’s difficult at times. But wasn’t it the same for us? I know as a young woman I married even knowing that hitching up with an unbeliever wasn’t going against the Word.

But the most beautiful thing is this. God redeems is all. He restores. He creates something beautiful from our dumbness. He must work out the same for our children. Don’t fret over what your spouse may be modeling.

Why?

BECAUSE YOU CARRY JESUS.

Mic drop.

Love ya, Lynn

Guest post by Jeanne Ritari

Imagine several people in a neighborhood relaxing in their homes on a summer
morning. Through their open windows, they each hear a garbage truck coming down the
street.

One thinks, “That’s the neighbor’s trash pickup; today is Tuesday, and my service
comes on Wednesday.” Another thinks, “Good thing I took the trash to the curb last
night.” A third leaps up and rushes their trash can to the curb.

The Hebrew word often translated as “hear” doesn’t just mean physically perceiving a
sound. The closest equivalent in English would be something like “hear and respond
appropriately.” In the garbage truck illustration, the appropriate response depends on
the circumstances of the person who hears.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read or heard a challenging passage of Scripture
and thought to myself, “My neighbor should listen to this,” or, “I already did my part.”
What I am learning to do instead is to ask Jesus what he wants me to know about the
passage. He usually responds by showing me that I still have some trash to take
out—and then offering to take it out for me.

What a Savior he is!