following an unknown path

this week's carnival of beauty

Surprises!!  This week we have four great posts on the Beauty of Surprise.

A Dusty Frame shares how God orchestrated a "mistake" as a very special surprise.

Chel at Chasing Contentment thinks about how Holiday Surprises remind her of the blessings God gives and the lessons he teaches.

Sallie of A Gracious Home explains that she sees evidence in her own life that she thinks God enjoys surprising us.

And, finally, here at following an unknown path, I talk about unexpected gifts at unexpected times.

Thanks to Sallie at A Gracious Home for sponsoring the Carnival of Beauty.  Join us next week for The Beauty of Reaching Out, which will be hosted by Chel at Chasing Contentment.

surprise!!

In the movie Finding Forrestor, Sean Connery's character, Mr. Forrestor, gives his young prodigy some advice for wooing a girl's heart: give an unexpected gift at an unexpected time. 

Perhaps this is not just good advice for wooing hearts; maybe it is good advice for all who want to show their love and care for others.  Giving gifts when we are supposed to--at birthdays, Christmas, and life events (wedding, baby showers)--is nice.  Giving people the things they ask for and need at these times is also nice.  Yet, giving an expected gift at an expected time lacks the power of surprise gift. 

The gifts I remember most throughout my life have always been the ones I didn't expect.  My dad once gave my his Bible, a totally unexpected Christmas gift.  My mom and dad together gave me the first piece of jewlery my dad gave to my mom when I turned 13.  I've had two people cancel loans after I borrowed money from them and before I could pay it back to them.  Someone else gave me flowers for no reason.  My brother cleaned the apartment when I didn't ask him too.  And so the list goes . . . both significant and insignificant items. . . but the gifts that shine greatest in my treasure trove of memories are the ones which were unexpected.

Since God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts so much better and wiser than ours, life is full of unexpected gifts at unexpected times.  My parents were given a son 13 years after their second daughter (and after being told my a doctor they would probably have no more children)!  I find myself speaking Chinese and living in Taiwan when 10 years ago I hated foreign languages and I didn't even know where Taiwan was on the globe.  My sister recently married a man she met on a crime scene (they both work in law enforcement).  And so the list contines.  Unexpected gifts.  Surprises by the Master. 

But God's love and peace and grace and mercy also take me by surprise.  There are days when I find myself joyful when there are no material, physical reasons to be happy.  At times like this I find myself surprised by joy.  There are times in life when by all outward apperances I should be a nervous wreck, yet because of God's grace my heart and mind are at total rest and void of worries.  At times like this I am surpised by peace.  There are times when I should be loney and bored but instead I am content.  At times like this I find myself surprised by His great love for me.  At other times, I am surprised by how the Holy Spirit works in me or how He works through me.  And so the list contines.  Unexpected gifts.  Surprises by the Master. 

Really, I suppose I should not be surprised by these things.  But, in all honesty, I always am.  God's goodness and grace are neverending sources of surprises. 

So, perhaps the beatuty of a surprise is in it's unexpected nature.  For, you see, there is no better way to woo a young woman's heart than with an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Beauty sponsored by Sallie at A Gracious Home.  This week the theme is The Beauty of Surprises and is hosted by me right here at Following an Unknown Path.  Join us next week for The Beauty of Reaching Out.

don't forget the carnival of beauty

The Carnival of Beauty has been slowing declining in number of participants.  I am one of the many who have quit contribuiting regularly. :(

However, this week the CoB has returned to my blog!!  The topic?  The Beauty of Surprises!!  Yea--surprise! 

If you have never participated before, please consider doing so; if you've kinda drifted away like me, please consider participating again!  Rules to follow and previous CoBs can be found here.

Regardless, the Carnival will be here this week.  Please email me submissions.

a living sacrifice

I recently listened to a sermon by John Piper on Romans 12:1: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

I wanted to share with you some of my favorite snippets from this sermon. He closely examines four words in these verses.  (To listen to or read the entire sermon click here.)

Body
In the Bible the body is not significant because of the way it looks, but because of the way it acts. The body is given to us to make visible the beauty of Christ. And Christ, at the hour of his greatest beauty, was repulsive to look at. Isaiah 53:2-3 describes him: “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejectedby men; a man of sorrows,and acquainted withgrief.” The beauty of Christ is the beauty of love, not the beauty of looks. His beauty was the beauty of sacrifice, not skin.

Living
Let every act of your body in living be an act of worship. That is, let every act of your living body be a demonstration that God is your treasure. Let every act of your living body show that Christ is more precious to you than anything else. Let every act of your living body be a death to all that dishonors Christ.

Holy
“Present a living holy body to God” means give your members—your eyes, your tongue, your hands and feet—give your body to do righteousness, not sin. That's what would make a body holy. A body is holy not because of what it looks like, or what shape it's in, but because of what it does.

Acceptable to God
If the sacrifice of our bodily life is holy, then it is acceptable to God. So what do these words add? They add God. They make God explicit. They remind us that the reason holiness matters is because of God. They remind us that all of these words are describing an act of worship—“which is your spiritual worship”—and God is the center of worship.

Piper ends with these words:

Romans 12 is a call to live a merciful life, it is a call to live a worshipful life. Or better: In calling us to live a merciful life (built on the mercy of God in Christ), the aim is that it be a worshipful life. The aim of showing mercy is showing God. The aim of having bodies is to make the glory of God more visible. And he does not shine through our muscles and curves, but through our merciful behavior.

In the actual sermon (not the typed manuscript), Piper says "worship is both the fuel and the goal."  That is a neat concept: the fuel for being a living sacrifice is worship and the reason we are to be a living sacrifice is to worship. 

Worship is the center of all our human sacrifice because Christ made the greatest sacrifice of all. 

My own two cents: If I am sacrificing by living in Taiwan, but if I am not drawing others into the worship of Christ, my sacrifice is pointless; it is not really merciful.  What benefit is it for my students to speak good English in hell?  I must constantly be about my Father's business telling those who have never heard the good news of Christ's ultimate sacrifice so they can join me in worshiping Him. 

The same is true for you.  If you are making sacrifices, they are not really worth it unless the fuel and the goal is worship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Beauty sponsored by Sallie at A Gracious Home.  This week the theme is The Beauty of Sacrifice and is hosted by Renee at Of Nobel Character .  Join us next week for The Beauty of Autumn over at The Autumn Rain.

the beauty of Romans

I have always enjoyed the book of Romans, but I found it difficult for me to write about the beauty of one particular book of the Bible.  However, these women were able to do so--and very well, I might add--therefore, I am honored to showcase them here.  Please join me in reading about the beauty of Romans by visiting the bloggers below.

Loni @ Finding Joy in the Morning
Loni shares that a part of the beauty of Romans is the "Romans Road to Salvation" - finding a personal relationship and faith in Jesus.

Sherrin @ Small Things
Sherrin says the beauty of Romans is that the book explains our sin, the solution, the benefits of our salvation, and how we should live in response.

Malissa @ Malissa's Merry-go-round
Malissa points out that part of the beauty of Romans is that Paul admits that he too struggles with sin.

Ellen @ MzEllen & Co.
Ellen remembers her march through Romans pointing out that the beauty of Romans is  found in the heart and message of the truth Romans proclaims.

A Dusty Frame
This blogger looks at the beauty of Romans chapter 8 verse 28.

Thanks for joining us this week.  Please join us next week for The Beauty of Sacrifice. The Carnival of Beauty is sponsered by Sallie @ A Gracious Home. 

yea it's my turn again!!

It's my turn to host the Carnival of Beauty again!! 

If you haven't participated before, please check out the guidelines, and then join us this week as we explore the "Beauty of Romans."

We'd love to have you be a part of us!!

work and rest

Work.  No matter who we are or what we "do," we all work in some shape, form, or fashion.

I go back "to work" this week--after enjoying two months on "no work."  By God's grace, I have always tried to apply this verse to my jobs: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ" (Colosians 3:23-24). 

It is not easy to work heartily when I get no credit or, worse yet, someone else gets the credit for my hard work.  It is not easy to work heartily when I am frustrated with my boss, my colleagues, or my students.  It is not easy to work heartily when I am burned out or sick.  But, still I must focus on the fact that I am to work as for the Lord and not for men. 

However, thankfully, most days it is very easy to work heartily because, as I have said before, I love my job.  To be paid to do what I love is a blessing!  How great is our God!

I am starting to think that part of "work as for the Lord," also means honoring his priorities and teachings, rather than just an excuse which allows me to be caught up in prefectionism and self-rightousness.

Which means, I also have been thinking about how and when to say enough is enough.  What is the balance between being the best teacher I can be and working as unto the Lord on one hand and knowing when to stop, to rest, and to enjoy and participate in the other things of life and living on the other hand?

I don't know the answer.  But, I do know that I want to wrestle with it more.  In the next few days I am going to prayerfully set some goals and objectives for the coming year (for teachers--"the new year" is in the fall).  I already know that one of these objectives will be to learn more about rest and practice observing it. 

I read recently (but can't remember where) that the day before observing rest is a day of preparation for the day of rest.  This day of prep led to anticipation for the day of rest to come.  The Bible is a story of anticipation--waiting for the Savior to come and waiting for him to come again.  Partly, I want to observe a day of rest because God thought it was a good thing to do after working and because I want to practice anticipation.  I want to be reminded on a weekly basis that I am (supposed to be) waiting eagerly for the Savior to come again.

I guess one of the beautiful things about work is that we get to anticipate and enjoy rest. :)

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Beauty sponsored by Sallie at A Gracious Home.  This week the theme is The Beauty of Work and is hosted by Mary at Relevant Blog.

a few quotes on learning

Each time I have graduated, my dad told me the same thing: "now your real education can begin."  He instilled in me from the beginning to use "formal education" as a way to learn how to learn.

In fact, learning is a natural part of my family.  My dad studies in order to prepare for his sermons; my mom is a teacher.  And all of us love learning a few good random facts.

In fact, I love learning.  Perhaps that is one reason I became a teacher and researcher.  As a teacher, I can pass on my love of learning others--giving them the tools to continue to learn on their own.  Being a researcher, gives me an excuse to continue learning so that I can become a better teacher.  And, like it has been said before, if you wanna learn, teach. 

As I prepare for the upcoming semesmter of courses, I want to share with you some of my favorite quotes on education and learning.

“He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.”  ~Chinese Proverb

"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence." ~Abigail Adams

"Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent perspiration." ~Thomas A. Edison

“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” ~Chinese Proverb

"The important thing is not to stop questioning." ~Albert Einstein

"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn."  ~Albert Einstein

"Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I'll remember. Involve me, I'll understand." ~Chinese Proverb

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."  ~Pablo Picasso

"The more you know, the more you know you don't know." ~Aristotle

"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma." ~Eartha Kitt

"Learning how to learn is life's most important skill."  ~Tony Buzan

"Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers." ~Voltaire

"Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." ~Confucius

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Beauty sponsored by Sallie at A Gracious Home.  This week the theme is The Beauty of Learning and is hosted by Blair at Scribblings by Blair.
 

chocolate confessions

photo by parl

Chocolate covered fruit--strawberries, bananas, cherries--turns the mouth into a festival of delight!  Just yummy.  I promise you a frozen banana covered in chocolate tates better than ice cream!  I kid you not!!

Speaking of ice cream, even though I confessed the other day that I would prefer green tea ice cream to chocolate ice cream, I must explain the reason why.  Don't get me wrong.  Just like most every woman, I enjoy chocolate in a myriad of forms, but I prefer rich dark chocolate.  Milk chocolate bars, chocolate flavored puddings, or even chocolate ice cream do not satisfy like a small, hard square of dark chocolate melting slowly in my mouth.   I'm talking 60-80% coca here ladies.  Pure delight!

I'll make another confession too, my favorite Sonic treat is not even on the menu: a hot fudge shake.  Sounds like an oxymoron right?  But it is the richest, chocolatiest shake I've ever had.  It is like I am finally allowed to just drink hot fudge.  :)

Oh, and as long as I am making confessions . . . one more.  Chocolate chips are just too wonderful to be put into cookies.  :)  Last year, I took back to Taiwan with me a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips to bake with.  Not one of those delicious morsels made it into a baked treat, but they did all get eaten.

I am so thankful that God choose to give us coco beans and that some smart people decided to make them into chocolate.  Can you imagine what the banquet foods in heaven will be like?  I am sure my confession that dark chocolate is "pure delight" will seem silly and overstated as we drink in His presence.

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Beauty sponsored by Sallie at A Gracious Home.  This week the theme is The Beauty of Chocolate and is hosted by Ellen at MzEllen & Co.
 

over at sallie's

I have made my nominations for the 2006 Blogs of Beauty Awards, have you?

If not, you should consider doing so!!  Which beautiful, God-honoring blogs with female authors have blessed you or encouraged you?  Let Sallie know before this Sunday.

Find out how to make your own nominations here.

old man's tea

Even though it was nine years ago, I still remember the very first time I saw a coffee mug full of green leaves and water.  I was shocked!  "What is that?"  My student laughed at me and said, "It's tea."  TEA!?!?!  To me, tea was some brown substance folded inside a small white filter (AKA: a tea bag), brewed hot, drunk cold. 

He offered me a little paper cup full of green leaves topped off with hot water. I tried it, and it was B.I.T.T.E.R.

Now, I love that bitter drink and serve it myself.  In fact, if you want to really "serve tea" in Taiwan there is an entire process that must be followed.  However, unlike the Japanese tea ritual, the tea ritual in Taiwan is more relaxed.  But, it does last a long time.  Brew a little, pour a little, drink a little.  Brew some more, pour some more, drink a little more.  Repeat.  This process is lovingly referred to as "old man's tea."

All over Taiwan, you can find groups of people sitting around drinking tea and socializing: at a souviener shop, in a temple, at the automechanic's, in front of their homes. 

Everytime I see a group of people sitting around drinking tea, I think: "that could be a church!"  I pray that one day it will be a group of believers sitting around discussing what God is doing in their lives as they sip their green tea at the end of the day, a Bible study group meeting to discuss the book of John, a family gathering to pray for each other and their lost neighbors. 

Oh, may it one day be true!!

In order to reach other cultures for Christ, we do not necessarily need to "change" them.  God can redeem cultural traditions in order to bring greater glory to Himself.  Isn't that cool?

This post was submitted to the Carnival of Beauty hosted and sponsored by Sallie at A Gracious Home.  This week the theme was The Beauty of Coffee and Tea.
 

this week's carnival of beauty is up

Head on over to She Live's and see a collection of posts all about the beauty of aging gracefully!

what!?! 29 already??

I glanced at my doctor's computer screen as he was talking.  Lots of yellow and green Chinese characters on a black screen--a list of patients for today, I surmised.  One column had ages--again, surmising.  I scanned the column quickly . . . 45, 70, 67, 29, 80, 19, 22, 54, 31 . . .

I didn't see 28.  Hmm, maybe I surmised wrong.  Maybe they are numbers of something else.  So, I went back to paying attention to the doctor and our conversation.

He goes to write out the prescription on the computer and clicks the line with 29.  I glance to the left of the 29--sure enough!  There is MY Chinese name!! 

29?   What!?!  How can that be!?!  My 28th birthday was only yesterday! 

But, the form for the medical records was "gotten" from my official government health insurance card so 29 is my "official age."

Then I remember . . . "oh! that's right, many Asian cultures count the time that we are spent being woven together in the workshop of the womb as a year of life." 

Now I am in a state of shock. 

Thursday I was 27. 

Today I found I am 29.

I thought I had another whole year before I had to contemplate turning 30.

Guess not.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it.   You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalm 139: 13-16, New Living)

the carnival of beauty: flowers

"I do not think I have ever seen anything more beautiful than the bluebell I have been looking at.  I know the beauty of our Lord by it." (Gerald Manley Hopkins)

Flowers are BEAUTIFUL!!  Truly they are works of art each carefully designed by the Creator God Himself. 

I am glad you have joined us this week as we celebrate together the beauty of flowers and the beauty of our Lord Jesus! 

Iris @ Sting My Heart
As she was thinking about the beauty of flowers in her post Flowers Cheer the Spirit, Iris also remembered the promise of God not to worry about tomorrow.

Barbara @ Tidbits and Treasures
Barbara says she loves flowers, especially roses.  So, she claims just a rose will do.  In her post she also explains that Scripture says Jesus is the Rose of Sharon.

Deb @ On the Vine 
This week, Deb posts about the influence of her grandfather in her love of flowers in Thanks, Grandpa!

Heather @ Mom 2 Mom Connection
Heather shares what her Japanese homestay mom taught her about the art of Flower Arranging.

Blair @ Blair's Scribblings
As a teenager, Blair's Scribblings reveal a lot about her beliefs concerning love. Now an adult, she still feels much the same way but ponders that through Christ we have Love Like a Rose.

Christie @ crickle's nest
Do you ever wonder what God produces from the Seeds We've Sown in serving Him? Sometimes He actually gives us a glimpse of how He works, as Christie observes in a post written by her daughter Hannah.

Deb at Mountain Musings
Deb posts about a very Unforgettable Delivery of a bouquet of beautiful flowers she received several years ago.

Leann @ The Prattling Pastor's Wife
Even in the midst of a desert existence God can bring beauty and life.  The Living Water of Christ can grow a lush and fruitful life.  Find out how in Leann's post Beauty in the Desert.

Malissa @ Malissa's Merry-go-round
Malissa shares with us her passion for Lilics in both the memories of days gone by and in the description of how she enjoys them in the present.

me @ following an unknown path
Flowers--especially sunflowers and daisys--make me smile, but eventually flowers fade.

Thanks for joining us this week.  Please join us next week over at Ellen's blog for The Beauty of Technology. The Carnival of Beauty is sponsered by Sallie @ Two Talent Living. 

flowers fade

I love flowers.  Please don't get me wrong!  I am not being pestimistic.  I promise you.

But this week, as I was cleaning off the hot zone of my dinning room table, it was time for my 30-cents flowers to be thrown away.   They had lost their brilliant purple and shinny yellow.  They were no longer stretching this way and that displaying their beauty.

But as I gathered them and was reaching for the trash, I thought to myself, "the grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever"  which comes from Isaiah 40:8.

So, instead of tossing them, I hung them upside down to dry. 

Its true.  The beauty of flowers--even though I enjoy it greatly (especially the "smiley flowers"--you know sunflowers, daisys, and so on)--doesn't last forever.  Their beauty fades, rather fleetingly if you ask me.  But, God's word?  Nope it never, ever will fade.  Now that really is something to smile about! :)

Here are more shots of my faded flowers (and even though they made some fun pictures, they pale [yes, pun was intended] in comparison to the originals):

www.flickr.com

its that time again!!

This week, the Carnival of Beauty is to be hosted right here.  And, it is all about one of my favorite things in the world: Flowers!! 

So, please join us by writing about the beauty flowers today or tomorrow, and then let me know that you did so you can be included in the Carnival of Beauty. 

Check here for the submission guidelines.

And for a little bit of triva if you missed it the last time I hosted the CoB, 3:00 pm EST on Tuesday will be Wednesday morning for me--6:00 AM to be exact.  And I have classes till noon my time Wednesday.  SO . . . don't start looking for the Carnival until at least midnight Texas time. ;)

the carnival of beauty

This week the Carnival of Beauty is all on the Beauty of God's Sovereignty.   Iris is your hostess this week.  Last week found me too busy to participate or even be able to announce its arrival, so let me also say now that last week's The Beauty of My Life is hosted by the originator of the Carnival of Beauty, Sallie.

AND . . . . next week, the Carnival of Beauty will be hosted by yours truly, Lord allowing.  Next week we will be celebrating and looking at the Beauty of Flowers.

Great topic!  Easy to post about . . . so, if you haven't done so yet, please join us!!

He does what he wants

I was sharing the gospel with a dear friend last week.  As he was asking me different questions, he asked me one that went something like this, "So, you wanna get married right?"

"Well, yes."

"So, even if you never get married, do you still trust Him and love Him?"

My friend knew how to get to my heart of hearts, but the answer is simply, "Yes."

"Ok, so, what if you never get married and lots and lots of bad things happen to you for the rest of your life, are you still going to worship Him and call him good?"

"Well, yes." 

If there ever comes a time like that, I know that won't be easy and I am not saying I won't wrestle with it, but God is either all good all the time or He is not good at all.  He is all powerful all the time or he is not in control at all.  I don't get to choose what God's character is based on the circumstances around me.

At a ladies retreat I went to this past weekend, the speaker pointed out that usually when we face a crisis of belief these are the two character traits of God we struggle with most.  Some of us will declare "well, God is all powerful, but he must not be all good (or he would have prevented this)," while others of us will claim, "God is good, but he must not be all powerful (or he would have stopped this)."  But, both of these are lies.

The beauty of God's sovereignity is "his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure" (Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary).  Nothing in that statement says I have the right to understand or approve of what He is doing.   As Job puts it "But he is singular and sovereign. Who can argue with him? He does what he wants, when he wants to" (23:13).

I must choose to trust His heart.  I must choose to trust how He has revealed Himself to me and to my ancestors in the past.  I must choose to trust that He is who He says He is in His Word. 

So, then, let's celebrate our sovereign Lord.  Let's delight in the fact that in all things and in all ways forever and always He alone--an all-powerful, all-good God--is supreme, is in complete control.

"How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you–there is no other God. We have never even heard of another god like you! . . . For you are God, O Sovereign LORD. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to me, your servant.  And now, may it please you to bless me and my family so that our dynasty may continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign LORD, it is an eternal blessing!"  (2 Samuel 7:22, 28-29)

check it out!

The topic of the Carnival of Beauty this week is "The Beauty of Order" and is being hosted by the scribbling Blair.

You might also consider checking out some of the previous Carnivals of Beauty. 

So far, there are wonderful collections of posts for you to enjoy on the:

• Beauty of Giving
• Beauty of Tradition
• Beauty of Excellence
• Beauty of Limits
• Beauty of Winter
• Beauty of Hope
• Beauty of Serving
• Beauty of Gentleness
• Beauty of Contentment
• Beauty of Comfort Food
• Beauty of Friendship
• Beauty of the Bible

the beauty of order

When I listen to music, I enjoy the beauty of order.

When I see art work by Piet Mondrian, I appreciate the beauty of order.

When I think about the food chain or the intricacies of the human body, I marvel at the beauty of order.

When there are directions to follow, I am thankful for the beauty of order.

When I create a syllabus or make lesson plans, I love the beauty of order.

When I find places for things and things in their places, I enjoy the beauty of order.

I am thankful for order.  I like order.  It really is beautiful.

I like it when things follow an expected pattern.  I like that I can't wrap my mind around the amazingly complex and elaborate order of things in our universe.  I like listening to and gazing at wonderful artistic materpieces which exisit because of order.

Order is peaceful and calming.  But even the words that mean the opposite of order sound like they are confused themselves: cacophony, discombobulation, pandemonium, hubbub, hullabaloo, and so on.

The very fact that there is even a little order in such a chaotic, sinful world makes me want to praise the One who created it (order) in the first place!  He gives us such wonderful things to enjoy and the beauty of order is just one of them! 

the carnival of beauty: friendship

Chel over at Chasing Contentment is the Carnival of Beauty hostess this week. This week the fabulous entries are all about Friendship.

Go read, enjoy, celebrate your friends, and then join us next week when the Carnival focuses on the Beauty of the Bible which will be hosted by Just Marla.