Posts

Showing posts from 2010

My Family

Image

The Invisible Mother

Image
A life long friend of mine, Tracy, sent this to me in an e-mail. I had to share it! It all began to make sense the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock? Where's my phone? What

AMAZING!

Image
Our son, Garrett, recently caught "Horse Fever". I get it ever now and then and sometimes it is hard to shake! When we lived in Texas and our boys were fairly young, we had a few horses off and on. We have not had any in a long time. This all came about when he started working at a horse boarding stable as of a few weeks ago. It has been the perfect fit for him and fell in his lap. He has talked about working somewhere like this all summer. I am proud to say he recognizes the hand of God in his life and gave Christ the credit for his new fortune. For the last two weeks he has talked about a horse as if we had already given in to his pleading. Early yesterday morning I ask my husband, who was leaving the state for business, what I was to tell him when he ask again today. ”In about seventeen months he is going to need a truck not a horse, tell him to pray about it”, was his answer. I relayed the message to our son. After his school work was completed he went to work. He calle

Straight Rows and Many First Days (HOMESCHOOLING)

Image
It is time for school! I love a fresh sharpen pencil , clean paper and new school books. Our boys have been homeschooled most of their lives. I say most, our oldest attended four classes at our public high school for his sophomore year and last year he took a couple of college classes at our local community college. He is also on the varsity golf team at our public high schools, this is his fourth year counting this season. Our youngest wanted to attend school , so he went to middle school , in our neighborhood for seventh and eighth grade. I gave them several choices for high school this year; a local charter school with strict guidelines and challenging curriculum, a private school that they are familiar with or back to homeschooling, I did give our oldest one the option to finish his senior year at the public school where he plays golf. Surprisingly, they chose home. We will start school in a week. I have one senior and one freshman. I had to purchase a math text book for me! It i

Backpacking update

Image
The boys made it home safely. They had a great time. Funny part is, they were home the very next day! They were running out of matches and would not be able to eat without a fire. I have a feeling it was harder than they thought.

A Mother's Heart

Image
Zep 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Our 17 year old, Tanner and a friend of his, have been talking about and planning on going backpacking in the Rockies for the last two weeks. He has given me material to read to make me more comfortable with the idea. I have read every word of the printouts. He was warming me up to the idea. My husband, his father, knows Tanner is fully capable and does not live in fear like most moms do when it comes to our children. I too, know that Tanner is very capable to survive on his own in the wilderness. However, I don’t like it! I won’t be there to protect him from stupid mistakes, like leaving out food for the bears to smell or making sure his fire is out so he does not burn down the forest and end up in handcuffs! Or dehydrate, drink unsanitary water, get eat up by mosquitoes, encounter wild vicious animals, get lost, stru

The Power of a Simple Prayer

Image
David and I went on a company vacation several years ago. There were lots of people from many different states. The first event was a mix and mingle at the hotel. David and I connected with two other couples from CA. The second day we had lunch together. We started out with some tropical drinks, appetizers, laughter and lots of conversation getting to know one another. When our meal came, David said a prayer over our food and our upcoming adventures. It was a simple, normal prayer, so I thought. As soon as he said “amen”. One of the men commented with “Wow, I have never heard anyone talk to God like that”. He seem to be amazed at the ease and friendship of the prayer. It was an awesome experience for all of us. Questions were flying and the Holy Spirit was working overtime. We spent the next 6 days with them. That was in March. In September one of the couples flew out to spend a few days with us in our home. It was over a weekend so we all attended our home church. By the end of the

Expect the unexpected!

Image
Our home is a magnet for teen boys. There will be from three to twelve at a time on most days, ages fourteen to seventeen. They are very comfortable with David and me. I am glad they feel free to talk among themselves and to me about anything and I mean anything! They make me laugh, a lot! Some of the things they say and our own boys say, well… I really don’t need or want to hear. I have washed ones mouth out with vinegar and threatened another with soap. They know Mrs. Swayne does not like a foul mouth and when one slips all the others chime in with ooooos or it goes silent and they all look at me. They are not even safe in the basement from my ears! They are a work in progress for sure, as am I. These young men do not attend church regularly and some not at all. A couple have gone with us on occasion. Two weeks ago, while in church, God gave me the desire to see these young men filling up a row at church. He told me in my spirit; hang a poster board in your kitchen and bribe them

Don’t live in fear, you might miss your fish!

Image
When my husband and I were on vacation in 1999, he wanted to go deep sea fishing. He did not want to go on one of those boats where everyone is lined up along the sides of the boat fishing. No, he wanted his own boat. I preferred laying on the beach reading a book but he kinda wanted me to go so I would not miss anything and I kinda did not want to go. However, being the nice wife I am, I agreed. We had to get up really early and be at the docks by daylight. David is a lot of fun especially on vacation, he makes sure everyone with him is having a good time. He goes into activity director mode. I love this about him! He had it all planned out, he made sure I was up, dressed and ready on time. He even had my coffee poured and two Dramamine beside my cup. Let me just stop to say, I have been sea sick in the gulf, and it will ruin your day and maybe everyone else’s, however, we were not in the gulf and I had been out before in the same waters without any sickness. He was providing what h

Do You Believe in Easter?

Image
I have been blank when it comes to blogging over the past two weeks, however this story that I heard in church over 10 years ago keeps ringing in my spirit. So today I share it with everyone. Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was t

Trust God to Navigate!

Image
My car came with a navigation system. This was one of my top request when I bought it. I get a bit anxious driving in the city if I don’t know where my destination is exactly. As you know there are lots of obstacles while driving anywhere but especially in down town areas of large cities. In town I get a bit anxious if I am running late due to looking for a location that is unfamiliar. My nav. System takes all the anxiety away. All of it! I totally trust that voice over the speaker without even looking at the map on my screen. She gives play by play and ample warning when to turn and then beeps again in the exact moment I need to turn. Not to mention she tells me when I have arrived. It goes something like this; “Your destination is ahead on the left/right” then when I get exactly there she reassures me by stating “ you have arrived at your destination”. She even signs off with her salutation of “ route guide is now finished”. This is a great invention and I really would not want to go

Working Myself Out of a Job

Image
As mothers our goal should be to work ourselves out of a job. Depending on personalities and gifs it happens at different ages. With our two boys, it is happening at the same time. One is 17 and the other is 14. I will be out of a job faster than I thought and am feeling it! Heart strings and apron strings must be connected! With every loosening of the apron strings I feel the pull in my heart. The last two years I have been learning how to let go of the little boy we have and let him grow into a young man. Now our younger one is following suit. I really struggled the first year I felt this happening. What a roller coaster of emotions. I have to continually remind myself that this is not about me it is about them. What I have learned in the last two years is to trust. It is so hard to trust our children to always make wise moral choices every time, however, we can trust in the Good Lord. These are His children. He loves them more than we know how. He knows each and every child bette

Who is reading my blog?

Image
"Hey I think that is me!" "Hey! someone,over here!" " Wow,I am really cute!" Ok, my friend Meredith wrote on her blog "I have proof". She is referring to someone reading her blog. She makes me laugh, I love to read her postings. Her link is on my page. Well I have proof too! What is funny is she is looking at the posting with her picture on it!

The Swayne Men + Nelli

Image

Lessons from God 2

Image
Staying In The Boundaries Nellie, our dog, stands on my raised vegetable garden so her head just rest on the top of our wooden fence. She watches as people walk on the trail. Some have dogs , baby strollers, bikes. She does this often with complete content and pleasure from the safety of our yard. Never barking just watching, seems to be simply entertained. However, in October, I sat at my kitchen table watching her. She seemed very anxious. My husband and our two teen boys had gone hunting for a few days. Without them home she looked to me for fulfillment. I gave her everything she needed and more; loving, walks, fetch, car rides, all her favorite things. I never left her alone and even allowed her to sleep at the foot of my bed. However, instead of being content with her situation she began to search. I sat at my table in front of the sliding glass doors, watching her in the backyard. She was in her usual position at the fence, however this time her body language spoke loudly.

Lesson from God

Today in church I got the perfect picture of how God must react when we show up to be with Him, in prayer, in worship, in praise, anywhere, anytime. There was a lady setting in front of my family, alone with an empty chair beside her. The service had started, the music was over and the pastor had began. A young man sat down beside her, I assume it was her son by the way she acted. She was almost giddy. This lasted all of thirty seconds or less but brought tears to my eyes all the same. She was almost bouncing in her seat, patted his back, hugged his neck, sat with her eyes on him and a wide smile on her face. The last thing she did was pull on the bill of his ball cap. I got a bit tickled at that. I am sure that was a disapproving tug of "a cap in church". I have two teen boys that were setting between my husband and me, so that touched home. Then I thought, oh my gosh! That is how Jesus feels when we show up? He is so excited to see us, he loves on us, he is giddy and correc
I am just getting use to the blogging world. More to come as I figure this out! Looking foward to it!