Hey guys, just wanted to announce that my little shop is officially open! Yaaaaaay! Happy Holidays!

The new version (debuted last spring) of the 50 Promises collection has been re-stocked in time for Christmas! They always sell out fast, so come on over and grab one for a gift or for yourself :) Who doesn't love a good set of flash cards? With this collection, you are getting 50 mini prints for the same price as one normally priced print. And these mini prints are loaded with handpicked, faith-building promises that God wants us to be using daily. These are not merely nice tips for nice living, these are the gospel. Believing in Jesus means believing that He keeps His word. 2 Corinthians 1:20 -- all the promises find their Yes in Him! If there is one thing that the Lord has taught me lately it is that faith is the greatest gift, and I'm thankful for the way Jesus has used these promises over the past 3 years to sustain and deepen my faith in Him!

The promises collection makes a sweet, meaningful gift for sisters, moms, friends, new mamas, and anyone who wants to see Jesus prove His faithfulness! :)

Grant and I were a sorting machine last night!!! Yep, all of your 50 Promises are hand-sorted and stacked and taped and stuffed at our kitchen table in the late night hours ;) At the moment, I'm crazy behind on laundry, but all caught up on orders! You guys. Thank you, thank you. We are overwhelmed by how many are coming in. If you placed a 50 Promises order this weekend or today, it's headed your way right now! I hope that they'll make a great addition to your arsenal of promises.

And there's still time to get in on our Mother's Day sale, if you haven't yet!

Hi friends! I've been staying up late every night this week polishing up these 50 Promises so they're all pretty and fresh for Mother's Day. I picked new colors and fonts and prayed over a handful of new promises to swap in. Let's just say, I love them even more. And I think you will, too!

Because Mother's Day is just about here and your mom might love a set of these, they're on sale for $13.50 -- head over to the shop to get your lovely mama (or yourself) a gift! They'll ship out Monday morning! Also, today only, I'm doing a giveaway on Instagram -- come follow me and enter to win! @summerharms 

You guys, I'm bursting. So much to say and share. My heart has been getting an overhaul lately and I'm dying to put it to words here. I think I may have to start a regular series on these heart issues, because Jesus keeps giving me new stuff to sort out. Also, Grant is the only adult I talk to on a normal day, so my word bank is just plain overflowing. But first, some news and some history..


Last year the Lord laid something on my heart: His promises. If you were reading my blog back then, you saw how He settled my focus. Everything I read seemed to point me back to His promises. I saw Him teaching me how vital and practical they are and I felt him pressing me to know them, claim them, and put them to use. I picked 50 of my favorites and made these cards as a tool to help me do this.

Over the last year, these little cards have been laying in my lap, washi taped to my mirror, flicked through at the table, and propped by our sink. They've been a tangible thing to help turn my mind toward the intangible, something I could physically touch and hold on to. They've been used in sickness, in times of joyful healing, during confusing and scary situations, while I was in labor with Casper, and in times when I was hurting for family members. But most of the time I use them simply because I need Jesus's help to get through the day and fight against sin and be a good mama to my babies. It is in these moments, when I humble myself before Him and see His Word at work, that's when these promises became my passion and big part of who I am. The cards are merely a tool, but they do help get these words down deep into my heart -- to a place where I know I can grab at them whenever I need them.


If you think the 50 Promises would be a helpful tool for you, too, you can hop over to my shop. I brought them back after a few months of maternity leave and they're shipping now! Just in time for spring and Mother's Day and babies and new mamas. (I have a lot of friends on the brink of labor -- can you tell where my mind is?!) We sent out the first spring batch yesterday. Huge thanks to all of you who already placed orders!

Love, Summer

Hi guys! I took a maternity break after Christmastime to prepare for and spend time with our new babe, but I'm gearing up to re-open the shop now! A new spring shipment of the 50 Promises card collection is on the way. Thanks to all of you who have sent me emails asking when they will be available again!! SOON. In fact, you can start placing orders today! They'll start shipping out sometime next week, I'm just waiting on a few more things to arrive, but I'll be processing any orders that come in starting today.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the interest and support I've gotten on this project. You guys. You're the best. Jesus loves to have us treasure and ponder and use His words, His invaluable promises. Thanks for doing this along with me.

Hi friends! Just wanted to pop in with a quick shop announcement in between posts. The 50 Promises memory card collection will be on sale for just one more day-- tomorrow at 3:00 pm Central Time they'll go back to the regular $15 price tag. Please order soon! And thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has been buying them up so crazy fast. I can hardly keep up. You guys are so wonderful! Merry Christmas to all of you!

xo. Summer  

Happy Cyber Monday, friends! Just wanted to give you the heads up that my merry little Have A Cup of Cheer 8x10 print is now shipping. So, if you've ordered one in the past couple weeks, it's on its way to you right now! Yay yay yay!!! And if you want to go grab one, they're available in my shop. Only $10!


PS. The 50 Promises are still in stock and on sale for a bit longer, but they're going fast-- please order soon! And a big thank you to everyone who has been snatching them up :) I cannot believe how many have sold and it's only December 1st!

Blogged 1 year ago: Christmas Readiness
Blogged 2 years ago: GAPS diet questions for me
Blogged 3 years ago: Best Granola Ever!

Yesterday, as the shop orders came in and it started to snow, we played with the Christmas decorations. They're not "up" yet, so now is the perfect time to play-- before they're plugged in. Hadley is obviously in the middle of a very important sentence of gibberish right here. But to get to my point, huge thanks to everybody who ordered things from the shop yesterday and today!! We've already been busy packing and taping and running to the post office, so thank you.


Just a reminder that The 50 Promises are 10% off right now, but the sale will be ending soon. So order fast! Next week we'll get back to Thanksgiving style posts, I promise. Since it's so late this year, I felt like I needed to get a jump on Christmas! I don't think anyone really minds that much. :)

Have a great weekend! We'll be grocery shopping for my contribution to the Thanksgiving Feast, possibly putting up our Christmas decorations, and possibly making the ice rink in our backyard (Grant).

I've been talking about these 50 Promises memory cards that are available in my shop, and I often forget to share how much I use them myself. When I'm having an off day, when I feel unmotivated, anxious, or just completely out of joy (it usually hits me in the mornings) I like to sit down on the couch and just flip through the whole stack of cards all in one go. It's like a shot in the arm. Really. 

But usually at some point during the week there is a situation that comes up, or a worry that won't leave my mind, that calls for picking one promise in particular. I read that one promise over and over and coach my mind to think on it. I pray over it, and I plead it. We glorify God when we plead His promises. He loves it when we take one of His own promises back to Him and say,"Do as You have said, Lord." As C.H. Spurgeon says in his legendary devotional book Morning & Evening (which, let me just say, YES, I highly recommend buying this one or finding an app for it):



Last week I was facing a situation that was (and still is) confusing and hard and sad and painful. I was aching to have clarity on how to handle/respond to it. I needed to respond to it somehow, and I needed to decide how I was going to do that. I needed guidance. And the Lord brought this verse to mind- Psalm 32:8, Promise #38 in my the memory card collection:
I had just seen this verse not long ago in one of my devotional readings and knew it was for me. It was perfect- exactly what I needed. I did recite it over and over to myself, day by day, all week long. And I did go to the Lord with it and I asked Him to "do as He said." And He did. I found rest for my mind and made my decision, knowing that He had instructed me. The only One who gives perfect wisdom, who never changes, and never fails.

My friends, I know you are facing lots of decisions today, this week, and always. Let me encourage you with my own experience from last week. When you are anxious about a decision you need to make, battle the unbelief, stress, and worried thoughts with the promise of Psalm 32:8.

Now it's your turn to talk! Are you using His promises and cashing them in day by day? Yay! Please, if you feel like sharing, I'd love to hear a particular promise that you have pleaded lately. Let's encourage each other and give praise to Jesus by talking about all the great things He has done for us. It doesn't have to be a long comment, just a quick reference or word of praise, because...

Hi all! Thanks a whole bunch for the response to yesterday's post and the fall re-stocking of the 50 Promises! I was once again blown away by how many orders came streaming in. A few hours into the morning I was halfway to sold out, so I went ahead and bought more inventory. WOW. I love shop announcement days!! I'm so happy to have so many blog and instagram friends who are passionate about being in the Word and hiding it in their hearts. You guys are the best! I already have most of your orders packaged up and ready to tote to the post office-- cannot wait for you to get them!


It truly is starting to look a bit like fall at our house. It's a cool, gray 60 degrees and in the backyard, our walnut tree is starting to throw down a sprinkling of yellow leaves. I've even seen a few leaves blowing sideways past my kitchen window today, which is one of my favorite things. It's also sounding a bit like fall here, too. My current playlist is a mixture of Harry Potter, Enya, Anne of Green Gables, and Lord of the Rings. In case you didn't know this about me: I'm a collector of movie soundtracks. What do you listen to when fall rolls around?

Oh, and last but not least, it's starting to smell like fall. Winter squashes roasting, homemade chicken broth bubbling, shortbread bars baking, and homemade applesauce simmering. A sweet friend of mine who lives on a farm (lucky, lucky, girl!) generously loaded her super cute wire basket with apples from their trees and brought them over to my house. Thank you, Katie! I don't know how many apples we unloaded, but let's call it a bushel. I just want to use the word bushel more often. Anyway, with apples a-plenty, I have plans: apple crisp, applesauce, apple baked oatmeal, and hopefully apple cider, too!


First up was applesauce. And it was such a cinch! Of course, borrowing my mother-in-law's apple peeler-corer-slicer made all the difference in the world. (Thanks, Judy!) Hadley was able to stand on a chair and help me churn the handle of the peeler and then dumped each finished apple into the crockpot. It was the highlight of her weekend. I have made homemade applesauce one other time a few years ago and remember not being very impressed, but I'm completely happy with this batch. I love how it turned out with this tiny amount of cinnamon. It's just a hint of spice, enough  to really bring out the sweetness of the apples.

Easy Homemade Crockpot Applesauce

10-12 large apples*
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel and core apples. Cut into 1-inch chunks and place in a crockpot. Or, use an apple peeler-corer-slicer and just toss them in. In a small bowl, juice 1 lemon and then whisk in water and maple syrup. Sprinkle cinnamon over apple chunks and pour lemon-water mixture over all. Cover crockpot and cook on low for about 4 hours, or until apples are very soft and easily fall apart when stirred. Mash apples to desired consistency using a potato masher, or an immersion blender. I was able to get mine as smooth as I wanted it just by stirring with a wooden spoon. If applesauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of filtered water and stir well. Let cool, place in glass jars and store in the fridge.

NOTE: Applesauce will become much, much sweeter once it has cooled. Resist the urge to add more sweetener until you've chilled the applesauce overnight. Taste it cold, and then decide if it needs more maple syrup. My apples were very tart and I thought I would need a lot more sweetener, but it's actually just perfect! I loved how it turned out with this tiny amount of cinnamon. It's just a hint of spice, enough to really bring out the sweetness of the apples.

*Any kind of tart and crisp apple works well- but free apples from your friend's farm are the best!

What kind of apple-ing do you hope to do this fall? I can't wait to head over to our town's orchard and get the Regent apples. They aren't ready until mid-October and they're my favorite for snacking! Isn't it amazing how every time you bite into an apple fresh from the tree, it's just about the greatest thing you've ever tasted?

Ooooh! Yaaaaaaay! Guess what I got in the mail this week.... A big box full of 50 Promises memory cards to put in the shop! Back in the spring we completely sold out, but I promised they'd be re-stocked in the fall, and here they are! I sat at our kitchen table last night and sorted and stacked and packaged them all up for you guys and cannot wait wait to send them to you! Thanks to all of you who commented on the SOLD OUT post and on Instagram to let me know you'd be interested in buying some more in the fall!!


If you missed what these cards were all about, let me bring you up to speed:
At the beginning of the year I felt the need to study God's promises, to really, really know them, so I could start using them in my day-to-day life. I made a huge list of promises that I wanted to memorize and I decided I needed some pretty notecards to help me along the way. Then, I put a bunch in my shop in case you guys wanted some too.... and the first batch sold out in 3 hours!!! And then we re-ordered, and re-ordered, and packed and sorted and shipped, and pretty soon these little 50 Promises had reached from sea to shining sea. It was so awesome. God's word is powerful!

For $15 you'll get a set of 50 colorful cards printed with The 50 Promises verses (in an assortment of translations) from my original list. They're 3.5 x 5 inch cards, the perfect size for keeping at your fingertips. And they're pretty enough for propping by the kitchen sink or taping to the bathroom mirror, which is definitely what I'm going to do! The bold colors and cheeky fonts are going to help you memorize faster and retain longer. (Can you tell I spent a decade or so in AWANA as a little girl?) And when you've worked your way through the whole set, you'll have 50 promises learned by heart, ready for the moments you'll need them, and a sweet collection that's worthy of safekeeping. They make wonderful gifts for sisters, new moms, brides, daughters, and anyone who loves a good set of flashcards.

Back in the spring, I showed you this map, indicating all of the states that I had received orders from so far. Way to represent! This time around, I'm hoping we can put a check mark by every state!! Let's do it!


I've been so blessed by how these memory cards have been received and used. Thank you to all of you who have told me your stories, or who you gave them to, or why they're the perfect tool to have in your life right now. The promises printed on them are so irresistible! We all crave something to help us stand firm and I know in my own life, these promises- rooted in Christ and His grace for us- have been just the thing. A friend of mine just posted a link to a great article on facebook the other day: Seven Ways for Busy Moms to Get in the Word. It was just what I needed to read, and these memory verse cards are  perfect equipment to help.

Well guys, the 50 Promises memory cards are all gone! I've sold out and re-ordered about 5 times over the past few months, but I'm going to take a bit of a summer break and will wait to stock up again in the fall. Thank you to everyone who has been buying them up and sending me to the post office again and again! You guys helped my little shop reach from sea to shining sea- so awesome!! There were only a handful of states that I didn't hear from. Check the map below to see how y'all represented:



If you are one who would be interested in more 50 Promises after the summer is over, please let me know! It will help me when it's re-ordering time.

Moving on, I've got a bundle of new assignments on my plate for the upcoming weeks... plans and design work for my little sister's bridal shower, packing up our house and moving out to camp for the summer (Happening next week, but I cannot even think about it yet!), putting the finishing touches on the agenda for our Washington D.C. trip, a couple secret projects that you'll hear about later, doing a little devotional at a Ladies' Camp weekend retreat, and starting my typical camp responsibilities. So, rest assured, this "summer break" won't be an actual break. :) Summer is without a doubt the busiest time of year for me, but I'll still be popping in to blog and you can follow me on instagram to watch my summer adventures unfold! {@summerharms}

Thanks again, to all of you guys who have encouraged and supported me in my teeny shop venture this winter/spring! More soon!

Helllllo, out there! Sorry I've been gone so long. What have I been up to? Mostly partying. A 90th birthday for Grant's grandma, a 15th birthday for my niece, a belated birthday for my twin and me, and a 49th birthday and early Mother's day for my ever-cheerful mom. Add in cousins being in town from California, and my 6 month old nephew coming to visit, and eating cake a few days in a row, and planning a bridal shower for my littlest sister... that's been life in the past several days.

Oh, and our 5-year anniversary is in two days! Yay!

Oh, and we're moving out of our house to our summer digs at Camp Shetek in 17 days. (!!!)

I'm pooped. May always bowls me over like this. Am trying to switch over to normal mode for a little bit. The laundry is finally going, dinner is planned, and I'm not eating anything sweet today, which all feels therapeutic. I cannot even think about packing yet. But I can think about this:


My sweet Mom, who totally gets me, bought me Gwyneth's new cookbook It's All Good. The name suits it. I hardly ever feel the need to own cookbooks anymore, but this one... Everything in it is good and useable. I want to ear-mark every single page! Most of her recipes will work for us, because she cooks with whole foods and avoids a few things that cause issues in her family (gluten, dairy). Even if you don't need to avoid these foods, her book focuses on enjoying simple real food for a lifetime, instead of eating on restrictions. I've only made it through the soups and salads chapters so far, as I'm deeply studying each pretty page, but already have my eye on so many things. The easiest posole and mexican green goddess salad especially. I'll be in the kitchen for days.

There's one other thing my mind has made room for today: your mom. Your lovely, hilarious, wise, stylish, sweet, talented, ace of a mom. I've saved a stack of my 50 Promises memory cards just for her, in case you need a one-of-a-kind gift to send her for Mother's Day. I'll even wrap them up with my prettiest washi tape and a message from you. Any orders placed before 4 o'clock are mailed out on the day they are received! Grab a set from my shop this afternoon! Moms love them. Seriously.

Happy Tues, everybody! Sorry I've been away so long. We had planned on taking a little trip over the President's Day break, and I had planned to post the next part of our love story for Valentine's Day, but the Lord had other plans for us. We've been busy experiencing His greatness over these past 5 days. I can't even tell you!! Last week I was memorizing Promise No. 5: "He gives power to the faint and to those that have no might He increases strength." and a few days ago I saw Him prove this to us in a very real way. Without getting into the details, Thursday night on our way up to bed we looked at our kitchen window, where this verse card was propped, and we were able to say- that happened today. It is so good to be alive to the fact that God is faithful. He answers prayer. He keeps His word. He loves us. He delivers us. He is powerful! Praise the Lord!

How have you seen God be faithful to His word since we started memorizing these promises?

Just a reminder for you, we are doing Promise No. 6 this week. So if you've got your cards, pull out #6 and tape it somewhere you'll see it! I've got mine on my bathroom mirror. I'll post a picture later (@summerharms on Instagram). I bought some pretty washi tape from Heather's cute shop, The Paperie, and it has been the greatest! I've got cards taped all over my house now. :) And I LOVE that you guys have been telling me how you've been using your 50 Promises cards! I've heard about some of you putting them up in frames, making collages, teaming up with friends and sisters to memorize together, giving them away as gifts, and of course, covering the front of the fridge. Thank you all so. so. much. You don't know how fun it is for me to think about a whole league of friends looking at the same words that I am.

If you've gotten your 50 Promises cards and have them in your hand, your house, your bag, your car, etc. tag your Instagram photos with #50Promises! There's a new one each week, so you've got lots of opportunities to take pictures! I really want to see! 

Hi guys! Hope you're having a great weekend! Just wanted to stop in real quick this morning because I've been playing around and think I found a better way to get The 50 Promises list to you. The print was so tiny before! Here it is in a pdf for you to download and print. Please let me know if it works for you!

Here we are, two weeks down in 2013. That means there are 50 weeks left! Last week I mentioned to you guys that God's promises were really on my heart for 2013. I can't stop thinking about it. I want to know them; off the top of my head, backwards and forwards, by heart. I want them to pop into my mind all throughout the day and to be the first thing I turn to when anxiety rises up in me (which is very, very often). I want to claim them! I've decided to make a plan to help me do this.

I've handpicked 50 of my favorite promises, straight out of His word. Full of things that He does/will do for us, things that we are given, things that happen every day that we don't even realize. One per week for the rest of the year. Each week I'm going to memorize one promise, write it on a notecard and place it by my sink to ponder while I'm washing dishes, talk about it with Grant, and watch how God is faithful to it. I hope to grow more peaceful, patient, and courageous by the end. Who wants to try with me? I'd love to have friends do it along with me- we can help each other be accountable! Just click over here to print your promises. Start verse #1 this week.


One of the most remarkable capacities of the human mind is the capacity to direct its own attention to something it chooses. We can pause and say to our minds, "Think about this, and not that." ... Have you been neglecting this great weapon in the arsenal of your war against sin? The Bible calls us again and again to use this remarkable gift. Let's take it out and shine it up and put it to use. - John Piper