Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Swains!!! We have been beyond blessed this year. As we take time to reflect on the incredible ways God has shown us His love and grace, we just want to share some of the highlights from this past year!

We have been reminded of how gracious Jesus has been to us this year.  God has used the highs and lows in our family for His glory to share the Gospel, and in the midst of it all, He has continued to be so kind and loving to us.  We know that He intends all for our good.  We have rested in the midst of many unknowns that He is our Source. 

We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary this month, and we continue to be reminded daily of the precious gift He gave us in one another. God continues to use marriage in this beautiful refining way to show us that our deepest need is for Christ.  We are cherishing the days He has given us together!

Ben has been enjoying his job as a Senior Engineer II in the water engineering planning bureau in the Department of Water for the City of Dayton.  He has been leading the implementation of asset management for the Department, and has taken a lead role in preparing a proposal to take over the water and sanitary systems for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.  He is learning a lot of new things, and working with a lot of great people.  His job has continued to be an incredible blessing to our family.

I enjoy staying home with our boys. I have loved seeing little windows of learning unlock in their minds, and how quickly they are growing has reminded me daily to cherish these little years that will truly be gone so fast! One of my favorite ways to spend our time is with other mothers and their little ones at play dates. I have an incredible group of friends who share life with me, and their children have become Bryson and Lincoln's best friends! I am really looking forward to gathering with several of these moms this coming year for Bible study together. Close friends who want to study the Bible and discuss real life??? My heartbeat!

Bryson turned three years old this summer, and he began preschool this year which he loves so much! He is thriving there. He also played on his first indoor soccer team, fell in love with the log ride at Kings Island, and enjoys anything that calls for creativity and innovation. We think he may be our little engineer! Puzzles and crafts are some of his favorite things to do, but of course, trains, planes, and trucks are always a hit! It is an understatement to say that he has brought incredible joy into our lives!

Lincoln turned one year old this summer, and he is our little bubba brute! He is everywhere, into everything, and fears nothing! He keeps us on our toes, and we truly adore his laughter, expressions, and adventurous spirit so much! He has really taken off with talking too, we love his little baby chatter! He has really enjoyed 1:1 time with Mommy while Bryson is in preschool, but he loves playtime with his brother too! He runs to the door when Daddy comes home with arms wide open! He has developed a love for books, balls, and anything "techie" like remote controls, cell phones, and anything else that is off limits for a baby. Did we mention he keeps us on our toes??? ;)

Probably the biggest change in our lives this year has been our receiving of God's call to adopt a little girl from China. We have completed our home study and all of our paperwork, and we are now waiting for the file of a special little sweetpea who we will be matched with! We will definitely keep you posted as we progress through this process. Our blog is a good way to stay updated! We have been so blessed to have received the support and love from so many family and friends through our adoption journey.  Below is a song that Ben downloaded for me this year for Christmas.  There were many tears in listening to it, for it is like the fingerprint of our hearts for our daughter in China this Christmas.  (Here is the link for mobile devices: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy8RW6aHXWQ )

One incredible experience we had a few months ago was hosting the first annual "Orphan Love Run" at our church to advocate for orphans worldwide, as well as to help raise funds to bring our daughter home. It was a 5K benefit, and we truly were blown away by the family and friends who came out to support us in these efforts! God truly does take care of the orphan, and this was a sweet reminder of that truth! We still have a financial need for the travel to pick up our daughter, as well as a small portion of the donation given to her orphanage to help care for the orphans remaining there. If anyone else would like to give towards our adoption need, a tax deductible donation can be made at: https://www.adopttogether.org/sacredscribbles. We appreciate all of you so much, and prayer for us and our daughter is the greatest gift of all!

Please keep us updated on your lives too! We hope you all enjoy this Christmas, and may it stir our hearts with wonder and beholding of Jesus Christ who came to seek and save the lost!  Much love to all of you from the Swains!

"And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

Beautiful Tapestry

Early on during my first pregnancy, God flung my heart into Psalm 139 with a vengeance. He wanted my soul anchored to the truth that my children were formed and knitted together in my womb by a Creator Who doesn't make mistakes. Not one part of who this life within me was to become was outside of the sovereign hand of He Who fashioned him. Every one of his days were counted before one came to be. These truths have been etched upon my heart through the last four years of pregnancies, parenting, and our adoption journey today. He has continued to be so sweet to remind me why Psalm 139 is my anchor especially through the life of our oldest son, Bryson. 

Psalm 139:1-18: "O Lord, you have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.  You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.  Where shall I go from your Spirit?   Or where shall I flee from your presence?   If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.  For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.   My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.   Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!   How vast is the sum of them!  If I would count them, they are more than the sand.   I awake, and I am still with you."

I have been avoiding writing on our blog for a few months. Not out of shame or wanting to hide, but more because of how sharing some of the deepest struggles in one's life can fillet the heart wide open. But through the power of Christ, we are choosing to share our family's full story. We will not hide the beautiful tapestry He is creating even in the midst of various trials. But just know that this moment has been one truly prayed over and courageously embraced by the grace of God.


His cup for us is different than what we would have imagined it would be. We knew early on that Bryson had some challenges with his speech, and we pursued speech therapy which eventually led to an awareness that he was also facing some sensory processing needs as well. For about 6 months, we were in weekly speech and occupational therapy appointments to help work with Bryson on some of the struggles he was facing. Over that period of time, he was continuing to show need for further help and was not making the progress his therapists were hoping to see. So after much prayer and wise counsel, we decided to see a Developmental Pediatrician at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

It was through hours of assessments, interviews, history review, and evaluations this September that Bryson was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is one of those moments as a parent that you can't sugarcoat. These are the moments when life is hard and we are either going to see reality through the lens of the Gospel, or we are going to see it through the lens of despair. By God's grace, Psalm 139 was already our anchor. "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." These beautiful truths within flooded my heart as I heard this word that threatened to be bigger. But it isn't. And it never will be. Because Autism does not define our son. God does. His love and fine intended handiwork in creating every little neuron from the top of his head to the tip of his toes was done exactly as God intended. No mistakes. "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." 

Bryson's needs in these areas can be very subtle. He has challenges, but to those who don't know us well, these may not even be very apparent. The team who worked with us at Nationwide Children's as well as his team of teachers and therapists at his preschool seem to think that he may even one day not have some of these challenges. That he could learn tools to handle sensory input differently over time. We look forward to walking with him through this, teaching him slowly, taking one step at a time. However, as we pursue therapies and interventions to best meet his needs, we want him to be who he is. We adore him in all of his ways, his quirks, what makes him tick. He is our delight.

Bryson is exquisite.   He is joy.  He has taught us so much about unconditional love.  He loves to explore.  He is innovative and so creative.  His excitement and zeal for life cannot be contained. His heart for others is endless.  He can charm the socks off just about anybody.   There is much to be unlocked in that little mind and spirit.  He is our little "us".  Autism does not define him.  Nor is he defined by what he cannot do and may never do.  Autism may explain some of the struggles he faces with processing speech and sensory input, but it surely does not define him.   It is merely one part of who he is, a beautiful tapestry of unique and incredible qualities that make him Bryson. "My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth."


Do we have hard days? Yes. Are there times when I am moment-by-moment clinging to God's Word to

remind me of what He promised in Psalm 139? Yes. Are there days when I am angry at God and ask Him why? Yes. Are there times when I just wish that God's cup for us was easier? Yes. But are there also days that I embrace this cup, and truly would not change one thing even if I could? Yes. These are the range of emotions and thoughts a mother experiences when discovering that her precious child is facing some of the hurdles that our son is destined to experience. "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

We are reminded through this season with Bryson that we live in a fallen and broken world. Things are not as they should be. But God came to redeem us out of that brokenness. Jesus came to ultimately restore and to make all things new. This we pray He will do not only in the heart of our sons, but also in the life of our daughter. For she is now an orphan, but this too does not define her. She is defined by God, her Maker and Sustainer. And she too will have some hurdles and challenges as a child with special needs who spent her first year or so of life in an orphanage. She will also face the struggles with identity, belonging, and grieving the loss of her birth parents. She will have many hurdles. And I know there are some of you who may be concerned for us. Could this be too much for us? Do we have what it takes to meet the needs of our children? This is the good news. God has created the tapestry of our family by His love. Do we have what it takes? No. But He does. We rest in His plan and what He has called our family to be. Our daughter is not a broken child being brought into a perfect unbroken family. No. She is coming home to a place where the people within will share in her brokenness. We will journey with her, all of us imperfect and all of us reminded through different challenges our need for a Redeemer to make things right. We are a beautiful tapestry fashioned in His design. We wouldn't want it any other way.

There is a song by Daniel Doss Band called "Stained Glass Windows" that I am going to share below.  This song is such a beautiful picture of the work that God is doing in our family to take our many shapes, colors, needs, and gifts to make a tapestry displaying His love. One of my favorite lines in this song is, "When the light shines through, the colors form a tapestry. 100 different images of how You keep loving me." Jesus, thank you for loving us so much to give us this cup. Thank you for entrusting these beautiful, precious children into our care. Thank you for refining us in the ways you see fit. Thank You for how you display Your glory through the broken, through your beloved. We are Your's. Amen.

(For mobile devices, you can go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piWcIRtsnhU )