Archive for category Carnival of Beauty
The Beauty of Learning
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty on August 31, 2007
Class, er, I mean, the Carnival is now in session. And once again, I’m tardy! Yikes!
But we do have one lovely submission to this week’s carnival on the Beauty of Learning, from Susanna, at Through a Glass. Although Susanna claims academia is not her strong point, she does realize that learning takes places in forms other than book knowledge.
Surely the beauty of learning is that it is something that never ends.
Be sure to check out her post, Life Long Learning.
And check out Amanda’s blog, Following an Unknown Path, for more information about the Carnival of Beauty.
Class dismissed.
Carnival of Beauty. Here. Tomorrow.
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty on August 30, 2007
Please consider writing a post for tomorrow’s Carnival of Beauty: The Beauty of Learning. I’m a bit on the late side sending out this reminder…but I promise you have time.
I won’t be putting the Carnival up until tomorrow afternoon. 
Have a great evening.
Beautiful Summer: Carnival of Beauty
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty, Picturesque, Rambling in Progress on July 11, 2007
Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.
~Russel Baker
The temperature has been in the high nineties for days. The laundry smells and bugs manage to creep inside my house, despite all attempts at keeping them in their proper outdoor habitat. The power bill skyrockets. What can I say? It’s summer. We suffer. And we love it!
I love spring. The flowers blooming. The birds singing. The warm breezes after the chilly weather of winter has left. The rain showers.
I love fall. The crisp air. The cool weather following the sweltering summer heat. The crunch of leaves underfoot. The smell of firewood in the air.
But my mostest favoritest season of all is still summer. To this day, I can’t quite figure it out. It’s hot. It’s humid. It’s miserable….but I love it.
Being a teacher, and having vacation time during the summer definitely contributes to this. But it’s more than that.
It’s something to do with drippy popsicles running down my kids faces, fireworks on the Fourth of July, softball games, roasting marshmallows, sleeping in a tent, wallowing in the creek all day long, eating fresh tomatoes, blueberries, and squash, kids running through sprinklers, and flags waving around.
It’s grilling hamburgers, and chicken, and zucchini. It’s spending all day reading. It’s fireflies and crickets. It’s the smell of sunscreen and the warm feel of a beach towel when you are all wet, watermelon seed spitting contests, making homemade lemonade, drinking lots of ice water.
It’s cool sunglasses and flip flops. It’s homemade ice cream and strawberry shortcake and sno-cones, and playgrounds, sand between your toes and the smell of grass being cut. It’s the sound of the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
Yep. Summer is beautiful!
Written for The Carnival of Beauty, The Beauty of Summer @ Onward and Upward.
Always be my baby
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty, Motherhood, Picturesque on June 21, 2007
“I’m not a baby!” Landon calls out in frustration to me. He’s just a bit peeved that I called him baby, or my baby.
“You’re always my baby,” I tell him. “You’ll never stop being my baby. Not ever.”
“I’m a big boy!”
“It doesn’t matter. You can grow as big as Uncle Cade, and you’ll still by my baby. Momma’s always have babies. Even when they grow big.”
“Your mom is still my baby,” my mother says, helping me out.
Wide eyes…”Really?” he asks.
“Yup,” we say simultaneously. “I always will be her baby,” I reinforce.
This conversation took place several years ago. Landon was probably about four when we had this discussion. He, technically was still young enough to be considered a baby. Now, he’s a strapping six year old. Wild. Carefree. Passionate. Strong. Giddy with happiness most of the time. Long hair flopping in his eyes. He likes baseball hats, guns, soccer, Scrabble, Spiderman, and gummy bears. He says his super powers are running fast and kicking hard. I tell him his super power is folding towels. The boy can fold towels. It is a marvel to behold.
And still, he’s my baby. He’ll grow up soon. Way too soon. These fleeting days of his childhood are flying past me…I look and he’s taller. He’s faster. He’s smarter. When did he start reading? When did he get so good at throwing a baseball? When did he learn the words to that song? Where did he pick up that new phrase? I can’t even remember…it’s happening too fast.
And still he grows. I’m sure he’ll play some sport. He’s a talented athlete. He might make Who’s Who when he’s in high school. He’s the type. Very popular. We’ve already decided that girls will not be allowed to call him. I’m afraid the days of making the ladies upset are coming soon. He’ll learn to drive and hopefully change his own oil. And mow my yard. He may even get a part time job….and he’ll still be my baby.
So, I’m gonna remember these days. Right now. The way he gobbles down spaghetti like nobody’s business. The way he slings the softball across the yard with amazing accuracy. The way he makes up songs to sing to his little sister, putting her in a fit of giggles. The way his eyes get big and he sticks out his bottom lip, trying to look cute to get his way. The way he teases his dad. The way he gives what we call duckbill platypus kisses. The innocent blue eyes and enormous grin that covers his face. Even the way he seems to destroy everything he touches.
Because he’s still my baby.
Wanna see my other babies? Here’s Shiloh and Rebekah! They will always be my babies too! 
For more Carnival of Beauty posts, be sure to stop by Amanda’s site. She’s hosting The Carnival of Beauty: The Beauty of Babies.
Carnival of Beauty: The Beauty of Truth
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty on June 14, 2007
Psalms 51:6
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Welcome to this week’s Carnival of Beauty. This week’s topic was The Beauty of Truth. Five ladies showed up to share their thoughts on Truth. I hope you take the time to check out these wonderful posts!
Susanna @ Through a Glass elaborates on the heartbreaks a lack of truth can lead to. She discusses the freedom found in the truth in her post, The Beauty of Truth.
Sara @ Stones of Remembrance discusses the truths found in God’s Word. She points out truths that can give us encouragement, direction, and peace in her post, Most Perfect is the Law of God.
Amanda @ Following an Unknown Path recognizes Satan as the Father of Lies. Her post, also titled The Beauty of Truth, shows how truth, through Christ, can set us free.
Lizzie @ A Dusty Frame, points out one of the names of God as being Lord God of Truth in her post, Jehovah El Emeth.
Barbara @ Fuel discusses a time in her life when lies held her in bondage and how the Truth of God’s Word helped her pull through. Check out her post, Truth, to see the words of Truth that helped Barbara through this difficult time.
Zechariah 8:16
These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates.
To find out more about The Carnival of Beauty see these pages. Join us next week @ Following An Unknown Path for The Beauty of Babies.
Calling All Ladies
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty on June 11, 2007
Okay, so I’m terrible at blog resolutions. I will do better…one day.
But for now, I have some blog activity scheduled. I’ll be hostessing the Carnival of Beauty this week on the topic of Truth. I would truly appreciate your submissions. Look here for information about how to submit your posts!
Submissions are due on Thursday.
Hope to see you at the Carnival!
Red Is…
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty, Picturesque, Rambling in Progress on February 25, 2007
Red is
* a pair of comfy Crocs I wore through my entire pregnancy
* the hat from the University of Arizona that my husband wears all the time
* a dozen roses on my first Valentines with Joshua
* cherry cheeks on my children when they’ve been playing outside in the cold
* Spider man in various corners in Landon’s bedroom
* spicy crawfish
* Lilies that bloom in my yard in April
* Rebekah’s face when she’s not happy
* a checkered dishtowel that doesn’t match my kitchen at all but I keep it because I like it
* approximately 45% of my husband’s wardrobe
* my Tae Bo workout video
* Josh’s rare steaks
* strawberry shortcake
* Camillas that bloom in my yard in February
* Rascal Flatts’ Feels Like Today and Brad Paisley’s Time Well Wasted
* cherry pie
*1 Peter 1:18-19
Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Carnival of Beauty: The Beauty of Innocence
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty on February 14, 2007
Welcome to the Carnival of Beauty: The Beauty of Innocence.
We only have two entries in the Carnival this week, but you are going to want to check out what Bernadine of Keeping It Real…Girl Talk, has to say on the topic. Her post, The Beauty of Innocence…Forming Friendships details a trip she took with two young girls in her life. She watched how their innocence aided in a beautiful friendship and wonderful memory.
I have found some of the most beautiful expressions of innocence as I watch children develop friendships. Children in their innocence bring friendship down to the simplest form.
And my entry, Innocence Lost, focuses on how children in our culture seem to be losing an important part of their childhood…their innocence.
When I think of the peer pressure, the media, and the influences around when I was growing up, and how destructive they were to me, I get cold chills thinking about what is going to be around for my kids. How much of what they are exposed to is geared at stealing away their innocence. That aura around childhood that seems to disappear at younger ages all the time.
Hope you enjoy this week’s Carnival of Beauty, sponsored by Sallie at A Gracious Home. Read more about The Carnival of Beauty here.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
Innocence Lost?
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty, Rants and Raves on February 14, 2007
The innocent and the beautiful Have no enemy but time.
~William Butler Yeates
I’m not so sure that time is the only enemy to innocence any longer….
“You’re so innocent!” I distinctly remember being told by some adolescent peer in high school. Oh, the condescending tone. It was obvious to me that innocence was not something I should have. I must admit to poking fun at a particular friend of mine for a similar reason. Somehow, being a bit more world wise seemed a good thing to flaunt over her at the time.
When I think of the peer pressure, the media, and the influences around when I was growing up, and how destructive they were to me, I get cold chills thinking about what is going to be around for my kids. How much of what they are exposed to is geared at stealing away their innocence. That aura around childhood that seems to disappear at younger ages all the time.
Now, as a mother, innocence is something I want my children to hold on to, for as long as possible. The thought of someone calling my daughter innocent in that same tone is enough to bring out my mother bear instincts and want me to tear into the other person. Of course she’s innocent. She should be innocent! She’s nine.
Yet, being involved with children on a regular basis tells me that this is a stage that leaves children at younger ages all the time. I teach six, seven and eight year olds (between my job as a first grade teacher and my second grade boys Sunday school class). I see world wise written all over many of these kids. Just the other day, in church I had to stop a discussion about the movies the kids have been viewing. It had turned into a contest to see who had watched the most “taboo” movies. And this was in Sunday School!!
One of the decisions my husband and I have made is to keep our kids away from some of the exposure to the things this world has to offer. We do not have outside television in our home (no cable, no antenna). Our kids don’t attend many birthday parties for kids. They can only go home with children whose parents we know well (and trust to make similar decisions about music, television viewing, video games and computer time that we would).
We have been considered prudish. Others have implied or right out said that our children are overprotected and will not be prepared for the “real world”. I roll my eyes at this idea….the idea that keeping children children, and protecting their innocence is not preparing them for the real world. And that somehow, exposing our kids to more language, violence, sex, disrespect for parents and other authorities is somehow better preparing them for life.
One of the things about our culture that hurts me the most is the way children are constantly exposed to, and involved in experiences that steal away their childhood. And one of the things that I believe we as Christian parents should do, is help our kids hold on to their innocence as long as possible.
Carnival of Beauty Coming Today
Posted by Bethany in Carnival of Beauty on February 14, 2007
If you are here looking for the Carnival of Beauty it will be up tonight!! I felt horrible yesterday after work and went to bed for a short nap at 5:00. I never woke up!! I’m much better today and will have the Carnival up shortly! Sorry to all involved! 