Go back

As our family is preparing for the bar exam for the third time, our church had a sermon that's so fitting for us. Hopefully, this blog post can help someone else that may be seeking the Lord in a particular area.

As most of you know,  my husband and I are high school sweethearts.  He was a United States Marine and planned to make a career of doing that which he loved. Nothing was more fulfilling to him than being a Marine. While studying at Auburn University with hopes to become an officer in the Marines,  Andrew worked several jobs at once.  (He's such a hard worker.  We truly help balance each other out. He helps me to strive to work hard and I help him to take in all the small moments missed from working too much.) One of the jobs he held was at a law firm.  Little did we know the plans the Lord had for us. Nothing to do with the Marines (say what?) and a lot to do with law (say WHAT? )

You see, Andrew gave his life to Jesus while we were at Auburn.  And, the Lord gives us visions and responsibilities beyond our wildest dreams.

So,  we moved to Birmingham for Andrew to attend law school.  We had a beautiful baby boy! Andrew graduated,  a day we couldn't believe was finally here (our schedules + a newborn was quite hectic to say the least). Although it was pure chaos, we were well grounded on the foundation that this was a Lord thing. After all, we never wanted to go to law school. .or be an attorney...but the Lord did so here we were.

The bar exam came and we missed it by 10 points.  10 POINTS!  Out of 256 points,  we needed TEN measly points.  Are you kidding me?! We hit a brick wall. Maybe I should say I more than we. While Andrew was disappointed at first,  he immediately reapplied and got refocused. Me,  on the other hand,  I was infuriated.  God,  how could you do this to me and my family?  We've spent countless days apart, we've sacrificed safety for driving to do what YOU wanted.  And YOU let us down.

I literally sat reading the Lord's word in such anger.  I couldn't hear him.  I couldn't feel him. He was so far away.  He had brought us here and then left us feeling all alone.  But I kept reading anyway.  I was reading Isiaiah. Nothing added up or made sense in my mind. But I kept reading anyway.  One day,  my anger disappeared,  my hope was restored,  and I realized we only want to be where the Lord wants us WHEN he wants us there.  If it's not where He wants us or when,  then we don't want to be there. The Lord became so clear on every page.

The bar exam came once again.  We missed it by six points.  Did we cry together? Yes.  Were we disappointed? Yes.  But we earnestly sought the Lord before reapplying for the bar again. Since then, the Lord has abundantly filled us with his spirit.  We've prayed for a church here for four years. We finally found the one for us - that's on fire for Jesus and shows us how to use our gifts for the Lord's glory. We hoped somehow Andrew could get plugged in even though he works on Sundays.  We met a great group of people through small groups who genuinely care and pray for Andrew and this bar exam.  We got to participate in serving our community and continue to get visions of how to serve the Lord through law.  It's not because of anything we have done. All we've done is sought the Lord. He had something huge in store for each of us if we just seek Him.

People continually ask us how we are so positive and how we do it?  People,  Jesus is all we've got. And,  it's ALL we want.  Last week's sermon sums up what I've been trying to say all along. It's about the process.  The Lord gives us a vision.  And there's a period of time in between the vision and the reward.  It's called the process.

We've had our heads buried in prayer and continue to look up only for a moment to say do you see anything yet (Passing bar results)? So far our results are no not yet. But we continue to go back. We continue to bury our heads in prayer and continue to go back because it's the Lord's vision, not our own.  It's the Lord's will, not our own.  That's how we're so positive and able to do this. It's not our might or power but His.  We're so grateful to be in the presence of a living God and His truth to prosper and not harm us. We're so grateful for the process.  Because we're closer to the Lord than either of us have ever been our entire lives.  And we wouldn't be if we had passed the bar right away.  And that's simply worth it.

If there's something He's given you a vision for, a job He needs you to do,  don't give up. Persevere and you'll out run even a chariot!

Here's a link to the sermon if you're interested in hearing it:
http://churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/making-faith-work


Much Love,
Summer

Fit Momma!

Post-pregnancy, I've battled with weight, adult acne, and ridiculous fatique.  I've tried almost everything to help with all three.  From Advocare for help with weight-loss to every over the counter medication for acne to coffee on my way home from work to fight fatigue.

Then, I would want to give up when nothing seemed to work.  Then, my mother sent me a quick Bible verse one morning.  "PRAY in the spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, ASKING for everything you need.  TO DO THIS you must always be ready and NEVER GIVE UP.  ALWAYS pray for ALL God's people."  Ephesians 6:18

I didn't apply it to my woes above, but I did share that verse with a patient and co-worker that were discussing being hesitate to ask others to pray for sickness/surgeries/etc as they are ongoing prayer requests.  The verse seemed to spread a new light on prayer requests no matter how repetitious they seemed.  The patient quickly responded with her prayer request.

The next day, a new challenge arised.  My fatigue had gotten the best of me and I had waited until the last day to catch up on laundry for work.  (It's ridiculous, I know!  The washing machine and dryer do majority of the work.  I'm sure my great-grandmother would spaz to hear how tiring using a washing machine must be!)  So, I threw my scrubs in the washer and off to catch my zzz's I go!  I rise a little earlier than usual to throw my scrubs in the dryer so they are nice and clean and even wrinkle-free without touching an iron.  And......the dryer stopped working!  Wha?????!!  I have to leave in an hour and my scrubs are soaking wet...and the dryer isn't working??  I walk outside to see the sun hasn't even risen to attempt to dry my clothes.  Panic mode sets in.  I wake my sweet hubby to ask if he knows what's wrong with the dryer...surely he knows!  Wait, how would he know?  It was working fine during our last laundry run!  He evaluated it and turned this switch and that switch.  Finally, he  said, "Summer, I have no idea.  I think it might be the motor."  (By the way, my husband never calls me Summer...unless it's something serious.)  He calmly offered to take my scrubs to the laundry mat to dry them at..oh..5:36 a.m. while I am in a shear panic state!  Sweet Bear!

As I drive to work worried about the dryer's functionability and how much it will cost to repair it, that verse crossed my mind.  I vividly recalled "ask for EVERYTHING you need."  So I prayed for the functionability of the dryer and for my husband to have the wisdom to repair it.  Within no time, my husband calls and says, "The dryer is fixed!  All I did was turn the dryer cylinder and it started working!"  Tell me that isn't God!  I tear up thinking about it now.  I instantly turned my face towards Heaven and said thank you, God!  Without a shadow of a doubt, I knew God had heard my prayer based off of his every true Word. 

That verse has been stuck in my mind for almost a month now.  Within a few days of the dryer incident, I prayed for help with my weight, eating habits, and fatique.  I can attempt everything under the sun and spend endless amounts of money for help, but nothing, and I mean nothing, matters without the help of God.  I am thankful to say that 3 weeks later, I am 8.5 lbs lighter and a big ball of energy most of the time!  I have three beautiful boys that help me (Harlee Dave included).  I hope to continuously seek God to reach and maintain my fitness goals.  So, here's to a God-loving, wanna be fit momma!

Love,
Summer

Celebrate, we will!

Fire trucks and Dalmatians galore!! Those are the things Lane screams for more, more, more!

Spells of frugalness kick in once in a while. And, turns out, it kicked in right as we were getting prepared to plan Peanut's 2nd birthday party! What?! Frugalness AND birthday?!

I have enjoyed arts and crafts from a very young age! As a young girl, I would help my mam-maw hot glue hats and flowers onto bears, I had an art sale in her front yard of tons of scribble worth nothing, and I would help my Aunt Sandra make Christmas trees when she came into town to name a few!

So, I took a new approach this year! With the images of gray chevron, bright red, sunshine yellow, and aqua blue running through my head combined with PowerPoint and a little idea surfing, I created nearly all of Peanut's party printables for zip, zilch, zero! Yep, notta!


Use today to find a way to indulge in your dreams without breaking the bank! It just takes a little brainstorming to get those juices flowing!

Xoxo,
Summer

And, here's a sneak peek of Peanut with his favorite craft for the party! "Hots"...aka hats!!!

The Lord's Castle

     We immediately knew the house we have made our home for the past 3 1/2 years was a blessing from the Lord above.  However, we had no idea we would make the best of friends and our future baby boy would make the best buddy too...living right next door. 
     Andrew and I began looking at all cities under the sun within the Birmingham area.  We had no idea what areas were good, bad, or even ugly!  We were praying to find a house we could renovate..and certainly praying for one and only requirement..a carport to house my engagement ring (well..okay..it didn't exactly look like the diamond I had always dreamed of..rather it was black, had two wheels, and was a brand named Yamaha). 
     However, the Lord had much more in store.  He had a brand-new house with The Maddox Home written across it.  It had beautiful, freshly painted toffee walls which meant no pink tile to remove in the bathrooms.  It had more than a carport.  It had not only a single car garage, but a double.  The Lord abundantly poured his love and mercy in our laps.  He gave us the light of our lives..our sweet little buddy.  And, He gave us Courtney, Jason, and Clay! 
     With that said, it's important to continue to spread the joys the Lord brings.  We look forward to sharing more through the blog with you all.  Thank you for the encouragement my sweet friend, Courtney. We have a lot of catching up to do!

Love,
Summer
    

The little garden with a big dream

Andrew has envisioned a garden since the day we closed on our home. It started with a few fruit trees which have grown into several fruit trees and a garden of peas, squash, beans, okra, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and more. Here is a glimpse of the first pick from our first garden:

Crossing the Finish Line..

We have finally crossed the finish line to one of the toughest races. It was more than a sprint..more than a marathon..  It was more like a triathalon.  ..And, it is all by the grace of God.  After writing the blog of "Where it all began..," I read a book called "The 5 Love Languages" and more than anything became humbled and motivated to get outside of myself and get back to glorifying the One who brought us together in the first place.  See, sometimes it takes bringing you to your knees for you to even look up from the ground. 

Over the past couple of years, I have gotten so caught up in getting settled into our new home in a new city and striving to be the best mother to our new love, Baby Lane.  I have truly been entangled in me, me, me.  While I have been very grateful for all the Lord has done for us, I had lost complete focus of what this is all about.  So, I have redirected my focus on the Almighty.  I have started soaking up His word daily by reading Bible in a Year on the Church of the Highlands website and participating in an online devotional. The peace, happiness, and broadened view I have gained in only a week of doing this is undeniable. 

Chaos ran the halls of work last week and everyone kept asking why are you so calm?  Why are you not frustrated or nervous?  I truly believe it was because I was grounded and armed with the Word of our God before I even got there...just because I simply read the daily passages.  So, with this said, I dare you to pray hard, give it up to Jesus, and be patient.  Watch it all unfold without half the work of doing it on your own.  A new you will bloom.  Cheers to next week -- the first week after the big race! 

Love,
Summer

Garlic Knots Recipe - A Pinterest Find!

So here is recipe #2!  It was delish enough that the hubby asked for them again!  The recipe is from realmomkitchen.com.

Hands Down Yummy:


Easy Parmesan Knots

• 1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits ( I used Pillsbury Golden Layers Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (I did use the green can stuff)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1. Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. Yield:10 knots.

Thanks Realmomkitchen for sharing!