Long overdue update!!

Where have you been? I have heard this question so often lately from my facebook friends. We have had quite a few challenges and lots of praying going on lately. Our traveling came to an end when Michael's mom had a stroke in June and couldn't complete daily tasks anymore. While we had no problem putting the traveling plans on hold, we couldn't help but wonder, "What is God up to now?" Fast forward a few short months and now we know. We are living in a house that is the perfect size for all of us; we have more witnessing opportunities in this neighborhood than any place we would have chosen for ourselves. We have already been labeled as the "good family" by our neighbors because we choose not to partake in some of the common things that happen around here. We were put here to show Christ to a lost world.....as every Christian was. It is frustrating at times, but we know without a doubt, we are where God put us. We are in the planning stages of a hot dog social for our neighborhood to make an opportunity for others to meet us and learn about our lifestyle; we are excited about the opportunities God has given us to share the wonderful gift of His Son with others.

While we aren't traveling right now, we do feel it will be a part of our lives at a later time. Right now, we are being shown and taught through Christ's love for us how we are supposed to have love and compassion for others.

On a personal note, we have started homeschooling! Dylan and Brandon are doing wonderfully. Dylan can write his first name; he is now working on his last name. Brandon can recognize all letters; he is working on writing them. Caleb's latest goal is walking; he can walk holding onto a "walking" toy, but won't do it alone yet....all in time.

I will be trying to keep this blog updated more frequently so check back soon!

Life continues.....

his post was written on 5/24/10

Where have we been? Well, in two months we traveled in/through seven different states: Georgia (homestate), Tennessee, North Carolina, Virgina, South Carolina, Florida, and Alabama (basically the southeastern U.S.). We went to VA to see Michael’s brother who is incarcerated at the present time. He needs prayer for some things as I’m sure you can imagine! In North Carolina, we went to Fields of the Wood; it is a biblical park that includes a replica of the tomb Jesus arose from. You can search Google for more info. (I tried to link it but it didn't work) We were heading to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, but God had other things in mind; we turned around and went to Tybee Islands in GA and then proceeded to Pensacola, FL. While both of the beaches were pretty, they do not compare to Panama City Beach!

The vacations were wonderful, and the kids love the water. Through this two month journey of RV living we have learned so many things about each other and our wonderful Creator! Due to some unforeseen circumstances (unforeseen by us, NOT God!), we are stationary for the time being. We will be in the Chattanooga area until God says it’s time to go!!

Dylan and Brandon are getting soooooo smart! At their well-checkup last month, I was told they are on a five year old level intellectually!! I am so proud of them and am amazed at how fast they can learn. We are currently working on learning bible verses (they currently know 6), reading, and adding. We are going to be adding science to the mix shortly, starting with all about plants (parts of a plant, what it needs to grow, etc). I can’t wait!

I know I need to put some pictures up, and as soon as I get the time to figure it out I will. My cousin has helped me a little in this area, but I haven’t had time to take her directions and do it!!

Until next time, remember to stay focused on Christ! He knows what tomorrow holds….Jeremiah 29:11

God at work!

We have been having so much fun with our new home! Yes, I will eventually get pictures put up when time permits. Traveling with your home is so convenient! We haven't packed a diaper bag in a month!!!

Sunday was such a great day! The story starts on Saturday: we were on our way to the gas station to fill up and ran out of gas on the way there. After pulling into the nearest parking lot, we walked to the gas station, filled up our gas can, and then put the gas in Benny (the boy's name for our bus). Michael went to start the bus and it wouldn't start.....so due to our new way of thinking (see previous post) we thought "What is God up to now?" Our mechanic was out of town for the weekend so we spent the night in the parking lot Saturday, woke up Sunday and realized there was a church in the strip mall, obviously a new church, but a church nonetheless. Since we couldn't go to our home church we went there. What an awesome service!! We met some wonderful people, heard a great message, and the boys had a great time playing with new friends. Later that day, Michael's brother-n-law "happened" to be riding by and fixed Benny with no problem!

Today, we started our day off with a trip to the Battlefield to take a nature walk. Then we had a picnic and made smores after dinner. God is with us every moment of every day but sometimes we get so busy we forget that. I hope we always remember that no matter where life takes us, He is there guiding us, leading us, and if you listen closely enough, talking with us!

Don't ask "why?"

After a fun filled vacation, we needed to head back to the Chattanooga area for Easter and the boy's doc appts (well-check ups and Dylan's casts). The trip was supposed to take 1 1/2 days so we could stop along the way; the trip took three days because God had other plans.

Long story, short: we had bus trouble and had our "plans" interrupted. Had we not had said bus problems, we would not have met some amazing people!!! It was as if God was saying, "Give me your days, and it will turn out just right, maybe not the way you want it, but right enough to further my kingdom."

The bus is fixed (at no charge by the way) and we had the most incredible journey home! Michael and I have learned through this experience to not ask "why" when bad things happen but ask instead "God what do you have planned for us?"

If we live our lives for Him, and all decisions are based on Him, then our "plans" will never get interrupted!

Plans....what are those??

As of last post, we were heading to Macon for the festival. Michael and I learned a long time ago we were not the type to make plans because something inevitably comes up such was the case this time. We went to Stone Mountain in Atlanta instead; it was beautiful. The boys loved being "taller than the trees." To see God's beauty up close and personal makes me stop and think about how much more He loves me!

Hubby surprised me with a trip to Panama City Beach, FL for my birthday! We are having a great time here! Dylan loves "swimming" in the water, and Brandon is becoming a pro at making sand castles. Caleb loves being outside so it's a win-win for everyone!

I will post pictures from Stone Mountain and Panama as soon as I have the time. Between school with the boys and playing at the beach, I haven't had much time for the computer! I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here with my beautiful family, and I thank God for them daily!

RVing

So we have recently bought an RV and are going to be traveling. When? Where? We're not sure. We are doing a lot of praying about all the specifics. What we do know is that we have been called to travel and share our stories with others, a story of hope and God's unconditional love. The boys absolutely LOVE it!

We are taking a break from schooling the week (our spring break) to get settled into our new "home." The Cherry Blossom Festval in Macon, GA is this weekend so we will be heading out on Friday. We are looking forward to a weekend away!

Michael had the opportunity to witness last night, the first time since we got our bus! It was so amazing how it all worked out; yet again, God is awesome!!

While we are busy now, we are still seeking God's direction on everything! It can be a daunting task at times because of the waiting process, but the rewards are well worth it! We are loving life and enjoying time together!

Decisions, Decisions

There are so many decisions in life from big (Where are we going to live?) to small (What's for dinner?) sometimes we get so bogged down in the decision making process that we forget to ask one important question: What does God want me to do?

When it comes to education, our children deserve so much more than our financially strapped school systems can afford, not to mention the bias against Christianity in text books across the country. Some school districts are even doing away with recess to improve test scores! We want our children to not only enjoy learning, but also to learn God's truth and how He expects them to live their lives. For these reasons, we have decided to homeschool our boys. We have started already with preschool concepts and they are doing very well! Dylan and Brandon can both read "at" and "it" words, add with counting aids (i.e. cars or blocks), and love to "read" their books.

Part of our day to day activities that we have been convicted of is our movie/tv viewing habits. We have been struggling with this for some time and finally got confirmation on what needed to be done. Our views are definately conservative, but we feel they line up with Jesus and His standards for our lives.

This explains it very well; this is from the Women Living Well Blog

I grew up in a home that some called "strict". To me as the child inside the home, it was a loving, God honoring, Christian home. My parents admittedly were strict - but they were amazing listeners and communicators. They always fully explained why they made the rules they had and they always accepted me unconditionally. grew up in a home that some called "strict". To me as the child inside the home, it was a loving, God honoring, Christian home. My parents admittedly were strict - but they were amazing listeners and communicators. They always fully explained why they made the rules they had and they always accepted me unconditionally.

So when my husband called me for our very first date at the age of 17 (exactly 17 years ago last month) and he said "Do you want to see a movie?" I answered "Sure." The only movie that fit my parents standards was Disney's Aladdin - rated G. My future husband was from a home with no rules - so he definitely found this to be a bit alarming but respectable.

Rewind 4 years to me at the age of 13 at a slumber party with my cheerleading squad. The girls have just put the movie "Top Gun" in and I'm sitting there thinking - UH OH - I'm not allowed to see PG-13 movies...what do I do? I did the only thing I could do - I faked sleepy, yawned, laid out my sleeping bag and for two hours laid there wide awake but faking sleep.

Through a loving relationship, my parents were able to transfer their convictions to me. They taught me "garbage in/garbage out". That we must protect our minds. I am SO thankful for this gift they gave me.

Fast forward now with me to the age 20. I am now a Senior in college and I am with a group of Moody Bible Institute Students on a missions trip to Key West. It's our spring break and we are there to do beach evangelism. The group has decided to go see a movie. I'm excited and in! We arrive at the theatre and to my astonishment - they choose an R rated movie! There I stand, knowing I've never seen an R rated movie and that my parents would not approve. Faking "sleep" would not work in this circumstance. lol!

I'd been in this situation many times between the age of 13 and 20. Most of the time it was when I was with non-Christian friends so it felt okay to be misunderstood. But here I stood with a bunch of missionary and pastoral majors...hmph - now what's my excuse? In one quick second, I caved to the peer pressure of my Christian friends and into the movie theatre I went.

You can bet 2 hours later I emerged from that theatre feeling miserable. Why in the world did I watch such wretched behavior on the screen? It was not entertaining at all for me. The words of my parents went through my mind. These are the movie standards they passed onto me (paraphrased):

1. I remember mom saying: "If a couple who was unmarried came into your living room, would you allow them to make love on your couch? Certainly not! Well, that's what you are doing when you play a movie in the privacy of your home that has fornication in it. You have invited this couple right into your home to do such things!"

2. "If you were taking Jesus in the flesh with you to the theatre - would you take him to see this movie or be embarrassed of the sin displayed for which he was beaten to a pulp and then nailed on a cross for? Jesus died on the cross to save us from these very sins we entertain ourselves with. Would you take Jesus with you to see this movie? If Jesus can't see it, neither can you!"

3. Your eyes take in images that your mind locks up and cannot erase. Do not play before your eyes images that pollute your mind. (Philippians 4:8 says: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.")
Does this seem extreme in our culture? Yes, it does and I took a lot of flack as a teen for this stance in a public school - and even inside Christian circles. But do not underestimate your children and their convictions. Proverbs 22:6 says: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." These are the same standards we hold to in our home today.

Start while your children are young talking to them about what is best for their eyes to see on television, their ears to hear on the radio and their minds to take in at the movies. Talk talk talk talk talk about these things. And don't be afraid to be "strict" as long as it is Bible based and balanced with a loving relationship. I can testify as a product of parents who lived out their strong convictions with love - that I am sincerely thankful for my parent's strictness. Will the world change your children or will your children change the world? The answer to that question is in your parenting. http://www.womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/

We are using these standards in our home now. God is leading us so wonderfully, and we are so thankful for His grace and leadership.

Living for Christ

What have the Carter’s been up to? Well, we have made a major decision that is going to effect everything in our lives from now on. We (Michael and I) are going to start living our lives for Christ. This may seem like a simple statement, but it includes some major life changes that some will probably not agree with. However, we have learned it is more important to live for and serve the One who sacrificed Himself for us than anyone else. We want to give Him our whole life not just our Sundays. We want our children to know what an awesome God we serve, and that He wants to be part of our entire life not just part of our week. We want God to be glorified in all that we do and say, and while we know we will fail at times, our ultimate goal is to be more like Him.