Catching Up....Fall 2012

I started writing this post a couple of days ago and then got very side-tracked as I took a trip down memory lane in re-reading all my blog postings since I began this blog in 2007.  Wow…..so much has happened in our lives – mostly all good things, but there have been some very sad and tough days as well (of course, I didn’t blog about most of those tough days). 

As this is the season of Thanksgiving, I am so very grateful for the many, many blessings that God has given to me and my family and so thankful for His sustaining grace and comfort during those difficult days. 

Oh, thank you, Lord Jesus!

It seems the Fall is always a very busy time for us.  But I do love this time of year, with the changing of the seasons, the beautiful colors (that seem to be more vibrant than ever this year), and all the traveling we are privileged to do. 

I really like this Fall collage I made of the granddaughters J:  (If you double-click on any of the pictures, you will be able to enlarge it)

Another cute pic of the girls taken a month or so ago:

Our first Fall outing was to the Pastor’s Oasis in Branson, Missouri.  We are so appreciative of our church sending us every year! We stay in one of the prettiest hotels, Chateau on the Lake, and enjoy an inspiring and fun program by the DiscipleGuide Ministries, plus lots of free time to shop, rest, go to a show, etc.  It’s always a “breath of fresh air” for us!  Such a beautiful view outside our hotel window:

Always good to spend time with friends....Toya Aultman and Mary Mooney

Also enjoyed time with Aaron and Jenae Polok (and the Mooneys)

Eating a delicious breakfast at Billy Gail's....

 

Our ladies Bible study finished up another great study, “When Godly People Do Ungodly Things.”  It was a very timely reminder to us that we live in such a depraved world and Satan is alive and active in seducing us.  So thankful for the ladies who participated.  The morning group met at my home and the evening group met at Tina LaTurner’s – thanks, Tina!

Mom, Holly (my cousin) and I made a visit to Arkansas and Texas during October.  We first traveled to Conway, AR to Rob and Kaye’s home.  We enjoyed spending a little time with Adrienne and her family during the afternoon and then joining the Antioch Home Group that meets in Kaye and Rob's home that night.  Kaye then joined us as we traveled on to Bev and Don’s home in Tyler, Texas the next day.  It was a great weekend visiting with the Ferrell family.  It was our first time to meet little Alex, Shannan and Mike’s youngest. 

It was wonderful to spend time with Bev's daughters and all the grandchildren (as well as my brother-in-law, Don's extended family)!

Before heading to church Sunday morning (Kaye is taking the picture)

Thanks for hosting us, Bev (and Kaye too while in Arkansas)

We didn’t get to see the girls on Halloween but am thankful for these cute pictures of them:

LADY BUG

FANCY NANCY

Trick or Treating at J.J.'s and E's:

Wearing E's wig....

Good fall picture of Andy's family....

 

This was the year for electing a President.  We were sure praying about that, desiring that the newly-elected President would be one that stands for the principals of God’s Word.  Consequently, we were disappointed at the outcome.  We must make a greater effort to pray for President Obama that God would work in his heart to turn to Him and that God WILL bring revival to America!!

We once again returned to Branson the first of November for the annual Senior Adult Conference.  Another fine event hosted by DiscipleGuide.  It’s always refreshing, encouraging and a lot of fun and we traveled with such a great group of folks!  It was nice that Mom joined our FBC group this year, too.

Our daughter-in-law, Carman had originally planned to have a garage sale the first November and had asked me to come stay with the girls on Friday and Saturday to help her out.  So Jeff and I had made plans to do so.  However, time didn’t allow Carm and Andy to get the sale organized but they wanted us to come down anyway and so we gladly went down just for the day and had such a fun time!  I had taken a gift bag for each of the girls as their Halloween gift.

The weather in November has just been delightful!!  While Andy & Carman took Ellie to the doctor for her six month check-up, we took Laine to the Promenade Mall for some playtime and then walked down to Build-A-Bear….where she picked out her first bear and named her “Pumpkin.”

Doing sweet things to the heart she would place within her bear...rubbing her cheek here (also kissed it, etc.)

Aunt Ray Ray, Baby Mac and Uncle Jonathan came to the kids to visit for a while after we got home from the Mall.  We anxiously await the news next month if Baby Mac is a boy or a girl.  Looking so forward to meeting our third grandchild!

Yes, I do have my Christmas decorating done.  I love the fruit of the hard work in getting it all up and having it up for several weeks to enjoy.

What a fun time….getting to attend Laine’s first ballet recital this past week!!  And she did so, so good!  It doesn’t seem possible that she is old enough to do this…..she is growing up too fast!  It was neat to return to the church (where the recital was held) that I worked at when we lived in NWA and to see some of the folks that I had worked with while there. The first picture was taken during rehearsal and the rest are during the recital.  They did their ballet to the song, "Away in a Manger."  So sweet!

With a proud Mom and Dad at the reception afterwards

It’s our kids’ turn to do Thanksgiving with their spouses’ families, so they won’t be coming to Kansas.  We have been blessed to be invited by several church families to join them for Thanksgiving (thank you, everyone!).  We accepted the first invitation and so had to decline the other sweet invites.  Mom will be coming down to spend the day with us as well.

Jeff and I will once again return to Branson before 2012 is over.  We have been greatly blessed with wonderful accommodations for 6 days to celebrate 40 years of marriage.  That doesn’t seem possible either – Wow!  We plan to attend some Christmas shows while there and just enjoy celebrating our lives together.  Here is another fun collage down through those 40 years.  The picture on the left was early in 1972 (before marriage) when I attended a fraternity banquet at Washburn University where Jeff was attending…..it was the night the Jeff “pinned” me J (a fraternity tradition to let a girl know you are serious about her...yes that dress is so ugly, but at the time, it was very fashionable - ha!).  The middle picture was taken at our 25^th Wedding Anniversary in 1997 and the picture on the right was taken on our way to our 40^th High School class reunion in 2011.  Yep – a lot of life and aging in between those years!

We are praying for you, dear friends, that God will richly bless your Thanksgiving as well as all your Christmas activities and that you will feel His presence in the midst of it all and remember to have a thankful heart!

WE HAVE EXCITING NEWS!!

We are going to be grandparents for the third time - whoo hooo!

Although it wasn't their "plan," -- it was God's! J

Rachel and Jonathan are going to have a baby!

 Baby "Mac" is about 9 weeks old but Rachel is considered 11 weeks pregnant (Josh and Andy have always called Jonathan:  JMac, so until we know the sex of this baby, we will call he or she, Baby Mac).  Evidently birth control can fail when you are very sick, which both Jonathan, then Rachel were around the 3rd week of August.  Ooops!

 Jeff and I are thrilled because we know Rachel has wanted to be a momma for a long time!  Jonathan loves children too, so they will make wonderful parents!

 

Another Spring grandbaby.....Rachel's regular doctor estimates the due date as May 14th.  She won't be seeing her OBGYN until the first of December to get the official word as to the due date.

 Rachel is suffering a lot with nausea, exhaustion, etc.  On top of that, the Fall is a tough time for her in battling allergies and/or sinus infections, which she is doing right now.  So we would appreciate your prayers that she can get to feeling better soon.

 

Here is all the family as we gathered together two weeks ago when the kids made their announcement.  Rachel had texted all of us that she would like the family to go to dinner together that night since Josh was in town.  She said that she and Jonathan wanted to ask the family for some advice.  This is how the conversation went:

 

Jonathan:  “Well, it looks like we are moving” (and our hearts just sank as we thought it meant a long ways away from all of us)

Rachel immediately cut in with a sigh: “Yep, moving all the stuff out of the extra bedroom to make room for a crib!”  J J

 

Sweet time and much celebration!

Thank you Lord, for blessing us with another precious, precious baby!



Monday Morning Ponderings

As I did my morning walk at Galena City Park,

I pondered several things.

First of all, how thankful I am for the health and my two legs to walk.  Secondly, for the change of seasons.  I am blessed that I don't have allergies (like my husband) and can enjoy the out-of-doors during the fall.  This morning the temperatures hovered right around 70 -- just perfect!

Loved the Flag blowing in the breeze!

 The flag also made me thankful that I am an American!  Although my heart is very burdened at the state our Country has become.....and concerns me greatly as to her future!  I took a few minutes right then to pray for America and her leaders and the pivotal election less than a month away.

 

As I continued my walk, I marveled at God's amazing creation.  This pretty little bubbling brook reminded me of the blessing of recent rains after such a drought-stricken summer!

The beauty of the trees changing colors also delighted me. 

 On my way home, I swung by the church and took this picture of the construction progress.  Much excitement as First Baptist is remodeling and adding an additional 3600 square feet to her facilities!! 

I am definitely a blessed woman with a great family, loving Church family and wonderful friends. 

 

Thank you, Lord!

From A-Z

A few fun & sober facts about Debbie “Boore” Swart – from A-Z

(I got this idea from another blog that I follow)

A:        Andy:  Andrew Ryan Swart is our middle child.  He was born on March 25, 1980.  He is married to Carman “Wright” Swart and they live in NWA.  Andy and Carman have blessed us with two wonderful granddaughters, Laine and Ellie.  Andy is the lead pastor at Metro Church in Rogers, AR.  Carman does have a Masters in Elementary Education and has taught in the past, but presently is home with the girls who are her #1 teaching priority.

B:        Bev:    Beverly Jean Boore Ferrell is my middle sister.  Bev and her husband Don live in East Texas.  Don and Bev have two daughters, Shannan and Shawna who are married to Michael McEuen and Nathan Tunnell respectively.  Shannan and Michael have 4 children: Madyson, Zachary, Cooper and Alex.  Shawna and Nathan have two boys: Tristan and Noah.

 

C:        Color:  My favorite color has always been red.  Jeff knows he is to bury me in something red with red fingernails and red toenails.  Although I had told him that years ago when red was the popular fingernail color.  Now that I wear solar tip nails, someone will have to tell him he doesn’t need to have my fingernails painted J.

D:        DeDe:  That is my “grandma” name and I love hearing Laine call me that (and someday Ellie will too)!  Jeff is Papa and that too makes him smile real big! 

E:         Ellie:  Our second precious granddaughter is Ellie Kate Swart.  She was born April 23, 2012 and is already such a delight to us!

F:         Facebook:  Those of you who know me well, know that I do love the social networking tool of Facebook.  Yes, I’m quite aware of all the “bad” stuff that is connected to FB but try to steer clear of that as much as possible and just enjoy interacting with so many people from all the various avenues of my life:  family, GHS classmates, dear friends and so many church members and acquaintances along life’s way.  It has definitely made a very big world a lot smaller and I do love it.

G:        Grandparent:  If you aren’t a grandparent yet, then you won’t understand this.  But if you are one, then you know full well what I am about to say.  Jeff and I anxiously awaited the day when we would become grandparents.  Our children were not in near as much of a hurry for that as we were J.  We had been married 37-1/2 years before it became a reality for us.  And what a WONDERFUL blessing it has been! This Scripture is so true:  Proverbs 17:6:  Children’s children are a crown to the aged……So bear with us, younger folks…..someday hopefully you will experience the icing of life that being a grandparent brings J.  We presently have two precious granddaughters and are anxiously looking forward to additional grandchildren in the future!  I thought about posting pictures for every letter….but that would require way too much time and make this posting ridiculously long!  Also, if you really want to see pictures of family, etc., just scan older postings on this blog.  However, I couldn’t resist posting this one picture of those two precious little girls! 

H:        Husband:  God sure did bless me when He gave me Jeff Swart!  What a wonderful “almost” 40 years of marriage we have had.  I am so thankful for a man who loves the Lord first and foremost and then loves me so much.  I’m very unworthy of that love but so glad he loves me in spite of me!  Jeff and I were in the same grade and attended Girard High School all 4 years.  However, we didn’t really know each other till our Junior year when we were assigned seats close by in Mrs. Hiland’s Jr. English class.  Jeff was very popular, was a major player on all the sports teams (football, basketball, track, etc.) and was Jr. Class President.  We were such an unlikely “couple.”  I was very shy and in the “background” kind of girl.  Being raised in a strong Christian home was also a major difference in the two of us.  We started dating our Senior year.  Bless my Baptist Deacon Dad’s heart for ever letting Jeff on our property…..the first time he came to get me for a date (which was to go to Pittsburg to see the movie, “Love Story”), Jeff had on a Budweiser beer t-shirt!  Yikes.  However, God did have a plan!  And Jeff yielded to God’s calling on his life after his first year of college at Washburn University (where he was studying to be a lawyer).  He returned home that following summer and we got engaged.  We also got actively involved in a little Baptist mission church in Pittsburg, Kansas that would have a major impact on the direction of our lives.  We married on December 22^nd, 1972 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, rural Girard (my home church).  We lived in Girard in an apartment above a grocery store on the square for a few months, before purchasing our first mobile home and living in a nice mobile home park in Pittsburg.  It’s been quite a ride, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world!!

I:          Ipad/Iphone/Computer:  I do love the world of “technology.”  Again, I know with all things, there is bad as well as good, but my computer, Iphone and Ipad are sure an “earthly” blessing to me. 

J:          Josh:  Our first-born son is Joshua Jerome born on September 9, 1977.  We had tried to have children for several years prior to conceiving Josh, so we were so excited when we had our first baby boy – and a red-headed boy at that!  Josh married Erika “Sherman” Swart on August 7, 1999 and they also live in NWA (it’s such a blessing to have all 3 of our children living within 8 miles of each other and only about 75 miles from Jeff and I!).  Josh has an audio engineering degree and works in the music industry mainly for Lionel Richey and the group, Journey.  Erika is the office manager for one of Mercy’s Health Clinics in Rogers.

K:        Kaye:  My baby sister is Kaye Lynn Boore Harkness.  Kaye is married to Rob and they live in central Arkansas.  They are parents of Adrienne, Matt and Michelle.  Adrienne is married to Mike Goering and they have two sons, Lincoln and Graham.  Matt DeMott is married to Kristen, who are parents to a new baby girl, Ellis.  Michelle “Harkness” Stane is the mother of Megan and Nick.

L:         Lainey-Bug:  Laine Virginia Swart is our first precious grandchild!  She was born April 26, 2010 and brought with her a whole new world for us to experience of love and joy!!

M:        Ministry:  Jeff and I will celebrate our 40^th wedding anniversary in December and of that 40 years, almost 38 years have been spent in full-time ministry.  Jeff has pastored churches in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas.  He has worked as a Dean of Students at a Baptist College and has taught on two college campuses.  He also helped supervise a world missions program which allowed him to travel in 67 countries of the world.  It has been quite a journey, but such a blessed one.  We are loving our ministry at the present time which is First Baptist Church, Galena, Kansas. 

N:        Names (which represent lives, faces, sweet memories past and present):  God has so richly blessed us with knowing thousands of wonderful people along the journey of ministry and in our present church family and we so look forward to that day that we will all be together in that heavenly city!  O, what a day that will be!!!

O:        Occupation:  While in High School, I was a part of Ms. Dorothy Johnson’s secretarial classes.  She was an excellent teacher and knew how to train a student to excel as a secretary.  So before I even graduated, I began my secretarial career at McNally’s in Pittsburg, Kansas.  There were a few other secular positions along the way, but for the most part, I have worked in a church setting as receptionist, secretary, financial secretary, etc.  Of course, for all those early years of ministry, I was Jeff’s unpaid church secretary, but then when he became Pastor of larger churches that had their own secretaries, I would then work at other churches (it was just easier for us not to work in the same church and know all the same struggles, etc.).  I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at these churches:  Woodland Heights Baptist in Conway, AR; Cedar Heights Baptist in Cedar Hill, TX; and First Baptist Church, Springdale, AR.  However, I love what I’m doing now most of all---a stay-at-home wife!  It seems my days are filled with activity and there sure isn’t any boredom!  I love the freedom to go with Jeff to meetings, hospital and/or home visits, and to see the kids, granddaughters, Mom, sisters, etc.  So thankful for this station of life!

P:         Parents:  I was so very blessed to be born to Edward and Dorothy Boore on December 29, 1953 in Pittsburg, Kansas.  I was raised in a loving, godly home in the small community of South Radley (halfway between Girard and Pittsburg) and we were in church (Mt. Olive, rural Girard) every time the doors were opened.  I have many sweet memories of my childhood – with family, relatives and church family.  My dad passed away in October of 2000 and is missed greatly.  Mom is still living in Girard and doing well for her 83 years of life!  So thankful for my Christian heritage!

Q:        Quote from Bible:  I have MANY favorites.  But today, this one comes to mind:  Psalm 103:17-18:  “¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children—¹⁸ with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.”

R:        Rachel:  We were richly blessed with our third child, a girl, Rachel Ann, born on May 1, 1985.  She recently married Jonathan McCrary and they live in NWA.  Rachel is a kindergarten teacher at a school in Rogers.  She will graduate in December with her Masters in Elementary Education. Jonathan graduated with his Masters last December and is a computer software engineer for J.B. Hunt in Rogers.

S:         Salvation:  The greatest gift of all is God’s gift of salvation to me.  I accepted Jesus as my Savior in August of 1964 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, rural Girard, KS.  Bro. Carl George was our pastor and led me in asking Jesus to forgive me of all my sins and to come into my heart and save me.  What a blessed assurance to know that I am saved for eternity and that I have a glorious home awaiting me in glory!!  My prayer, dear blog reader, is that you too, know Jesus as Savior.  If you have any questions about that, please go to this link:  www.jeffswart.com and click on the tab, "How To Become A Christian" or "Contact Me."

T:         Travels:  Oh, how I love to travel (as does Jeff).  My Dad also loved to travel so every summer he would take Mom and us girls on a two week vacation.  It was always by car and always within the U.S. but what wonderful sites did we see.  My favorite memories of childhood, no doubt!  After Dad passed away, Mom didn’t want to stop her traveling, so she has been so generous to provide some wonderful trips for my sisters and our husbands.  If you follow me on Facebook, you have seen many pictures of those wonderful travels—a great blessing!  Jeff and I have also been richly blessed by traveling to the Holy Land.  Jeff was able to go the first time with a group in 1984.  I wasn’t able to go then.  However in 2008 and again in 2011, Jeff led groups to the Holy Land and I accompanied him……and believe me, it is sacred ground!  It’s hard to describe, but you can just feel that God has a special hand of blessing on this land.  Jeff hopes to take another group in 2014, so if you would like to go with us, please let me know!

U:        Urgency: Folks, Jesus IS coming soon!  Are you ready?? 

V:        Vegetable I hate:  Peas!  All kinds!

W:       Women’s Bible Study:  I love to study God’s Word!  And an extra special blessing is doing that with a group of women.  My first taste of personal in-depth Bible study was around 1986 when I became a part of Bible Study Fellowship in Tyler, Texas.  It was a major turning point in my life to realize I could actually study God’s Word on my own and apply it practically to my life (and not depend on my husband to explain everything to me).  I have journeyed through many different types of women’s Bible studies and leaders and have gained knowledge from all.  However, my favorite is Beth Moore and her video-driven/workbook studies.  I have had the privilege to facilitate many of her studies over the years and looking forward to starting another one next week with the ladies at FBC.  I hope that God’s Word is a part of your everyday life as in it, you will find all the promises, strength, instructions and encouragement you will need in your day-to-day walk on this earth!

X:        “Xtra” – As a teenager, I always wanted to be an airline stewardess.  However, living in a small midwestern community several hours away from any major airport, it didn’t ever become a reality for me.  I do love to travel by airplane though!!

Y:        Yummy Food:  Mexican and Italian are my favorite restaurants; roast and trimmings is my favorite home cooked meal, and ice cream is my downfall!

Z:         Zzzzzz:  I’m sure you are ready for a nap after reading that!!  Thanks for indulging me!