2009 A year in Review

Ok....2009 has come and gone so fast...with just a blink of the eye...here we are a week away from 2010!

Ok - my goal was to review the year and then write my goals for 2010...but I'm getting sleepy now...so till tomorrow! LOL! Nothing like a little procrastination! Seriously one of my new goals is to blog more! Journal more too! So watch out 2010!

With Love,

Summer

Welcome to Our World

My favorite Christmas song this year~~~by Amy Grant or Michael W Smith

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home
Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
World now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome To Our World
Welcome To Our World

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God

Welcome To Our World

Seriously -- Been a long time

Ok, I know it has been a while. So much has been going on the past couple of months...trials and challenges...growth and love. I need to get back to blogging! I will, I will!

With Love,

Summer

You make all things, work together for my good

Okay - It has been a while since my last post and I have so much I want to share. I usually blog late at night, it's my quiet time...but since we've moved I have had trouble setting up my wireless router and I have had my laptop set up in the living room. So I feel the need to blog but don't want to get out of my bed, my dogs especially don't want me to get up. I'm sitting in my chair now and have one dog on my lap and one on my shoulder. They are spoiled! I've been reading 2 books right now and still doing my Life journal and have just been filled with so much lately. We just finished a series, Pneumatology - A study on the Holy Spirit, at church and it just caused me to open my eyes, ears, heart to a deeper understanding and relationship with the Holy Spirit. I'm bouncing around I know - like I said alot has happened since my last post.

Tuesday was Marc's birthday - He would have been 24. It's 4 and half years since he's been gone. Still some days it seems like yesterday. We brought new flowers and balloons to his grave side, a HUGE balloon that said It's Your Day. Mom said he would love it because it's so big! His birthdays were always special to him.

I can't type much more tonight - I'm tired and have a busy busy week. Lot's going on with work and after work. Starting a new small group for 10 weeks on Thursday, a Crown Financial group. It's a group on the biblical foundations on how we should manage our money. I've already been convicted just from the pre-class work, so I have high expectations for the group!

Here is a song from Saturday night worship that just resonates with me~ Sometimes I think they pick the songs out just for me.

CHRIS QUILALA
YOUR LOVE NEVER FAILS

Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails

I know I still make mistakes, but
You have new mercy for me everyday
Your love never fails

Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night
But joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage
I don’t have to be afraid
Because I know that you love me
And your love never fails

Verse 2:
The wind is strong and the water’s deep, but
I’m not alone here in these open seas
Cause your love never fails

The chasm was far too wide
I never thought I’d reach the other side
But your love never fails

Bridge: You make all things, work together for my good



Thank you Lord for your Unfailing Love!

With Love,

Summer

Just so simple

When is all seems crazy - when it seems impossible - I have to calm myself and bring You back in focus. Your grace is enough. Your love surrounds me. You can do the super-natural. You are lining things up that I can not see. I have to trust You with it all. I take my life and put it in your hands. I turn from my past and turn to the cross. I am Yours forever.


Your Grace is Enough - Chris Tomlin
(you can hear this song on my playlist at the bottom of the blog)

Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Great is Your love and justice God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me (x2)

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God i see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love
Your grace is enough for me
For me

I can!

Philippians 4:13 KJV)
(13) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Last week was a crazy stressful week, highs and lows, but I survived - Praise the Lord. Sometimes life can hit you all at once and its hard to see straight but you have to keep moving forward. Alli and Matt welcomed a new little girl, Hallie Beth, and she is beautiful. I am so happy for their family, she's a healthy pink little answered prayer.:) I found my new apartment and got all the paperwork ready for move in on April 30. It's all happening so fast. It is exciting and scary all at once. I continue to pray for God's open doors and I just want to be in His will, not mine. I think I am. I found a mole last Wednesday and panicked - I sometimes wished we couldn't search everything on the internet - of course it did not look good. I got an appt with my dermatologist (actually not mine, but one in the same practice. Mine was booked until June, Yeah, she's that good) Anyway, got in, had it biopsied and should know the results in a couple of weeks. Can I tell you how freaked out I was? A mild breakdown at the doctor's office to say the least, I am so glad my mom was with me! The dr said it does look at the least precancerous,has some abnormalities but does not think it is melanoma or life-threatning. I am praying for a good report. I thank God in advance for his Healing! But, I wasn't at that place on the ride across the Causeway. My mom just stopped me from all my crazy babble and said "Summer, you trust God for everything else and things unseen, why aren't you trusting God with this?" Ummmmm, I don't know...because I was too busy freaking out. On the way home, I had to stop and take a deep breath and say God I give it to you and have had a peace about it, really no matter the outcome of the biopsy. I know He will not leave me. I have to trust in Him FOR ALL THINGS! I had to go to a wake for a co-worker's mother-in-law. Those are never easy. It was an illness that came on in 3 weeks, just 3 weeks. Everyday is special. I just lift up her entire family. I pray for Peace and comfort to surround them during this time of loss. I went to lunch with Alison this week - it was so good to visit and catch up. We've decided to make it a weekly lunch catch up. I need dear friends back in my life. How I've missed them the past few years. Oh, and I turned 31 this week. Can I say a week of high's and low's??

Praying for Open Doors!

With Love,

Summer

Birthday Week

Well, Today starts my birthday week! Of course, April is my birthday month. I'll be how old and still celebrating my week and month? hahaha How I recall it all starting with birthday weeks, months and even the voiced birthday "quarter" seriously, was the in demand front seat! With us 3, we always wanted to have shotgun and no matter who got there first, it was always overrulled for birthdays, birthday week, then the birthday month. Of course, Marc being the baby was the best at it, and always seemed to have a long birthday month. :)

What a journey the past year has been. Welcome to the 30's! Now as Matt says, I'm thirty - something. Just for the record, from now till Friday I am still just 30!:) It has actually been a very growing year, and seriously 29 was way worse than 30. I've laughed, cried, and oh learned so much! I am blessed. God has been ever faithful. Praise the Lord. I look forward to 31 and what God has in store for me.

As always praying for Open Doors!

With Love,

Summer

Purpose

Overwhelmed to say the least right now - Overstimulated too - You know when you just have so much on your mind and you can't focus on anything - well my mind is racing right now. Sometimes life just hits you all at once. I just need to quiet my mind and my spirit. I thought maybe blogging and getting some of it out would help. This also might be a very random and long run on sentence too! By the way, I usually write as I would talk, so don't judge or proofread my blogs, I know they aren't correct and I leave out lots of words, because I can't type as fast as I talk. But anyway, had a great service tonight at church. It was the last sermon in the series Heaven. It was awesome, Pastor Steve answered questions that he had received the past couple of weeks about heaven. So fascinating! He had some things that really spoke to me.

Matthew25: 23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

So, we are all very aware of the first part of the verse. But the second talks about how if we use what God has given us he will put us in charge of many things. The New Living Translation says
You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities." Okay, so first there is a choice, Heaven or Hell. No other options. But when we get to Heaven, what we have done on Earth will determine our Heavenly reward and position. Ok, so maybe you already knew this, yeah so did I...but it was so loud and clear. See, I've been putting things off. I've heard God's call, but I've been running. actually just standing still, but that is not what God has wanted. I'll get back to that in a minute. Our works don't get us IN to Heaven, but they will determine how we will spend eternity in Heaven. And we will only be judged by our potential. We won't be compared to Mother Teresa or Billy Graham, but how we use what God has given us. Have I been the best Summer God has designed me to be? We are all as Holly Wagner said in our own lane, running toward the finish lane. I am designed to be in my lane, not any one elses. Will I use everything that God has given me to glorify him. So, again - a great sermon, really speaking to me.

So to my next overwhelming thought in my head - My purpose - Right? Small thing, huh. What am I supposed to be doing with my life? Trusting God for open doors? Yes. Praying? Yes Having faith in God for all things, seen and unseen? Well... Obeying Immediately when God speaks to me? Well... See, I know delayed obedience is disobedience. I know that the miraculous always proceeds obedience, so why do I delay? I've been holding back. Fear has caused me to really freeze. You know I've come along way in the past year, right? Can't I just stay here. I mean, I'm so much better than before, right? I'm in a small group and everything, right? Yes, I have come along way, and today I know I still have a long way to go. God has more in store and I just can't stay here. I have to step out in faith. I have to trust God with everything. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Amen? Amen! I know in the next week God has given me things and trusted me with certain "assignments" that will grow my faith and as a wise one keeps reminding, I am living my testimony.

Next to Easter - I sincerely love this season. It's spring and everything is full of new life and blooms. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and it amazes me what happened in this week. From a joyful entrance, to a dark Friday, to a glorious Sunday. I have so many good memories of Easters past. I think it is another reason it is my favorite holiday.


Mark 11
Jesus’ Triumphant Entry 1

As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’”
4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.
8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God![a] Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”

As Palm Sunday was discussed tonight, I flashed back to FBC Bogalusa and the Easter pageant that was put on every year. I remember being so excited to be one of the "children" that ran ahead of "Jesus" proclaiming Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming! Then I got to be one of the, I guess pre-teens, that actually got to carry the palm branches before "Jesus". How cool, right? Looking back, that I learned so much from that production. Bro. Marc did a fabulous job leading, and I still look at Mr Ken and see him hanging on the cross. He was a good Jesus. We would do several performances and I still remember crying at so many of them. The Last supper was another one of my favorite scenes in the performance and I look now tonight as we took communion at what Jesus was preparing us for. He was the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. His blood was for us. How Great is our God?

Ok, I'll have to write some more later on Easter, because I could go on and on, but need to wrap it up. We have 5 showings tomorrow. 5! So I need to finish washing clothes and mopping before I go to bed. As I finish up here and take a deep breath, I do have a sense of calm and peace. I know that God will never leave, even when in my own strength I can go no more, he will carry me on! Praise the Lord!

With Love,

Summer

Heaven - Week 2 and other stuff

So, I haven't been blogging much in 2009, I don't really know why. No time, been busy, too much facebook, cleaning house, who knows...I usually write out of frustration or when I'm in a really deep time, but I need to write when I'm light and at a peace time.

I just am so happy I have a small group now to do bible study and life with. We're a small small group, but for right now, I think we are just where God wants us to be. One Month to Live was a great book and study. I highly recommend it to everyone. I learned so much practical information from this book. It is stuff we think about and we know from what we have learned from the Bible, but are we practicing it everyday. Would I chose to be offended and be angry if I only had 30 days to live? Would I hold that grudge if I only had 30 days to live? We wouldn't. We would want those days to be filled with life, family, and love. Why don't we live every day like that, even though I hope we have many more days to live.

We are in the middle of a 3 week series on Heaven. All I have to say is WOW! This has been an eye-opening series. There are so many cool things about New Earth and New Heaven. I'm so ready! I just have renewed life in the Bible, actually it's probably always been there, but I am Renewed in Christ, and he is showing me new things every day. It is so exciting. Loving Revelation 21. No Light bulbs in Heaven! Yeah!

22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there.


I urge anyone who might read this, if you've never read the Bible or read it 100 times through, open it, read it tonight. God has something new to show you.

With Love,

Summer

More Heaven soon....

Heaven - My study notes so far

Revelation 21:1-6
The New Jerusalem 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.[a] 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.

Preparing for the Journey

An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone, more than one hundred years old, with the following epitaph:
Pause, stranger, when you pass me by:
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so you will be.
So prepare for death and follow me.

An unknown passerby scratched these additional words on the tombstone:
To follow you I'm not content,
Until I know which way you went.

Can we really know in advance where we're going when we die? The apostle John, the same one who wrote about the new heavens and New Earth, said in one of his letters, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13, emphasis added). We can know for sure that we have eternal life. We can know for sure that we will go to Heaven when we die.

Just some scriptures and text that are pulling at my heart. I have not read or studied Heaven ever as much as I have in the past few days and will delve in the next 3 weeks. I have a longing for Heaven, which we all have in us. Fascinating! God is SO very Awesome!

Enough for tonight,

With Love,

Summer

March 13th

Happy Birthday Grandma Niter!

Love you so much!

Hello 2009!

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