What is wrong with America???

Well with all this talk about government controlled insurance, and now this morning I was reading a note that came home from school with one of my boys that talks about the "Spring Bunny Rabbit" pictures for Easter...YES, there I said it, EASTER!!! It just makes me wonder what is our country coming to??? Will this be the "land of the free" before it is all said and done??? The first thing that I don't understand is how can the President tell each and everyone of us that we have to have health insurance, or we can be fined???

My first question on this is... What if someone, who in this previous tough economic time has lost their job and has no source of income coming in or access to insurance, how can they afford health insurance, let alone pay a fine for not having it??? I agree that everyone needs to have health insurance...but I also think that this should be something that is made easier for the people of America to get. I mean what are we suppose to do? My husband and I are fortunate enough to have insurance through his work, and it is pretty good insurance...costly and every year the price's go up, but nonetheless we have insurance. Now to get this straight and make sure I understand this correctly, the President is going to require us all to have health insurance, and he can go in and do what he wants with the preexisting insurance that most Americans already have...now this is where I say NO this is not right. I do not agree with this.. It's unconstitutional and unfair to the Americans!!! I pray God's with us...because that's what it's going to take to save this country. I fear that in time we will end up one of the poorest countries in the world if we continue like we are. If we continue to keep on this path, we will no longer be the "land of the free". IF we can't make our own decisions on our health insurance...what else is going to be controlled by the government? They have already taken God out of government and schools, and then they wonder what is happening?? Do they not realize that our foundations were built on God? I mean our money says, in God we trust, but yet I have not heard anyone say...."I'm going to sue if it's not removed". Now with all of this being said about the reform bill being passed on insurance...yes there will be some good things like the free preventive care and the coverage for all children...but how true will all this be? It doesn't seem like anything that has looked even remotely good for America has been what it says it was suppose to be. I don't know...I just don't think it's fair to "make" people have health insurance. Guess I will believe it when I see it (if this will work).

Which brings me to the next thing that infuriates me. My child brought home a note from school talking about events coming up next week...pictures with the "Spring Bunny Rabbit"....obviously the infamous Easter bunny, but I am sure that someone along the line has complained that we were imposing on their religious beliefs and now the schools are no longer allowed to call it the Easter bunny. Which by no means does the Easter bunny have anything to do with Easter...but it's something we have celebrated for years, and now all the sudden it's an issue. Just like they no longer have Halloween parties or Christmas parties...they are now Fall harvest parties or Winter wonderland parties....GOOD GRIEF!!! This is the least of our concerns here in America!!!! But as a Christian American mother I celebrate the holidays...and yes I do teach my children about Easter and Jesus Christ dying on the cross and raising 3 days later...dying for our sins so that we may have ever lasting life, and YES we do have EASTER egg hunts, and the Easter bunny does come see my children. I also celebrate Christ's birthday every December 25 th...and yes Santa Clause does come see my children....so EXCUSE me....I believe my rights and beliefs are being imposed on. It is so sad that the things that we grew up to and our parents and their parents did as well....now OFFENDS someone, and more chances to none, they are not religious or believe in God, so we are no longer allowed to do it. Is there really that many more non believers or non Christians in America that we OFFEND them with something as simple as the Easter bunny?? When do the American Christians stand up and say this is enough you are imposing on our religious beliefs?? The non believers don't tend to have any problem doing so!! I don't care what anyone says I will continue to raise my children in church, teach them of God and Jesus, Jesus dying on the cross and raising three days later, and of his 2nd coming. We will continue to celebrate the holidays with the Easter Bunny and Christmas and I believe that Christians should take a stand or we will fall for anything. I think God needs to be put back in to our economy, government, and schools! If you can remember a time when we did not have to worry about guns in schools or locking our doors at night then you can remember a time that we worshipped God freely...we prayed in schools...and we celebrated our holidays with the Easter bunny and Santa Clause...and everyone was happy!!! It seems to me that the holidays that are being "picked on" are the Christian Holidays. They don't say anything about St. Patrick's Day...no offense to the Irish, but do you know what, I'm not Irish..so why do we even have a holiday celebrating it??? Let's have a Karma holiday...what goes around comes around...sorry had to throw that one in there. But no seriously this country is going to pieces...and it is not being run like it is suppose to...NOT BUSH or OBAMA have or are doing a good job at this. (Shoulda voted Hillary in folks...women are strong too...lol). There is no more "We the people of the United States of America"....and we really have no one to blame but ourselves! Number one thing first and foremost...We had God to start...and he's been taken out...and look what is happening. I don't know, but this is my feelings on it, and I am scared to death to see what my children and grandchildren are going to face in the years to come. All I can say is I am a child of God...and God takes care of his people.

Just a thought!!! The rich for the poor

Well, so the other day I was half-way watching on TV about the top 20 world's richest women...and the number one was a young lady who's family is a part of the steel industry...worth 285 Billion dollars...her family is worth $285 BILLION!!! By no means am I envious or jealous, but the thought that crossed my mind was...."Man there are people in 3rd world countries starving to death...people in our country that are losing their jobs and can't even afford to take care of their families...and just this one person was worth $285 billion dollars..not million...billion. Let alone the people of Haiti and Chilli who have been completely devastated...and these people spend money and never have to even want for anything. They are not alone in having a lot of money...and to me you would think that these people would be willing to share...I mean I know that they probably have earned their money (or probably not)...but look at Paris Hilton. She just gets her money because of her family. I am just thinking if the one person that had the $285 billion shared just $1billion of their money...still leaving them with $284 billion...man think about how many lives that would save!!! It's just a thought...and it makes me sad that their are people out there who are willing to give their last cent to help others...but the more money that some people have the more greedier they are. Yeah sure it would be awesome to win the lottery, to have the money to live comfortably...to be able to give my kids everything they could ever want...pay for their college degree's..buy them a house...a car....buy my parents and in-laws a new house or pay all their debt...never have to be in debt again...but would that be a good life??? I personally like working for what I have...which is not much...but it's mine. I'm proud of what I have, and yes in a little kind of way it is sorta fun to sit down with my hubby and budget our money out and pay our bills...even if we have $1 left to our name...it's ours and we have a life together, not lavish, but comfortable at times, but it's a roller coaster ride and if we had it made, would it be fun??? I don't know it just bothers me that man has become so wrapped up in money and has lost what is in God's plan. One verse from the Bible that sticks out in my mind

Matthew 19:24

"And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Wow! So would all the money in the world be worth your eternity with God in Heaven? I think I am much more content without the lavish life of money and worldly possession's. I know that one day my rewards will be greater in Heaven...and it will be then that I will be rich.

And in Proverbs 11:24

There is one who scatters, yet increases more: And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty."

25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

26 The people will curse him who withholds grain, But blessings will be on the head of him who sells it.

I have found my new home

So it's been a decision I have been pondering for about a year now. I have now decided to join my husband's church that he grew up in, Jefferson Avenue Church of Christ. I am so excited to finally have a church home to call home, it has been a long time. The biggest thing for me has been the decision to be baptist or church of Christ. I was raised in a baptist church most of my life, and when Jonathan and I got married he was church of Christ so we naturally began attending a church of Christ.

We previously attended Baxter Church of Christ but have not been there for along time now. We have been visiting occasionally at Jefferson Ave., and every time we have been I have really enjoyed the preacher and the people are so kind and loving. It seems like every Sunday that I am having an issue with something or wondering about something, the preacher has preached about that exact subject. Well last Sunday they announced that they were needing help with the toddler class for a teacher to rotate every 9 weeks and a full time assistant, and obviously I was extremely excited about this. I've been telling Jonathan for awhile now that I wanted to get back into teaching a class in church. So I called the church on Monday. They were excited about me wanting to teach but I was told that I had to be a member of the church to do so. So without hesitation I said yes I would like that very much so. I feel like this is God's plan, to tell me this is where he wants me...where he needs me, and I am so happy about becoming a member at Jefferson Ave. We met with the elders tonight after church and now we are all officially members. I am ready to serve my Lord and let him use me for what ever he needs, rather it's teaching or something else, I know that he has a plan for me. I am also excited to have a steady place to raise my children up in.

This morning a young man got baptized and I think it was the "moment' that opened Erik's eyes about becoming a Christian. He asked me a lot of questions, and I had explained to him that Jesus died for all of our sins, and Erik told me that he loved everyone and that he would die for everyone too...That's amazing for a 10 year old to say. So I pray that I will be able to guide him and lead him the right way, and that he will be a man of God. He's already off to a good start, and I am very proud of him.

How my life as a mommy...and wife began

Well as most of you that do know me, and for those of you don't, I want to share my story of how becoming a mommy, then a wife changed me. When I was 19 I became a mom. My first son, Erik was born, and I was single (well not married, but in a relationship with my boyfriend of a yr). It's not something that I am very proud of, but it is something that became the turning point in my life. When I first had my son Erik, it was very hard for me...I really had no idea how to be a mommy. Sure I knew the basics...to feed him, bathe him, make sure he was safe....but really no idea what all it took to shape and mold this new life. (Keep in mind I was a single mother and I lived at home). Well I finally decided to move out on my own with my son and I moved to Cookeville. It was the scariest thing I had ever done, but I had decided it was something I had to do. Before I had moved to Cookeville I had already met Jonathan, my husband, and we had been dating for about 6 months. I moved to Cookeville and I had my own apartment and he had his own place. Well after moving to Cookeville I was working nights and he was working days, so he would watch Erik in the evenings while I worked. We continued to work and had discussed marriage. As time went on Jonathan and I had talked about him adopting Erik. So in August of 2002 we had went to a child support hearing, where Erik's biological father had decided he wanted to sign his rights away to me. Which I was extatic...not that I didn't want Erik's father to not have anything to do with him...he never did have anything to do with him...and Jonathan had grown to love Erik and take care of him as his own...I just felt it would be easier on all of us. So little did we know the "laws", but we were told in order for Erik's father to sign his rights over to me I had to be married, and my husband would have to adopt him. So during the break Jonathan and I talked about it...and he told me "Let's get married." I was really shocked, cause yes we had been engaged for almost 10 months...but I knew we didn't have the money saved for a wedding just yet. So I asked him how....and he told me just go to the courthouse and get married. I was so shocked that he was so agreeable, cause most of you that know my husband know he's not very spontaniouse, lol. So when we got home we called around and found out that we could have someone come out and marry us...so 2 days later we got married...and dare I say this, on our lunch breaks. Luckily at the time I worked at Goody's and a girl I worked with picked up my evening shift, so we were able to go to dinner that evening (my sister watched Erik), and go buy his wedding band. Pretty red-kneck I know...but it's our love story and we're stickin' to it. So on to the lawyers we go the following week, and we were able to get the adoption papers drawn up...but it wasn't so easy trying to get Erik's father to sign them. I think it was a total of 10 months, and finally our lawyer had the paper's taken to him to be signed...and then we were done. Erik was now officially a Carter.

OK so along the way I forgot to mention. We were married August 14, 2002, and then in January 2003 (the day of Jonathan and Erik's birthday) we found out we were expecting our first child. Yeah that was quite a shock. So our son JD (Jonathan Draper) was born September 13, 2003. Life has been great, we've been busy with both the boys playing tball and soccer...and around the end of 2007 Jonathan and I had decided that we were content on just having the two boys and didn't want to have anymore. JD would be starting school in the fall, and I could finally get a real job...no more daycare expense....woohoo!!! Well my step father passed away in March...and we decided to go to the funeral, in Illinoise. The week before we left, I had started kinda suspecting something wasn't right...I was sick...and oh so tired....amongst other symptoms, so I decided to go see my doctor, all amongst I was just thinking maybe it was my nerves or something like that. Uh no...I get the news "Well Mrs. Carter, you're pregnant." I nearly fell off of the table. So I was so nervous about telling Jonathan, and then my sister called to tell me about our step dad...so I thought to myself...maybe I should just wait till we get back from the funeral to tell him. So I kept it to myself...of course I told my mom and sister while I was there...but after we got home, I finally told Jonathan. You know the funniest thing is...all he could say is "your joking right?" LOL...yeah like I like to make up a joke like that. SO after the shock wore off...all he could say (with a grin from ear to ear) was..."well it better be a girl."

So as the rest of the story goes...yes God blessed us with a beautiful baby girl...and now our family is complete, and yes there will be no more children for us, I am sure of that. But our life with 2 boys and 1 girl...it's the most amazing thing in the world, and I love being a mommy...and of course...when I have time a wife...just kidding, lol.

Well here we go....

Well, I finally broke down and I have decided to start blogging. I always have a lot to share but not necessarily a lot of time to do so, so hopefully I will be able to keep up with this. While working on setting this blog up, I thought and thought about what I wanted to blog about, and one of the most apparent things that my life evolves around are my children and husband. So I have decided that I will blog about the every day life, and it is hectic, that we have, did I mention that it's hectic???. I tell people there's never a dull moment in the Carter house...rather it's something funny or just down right serious, we have something always keeping us hopping around here. Though I feel that sometimes my journey as a wife and mother is tough and I could literally just lose my mind, I would never change it for anything in the world, and I love doing it. I look at my life and I wonder where would I be if I did not have my children and my husband....and to tell you truth I can't even imagine my life without them. I have concluded over the past 10 years of my life, that being a mommy is one of the hardest things I've ever done (or will continue to do), but it's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done, and my children remind me of this daily. I love my kids and I love my husband, and I hope you enjoy our journey....as much as I do.