Jesus said {to Peter}, “Don’t be so sure. Today, this very night in fact, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”{Mark 14:30 – MSG} This morning, as I’m reading about Jesus’s impending arrest & betrayal in the gospel of Mark, I’m drenched in...

How many times have you looked in the mirror, only to fix or change what you see? Clothes aren’t right. Hair isn’t right. Accessories aren’t right. Weight isn’t right. What about the pictures that you haven’t posted on your social media or have told someone else not...

{The Vision} I looked out to see sheets of green dipping into valleys where early morning shadows hovered the moist earth, only to build up again into curved slopes where wind curled and crashed over top. From my mind’s eye, the hills stretched up, each touching the...

Recently, we heard the words that millions of families yearn to hear.   “Cancer free”.  The terms that the doctors used were a little more technical than that…something more like “no evidence of residual or recurrent disease,” but the verdict was the same.  My...

One of my favorite outfits I own is one that most people will likely never see me wear.  It’s not a fancy dress or a sentimental college sweatshirt or even a comfy pair of pajamas (there’s actually a high probability you will see me sporting that at the grocery store...

Defrag.  The word takes you back a bit, doesn’t it?  If the word means nothing to you, praise God, because you are either too young to remember or you didn’t have a lot of computer time back then (frustrating, patience-building computer time).  The term refers to an...

Hi there! I’m Summer, daughter of Jesus…saved, restored, & faithfully pursued by Him. I’ve been married to my love, Jason, for 16 years, and am a proud mama to an 11-year-old son, Noah, and an 8-year-old daughter, Sailer. I love early, quiet mornings, sunrises,...

Its Monday again, happens every week but somehow it sneaks up on me, kind of like the extra 5 pounds we gain over the holidays. I have a love/hate relationship with Mondays. I don’t want to give up sleeping in a little more on the weekends or having my husband home...

I love a good summer garden.  Despite the work that is involved, the yield is so worth the time and effort it takes to grow delicious vegetables.  Late in the spring, I painstakingly tilled and prepared the soil, and then carefully planted seeds and young vegetable...

Recently my family and I moved back into my old childhood neighborhood.  The one where I racked up a million miles on my bike, roamed the woods for countless hours, attended block party bonfires complete with hotdogs and s’mores – the neighborhood that colored the...

My love for running began in middle school.  It was a necessity as part of my participation on the soccer team, but secretly I enjoyed the 4 warm up laps we had to do in preparation for our sport more than I did the actual sport.  I continued chasing after that soccer...

        “Faith enabled Moses to choose God’s will, for when he became of age he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” Hebrews 11:24 (TPT and NKJV) Right now, thousands of students across the nation will soon be graduating from high school.   And...

The weight was heavy.  The thought crossed my mind that I would not be able to handle it…it was too much to bear.  As I grunted and struggled, I knew I needed help.  So I set the weight down. At the time, it was that easy.  Because I had loaded the weight bar too...

This session at Moms with Swords is focusing on Circling Prayer, and, when I hear circling, I immediately think back to what a circle is, and it’s dominance over the other geometrical shapes in nature. I know…no one else does the same. So let me share with you some...

Water…Have you ever thought about how much we rely on water? Each and every day, I use water to: brush my teeth, make coffee, wash my face and shower/bathe, different types of cooking and baking, washing our clothing; farmers need water for their crops to grow so that...

As I write this, it is raining.  The forecasted torrents can be heard but not seen, since it is still early morning and dark outside.   But the lack of visual ability sharpens my ears to the sound of the water hitting the hard places outside, running off the roof and...

It's ok to be Vulnerable This blog post started with a little conversation between Joy and I that went something like this… Joy: “Would you be willing to write for our blog series called First Friday Fire?” Me: “Sure, I would love that; it will give me a reason to...

    How to Stop Missing Miracles | Susan Merrill Blog When my kids were young, we lived in a small house Mark had bought when he was single.  Each day when I’d take the kids in the yard to play and ride bikes, I’d worry because there was no sidewalk...

As the leadership team at Moms with Swords, Joy challenged us to begin listening to the Andy Stanley Leadership podcasts.  These podcasts are short interviews and discussions designed to help leaders go further, faster.  One of the very first podcasts I listened to...

Children.  They add years (and gray hair) to our lives, and yet those years seem to melt away at the sound of their laughter.  As a mother, I know we all stand together in solidarity… knowing that the job of being a mom will challenge us in almost every way possible,...