Thanks are in order as well to some great bloggers who also hosted my giveaway - and I would recommend posting your giveaways here. The point is exposure, especially if you own a small business you are promoting, and many blogggers also simply want traffic. Whatever the reason, here are a few good places to submit your contests:

Laura Williams’ Musings: A Christian homeschooling mom of seven, Laura regularly posts giveaways, writes fabulous book reviews, and has quite the recipe roundup!

The Contest Beat (which is for sale, by the way - anyone want to add to their internet holdings?): This is contest central, where you can find everything from cold cash to a Nintendo Wii.

MyBlogContest: Sweepstakes, contests, giveaways, free stuff.

An Island Review: Kailani always has great lists of contests and giveaways. I forgot to submit my giveaway here, but I have in the past. I love this site -it’s clean, pretty, and easy to navigate.

Prize-A-Tron: Angela and baby Connor have tons of good stuff to give away, and don’t miss more of Angela’s contests at Seven Dogs And a Baby - it seems she really does have seven chihuahuas. Can they be trained to change diapers?

I know there’s more - let me know where you post your giveaways.

Recent carnival activity of interest:
The Carnival of Family Life
The Christian Carnival
The Carnival of Homeschooling
The Carnival of Christian Women (coming tomorrow)

And I have a few blog awards!! I’ve missed some and forgotten others in the craziness of the past season, and it’s taken me a full month to get “sort of” back on track. I’ll pass these awards on later, I’m just going to mention them now and give myself time to think! And seriously, if I’ve missed something you intended for me, feel free to remind me. :-)

First, Grace at Sandier Pastures has blessed me with many awards, and one of them is the “I’ve Got a Friend Award,” which I was very honored to receive. If you’d like to get a taste of Dubai through the eyes of an expat from Japan via the Philippines, then go visit Sandier Pastures!

e-Mom at Chrysalis has also given me some awards, the most recent one being the “E for Excellent Award.”. e-Mom has a wonderful, inviting blog, full of encouragement, reviews, humor, marriage and family tips, and so much more. Drop in for a cup of coffee (this IS where I won my Starbucks gift card).

Coming soon: my review of Suite Francaise (oh, how do I get those little French accents to work on my keyboard??!). I KNOW that little mark goes under the “c.” Anyway, if there’s one book you read this year on war, this should be it. It’s historical fiction set in France during the German Occupation (early/pre WWII), and the story behind the story is even more fascinating. I will leave you hanging with this: the author, Irene Nemirovsky (a Russian Jew whose family had emigrated to France to escape the Bolsheviks), was murdered in Auschwitz and the manuscript of Suite Francaise survived the war and wasn’t discovered for over 60 years, and was just published in 2004 in France, where it was an immediate bestseller, and in 2006 in the U.S. I was almost shaking when I first laid hands on this book just over a week ago. I have a few chapters left and will report soon.

What works for me is Faith. Have you tried it? It moves mountains, heals sickness, and changes lives. Sounds too good to be true. Where can you find this faith thing, you say? The good news: you don’t have to climb to the top of a mountain in Tibet, chant, do yoga, or drink a detoxifier. The other news: you must believe that God can do what He says He can do. Well, even the demons believe, so you must actually go beyond belief. What is beyond belief? FAITH!

What works for me is a faith that makes me act like I believe God. One thing that means is not circumventing the details of the situation to get to the faith goal. God tells you, “Have faith that I will accomplish X.” If, like Abraham and Sara, you decide that “I must do A, B, and C to make sure that X happens,” that is not faith, and will bring a lifetime of painful consequences. Surely you remember Ishmael. But, if you have faith like the Roman Centurion who believed that Jesus would heal his servant, even from a distance, just with His words, you have the kind of faith that brings this response: “I have not found such great faith, no, not in all Israel!” (Luke ch. 7, Matthew ch. 8).

Super Bowl XLII is set for February 3, 2008 in Arizona, a showdown between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots!! Diary of 1 and TeamMASCOT are hosting another giveaway right here, right now, in honor of this great football tradition!

This Super Bowl Giveaway is an auto accessories package for the team of your choice: The Patriots or the Giants of course — and I will even let you choose a different NFL team, because I know those team loyalties run very deep! The package will contain the following three items:

1. An auto emblem: an officially licensed auto emblem made of hard plastic with a metallic finish and adhesive on the back to stick to your car or truck, or any hard surface - refrigerator, RV, door, etc. Measures approximately 3×3 inches and 1/4 inch thick.

2. A sheet of static cling decals: Better than a sticker, remove and reuse these team logo window decorations whenever you like. Each sheet contains five decals with team logos and graphics, of various size and design. Removable and fade-resistent. The sizes of the static clings are: One is 2.5″x4.75″, one is 4.75″x6.5″, two are 5″x9″, and one is 3.75″x19″.

3. A plastic license plate frame: These team logo license plate frames attach easily to any vehicle and feature bright graphics and team colors. The license plate holders are 6.25″x12.25″ and meet the vehicle standards for display of registration tags. These auto tags are made of hard, sturdy plastic.

How to win: Simply leave a comment below, and include the name of the NFL team you want for the auto accessories package, and I will randomly choose a winner on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008! I will notify the winner via email on Sunday, Feb. 3. If you are a blogger and would like to have an extra entry included in the drawing, just mention this contest on your blog with a link back to this post. You must have a U.S. mailing address to win this contest.

For hundreds of NFL and other team-logo products (NCAA, MLB, NASCAR, NHL, and NBA), please visit my family business, TeamMASCOT.com - support America’s small businesses!

This contest is part of the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival at Rocks in My Dryer. Head over there for literally hundreds of amazing giveaways all week!!

The theme this week is old-fashioned.

When guests visit, the first comment is usually about these desks. I have a set of three that are situated to one side of the dining room. “Where did you get these?” is the usual question. These desks are likely circa 1930s or 40s, and I picked them up last year from a local rancher’s barn. The lady rancher had advertised “old desks” in the Nickel Ads, and I have a penchant for old desks, so I drove right over.

She had them under some tarp in her barn, and had no idea where they came from or how long they’d been there. She was cleaning house and wanted them gone. For only $12 apiece, I felt like I was rustling cattle! Oh, the solid wood, the old-fashioned ink wells, the subtle curves, …the gum stuck under the seats!

Since we homeschool, these actually do get used as student desks. However, they also find themselves constantly occupied as a station for projects, crafts, and even eating dinner. We have a dining room table that seats six, and not even counting my mom we have six. So, if there is ever company for dinner, some kids sit in the desks, and they actually prefer that spot.

You can find more Photo Hunters here.

My coffee pot just overflowed. The blinking red light on the coffee water filter simultaneously screams at me CLEANING NEEDED. I won’t complain, at least I have coffee. Yesterday, I ran out and was relegated to the lone pouch of stale beans I discovered in the back corner of the cupboard. I’m grateful to have fresh beans today, thanks to the early morning trip I made to purchase flu medicine.

The kids have tied a rope around the dog’s neck and attached it to a small wagon, into which one child has climbed. “Mush!” the child yells. The little wagon tips, dumping its precious cargo on the hard kitchen floor.

My oldest son has a Cub Scout meeting today. It’s the day when the scouts bring a collection of something. He pulled a bag of feathers down from his closet. He’s had a fascination with birds since he was a little tyke. He has a peacock feather, hawk feather, owl feather, and more. But don’t tell the folks at the High Desert Museum. Last time we were at the Birds of Prey exhibit, and the children had the opportunity to touch an owl’s wing, the presenter opened the exhibit up for questions. Or comments, in our case. “We have lots of owl feathers!” said my 6 year old. “Well, that’s illegal,” was the response. Apparently, even on your own property (where my boy found the feathers), you are not allowed to gather the feathers of an owl.

The flu-ridden husband wanders down. He’s trying to maintain a good attitude. “Jenny, when is God good?” he asks. “All the time,” I respond. Our mantra.

I used to use a sort of salt rock deodorant before I switched to the Crystal spray. It had basically the same minimal ingredients, but every time you used it, you had to wet it with water to moisten it up enough to roll under your arm. What a hassle. And honestly I didn’t think it was all that hygienic, all that wetting and rubbing. The beauty of this product is that it’s a spray and never comes into contact with your skin, so it maintains purity and can be used by multiple users.

The Crystal Body Deodorant Spray contains the following: purified water, natural mineral salts, and potassium alum. That’s it! This product is also fragrance and paraben free. Frankly, if you’re in a real bind, just rub some salt water under your arms and you’ll be okay. Just to clarify, the ingredient alum has a very different composition from the other forms of aluminum in question.

Also, note that I’m only addressing deodorant, not antiperspirant, which is a different thing altogether, and I would avoid it. Here’s how the FDA describes antiperspirants:

Antiperspirants have an aluminum-based compound as their main, “active” ingredient, which can be any number of compounds within an established concentration and dosage form. The active ingredient gives antiperspirants their sweat-blocking ability by forming a temporary plug within the sweat duct that stops the flow of sweat to the skin’s surface.

A temporary plug within the sweat duct? Most people say don’t sweat it, but I think I’d rather.

What Wikipedia has to say about aluminum:

Aluminum has been established as a neurotoxin.[15] Aluminum chloride, an aluminum salt that is commonly used in antiperspirants, is also commonly used in studies on aluminum-induced neurotoxicity.[16][17][18][19][20] Aluminum itself adversely affects the blood-brain barrier, is capable of causing DNA damage, and has adverse epigenetic effects.[21][22] Research has shown that the aluminum salts used in antiperspirants have detrimental effects to a number of species such as non-human primates,[23] mice,[24] dogs[25] and others. An increased amount of aluminum is also present in the brains of many Alzheimer’s patients, although this link does not currently seem to be causal.[disputed][26][27][28].

Dare you share what works for your underarm odor control? (Or your feet, for that matter. I just read on the back on the Crystal spray bottle that it can be used to eliminate odor on your feet).

You can find more Works for Me Wednesday tips over at Rocks in My Dryer!

So, I took my strategy to the next level. I did a Google search for “pictures of starving children.” Oh, yes I did. I made him look. First, he just cried all the harder at the disturbing images. You do the search and see what comes up. But at least these tears were justified. Children in Sudan, naked, bones protruding, crawling in the sand to find bugs to eat. “Mom, I’m going to have nightmares!” I panicked. Had I gone too far? However, he grew quiet, the tears subsided, and he soon carried on with the borrowing and subtracting.

I certainly don’t want to make light of the situation in Africa and elsewhere, and just because I used it to my advantage to shock my boy into being thankful, I hope that doesn’t make me a shameless and unscrupulous mother. Does it?

I would be shameless and unscrupulous if I brought out pictures of starving children every time my kid whined, and only when my kid whined. But if the approach is to bring world calamities and injustices to the forefront of our comfortable lives on a regular basis, regardless of the children’s current temperament, and for the purpose of compassion and consciousness, then I really think it’s okay. And if you need a boost in the math department every once in a while…

Read in order to Live. –Gustave Flaubert

Don’t we all wish we had more time to read? While no one can escape the bounds of time, there are some tools and techniques available to increase our book time. Now, bloggers are writers, and writers must be readers. So, my Carnival of Family Life will display this week’s wonderful blog posts (in the order received) among bits of book-love wisdom. My source is The Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life by Steve Leveen - How to get more books in your life and more life from your books.

Mr. Leveen is a big fan of making lists. He insists that it must be your list, not someone else’s list. It can be overwhelming with the number of books available, with thousands more titles added each week.

I like to call this list that you make for yourself a List of Candidates rather than a reading list. Most of us had assigned reading lists in school, and hence the term carries a tweed-jacketed pall of obligation. It is more helpful to consider the books you place on your list as candidates for your attention rather than obligations. p. 13

Donetta presents Carnival of Family Life. Life Celebrated posted at A Life Uncommon. Just look at her celebration pictures!

Dana presents Planet’s meanest mom now the coolest posted at Principled Discovery. Would you have the guts?

What Works For Us presents I Shoulda Been A Hairdresser posted at What Works For Us. Do you know what a chullet is?

Christine presents Home is where my Heart is! posted at Are We There Yet Mom. You will just go kiss your grandmother after reading this.

Cory Aldrich presents Tax Season Is Upon Us! posted at Marriage Actually. Death and taxes, yes we know. Some sound advice.

Mom & Dad present Pneumonia, Bronchitis, and Birthdays, Oh My! posted at Raising 4 Boys. Oh, go drop this dear family a word of encouragement!

Jesse Moran presents 6 Tips to Cutting Down Your Spending on Groceries posted at CompGifts [The Frugal Way of Living]. If all you did was follow tip #1, you’d be in darn good shape.

Miscellaneous Mum presents THE scariest book for a preschooler EVER posted at Miscellaneous Adventures of an Aussie Mum. I guarantee it’s NOT what you think!

Steve Leveen mentions a reading guide first created in the mid-1930s by a group of scholars and led by Atwood H. Townsend, a professor at New York University:

From his introductory essay, “On Reading,” Professor Townsend comes across as a kind and wise fellow who’s not shy about lecturing us. “No matter how busy you may think you are,” he tells us, “you must find time for reading now, or surrender yourself to self-ignorance.” Most comforting was this advice: “Never force yourself to read a book that you do not enjoy. There are so many good books in the world that it is foolish to waste time on one that does not give you pleasure and profit.” p. 25

Marjorie presents Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike the Headless Chicken posted at Life Without School. After killing 141 chickens, you’d sound crazy, too.

Mrs. Darling presents Chicken Little posted at Dishpan Dribble. Okay, so I presented this for her, since she is too busy to submit it herself (seriously), but while we’re talking about chickens, it’s just so fitting.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Brain Plasticity, Health and Fitness Books posted at Sharp Brains. Yep, lots of brain books. I could use a few of these in the midst of raising four children - you know what that does to your brain.

Tim Gary presents How to Make Time Out of Thin Air posted at Tim Gary. Okay, I was wrong above when I stated that no one can escape the bounds of time.

Meredith presents Ways to Save Money: Beauty and Fashion posted at The Simple Nickle. I’m all over this idea - remember, I use vegetable shortening on my skin. “If beauty is only skin deep, why does it reach so deeply into our wallets?”

Frugal Trader presents Shopping for a Newborn I - The List posted at Million Dollar Journey. Oh, to be an old Indian woman and just strap the little thing in a papoose.

Coupon Fetcher presents How To Find The Real Price Of Things posted at Coupon Fetcher. Beware of the fine print!

Left Wing Christian presents Kids & Money: Putting Baby on a Budget? posted at Suburban Wife’s Daily Dollar Diary. A very interesting perspective on children and finance. I like this.

Mitch McDonald presents Sell Your House and Rent it Back: Avoid Foreclosure posted at FYI About.com. Did you know there is such a thing as a repossession rental specialist?

Some people will cringe at the thought, but Leveen maintains that you should write in your books. This marginalia can express your inspirations, questions, and thoughts, and help you connect with your books.

On a trip to Amherst, Massachusetts, Lori and I toured Emily Dickinson’s home. I bought a nice hardcover volume of her poetry in the gift shop and inside it wrote the date that we bought it, then taped in the ticket stub from the tour. Walking in the Dickinson’s yard with Lori that lovely summer afternoon, I picked up a perfect oak leaf from the grass and put that inside, too. Now our book is not simply any copy of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, but a special one with particulars, and even a leaf from the very yard that inspired her. p. 55

Paid Twice presents Teaching Preschoolers About Money posted at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already. A different school of thought from Suburban Wife above - “Even though it may seem early to start helping a three year old understand money concepts, they’re more aware of everything already than you might think.”

Samuel Bryson presents The Philosophy of Happiness - The Media & Unrealistic Expectations posted at Total Wellbeing. His first sentence sums it up: “Mainstream Media is full of crap.”

FitBuff presents 4 Tips on How to Live Longer posted at FitBuff. Sorry, the Fountain of Youth is not one of the four - every good thing requires some work.

Michael Ruch presents Post Surgery Recovery Going Well posted at Mikes World. The whole family pitches in to make for a speedy recovery.

Warren Wong presents The Value of Our Parents posted at Personal Development For INTJs. Wong says, “Parents can give us a sense of meaning and purpose in life.”

Terry M presents Marathon Day posted at Mom on Wheels. Go congratulate this mom on running her first half-marathon!

Carole Fogarty presents Easily Delete Obstacles and Welcome a Rush of New Opportunities posted at The Healthy Living Lounge. She says to detox and simplify.

Diane Kidman presents How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy and Beyond posted at The Mommy Spot. It’s the month of resolutions!

HowToMe presents How to Add Zest to Your Day posted at HowToMe. As in, the zest of an orange!

Guera presents Treating Clubfeet posted at Roaming Aussie Mum. Wow. “The story of my daughter’s journey to beautiful feet!”

Alex Blackwell presents Five Good Reasons to Exercise posted at The Next 45 Years. “Exercise can help to relieve stress, build confidence and to provide self-care and nurturing.”

Expat Chef presents The Unnecessary Nugget posted at The Expatriate’s Kitchen. “Can the fast food nugget be nudged out by a healthier alternative? You betcha, and it tastes better, too.”

Chris presents Don’t Snooze In Your Cubicle: Here Are Four Ways To Snack For Higher Energy posted at The Healthy Snacks Blog.

Aparna presents 12 beauty uses of baking soda posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming. “You can concoct your own beauty products in the convenience of your home by mixing a few ingredients from your kitchen shelves.”

Reading with your ears can open up a whole new world, and Leveen is a big fan of audiobooks. He quotes George Guidall, who says “I think it’s an essential need of the human being to hear another human being tell them a story…it makes us feel there’s somebody else here with us.” Are you a commuter? Stuck in traffic? A long-haul trucker? A taxi-cab mom? Mr. Leveen shares the example of Sarah Thomas, director of the Cornell University Libraries:

One of the first audiobooks Sarah listened to in the car was Peter Mayle’s Year in Provence. She delighted in all the well-executed French accents. “I was surprised. I don’t think that I had fully grasped the possibilities of the media. If you take something like Three Junes by Julia Glass, the story of a Scottish family, how much more alive the story comes with the Scottish accent than when you’re reading the book and trying to imagine it.” p. 66

David B. Bohl presents Small Business Trends Column - Who Else (Besides a Majority of Business Professionals) Wants Work Life Balance in 2008? posted at Slow Down Fast Today! “A nationwide survey sheds some light as to what people think will help them achieve their business goals in 2008. What made the top of the list? Achieving a work-life balance!”

Erika Wilson presents Weight Loss God’s Way posted at Royally Redeemed. “Why waste time losing weight with dieting only to gain it back once you return to your former eating habits, when you can learn the process to a healthy lifestyle and lose weight with out ever worrying about gaining it back?”

Deb presents Impulsive, ego-centric, exuberant…posted at Mom Of 3 Girls. “Trying to help figure out what makes our daughter different from other kids in some ways…”

Jeremy Neal presents Discovering Dad - 10 Most Common Parenting Strategies of Dads posted at Discovering Dad. “Here’s a list of the Top 10 Most Common Parenting Strategies of Dads.”

Spillay presents The Party Fairy was watching over me posted at A Pot of Gold. No more fear of having a social event in my home.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Miss Dating? Not Me! (Limerick) posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog. Married gals, aren’t you glad the game is over?

Zamejias presents Young Engineer posted at Verb. Yes, I see the young engineer.

Meghna presents MUSINGS…: Mail it??? How??? posted at MUSINGS… Oh, yeah, the postal system.

Matt M presents My Dog’s “Flix” at Greetingflix.com posted at The Pet Haven. Cutest little pooches in sweaters I’ve ever seen.

Host Bee presents Valentine’s Day Party Ideas posted at Busy Bee Lifestyle. A Valentine’s Day Coffee And Conversation!

Hilltown Families presents Zoe’s Big Adventure Across Eastern Europe posted at Hilltown Families. “Join Zoe (age 4) and her mom as they travel across Europe. You can read their posts, which will include photos, activities, maps and links to suggested readings.”

Dolfin presents Snow Day!! posted at Lionden Landing. “Share with us as we celebrate our first real snowfall.”

Sharing the fellowship of books - think about joining a book club if you don’t already belong to one. This tradition, actually dating back in some form to at least the 1800s in America, is on the rise. Some benefits of belonging to a book club include getting back into reading, reading books you would not have otherwise read, and gaining more insight from those books.

Whether to participate in a book group raises the age-old pros and cons of group involvement. You give up a bit of your personal freedom in exchange for the insights that can be gained from discussion. To the extent that you read to expand your knowledge of the world and people, group participation may be well worth the trade-off. The legendary reader Samuel Johnson said, “Books without the knowledge of life are useless, for what should books teach but the art of living?” p. 94

Laura Scarborough presents Ready or Not posted at Adventures in Juggling. “What’s a slacker mom to do when her child is driven and passionate about something? Well, ready or not, I join in because she is my child.”

Terri Mauro presents Emotional Rescue posted at About Parenting Special Needs. “Do you ever have days when you feel solely responsible for your family’s emotional equilibrium, and fear that you’ll overturn that apple cart any minute? I had one of those days today.”

The Baglady presents Fifteen Years in America — An Introduction — The Baglady posted at The Baglady. “Here is the first chapter in this real story written by my dad where a family came from Communist China with absolutely nothing, and chased the American Dream with hard work and determination.”

Samuel Bryson presents Cycling and your Wellbeing posted at Total Wellbeing. Lots of good reasons here to hop on your bike!

Living By Learning presents How To Be Popular: Tween Style posted at On Living By Learning. “Sometimes the pursuit of popularity can be a useful parenting device.”

Tea Party Girl presents Teach Your Children Well–The Top Five Mealtime Etiquette Lessons for Children posted at Tea Party Girl. “What role do manners and etiquette play in the twenty-first century? Tea Party Girl wants to go on record as saying they play the same role they always did: to help us show preference and honor to others over ourselves.”

Tipsandtricks presents Dishwashing With Clothes posted at Tipsandtricks. Oh, and I thought she was putting the clothes in the dishwasher! It’s getting late!

Shabana presents Five 2 Minute Tips to Raise a Confident Child posted at PreSchoolMama. “A few simple and easy to do tips to help raise a confident child.”

MyBestInvest presents MBI’s Guide to Playing With Your Kids posted at My Best Investments. Sometimes, we need a list.

Stephanie presents The Birthday Tea Party - Activities posted at Stop the Ride! “Fun activities for a birthday tea party with links for other DIY tea party ideas.”

PlanningQueen presents Fighting the materialism battle with self esteem posted at Planning with Kids. Comments on curbing the “gimme syndrome,” with some nice links.

Thank you for visiting the Carnival of Family Life: Well-Read Life Edition! Next week’s carnival is hosted by Confessions of a Novice, and you may submit your family-related post HERE.

There is creative reading as well as creative writing. –Emerson

photo credits: www.markaelrod.net, www.about.com.dollcollecting, AudioBook Builder

My sister just emailed me a link to Electoral Compass - it’s a very handy quiz, with only 36 questions, to analyze how you align with each political candidate for the U.S. Presidential Election of 2008. Respond to each query, and voila, who you’re voting for is settled! No more undecided voters.

Of course, it’s not quite as simple as a quiz. I’m a strong Mike Huckabee supporter, but the final report told me I’m closest to John McCain and furthest from Barack Obama (I would have guessed Hillary Clinton). You have to keep in mind that you may place more weight on a particular matter, while the quiz will give equal weight to all.

The issues covered in the questions are: gun control, environment, Iraq, economy, income, national security, family, immigration, health care, law and order, education, and terrorism. A very nice feature of the quiz is that at the end, you may compare each of the candidates with your answers. An even nicer feature are the links provided on every issue for each candidate, linking to the various sources that are the basis of the quiz, such as debate transcripts, candidates’ websites, and other news sources.

Strangely enough, it looks like this quiz was created by someone in the Netherlands.

Welcome to the 207th Christian Carnival, the Renaissance Edition! Renaissance comes from the French, meaning “rebirth.” What a fitting word for a Christian! This period of European history spanned roughly from the 14th-17th centuries, but the 15th and 16th centuries best represent the Renaissance.

Life in the Renaissance by Marzieh Gail is a fascinating look at this cultural movement, and left me with several impressions of Renaissance Life. I’ll do my best to arrange our posts this week according to these central themes. There is no way to cover the vast details of the Renaissance in this small space, but I hope your interest is piqued and you study further.

The first impression of Renaissance life is that it was a rediscovery of the ancient civilizations of the past - the great works of Greece and Rome. Emerging from the Middle Ages and its emphasis on the spirit, the Renaissance man was very interested in learning and in life. Scholars hunted out ancient texts long forgotten, and scoured about for the works of classical authors such as Plato and Cicero. Sculptors dug up old statues and once again were fascinated with the human body. Explorers eagerly poured over maps from antiquity, and all the intellectuals sought to improve the secular and the worldly.

Beyond the Rim presents Thinking Christians? Are you a thinking Christian? If so, consider yourself a rare person in the modern world in which we live. This post touches on that problem, which just about guarantees almost no one will read it. ;-)

Crossroads presents A Review of Everything Must Change-Part 5: This is the last in a series reviewing and comparing the books, “Street Saints” and Brian McLaren’s new book, “Everything Must Change.”

The Veil Away presents What It’s All About: I will tell you right now what “it’s all about”–the thing that human life is about, and without which you may be human but you are certainly not alive. I will tell you simply and I will tell you shortly.

JR Madill at Theology for the Masses presents Creating a Universe of Certainty, or, If You Remove Reason, You Remove Doubt (Part 2 of 2)

Notes From Off-Center presents What if Belief in God is Just a Delusion After All…What Then? Let’s say that “God” is a poisonous and vile belief in itself - a problem to the degree that it is the very source of most, or at least an awful lot, of human harm in the world. And let’s also humbly admit that it is a mass delusion reinforced by socio-political groups called religions. What is the suggested solution to treating people with this delusional belief?

A Frank Review presents BoC’s Watershed Moment: After 9-11, the term “fundamentalist” has taken on new connotations. Need Christians and other religions be concerned about the public perception of what it means to be a fundamentalist?

The second impression is that the Renaissance focused on Italy. Florence is widely acknowledged as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and scholars have considered several factors unique to Florentine culture. This was the heartland of the ancient Roman Empire. Florence brought in wealth as a capital of silk and jewelry. The ruling Medici family were great patrons of the arts, and apportioned enormous sums of money to commission works from the leading artists of Florence, including Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo. Some historians adhere to the Great Men theory - it was pure luck that great men were born there. Da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangelo were all born in Tuscany. It’s more likely that the cultural conditions present in the region are what allowed these men to rise to their potential.

Henry Michael Imler at Theology for the Masses presents Question of the Day: The Naked Truth: What is one “truth” that is not a) contextual, or b) discovered/conditioned through experience inside a particular culture?

Observation and Principles presents In the Beginnning, Jesus: I wonder if John 1:1-4 is describing who Jesus was in the beginning, at creation?

Thinking Christian presents What Christ Does For Us, Part 5: Who Christ Is: We will indeed all bow to Him. We will all, someday, recognize His divine majesty, and part of our worship will be based on recognizing how He sacrificed Himself on our behalf.

Dokeo kago grapho soi kratistos Theophilos presents Last Harvest: For the last harvest, the churches will need to re-tool their marketing.

A third impression is that the Renaissance was a dazzling spectacle. The splendid dresses with great balloon sleeves and rich fabrics, the magnificent chapels and palaces and ships, books streaming from the newly-invented printing press. This was an age of display and extravagance.

Had it not been for its explosion of great art, the Renaissance would surely not seem as splendid as it does. The very name of the age - Renaissance or rebirth - was coined by Vasari, an artist of the sixteenth century. Suddenly, large sums of money were being paid out to buy objects of beauty: furniture, clothes, jewelry, buildings, public and private, gardens, city squares. Wherever the eye gazed, it must behold a work of art. Art to enrich life became the order of the day. Men seemed to comprehend that even if they themselves were forgotten, their works of beauty would remain. p. 114

Homeward Bound presents Prosperity Preachers Consistent: As we hear the stories of opulent homes and antique-adorned offices, we should remember that this is exactly what they teach.

Tom Fuerst at Theology for the Masses presents Contra-Dispensationalism: The White Horse in Revelation 6: Contrary to this popular interpretation, though, this figure in chapter 6 is hardly some eschatological anti-messiah. This figure really is the actual Messiah, Jesus Christ. He comes forth to conquer, but does not do so with violence – again, the lack of arrows in his bow.

Enigmania presents Genesis 3: The post is about the story of the Fall, which seems literally fabulous nowadays (whence, via Aesop’s Fables, the connection with the Renaissance), but I feel that the earliest Monotheistic account of Creation ought to have some deeper meaning, and so I wonder what that could be.

Royally Redeemed presents Way 2: Life Savers: Discipline and self control are crucial in the life of a Christian. These are the very things that force us to crucify our flesh, because if we are going to talk the talk of a Christian, we must walk the walk of a Christian.

C.Orthodoxy presents Of Sin and Judgment: I had a dream last night: A man finds himself in a dark place. There are skeletons lining the walls around him, each bearing a name and a list of sins.

And finally, a few quotes from Life in the Renaissance that seemed to fit with particular posts.

To the Renaissance man-in-the-street heaven was static. Those who ascended there were supposedly blissful, standing throughout eternity, arranged in rows according to rank….The average person, seeing the grandeur of the heavenly hosts as shown in church paintings, could have little doubt as to where he was likely to end up. His future was made even clearer by the Mystery plays put on by his guild, where hell was shown as a monstrous yawning mouth with sharpened fangs, crowded with people much like himself. p. 112

Bounded Irrationality presents Heaven is better than a story: Does Heaven seem boring to you? Do you make comments like “I don’t want to be sitting on a cloud playing a harp for eternity”? Perhaps as a Christian, Heaven just seems good in comparison to Hell. If that’s your perspective I’d suggest you think about why Heaven is better than a story.

As we have seen, the Renaissance was an explosion of interest in human learning, in the knowledge of this world rather than the next. Although men still remained devout believers, they turned from religious studies to “human” ones. They became “humanists.” p. 92

An Accidental Blog presents A Fox in sheep’s clothing? Matthew Fox’s creation-centred spirituality.

In Italy anyone could attend the University of Florence regardless of age, class or finances if he was a registered Florentine citizen of legitimate birth. He received one gold florin, about four dollars, a month. Medical students also had an allowance of red wine and spices “to keep up their spirits.” In Venice, too, there were no class distinctions at the university and private charity housed the deserving. p. 97

Principled Discovery presents Student, Interrupted: How universities are treating the mentally ill. Well, they’re certainly not giving them red wine and spice; read this post to find out more.

The music of the Renaissance, once lost, has in recent years been uncovered in monasteries and ancient castles, and reconstructed from old, stained manuscripts without staff lines or indications of pitch. We now know how music sounded at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella; how widespread was the influence there of Arab poetry and song and instruments, and how many European styles grew out of them. p. 69

The Evangelical Ecologist presents 10 Tough Psalms for Worship Songs: Even Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, or Darlene Zschech would have a tough time with these.

Besides pages who could recite poetry, and choir singers, and jesters, most courts also employed troupes of actors to put on plays. The plays would be staged in a palace hall or courtyard; a temporary platform might also be set up in a church or on a cart drawn by oxen and supplied with screens of boughs. Some plays were Latin comedies (tragedies were not popular), rather immoral, and some, in Italian, referred to current events. p. 68

Nerd Family presents the Everything Skit. A musical drama.

The less holy could save themselves and their dead loved ones by applying to the church for an “indulgence,” or purchase of these merits. Wherever these indulgences were for sale, the money poured into the church. At a time when funds were thus being raised to build a new basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome, Martin Luther objected, among other things, to this outflow of German money to the corrupt church in Italy. In 1517 he invited a debate by posting a list of ninety-five points for discussion on the church door in Wittenberg. The list included an attack on indulgences. p. 113

Healing Through Words presents Am I the Only One? This is a quick article about how everything is sold to us.

Logical Consistency presents Nicaragua’s Bravery: Recently, the Associated Press wrote a twisted report on Nicaragua’s new abortion ban.

Cramer Comments presents American Idolatry: So, I missed last night’s premiere of American Idol. I hope to miss the rest of the season as well…

In the Middle Ages, ordinary people were not supposed to read the Bible, and indeed it had not been translated out of Hebrew, Greek and Latin into such local languages as English and French. The main goal of the reformers, however, was to “arm the simple layman with scripture.” A literary monument of the later Renaissance, England’s King James Bible, completed in 1611, was the work of great scholars who humbly wrote: “We are poor instruments to make God’s holy Truth to be yet more and more known unto the people. . . .” Unlike the Middle Ages, the Renaissance placed an increasing emphasis on the importance of the common man. p. 110

Weekend Fisher presents Old Testament, Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh? Weekend Fisher considers the current controversy over the name of the earlier books of the Bible and how the conversation provides chances to explain Christ to the world. 

Tidbits and Treasures presents Changing Our Thought Pattern: We should be going to the Word to see what our thoughts should be.

Psuedo-Polymath presents For The Christian Blogger: A prayer for blogging.

There was also much quarreling and fighting in private life. Women carried on feuds, soldiers kidnapped young girls, thieves went about in bands, men beat their wives, housewives struck their maids, and neighbors hurled oaths as well as insults at one another on the street. Practically every man and woman went armed with a knife, or was escorted by others so armed. Duelling was frequent because it was a recognized way of proving one’s manliness. p. 138

Alexander Marlin presents Do You Know if You’re a Loving Parent?

It was a time of sudden turns of fortune, of riches to rags in an hour. The mother of a disgraced official in Rome was driven out of her mansion and, left with only the clothes she had on, hurried from friend to friend seeking help. Afraid of being punished, they turned her away and closed their doors. Worse than hardness of heart was brutality. The history of Europe in the Renaissance is stained with torture scenes that are unbearable to read; torture was legally used by the authorities and all kinds of violence were common. p. 138

Parableman presents Moderate Deontology and the Problem of Evil: One kind of defense against the problem of evil seems to require an undesirable ethical theory. This post responds to that difficulty.

Thank you for visiting the Christian Carnival: Renaissance Edition. Next week’s edition will be hosted by Chasing the Wind, and you may submit your post HERE.

As if I can’t get enough of carnivals lately, I will also be hosting the upcoming Carnival of Family Life, so get your family thoughts down on paper screen and submit them HERE by this Saturday, January 19, midnight Pacific Time. It will be live on Monday, January 21.

Also of interest, the current Carnival of Family Life is up at Write From Karen, and the Carnival of Homeschooling is hosted this week by Consent of the Governed.

Are you confounded by carnivals? Check out the Blog Carnival FAQ sheet.

My many conflicting commitments have sent me into a tailspin. With pressing financial obligations that require me to leave Homeschool Fantasy Land, I’ve seriously looked at my options. How can I homeschool and run a business? When I can’t afford outside tutors, how do I teach my kids in the disciplines in which I’m not equipped, like music, but which are very important to me? Can’t someone else do this for me?

I did what I have to do in cases of extreme distress: I called Catherine. I look upon her as my Homeschool Mentor-Mom Mentor-Wife Mentor, and she’s always the one to help me readjust my perspective.

She gave me a real talkin’ to this time. She’s not one to say, “Oh, honey, you poor thing, I feel for you.” It’s more like, “Are you even thankful for what you have? You are where you are, now work with it.” I complained about not being able to afford private music lessons, and how, unlike her, I don’t have 10 years of music training in the French conservatories. “You can listen to CDs of classical music, can’t you?” I grumbled about having to work at our family business. “Do you know how many people would die to have a family business? To have that opportunity to teach their kids a life skill at their side?”

I groused about feeling inadequate. “Jennifer, I would say that about some people, but never you. You’re intelligent, educated, and love the Lord.” However, she maintained that all my education and degrees may actually hinder me, as I’m tempted to reproduce an educational institution in my home. Her main point, as she talked, and I humbly listened, was that God has our family where He has our family. She is adamant about just living life with your children, and learning as you go. Her style is much more un-schooling than mine, and her children are so bright and lovely and competent. “You just need to ask the Lord, how do I accomplish this? will You please provide what I need?” she asserted.

Nothing has changed about my situation. I still have to find a way to spend several hours a day working on the business; I still have to buckle down and really stretch myself on the music education; I still don’t have anybody to pass my kids off to; I still don’t have any more money than I did a week ago. However, I’ve regained a little bit of the mind of Christ, which was lost over the past month of holiday insanity. The mind of Christ seems to be telling me to chill out.

Chill out and educate my children one day at a time. “Why do you homeschool?” Catherine had pointedly asked me. Oh, yeah. It affords us the opportunity to bring up our kids as children of God. It empowers our family to grow together in ways that we can direct. It enables me to take advantage of those daily moments where training happens, moments I can even set up in advance to teach my children life lessons on character and friendship. And homeschooling, perhaps most importantly, ensures that my children are not trapped in an artificial construct, but are learning to live a real life in the real world. Okay, I’ll do it.

I look and see the half-eaten sandwich on his plate, the fourth one today. “But,” I protest, “you haven’t eaten all of that one!” His wide sky-blue eyes, full of a three-year-old’s innocence, plead with me. “I don’t want the cwust.”

When he wakes up in the morning, he asks for a peanut butter sandwich. Mid-way through morning, he asks for another. I take the kids to Papa’s Pizza for lunch, where I have to meet with a group of moms while the kids play, and he doesn’t eat his pizza. “I’m full,” he declares. But minutes after leaving, he cries, “I’m hungry! I want a peanut butter san’wich!”

This latest dinner sandwich emptied my peanut butter jar. For weeks now, I’ve been giving in to the no-crust-peanut-butter-san’wich-monster. It’s become a bad habit. He and I are both lucky that he is child number four, and I’ve been down this slippery road before. Else I would be insane, and he would have peanut butter poisoning.

But it’s all over now. I shall not buy another jar of peanut butter until I deem it is safe. Until he stops begging for the sticky, gooey, fattening spread morning, noon, and night. Until he submissively eats what is set before him with no thought of sinking his teeth into delicious peanut butter encased by two slices of peanut butter holders. Those great big eyes and “You’re my best friend” song will not tempt me at all, and if they do, there will simply be no peanut butter in the house.

“It’s all gone, honey,” I call out.

I’ll do a second post next week with links to all of your special works of art, for those of you who participate. Don’t forget to leave me a comment so I know where to find your link. Have a blessed weekend.

Can you tell a lot about a girl by what’s in her purse? I don’t know, but here are thirteen things currently in my purse. I’ll pull them out in random order, and let’s see what will be revealed about Diary of 1!

1. Two Girl Scout patches: From JJ’s Girl Scout meeting two days ago, which Mom needs to iron on the little scout’s vest.

2. One Clifford diaper: Oh my, the three year old still in a diaper? The horror!

3. One Starbucks gift card: Courtesy of e-Mom - Thanks, I’ll be using this soon, neverminding the leftist policies of the leftist company in the leftist city. Lifting the boycott for a good cuppa joe.

4. One black leather wallet: Bulging with receipts, I’m terrible about keeping up on wallet organization.

5. Three Deschutes Public Library Cards: One is mine, and two are the older children’s. Child number three (age 4) can finally write her name, the only requirement for getting a library card around here, so this week, I’ll add another card to the pile. Yes, this was the first thing she mentioned upon successfully writing her name.

6. One enormous black hair clip: One of those Jaws type clips, much too large for my amount of hair, and it’s forever falling out, so why do I keep it? Emergencies only. Like the wind ruined my hairdo and so up it goes.

7. One black sharpie pen: In my purse because it was confiscated from the four-year-old, who was caught with it in the van, attempting to write her name on a napkin.

8. One check from Dr. Schulze: Can you say “preying upon the elderly?” This is a check for my mom that I have to deposit in her bank for her. A $2.00 refund from one negligent snake-oil salesman who promises old people they will never get cancer, never have bowel problems, and never die.

9. One pair of fingernail clippers: With four children always in tow, chances are high that one of those 40 little fingernails will develop a crack or grow too long.

10. One spray bottle of mace: With a keyring attached, this is usually connected to my keys. However, when I was last at the airport, I wisely removed it to avoid jail time. I haven’t put it back on yet, but hey, thanks for the reminder, Thursday Thirteen. You never know when a thug or vicious animal will wander by.

11. One business card for a dog trainer: I have two sessions left, not that it’s going to make a difference. At one of her visits, she knowingly commented, “Do you love your dog? Because if you don’t, training won’t be very helpful.”

12. One penny: Talk about a cashless society. I literally have only one penny in my entire purse.

13. One Coupon for Nature’s Cure Yeast Infection: Umm, I have children who think it’s fun to grab coupons from those little electronic coupon dispensers at the grocery store. Last visit, one particular child, who reads very well, produced this coupon he had snatched, and at the checkout stand, said loud enough for everyone in line to hear, “Mom, what is Nature’s Cure Yeast Infection?” Giggles ensued around me, as I grabbed the coupon and stuffed it in my purse.

******

So, what’s in your purse?

Carnival update:

The Carnival of Insanities: don’t be put off or confused by the title - this is a very funny, witty, satirical site that will have you laughing…if you’re of the conservative, liberty-minded persuasion.

The Christian Carnival: now showing at Parableman. Up next right here at Diary of 1! My theme will be The Renaissance - but don’t worry, any post will fit in, after all, I have a few centuries to work with, and there’s nothing new under the sun. Here are submission instructions, but it’s easiest to submit your post HERE - by next Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 11:50 p.m. ET.

I have a 24 ounce tub of this shortening that I use daily, and no, I haven’t been making any pies lately. The label forgot to mention how great this is for the SKIN! Since I’m a freak about parabens, PABAs, laureths and other synthetics in my lotions, I have a hugely difficult time finding a lotion or cream I can use with good conscience. (See this list of chemicals to avoid in your cosmetics and soaps). I’m cursed with dry skin, and my kids all suffer from eczema, especially right now, in the high desert in winter, so a product like this is a necessity.

I’d already tried rubbing olive oil on my skin with good results, so I naturally tried the Spectrum Shortening, which I had in my cupboard. If it’s good enough to eat, surely it’s just fine for your skin. And only one ingredient, which name I can easily pronounce and understand: palm oil. And, truly, it works just as well as any lotion or cream I’ve tried for dry skin. I like that it’s naturally in a solid state - it has a creamy texture that’s not too messy like an oil. You don’t need to refrigerate it, just keep it at room temperature in the pantry.

If you will be using the Spectrum Shortening for cooking, I’d recommend having a separate tub just for the skin. My kids help themselves to the shortening tub and just love getting their sticky little fingers in there and rubbing it on their own skin. So you can imagine I’m not very willing to cook with it after that!

The Works for Me Wednesday Master List is Here. Oops, I just realized today is Backwards day, in which you ask a question, not give a solution - oh, well, please just go rub some shortening on yourself, and ask, is this working?

There’s the oldest running winter carnival in the Eastern United States, in its 111th year, the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival. Head on over to the Adirondacks and enjoy a festival of winter sports, drama, music, dance, and fireworks. I had to mention the Adironondacks, because while attending a New Year’s party, I met a wonderful New Yorker from that area.

And there’s definitely a feeling of winter in the air at the Carnival of Family Life. You can enjoy a virtual visit to this carnival of wintery blog entries.

St. Paul, Minnesota, is famous for its Winter Carnival, the oldest and largest winter festival in the United States. Unbelievable ice sculptures, fun parades, cultural celebrations, and even an elaborate treasure hunt. Back in 1885, a New York reporter wrote that winter in St. Paul was “another Siberia, unfit for human habitation.” St. Paul set out to prove him wrong, and the result was the first St. Paul Winter Carnival, full of life and activity.

After a visit to St. Paul, you can head to the next carnival, The Carnival of Homeschooling, with many New Year and winter themes as well! It’s the second anniversary of this carnival, and the hosts are wanting a new look. If you can come up with a new graphic to represent the Homeschool Carnival, be sure to enter it in the contest at Why Homeschool.

Any list of Winter Festivals would be incomplete without the Sapporo Snow Festival. This world famous festival in Hokkaido, Japan, attracts about two million people annually, in the first week of February.

I have a cousin who lives in Sapporo, and he used to tell me about having snow up to his rooftop. All that snow gets turned into hundreds of gorgeous snow sculptures, lit up at night in brilliant light. It’s a wintery fantasy land.

Are you feeling cold yet? Keep those gloves on, there’s a long winter ahead! It’s not so chilly over at the Christian Carnival, so stop in there and warm your soul.

I’d also like to tell you that Diary of 1 will be hosting two different carnivals in January, 2008. The Christian Carnival will be right here on January 16, and the Carnival of Family Life will be presented here on January 21. Prepare those entries, I’m ready for some more fabulous winter carnivals! The week preceding each carnival, you are invited to submit your entry here for the Christian Carnival, and here for the Carnival of Family Life.

Public Transportation is rife with problems. Last April in St. Paul, Minnesota, the city saw a 16 year old shot and killed while a passenger on the Metro Transit bus. In November, a 71 year old man was brutally beaten with a baseball bat in Gresham, Oregon by a 15 year old gang member at the MAX public transit station. Just two weeks ago in Baltimore, a 14 year old boy was shot and wounded on a Maryland Transit bus. And here’s just two paragraphs from the Baltimore Sun article to give you a taste of the real problems facing public transportation in major cities:

On Dec. 4, a 26-year-old woman was severely injured in a daytime attack in Hampden, beaten and kicked by a group of middle-school students on the No. 27 bus. Nine juveniles were arrested.

The next week, two passengers on a No. 64 bus in Brooklyn were attacked by a group of five men. On Dec. 18 two juveniles were arrested after a girl was stabbed in the arm on a No. 51 bus near Mondawmin Mall.

So don’t give me this flap about a lady reading the Bible on the bus. Is there nothing more interesting happening in Fort Worth, and the terribly bored bus drivers must resort to throwing off Bible reading mothers?

According to MyFox Dallas-Fort Worth, the woman kicked off the bus, Christine Lutz, sees this as a clear case of religious persecution. Lutz told FOX 4 that she was sitting in the back of the bus, not being disruptive, and reading to her children from the Bible. She said she was stunned when the bus driver asked her to stop reading her Bible. Lutz responded, “No, I’m reading the Bible, I’m teaching the kids, I’m going to continue.” Before she knew it, the bus had pulled over, and she and her kids were escorted into a supervisor’s van and driven the remainder of the way to church.

Now, as a homeschooling mom, I’m quite familiar with teaching on the go. In the van on the way to Cub Scouts, along the grocery aisles, in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, in line at the Post Office. I’m always teaching, reading the kids a story, answering questions. When dealing with children, animation is often required. I’ve surely annoyed some people along the way. However, the person waiting in line behind me to get his package shipped has no constitutional right to not be annoyed by my teaching. And I have a right to free speech. So does the obnoxious person shipping that package talking at full volume on his cell phone. So does the mother reading the Bible to her children on the public transit system.

Officials at the Fort Worth T (Trinity Railway Express) claim that their treatment of Lutz had nothing to do with the content of what she was reading, but that she was simply too loud. They point to signs on the bus warning against playing radios and loud behavior. “If she were reading Moby Dick or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or reading anything else, the same thing would have occurred,” said bus representative Joan Hunter. Really, Joan, does everyone sit in complete silence on the Fort Worth T? Perhaps I’ll try riding the T and read Winnie the Pooh to my children and see if I get thrown off.

Given that not a single passenger had complained, this story is pretty weak. Given the real, bona fide problems facing mass transit systems in large cities, like thieves, gangs, and drug dealers, it’s clear to this blogger that the bus driver was in fact engaging in a form of religious persecution. Or maybe just an extremely low annoyance tolerance level. This woman deserves the public apology she is seeking.