Christmas is over.....

Ok, Christmas is over. I keep insisting that each year I'm going to simplify and really get back to what Christmas is all about. Yes, this year I overextended myself. Volunteering to be part of our Happy Birthday Jesus service at church while I knew I was also singing on the worship team the other services. I baked 9 different kinds of cookies. We had dinners to go to, presents to wrap, the house to clean/keep clean, so on and so on. It actually got a little frustrating. By Christmas Eve after our services I went looking for the ornaments I bought for the kids to put on the tree. A tradition we have every Christmas Eve. I couldn't find them. I tore my closet & some of my bedroom apart looking for them. My husband steered as clear as he could. He even got the kids to bed. I realized long after I was so caught up in my own anger & frustration that I didn't even get to say good night to them. I know. It was just one night but I let my anger just take over. It's hard to reel it back in some times. God spoke to me loud & clear. It's not about me. It's not about some ornaments to give to the kids. I got it loud & clear. I can say that Christmas morning was just a blessing. I wished it would last forever. The kids were just wonderful. Everyone was getting along & having fun. Laughing & enjoying each other. It was one of those moments that Moms store away in their hearts & minds for later. My God sent his Son to earth to be a man, to go to the cross & die for ME. He was a little baby who was helpless just like I was. He understands what I go through every day. He went through so much yucky stuff too. He died for me so that I can live. That is what I want to celebrate. Not just on December 24th & 25th. I want to celebrate that every day of the year for the rest of my life here. My husband and I made a decision a long time ago to keep Christ in Christmas by not confusing things with a man in a red suit. Honestly? That is something I won't regret. The focus is more on Jesus then ever now. I hope it is for you too.

Merry Christmas! May the joy of this season always be in your heart.

Be Blessed!!

Merry Christmas!

As we prepare for this Christmas I really find myself thinking about the meaning of it. Really. What would Jesus want us to be doing? I wonder some times if God is looking down at the craziness we put ourselves through and just shaking his head. Here we are needing to get everyone the gifts they want or what we want to get them. The way our houses have to be decorated & lit up. Dinners perfect or else moods are well, not very nice. Really? The only gift that needs to be given was given 2000+ years ago. The only decoration we need? Maybe a nativity (which honestly could be kept up all year long). The meal? Honestly does that matter? We are blessed beyond belief by what God has given us. Our families & friends (that are just like family), a place to lay our heads at night and food to nourish our bodies. What else do we really need? The most important is given to us & for us. Our Savior, Jesus. As I have been praying for God to show me how I'm supposed to be celebrating Christmas I love the answers He is giving me. I feel that excitment & giddiness that I remember as a little child. There is nothing to replace that! I hope you can find that excitement this Christmas too.

I pray you are BLESSED beyond anything you can imagine this Christmas.

Tis the Season....

Well, are you all preparing for Christmas? This is just really the most wonderful time of year. I love the cool air (not freezing, just cool) and decorating our Christmas tree. We call it Goliath. it's pretty big. It usually takes us all weekend to decorate the whole thing. It's just a wonderful time for family & remembering the great gift our God gave us sending his son here as a tiny, little baby. To live so He could die, for us!! I'm always in awe of this.

Now, how to get past the busy-ness of this season. Having 3 children and having a family that has always had the tradition of buying gifts for everyone in the family -- it makes for a pretty busy, wallet draining season as well. I love to bake cookies & send out all my Christmas cards too. I find myself many times during this season wishing I could just find that quiet time to really enjoy what this is all about. Ever feel that way? Have you figured out a way that makes it work for your family? Oh to get back to the basics of what this is really about. We don't do Santa here with the kids anymore. We decided after our 1st born felt that we had lied to him when he found out the truth that it just wasn't worth it all. We explain everything to our children making sure they know the true reason for this season -- JESUS!!

What are you traditions? Are you able to find that quiet moment for yourself to really enjoy this season?

Be Blessed! Remember - this time of year doesn't have to wreak havok on your health. If you must indulge in the sweet goodies, do so with caution & moderation. Be healthy!!

Balance

Yes, balance. Do you know what that is? I can't seem to get it really. When I think of balance I think of life just seeming to roll along just right. Getting the school work done AND the house work done AND being in a good mood, etc. I think you get my drift huh? When I have had a particular busy week all I want to do is stay home and get something accomplished so I feel better about things. Then something just rolls right in and messes up all my great plans. Kind of like bowling. My pins (in my head) are all set up nice and perfect. Even lines, symmetrical. Just like I like it. Then I feel like God sees that and rolls his big bowling ball down and crash. STRIKE!! Yep. I do love Him though. He knows what is best for me.

I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Please to bring you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

But WAIT!! After verse 11 there is more (just like God huh?)!!

"Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.

Yeah, that captivity? Yup, you guessed it. My perfect world. I'm being held captive by it. Keeping my head in the sand certainly isn't going to help me grow in Him is it? Stepping out of my comfort zone isn't going to help me to witness His Good News to others is it? Nope. Not really. Hard to remember sometimes -- all the time mostly. He nudges me and when I don't listen (lalalala I can't here you!!) He rolls that bowling pin down and gets a STRIKE!!

I'm so glad that He is there to prosper me and not harm me. I'm so glad he KNOWS what my future holds. Right now I don't know what it holds here on earth but I know I will be with Him in eternity. THAT I can look forward to.

BE BLESSED and during this holiday season don't forget to eat healthy. Don't give in to all that fatty, sugary stuff. It really isn't a treat!!

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1/2 a World Away..........

This week has been a little rough. My DH had to go to Japan for work. Ok, that is really cool huh? He is spending a whole week there. They went sightseeing and they are really getting treated to the culture there. He says that they are very Americanized and on the menus in the restaurants they have American food as well as traditional Japanese food.

In case you didn't know, Japan is 13 hours ahead of us. So, while his flight out was 17 hours, his flight back will only be 3 hours :-) On paper that is. So, when we are waking up he is just going to bed. When he is going to bed? We are waking up. I have been like a little kid trying to get to the computer early enough to catch him on instant messaging or Skype. Really, a little kid!! I even put off my workouts to chat with him. For those of you who know me, that means alot!! I'm not used to him being so far away. When he travels it's usually just in the states. For some reason that isn't as stressful for me.

He has been incommunicado the past 2 days because they went on to Marioka, Japan. I guess there is no interet or anything for him to use. It will be nice to talk with him when he wakes up tonight.

I'm hoping this cold I have will go away when he gets back. My oldest & I got sick while he was gone and I would hate for him to get back here and then get sick. Now, that wouldn't be a very nice homecoming would it??

BE BLESSED & HEALTHY!!

Running

I ran another 5K last Saturday. Didn't do all that great. I'm used to getting under a 10 minute/mile time. I ran 3.2 miles in 32 minutes. Ok, I realize that is faster that some but for me it just wasn't right. Let me back track a bit. I had the worst stomach bug the week before. I felt great Thursday & Friday then Saturday morning woke up feeling VERY ill. I don't get nervous before running so was pretty sure it was the bug creeping back. The problem? My whole family was coming to cheer me on! I couldn't (wouldn't) back out. I got there and ran. I DOGGED it the whole way and when I was done I was pale & shakey & well just didn't feel well at all. I did it though! After my run the kids run took place. Well, Miss E loves to run in the kids runs!! She took off and ran like there was no tomorrow!! I was trying to keep up for the first 1/2 of the race. It was tough! She started slowing down and I ran alongside & just cheered her on. This is the picture M got of her when she started out. I just couldn't get over how incredible she was and I just cried. I am so proud of her. She told me 2 things when she was done. 1 -- Mommy, can we do it again? 2 -- I just wanted to beat that boy that was running beside me!!

Ok, so can you relate??? So many things we do in our lives and we want do do them again right? Maybe because they were so much fun and we want to do them again? OR maybe because we didn't do them well enough and just want a "do-over". Galatians 5:7 says "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?" (BTW - this is a great chapter to read the whole thing!!) I can tell you what cut in on me Saturday morning while I was running! It was my pride for one. I wanted my family to be so proud of me and watch me finish strong. Ok, DUH moment. My family was and IS proud of me! My husband said he was impressed I was able to do that well considering how sick I had been and obviously still was. My son just told me tonight that he saw me finish and realized I looked incredibly exhausted. Ok, my pride got in the way. Think I need to pray about that huh?

Hebrews 12:1 -- Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

THIS I can do! With God all things are possible!! (Matthew 19:26 parts) I realize that when I want a do-over HE will give it to me! I get a 2nd, 3rd, 50th chance with my God to get it right. He is so good to me.

Will you join me and do your absolute best to "throw off everything that hinders" so we can run this race with "perserverance". You will know the way. He has it perfectly marked out for you!!

I watched my little girl run her race with GUSTO! I think I'll follow that lead.

BE BLESSED & HEALTHY!!

My Growing Boy

Ok, boy may not be the right word. Young man would be more appropriate. Every day my oldest amazes me with his maturity & strength. He is open to learn more about himself & others. Makes me realize he is teaching me constantly. Maybe I'm the one being homeschooled! Well, he just had his birthday and now he has his permit. Yes, I was very hesitant. More because I didn't want this next milestone to happen so quickly. Just when I am getting used to something changing, something else changes too. It's hard for me some times. I know the idea is to quide them in the path that God has carved out for them and then let them go out on their own. I knew that 15 years ago. Doesn't make it easier though. My "Mommy-heart" has I have always called it is just growing & growing for each of my children. Something I'm proud of about myself today? I didn't cry at the DMV when he got his permit. We couldn't have gotten a SWEETER DMV lady!! She was just amazing. Took a picture with AW too handing him his permit. I promised I wouldn't put that on Facebook but I will respect that and not put that here either. He was nice enough to let me take a picture of him outside the DMV too. I know, goofy. I can't help it. I'll do the same thing with MS & EG when they are ready for their permits & license. Oh boy. Can't think of that right now!!

Well, God has truly had his hands full lately with all my prayers! My sister-in-law just found out her Dad has cancer. Could you please pray for him and his family? His name is George & he is a very loving & happy Dad & Grandpa.

God is so good. Don't you think??

I pray your day is BLESSED! Mine has been.

Be Blessed & Healthy!

I did decide to post the picture here of Andrew driving away from the DMV. I think maybe that one is ok.

The Swatsky side of the family

Well here we all are. The Swatsky side of the family. This was taken before Grandma's funeral. We were so glad we could be with each other during this time. Some of us hadn't seen each other for over 20 years!

Well, 15 years ago today Andy and I were holding a beautiful little boy in our arms. Our first child. Today he isn't little at all. He is taller than both of us! He is a strong young man and I am marveling at what God is doing with his life. Yes, he is a teenager and keeping Andy and I on our toes but I love him, trust him and just am so proud of him. He is so talented with music, baseball and pretty much everything he does. He plays guitar for our Praise Team AFTER teaching himself! His baseball abilities are just amazing. He is testing off the charts in school too. Thank you God for the gift of this unbelievable young man. Please make me the mother he needs. Help me to love unconditionally all my family & friends. You are good to me!! In your Son's name I pray - Amen.


Update on our trip. We went to PA for Grandma's funeral. While it was sad for us that she is gone I had such joy for the fact she is with Jesus now. I was able to actually sing "Sweet Jesus" during the funeral. It amazed me to see the people who don't have the hope in Jesus that I have. There is a distinct difference in the way they mourn. I will continue to pray for them. I pray that God would use me in any way He can to help these people know His love and faithfulness!!!

BE BLESSED & HEALTHY!!

Prayer for my family? I'll pray for yours!!

Does your family need prayer? Mine does. Even on the good days we do! I love to watch what God does in my life always. I meet with 2 wonderful ladies once a week and we just pray for each other. They lift me up all the time and I can feel it. We are all at different places in our lives with our children and they are just so wonderful.

Well, today my Grandmother died. She has been slowly declining and this was expected. Really though. Even though you KNOW someone is close to death, it still hurts. She was a wonderful woman. I'm not just saying that either. She & Grandpa gave us a place to live when I was younger when we couldn't afford anything else. She was always giving us things that she would pick up at a yard sale because she thought of us. Now, being a teenager we wouldn't appreciate it as much but now looking back? She did it because she loved me and was thinking of me! That means so much. Her love was unconditional for sure. No question in my head. She never judged me. Just loved me. That's all. Now she is dancing with Jesus in heaven & seeing her sweet husband, my Grandpa. Please pray for my family as we mourn the loss of this sweet woman & also as we all figure out our travel plans.

My husband's niece has a beautiful little girl. Her name is Lilybelle. She is not even 2 months old and had heart surgery 2 days ago. Today she took a turn for the worse and was put back on all support & given a blood transfusion & a spinal tap. They are checking for viral meningitis. Please pray for her and her Mommy & Daddy. They need all the prayers they can get right now.

My Aunt Diane was diagnosed with cancer. We are pretty sure it's Stage 4. Problem is Aunt Diane won't talk with anyone right now so we don't know what the dr said for sure. The tumors started on her ovary and just spread all throughout her abdomen. WE call her Aunt. She has been Mom & Dad's friend since middle school. I'm probably closer to her than any of my other Aunts!! Please pray for her and Uncle Nick as they have decisions to make. I don't know here her walk with Jesus is right now. They just need prayer.

Well, that's it for now. I know, that seems like enough huh? If you need prayer, please comment on this post. I will pray for you. I promise. We need to be there for each other. God is there for us every second of every day.

Be Blessed & Healthy!!

Happy Fathers Day

I have been a mom for 15 years now and well, that means my husband has been a Dad for 15 years! Isn't that fun the way that works (haha). Anyway, he is just the best Dad there is. He was brought up in a home that loved & feared the Lord and is showing how children how to do the same.

I watch him and the way he cares so much for each of our children. Even the smallest things like flying our daughter around at night-time to find baby. Doesn't matter that she is getting bigger and harder to fly around but he does it anyway. As I type this he is at a baseball camp with our oldest. He is sitting and watching practices, conditioning sessions and some times just doing nothing. He is doing all this because he loves & cares so much for A that doing this is just what he does. He does his best to find the common ground with all our children. Our middle has shown so much interest in so many areas. Baseball, fishing, working on cars, art, music. It may be a little harder to connect with him but Andy does his best to do that. He is at recitals & helps coach baseball games. The 100 deg weather doesn't deter him. He just keeps on keeping on because that is what he does.

He leaves and goes to work every day for us so we can stay home and homeschool. He helps at the church and is just always there for others. This is showing our children the same. I am seeing this mirrored in our children every day.

Andy, you are a wonderful, awesome, loving, caring, selfless Dad. I wish you were here to celebrate your day but know that you are loved & being prayed for. Thank you for being you.

Love Pamela & your beautiful children A, M & Miss E

Do you ever feel this way? Like your world is getting a little upside down & twisted up? Some times that is how I feel. Maybe even a little right now. My family & I have been sick this past week. Head cold mostly. It turned into pneumonia for my oldest. He isn't happy about that. No baseball. So far my middle child hasn't been touched by it. My 4 yr old has been a little miserable but taking it very well. Hubby has sinus problems so this is just exasperating the original problem. Through all this there are so many things to be thankful for really. The ability to go to the store & get medicine. We are all healthy enough that our bodies are fighting this very well. We have a comfortable house to get well in where are beds are comfy and our pillows are very soft :-)

We are also awaiting a phone call saying that Great Grandma (my grandmother) has gone to meet Jesus. She is ready & waiting. She has had a full life & is a wonderful woman. I'm sad for us but happy for her. She has been sick for a little while now and misses my Grandpa terribly. She is the last of her generation in my family. She will be missed for sure.

I just got a call about a special couple that our family has been friends with for a long time (close enough we call them Aunt & Uncle) and they are both battling their own forms of cancer. Gosh, they seem so young to me too! Only in their 60's. They are so full of life.

These things some times cause me to cry out to God and ask WHY?? It makes me remember though that this is not the place for us. Heaven is MY home!! These bodies aren't meant for eternity. Thankfully!! I feel like the more healthy I get the more I fall apart!

My God is so strong & loves me so much. As he does my Grandma & Aunt & Uncle. He knows what we are going through and is there walking along side each of us. He will guide Grandma into Glory and walk with her hand in hand. She will see Grandpa again and will glow like she used to EVEN MORE!!

As I end my post I just want to say this one more thing. Hug your family & friends. Let them know how much you love & care for them. Send them a note (snail mail preferrably) and tell them how special they are. This is such a short time here on earth. Let's make the most of it and share the love that God shares with us unconditionally.

BE BLESSED & HEALTHY

Just some stuff

Co-op is over. Mixed feeling about that. I will miss the kids & the mom time I got. I will miss the moms & kids that won't be back next year for sure! I made some great friends there and so did my kids. The dinner at the end was really great to have Andy there to see the work & the people that are all part of it. There is a bit of relief that it's over for now so we can work on our things for the summer that have to be done "without a deadline" -- to quote my teen.

Ever struggle with emotions that run all over the place? Well, I do. I'm sure (positive, in fact) that it drives my family nuts. My prayer has been lately that God would help me to be the mom and wife that He & my family need me to be. I see glimpses of that and it makes me happy. I have been trying to remember when I do see those glimpses to thank God for those moments. He really is SO good.

The emotional mess has created a monster when it comes to eating! Now, don't get me wrong, it's all healthy food but really now. Too much healthy food will even cause the weight to creep up. Even with all the exercising I do!! Yep, put on a pair of my jeans yesterday and wasn't happy at all with the way they fit! This morning started a new day of better choices with my servings, atleast!!

Well, I could ramble on forever.

BE BLESSED & HEALTHY!!

Book Club

Do you belong to a book club? Maybe you were like me at first and thought it would be really strange to sit around with some women that you may not know at first talking about a book. And what about if you didn't LIKE the book you read? Oh boy, then you would have to say that (if you were being completely honest, of course) and possibly hurt the person's feelings that picked the book out. Can you tell I'm a people pleaser? Yep, I am. Well, I joined a book club a while back. They were reading the "Yada Yada Prayer Group" series by Neta Jackson. Well, can I tell you I was really hooked on this series from the very first chapter of the first book. When we got to the last book it was like I was losing a connection with a family I had come to know very well. Well, then I got to see what a book club is really all about. We went to a system that we pick fiction & non-fiction every other month. That was intimidating. Non-fiction to me can be very boring unless it's something I really care about and of course the author has to be very captivating. I am very happy to say that since we have done this my mind is broadened for it. There WERE some that I just coulnd't keep my attention on. That was ok though! I wasn't banned from the group! They still love me and pray for me!! These ladies have become a very close group of friends for me. They pray for me every month and I can talk with them about just about everything! Usually when I have a problem someone in the group is able to help guide me through some thought processes about it.

So, where am I going with this? Here it is -- if you have had the thought about joining a book club -- do it! If you have had God's leading to get a group of women together and fellowship, possibly over reading a book & maybe a cup of coffee (my other favorite thing about book club) -- do it!!! My good friend started a book club that doesn't necessarily focus on Christian books so they could have an outreach to women in the neighborhood. It has really been a blessing to all who attend.

Well, this is me rambling. I love having this outlet to write my thoughts. Hope you are enjoying it -- whoever is out there reading.

BE BLESSED & HEALTHY (get out and go for a walk today! What better way to worship our God!)

BTW - This past months selection was Patsy Clairmont's "I Love Being a Woman".

Trip to the Zoo

I love the zoo through my children's eyes. This time I got to see it through my nephew's eyes also. He was so intrigued with the elephant. Sat there taking it all in for a bit. When he was done though, he was done. On to something else. The alligator was another one. The kids just were in awe at the size of him (her?). Yet another thing to be thankful for. The children in my life. Even though some are bigger than me :-), they are still such a blessing & continue teaching me new things every day.

Be blessed!!

Spring BREAK!!!

Ah, today was our co-op day (every Friday). We now get next week off for Easter. I'm looking forward to the time off. Of course being a homeschooler it's not really time off. There are research papers to be corrected for "Rough Draft #2, biology science projects to be put together, etc, etc. I wouldn't trade homeschooling for anything. I have to say though, some days I would just love to have those early years back and know what I know now. I feel like I took in alot of my children being younger, honestly, but maybe not enough.

So, now I will enjoy this beautiful Florida weather. I'm planning to work in my garden with my daughter, can some strawberry jam & celebrate my nephew/Godson's 2nd birthday. Nothing like it.

Be Blessed!!

Still Clueless!

I have to laugh. I am totally clueless with this blogging thing! It doesn't matter how much time I spend trying to figure it all out. Still clueless! Good thing it's not a prerequisite for heaven huh?

I have found recently that God has put so much in my head and on my heart and I all the time seem to push it aside. Why is that? Is my idea better than His? Well, we all know the answer to that I hope! Why is it that I find so many other things to keep me busy and NOT answer to His call. Recently I did this and realized how much I totally regret not heeding his guidance. As my blog name states, I am IMPERFECT. I'm so thankful I have a Savior that will always love me for who I am. I pray that YOU know you have a Savior that LOVES you for who you are. Sinfulness and all. When He looks at us it's with the love of a Father that sees our beauty. The beauty in our hearts. It's there. We can't see it all the time but it's there.

BE blessed!! I know I am.

Counting calories?

Well, I have been eating well & exercising for years now. Lost 40+ lbs & feel great. I still had some more to lose though and a good friend told me about SparkPeople.com. It's an awesome place where you can log your food & workouts. There is a great community on there to chat with and get great ideas from. I strongly recommend this even if you don't have weight to lose! You can even set up your own blog there.

BE BLESSED & HEALTHY!!

sickies

Well, just when I thought my children were getting better........
We got home from my oldest sons baseball game and he was just feeling horrible. We took his temp and sure enough, it was back. I took him in to the dr this morning and he now has pneumonia. Lovely. This will take him out of baseball for the week. He is VERY upset about that but we are just trying to help him see that sometimes we are told in a gentle but loving way from our God that we need to slow down and put things into perspective. Baseball was getting to be something bigger than God maybe and we need to re-prioritize you know?

Well, hopefully the weather here will get warmer and we can air this house out and start fresh again.

BE BLESSED!!

A New Day

Well, I have been so busy with so much other stuff I forgot to update this blog! Maybe I'm not really cut out for this :-) Anyway, I'm now blogging on Sparkpeople.com. It's a great site for those looking for help eating healthier & if you are already eating healthy it's great to see the nutrients you are getting and logging your exercise, etc. That's really what I'm doing. My sister is a health counseler and is trying things out for her clients and asked a small group of people to do this. It's working out pretty well. I stopped eating meat a while ago and I like seeing when I'm not getting enough of what I need (protein) so I can up my protein for dinner, etc. It's work but worth it right now.

Hopefully I will be on soon to update some more! Be Blessed!!