Christmas, 2002
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining! It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices—for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O Night Divine! O night when Christ was born! O night divine! O night…O night divine!
Dear Friends and Family,
I wonder…I wonder where you are—right now. In case you didn’t know, it’s a joy for me to think of you, even if I imagine you’re doing routine things.
You just got the mail, right? What are you doing? In my mind, I see some of you unpacking boxes from a move to a new place. Others are returning from a long commute from work, or trips to the mall, or the post office, or the Laundromat. Some are decorating a wonderful little Charlie Brown tree for your first Christmas together or maybe putting New Baby down for a nap. More than a few of you, I would guess, might be waiting by the window, full of that excitement that comes when family will arrive “any minute now.”
Whatever you’re doing, take a break from it. Just for a few minutes. Go back up to the top of this page. Read the words of the hymn O Holy Night. No, scratch that. Don’t just read them. Read them aloud. Sing them. Pretend you’ve never heard them before. It’s amazing how one little song can serve as such a big reminder of this: God can be trusted. He is divine. He is in charge. And He sent His son into our world, confined Himself to a human routine, in order to speak to us on our level. He came so we could see with human eyes how much He loves us. He came to change our lives. And He is still doing it. He is still changing those who have given their lives to Him. Do you want some proof of that amazing truth?? Here are some of the ways God has spoken to me in 2002 A.D.:
SUMMER, YOU CAN TRUST ME. YOU’VE GOT TO CHANGE YOUR PLANS.
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices—for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!”
I’ve learned this year that sometimes God does His best work through us. Other times he works better when we, in all our desires to make things happen, simply step aside. It’s amazing the things that will happen when we let his glorious new beginnings break through—just the way HE wants them to.
I graduated from Butler University in May with my Master’s Degree in School Counseling! A lot of you have prayed along with me about how and where to use my counseling skills best. I’ve been a teacher at Traders Point Christian Academy for 3 years and, since there was no counseling department there, I assumed I’d have to find a new place to work. So, I planned my little heart out. I planned so much I was weary from trying to figure out how everything was going to work together.
And then, it was just like God to give me that thrill of hope. So that He alone would receive all the praise, God did what I could never have planned or even imagined on my own. He created something out of nothing—a Christian counseling department at Traders Point for me to start this year! Since August, I’ve been counseling kids in grades pre-school through 8th grade who have a variety of academic, behavioral, and emotional needs. It’s been an incredible experience to work with the families and the educators on a grass-roots effort like this. My heart’s been broken when I just hope I’ve done the right thing for a child. But, I’m busy marking down even the smallest of victories in their lives; my favorite is a smile from a student (or parent) whose pattern is tears. I’m learning so much…helping the kids (and myself) understand that the plans of God are right and perfect. Sometimes they are hidden from us so that we might seek Him, ask Him for His guidance, and ultimately trust Him more. How much we miss when we think that hope lies in only what we can see!
SUMMER, YOU CAN TRUST ME. YOU’VE GOT TO CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”
Sometimes, I look at the junior highers at school and I think, “I can’t wait until they learn to look outside of themselves, to see something bigger than their hair, their clothes, and what they’re doing after school tonight!” Then, I stop. I think about myself. How often am I pining after my own sin or someone else’s error? How much time do I spend in my own little world, forgetting the Big Picture and all God has done for me?
In July, I was able to go on a fantastic trip to Prince Edward Island with some of my dearest girlfriends—Angie, Megan, and Sonia. It was a dream to go to the land of Anne of Green Gables, to get away from my daily world, to write, and to rest. The women I traveled with are constant examples to me of how to live the faith-filled life well. We are blessed to have each other, to live in community together all on the north side of Indy, to trust God together.
I remember sitting on the red rocks of the coastline with those women, looking out to the endlessness of the ocean. I remember praying, “God, show me again who you are. I love you. But, I admit it. In spite of all your blessings, I worry. I focus on my own “stuff.” I want to know how you’re going to work it all out—my friends-life, my work-life, my love-life, my church-life—I want to know the answers. I give You it all, even though I don’t know what you’re going to do. Show me that You have a larger plan in this.”
A few days after I returned from Canada, I was in the midst of my routine. I was driving home from school and was involved in a very serious car accident. During a left turn, I was broadsided on the empty passenger side by a truck traveling about 70 miles per hour! The car was totaled, I went to the ER by ambulance, but I had hardly a scratch on my body. After looking at the photographs, I realized…what could have happened. My daily perspective is different since then. Yes, I still worry a lot when I should trust a lot instead. But I think God has used the accident to teach me more directly what Savior means. Indeed, when God appears, our souls really do feel their worth.
SUMMER, YOU CAN TRUST ME. YOU’VE GOT TO CHANGE YOUR POSTURE.
“Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine! O night when Christ was born!”
Sometimes, I act as if God were my servant instead of the other way around. I give Him a list of things I want Him to fix. I think that if these things would just happen, my life would certainly be better, maybe even Perfect. In turn, He asks me to remember Who He Is. I read the words of Isaiah 45:11-12: “It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens.” It’s a call to remember my posture. When was the last time you came to God to simply give Him praise?
For me, it was during my sisters’ weddings. Aimee and Renee have both gotten married in the last year and a half. I remember thinking during the ceremonies, “God, you have brought these blessings into our family. Who could do this but You?” Brian and Seth are hand-picked by God, given to the girls as pure gifts. The weddings were clear evidence to me that God knows best.
May God help all of us change during this coming year, so that, little by little, we may see more things as He sees them. May we give up more of our agendas in exchange for His much more perfect plans. May we live remembering God can be trusted and He deserves all praise.
When I think about the night in Bethlehem, I picture it differently than the traditional nativity scene. We’ve become used to stables made out of plastic in our neighbors’ yards or perfect porcelain shepherds keeping watch near our Christmas trees. I don’t think that’s how it really happened. I don’t think anyone was standing up. Not Joseph, not Mary, not the wisemen, maybe not even the horses—nobody. Every person who recognized Jesus as the Christ probably fell on their knees in worship. That is the only wise thing for men to do. They heard angel voices, proclaiming that prophecy had, indeed, come true. The Messiah had come!
Love,
Summer
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining! It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices—for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O Night Divine! O night when Christ was born! O night divine! O night…O night divine!
Dear Friends and Family,
I wonder…I wonder where you are—right now. In case you didn’t know, it’s a joy for me to think of you, even if I imagine you’re doing routine things.
You just got the mail, right? What are you doing? In my mind, I see some of you unpacking boxes from a move to a new place. Others are returning from a long commute from work, or trips to the mall, or the post office, or the Laundromat. Some are decorating a wonderful little Charlie Brown tree for your first Christmas together or maybe putting New Baby down for a nap. More than a few of you, I would guess, might be waiting by the window, full of that excitement that comes when family will arrive “any minute now.”
Whatever you’re doing, take a break from it. Just for a few minutes. Go back up to the top of this page. Read the words of the hymn O Holy Night. No, scratch that. Don’t just read them. Read them aloud. Sing them. Pretend you’ve never heard them before. It’s amazing how one little song can serve as such a big reminder of this: God can be trusted. He is divine. He is in charge. And He sent His son into our world, confined Himself to a human routine, in order to speak to us on our level. He came so we could see with human eyes how much He loves us. He came to change our lives. And He is still doing it. He is still changing those who have given their lives to Him. Do you want some proof of that amazing truth?? Here are some of the ways God has spoken to me in 2002 A.D.:
SUMMER, YOU CAN TRUST ME. YOU’VE GOT TO CHANGE YOUR PLANS.
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices—for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!”
I’ve learned this year that sometimes God does His best work through us. Other times he works better when we, in all our desires to make things happen, simply step aside. It’s amazing the things that will happen when we let his glorious new beginnings break through—just the way HE wants them to.
I graduated from Butler University in May with my Master’s Degree in School Counseling! A lot of you have prayed along with me about how and where to use my counseling skills best. I’ve been a teacher at Traders Point Christian Academy for 3 years and, since there was no counseling department there, I assumed I’d have to find a new place to work. So, I planned my little heart out. I planned so much I was weary from trying to figure out how everything was going to work together.
And then, it was just like God to give me that thrill of hope. So that He alone would receive all the praise, God did what I could never have planned or even imagined on my own. He created something out of nothing—a Christian counseling department at Traders Point for me to start this year! Since August, I’ve been counseling kids in grades pre-school through 8th grade who have a variety of academic, behavioral, and emotional needs. It’s been an incredible experience to work with the families and the educators on a grass-roots effort like this. My heart’s been broken when I just hope I’ve done the right thing for a child. But, I’m busy marking down even the smallest of victories in their lives; my favorite is a smile from a student (or parent) whose pattern is tears. I’m learning so much…helping the kids (and myself) understand that the plans of God are right and perfect. Sometimes they are hidden from us so that we might seek Him, ask Him for His guidance, and ultimately trust Him more. How much we miss when we think that hope lies in only what we can see!
SUMMER, YOU CAN TRUST ME. YOU’VE GOT TO CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”
Sometimes, I look at the junior highers at school and I think, “I can’t wait until they learn to look outside of themselves, to see something bigger than their hair, their clothes, and what they’re doing after school tonight!” Then, I stop. I think about myself. How often am I pining after my own sin or someone else’s error? How much time do I spend in my own little world, forgetting the Big Picture and all God has done for me?
In July, I was able to go on a fantastic trip to Prince Edward Island with some of my dearest girlfriends—Angie, Megan, and Sonia. It was a dream to go to the land of Anne of Green Gables, to get away from my daily world, to write, and to rest. The women I traveled with are constant examples to me of how to live the faith-filled life well. We are blessed to have each other, to live in community together all on the north side of Indy, to trust God together.
I remember sitting on the red rocks of the coastline with those women, looking out to the endlessness of the ocean. I remember praying, “God, show me again who you are. I love you. But, I admit it. In spite of all your blessings, I worry. I focus on my own “stuff.” I want to know how you’re going to work it all out—my friends-life, my work-life, my love-life, my church-life—I want to know the answers. I give You it all, even though I don’t know what you’re going to do. Show me that You have a larger plan in this.”
A few days after I returned from Canada, I was in the midst of my routine. I was driving home from school and was involved in a very serious car accident. During a left turn, I was broadsided on the empty passenger side by a truck traveling about 70 miles per hour! The car was totaled, I went to the ER by ambulance, but I had hardly a scratch on my body. After looking at the photographs, I realized…what could have happened. My daily perspective is different since then. Yes, I still worry a lot when I should trust a lot instead. But I think God has used the accident to teach me more directly what Savior means. Indeed, when God appears, our souls really do feel their worth.
SUMMER, YOU CAN TRUST ME. YOU’VE GOT TO CHANGE YOUR POSTURE.
“Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine! O night when Christ was born!”
Sometimes, I act as if God were my servant instead of the other way around. I give Him a list of things I want Him to fix. I think that if these things would just happen, my life would certainly be better, maybe even Perfect. In turn, He asks me to remember Who He Is. I read the words of Isaiah 45:11-12: “It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens.” It’s a call to remember my posture. When was the last time you came to God to simply give Him praise?
For me, it was during my sisters’ weddings. Aimee and Renee have both gotten married in the last year and a half. I remember thinking during the ceremonies, “God, you have brought these blessings into our family. Who could do this but You?” Brian and Seth are hand-picked by God, given to the girls as pure gifts. The weddings were clear evidence to me that God knows best.
May God help all of us change during this coming year, so that, little by little, we may see more things as He sees them. May we give up more of our agendas in exchange for His much more perfect plans. May we live remembering God can be trusted and He deserves all praise.
When I think about the night in Bethlehem, I picture it differently than the traditional nativity scene. We’ve become used to stables made out of plastic in our neighbors’ yards or perfect porcelain shepherds keeping watch near our Christmas trees. I don’t think that’s how it really happened. I don’t think anyone was standing up. Not Joseph, not Mary, not the wisemen, maybe not even the horses—nobody. Every person who recognized Jesus as the Christ probably fell on their knees in worship. That is the only wise thing for men to do. They heard angel voices, proclaiming that prophecy had, indeed, come true. The Messiah had come!
Love,
Summer
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