pastorsmokeyt

UPDATE: Beginning March 1, 2021 I will no longer be hosting or participating in any swaps. I am stepping away from Swap-bot and I am not sure if I will return or not. Thank you to everyone who Swapped with me. Best Wishes to you all! Smokey

Hello my name is Smokey (yes it is my real name) I live in Wisconsin with my amazing wife where I am the Pastor of a non-denominational church. We are blessed with two grown daughters and two cats Callie Cat and Rue.

I have been collecting stamps for about five years now and I really enjoy it. I collect all kinds of stamps MNH and used stamps. Here is a list of the stamps that I collect.

1. Churches
2. Sheep, Frogs, Giraffes
3. Comics/ Cartoons/ Super Heroes
4. King George VI
5. Odd and Unusual stamps ( odd shape or material)
6. Great Britain (all years)

I also collect covers. I like learning about other countries and the people who live there. I look forward to swapping with you. Blessings, Smokey

I am a sci-fi fan and love both Star Trek and Star wars. ( I love Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine) X-Men and all super hero movies are also a favorite of mine. I also enjoy watching comedies and historical movies. Brave heart, Casablanca, Luther, and The American President are among my favorites.

We have a large DVD collection and one of our favorite things to do on the week ends is to have a "movie marathon" where we watch several movies with the same theme or actors.

Frasier and MASH are my two all time favorite television shows of all time. I watch one or the other everyday.Star-Trek the next generation is also a top five on my list with Sir Patrick Stewart being my favorite Actor.

One of my goals for joining this group is to begin a
collection of post cards. I am pretty open about the
type of post cards I wish to receive but I thought I would include a list of topics that peek my interest.

1. History... I love History and would love to learn more about the history of the town, state, or country in which you live.

2. Churches...I love old church's especially one's
   that have a story or history.

3. Great Britain...I love all things British so anything dealing with Great Britain is a win.

4. Animals... I like Frogs, Sheep, Rabbits, and
   any animal with a long neck like llamas, giraffes, or giant tortoises. Also Funny Animals are great.

   Those are my top 4 but like I said in the beginning I am open to other topics as well.

   All I ask is that each item is clean, family friendly, and in good taste. Thank you.

I was born and raised in Oklahoma but moved to Wisconsin 7 years ago. My wife and I live in a small town of about 1,600 people in western Wisconsin. Interesting facts about our town is that
we are home to many dairy farms and some of the world's best cheese is produced right here.

We are a quiet town with no stop lights and only two gas stations. It is the kind of town where everybody knows everybody else and will most people will go out of their way to lend you a helping hand if you need it.

The winters are LONG and cold here and we get a lot of snow but there is a quiet beauty in going outside after a fresh snow has falling, Sometimes all noise stops and it feels as if the world is at peace.

We also have some of the best springs, summers, and falls there are. The trees in the fall are absolutely breath taking.

It is safe to say that I love our little town and would not want to live anywhere else.

As I said in the "about me" section I am a Pastor. I pastor a non-denominational church in our town. I was born-again when I was seven years old. I was called to preach when I was 13 and begin pastoring my first church at age 19.

I love being a pastor, Preaching is my favorite thing in the world to do. I am humbled and honored to be used by God to preach his word.

I am so proud to be a Christian!!!! Jesus is my savior and my only hope!

I am not perfect, non of us are. I am a sinner and I make mistakes but my sin is forgiven and I try to live each day as the Lord would have me to live.

I believe that our greatest testimony is not just the words we speak but in the life we live, how we act each day. Are we loving people, ALL people like Jesus? That is what builds relationships, honors God and has lasting effects on our world.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Things I don't like:

1. Snakes (I have a healthy fear of them) lol

2. Clowns

3. Anything bunched together such as a field of clover, etc.

Please make sure items are clean and are in good taste. (family friendly)

If you would like to become a Pen Pal and from reading my profile think I would make a good one (either letters or post cards) please leave me a message.

I Have Asperger's syndrome (AS) it is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), one of a distinct group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by social impairment, communication difficulties, and restrictive, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior.

A huge part of my disorder is EXTREME Anxiety. My Anxiety presents in different ways sometimes I rub my hands or scratch or move my leg, other times I over compensate by being funny and loud and other times I am paralyzed by my thoughts, this has affected every area of my life.

I do not pick up on social cues as the rest of the world does, while it is easy for you to know when others are happy, angry, or sad and how to respond to those situations for me

understanding others is like trying to understand the greatest mysteries of the universe. Please note that those of us who have Asperger’s are not mentally slow in fact in most cases our IQ’s are extremely high. This means while I may be a genius on some level I can’t make and sustain relationships easy or preform simple tasks that require eye hand coordination such as tying my shoes.

The Symbol for autism is the puzzle piece that is so appropriate because only now are all the pieces of my life beginning to come together and make sense. I have an AMAZING Wife who supports me and prays for me, without her I could not face each day and I have an AWESOME savior who is bigger than Asperger’s and through everything still uses me to preach the Gospel.

You may say Asperger's? aren't you a pastor? How is that possible? Yes, relationships are difficult but God has given me the tools I need to follow him and lead the church that I pastor. He has also given me a wife who loves me just as I am, understands me and helps me to understand the world around me. Next to salvation my wife and my daughters are the greatest gifts in my life.

I am excited about being a part of swap-bot because it is going to allow me to interact with people in a way that I never have.