Hello SUM family, Tiffany here! Happiest of Thanksgivings from the Carter Crew! The holidays are just around the corner. One of my favorites of the whole year is Thanksgiving Day. I love coming together with friends and family while sharing a meal and memories. I am bringing out my Tablecloth of Thanks after it being in hiding for 3 years. (You can read Lynn's post about this tradition here). I can't wait to see what everyone writes this year! Continue reading

Sunday, September 29th is the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. We've talked about this Jewish holiday over the years. In fact, the first time I'd ever been made aware of it's significance was because of a blog post from either Lynn or Dineen. For those who are not familiar or are new to this holiday, a simple "Rosh Hashanah" search on this site will provide you with a wealth of information. Feel free to check out the archives! Continue reading

A couple of months ago, I went to a worship and prayer night at my church. I grabbed my flags to begin to worship the Lord and I noticed something odd about how they were laying in the bag. Once they were out of the bag and I began to unwrap them, I noticed that the rods were snapped in half. I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. I was devastated. In that moment, I asked God, "Why?!" (Isn't it interesting how quick we are to blame God for our misfortunes?) Continue reading

Hey SUM family, Tiffany here! I have worked for my employer for a little over three years now. I do the same thing all day everyday. Monday through Friday, eight hours a day. I see the same computer screen as I fingerprint the numerous people who come into my office. The other day Holy Spirit alerted me to listen and pay attention to people's reactions to seeing their fingerprints on the computer screen, many of them for the first time: Wow, that is so cool! I have never seen this before! Sorry, I am just amazed by this! Look at that! Can you believe that we all have different finger prints? No two prints are the same!? Was I looking at the same machine? It is cool to see the detail, I guess..... There are some of us who have forgotten how to be in love with and romanced by... Continue reading

Hey SUM Family, Tiffany here! I don't know about you but I have really been yearning for breakthrough! It gets me fired up thinking about the breakthrough needed in my life as well as others. I am really struggling to completely detach from my old self. I am not saying that I am not growing, maturing or bearing fruit. Please hear my heart. I am talking about the hard reality that the more I press into God, the more I realize I am in rough shape and need Jesus. Can anybody relate? I recently came across this scripture that has been really stirring in my heart: So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). -- 2 Samuel 5:20 Some context:... Continue reading

Hello SUM Family, Tiffany here! I shared with you at the conference that God has been speaking to me about cedars. I saw a vision of a tree that was my family legacy. The deep roots were the word of God so deeply hidden beneath the soil. I wanted to share with you something that I have been working on. These are words that He has been saying about me. (To keep it from getting too long I will only expound on a few) Let's call today, "Motivation Monday." May these words be a motivation for you to believe what God says about you. Cedars of Lebanon, Tiffany Carter, 5/31/19 Champion - (1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 Corinthians 9:24; Romans 8:37; Deuteronomy 20:4; Isaiah 6:8) Elevator - one that lifts or raises someone/something up; exhorter - one who incites by argument, or advice; strongly urges; exultor - one who is extremely... Continue reading

Come Away With Me, Tiffany Carter, 4/18/2019 Come away with Me My darling, My bride. Revealed in the chamber The secrets I hide. I long for your presence I'll wait here all day. My love please don't tarry There's so much to say. I give you My heart You hold the key. All you must do Is linger with Me. No need to worry I'm protecting your heart. I'm faithful to you I vow to never depart. So come now, I'm waiting Believe Me, it's true. The treasures of Heaven Are poured out for you. The Lord is beckoning us to draw near to Him. I don't know about you but in this season I am in need of some refreshing! Will you answer His invitation? I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call... Continue reading

Hey SUM Family, Tiffany here! I want to get really vulnerable with you today. Sunday was one of my proudest accomplishments. However, it was also one of my hardest days as well. The night before graduation my Jason asked me not to bring my flags to church the next day. I was crushed! I felt a sting of rejection rise up in me. Doesn't he love me the way that I am? Doesn't he know how much I love it? Is he embarrassed of me? Thought after thought came swirling in - all trying to pull me down into the pit of despair. I turned on some worship music in the kitchen as I washed dishes. I wanted to listen to God's voice but I also wanted to drown out the sounds of crying. I texted a dear friend from church and asked for her advice. She encouraged me that... Continue reading

Hey SUM Family, Tiffany Here! I have some wonderful news to share! Today I graduated year one of ministry school. This was the first half of a two year program that will lead to ordination. I was very surprised to receive "The Heart of David Award" along with my certificate of completion. What an honor and joy! The words "thank you" are not enough to express the gratitude I have for you, my beloved family without walls. Your love, encouragement, and support has tremendously helped carry me to this beautiful moment. Thank you to everyone who has given time, prayer, finances, Scripture and hugs. My accomplishment is your accomplishment. So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. -- 2... Continue reading

Hey SUM family, Tiffany Here! During the leader's meeting on the Friday morning before the conference I said I would share a spoken word piece during the offering time. I didn't have anything prepared at the time of volunteering. In fact I just heard the words come out of my mouth. You know those moments when you realize after the fact that you were pushed into things by the Holy Spirit? Maybe it's just me. It happens quite often. *grin* The rest of the day seemed to fast forward pretty quickly. Filled with fellowship, food and fun. I was exhausted after the meet and greet at Lynn's house - in a good way - and went to bed shortly after everyone left. Saturday morning I wake up and realize that I didn't take time to prepare a spoken word! Out of desperation I laid flat on my back with my... Continue reading

Hello SUM family! Tiffany here: We live in a fallen world where there more often than not (thank you media and social media) we see turmoil or chaos swirling about the atmosphere. It is so easy to get caught up in a mindset of "I can't take it anymore, come back NOW Jesus!" that we forget who we are and the goodness and PROMISES of God. Can I get an amen from anybody? On Sunday I heard this song for the first time. It is called Fall by The Belonging Co. I have listed a couple of lines below: My eyes above what it looks like My eyes above what it looks like I will only see All You promised me... My faith beyond what it feels like My faith beyond what it feels like All the way to You, All the way to breakthrough breakthrough... Something's changing in the... Continue reading

*Photo credit: Arkdiscovery.com, this is the forever blackened top of Mount Sinai, where God's presence came in fire. God is angry and full of wrath...and I want no part of that! I've heard throughout my lifetime that the God of the Bible (specifically the Old Testament) is mean and unmerciful and a murderer. I'm sure you have heard things similar...maybe even last week. There are a lot of people who hold this viewpoint. I never knew how to really answer these types of comments. Sure I could mention that Jesus died on the cross and rose again for our sins to take the wrath of God upon Himself. But I was always left confused when my heart and mind could not make the connection with all of the death and destruction in the Old Testament with a loving God. I mean after all God never changes right? (Malachi 3:6; James... Continue reading

Hey there SUM family, Tiffany here! We are on the verge of a major breakthrough. I believe that this is both individual and corporate for our SUM community and our families. Already we have seen a few wondrous accounts of spouses getting baptized into the faith! Hallelujah! Strongholds are breaking in our lives as well as our spouses. We are seeing addictions begin to cease. Affections returning in marriages. What a great time to be alive! I wanted to share something that God is stirring in my heart. During the fast and even recently, I am hearing the phrase "new wine." I am barely scratching the surface of where Holy Spirit is trying to take me but I wanted to share my heart because I feel it is important. When breakthrough is upon us, there is always a push back from the forces of darkness. Freedom, identity, purpose, birthright. These... Continue reading

Hey SUM family, Tiffany Here. I pray that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This is absolutely my favorite time of year. I love gathering with family, eating fantastic food and reflecting on all of the favor, mercy, and goodness of Daddy that has happened for the year. As I was thinking last week about what Holy Spirit wanted me to share, I fingerprinted a man with a business logo on his sweatshirt that said "Stillwater." This prompted me to look up "still water" in the Bible. The main passage that came to mind was in Psalm 23: 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of... Continue reading

Hello SUM Family, Tiffany Here! The last couple of months I have been sharing a bit about what I have learned from reading a book called From Dream to Destiny by Robert Morris. I was assigned to read this book in class and I am so glad that I read it! This book has been truly amazing. To read the previous two posts I've written in this "mini-series" click on the links below. This Is Just The Pits! Do You Want Evidence Or The Truth? In September I began to take steps to transition into a new church. As you read this, I have now been at this new church for 3 weeks. Each and every week has been so powerful and effective. Today I want to share with you a recent experience unlike anything I've ever had. It happened a little over a week ago on October 14, 2018.... Continue reading

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... Continue reading

Hello Sum family! Tiffany here: It is very easy to see the heaviness and struggle going on in the world. Just in our own community there is a weight of illness, backsliding (in ourselves or our spouses), addictions, anger, depression, anxiety, spiritual attacks to our identity, self-worth, motivation, and will to keep going in the faith. There is bitterness and envy, there is confusion and doubt - toward others and even God Himself. It's like we have lost sight of who we REALLY are (we'll talk more about this later). Before I continue, I want to preface that I don't believe that our SUM community is in this bad of shape. I don't believe that we are all struggling at all times. I do however, see a trend of these things happening in the ranks...and it seems to be increasing. I myself have been struggling a lot lately. I feel... Continue reading

Hello SUM family, Tiffany Here! Lynn has asked the SUM leadership team to read the book Culture of Honor by Danny Silk for this summer series on honor. I want to share a brief exerpt and give a real life example from my time in God's classroom. I can't say that it has been easy but I praise God that He hasn't given up on me! "A spirit of gentleness" is an important phrase. It specifically describes the heart attitude of the one doing the confrontation. Gentleness is the perfect term to describe the attitude we must have with those who have made mistakes or failed somehow. Gentleness does not mean nice, and it doesn't mean polite. The heart of gentleness is the belief that "I do not need to control you." Mastery of gentleness begins in our belief system. Do we believe that we can control others? Let's review... Continue reading

God wants to draw us closer to Him. He delights in using unusual and strange means to speak to us, drawing us away from the mundane routine of our lives to pursue Him. Since most of us are prone to living our lives independent of Him, He uses something unusual to catch our attention and draw us to Himself. He speaks in a cryptic fashion so that we have to seek Him for understanding. Many times He will use a vision, dream, impression, or some other phenomenon to get our attention. When we are captured by the phenomenon and begin investigating, God then speaks to us and brings us into His presence. -- Steve Thompson (You May All Prophesy! p. 52) Hey SUM family, Tiffany again! Over the years I have always been amazed at the God-sized things that people have done in ministry and missions. I have been overwhelmed... Continue reading

Hey SUMites, Tiffany here! I asked Lynn if I could do an additional post this month because I wanted to share a really cool story with you. I pray it activates and strengthens your faith to use your God given authority like it has me. In my spare time, I love to upcycle things. Especially using license plates and 100+ year old barn wood from my grandpa's family farm. This year I really ramped up my exposure going from doing the typical 2 -3 shows a year to 9-10 this year. On Friday afternoon, June 8th, the back power hatch when out in our suburban. It refused to open! I had to open the half window and reach through to try and get my groceries. We have a pickup truck but I can't use it for shows because we don't have a topper and I take a LOT of stuff... Continue reading

Hey SUMnation! Tiffany here. Some of you have heard me talk about this unique journey that the Lord has me on right now with my job. I shared this on the SUM sisters in Christ group on Facebook but wanted to reach out and share here as some of you (especially the men) may have questions about what I do as a job and how God is gifting me for ministry. I wanted to give you a quick snap shot into where I spend 40 hours a week and when my heart is prepped right and my mind focusing on the Lord I am given insight that can only come from the Holy Spirit. Welcome to my fingerprinting station (picture left). There are two other girls that I work with in my office and we each have our own computer/desk and our own fingerprint station. For the most part my... Continue reading

Hey SUM Family, Tiffany here! I have a confession. These last couple months have been really hard! I have struggled with things that I haven't for a while – at least a year. Things I thought were long gone have resurfaced. Things that I just gained victory from – snatching up my money, time, effort, thoughts. I have to admit that it is mainly my fault. I let my guard down. I got prideful...remember what it says about this in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” This is what happens when we take our eyes off of Jesus. Just like Peter stepping out onto the water and looking at the waves crashing around him – I was sinking. I lost my first love. Funny how things can develop so quickly! Just last August I began my journey on the fast... Continue reading

Hey there SUM family, Tiffany here! In the first post on this new writing journey for the SUM community I talked about the feeling of being a throw-away kid. This operated in my life in many ways. I was plagued by thoughts such as - I will never be able to do enough. I am not good enough. I am just trying to get your attention. I cannot measure up to your standards. What more do you want/expect from me? I can't handle these demands. I don't deserve it / you. I honestly haven't realized – until last week during a healing prayer session with Lynn - that these thoughts that have plagued me for years are not only from the enemy but HAVE A NAME. The Orphan Spirit operates in such feelings as abandonment, loneliness, alienation, and rejection. Ouch! Looking back on my life, this has been the major... Continue reading

Hello again SUM family, it’s Tiffany here! Today I want us to continue on this freedom journey. Let’s pick up where I left off last time. My mom had met Joseph and he was the “knight in shining armor.” We all got along and things seemed to be looking up. At one point we found out my mom was pregnant. FINALLY! At last a sibling…I had been asking my mom for YEARS at this point and now, at the age of 11 I found out I am going to have what I have always wanted – a companion! My sister Shelbie was born September 14, 1998. I was almost 12 when she was born. I remember that night almost like it was yesterday. My mom started having contractions late in the night and we went to the hospital – mom, Joseph and I. I paced back and forth between the... Continue reading

First, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to share my heart with you all. I am so blessed and even more grateful for the door that God has opened for me! The Holy Spirit has given me many spiritual gifts but there is one that I cherish the most. He has given me the gift of vulnerability. For some of you, vulnerability does not come easy. It may seem scary, impossible and maybe even unnecessary. I used to think it was a curse growing up because in those most delicate places of our heart people can so easily wound. However, it is also in those most delicate places that Jesus can (and desperately desires to) transform, heal and redeem. Let me assure you that Jesus is so worthy of those intimate places! In these next few posts, I am going to tell you all about myself. I... Continue reading