tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45298158961100634052024-03-13T23:06:04.097-07:00{clothed with love}above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmonykelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-66643094847108589012014-06-12T10:24:00.001-07:002014-06-12T10:24:19.773-07:00The Adventure Continues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Say hello to our new home:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-50wWw50c9lY/U5nOx6HPTcI/AAAAAAAAAtk/q7ozHx3V98k/s1600/photo(47).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-50wWw50c9lY/U5nOx6HPTcI/AAAAAAAAAtk/q7ozHx3V98k/s1600/photo(47).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5tseQKkz9KY/U5nOvduneoI/AAAAAAAAAtc/OLHoFi1JscE/s1600/photo(46).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5tseQKkz9KY/U5nOvduneoI/AAAAAAAAAtc/OLHoFi1JscE/s1600/photo(46).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Ta-da!! It's a 1968 Eagle bus. Once belonging to the one and only <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbK0C9AYMd8" target="_blank">Chubby Checker</a>. Yep. High rollin'<br />
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Anyway.<br />
We bought this bus from a family in South Carolina who are missionaries in Brazil. The couple and their 4 kids (which they raised on this bus!) move back and forth between the States and Brazil. We hung out with them twice in the process of buying this bus, and I miss them as if I really knew them beforehand. They were just the sweetest family, and I'm so thankful we bought their bus. What God has done in their lives is something special, and I'm grateful we got the chance to be a small piece of their story.<br />
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So we will be moving into this soon. We are currently in the process of buying 10 acres of land, which the tiny home will go on in the future. However, progress on the tiny home is very slow, so we came across the bus and decided it was a great opportunity to live in it as a transition to the tiny house. So if/when we get the land, we'll park the bus there and treat it like a house.<br />
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Speaking of which, here's proof that we're still working on the tiny house. We finished sanding and finishing the cedar boards for our loft and installed them. So now we can get up in both lofts and get a feel for how it will all come together.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qpfW4XV36GM/U5m8XM3S3GI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/imri6gxhwmI/s1600/photo%252845%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qpfW4XV36GM/U5m8XM3S3GI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/imri6gxhwmI/s1600/photo%252845%2529.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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So it feels good to have that done. We are currently paused on the house for a few reasons, mostly revolving around our business. We are getting ready to move our shop from one side of the building we're in to the other. This means that we're just super busy with everything and haven't had time to build. But the other reason we've paused is because the big bay door where we are now is too short to get the house out with the roof on it. Oops! But the good news is that the other side of the building is two feet taller.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OyhelCvInXI/U5nWN6V1WII/AAAAAAAAAt0/L2VkDG_MhPU/s1600/photo(48).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OyhelCvInXI/U5nWN6V1WII/AAAAAAAAAt0/L2VkDG_MhPU/s1600/photo(48).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
So that means once we're mostly settled at the shop, we'll move the house out of one side and drive it around to the other side and continue working on it indoors until the roof, windows, waterproofing and siding are on. Then we'll move it outside and finish it outdoors. So that's exciting! It just happened that our moving date for the business coincided with our need for a taller space for the house. <br /><br />
And that's about it. Just a small update.<br />
Our lives have been supermegaohmygosh crazy lately, and May was one of the busiest months I've ever had. Lots of changes and lots of growth, and it's all been really great. I'm thankful for this season that God has us in, because there are a lot of exciting adventures that are just getting started.<br />
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Hopefully I'll be back with an update soon :)<br />
<br />kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-26691875228012361262014-03-03T15:08:00.000-08:002014-03-03T15:08:11.545-08:00Tiny Living, Desire Mapping, and Social Media BreaksOkay!<br />
Lots of things happening around here.<br />
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We are making progress on the tiny home!! Here, enjoy some pictures:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I got some new things this week. My own set of headphones and a speed square!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We've done a ton of work on the walls while they're laying on top of the trailer because we're limited on space.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We use an enclosed trailer we have to carry wood and supplies. This week, instead of carrying huge pieces of plywood 100 yards, we decided to cut them in the trailer. At night. In the dark.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">...it worked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The house! Still some outer sheathing to finish, but all the walls are up</span>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Again, from the inside. I took this picture standing in the little space at the front of the house where a bench/desk will be. So you're seeing from the very front of the house to the very back.</span></div>
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So all of our walls are up!! It's hard to get a full picture of the house from inside the shop, but trust me, they're all up. </div>
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Recently, we realized that we measured the door to the shop incorrectly (womp womp), so we'll have to move the house outside and finish building outdoors. Not the biggest mistake ever, but I'm a little sad to give up the shelter of the shop. </div>
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We've been a lot better lately about diligence and making time to work on the house, and I'm so proud of Robert for doing this. I watch him put all this together and think about all the measurements and numbers running through his head and how smart he is. It's just amazing.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6i1Gy94aeqg/UxUBDNI2XQI/AAAAAAAAAoo/bxBekNg1S9I/s1600/lauren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6i1Gy94aeqg/UxUBDNI2XQI/AAAAAAAAAoo/bxBekNg1S9I/s1600/lauren.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://laurennicolelove.com/blog/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo: Lauren Dubinsky</span></a></div>
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I've become a bit of a<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kellysummers/" target="_blank"> Pinterest</a> junkie lately. Mostly fueled by my love of <a href="http://www.daniellelaporte.com/" target="_blank">Danielle LaPorte</a> and how she's opened my eyes to a lot of new and exciting things.</div>
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To be honest, I spend a lot of time in negative mental space. I get eaten up with negativity, worry, frustration, anger, selfishness, etc. I'm human, after all. But the more time I let my mind wander in that direction, the further away my dreams seem. And the days add up to become weeks, months, and years, and <b>sometimes I just sit back and wonder how I've already wasted so much time when I'm only 25.</b></div>
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What I'm learning is that when it comes down to it, the decisions we make on a daily basis are more geared towards how we want to <b>feel</b> rather than what we want to <b>do</b> or become. So I may want to write a short story, but it's because I desire feeling creative and intelligent. I may want to sing my heart out on stage, but it's because I desire feeling <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kellysummers/to-feel-inspired/" target="_blank">inspired</a> and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kellysummers/to-feel-brave/" target="_blank">brave</a>. I may want to reach out and have a conversation with someone, but it's because my desire is to be <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kellysummers/to-feel-generous/" target="_blank">generous</a> with my time and my heart. I may want to wake up a little early and put makeup on or use the prettiest perfume I own, but it's because I desire feeling <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kellysummers/to-feel-lovely/" target="_blank">lovely</a> and soft.</div>
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When I search my own heart and really pay attention to the things that make me <b><i>come alive</i></b>, I can make choices every day that will give me those feelings. And <i>the more I feel the way I want, I think the more my dreams and vision for my life will come true sooner than I'll even realize.</i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyDl0Ijsedw/UxUB0IhEKgI/AAAAAAAAApE/Us8RDX2wcYY/s1600/lauren2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyDl0Ijsedw/UxUB0IhEKgI/AAAAAAAAApE/Us8RDX2wcYY/s1600/lauren2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://laurennicolelove.com/blog/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo: Lauren Dubinsky</span></a></div>
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At the root of things, I want the joy and peace I know God wants me to have. And seeking to feel lovely, inspired, brave, and generous (and all the sub-feelings that come along with those) is a stepping stone on that path.<br />
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If you haven't heard of or read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Desire-Map-Guide-Creating/dp/1622032519" target="_blank">the Desire Map</a>, I recommend it highly. <br />
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A couple of months ago I posted a blog stating why I love being a part of <a href="http://elevationchurch.org/" target="_blank">my church</a> and why my husband and I have chosen to remain planted there for 7+ years. Since then, more and more news articles and blogs have come out claiming all sorts of things about our church. Because I have friends on both sides of the Jesus-loving spectrum (evangelical megachurch attenders and those who have seen the depths of hurt in fundamentalism and seek to discount anything that smells remotely like it), my twitter and facebook have been a jumble of love and hate, enough to give me whiplash. </div>
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I'm a social media junkie. A child of the internet age. I can type faster than my parents and grandparents combined, and I'll gladly soak up news and popculture through my handy dandy iphone all day long. </div>
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<b>And that's become a problem.</b></div>
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With all of the "controversy" and just the ability people have to spread opinions and thoughts faster than ever, my brain has been overwhelmed by all that I'm reading. So I've been on a social media fast. The plan is to stay off for two weeks (I'm halfway through now), but I think I may go longer.</div>
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In an effort to not miss it, whenever I think "Oh, I want to tweet that," I've been praying instead. I'm trying to curb my desire to over-share with the world and remember to tell God about what's going on in my heart, even when He already knows.</div>
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<i>It's been a lesson in privacy, soul-searching, authenticity, and growing my relationship with Jesus, and it's been really refreshing. </i></div>
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If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me through basically three blog posts in one!</div>
kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-56390217879330732132014-01-26T18:05:00.001-08:002014-01-26T18:05:51.192-08:00THU (Tiny House Update) Wall FramingI'm totally just going to pretend like we didn't take a 3 month hiatus on building our house :)<br />
Totally.<br />
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So we took a break! Turns out life gets in the way of life sometimes. But we're back at it and building again.<br />
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As of right now, we have our sub-flooring completed. Screwed into the trailer and everything! So the last update involved us putting the flashing under the trailer and taping it all down.<br />
After that, we cut out styrofoam insulation (scroll through my instagram: kasummers to find what I think is a really funny video about styrofoam), put some spray foam insulation to make sure it was all secure, and put the plywood sub-flooring down. I'm hoping we'll have some more in-depth videos on our youtube account coming up. In reality, if you're looking to see basic progress, this is the spot. If you're building your own tiny home, our youtube is the place to be (tinyhouselife), though we need to catch up on our videos.<br />
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This week we started framing our walls. They look a little bit like this:<br />
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The first collection of pictures is one of our incomplete side walls, the giant saw I learned to use this week, me and my tool belt taking selfies with the convenient space heater, and our incomplete rear wall.</div>
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To be fair, Rob is doing most of the work, as will be the case throughout the whole thing. BUT I am great at cutting 2x4's and am helping the best I can. It took us pretty much an entire day (maybe 5-6 hours?) to complete the one side wall. It's all nailed together, we just need to cut the pieces that go across the middle that act as support and fire-stops (literally, in case of fire, it's a piece in the wall designed to slow the fire from spreading). </div>
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I'm proud of Rob. He's putting together everything and getting all the measurements and making huge decisions, and I think he's doing a great job. I fully trust him, even though neither of us have done anything like this before. </div>
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This week we'll continue framing the walls, add certain necessary strengthening hardware, and then put sheathing on the outside (I think) of the walls. Then, they'll go up! I'm really excited to stand on the trailer and be walled in, to really get a feel for the space.</div>
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We'll be updating soon!</div>
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My goal coming up is to blog about downsizing and our preparations for moving in (even though that's not anytime soon).</div>
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Also, we are on Pinterest overload right now. We both have been using it for house ideas, and while it's great, it also makes things a little more difficult. Mainly because it plants all these amazing ideas in our head that we then want to integrate into our house. But really, there's only so much space. So maybe it's time for a Pinterest break :)</div>
kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-59584424208267321272013-10-23T07:09:00.000-07:002013-10-24T05:40:11.650-07:00Why I Love My Church<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_vTocN4sPHA/Umfba0LjXhI/AAAAAAAAAlo/MW26G9fjrio/s1600/worship1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_vTocN4sPHA/Umfba0LjXhI/AAAAAAAAAlo/MW26G9fjrio/s320/worship1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{Code Orange Christmas}</span><i> </i></div>
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<i>Oh, internet. What used to take weeks to circulate now takes mere minutes, thanks to you.</i><br />
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<i>If you don't know, our pastor is building a large house. And a lot of people have a problem with it. A couple of Charlotte news sources have done stories on it, one of the big ones breaking last night. I'm not angry about it, but I'm a little sad because of the way the media puts a specific spin on their reports. It's to be expected. It did lead me to write out a little of why my husband and I choose and love our church. I wrote this in my personal livejournal (which I'm pretty sure no one reads, thankfully), but I wanted to share it. Like I said, I'm not angry or bitter or trying to be defensive. But I do love and honor my pastor for his work in preaching the Gospel of Jesus. I'm thankful for the influence he has had on my life, and I know that being of part of this church is a blessing from God.</i><br />
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i have records, pages, entire notebooks filled with the evidence of how God has worked in my life through elevation church.<br />
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it's
a church made up of imperfect people. it will never be a perfect place.
we'll never get it right all the time. we can only do the best with
what we have and do whatever we can to honor God and give Him all the
glory.<br />
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rob and i evaluate and talk about why we love and attend elevation on a pretty regular basis. we're smart people.
we're not sheep, blindly following humans who are able to make mistakes
and fail us. we trust God and what He is doing and we follow Him in a
way that allows us to have an amazing community around us. we talk about
it. we pray about it. we listen to the Holy Spirit. we analyze what we
see. we discuss. we move forward. in 7 years, we have never come to the
conclusion that this body of believers is bad for us, that pastor steven
cannot be trusted or that he's selling us anything other than the word
and truth of God, that we shouldn't be here anymore. if we thought for
one second that pastor steven was full of himself and was only doing
this for his glory and his praise, we would be out the door in a
heartbeat, no questions. this church, these people do not follow a man
named steven, we follow God. BUT pastor steven is possibly the best and most
charismatic, powerful speaker i've ever had the privilege of hearing. he
communicates the word of God with power, conviction, and passion. i
believe he is anointed by God to preach and teach God's word and that he
does it with the utmost excellence AND humility.<br />
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i love this church. through it, God has reshaped my life. from a broken, lonely, confused college student, to someone who is growing and learning who they are in Christ.
7 years ago, i was scared. i was a bad friend, i was cutting myself consistently, and i felt like i had no
direction in my life. 7 years later, i'm changed. God has done some
amazing things in my life. and i'm not saying those things couldn't have
happened without elevation. but i'm so glad that i've had this body of
Jesus-followers surrounding me, pushing me, encouraging me, and loving
me.<br />
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i completely understand that the evangelical megachurch is
not for everyone. there are people out there that have legitimate
reasons to not want to attend a church like elevation. one of my best
friends is pretty vocal against some of the core practices of a
megachurch. we still love each other, and i don't get offended when i
meet people that don't like elevation (except for the people who bash it
but have never stepped foot in the doors or given it a chance. that's a
bit unfair). i want people to meet Jesus and worship Him in a way that
makes sense to them. if that's at a megachurch with multiple campuses
and egroups, great. if that's at a small church with 50 members,
awesome. whatever fits your life.<br />
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we love elevation. we tithe to
elevation, not because we feel pressured, but because we know we are
giving to God and giving to see more people reached by the Gospel. we volunteer our time and resources, and we've spent years pouring into the community and being poured into.<br />
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elevation
isn't perfect, and neither are we. God's glory is all that matters, and
His grace covers us when we fail. we don't agree with every single
detail of what happens at elevation, but we trust that the heart behind
it all is to serve and worship God. at the end of the day, we follow God
and the Holy Spirit, and for the past seven years and in this moment,
He is allowing us to be a part of this amazing movement. and until He
tells us otherwise, this is where we will stay plantedkelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-34363570085632425052013-09-16T13:04:00.000-07:002013-09-16T13:14:23.371-07:00Our House, In the Middle of Our GarageWe are building a house!!<br />
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Some days I'm terrified.<br />
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Some days I'm really excited about it.<br />
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Some days I'm just feeling lazy and don't want to do it.<br />
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Most days, it's a combination of all of those things.<br />
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And yet,<br />
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Here we are. Building a house!<br />
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On this:<br />
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We picked up our trailer a couple weeks ago and have started building. The silver you see on the trailer is the flashing that goes underneath everything to help keep rodents and bugs out. On top of that will go the insulation, followed by the plywood for the floors. Then, we'll start framing our walls!</div>
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We've been working on and off for a couple of weeks. I'm hoping we'll find a good rhythm soon. Last week we didn't get any work done because I had some church events and Robert was getting ready to go racing. Hopefully this week, we'll be more productive.</div>
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We've also been building a shed at the shop. We've built this partially for practice in building and mostly to have some storage space at our shop. You can see inside the bays in the first picture, and that's just a small glimpse at all of the stuff we have back there. It's a lot. So we made a shed to store it all in. We just need to finish painting it, and it's all done. Here are some pictures of the building process of the shed.</div>
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Important notes: felt paper is the same thing as fiberglass insulation. It will get in your skin and stick there. So don't work on it in shorts and a t-shirt. Just saying...</div>
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And here's some of our progress on the trailer. In this first picture, I'm putting down duct tape (think waterproof, higher quality than the kind we used to wrap our bibles in high school) on all of the seams of the flashing. I'm wearing giant ear muffs is because when Rob was drilling all the bolts into the trailer it was hella loud. No thank you.<br />
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So that's our update for now. If you're following any or all of our various social media updates, then this is nothing new. It feels weird to be updating everything. I don't want to be redundant or annoying in our updates, but dangit if I'm not excited about this tiny home.<br />
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Pinterest has been a massive help through this process. We've created <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/tinyhouseclt/boards/" target="_blank">an account</a> specifically for our tiny home that has been helping us gather useful and innovative ideas. Check it out to see what we're thinking.<br />
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Other ways to keep up with our progress:<br />
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<a href="http://tinyhouselifeclt.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a><br />
<a href="http://instagram.com/tinyhouselife" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/tinyhouseclt/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a><br />
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The process has been good so far. I've gotten to talk to a lot of people about our decision and our process, and it's really cool. People have been encouraging and interested all around, and I'm excited to keep moving forward!<br />
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Another picture, unrelated, included just for funsies.<br />
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These ladies!! These are the ladies of my egroup, and I love them. They've made the last year of my life so much richer and happier, and I'm unendingly grateful to have them. That's all :)</div>
<br />kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-51546808003446987342013-07-27T18:53:00.001-07:002013-07-27T18:53:59.113-07:00Tiny Home UpdateA lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same in the last 4 months. Four months ago I posted some pictures of a tiny home we saw in Asheville and how we weren't planning on living in anything quite so small.<br />
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Well...</div>
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Things have changed.</div>
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Our house will be bigger than the 117 square foot Lusby (see previous entry) but not by much. We're planning on building a mix between the <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/products/cypress/#ad-image-0" target="_blank">Cypress</a>, <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/products/fencl/#ad-image-0" target="_blank">Fencl</a> and Linden models that you can see at the <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/" target="_blank">Tumbleweed website.</a> We have purchased the framing plans for the Cypress 20, but we're going to design the inside however we want (once we figure that out).</div>
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Some rough details to start:</div>
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-the house will be roughly 144 sq feet</div>
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-it will be built on a trailer that is roughly 8x20ft</div>
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-we plan to build it at the shop that we own, drive it from there to the property we end up with, and then leave it stationary there</div>
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-we plan to live there semi-permanently (a couple of years) until we decide to build a bigger home</div>
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-we're super excited!!</div>
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We put a down payment on our trailer this week. We purchased a custom built trailer from <a href="http://www.kaufmantrailers.com/" target="_blank">Kaufman Trailers</a> here in North Carolina. Our trailer should be finished in 4-6 weeks, during which time we'll be collecting raw materials and getting our general plans together for the layout of the house. Our goal is to begin working on the trailer as soon as it gets here.</div>
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Today, Robert and I went around to a couple places to get some ideas for materials, decorations, and plans. There are a couple of Habitat for Humanity ReStores in our area, and we also went to Lowe's. In a lot of cases, the prices at a bigger store like Lowe's are similar to what you can find repurposed. It all depends on what you're looking for. The beauty of building a tiny home is that even if the individual materials are just as expensive (if not more so in the case of custom windows and doors), you need less of them!</div>
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We're both really excited about moving forward with this. Our family is moderately to incredibly supportive. Our finances are mostly in order. The next step is to start getting rid of some things and keep looking for materials so we can start building soon!</div>
kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-35348425493275343872013-03-19T15:10:00.000-07:002013-03-19T15:10:02.917-07:00Tiny Home, Big AdventureIn my <a href="http://kellyasummers.blogspot.com/2013/02/out-with-old-end-of-story.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, I talked a little about the changes Rob and I are hoping to make in our lives this year and the beginning stages of that.<br />
This weekend, Robert and I spent 2 days in Asheville at a <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/" target="_blank">Tumbleweed Tiny Home</a> workshop. We sat in a room with 100 other people, just like us, with similar dreams regarding their home, and we learned more about what it means to build and live in a tiny home. And it was awesome!!<br />
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One of my biggest gripes so far in this process has been the lack of support from just about everyone. Our families think we're a little crazy for wanting to live in a smaller-than-"average" home, and our friends seem like they support us and are excited for us but we realized after talking to more people about it that they still thought we were a little weird for wanting to go this route. So sitting in a room with dozens of people who know exactly what you're talking about and where you're coming from is super refreshing!<br />
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So, what does tiny living look like?<br />
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Well, <i>reeeeally </i>tiny living looks like this:<br />
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This is the Lusby. It is a 117 square foot home that you build on a trailer. You can leave it stationary if you want, but most people build them to have some added mobility in their lives. There is a loft for a mattress above the two tiny rooms, and there is space for small appliances, such as a mini refrigerator and stove. If you are prepared to strip down and live simple, I would imagine 2 people could live in this with very little problems.<br />
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This is <b>not</b> the house we want for ourselves, it's just the model they brought to the workshop. And honestly, I'm hoping that if we show more people these pictures, they will be less appalled, shocked, and generally pessimistic when we show them our own plans.<br />
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Either way, I'm learning more to be excited about what I'm excited about with less apologies. So a tiny home is unconventional? Still excited. So our families think we're a little crazy and haven't thought through everything? Still excited. So I just cut my hair really short and my husband may not love it? Still excited.<br />
Not directly related, but it translates, I promise.<br />
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So we decided to drive to Asheville for this workshop because we're ready to start planning and don't want to wait, but the great news is that the Tumbleweed Workshop is actually coming to Charlotte in June! I would love to meet more people who are on the same path that we are in this. Just meeting like-minded people this weekend was enough encouragement in itself. If you think you might be interested at all, <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/products/charlotte" target="_blank">you should go!</a> It's not just about the novelty of living in a small home. There's so much more to it than that. There are factors like environmental impact, the benefits of simpler living, and the freedom of having less stuff and less space to manage.<br />
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Ella was the presenter for the workshop and she has her own tiny home: <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/collections/customer-slideshows/products/ellas-fencl#ad-image-0" target="_blank">The Fencl.</a><br />
Check it out! And let me know what you think, even if you don't ever want to live in a tiny home.kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-86876823715220798742013-02-26T13:52:00.002-08:002013-02-26T13:52:45.920-08:00Out With the Old, End of StoryA couple of months ago, a salad changed everything for us.<br />
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No, but really. I was eating a salad for lunch one day, and I turned to Rob and said, "I don't want to keep living the same way we are now."<br />
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I had already been thinking about the implications of changing our perspective and living differently, but for some reason, that salad just pushed me over the edge. It sparked new conversations and dreams for Robert and I, and we've been on a new path ever since.<br />
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That was a few months ago, and this week we've finished moving out of our apartment and into my mother-in-law's house. We'll stay there while we save money and find some property to buy, and hopefully in 2013 we'll build a house. And a tiny one, at that. Yes, we are on a journey to simplify!<br />
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For me, that fateful salad really represented my desire to change the way I live daily, mostly in terms of food. Right now, we eat crap, we don't pay attention to where our food is coming from or what is in it, and we're not being responsible for our foodie decisions. Because we run our own business, the easiest thing each day is to grab fast food and eat it quickly before moving on to the next things, and it's just so awful. I want to change the way we see food and the way we eat it.<br />
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Along with my desire the change the way we eat, I want to change the way we live altogether. More and more, I am convicted about all the "stuff" we have. All the junk, the garbage, the pointless bits and pieces. We hold on to so much stuff!! "Stuff" has quickly become a four letter word in my mind, and I want to get rid of it all. So as we moved out of our 1200 sq ft apartment, we made a real effort to let go of some of the things we've held on to. For us, we had a second bedroom filled with things that we forgot we even had, but somehow it was still hard to let go of some of them. Because we've been trained to want more stuff and keep it all. Thankfully, in the end, we were able to give away about two cars full of things to Goodwill, plus 5-10 bags of trash. And that is only scratching the surface. We moved the rest of our stuff into a 10x15 storage unit, and the plan is to go back every so often and keep pruning.<br />
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The process has been disappointingly difficult. I'm sad that we care so much about the things that we own. I'm sad that we own so much and that it's so hard to give away. I'm sad that the hardest part for me will be training myself to not buy new stuff every time I see something pretty at target or convince myself we don't have enough. I'm sad that living simply/minimalistic is unusual in our part of the world. I'm mostly sad at the shocked/horrified faces of others when we tell them we want to get rid of all our crap and live in a tiny home.<br />
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I didn't realize until this year that as an adult, I can do any freaking thing I want to. I really didn't get that. But now I do. And now I want to do something awesome. I want to live a better life with my husband. I want to dream big, even when others don't understand or aren't along for the ride. So this is where we start. Getting rid of the old stuff, changing the way we buy new stuff, and rebooting the way we live. I can't wait to update more on our next steps!kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-56240810507372492502013-02-05T15:46:00.000-08:002013-02-05T15:46:29.563-08:00Waiting to be RevealedThere are so many facets to a personality. There are things we like about ourselves and things we don't. There are qualities that make us seem wonderful and others that drag us down, and no matter what we do, they affect every interaction and reaction we experience. There are so many days where I find myself wishing I could change my personality and become someone else. I tell myself I'm going to worry less, or work harder, or be less emotional. <br />
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Last year, I didn't really spend time digging my fingers into <a href="http://kellyasummers.blogspot.com/2011/12/love.html" target="_blank">my word</a>. I let the year go by without even letting it touch me, this concept of love. I knew I wanted to learn more about it. About His consuming way. About giving out of the overflow. But looking back on it now, there wasn't much overflow for me to give out of.<br />
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I've spent a lot of time pushing down my feelings, quelling the desire to be open with others, and generally pushing myself--<i>my heart</i>--away. I've shut myself down just in the hope that no one else would have a chance to. I've been told I'm too emotional, I cry too much, I can't control myself, I need to grow up. I have believed it all, and I've spoken it over myself.<br />
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The responsible adult in me wants to point out that there is indeed a time and a place for sharing heartfelt (sometimes ugly, embarrassing) emotions with others, and it's important to be tactful. But <b>the actual human in me wants to scream and cry and dance and jump and flail and collapse in response to the real things happening in my heart</b>. The feels, if you will.<br />
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All of this squishing and cramming my emotions down caused some unwanted side effects. You can't kill your feelings again and again and expect them to be intact if it suddenly benefits you to have them. I started to work so hard at not feeling the bad that I ended up losing some of the good with it. I celebrated if I made it through a stressful situation without tears. I judged myself based on how I felt inside, and I would worry so much about what other people thought of my emotions and reactions. And eventually I started to learn that you can't partially kill something. <i>The deep, heartfelt joy will suffocate right along with the grief you're trying to bury. </i>It's all or nothing.<br />
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So here I am, one year later, maybe not as well versed in love as I'd like to be, but ready to face a year of identity retrieval. And now I realize that no matter how much I want love to pervade my life, <i>I will not be able to offer to others what I don't already have for myself.</i><b> </b>Until I learn that it's ok to be who I am and love myself, I can't really accept all the good, bad, and ugly in others. But the first step in loving myself is knowing more about me.<br />
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If you asked me today, "who are you?" my answers would revolve around my job, my husband, my church, what I do, what I own. And those things make up a lot of my day-to-day life, but they do not make up my heart and soul. I believe that God created me uniquely and beautifully, and that He has so much to show me about my own heart. And maybe the most beautiful part in this journey is that <b>in searching to know who God created me to be, I will be better equipped to see, know, and love others.</b><br />
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I imagine the answers to the questions I have will develop like negatives in a darkroom, slowly, gradually, with brilliant results. The time I take to hear and heed the guidance of the Creator will undoubtedly pay off in the end, but it may not bring instantaneous change in my life. Regardless, I'm waiting in eager expectation for God to reveal all He has for me. And I trust that I'm not the only one on this road.<br />
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<b>{we know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. not only so, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we anxiously await our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. for in this hope we were saved} {romans 8.22-24}</b></div>
kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-19598963666743513642013-02-04T09:07:00.001-08:002013-02-04T09:07:11.644-08:00{Happy Anniversary}Our anniversary (December 29th) and Christmas are so close together that I get the feeling we'll always be playing catch-up when it comes to celebrating our anniversary. Which is fine because it's just one day. I do love a celebration, but I want our marriage to be celebrated every day of the year, not just at the mile marker. This year we decided to forgo gifts and take a little trip to celebrate the holidays and our special day. As one of our anniversary gifts, Rob's family got us season passes to the Biltmore house! Essentially, the passes just get you onto the property for free whenever you want throughout the year. So for our special trip, we spent the weekend in Asheville at the Biltmore. If you've never been and you're in the NC area, I definitely recommend it. It's a beautiful property with so much history behind it. I love hearing the stories of the Vanderbuilt family and how they created this space.<br />
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We drove up Friday after work through a terrible ice storm (not really, this is only North Carolina), and what should have been a 2.5 hour trip took about 4. But we made it safely! When we got there, we found this awesome movie night care package from Rob's family and a giftcard to go to tea. It was so sweet of them to do so much for us.<br />
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This was our Saturday morning view:<br />
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So beautiful. On Saturday we went to the actual house and took a behind-the-scenes tour, which was really interesting. We were at the house in October with Rob's family, and we did the general house tour then. It was cool this time to get a special glimpse at what had to happen to make every day run smoothly in a house so big. Just thinking about all the chores makes my head hurt.<br />
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That afternoon, we thought we'd take a nice leisurely bike ride around the grounds, so we bundled up and got ready for an hour-long ride. What actually happened was the bike ride from hell. We got lost and ended up biking six miles.Well really half-biking, half-push-your-bike-up-this-huge-hill-omg. It was pretty treacherous and really the only comfort was that we had scheduled horseback riding for the next day. Our butts rejoiced!!<br />
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{seriously, this cow was the best part of the bike ride}</div>
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On Sunday we went horseback riding, which was amazing! It was super cold out, so I pretty much made every attempt at being warm. No lie, at one point I had on two pairs of socks, boots, long johns, jeans, tank top, short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, two cardigans, sweatshirt, two jackets with hoods, gloves, and a scarf. I'm now a professional layer-er. </div>
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Pancho and I had a great time together. Somehow Rob and I managed to get the two slowest horses they had, so we did a lot of kicking. We had a lot of fun, and it was definitely worth squeezing in last minute.<br />
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And finally in the <b>last</b> last minute, we had some tea! They have afternoon tea where you can choose from 9 different kinds of tea and eat a bunch of dainty finger foods that make you feel pretty swanky. And no lie, at the table across from us was a very proper family in proper dresses and khakies and blazers and whatnot. They were super nice, but I couldn't help laughing. Pip pip.<br />
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I was not as classy as those people. I had just gotten off a horse and hadn't showered in a while. But that doesn't make a good tea any less enjoyable!</div>
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Overall, I'm so glad we got to spend a weekend together doing things we enjoy. We're blessed with a supportive and generous family who helped make this happen, and I couldn't be more grateful!<br /><br /></div>
kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-32051470165341587552013-01-04T14:14:00.000-08:002013-01-04T14:17:26.655-08:00Favorite Things {2012}Everyone loves lists, right?<br />
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Here's a list of some of my favorite things in 2012. Not necessarily things that were released in the year, but just things I discovered, read, or listened to.<br />
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{Books}<br />
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<b>+ <i>Dracula : Bram Stoker.</i></b> If you've never read the old school version of Twilight (just kidding), you're missing out! Suspenseful, frightening, gripping. Obviously it's an older book, and I found the words are more descriptive, the language is deeper, and overall it's very beautifully written. I highly recommend it if you're looking for something fun to read or if you like to escape in a book. It's one of those books where you just <i>have</i> to know what's coming next.<br />
<b>+ </b><i><b>Unglued : Lysa Terkeurst</b>.</i> I've always considered myself someone with unusually strong emotions. I feel everything deeply and often my emotions have physical properties, too, which makes everything feel even stronger. There have been many times in my life where my emotions seem to take over and leave me blown over. Lysa teaches how to process emotions in a way that gives you the upper hand and encourages you to get a grip on them before you really need to. So instead of waiting for a stressful situation to come up and test your control, have a plan of attack beforehand.<br />
<b>+ <i>Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close : Jonathan Safran Foer</i></b>. Oh my gosh, this book. I devoured this book in three days. It's beautifully written and completely heartbreaking. A boy is dealing with the death of his dad and searching for clues to put together a puzzle of sorts that will lead him to more information about his dad's life. It also weaves in stories of his other families members, and it's such a great story about families ties, love, honesty, grief, and moving on. I haven't seen the movie yet, and I'd love to know if it's worth seeing after reading the book.<br />
<b>+ </b><i><b>The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse: a Book for Creators : Michael Gungor</b>.</i> I won't go into much detail here because I did mention this <a href="http://kellyasummers.blogspot.com/2012/11/what-im-reading.html" target="_blank">in a list already</a>, but this book is amazing. If you've ever considered yourself a creator or ever wanted to create something (poetry, music, art), you need this book in your life. It's about creating art and the voices we listen to when we create.<br />
<b>+ <i>Beautiful Outlaw : John Eldredge</i></b>. Recently I heard a bit of controversy about this book and theology within it, but I'm a big believer in the principle: "eat the fish and leave the bones." You can learn something from anything. Just because you read a book doesn't mean you have to adhere to every lesson it teaches. There are lessons to hold onto and lessons to throw away. But I digress. I loved this book. John talks about how we often read the Gospels without taking time to imagine or discern what Jesus' personality was like. I find myself very detached from Jesus because it's hard to imagine him as a real person who lived and walked the earth with quirks and characteristics. His playfulness, his generosity, his humility. He was a real person with feelings and emotions and actions. He is not a list of miracles or a book of words. He is a person who understands who we are and what we feel like. I think I need to read this book again.<br />
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{Music}<br />
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<b>+ <i>Night Vision : Imagine Dragons</i></b>. Easily my favorite album of the year. They were the iTunes free single of the week at one point, and after listening to one song of theirs, I decided to get the whole album. I love a band with a unique male vocal, and I love this album for the vocals and for the rhythm of it. There's something about the drum patterns all throughout the album that get to me. I play this most often at work on Fridays because it always lifts my mood and makes me feel like the day is going to be a good one.<br />
<b>+ <i>Babel : Mumford and Sons</i></b>. It actually took me a little while to really get into this album, but I do love it. Robert and I watched the music video for one of the songs, Lover of the Light, and we really loved the song, which inspired me to buy the whole album. It's been consistently played at work and is growing on me every day. I like that the songs are mostly upbeat, and the talent this band has is amazing. Just listening to them play their instruments is inspiring. And exhausting.<br />
<b>+ <i>Handmade Songs : Tori Kelly</i>. </b>Oh my gosh, this girl can sing! I found out about her when a friend of mine posted a link to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTHO6IX3Tp8" target="_blank">this video</a> of her doing Michael Jackson's Pretty Young Thing. The 2:25 mark will change your life. It's hard for me to comprehend how any one person has that much talent. Her voice is pure, and her control over it is impeccable. She's incredibly skilled at guitar, and her songs are beautifully written. Bring Me Home is one of my favorites. She's definitely one of those artists that is so amazingly talented, she inspires me to pick up a guitar and work harder on my vocal skills. She is endlessly impressive, and I want to be more like her. Please go buy her album.<br />
<b>+ <i>Talk that Talk : Rihanna</i></b>. Nope, I'm not joking. This was definitely one of my favorite albums this year. I don't love all of the radio singles Rihanna puts out, but so many of these songs for me are feel-good, dance around in front of your bathroom mirror songs haha. You guys do that, right? Admittedly, some of them made me feel unclean just listening to them, she can be outright nasty. But mostly it's a fun album, with two songs that I completely loved: We All Want Love and Fool in Love. I think it's worth buying those two songs at least, even if you don't like the rest of her music.<br />
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{Miscellaneous}<br />
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<b>+ <i>Makeup</i> </b>: Fortunately and unfortunately, I discovered the joy of using high end beauty products this year. There are times when it isn't worth it to buy the most expensive thing, but honestly, a lot of the time, you get what you pay for. Paying for brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Urban Decay, MAC, etc. get you the very best in quality and value. I will definitely say that I've been buying way too much makeup this year and am trying hard to cut back, but I'll also say that I feel like it's worth it to spend money on quality items. Check out<a href="http://pinterest.com/kellysummers/what-i-use/" target="_blank"> my Pinterest board</a> for some of the things I've been using this year.<br />
<b>+ <i>Blogs</i> </b>: I've gotten more into reading blogs this year, and there are some great ones out there. I think my favorite has been <a href="http://momastery./">Momastery.</a> I love Glennon. She's so real and honest and beautiful. I know she is not perfect and never attempts to be, and I think that alone is worth seeing. Sydney at<a href="http://www.thedaybookblog.com/" target="_blank"> the Daybook</a> is also a favorite of mine. Her blog has definitely shifted focus over the last year, but it's still true to her. She posts great pictures, wears amazingly put-together outfits, and has an adorable baby. What's not to love? Erin at <a href="http://www.readingmytealeaves.com/" target="_blank">Reading my Tea Leaves</a> has a great blog full of helpful tips for living in a small apartment and inspiring pictures of little moments throughout her week. Finally, <a href="http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/blog/" target="_blank">Bleubird</a> has been one of my favorite blogs for a long time. Sometimes it's hard to realize how long you've followed someone until you realize you're watching their children grow up! James is an inspiring blogger, her family is beautiful, and her Bits + Pieces feature is my favorite feature on any blog right now.<br />
<b><i>+ Apps</i></b> : How can you make a list in this day and age and not include favorite apps? <a href="http://dailyaudiobible.com/" target="_blank">Daily Audio Bible</a> is a great way to get more of the bible in your life without having to carve out time to sit down and stop everything else. I still think quiet time is awesome, but this app really helps me get into the right mindset for the day. I listen while getting ready in the morning or in the car on the way to work. Rob doesn't love the guy who does the readings because he has a "creepy whisper voice," but I find it calming and pleasant. <a href="https://www.youversion.com/" target="_blank">YouVersion</a> is another great bible app. They have so many pre-built reading plans. I'm currently doing a Canonical plan that takes me straight through the bible in a year. They also have devotions correlating to books and plans taking you through the bible in different time frames. <a href="http://teuxdeux.com/" target="_blank">Teux Deux</a> is a great list app. It's simple, straightforward, and clean. If you like making lists, this is a great app to use. <br />
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Well that's enough, I think. Congrats if you made it through all that! And let me know what your favorite movies, music, books, etc. were this year. I already have a growing list of 16+ books I want to read this year, and this week I bought 4 or 5 albums with some Christmas money that I'm excited to get into hope. I hope everyone's 2013 is off to a great start!!kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-63383485607787811042013-01-02T08:23:00.002-08:002013-01-02T08:23:43.632-08:00New Year, New WordIdentity:<br />
+ <span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">condition</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">character</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">as</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">who</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">person</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">what</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">thing</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">is</span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">+ </span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">sense</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">self,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">providing</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">sameness</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">and</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">continuity</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">personality</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">over</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">time</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Who am I?</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Last year my <a href="http://oneword365.com/" target="_blank">word</a> was<b> love.</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b> </b></span></span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><b> </b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I don't know that I learned as much as I was hoping when it comes to love. I definitely learned some things. That love is not easy. That love is not just love on its own. It is also <i>patience, kindness, gentleness, truth, courage</i>. <b>It encompasses much and requires much and is worth it every time.</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Throughout the year, I often fell short of my own expectations to love others. And there would be times that I labeled myself as an unloving person. I would get discouraged and feel like I should be a better person. And throughout the year, I heard over and over that <b>I should find my identity in God</b> and not what I do or who I want to be.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Find your identity in God.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Sounds good.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">But how?</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Well, I have no idea. That's why identity is my word for 2013. Because it's a journey. One that I have waited too long to embark on.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I know that it starts with soaking up more of Him. <b>In order to learn more about the creation, you should get to know the Creator, right?</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">I've realized lately that I don't always know who I am. Sometimes I wonder about my feelings and where they came from and how I came to feel them. Sometimes, someone will ask me how I feel about something, and my only response is "I don't know." I don't know who I am. I don't know what I feel or why I feel it. I get nervous when I realize that I believe differently than the people I love. But that's silly because no two people will every feel the exact same way about every topic.<b> </b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><span name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;">So I'm taking this year to figure it out. Who am I? Who does God say I am? How can I keep that in the forefront of my mind when worry, doubt, and uncertainty all seem to creep in? How do I find my identity in Him?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;">I'm not sure yet, but I'm excited to see how He shapes me and forms me in new ways this year. I know He is faithful and that if I'm seeking wisdom with a heart that longs to know Him more, He will provide. Here's to discovering new things this year. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-1874258035898803502012-12-31T11:06:00.001-08:002012-12-31T11:06:52.866-08:00Memorable Moments {2012}Seriously, what did we do before instagram?<br />
I've never had so many of my day-to-day moments preserved forever. Except for that period of time between the ages of 0 and 5 where everything you do is worthy of being photographed by your family.<br />
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Here's a look at my year!<br />
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<b>January</b><br />
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Not much activity on my instagram in January. I did get my first ever business cards, though! Pretty exciting.<br />
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<b>February</b><br />
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Blake & Caleb came to live with us for a while. They're like brothers to us, so it was great to have them around for a few months. We also did some outreach projects with our church for an event called Love Week that we put on every year as an outreach push. We had a lot of fun planting and renovating with our small group.<br />
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<b>March</b><br />
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Took one of my favorite personal pictures ever. Hooray ominous storms. Also began spending time with my lovely friend Rebecca! Rebecca is such an amazing friend and woman of God. I love her, and have felt so blessed all year to have our friendship grow the way it has.<br />
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<b> April </b><br />
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I just like that picture of Spricket. She's kind of perfect.<br />
In April, I read one of the best books I've ever read. Worship Matters is such a great book, and I learned a ton about what it means to be a worship leader and what it means to have a heart for Jesus.<br />
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<b>May</b><br />
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My little brother graduated for college! This moment was particularly insane because it meant that I had graduated from college over two years ago. Weird.<br />
We flew to Arizona for Rob's cousin's wedding and spent a weekend in warm, sunny Phoenix. It was such a wonderful vacation.<br />
And I dressed like Paddington Bear one day.<br />
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<b>June</b><br />
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I auditioned for American Idol for the first time. It was a fun experience, but I didn't make it. I picked the wrong song. If it came around to Charlotte again, I'd go back.<br />
We flew to Baltimore for some work training classes. Baltimore is so beautiful.<br />
We also deepened our relationship with my Aunt and Uncle this year. They live in Maryland and we were able to stay with them whenever we traveled there. They've been such a blessing to us, giving us a place to stay and food to eat. I'm grateful we have them.<br />
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<b>July </b><br />
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I turned 24, and my mom finally sold our childhood home. Such a sad thing to let go of the place you grew up in. I'm glad I moved away from the town I grew up in, but I definitely miss it.<br />
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<b>August</b><br />
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I finally visited my mom where she lives in Charleston. I got sunburned so badly, like I always do, no matter what. It was a great trip.<br />
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<b>September</b><br />
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In September, our worship team did a songwriting night where we split up into groups and wrote some songs together. It was really excited to work together to come up with something new.</div>
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<b>October</b></div>
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We visited the Biltmore house for the first time. I loved it! So much history. Asheville in general is really great, and I'm hoping we get to visit more often this year. We actually just got season passes there for our anniversary, so I'm sure we'll be back up there way more often.<br />
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<b>November</b><br />
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My friend Rebecca cut and dyed my hair! It's by far the biggest change I've ever gone through with my hair, and I was a little nervous at first. I really love it. It's actually probably time to get it cut again. It's in that awkward stage where it turns into a triangle if I don't style it perfectly.<br />
I visited my friends<a href="http://laurennicolelove.com/blog/" target="_blank"> Lauren</a> and Max. I had such an amazing weekend just relaxing with them and Pixel. I finished three books (read Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close cover-to-cover in two days) and just enjoyed myself. I'm so thankful I got to go see them.<br />
In general, I had a lot of relaxing and peaceful moments in November. I discovered Kinfolk and spent some days reading through it, decided to start reading through the Bible every year, and Rob and I started praying together a lot more. Definitely an appropriate month for thanksgiving.<br />
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<b>December</b><br />
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Ahh Christmas. We had such a great Christmas this year because we didn't have to travel at all! We just got to relax and spend time with Rob's family. I got that awesome book of cat poems (yes, it is amazing), some new music, and obviously that great sweater. This last picture was after dinner, and I was so hyper. It probably had something to do with the amazing sweet potato casserole my sister-in-law made. It undoubtedly had a ridiculous amount of sugar in it. So I was really happy.<br />
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2012 was such a great year. I feel like I really learned a lot about myself and marriage and God this year. I've grown a lot and have seen some of what the next steps are to keep growing. I'm thankful for all God's done in our lives this year. We have our second year of marriage under our belt, and we're learning more every day about love and sacrifice and being like Jesus. I have good days and bad days. Bad days where I can't manage to put a smile on my face for anything, and I wish the world would just leave me alone. Good days where I feel like I can do anything and conquer any problem. I've learned more and more this year that God is good no matter what and there is always something to be thankful.<br />
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I hope everyone has had a great year. I can't wait to dig into my word for the year {identity} and see what happens in 2013. <br />
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<br />kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-46082266635803322462012-12-11T07:25:00.003-08:002012-12-11T07:25:48.012-08:00:: Life Update ::Holy moly.<br />
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There is so much going on right now! This year has been a season of tremendous growth and stretching for me, and I'm so glad for what God is doing in my life right now. I've had some blog post ideas bouncing around in my head, and I'm still working on them. For now, here's a general update:<br />
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:: Robert and I are praying and planning for our next step: a house! We are trying to figure out which direction to move in regarding purchasing or building a home and/or land. We own our own business and for the first two years we had an accountant that was not the best, so our income looks different than what it actually is. So far this has been a problem, and we'll find out in the next week or so if that can be resolved or if we'll have to wait another year to move forward on a home. Honestly, either way, I'm so excited because Robert and I have spent so much time in the last few weeks dreaming and wishing and hoping together for something special. It's brought us closer and sparked a lot of good conversation. I didn't realize until we started going through this process that <b>we can do anything we want! </b>I know that statement is partially obvious, but I truly didn't realize it until recently. I don't have to do the things my parents did and buy the same type of home and live the way everyone else does. We can figure out our own dream and make it happen! It was amazing for me to let that sink in.<br />
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:: Last year I participated in <a href="http://oneword365.com/" target="_blank">OneWord365</a> (and failed miserably by the standards I was hoping to meet). I didn't write much about my word (love) throughout the year, but it was on my mind quite a bit. I know I've grown in my understanding and practice of love throughout the year. God taught me a ton about love and the importance of loving others throughout the year. I'm not great at loving people, and I get easily annoyed. I'm still not the best at it, but He's definitely been working on me. With all that said, I've chosen my word for 2013: <b>Identity.</b> One thing I've struggled with a lot lately is knowing my own identity and knowing my identity in Christ. I've spent my whole life having labels put on me: sensitive, emotional, smart, funny, tomboy, selfish, incapable. We've all had them, and we still label ourselves and others every single day. These labels are not doing anyone any favors. My goal for 2013 is to remember more often that my identity is in Christ. I so often find myself believing my own labels for myself and not remembering that I am a child of God and that He loves me regardless of anything I do. I am His, and my identity is in Him.<br />
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:: For some reason this Christmas season, I'm really wanting to get away from my family traditions. I've been very blessed my whole life, and growing up, my brother and I received so many presents from our family. Every year, I expected more and more from them, and I always treated Christmas as a time to get everything I wanted. I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood that I wouldn't trade for anything, but as I grow up and start thinking about the traditions I want to have with my future kids, this tradition of excess and extravagance (in terms of material things) is not the direction I want to go. This year, God has really started speaking to me about getting rid of our stuff, having less, and living with a bigger appreciation for what we do have. I know a lot of people are going through this right now, and I'm excited to see how different people approach it. Rob and I have been talking about what we want to teach our kids and what traditions we want to have, and I'm excited to start some new ones with him.<br />
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I feel like there's a lot going on inside of me right now, and it's really awesome. God is so good, and I'm thankful that I've been in the process of truly opening my heart and eyes to all that He's doing around me. When we really dig in and form a relationship with Him, there is never a dull moment!kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-82158845596663336902012-11-14T07:45:00.000-08:002012-11-14T07:45:14.621-08:00MakeoverHooray!! It finally happened: my blog got a makeover!<br />
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Kerry at <a href="http://ivegotroses.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Throw You a Rose</a> hosted a generous giveaway, and I won :) So she gave my blog a little boost, and you're looking at the finished product!<br />
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I absolutely love it. Kerry was so sweet and excited to work with me and got everything done so quickly. You should go check out her business, <a href="http://www.spitimagedesign.com/" target="_blank">Spit Image Design</a>.<br />
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Thanks again, Kerry!kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-36693278417636773762012-11-09T17:29:00.002-08:002012-11-09T17:32:16.336-08:00what i'm readingI've always been a reader, ever since I was a little girl. I remember moving away from New York at the end of first grade, and my teacher gave me a handful of books and sent me letters encouraging me to keep reading. So sweet. Some seasons of life make it easier to find time to read than others, and I'm really thankful that this year, I've managed to read about 15 books so far. So today I thought I would share some of my favorites this year:<br />
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+ One Thousand Gifts :: I've seen this book in blogger circulation for a while. I finally bought it on a whim and devoured it. Sometimes I get so down and negative about life, and I have to really fight to see the good in life. I know people who seem to be naturally positive about everything, and I am not one of them. That being said, this book opened my eyes to how simple, and yet how difficult, it can be to open our eyes to the daily gifts we receive. Ann Voskamp has nailed down the art of <i>eucharisteo</i> and what it means to live a life of thankfulness to a loving, good Father. I've been catching myself lately complaining about trivial things and really searching my heart for the reasons why I'm bothered. Most of the time, there's actually no legitimate reason to be unhappy. If I truly believe that God is good and therefore worth serving (which I do), then I know that each day, each moment, each interaction, each person is a gift and something to be thankful for.<br />
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+ The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse: a book for Creators :: Oh my word, this book. Michael Gungor (of the band, Gungor) has such an amazing grasp on what creating should be. Whether you are a writer, a painter, a singer, or a musician, or if you've ever even had the desire to create <i>something</i>, read. this. book. It's a lot about what music and art has become in the midst of all the technology we're bombarded with, and it made me think about what I'm creating and what my influences are. Am I taking the time to pay attention to the important and beautiful things in life? Am I filling my head with mindless matter, or am I taking the time to empty out all the drivel, really open up my eyes and see what can flow out of me when I am unburdened by the crowd? Am I creating from a place of love or a place of fear?<br />
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<i>{art is not a distraction from human meaninglessness, but part of burgeoning newness that gives our existence a hopeful and sacred meaningfulness*}</i></div>
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+ Worship Matters :: I almost find it a little difficult to recommend this book to everyone because Bob Kauflin is specifically addressing those who are worship leaders in churches by career (or at least hobby, like myself), but anyone can read it and gain insight from it. In fact, the thing I love most about this book is that it opened my eyes to the Gospel in a brand new way! I truly did not understand the Gospel of Jesus until I read the second section of this book. I can't even explain why or how, I just know that God gave me a fresh understanding of what Jesus did for us when I read this book. It also gave me a new way of looking at corporate worship and what we do as churches in America. If you've ever been a part of a music ministry or want to be, I highly suggest this book.</div>
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+ Out of the Silent Planet, (Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength) :: This is CS Lewis' science fiction series, and it is amazing!! Lewis is my favorite because his fiction always opens my eyes a little bit wider. Chronicles of Narnia is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I'm not a huge science fiction lover, but this series is definitely worth sticking with, even if it's not your typical read. It follows a man who ends up traveling to several other planets in the solar system and becoming a sort of ambassador for the higher beings that exist on each world. Earth is the "silent planet" whose higher being has become evil. There's way too much to tell in one paragraph, but you should take my word for it and go read it.</div>
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Those are my favorites for this year! I wish I read more fiction, and I'm actually in the middle of re-reading the Harry Potter series. And then I want to borrow the movies. I love a good fiction series.</div>
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What are your favorite books right now? I'm pretty much always looking for suggestions. Up next on my list is Love Does by Bob Goff, and I'm currently in the middle of reading Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst. Leave your suggestions in the comments!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Gungor, M. (2012-10-04). The Crowd, The Critic, and the Muse: A Book for Creators (Kindle Locations 1825-1826). Woodsley Press. Kindle Edition. </span>kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-76458026347320196032012-07-20T05:24:00.002-07:002012-07-20T05:40:07.970-07:00The Process of FaithI've been calling myself a Christian for about 8 years.<br />
Kind of.<br />
I grew up Catholic, but I never really knew if Catholicism fell inside the realm of Christianity or not, so I just said I was Catholic and left it at that. In high school I went to a summer camp with my friends where I saw other kids my age passionate about something they believed in and responding to it publicly. There was energy and emotion, and I realized I wanted more in my life. So I told my best friend I wanted to pray, walked up to the front of the room with her and let her pray that Jesus would be a part of my life. It was a powerful moment that launched a lot of change and growth. It was a moment that changed my life.<br />
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But there is a problem with that.<br />
<b>The problem with giving one moment so much power is that you start to believe that all the change that happens in your life is confined to that one moment.</b><br />
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I hear this all the time from my pastor now, but at the time, I didn't realize that <b>the moment in which you make a decision to move forward with Christ is just a tiny blip on the road map of your faith</b>. It's just a dot. Not a starting point, but the turning of a corner. Heading in a new direction. Or maybe just a speeding up.<br />
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When you're 16 and you know something has just drastically shifted but not how to handle it, you expect that so much will change at once. I guess that's true when you're 24, too because I still expect way too much from myself. I wanted so badly to be a good Christian after making that one decision, but I was constantly messing up. I still said mean things to people, I still let friends down, I still made terrible decisions. I was still human.<br />
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Lately I've been realizing that <b>whether we say it or not, we all expect big change in a really small amount of time</b>.<i> If something is damaged, we want it fixed right away.</i> If our spouse has a bad habit we hate, he should change it overnight. If we committed a certain sin today, we should be able to recognize it, fix it, and move on. The problem is that it can never be this way. <b>When we want a real, lasting change, the process is slow and steady.</b> We have to hit pause a lot and recalibrate until we can keep moving forward. We fix and change little by little. Because if we don't, we're just slapping a bandage over a hundred broken pieces and expecting them to hold tight. <br />
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For all these years I've called myself a Christian, I've never understood how much of a learning <b><i>experience</i></b> faith really is. It's something we are never done with. There is no level of accomplishment. There is no prize or finish line. We cannot expect ourselves or anybody else to have it all together. <b>When we assume people should be at a certain place in their life based on their age, sex, years as a Christian, whatever,</b> <b>it is so detrimental and contradictory to the theory that God is always working in us to accomplish something <i>greater</i> for His glory.</b><br />
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Here are some thoughts I've been working through about the road we're on when we choose to have faith in Jesus.<br />
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<b>+ You're not any less of a sinner because you love Jesus.</b> When I chose to live my life for different things, I pretty much expected that I would make the decision and things would get better. I would have better friendships, or I would stop making poor dating decisions (in high school, <i>yeah right</i>). <b>Loving Jesus doesn't make you less of a sinner, but it does mean that your sins are forgiven and you don't have to live in condemnation anymore (Romans 8)</b>. You will still make mistakes. But Paul also says in Romans that even though we are forgiven and free, that's no excuse to go on sinning recklessly. <i>The beauty of grace is that it should inspire you to be obedient to God.</i><br />
I'm still learning this now. Every single day, I am still selfish, bitter, jealous, reckless. Every day, I look back on what I thought and how I acted, and I am disappointed. But when I prayed and told Jesus I wanted to follow Him alone, He never promised to make me perfect. <i>He promised to be with me when I struggle (1 Corinthians 10:13).</i> <b>He promised to love me even when I am at my worst (Romans 5:10).</b> He promised that He died to redeem me and would do it again a thousand times over if it was necessary. And <i>because of His promises, I truly want to love, serve and glorify Him. </i><br />
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<b>+ Faith is a process.</b> The verse I mentioned before from Romans 8 says <i>"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." </i>I memorized Romans 8 a few years ago and if I can't remember any of the other verses in the chapter, I will always remember the first one. It's probably a good thing, because <b>I need a constant reminder not to condemn myself every time I make a mistake.</b> But every time I read this verse, I get a little pang of anxiousness. It's the phrase, "for those who are in Christ." What if I'm not in Christ? What if I just think I am, but I've done so many awful things that I'm not anymore? What if I'm not sure what I believe in right now?<br />
In the book Worship Matters, Bob Kauflin says that "<i>God wants us to wrestle hard with apparent contradictions in Scripture and life, not simply...adopt the world's complacent attitude of 'it's all good</i>.'" I'm intrigued by that. God wants us to think hard about what He has said to us in the bible. <i>We shouldn't let one good sweep of emotion cause us to blindly walk through life</i> repeating "god is good god is good god is good" without ever understanding why. <b>He wants us to think and meditate and study and wrestle and discover.</b> Your faith is a process. It's not a moment that you decide you believe everything in the bible and call it a day. You choose to move in a direction and accept that every day you have to think about what you believe and why you believe it. Sometimes you may be unsure, and that's ok. Keep moving. Some days you may not feel forgiven. You are. <b>Be in the Word. Memorize it and store it in your heart.</b> When there's doubt,<i> wrestle with it and beat it.</i> It's all a process.<br />
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<b>+ Always be willing to learn something new. </b>I have a confession to make. Up until a few weeks ago, I didn't fully understand or "get" grace. I knew the story of Jesus and the significance of it. I knew the wonderful implications of His sacrifice for us, but I didn't really <b>get</b> it. You can hear something 99 times and even have a good understanding of it, but sometimes it's not until the 100th time that something really sticks in you and gets deep in your heart.<br />
A couple weeks ago I was reading a book on becoming the kind of worship leader that truly glorifies God, and the author does such a great job of pointing to Jesus. No matter what particular point he is trying to make in a sentence or chapter, it always comes back to Jesus. I can't even fully explain why the good news of grace hit me so hard through this one book, but I've been overwhelmed as my eyes have been opened to how <b>good</b> God's love is.<br />
Part of me is so embarrassed that at 24 years old, after spending 8 years calling myself a Christian, I am <i>just now</i> understanding the gospel. But for the most part,<i> I'm just so excited!!</i> My eyes have been opened to a new facet of God's love! There is always something new for you to learn. Believing the lie that you can "make it" or win at life is doing you no favors. <br />
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Sometimes we're so determined to get somewhere that we're heartbroken when we don't achieve what we think we deserve. Life can seem long and <b>faith is a process that makes it worthwhile.</b> One segment of sixty seconds is not the only thing that matters in your journey. Trust that Jesus is always with you, and treat Him like He is the most important thing in the world. He truly is. Be open to change and knowledge. Whatever you do, keep moving forward.kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-32498215788677442372012-05-28T10:59:00.000-07:002012-05-28T10:59:47.232-07:00Arizona!This past weekend, Robert's cousin got married in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm so glad that we got to go. The wedding was beautiful, and the vacation was awesome. Here are some pictures!<br />
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Cliche sky picture from the plane. So beautiful!!</div>
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I probably took close to 10 pictures of us trying to get him to act normal. But then again, that's kind of his normal :)</div>
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The view from the balcony of our hotel room.</div>
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There were bunnies all around the hotel grounds!! You'd walk outside and see 10 to 20 just chilling, eating some grass. </div>
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First item on the agenda: pool!</div>
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Getting ready for the wedding! My mother-in-law generously let me borrow this beautiful Michael Kors dress, but I had some concerns about it being white. I was assured several times it wouldn't be offensive at a wedding with the red and black, so I went for it. My sister-in-law did my hair, and I should have taken a picture of the back of it because it was beautiful.</div>
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We took a sickeningly turn-filled road to a town called Jerome. I found some candy coated popcorn I used to eat as a kid, and it was delicious.</div>
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We went to Sedona and went for a small hike to get a closer look at the giant red rocks. </div>
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We got lunch at this nice resort outside of town. I had salmon with mango and black beans. Oh my word, it was so good. The bottom right corner of this series is our lunch view.</div>
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In Sedona, I found Kinder!! My parents brought this back from a trip overseas when I was younger, and my brother and I were crazy about it. We would ration out the little bars, and I haven't had one since. I was so excited to find these. </div>
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We visited a chapel that's built directly into the rock of the mountains in Sedona. It was incredible. </div>
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Rob freaked out when we got to our terminal on the way home. There's a long hallway that ends with a wall of windows and you can watch planes take off and land. We giggled about it for 5 minutes. We had an hour to kill because, of course, if you're running late to the airport, you'll end up facing the longest lines. If you're an hour early, though, you'll get through in about 3.2 minutes. </div>
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The plan ride home. The white smoke is from forest fires, though I don't know if they were in Arizona or New Mexico. The smoke was serious and I swear it had to stretch multiple hundreds of miles. </div>
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This trip was a much-anticipated and much-needed vacation for us. We spent a lot of time by the pool, relaxing. I don't think I would ever choose to go back and vacation in Arizona (though I do still really want to see the Grand Canyon), but it was definitely a nice trip. I also didn't remember how dang humid it is in North Carolina until we got back. I didn't break a single sweat in Arizona and my makeup stayed perfect even though it was in the high 80's. NC is a completely different story. </div>
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I absolutely love flying. I love being in airports and having layovers and the excitement of traveling. I love reading on the plane and watching tiny little towns go by. My ears, however, do not love planes. They'll pop alright on the way up, but on the descent, no matter what I do, there is no relief from the pressure. If anyone has tips other than chewing gum, yawning or holding your nose and violently blowing, please let me know! I still don't have my full hearing back today, and I'm sure it will take another couple of days.</div>
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Throughout the trip, I read one of the books from CS Lewis' science fiction trilogy, and I highly recommend reading it. I find that reading his fiction does far more for me spiritually than almost any other kind of book. You should definitely check out <i>Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, </i>and<i> That Hideous Strength.</i></div>
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Well that's it! I'm happy to be home, but Arizona was a lot of fun. Next month, we're going back to Maryland for some business training, and I'm hoping we'll go to Washington DC again. Are you traveling anywhere this summer?</div>
<br />kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-70088352809176767322012-05-01T08:19:00.000-07:002012-05-01T08:19:07.501-07:00Love and How My Expectations Are Killing MeWell, we're 4 months into the year and <a href="http://gritandglory.com/" target="_blank">Alece</a> is calling for an update on my <a href="http://oneword365.com/spring-update/" target="_blank">One Word.</a><br />
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I've got some bad news...<br />
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It turns out I'm<b> really bad</b> at love. I guess that's why I chose it as my word for the year, because I knew it would be a struggle and that I would have to really press into God though it. <br />
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I realized this morning in the shower (where all great thoughts are born) that <i>my problem with loving others comes mostly in the process of forming expectations.</i> I'm finding that <b>most of the time, my expectations are wildly unrealistic</b>, which means that my actual reality can be quite disappointing.<br />
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I'm a thinker. I spend a lot of time in my own head, working through scenarios and problems, imagining the outcome. Usually, my brain likes to travel with the outcome that is the most outrageously beneficial for me, and my expectations for many situations get set incredibly high. At least now I know I really think I deserve to succeed...<br />
Here are some examples:<br />
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<b>Expectation:</b> all my customers at work are nice and patient with me, and they don't ask a thousand questions, and they aren't suspicious of our Christian business.<br />
<b>Reality:</b> people are inquisitive and suspicious of mechanics, therefore they have<b> a lot</b> of questions, and sometimes they can be short, which can cause me to be short in return.<br />
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<b>Expectation:</b> when singing a song publicly, I hit all the notes and sing superbly. Pretentious, much?<br />
<b>Reality:</b> I have never in my life sung a song with 100% perfection. If I did, life would be boring and I would never grow.<br />
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<b>Expectation:</b> I am super nice to people and good at making friends. You know, the basics of what they taught us in elementary school.<br />
<b>Reality:</b> I am <i>so irritable!!</i> I just can't muster up all of those lovely fruits of the Spirit I should have. I get stuck on the first one, for crying out loud! <i>Love, joy, pea</i>--forget it, I've already lost.<br />
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This week I had a mini breakdown when I realized just how bad I am at inherently loving. It just doesn't feel like it's in me. It can feel so unnatural to show love and kindness, especially in the little things. My emotions have always been strong, and I can see that over the years I've become lazy about keeping them in check. <b>I find myself letting anger, irritation and bitterness sweep over me like an ugly, black wave</b>. I haven't even been trying to hang on to the garment that God has offered me, made of love, peace and so much kindness. I just float along in this ugly place filled with garbage and pride. <br />
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I know that God is working in me, but I haven't been very receptive to his lessons on love lately. I'm thankful he hasn't given up on me and that he still shapes and molds my heart through little situations every day. There is so much of me that needs major work done. I guess a lesson through all this will be to love myself as well. I will never be perfect at loving others, but I will seek to grow and get better. <br />
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As of right now, my word for the year hasn't affected me much because I haven't let it, but I know there are little lessons every day to be learned. The more I pay attention to the way I speak, the way I treat others, the way I react to situations I don't like, the more I will grow and incorporate more love into my life. At least, that's the hope.kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-91568825158935107972012-04-25T10:19:00.002-07:002012-04-25T10:20:04.067-07:00Life Update<br />
Oh my gosh, there is so much happening in this little life of mine!<br />
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Instead of rambling on about whatever, I'll do one of these:<br />
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<b>Obsessing Over:</b> Going on a date tonight with my wonderful husband. We're going to dinner and to see Cabin in the Woods. I have not stopped hearing about this movie for the past 2 weeks, so it's on!<br />
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<b>Working On:</b> Reading Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin. I'm only a chapter in, and it's amazing. He is honest about the ever-present struggles of our hearts, and I think this book is going to change the way I see leading worship in general. I'm so blessed to be a part of a small group right now that is spending the next year focusing on being good stewards of our gifts and the church we're a part of. There is a ton of good stuff being crammed into my brain and heart right now. I love it. <br />
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<b>Thinking About:</b> How much more discipline I want to have. Can someone come kick me out of bed every morning at 6:15? Rob isn't volunteering for that role, but I really need some motivation. <br />
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<b>Anticipating:</b>
Travel! We're flying to Arizona in a month to see Rob's cousin get married. That means 3 days of no work, just pure, hot, Phoenix-y goodness. I <b>love</b> flying. I love the smell of the airports and all the people and the excitement of going somewhere new. I've never been to Arizona before. We're going to take a day and go to Sedona and just explore. I can't wait!<br />
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<b>Listening To:</b> Just my typing and the dripping of water through a hole in our ceiling. I was listening a few minutes ago to an NPR interview with Hugh Laurie. Oh and now I'm listening to a Glee version of "Without You." Ohmygosh, so good. <br />
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<b>Drinking:</b> Mountain Dew right now, though I know it's terrible. I'm also trying to get through 4 bottles of water today, but we'll see...<br />
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<b>Wishing: That the "bold" button didn't just break...</b><br />
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Other than that, I'm not wishing for much. I'm so thankful for where I'm at right now. After a long time of spiritual sleep, I'm finally opening my eyes to God's hand on my life, and He is so good. His presence is good. He is shaping me so much, and I'm finding how much better everything is when I work with Him instead of expecting Him to do it all without me. </span></b>kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-26972234707217423512012-04-02T13:45:00.000-07:002012-04-02T13:45:49.089-07:00On Dreaming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">from messycanvas.com</span></div>
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I've been thinking and talking a lot lately about dreams.<br />
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I read<a href="http://www.messycanvas.com/tomorrows-dreams-today-e-book/" target="_blank"> this e-book</a> by an <a href="http://www.messycanvas.com/" target="_blank">amazing author</a>. I started reading it right around the time I began facing the fact that for the past several years, I have been shutting down my hopes and my big dreams. I have been fighting my own heart and my desires because I was so sure that I was unworthy and unprepared. Then I realized something so great:<br />
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<b>I am unworthy and unprepared</b>, and that is just the way it <i>needs</i> to be. Because every time I think I have things under control, I am quickly reminded that I don't.<br />
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Still, I believe that my God has<i> big dreams</i> for me. I believe that he wants me to use my imagination. <b>I believe that he wants me to explore and delight in what I find and to delight in him</b>. <i>I believe he loves me enough for that</i>. I also believe the he and I both know I'm super unqualified for any of his big plans. He's going to have to do most of the work. I'm going to have to do most of the trusting.<br />
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Dreams are intense. They can embitter you if you ignore them. They can enrage you if they are not achieved. They can give you a big head if you spend too much time dwelling on them. They can destroy you or they can elevate you, depending on how you treat them.<br />
<br />
For a long time, I've treated my dreams like they were too big, too much. They needed to be shoved down, behind practicality and a whole bunch of boring. I was afraid that if they got too much attention, they would be my downfall. What I didn't see was that, in pushing all of the biggest desires of my heart down and away, <b>I wasn't allowing myself to be challenged, pushed or disciplined.</b> <i>By putting my dreams on hold, I was allowing myself to become lazy and disconnected from any purpose or vision I once had for my life. </i><br />
<br />
Now that I'm in the process of waking up and taking stock of my dreams and what I want in life, everything is changing. I feel like I'm up and moving again after sleeping for 3 years. Some things are easier now, because I have a stronger sense of purpose. <b>I am finally admitting that it's possible that I was made for something awesome</b>. Some things are harder now. <i>I feel vulnerable.</i> If I admit that there is a goal I am chasing, there is a risk that I will never reach it. I feel uncertainty. Yes, I know what I want, but is that the same thing that God wants for me? There is much more trust required of me now that I am finally willing to move forward. <br />
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One of the hardest parts about realizing I have a big, hard-to-reach dream is being vulnerable and sharing it. On the one hand, sharing a dream is wonderful. If you find the right people to share it with, there are new levels of encouragement and accountability available to you. There are people in your life that want to see you reach your highest potential and who want to help you get where you want to go. On the other hand, <b>the more I focus on my passions and hopes, the more I find myself coming under certain attack</b>. I find that certain little things bother me, and I easily get sidetracked by petty emotions and roadblocks. Here are some things I need to be working on now:<br />
<br />
<br />
+ I have to <b>stop buying into the lie of competition</b> and comparison. My dream is <i><b>mine</b></i>.<br />
In regards to my particular dream and the means of getting to it, there are a couple other people walking through it with me. When you share a similar dream with others, <i>it's so easy to compare the roads that lead to the dream</i>. It's so easy for me to fall into jealousy and bitterness when a friend of mine gets something I want, even if I'm happy for them at the same time. But the more I focus on someone else, the more I am likely to miss great things in my own life. <b>God is doing amazing things in my tiny little heart</b>, and he has been for quite some time. Now that I'm finally realizing that and seeking him and his heart, it only hurts me to focus on what someone else gets to do. <br />
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+ <b>My dream is not more or less important than anyone's</b>.<br />
I always find myself in the weirdest balance here. I teeter so quickly from feeling high and mighty about what I'm able to do...straight into feeling so down about what I can't do. What I'm learning is that <i>both of these thoughts are prideful</i>. When I think so highly of myself and take matters into my own hands, that's prideful. When I fall apart because I didn't do or say the right thing, that's prideful. <i>I am not in control. <b>It is not about me. </b></i><br />
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+ <b>The path to my dream probably won't look the way I want it to.</b><br />
I try hard to be realistic, but at the end of the day, I'd really love the path to my dream to be easy and free of roadblocks. It just seems like it would be so nice to take each step forward without any interference or interruption until one day, you're there! You've achieved your dream! Every day I am reminded that <b>any dream worth achieving requires courage, strength and perseverance</b>. As much as I would love to have my greatest hopes fulfilled with no pain, I know<i> it is completely worth it to feel the pain, lean deep into God, and come through it stronger and with a great appreciation for his grace.</i> <br />
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There are doors open to me now that I never thought would be open again. There will be doors that shut in my face right when I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere. The best part about all this is that I'm not even sure if I could put my "dream" into words. I just know that <b>God has me moving in a direction and walking into a place that is going to stretch me and bring me closer to him</b>. What I consider to be my dream right now may look completely different in 5 years, and that's ok. More than knowing what I'm capable of, more than knowing how much I can do in life,<i> I want to know that through it all, I did my best to listen to God and delight in the journey that he's taken me on.</i>kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-1099268981099447462012-01-25T06:12:00.000-08:002012-01-25T06:12:15.250-08:00My Struggle and How Love Will Fix ItI am struggling.<br />
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I'm struggling with the world. With people. With myself. With beliefs and lines drawn and red-faced anger and thrown punches.<br />
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I'm struggling.<br />
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With love. And grace. Mercy. Faith. Forgiveness.<br />
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I'm struggling with the way it feels when everyone sees the world in black and white, but mostly I just see grey.<br />
I'm struggling with the way it feels when hatred is the first and easiest thing to come out of our mouths. <i>When love seems buried so deep and unattainable that it may never come out when it feels like it<b> needs</b> to.</i><br />
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"Love" is my word for the year, and God knows I need it.<br />
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I need it because things are more tumultuous than ever. There are the big things. There are wars and famine and rape and poverty and sickness. There are small things. Things that don't seem like they should matter so much, but apparently they do. There are accusations and rumors and jealousy and defensiveness and anger.<br />
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It's all driving me mad, and I'm struggling.<br />
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In 1 John 3, the author says that our hearts can<i> be at rest</i> in the presence of God when we love. <br />
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When I see or hear people arguing semantics and theology and ignoring the simplicity of the call to love, there is a physical reaction in me. I'm so uncomfortable with it that I feel it in my stomach. I feel the heaviness of it on my shoulders. It weighs on me and pushes down until I'm slumped over. I feel my chest get tight, and all of a sudden I realize I've been holding my breath. Nothing about these arguments and debates puts me at rest. None of it. <i>No one ever wins.</i> No one is at rest.<br />
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I will never convince anyone of my opinion because I speak eloquently or argue harder than the next person. I will never win anyone over to Christianity or Buddhism or Islam or whatever else I wanted to convert people to by beating them down and forcing my opinions on them. The same way <i>a man can't force a woman to love him by raping her. </i><br />
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Love is what draws people in. Love is what sets people free. Love is what makes people come alive.<br />
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<i><b>Love.</b></i><br />
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<i>{there is no fear in love. but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment.}</i><br />
1 John 4:18<br />
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Maybe people push their beliefs so hard because they're afraid to be wrong. They're afraid that what they say they believe right now is going to determine what happens to them forever, so they push and push, hoping that others will affirm them.<br />
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<i>But perfect love drives out fear.</i><br />
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Maybe when people feel backed into a corner, they're afraid. And fear can quickly turn into anger. And anger lashes out. Anger thinks that it can force people to change, but that wouldn't be real change. It would just cause more anger and more fear. <br />
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<i>Perfect love drives out fear.</i><br />
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I don't know all the reasons people fight so hard to get everyone to think like them. I just know that it breaks my heart when<b> real humans with real, breakable hearts are pushed out of the way for the sake of a cause</b>. <i>When love is present, there is no reason to be afraid</i>. There is no reason to fear judgment or criticism or anger or isolation. When love is the most important, most highly prioritized thing, all else can fade away.<br />
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I want to strive for that. More than I want to be right, more than I want to be accepted, more than I want to win people over to my side.<br />
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I want to love.kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-16907030409396726312011-12-30T16:25:00.000-08:002011-12-30T16:25:38.685-08:00Obligatory Year-End RecapWell, here it is. The end of 2011.<br />
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This year was so good. I feel like I summed up most of it in my anniversary post because a large chunk of my year revolved around my new husband. I've changed and grown so much this year, and it's definitely one I'm going to look back on and smile about. I'm so thankful for what God has done in me this year.<br />
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Here are some pictures to wrap it all up.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mg7ej5Unbcw/Tv5A_uY7biI/AAAAAAAAAMc/JD0qcd4qBlc/s1600/182725_618960541406_45506374_34476006_3483993_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mg7ej5Unbcw/Tv5A_uY7biI/AAAAAAAAAMc/JD0qcd4qBlc/s320/182725_618960541406_45506374_34476006_3483993_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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Marriage!! We got married in December, but really it didn't have time to affect 2011. So let's just throw it into January.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EMu4u3gWHQQ/Tv5BxtTIuUI/AAAAAAAAAM0/cg0-iGitM8o/s1600/insta1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EMu4u3gWHQQ/Tv5BxtTIuUI/AAAAAAAAAM0/cg0-iGitM8o/s320/insta1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">First flowers from the hubby :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RkStNCqGYCs/Tv5DTj2G67I/AAAAAAAAANA/gG8fXl0k714/s1600/222397_762729641926_40511601_39341622_3180163_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RkStNCqGYCs/Tv5DTj2G67I/AAAAAAAAANA/gG8fXl0k714/s320/222397_762729641926_40511601_39341622_3180163_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Brittani, Lacy, me, Bev</span></div>In April, we went on a cruise with some of our closes friends. It was so much fun, and we were really blessed by our friends' generosity with that trip.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMFYr3Zestc/Tv5Fbb7ofXI/AAAAAAAAANM/Ze3mqCGETGw/s1600/249369_663423676926_45506374_34748921_8241220_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uMFYr3Zestc/Tv5Fbb7ofXI/AAAAAAAAANM/Ze3mqCGETGw/s320/249369_663423676926_45506374_34748921_8241220_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
In May,<a href="http://www.laurennicolelove.com/"> Lauren</a> and<a href="http://www.makeitmad.com/"> Max</a> came to stay with us and it was amazing. Lauren is super generous and shared her photog talents with us, taking some pictures of us, which we've never really had before.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uA-6TdVOlQg/Tv5GLxHGUgI/AAAAAAAAANY/n1Shn8oyjhY/s1600/242108_659128499496_45506374_34701684_4837465_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uA-6TdVOlQg/Tv5GLxHGUgI/AAAAAAAAANY/n1Shn8oyjhY/s320/242108_659128499496_45506374_34701684_4837465_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Also in May, my grandma passed away. She lived with us my entire life and was such a huge part of my childhood. I got to go be with her the week she died and it was one of the hardest decisions I made all year but certainly one of the best. To see her one more time and gain a stronger hold on all my memories of her was really nice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Th_2REXpM18/Tv5LlBh4ZHI/AAAAAAAAANw/cPGe1XIXolw/s1600/insta2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Th_2REXpM18/Tv5LlBh4ZHI/AAAAAAAAANw/cPGe1XIXolw/s320/insta2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
July was my birthday, and I got my favorite little fluffy thing ever!!! Spricket was my birthday present this year, and I was so excited to get her. She's so tiny and fluffy in this picture. It's ridiculous how much I love her. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X2M-m6t6IEc/Tv5LVef6v_I/AAAAAAAAANk/qlm8-7Ig-BE/s1600/299451_2280454261937_1566226545_32443930_3367491_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X2M-m6t6IEc/Tv5LVef6v_I/AAAAAAAAANk/qlm8-7Ig-BE/s320/299451_2280454261937_1566226545_32443930_3367491_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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September was awesome! I got to fly out to Colorado and see one of my best friends get married!! Lauren and Max's wedding was one of the best parts of my year. That weekend in Colorado, I saw more love and generosity than my heart could handle. I get excited just thinking about it. One day I might convince Rob to move there. So amazing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHCRcPZQjv8/Tv5OhM3GU-I/AAAAAAAAAN8/eBbta2QhY7Y/s1600/insta3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHCRcPZQjv8/Tv5OhM3GU-I/AAAAAAAAAN8/eBbta2QhY7Y/s320/insta3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In October, we were Barbie & Ken for halloween. It was awesome.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H9RBsKhcuJw/Tv5SQv2PXQI/AAAAAAAAAOI/tJ3APDinK9M/s1600/308490_2049778453041_1501885026_31754652_1052136572_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H9RBsKhcuJw/Tv5SQv2PXQI/AAAAAAAAAOI/tJ3APDinK9M/s320/308490_2049778453041_1501885026_31754652_1052136572_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I also got to go on a trip to New York with my mom and brother. We went back to where we grew up and saw all the awesome childhood stuff I love reliving. This picture is my brother and I with our childhood best friends Erin and Carla. We spent the whole day with them talking about our 5-year-old selves and watching Jersey Shore haha.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lQ6-VyRYN5U/Tv5S9OY8xZI/AAAAAAAAAOU/MyiMo4L2ptc/s1600/321137_725576866436_45506374_35274455_2088646174_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lQ6-VyRYN5U/Tv5S9OY8xZI/AAAAAAAAAOU/MyiMo4L2ptc/s320/321137_725576866436_45506374_35274455_2088646174_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Nothing really happened in November, but this picture was taken of me. Probably one of my favorite pictures of me ever.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ubINtMypRNw/Tv5U1pB5peI/AAAAAAAAAOg/q-XokL3kVUY/s1600/insta4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ubINtMypRNw/Tv5U1pB5peI/AAAAAAAAAOg/q-XokL3kVUY/s320/insta4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>December was great. Rob and I got to travel to Baltimore for some classes for work and take a day off in DC. It was an incredibly beautiful day, and I'm so glad we got to have a day off together to just explore and spend time together.<br />
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That's it!! 2011 was phenomenal. This year has meant a lot to me. A lot has happened. A lot has changed in me. I'm so grateful for it all. Here's to 2012!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u1O-2mV_awk/Tv5VS1c13LI/AAAAAAAAAOs/qSPlCoxQ-Oo/s1600/insta5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u1O-2mV_awk/Tv5VS1c13LI/AAAAAAAAAOs/qSPlCoxQ-Oo/s320/insta5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-38267278187669986492011-12-29T08:52:00.000-08:002011-12-29T08:52:11.005-08:00One YearToday is a milestone. It's our one year anniversary!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HyGJzMjsNjE/TvyNCPV-IyI/AAAAAAAAALs/R_T1mTicquM/s1600/IMG_7186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HyGJzMjsNjE/TvyNCPV-IyI/AAAAAAAAALs/R_T1mTicquM/s320/IMG_7186.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
This past year has absolutely flown by, I can't even believe it.<br />
It's seriously been one of the best years of my life. It's been a year of love, friendship, laughter. The Kelly that I am today is so different from the 2010 Kelly. So different. So much of that is because of Robert and the amazing man that he is. God knew exactly what I needed when he dropped this funny, caring, kind, patient man into my life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8d9ZhOoflw/TvyQBhlFB5I/AAAAAAAAAL4/wUhEwXrKj4M/s1600/IMG_7283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8d9ZhOoflw/TvyQBhlFB5I/AAAAAAAAAL4/wUhEwXrKj4M/s320/IMG_7283.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">my god, he's just so good looking.</span></div><br />
Marriage has been so surprising and so wonderful. We both realized pretty quickly that it wasn't anything like what we were expecting. I actually have no idea what I was expecting. It's amazing that this year has gone so well considering my extreme naivete about marriage, sacrifice and sharing a life with someone else. <br />
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In honor of my favorite year of my life so far, here are some things I love about Rob and some things he's taught me:<br />
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+ Forgiveness. Robert is one of the most forgiving people I know. Honestly, part of it may be that he has the worst memory. Ever. But I like to think he's just that amazing. He forgives me so easily for everything, big and small. I can be a pain. I get emotional, I get whiny, I have a conniption if I don't eat when I'm hungry. He always forgives me for my growing pains.<br />
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+ Love. Robert loves people. He goes out of his way to make people feel loved and welcome in any environment. He makes people feel at ease, and he loves to love people.<br />
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+ Business. He's a genius. He opened an independent garage at 28 after poring over business plans and praying over God's plan for his life for years. He worked hard at other jobs while he was preparing to do something bigger. He runs his business with honesty and integrity, and he's a strong leader. He's a good boss and an incredibly hard worker.<br />
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+ Faith. His faith in God inspires me. He knows that God has him and will take care of him. He is faithful to God and steps out in blind faith if God calls him to something. He is generous with what he's been given, and he always acknowledges how God has blessed him.<br />
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+ Humor. He. Is. So. Funny. I consider myself a funnier person because of him. This year I learned to think that I am absolutely, 100% hilarious. He and I laugh all the time. He tells fart jokes and political jokes. Sometimes I roll my eyes because he forgets to have a filter, but 90% of the time, I think he's the funniest person I know. Here is proof:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xDbWdAOjHOc/TvyabYc91oI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/3GaA2xF8QOw/s1600/IMG_7188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xDbWdAOjHOc/TvyabYc91oI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/3GaA2xF8QOw/s320/IMG_7188.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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There have been some unpleasant moments in this past year, for sure. I'm so thankful to say that they were few, far between, and very small. I've been stretched and grown this year, but it's been such a huge blessing. I'm so thankful that this man is my husband, and that I get to share the rest of my life with him. This year has been an amazing start.<br />
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<span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: x-small;">{all photos taken by<a href="http://laurennicolelove.blogspot.com/"> Lauren Lankford</a>}</span>kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4529815896110063405.post-16196609232215309952011-12-28T08:16:00.000-08:002011-12-28T08:16:20.235-08:00LoveThis year, I'm going to embark on the <a href="http://www.gritandglory.com/one-word-2012/">One Word</a> journey. My word:<br />
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<b>love.</b><br />
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I've been reading about the One Word project for a lot of 2011, and it's been amazing to see women pore over a word and it's meanings and implications in their life. It's something I want to be a part of.<br />
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When I first thought of using the word "love" as my one word for 2012, I felt like it might be a cop-out. Everyone wants more love in their life. Love is such a common, over-used word. We say we love things, places, ideas. We "love" a lot. But I think a lot of the time we love from a half-hearted place. We say we love something or someone and we think that is enough, just to say it.<br />
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The dictionary definitions of the word love do not satisfy me. They are not what I'm looking for this year on my journey. What I want is to find real, deep, vulnerable, sacrificial, agape love. Here are some of my first thoughts on my word:<br />
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"I want love to be a part of me. I want it to <b>permeate</b> me. <i>I want You to shine through me.</i> I'm so bad at love. It's so easy to forget people, to brush them off, to want to get away. What does it look like to love people? What does it look like on a <b>daily, mundane, practical basis</b>? I don't know, and that's why love is my One Word this year. I want it. I want to explore it, learn it, feel it, know it, become it. I want love. Teach me, Lord.<i> Show me</i>. If I learn love, what will my life look like? How will my words sound? Where will my steps lead? Who will I meet and how will I treat them? What kind of relationships and friendships will I be a part of? <b>How will love change me</b>?"<br />
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</div>{in this life, we cannot do great things. we can only do small things with <b>great love</b>} -mother teresa<br />
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{<b>love</b> is the voice under all silences, the hope which has no opposite in fear; the strength so strong mere force is feebleness: the truth more first than sun, more last than star} - e.e. cummings<br />
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{<b>love</b> takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within} -james a. baldwin<br />
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{love rules his kingdom without a sword}kelly summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14415479712347255012noreply@blogger.com1