This photo was taken with my granddaugther,Nikki, five years ago.  She was about eleven.  She has grown taller and more beautiful.  I have grown much older and more in love with my family.

Hello.  Welcome to The American Grandma.

My name is Kay Swatkowski.  I am the mother of four and grandmother of four. I am also a faith based counselor working under the umbrella of North Point Church in Northeastern Illinois. I am not a state licensed professional counselor, but am licensed by the National Christian Counselors Association and function as a provider of pastoral care.  My husband, Ray(Pastor, Missionary, Denominational leader and current Director of Mobilization through Pinnacle Ministries) and I share in a ministry of our own, Stillwaters Pastoral Care.

If you live in Northeastern Illinois or Southeastern Wisconsin and are interested in faith-based counseling or spiritual direction, please feel free to contact me at my personal email – kayswatkowski@yahoo.com

I am also available for speaking engagements for women’s ministry or other adult events.  Currently, I am available for Spring Women’s Events.

These are the current spring message titles:  The Gift of Being Yourself; Becoming a Godly Woman in an Ungodly World; Moms (and Grandmoms) on a Mission.

I have also added a session for Lent,  ”Eternity Now.”  My husband and I facilitate sessions on marriage entitled, “In Praise of Marriage.”  We also provide Marriage Intensives and Pastoral Couple Refocusing.

Are you interested in a purely spiritual retreat? We are able to facilitate such an experience.  These retreats are built around periods of silence and solitude, following a daily structure of prayer and the reading of the Gospels. If you are  seeking this kind of retreat feel free to contact me for more information.

In addition to having written numerous articles for our denominational magazine, I do the majority of the writing for this blog and on March 28th will become a regular contributor to The Barn Door, a blog dedicated to telling delightful and sometimes inspirational stories about growing up or living in the Midwest.  Midwesterners with your love for snow and fascination with barns will want to check it out at www.thebarndoor.com

If you are looking for help and encouragement as you pray for your children and grandchildren, please check out my book on Kindle: One Endless Line of Faith: 30 Days of Prayer for Our Grandchildren.

Like most of you, I spend my time juggling work, home, church, friends and my growing desire to have an impact on my grandchildren’s lives.

I am an American Grandmother.

A 2010 survey from www.grandparents.com revealed that grandparents make up 1/3 of the households in America.  In 2010, 60% of grandparents were still in the work force.  Today, some level of regular childcare is provided by 72% of all grandparents and  13% of grandparents are the full time  caregivers for their grandchildren.

Most of these full time grandparents are still working to meet their family’s financial needs.  Some grandparents delay their own plans for retirement in order to care for grandchildren.

As a result of sweeping cultural changes, the role of grandparent is more challenging and critical  than ever.

You are invited to become part of the American Grandma community and accompany us on this meaningful journey of loving kids.  I hope we can share insights, inspiration, information and support that will help you nurture a satisfying and life changing relatiionship with your children’s children.

View our food section where grandmothers from across America share Family Favorite Recipes or take a few minutes to  read humorous and inspiring stories of meaningful meal times from our pasts.

Our fun section will offer ideas on games, toys, activities and trips you can take with grandkids.  We will also offer some “instant grandma” ideas for when you only have an hour or two but want to connect with your grandkids in a lighthearted way.

Are your grandkids at a distance?  Our tech guy will have some suggestions for ways to stay in touch.

Want to read to your grandkids but are unsure of what to include in your library?  Over time our Read Aloud Section will help you stock your bookshelves with the best in children’s literature.

Are you the blessed recipient of a spiritual heritage – one that you want to pass on to your grandkids?   Read through the faith section to learn how others have communicated their faith and used prayer as a tool for influencing the next generation.

A  short daily blog will offer fresh insights on relating to and understanding today’s kids and hopefully will provide energy to continue on.

Thank you for coming to The American Grandma.  I hope this site offers you encouragement and strength as you love your children’s children.

“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord….so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born.”  Psalm 78:4,6