To answer this question we have to go way back to a darker time and get a little religious. Long story short, I survived an abusive marriage, and cervical cancer. I was told by doctors my chances at having a child were “slim to none.” So I returned home, broken, unable to be a wife or a mother. I felt useless and I didn’t want to be here anymore. So I took my truck to a field and had plans to swallow a bottle of pills and end my misery. While out there GOD and I had an argument. I begged him to show me a sign, prove that he hears me and that I’m not alone and suffering for nothing. I asked him to do me one thing. I said if you can do this for me, I’ll know you heard me tonight and you’re really there. I told GOD. I want a baby. And not just any baby. It has to be a girl. I told GOD If you can do this for me I’ll rep your name until I die. So I went home. Of course if I did anything I wouldn’t be giving GOD a fair chance to come through for me. Two months later I met someone and this wasn’t easy. I lived in the fields of Colorado in a small town where only farmers and elderly retired. The chances me meeting anyone remotely attractive let alone my own age was already slim to none. We had one encounter and I became pregnant. I knew at that moment it was a Girl. At the ultrasound, the nurse asked, “did you want to know what it is?” I told her I already know. It’s a girl! She said you seem pretty sure about that! Looked at the screen, paused, and said ITS A GIRL! And my reply of course was I KNOW. Being a parent was a gift from GOD and one I do not take lightly. It’s my opportunity to bare fruit on this earth and advance the kingdom of GOD. It’s so important to me to build my child up into a strong , resilient, faithful, asset to society. I want to show her that although life may not turn out exactly the way you had planned, wonderful things can be achieved through adversity. I want her to be proud of me, I want to make her proud; Secure our future, her future and teach her how to secure her own future. Leaving a legacy is more then monetary gains or the ups and downs of SNP’s. It’s the knowledge and hope for a future with unconditional love, happiness and peace. Money will never buy happiness but teaching her to stand strong in her career, family and faith, will certainly help.

As an unapologetic Christian woman I was raised to value all life. But if we’re going to get technical then we need to define “personhood”. Which is difficult, considering there is no consensus between science who teaches embryology and developmental genetics and religion stating a definitive “moment” of conception. Rather some say it’s more of an “event” that takes place over time. Howard A. Schneiderman Professor of Biology at Swarthmore College argues that the moment of conception is what is truly up for debate. Reporting that some scientists will say it begins at fertilization, where the zygote gets a new genome or where the sperm and egg combine along with their nuclear materials, which is a long process. Others will say it's at implantation; while some say it's not until day 14, of gastrulation, where the embryo becomes an individual. There was even research saying it's somewhere between 24 to 28 weeks. The beginning of the human specific electroencephalogram and some have gone as far as to say it's at birth or during the perinatal period where a successful birth is possible. However, obstetricians and gynecologists know that most fertilization events do not come to term as babies. So when is it? Science can debate until it’s blue in the face. I personally believe that once your HCG levels are tested and you receive the knowledge of pregnancy. The viability of that fetus is irrelevant. At that moment you are pregnant and have the knowledge that you could give birth in 9 months to a living, breathing human being. At that point it’s the woman’s moral responsibility to accept that fact and begin to take on that responsibility in all aspects. Regardless of road blocks that may make them feel like they cannot parent this child. We often make things too complicated. Over think and a plethora of knowledge can be dangerous too. Confusing science with morality can get messy. I had a friend that had two abortions over the course of a few years and the main reason was financial and the fact that she was already a single mother. But the morality of the situation is, if that concern was held in higher regard and posed any moral threat at all it would have been protected. But instead, abortion was treated as a “get out of jail free card”. And this happens all too often. The convenience is no longer taboo it’s a global commonality where many can relate. The church I belong to supports a Reach Out pregnancy clinic designed to give options to the parents and help prevent abortions. Helping them understand that once the baby can be detected, it’s a life force. They Offer testing, resources, baby products and so much more. I can’t say definitively just like science can’t agree exactly when conception occurs, but I can say It’s a responsibility worth baring. Having survived cervical cancer and being told I couldn’t have children, and then being blessed with baring my one miracle baby. I assure you anything is possible. With GOD. Let GOD make the decisions when it comes to life or death , not you.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s SUPERMAN! As a kid just hearing the inspiring tune , seeing the colors of the old school 80’s/90’s animations and seeing him fly through the air was enough for me to say “IM IN”, “Sign me up” I’m with THIS guy! As I grew I learned that Superman inspired not only strength internally and externally, but was the first “person” who showed me that helping others really does pay off. That being selfless is better then being selfish. Superman inspired to go above and beyond, always make a good first impression and never back down. The Superman logo was my first tattoo, because he set the tone for my personality; I wanted to live up to his message of being strong, honest and brave at the sight of adversity, not just for me, but for others.

“Life is like the fine print in a contract. When you read it, you gain knowledge; when you don’t, you gain experience.” - unknown I don’t think there could be a truer statement or description for life. How many times have you made a decision and then looking back you think “I wish I hadn’t”…or I wish I had thought about that more? Life is fragile, yet complicated and sometimes we can feel intimidated with the sheer “length of the contract”, the responsibilities , or “consumed by big words”. Regardless, the test of time always results in some kind of knowledge to take away from it. In any situation, the good, the bad and the ugly all play a part. It’s hard to say which one is the better teacher . Although experience seems to teach a lot when you’re in the thick of it. Often times it’s at the expense of valuable and sometimes preventable consequences. In the beginning of my life I was prone to learning things the hard way. Never reading the fine print, quick to sign on any line, and ignoring the simple advice to “READ the fine print” in the first place. This resulted in a more turbulent ride through life with a plethora of knowledge learned, in what felt like only moments before crunch time. If I had just read the “speed bump” sign I would have known to “slow down.” Nowadays, I’m not as easily captivated or entertained. I know now that through experience, reading the fine print, is a lot like an expensive perfume. A little goes a long way. Take it one sentence at a time. Any fool can know. The point is to understand. -Albert Einstein