Author: Sue Summers

Genre: Devotional

Books: Soothing Rain: Living Water to Refresh Your Soul, Media Alert! 200 Activities to Create Media-Savvy Kids, Get Them Thinking! Use Media Literacy to Prepare Students for State Assessments, The EYE Spy Program: a media literacy coloring book for early education students (available in English and Spanish), Changing the World Through Media Education

Soothing Rain: Living Water to Refresh Your Soul starts with ordinary everyday anecdotes of life and brings the reader to the extraordinary source of Truth and peace: God. #devotional #peace

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Refreshing Your Soul

Interview by Jenny Fulton

Sue Summers is a well-known author, speaker, and consultant with a passion for helping parents, teachers, and youth pastors better understand the culture so they can help teens navigate through the daily maze of media messages. Not surprisingly, most of her books have dealt with that topic. Her latest book, co-authored by the talented and inspiring Tonya Jewel Blessing, is a bit different.

“In a nutshell,” Sue said, “Tonya asked, and I answered. I have always been inspired by her writing and the depth of her relationship with the Lord. I was honored to be a part of this book.”

At that time, Tonya had written 52 devotions for women’s ministries and was considering compiling them into a book. She asked Sue to join her on the project to create the study questions for each one.

“WOW! I was blessed (pardon the pun!) to be asked! I thought this would be a simple task, but no! It required a great deal of time, prayer, Holy Spirit’s direction, and pondering to complete.”

The book, Soothing Rain: Living Water to Refresh Your Soul, consists of 52 short devotions, each followed by 4 engaging questions that allow the reader to go deeper.

“Readers will enjoy the stories, many of which occur in South Africa where Tonya and her husband, Chris, live and serve those in need,” Sue shared. “I was enthralled with many of the people Tonya wrote about: some struggling, some humorous, and some heroic! My two mission trips there showed me that people have similar issues, problems, and needs throughout the world. How to best live a life that is purposeful, abundant, and satisfactory definitely requires ‘Living Water to Refresh Your Soul’.”

In addition to pulling inspiration from her time in South Africa, Sue also reflected upon the struggles and triumphs in her own life as she studied the passages and wrote the questions.

“My life has been a series of dramatic chapters, for sure! As I pulled understanding from my harrowing childhood, later my divorce, my single parent years, then a second marriage, the death of my husband, my journey with cancer – and other hills and valleys – I recognized the need to lean on the Lord in all things.”

“How did being part of this project impact you?” I asked.

“I’ve authored four books prior to Soothing Rain. This one was quite different. As I worked on this book’s study questions, I spent time in God’s Word and recognized how each of us is a COI – a Center of Influence. We all have family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and others who are in our lives. They hear our words and see our actions. I hope to reflect Christ’s love and be a light in the darkness of our culture.”

“What do you hope readers come away with after going through this devotional?”

“As a dear friend always said, ‘Life is hard, but life is sweet!’ The devotions and the accompanying questions will encourage readers to develop a new perspective about the joy and grace we can experience by knowing Jesus Christ.”

Although Soothing Rain: Living Water to Refresh Your Soul is written and generally read as a devotional, Sue informed me that it has many other applications.

“Some women have read the devotions at their women’s groups and then selected one question as an ‘ice-breaker’ for small group discussions. Others have selected portions of the writing to share with friends and family via Facebook or in person, without the deeper questions. Some have used a question or two to start a deep dive into a biblical topic. The possibilities are restricted only by your opportunities.”

Even though this book seems so very different from Sue’s other passion, there is a common thread that runs between all of her projects.

“It is my ongoing desire to help children, teens, and adults become critical thinkers. The focus should always be to examine each situation and decision using God’s Word as the grid of Truth. I wrote the study questions in Soothing Rain to expand and challenge your ideas and perceptions, and their application to your life.”

“The focus should always be to examine each situation and decision using God’s Word as the grid of Truth.” – Sue Summers #Truth #GodsWord #CriticalThinking

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So, if you’re looking for a devotional for personal time or to use in a group setting, give this book a look. We can all certainly use such refreshment in these times.

Book Blurb for Soothing Rain: Living Water to Refresh Your Soul

We need water to survive. Water is not an option for us. Our lives depend on it. Think about how easily a human dehydrates.

Jesus said to the woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water…”  John 4:13-14 (ESV)

Tonya Jewel Blessing’s signature good humor tends to sweep away the dry leaves of last season, making room for refreshing growth in this study guide. Schedule one year of conversational learning, or 52 condensed days.  Each study includes four questions providing streams of living water for spiritually interested women in our world and soul sister groups.

GO beyond pat answers. Explore the living waters of God.

Here is a delightfully probing individual or group study for spiritually interested, and globally-minded, women. The Word of God lives! Delivered by two highly regarded Christian mentors and communicators, the personal reflection or group discussions lead to spiritual answers related to women’s issues. Each devotional subject flows from God’s word.

Purchase Sue’s Books

• https://booksforbondinghearts.com/product/soothing-rain-living-water-to-refresh-your-soul/
• Soothing Rain: Living Water to Refresh Your Soul,
• Media Alert! 200 Activities to Create Media-Savvy Kids,
• Get Them Thinking! Use Media Literacy to Prepare Students for State Assessments,
• The EYE Spy Program

Connect with Sue

• Website: http://mediaalert.org/
• Monthly Blogs: https://mediasavvykids.org/  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suesummersauthor/
• Email: Sue@MediaAlert.org