Clinging to the One

Not on My Watch

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:43:00 +0000

Learn to do good;
      Seek justice,
      Rebuke the oppressor;
      Defend the fatherless,
      Plead for the widow.

- Isaiah 1:17

As we start this new year, a heartbreaking issue has been placed on my heart, and the hearts of my friends, by the Lord. In February, the capital city of my home state, Indianapolis, will be hosting the Super Bowl. This will be a great financial boon to the city, and this state, bringing in people from around the country, and even the world.

It will be a disaster, however, to the women and children that are being trucked in, as slaves, to the city. The Wold Cup and the Super Bowl are the two largest human trafficking events in the world, and it’s happening in my proverbial backyard. These women and children are treated as pieces of meat to be sold to any number of men to have their innocence and dignity stolen.

This is not okay with me.

I know a lot of people hear about these things happening in foreign countries – India, Thailand, and in Africa – but it is happening RIGHT HERE. This is not simply a foreign issue. Girls as young as 13 are being forced into sexual slavery, IN THE UNITED STATES. Some of those will be on the market during the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

This is not okay with me. Not on my watch.

And so for the next month, through the February 5th championship game, (and after) my prayer warrior friends at WVIHOP and I will be praying for these people, day and night. Praying that the chains of slavery would be broken off of them. Praying that the people who entrap them would be brought to justice. Praying that trafficking would be completely eradicated in this country and around the world.

Because this is not okay with me. It is not okay with my friends. And it is not okay with God.

Would you join us?

——

Some human trafficking information links

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls – a documentary about human trafficking

Facts about slavery

Fox News story about Human Trafficking

CNN Freedom Project

CNN Freedom Project Statistics

A Perfect Twelve

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 13:32:00 +0000

Twelve years ago I was wide awake, thoughts running through my head of what the day would hold. I was wondering if we'd pulled everything together well, if the cake was going to be good, if my dress was pretty enough, if my hair was going to look nice ... and what I was getting into.

Twelve years later I can tell you it has been one heck of a ride. Our lows have been REALLY low, and our highs have been VERY high. There were days, maybe even years, when I wasn't sure we were gonna make it this far.

But then we turned our marriage over to Jesus. God is good and He has brought our marriage a long way. We still have our rough spots, but they are few and far between now. It will never be perfect, but it's a whole lot better than either of us thought it could be when this journey started on July 17, 1999. And we're not done because He's not done with us.

Jesus had twelve disciples, Jacob had twelve sons, and now I have had twelve years with my earthly beloved. A perfect twelve.

One Flesh

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:09:00 +0000

Today is my husband's birthday. I won't say how old he is, except to say that he's not as old as people think due to his salt and pepper hair.

What I will say is that over the past 12 years, he has become an integral, necessary, part of my life. As the Bible verse below says, Larry is one flesh with me. When we are apart, it hurts. It would be like losing a finger to me. I wouldn't know what to do without him.

Here's a list of the qualities I think of when I think of him:

Larry is a strong man of God. He is constantly seeking the face of Jesus, praising Him, and sitting at His feet.
Larry is my spiritual leader. He is the head of our family as Christ is the head of the church. He leads the kids and I when we need guidance. He tells us when we're out of line, and praises us when we get it right.
Larry is my best friend. When I need to talk to someone about something, he is the one I go to. He has an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on.
Larry is my earthly provider. He runs his business and works to stay in God's will to bring us financial blessings.
Larry is my lover.
Larry is the father of my three beautiful children.
Larry is my biggest fan. He has done everything he could to support me in my poetry and propel it forward with a website and assistance with my book. He compliments every poem I show him and tells me how proud he is of me.

Larry is, to me, an example of a Biblical husband. He's not perfect, because only one man has ever been perfect, but he tries. He has a heart for God, a heart for me, and a heart for our children.

Happy birthday, Larry. Thank you for being my husband and loving me like Jesus.

----------

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." - Genesis 2:24

Wonderland of Ice

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:16:00 +0000

So the last several days have been fairly ... chaotic.

Finances have been extremely tight lately due to some trouble with our biggest client and the inability to get our taxes done. We had a WVIHOP intern move in with us, and expected to have a second one arrive this past Sunday. Having the intern here brought about some contention from my side of the family sadly. A couple that we are good friends with went through a major family crisis, which had the potential to send shock waves through our lives.

And then we woke up to this sight this morning ...

It seems that an ice storm went through last night!

We haven't lost power yet, but even as I type this the lights are flickering. We are expecting to lose it any time with the heavy winds predicted tonight.

We heard a really good message on Friday night at WVIHOP and it applies to everything we've been going through the past couple weeks. We cannot be offended at God. His plans are perfect, no matter how little sense they make to us at the time. Crisis tends to either draw us close or make us run away angry from the Lord. We need to choose to draw close not shake our fist at Heaven. I have been doing my share of fist shaking lately, but now I realize that God wants me to be close in these crises.

God is good, all the time. No matter what.

Broken

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:48:00 +0000

So a lot has happened in the last week ...

Last Tuesday, the 11th, we woke up to a lot of snow on the ground. It's our trash day though and we knew that the trash truck would come even though school was closed. So Larry walked outside to drag the bin to the corner. And fell.

He was in a lot of pain, but he stayed in bed to elevate his ankle and we put ice on it, and by Wednesday he felt pretty good. We had a very important meeting that afternoon and a date that night. Thursday morning he had a previously scheduled appointment with our new doctor. They wanted to do X-rays just be sure nothing was seriously wrong so off he went. And that's where things get really interesting.

The X-ray tech told Larry to take the films directly back to the doctor and walk gingerly. So he did as instructed and found out that he had broken not his ankle, but his leg. There was a crack in his fibula and if he kept walking on it it would eventually break through completely. Surgery was mentioned and he got an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon.

Friday morning ... early ... we went in to see what the verdict was and "luckily" all he needed was a cast. So Larry emerged with a snazzy black cast, ideal for signing with his silver Sharpie, and we headed home for him to elevate his leg.

Fast forward to that night at about 11:30. We'd spent the evening at WVIHOP as usual, with Larry in a leather recliner reserved just for him and his leg until further notice. Everyone was glad to see he was doing well and we enjoyed some great time with the Lord. I was done checking the doors to make sure they were locked before bed and coming back down to our bedroom when I missed the last basement step and ... broke my big toe.

Two breaks, same leg, within four days of each other. We had never broken a bone before, either of us, in 65 combined years of life. Talk about crazy!

We're both doing alright though and I'm getting around better than I probably should be, thanks to prayer and God's grace. The kids have been a great help too. As a friend said, now we know why we had them!

So, just a little advice from us to you. Don't move the trashcan in the snow and watch that last step ... it's a doozy!

God bless!

-----

But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;

- Malachi 4:2

Where did the time go?

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 03:30:00 +0000

Well, I was not intending for it to take this long for me to post again!

I pray that you all had a great Christmas and New Year's. Christmas was vastly different in our house this year. Usually, we would have our parents over at different times during December or go over to their homes to celebrate individually. Both of our sets of parents are divorced so that ended up being four different times of travel or guests and a mountain of stress.

This year though we had everyone who was able, family and friends, come to our house on Christmas Day. I made snacks throughout the day and we visited with everyone as they came and went. We ended our day with an impromptu jam session with several of our friends from WVIHOP and it was fantastic. I cannot remember a better Christmas holiday.

Our New Years Eve was quiet as we watched the last sessions of the onething conference out at IHOP-KC. We were hugely blessed by just a little we were able to watch during the four days, and there are free archives on their website if you are interested.

On the 3rd, we gathered with almost all of our Monday night team from WVIHOP, had some pizza (as well as A LOT of desserts), talked about what we wanted to do in the new year, then had another jam session in our living/school room. As Larry and I start going in-depth with Acts in our Bible study, we're finding that this is very similar to the early church. They gathered, broke bread, sang and prayed together. It almost seems too easy, doesn't it?

In the middle of all this, Larry and I made some plans for my poetry. I won't give away the surprise ... not here at least. You'll have to check out my "professional" blog about the poetry. The sneak peek will go up tomorrow morning, so don't miss it!

My faith has been shaken recently as well. Some things have happened in the past month that have really forced me to look at my relationship with God and the way I'm living my life. So, I am ringing in the new year by shifting some attitudes, shedding some bonds, and working hard at finding out who my Father really is.

Whew! That was a lot! I'm going to try really hard to not wait so long to post. I have so many amazing things to talk about!

God bless and have a great week!

Can we start again please?

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:50:00 +0000

So ... umm ... hi! How are you? Do you ... perhaps ... remember me?

No? Alright, well that's understandable. I've been gone for a while I guess.

Well, I suppose I should catch you up on some things. I'm 32 now. Larry and I still have (only) three children, ages 10, 8, and 6. Amazingly, I still only have four cats too!

This past June we moved from our apartment that was drowning us financially into a house owned by the worship leaders at HealingPointe, our church. In September, we left HealingPointe to become much more heavily involved with WVIHOP (Wabash Valley International House of Prayer).

Larry plays sets on Monday and Friday mornings, he and I lead a worship set on Monday night, and we attend either the Friday night or Sunday morning "church" service. Our kids are getting really involved as well and we're starting to see them blossom into great little followers of God.

Our spiritual growth has expanded greatly over the last 15 months as well. I am tapping into a level of the Holy Spirit that I never knew existed. I have had several prophetic dreams, seen waking visions, and I hear God's voice regularly. My relationship with Jesus has never been closer, and I know that there is a LONG way to go still.

We're still homeschooling all three kids, and slowly but surely finding our way. Around every corner seems to be a tweak or change, but I'm hoping we finally get it right in the new year.

I am still writing my poetry and loving every minute. You can check it out here if you haven't yet. There is also a blog dedicated to that as well. I'd appreciate a look and feedback if you have any!

Music is still a HUGE part of my life, if not even bigger than before. I must admit my tastes have a changed a bit though. I listen to a lot less secular music now, and quite a bit of the music coming out of IHOP-KC artists. Cory Asbury, Laura Hackett, Jon Thurlow, Justin Rizzo, and especially Misty Edwards are some of the big names. I cannot recommend them enough if you want music to help you connect with God. The Global Prayer Room is now free and can be streamed live here if you want to get a taste of the music.

Hmm, I guess that's about it. I have a lot of things to talk about that've happened both recently and over the past few months. Stories about amazing things God has done, stories about the kids, Larry, myself. But that's for later.

Have a great week and God bless!

woman ... This is My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:15:00 +0000

Ever have one of those roller coaster weekends?

Friday was my birthday, which in some ways really sucks. Eight years ago my birthday became a very sad day, and every year since I've dreaded the day. I didn't really want to celebrate on such a wretched day.

This year was going to be different though.

On Wednesday, I got a really amazing early birthday gift from Larry and the kids, setting a great tone for my actual birthday. Friday evening, Larry and I went out for dinner then walked through various bookstores before getting ice cream at Baskin Robbins. I went to bed really pleased with my birthday.

Saturday was not so good. It was supposed to be a fun day with shopping and another birthday dinner with some family. It turned out to be stressful and very disappointing.

Sunday morning deepened the bitter feelings. Larry was sick, Erin was sick, Brianna was just starting to feel better, and the extended family served up more let down. I went into that evening feeling pretty crummy.

But then something happened. We got to church and started practicing the music. (I run the projector that shows the words of the songs.) The music flowed and I started to relax. The service started and our pastor used a video that had us all on the verge of tears or openly weeping.

After the service was over, there was "one more song", a rousing surprise version of Happy Birthday for me. Then all the kids came upstairs and one by one gave me a hug and said Happy Birthday. Then there was food, cake and fellowship downstairs. For me. To celebrate me. A surprise party planned and organized by Larry and our pastor's wife. Just thinking about it starts to get me choked up.

I have an amazing husband, amazing children, an amazing Father and an amazing church family.

For the first time in a long time, a roller coaster that was worth the ride.

pet owner ... This is My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:35:00 +0000

I have four cats. I started with one back in 1999. Then two in 2006. Then three in 2008. Now, four in 2009. It won't get any bigger because I've discovered that changing litter boxes for so many cats is insane.

Anyway, I thought I would introduce you to my four kids with fur.

Ancalagon is my oldest cat. He's ten now and has slowed down considerably since we got him. He does still get rowdy though. He likes to bite quite a bit, and chase the laser pointer when we get it out. He's not much for getting involved in the chasing the other three participate in though.

We've had a couple scares with his health, but he always pulls through, kind of like the cat that refuses to go away. Not that I want him to go away. It will destroy me when he dies, even though I know it will happen someday, probably sooner than later.

I have to mention Luthien, my second cat, who I adopted in 2006. Her name was Holly in the pet store, so obviously I had to have her. She had to be put to sleep last October after liver problems. She was three.

Faith is affectionately known as our washing machine. She will wash anything; humans, cats, fuzzy toys, anything she feels is dirty. We got her in September of last year, and it really helped to soften to blow of losing Luthien. I really think that's why the Lord gave her to us. She was my birthday present.

Faith is Larry's favorite cat, because she's a loner. She leaves everyone alone until it's time for petting, and then she appears. At night she romps around with the other two young cats.

I got Aragorn last December. I'd said I wasn't going to get any more cats, but I went into Pet Smart one day and he was the last of his litter. And his name was Aragorn my favorite character from LOTR. He was almost five months old and so adorable. So he became my Christmas present!

Aragorn is a mama's boy. He lays in the bathroom with me every night while I take a bath and demands to be petted. If he leaves the room and forgets where I am, he cries pathetically until I call for him.

And finally, there's Megatron, AKA Meg. She's the baby, born in April of this year. She was the last the litter that Larry's aunt's stray had surprised her with. We went over to borrow a cooler for our party and there she was, shy and hiding. Once you got a hold of her she was very lovey though and would let you hold her forever. So, Meg became my anniversary gift. She's fit in very well here, and Aragorn is her very best friend. They chase each other all over during the night, making as much noise as they can.

So, those are my fuzzy babies. I'll keep you up to date on them as things happen. Meg's due to get fixed real soon, so that'll be fun. I hate taking them to the vet, and they feel about the same.

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Now playing: Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever
via FoxyTunes

Christian ... This is My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I found out a few days ago that my youngest brother, Randy, has decided to go on the Fall Emmaus Walk the end of the month. That also means I am his sponsor! There are good reasons why I need to be, and not my husband who is working the Walk, but I can't really go into detail here. Suffice to say, Randy will know why come that Sunday evening.

The Emmaus Walk is something I've been wanting to post about since I got back from mine in May, but I've never really known how. The experience defies description. It is like being wrapped in God's arms for three full days. The love of people and the love of God in that place is almost tangible.

I was terrified before I went. I would literally lay in bed at night and silently cry because I could not stand the thought of being away from my husband for three nights. I thought of all the worst things that could happen; if I got sick, if there was an accident at home, if there was a fire at the campground.

I posted about what happened the Monday before I left a while back here. Then Thursday came. Larry dropped me off and everyone sang to us as we walked off to have a late meal. (I found out later that Eric, my pastor, wondered if they'd made a mistake by asking me to go after seeing how miserable I was that evening.)

Friday was an up and down day. I was okay when I was busy doing something, but when I was just sitting at a meal or something, my stomach churned. Eventually, I took some Pepto and that helped, but the really big assistance came from one of the pastors there. We talked for about an hour or so that night and he clarified some things for me. As I walked back to my cabin, I felt like a HUGE weight had been lifted from me. The ladies I shared that cabin with were all joking when we got back and I slept very peacefully.

Saturday was probably the single most amazing spiritual day I have ever had. The profound moments just never stopped for me. I still swell with emotion any time I think about it. All vestiges of fright and worry were completely gone.

Sunday was great as well. The pride in my husband's eyes when I saw him that evening was very special. I had conquered my fears and done what I thought I couldn't. I came home a different person.

I pray that Randy will find the same clarity and joy in those days that I did. I also hope I can do as well for him as my husband did for me as a sponsor. He's very special to me, no matter how many problems we've had recently. It should be a fabulous four days!

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Now playing: De Colores
via FoxyTunes

music fan ... This is My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:12:00 +0000

Tuesday was the best day for a Christian music fan I can imagine. The following things came out on the 25th:

Tobymac's single, 'City on Our Knees'
Skillet's new album, Awake
Casting Crowns new single, 'Until the Whole World Hears'
Mark Schultz's new album, Come Alive
Many other albums I am forgetting right now

The most exciting for me was the Skillet album. I first heard them on Yahoo! Music and then my brother, Randy, further introduced me to the album, Comatose. We shared some of their music while he was living with us, and then Larry and I went to see them in April. It was an incredible, "rock your face off" show where they announced the name of their new album. We pre-ordered it in July, expecting to receive it a couple days before the release date of Tuesday.

But we didn't.

Tuesday came and no album in the mail. I got onto the fan club website and found that several others were in the same predicament. I got mad, because of course my brother who hadn't pre-ordered just downloaded the album Tuesday morning. But then I realized it was just music, cool as it might be.

The album arrived yesterday and is awesome. I have been in love with the first two singles, 'Hero' and 'Monster', since we heard them previewed at the concert. My new favorites are 'Awake and Alive' and 'Believe'.

The Tobymac single had been a source of joy for me since I heard a clip of it just before the redio release on 8/14, and then every time I had heard it on the radio since. I love the change-up of style in this song and the message is a doozy.

'Until the Whole World Hears' was a surprise. I knew the album was planned for a November release, but the single hadn't been announced yet. It is a hit in my book, as Casting Crowns comes out swinging once again. There's no doubt what they're going for in this song.

So, in short, Holli is a very happy music listener right now. I'm hoping this is part of the jump start/rejuvenation I need.

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Now playing: Skillet - Awake And Alive
via FoxyTunes

everything ... This is My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:16:00 +0000

I am going to be starting a series of blog posts called 'This is My Life'. I will take every tag I have and give you a view of my life from that perspective. You'll see my life as a Christian, a mother, a wife, and so on.

I don't know how regular the posts will be, but when I put them up, it will a Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Sorry for the vague timeline, but life has been good at getting in the way lately.

Oh, and the Bejeweled updates have kind of gone by the wayside like my playing of the game. I know. I'm crying too.

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Now playing: Michael Bublé - Feeling Good
via FoxyTunes

everything ... Down the Drain

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:55:00 +0000

Have you ever woken up refreshed and then realized you had way too much to try and do?

Yeah, that's me today. Here's the next four days in a nutshell:

Thursday

probably wake up early when Larry leaves for Indianapolis to attend Gen Con with a friend
teach off and on through the day
drop off the kids at Grandma's around 4:00
grab dinner at McDonald's
do the weekly grocery shopping
get the groceries put away
wait for Larry to get home around 9:00

Friday

undoubtedly wake up early when Larry leaves again for Indy
pick up the kids
go to the library for our weekly visit
take Brianna back to Grandma's
referee the little two for the afternoon
cook dinner
greet Larry around 6:00
go to WVIHOP for Desire More service at 7:30
get home and put the kids to bed

Saturday

get up around 8ish
go to HealingPointe
work at the garage sale from 9 AM-2 PM
come home
shower
(hopefully) rest the remainder of the Sabbath

Sunday

SLEEP IN (I hope)
deliver Larry to his Emmaus meeting at 2 PM
find something to do with the kids until 4 PM
deliver Brianna to puppet practice at 4 PM
create the worship slides for the service
go buy dinner at 5 PM
pick up Larry from his meeting
head back to church for band practice
service at 6:00
talk after church for a while
come home and put the kids to bed

So, please pray that I can find the strength in Him that I need to get through my week. I'm already feeling zapped, and I know it's just Satan telling me I can't do it, but, man he's persuasive.

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Now playing: Kutless - Strong Tower
via FoxyTunes

Christian music fan ... Just in Time

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:27:00 +0000

I mentioned in my music list contained within my catch-up post that I needed to tell the story of 'By Your Side' by Tenth Avenue North. It is such a fantastic example of God speaking directly into my life.

Larry had returned from his Emmaus Walk on Sunday, and mine was looming on Thursday. I was absolutely terrified, consumed with fear, that Monday. I had vehemently fought with Larry that morning, cycling through defensive anger and hysterical tears. I had a very real feeling of being forced to go on the retreat, and I didn't feel a sense that God had weighed in on it yet.

Larry had me take a Myers-Briggs personality test, trying to show how alike we are. That didn't turn out so well, but it listed me as similar to the Apostle Thomas. "Great," I said, "I'm the doubter." We talked some about it though, and Larry made me realize that God gave Thomas exactly what he needed, even when Thomas had never expressly asked for it. God heard what Thomas said, likely in anger, to the other apostles, and provided just that. (See John 20:24-27) What I needed was for God to tell me He wanted me to go.

It was after 1:00 when Larry and I finished talking and I'd not eaten in hours. Larry offered to go to McDonald's for me, but I said I was okay to go. As I pulled out of the garage, WBGL started playing 'Revelation' by Third Day, and I completely agreed.

Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I’ve been tryin’ to find my way,
I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move

I got to McDonald's and ordered, and then as I sat in the drive-through line I vaguely heard some lyrics.

Please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

I got my food, and drove home, those words stuck in my head. I got home, sat down at my computer, and looked up the lyrics, descending into tears as I read.

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

(Chorus 2x)

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go

(Chorus 2x)

It was exactly what I needed to hear. I had never heard 'By Your Side' before. He even used the words Jesus spoke to Thomas that Larry and I had talked about thirty minutes before. God was talking to ME! He wanted me to go, and made it clear in no uncertain terms. I was Thomas no more. The doubt was gone.

So, I went on the Walk, with those lyrics pasted inside my poetry notebook for me to look at whenever I needed to be reminded that my Savior had me in His hands, whenever I fell, whenever I called.

Oh, and the McDonald's food never did get eaten. The best meal I never had.

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Now playing: Tenth Avenue North - By Your Side
via FoxyTunes

homeschool teacher ... Here We Go Again

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:29:00 +0000

The school year has officially begun! All three kids have their school supplies, Larry and I have our first week's curriculum, and the pencils have started moving.

After Day One, I can tell you things are starting off much better than last year, as the strict rules of a tight schedule and purchased curriculum are out the window. I guess you could say we're "unschooling", using teachable moments as they come, but I don't know if I would agree. We just didn't buy a curriculum this year. We're using the Swank Method.

I am much more comfortable this year, as Larry seems to be also. He teaches from 9:00 til noon, including math, Bible, art and music. I teach from 1:00 to 4:00 in English, science, history and geography.

Our first day outlined below:

Larry taught the kids using a math drills program on his iPhone. They listened to a child reading from the New Testament for Bible time and he gave them their verse for the week. Larry also taught the kids proper breathing for singing and we all sang 'Little Light of Mine'.

I started with reading for an hour from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. The kids learned their quote of the week, spoken by Abraham Lincoln. I talked to them about the Civil War for a while and we studied a huge map of the battles I have. We then moved on to spelling words (Brianna and Connor) and learning the letter A (Erin).

There was a slight interruption when we discovered the pencil sharpener was not going to work so I ran out to Wal-Mart to acquire a new one. Overall, there were only a few tears and at dinner everyone said things were good.

Let's pray that every day can go this well.

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Now playing: Whitesnake - Here I Go Again
via FoxyTunes

everything ... Let's Play Ketchup

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Alright, it's time to try and catch you all up on what's been going on lately. So, in lightning round fashion and with lots of pictures:

I went on my Emmaus Walk from April 30th to May 3rd. Yes, this is the retreat I was palpably terrified about. On Thursday, I was begging Larry to just take me back home. On Sunday, I was a changed person. Three days there moved me farther along on my journey with Christ than a lifetime on my own. Amazing just does not do the experience justice.
We got a new kitten. Her name is Megatron. Yeah, I know, Megatron is a guy robot, but in order for me to get the kitten Larry got to name it. So I just call her Meg. Adorable kitten pictures below!

I've started to concentrate on my poetry more seriously. The Poetry of Holli Swank now has it's own blog, it's own Twitter account, and Facebook page. There's even thought of an anthology at the end of year if things go well.
My girls are growing up. Brianna turned 9 on June 10th and Erin turned 5 on May 25th. Where has the time gone? I still remember laboring for hours with Brianna, scared to pieces about whether I could be a mommy or not.

I've been married for ten years now. On July 17th, we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. Ten years. For the longest time, I had no idea why we were together or how we had stayed together as long as we had. Now, I have no doubt we belong together, and I know that we are together because God put us together and had no intention of letting us mess that up.

Our wedding day

Now

We went to a Casting Crowns concert on July 3rd. It was an outdoor event in Indy, which I now know that I don't like. I prefer to be in a seat, with no bugs, closer to the act I'm there to see. John Waller was there, though, and he provided us with one of our new absolute favorite songs, Our God Reigns Here. And I got an awesome T-shirt. That Larry almost ruined with Papa John's Garlic Butter.

Larry went to the hospital on June 24th with heart palpatations. It's the first time he's been to the hospital for them since I was in the hospital after having giving birth to Connor. Everything turned out alright though, as you can see by the pictures he made me take with his iPhone.

I found new music. A lot of it. Let's make a list!

*Crash (album) by Decyfer Down
*Comatose Comes Alive (album) by Skillet
*By Your Side (song) by Tenth Avenue North - this needs its own post to tell the story of how and when I found it
*Found Faithful (album) by Justin Rizzo
*People Get Ready (song) by Misty Edwards
*Scream (song) by Chris Cornell
*Part of Me (video version) by Chris Cornell
*Our God Reigns Here (song) by John Waller
*Awake (album pre-order) by Skillet - loving the singles 'Hero' and 'Monster' from this
*Holy (song) by Cory Asbury and Matt Gilman
*Where I Belong (song) by Cory Asbury and Matt Gilman
*Stir Up the Flame (song) by Misty Edwards

HealingPointe moved to a new building. Again. But we own this one, so this should be the last time for quite a while. Which is good.

Okay, I think that's it for now. That was a lot of typing and picture posting. Have a great weekend and upcoming week, friends!
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Bejeweled 2:

Level 135
14,124,750 points

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Now playing: Misty Edwards - People Get Ready
via FoxyTunes

writer ... Son

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:27:00 +0000

My poem for our seven year old son

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Son

Boundless energy pours forth
To the point of overflowing
Always ready to tackle a challenge
Or at the least his daddy

Carefree and running with abandon
He has the scars to prove it
Ever faithful to his friends
And sometimes to his sisters

A boy in every sense
Playing as much as he can
His laughter echoing throughout
And bringing a smile to everyone

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Bejeweled 2:

Level 134
13, 984, 400

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Now playing: Mary Wells - My Guy
via FoxyTunes

writer ... Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:14:00 +0000

After I wrote Joy of a Child for Erin, my other two kids were kind of jealous, so I've written each of them a poem, which I will post today and tomorrow. The first is for our nine year old daughter.

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Fish

Tresses of blondish brown
Eyes of brilliant blue
Quiet and introspective
Often found with book in hand

Lover of art and nature
Protective of privacy and space
Responsible yet playful
Still learning her way in the world

Firstborn with a stubborn will
Yet loving and helpful as well
A child of great talents
She brings blessings to us all

----------------
Bejeweled 2:

Level 134
13, 984, 400 points

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Now playing: The Lettermen - Little Girl
via FoxyTunes

video gamer ... Bejeweled Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:04:00 +0000

I have decided that in addition to the song at the bottom of every post, I will be giving you an update as to my status in my Endless game of Bejeweled 2. I'm sure you're all very thrilled.

So without further ado ...

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Bejeweled 2:

Level 132
13,614,550 points
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Now playing: The Who - Pinball Wizard
via FoxyTunes

Christian writer ... Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I won't be posting about my poems here anymore.

Now, now, don't cry. I'm still writing them.

Yes, you can still find out about them, just not here.

Where? At their new blog.

See, that's not so bad!

I know, I know, change is hard, but it's for the best. They need their own place.

Okay, let's go get some ice cream.

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Now playing: Evita - Don't Cry For Me Argentina
via FoxyTunes

Christian writer ... Seven for Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:37:00 +0000

I have uploaded seven new poems to the website as promised. They are as follows:

Reach Out! - A poem about what we need to be doing as Christians
Terrified - This one of my favorite poems so far. It was a true 'cry of the heart'.
Forsaken - A poem written in anger and sadness
Emergence - A poem about seeing God
Anticipation - A poem about being excited for something
Prayer: Creation - A prayer written in the midst of nature
Matthew Twenty-Five - The longest poem I have written so far

As always, I pray that you find something to take away from my writing, for that is the point: to glorify God through my work.

Now, let's see if I can't write something new today too!

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Now playing: Brandon Heath - Wait And See
via FoxyTunes

Christian writer ... Alert, Alert, Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:16:00 +0000

The title is something Erin will run around saying when she has something to tell us, a tattle most of the time. What I have to tell you is not a tattle, but it is an alert.

God willing, there will be a major update to the Christian Poetry of Holli Swank website, AKA www.holliswank.com, tomorrow. I am planning on spending much of my Sabbath adding what I have already written to the site and then dive into writing more poetry.

I'm going to try to get some sleep now so that I can actually do what I just said I am going to do. Sleepy writing is not good writing. Trust me.

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Now playing: Loreena McKennitt - Mummer's Dance
via FoxyTunes

woman ... Random Fact

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:25:00 +0000

I have been playing the same game of Bejeweled on my PDA in Endless mode since March 2006. I am currently on level 131 and have 13, 320, 750 points. It used to be a time killer while waiting in the line to pick up Erin from preschool. Now I play at night before I go to sleep.

I'm unsure if I want to start over when I get an iPhone or just keep the PDA game going until the device dies or Endless actually ends. Three years is a long time.

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Now playing: Justin Rizzo - Vocal Selah
via FoxyTunes

everything ... It Lives!

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:53:00 +0000

Wow, has it been that long since I talked to you? I guess it has. Life has been ... hectic, to say the least. Since the last time we talked:

I went on my Emmaus Walk
Erin has turned 5
Brianna has turned 9
I've written a few poems
We've gotten a new baby kitten
The church has moved into a new building
I've discovered tons of new music, most Christian, but not all
It has gotten very very hot here

So hopefully (crosses fingers) I can catch you up on all of that, post the poems, and get back to a regular habit of blogging. Here's hoping.

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Now playing: Chris Cornell - Part of Me
via FoxyTunes

Countdown Clock

noreply@blogger.com (Holli Swank) — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:00:00 +0000

Make your own Countdown Clocks