well...I did something a bit risky, about a month ago. I went dark. I decided one evening, that I wanted to be able to control something in my life and needed a change (and hair often is the easiest thing to change) so I went to the store and purchased dark brown hair dye and if you look to the right, you'll see the outcome. It makes me feel a bit more mysterious! Not so predictable or ordinary. Just thought I would share this wonderful information with you all. :) Now you can all sleep better at night.

Thanks to many of you out there who have been praying for me to find a car!!!! I found one!
It is a 2002 Honda Civic, silver with around 112,000 miles on it. It is in good condition both interior and exterior except for a minor little ding on the back right tail light.
From everyone who I have talked to about cars they give double thumbs up for a Honda and say that I can anticipate adding many more miles to a honda engine and still being in good shape. The amazing thing about all of this is that God is teaching me how to use my intuition and my perceiving skills. Out of all the cars I have seen, and driven I never had a good sense about any of them. I couldn't put my finger on why exactly but something in my gut just told me to wait...so I did. I went back to the news journal to look to see if any new cars came up and my eyes caught one that I had seen before but over looked because I just didn't think it was what I wanted. I figured I'd give the guy a call to see if it was still there (chances were that it wasn't, being a Honda and all-they sell quick.) The guy answered and told me he still had it, and immediately I had this sense of "rightness" about this car. I just knew. Yep, this one is it. And it is! I'll make it final on Thursday! Thank you so much for praying everyone! It's amazing, absolutely amazing that God is as involved in these aspects as he is in bringing people to salvation. He wants our whole lives sanctified, which includes how we handle buying cars, how we use the personality He has given us in making decisions, and trusting Him through it all. This is what it means to be in constant communion with God, relying upon His guidance and leading and trusting Him when He leads. Scripture has become more alive to me than ever lately! And God uses our everyday circumstances to show us how alive He is in us! What a wonderful SAvior!

Summer, shaking her fists at cars. Grrrr.

Just want to let ya'll know....buying a car is absolutely frustrating! Can you hear the angst in that statement? If not, re-read it, it's there. I know next to nothing about cars except what body style I like and the color. So, you ask me to make a decision on a car and I'll look blankly at you...I have no idea. And trying to find a car for $5000 that doesn't have 130,000 or more miles on it is virtually impossible. And so, must I give in and buy a car with 145000 on it? To me that just isn't worth it, but what can I expect? I have only a certain amt of money and don't want to go into debt just to buy a car.
I spent several hours today and over the past few weeks trying to find a car....finding one that I liked and then having something happen that makes me doubt that it is a good find. Like today, I was all set to buy a dodge stratus, 2002 with 75000 miles on it...then I went to look at a consumer report and there were more black dots than red ones....not good. So, I started over and left the search today bereft and frustrated. All the thoughts swarming through...do you want that many miles? You only have $5000, will the engine last? how about the transmission, will I have to replace it in a month? Ooooh I'd really like a jeep, oh wait how many miles per gallon? Was this car in an accident? All those scratches, does it have a cd player?Oh! I like the sun roof! What about the tires?And it's the battle between what I want and what is practical. Sigh. I just don't want to make the wrong decision and have to pay for it later.
Here you are folks....this is the real nitty gritty stuff of the life of Summer Hartzler in Longview TExas! In the face of frustration! ARGH!
Ha, so as you can see I haven't quite learned the lesson in patience in this matter. If only the car would fall in my lap....well not literally that would be quite painful. Sigh.

Emmanuel-God with us.

"I am with you."
"I am with you."
"I am with you."
Does saying it more than once, repeating it like a chant, emphasize the power of the meaning of these four words? In language, the more you emphasize a word or phrase, the more meaning is attached to it. These words keep coming back and the more I "hear them" in the depths of my soul, the more I am forced to acknowledge them, stop and consider them, and choose to believe them. But before I can believe them, I have to ask the question, do I even understand what they mean? Do I really comprehend that the Almighty God, the one who, out of his mouth poured furious light, who holds back the oceans with his hand, who measures the universe in the span of his hand, who paints the sky each morning and each evening, this God...YHWH...I am that I am...who was and is and always will be, the Alpha and Omega, the eternal one without beginning or end, this God....is with...me. He is with me. This word with is a relational word. It denotes nearness, among, in the company of (I used my awesome scholastic skills here and looked up the definition.. ;) ). I guess, I'm just now having my eyes opened to the beauty and majesty of what it means!
I mean....GOD! He is near! He is among humanity! His presence is over us, around us; His Spirit moves through us, counsels us, nourishes us, convicts us of our wrongs, supports us, empowers us to speak boldly and with courage. We can actually "feel" his nearness at times and know it in our souls. He holds us up, walks beside us. This relationship with God is real. It's real. It touches every aspect of our lives, not just when we are at church should we draw "near" to the Lord. But when you wake in the morning, reach out to Him to take hold of Him, speak to Him as you would a friend who is next to you, and believe that He speaks back...listen for Him. Just think how much our lives could change if we lived intentionally as if those words were actually true...."I am with You." He knows it's true...do I? Do you? Does the church? I think I'd live my life more passionately if I truly believed it.
So here we go God, you're with me. Let's go. Let's live this life together. Go deep with me. Show me the world that you see. Motivate me. Flood my heart with your love and compassion. Give me one pure and Holy Passion. One magnificent obsession. That I may know and follow hard after you.

December Fun

Yes folks, that's right, Snow in TEXAS! For two minutes last wednesday night, it snowed. It is evidenced on my car.
You, can't really see the snow on the roof of my car, but it's there.

And so to prove that it's there I made a hand print.

The Christmas season has arrived! And all the holiday lights are on display. In fact, tonight our church is taking a tour of the Longview Lights display...and I must say from the the displays I've seen already, Longview goes all out! But I've always loved the Christmas lights. When I was a little girl, my sisters and I would run to our car when we were getting ready to head to church and wrestle over who got to sit on which side of the car...all because we knew who get the better view of all the Christmas lights on the way to church...and we'd make a competition out of it too...who ever counted the most lights on their side would win! Now, of course we never actually won anything, but bragging rights, and as the youngest of three girls, I needed all the bragging rights I could get. :)
So, in some ways seeing all these lights just brings up really fun memories for me as a little girl.
This past saturday I went to Jefferson, the historical town filled with antique shops (Dad, you'd be in heaven) with some friends from the church and we did some Christmas shopping. A very festive and fun occasion to get me in the Christmas mood. Here are just a few pictures from that night.

Alicia, making a new friend.

Of course we found the cowboy hats. Yee HAw!

Here are the animals that were part of the strange manger scene made out of metal. We werent' exactly sure what the small middle animal was supposed to be, we actually thought it was a giant fly, but I don't recall a giant fly being a part of the manger scene.



There are some crazy things found in the Jefferson General Store...We found the crazy sunglasses section. Here, Alicia Nevius is sporting her "winged pig" sunglasses.


Hey, what's life without a little fun, eh?

Tidal Wave of Grief Meets Strong Tower of Love

Many of you might have already read this note that I've written on facebook, but I also wanted to include this on my blog so that those who are not facebook users could also be included in this. Please be praying for Jennifer. I've really felt compelled lately to make sure that as the one month mark approaches, and the two month mark, and so on since Scott's death that I need to be praying all the more. It's easy to remember to pray when the news hits you, but harder as the time moves on. So, those prayer warriors out there who read this, I beseech you, PRAY for Jennifer and those you know who have lost loved ones. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Where O Death is your victory?
Where O Death is your sting?
These verses bring hope for the child of God who has walked through death's doorway, and entered into the eternal presence of his creator, into the presence of his Savior because death is not the end, it is the beginning. It's the triumphal entrance into the heavenly throne room where the almighty God sits enthroned with JEsus Christ as His right hand...what an amazing realization that Scott has entered into this reality...he is abiding with his God.
It does take away the sting...somewhat. But I can't help but experience a little bit of a sting as I process this death and how it affects the friend I love so dearly. It does seem there is a bit of a sting for those who are left behind. Wife, children, parents, friends.
Many of you who read this might wonder what I'm talking about and many of you are experiencing it with me. 10 days ago my dear friend from Toccoa, Jennifer Robertson Mason, lost her husband in a tragic accident. The news has left many of us shocked, and at a loss of how to bring true comfort to Jennifer and the rest of the family during this time. It also has left many of us to reflect on how quickly life can change and that we are not promised tomorrow. But it also makes me marvel at how intense grief can be.
Let me reflect a bit.
Over the past several months in many ways I have felt some incredible feelings of grief as my dad's best friend, a man very dear to my heart, died in a tragic motorcycle accident. I saw how death affected my dad, my mom, and this man's wife, and how it affected me.It's horribly painful, and something we cannot control.
Other feelings of grief of having to start my life over in an unfamiliar place...losing a life that I loved and gaining a life I do not know and does not yet seem like mine.
Grief...it comes upon you like a tidal wave, with intense emotions that the human body can't control, and often times can't stand up against. it causes an ache that is haunting and often debilitating...but yet it is a stage in the healing process. and it is a place where God's compassion flows with strength and his comfort warms. His presence during those times is like nothing else...it nourishes, it cleanses, and it heals and it protects.
You see, God knows what it is to mourn. Jesus, away when he hears word of Lazarus' death, was full of grief. God the father, as He watched from above as His son was crucified, had to turn His face away, and allow it so that mankind would recieve redemption and reconciliation. He knows what i means to grieve, and i believe and have been praying for Jennifer in such a way that God would reach deep into the depths of her being and whisper words of love to her, and would satisfy her soul in the times of weariness ahead. The tidal wave of grief meets the strong tower of God's love. For nothing can separate us from the love of God. Death is, for those who belong to God through Jesus, the entrance into complete knowledge and experience of His love. Now Scott sees with unveiled sight, for he is in the presence of God, where He was always meant to be. Jennifer will see him again and the reunion will be beautiful.
Where O death is your victory?
Where O death is your sting?

A chance to rub it in a little....

Well it is the middle of November here in Texas and.....yesterday I was wearing shorts and flip-flops! Now, really I feel awfully for all of you northern folks who have already been cursed (oops I mean blessed :) ) by several inches of snow. After the harsh winter I experienced in Chicago last year, I am ready for a couple years without snow and all the work that comes along with it. A friend posted on her blog some pictures of the snow they've already received and I just shivered looking at it. I don't miss the cold. I love the blue skies, the warm weather with a little bit of a chill, and the clear night skies with bright and shining stars.

The leaves have just now begun to fall off the trees...and right into my newly planted garden, so I am constantly out there gathering the leaves out of my flowerbed. :) Planting my new flower garden gave me a real physical sense of accomplishment. I got a chance to really get into the dirt, dig around and plant beautiful colorful flowers. I still have work to do to keep it up and to keep the flowers fresh and healthy, but really now I can sit back and watch as the plants take shape.

It has been therapeutic for me to get out there and get my hands dirty while planting something beautiful. And in a sense it is a great parallel to ministry as well. When we really get involved in the lives of people and the church often we have to get down on our hands and knees and get dirty. We have to dig around, find the right placement for people where they will grow the best, place them there, nourish them, give them water, till the soil and then watch them grow. And as much of the mystery of the growing process happens beneath the surface with plants so is the mystery of our sanctification and maturing process in the souls of humanity; it is done in the secret places and we don't often see the fruit until the time is right.
And we wait. Pray. Wait. Pray. Encourage. Nourish. Pray.

And finally....I am getting a roommate! I've really enjoyed having a house to live in and having my own space, but for all of you who know me well, you know how much more I enjoy living life with people. So I've been thinking that it would be great to find a roommate, and viola! my friend Audra was planning on moving out of her apartment and trying to figure out what she was going to do! So, this week she is movin in! She's hilarious, provides much laughter in my life, a deep thinker and a spiritual encourager. I'm looking forward to our friendship!