Our Carnival of Beauty topic this week is “The Beauty of My Life,” hosted by Sallie of Two Talent Living.

Since so much of my life right now revolves around my family and our children’s schooling, I thought it would be appropriate to share with you our educational journey.

It’s funny how the topics that interest me as a parent have changed over the years. Before I had children, there were ISSUES that I thought were truly life-and-death matters. Can you relate?

During pregnancy, I discussed with great passion these topics: will I use a midwife or doctor? Have a homebirth or hospital birth? Prepare for natural labor, epidural, or C-section? Breastfeed or bottle? Feed on demand or feed on a schedule?

Next, I headed into the baby development milestones and toddler years, which is where I still am with some of my children: bedtimes and discipline, what to eat and when, potty training, breaking habits like pacifiers or thumb-sucking, early educational ideas, etc.

Now, I’m deep in the trenches of this issue: how to educate our children. This is a HUGE topic of course — as it covers the ages of at least 3 to 18 for each child. Will we homeschool? Send them to a private school? Send them to a public school?

These are the years we have to do something … to make sure our children are raised to grow in wisdom which comes from fear of the Lord — and also to have the skills and knowledge they’ll need to get along on their own someday.

It used to be easy. There were fewer options. People let their kids all walk to the same school, which was down the street. Now the vast array of options is overwhelming.

Several people have asked me lately about why we homeschooled, and why we’re not now. Well, I don’t want to go into all that in such a public forum, so I’ll just say a few things. From the day our first child was born, I was drawn to homeschooling. I was surrounded by wise, godly families in our church and neighborhood who homeschooled. I hung out in their homes and knew that’s what I wanted for our family.

I read a million books about homeschooling. Well, not a million. But several dozen at least. I went to conferences when our oldest was only four years old! We joined a great local support group, and I went to all the meetings. So, we homeschooled for three wonderful years. But then I needed a break. I’ll spare you the details, but I had a lot of stress going on in my life, and I needed someone to help me out during school hours. The Proverbs 31 woman didn’t do it all either, you see. Our best option was public school, unless I went to work full-time to earn private school tuition, which we didn’t want me to have to do.

Our kids have wonderful teachers, many of whom read my blog, and I’m so appreciative of their sincere commitment to love our children and be a light in the world. I know many of them have strong Christian faith and do the best they can within the parameters of the system to teach our children God’s ways.

Yet … we still take things year by year. Child by child. I miss so many things about pouring my time and energy into homeschooling, and I miss being part of our homeschool group. I really, really, really want our children to have time to take music lessons and play instruments … and I love the Sonlight curriculum. But home educating is a consuming full-time job for me. If we ever did go back to it, I know without a doubt that I would not have time to do any writing from home. And maybe that would be fine. I’ve so enjoyed all the online friendships I’ve made in the past couple of years and working with editors and other writers … but we may be entering another season of change. I don’t know.

I try to think long-term, surround myself with positive people, and take it all step by step. That’s what we do every year. I have a ton more to say, but I’d rather not say it all here in my blog.

Raising children who want to serve God is a serious calling, one that takes constant thought and prayer. As parents, we want to do all we can … but ultimately we have to leave the results up to God and pray for His blessings upon our educational journey.

I was listening to “Good Morning America” while I fed my younger children breakfast, and I heard the familiar voice of former President Jimmy Carter. Since the interview was being broadcast from Plains, Georgia, in my home state, I couldn’t help but become intrigued with what he was talking about.

I kept hearing the name Mattie, and the two people being interviewed were Mattie’s mother and Jimmy Carter. Who’s Mattie? They were talking about a new book called Just Peace, written by young author Mattie Stepanek.

Actually, I found out that Mattie Stepanek passed away two years ago, in 2004, and some of his last words were, “Did I do enough on the book?” He had a rare form of muscular dystrophy that finally took his life at the age of 13.

Maybe all of you already know this but me. Mattie Stepanek was a poet and New York Times bestselling author for his Heartsongs series of poetry books. You can read more about him and his book on his website. Here’s what I found out about his book, Just Peace, that is being released today:

“Just Peace offers a collection of essays and e-mail correspondence between Mattie and Former President Jimmy Carter, as these two peacemakers work together to realize their vision of a peaceful world. The book also contains many photographs, along with selections of Mattie’s artwork and peace poetry … A portion of the proceeds of this book go to the MDA Mattie Fund.”

Here is a brief excerpt from one of his poems. You can read the rest of the poem on his website here:

FOR OUR WORLD

We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment.
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment.
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts…

I just found out that Mattie’s mother, Jeni, will be starting an official book tour today telling the world about her son’s last book, Just Peace. Jeni also has the adult-onset form of this disease, and the website says that Mattie had a sister, Katie, and two brothers, Stevie and Jamie, who each died during early childhood from this same infant-onset disease that affected Mattie. How can one woman go through so much?

Yet today, she was on “Good Morning America” with Jimmy Carter. And here’s an example of a very busy man who took the time to correspond with a boy who had a big heart and big dreams to further a message of hope.

Now I know some of you are probably getting caught up in the Democrat/Liberal thing when I mention Carter. But I say let’s put that aside and think of the big picture of what Mattie dreamed for the world: peace. It’s the message Jesus shared when He stood on top of the Mount of Olives and proclaimed, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9 KJV).

I think the best place we can begin to start living in a world of peace is to start in our own hearts and in our own homes. Hug your kids today. Don’t yell at them when they mess up. Don’t get so down on yourself when you mess up. Just keep going. Keep making the world a better place by spreading the message of peace.

Yes, it’s true.

What’s a mom like me doing reading a 16-year-old young man’s blog? Well, if you’ve noticed that button in my left sidebar, there are only two more days until the launch of Regenerate Our Culture. So I thought I would sneak a peek over at Agent Tim’s blog to see if he’s busy getting prepared for the launch.

Busy is the word. But he’s not sitting around counting the minutes. He’s been joining top teen leaders across America at Teen Pact, which is being held at Patrick Henry College near Washington DC.

Here’s what he says about the week:

Well guys, I have to say the week was awesome. I have learned a lot, not only about government, but also a little bit about campaigning, blogging, writing, speaking, and listening. I’ve learned to speak better in front of large groups, even though I don’t really have a huge problem doing it. I’ve learned that I can get better at what I do, and I need to work a lot harder in my school work so that I can do well in the public arena. I’ve learned the importance of being grounded in what I believe when the issues are thrown in my faith. I’ve learned the importance of Scripture memorization.

OK. Can you say mentor? This is the kind of 16-year-old son I’d like to raise. Where’s this guy’s mom? How’d she do it? I’ve got a few more years between now and then.

I have to also say that I’ve noticed Agent Tim has one of the top-viewed blogs in the “Religion category” at Blog Top Sites. He’s ranked in the Top 20 in this category and has had nearly 50,000 hits since August. He’s blogging about important issues, and to me, he represents a generation of hope.

Now, I often choose guests to come visit my blog. The truth is, I just find successful people who I want to learn from, and ask if I can have a few minutes of their time. I’d love to ask Agent Tim’s mom a few questions about raising teenagers!! I think SHE would definitely have some sage advice.

By the way, Happy Birthday, Tim, and best wishes for your launch success!

Since I joined Women4God Blogs, I’m starting to visit more people’s blogs, and I’m realizing that everybody has a different style of writing and even a different niche. Some people are witty and describe things in a funny way; others are great at expounding on scripture or other deep issues of life.

I’m not exactly sure what my niche is — but it’s pretty obvious I like talking about books and writing. So when you come into my blog, you’ll probably be hit over and over again with my encouragement for you to write down and share your life stories.

In his blog at The Writing Life, Terry Whalin recently wrote about his lifelong habit of capturing memories with words. I thought he offered some great advice — I hope you can click over and read his post on this topic. Sometimes we try to capture our favorite moments with a camera, but it’s also good to jot down a few sentences. Terry described how he wrote down a brief conversation when his family was going through a difficult and sad time (one of their children was dying). But later he was able to go back and write the story up, which was published in Decision Magazine and read by thousands of people.

Now, here’s what we’ve been doing in our house at dinner every night, thanks to learning about this from Mary DeMuth. She shared how her family plays high/ low during their evening meal in France. They go around the table, and each person gets to say what the high point of their day was and the low point.

Before we started doing this, my husband and I were always trying to talk to each other across the table, catching up from our day. We’d tell the kids to be quiet and listen — which of course didn’t work very often. With the age our kids are, someone always needs the ketchup (catsup?), spills something, needs another napkin, is humming or wiggling too much, needs a refill, etc. (You know, right?)

Now I have this little agenda — we take turns and each child gets to share their favorite part of the day, and their least favorite. Even our toddler says things like, “I liked playing in the new sand in my sandbox. I didn’t like when I had to take a nap.” It’s amazing what kids will say. And it makes us all feel closer when we share the low points because it gives us a new perspective. Things aren’t so bad when you can share them with your family. (Even me — having to share my low points about cleaning up some messes you don’t even want to know about!)

Guess what my high point of the day has become? You got it. Playing high/ low. And of course, the busy mom writer that I am, I’m jotting these tidbits down in a little spiral notebook which I keep by the kitchen table. The funny thing is that my girls also bring spiral notebooks to the table now. We just laughed so hard last night because all us girls at the table were busy writing in our notebooks. We of course put them away so we could eat! (Can I just tell you how adorable their writing is? My heart is FULL after a meal now!)

I don’t know that we’ll do this EVERY SINGLE night, but I’m just imagining what my notebook will look like in five or ten years if I do make a consistent habit of jotting down our highs and lows. Hopefully, someday I’ll be able to go back and write up some stories. It will be fun to see how the kids grow and change every year.

I mean, despite all the cluttery countertops, endless laundry, and fast-paced schedules, being a mom is a joyful role — bringing us closer to the heart of God, who is also a father and loves writing down stories about his children too.

*********************************************

Don’t forget … tomorrow by 3 pm, post something on the topic of “My Life” and send it to this week’s Carnival of Beauty Host, Sallie of Two Talent Living. Finally! She’s hosting her own Carnival. Now, there’s never been an easier topic, so let’s all send her something!

This week and next: I’ve got two great interviews to share with you from busy moms who’ve done some amazing things. One mom is going to tell us how she started her own newspaper column based on her ability to look for humor in the crazy things of life. She also runs a successful business from her home and will be giving us some tips on working at home — WITH kids.

Another interview is with a mom who didn’t think she was a very good cook, so she decided to start swapping meals with a friend — and the most incredible thing began to happen that led to her being featured on Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s talk radio show. So check back in and visit — I should have these posted soon!

I want to write a quick note to share a few things that are going on in our blogging community. It really is a small world now that we can click over and visit each other. If we met each week in a book club or Bible study, we’d probably go around and ask for prayer requests, right?

So this week, my prayers are with Alyice of The Dabbling Mum. Many of you read her blog or visit her website — I know some of you are her regular columnists. Alyice found out the devastating news that her mother suddenly passed away. Now she will be traveling across several states to be with her family. Even though she’ll probably be off-line for a while, I think it would mean a lot to her if you dropped by her blog and said you were thinking of her.

Also, Carol of She Lives wrote an essay about the death of her father-in-law a couple of days ago. I’m so thankful she took the time to write out some of her special memories and share them with us. We’ll be keeping her family in our prayers as well.

As for me, I’m still not sure what to do about my wrist — I don’t know if it might be broken or just sprained! I wrote the other day about how I fell up our makeshift “porch steps” and felt a really sharp pain. Of course, I ignored it, hoping it would go away. The bruise is gone, but I still feel too much pain to even do simple things like unscrew lids. And I’ve usually got a baby on my left hip while I do everything — so this pain is starting to be a real … pain. I don’t want to have to be billed for an x-ray if it’s one of these things that might heal on its own.

Also, if any of my local friends are reading this, does anyone know a good, reasonable carpenter? We’re in desperate need of getting back steps on our porch built, as well as a railing to protect our newly mobile baby from crawling off the porch. We keep thinking we’ll wait until we can save up … but we can’t wait any longer. This has got to be done! When I blog about things, it seems to move us into action around here. A sprained or broken wrist is nothing like a baby falling off a porch.

Now, for the good news. I discovered that Lauren of Created for HIS Glory is thinking about starting an online study of Beth Moore’s Living Beyond Yourself. She’s suggesting maybe if there are several of us who’d like to sign up for it at the same time, we could post about it once a week in our blogs, then create a blogroll in our sidebar of other participants. This looks like perfect timing for me, since our group here is just finishing up Beth Moore’s Believing God study.

If you’re interested, leave a comment here or at Created for HIS Glory . If you’ve never heard of Beth Moore or done one of her studies, let me just tell you, she will TEAR OPEN the Bible in a fresh way like you’ve never experienced before. She’s the most passionate teacher I’ve ever heard and speaks from such a humble heart. Her studies are intense, but they’re not aimed for scholars; they’re for real people who may need a few extra minutes to look in their index to find the book she’s talking about. So feel free to join us!

Last but not least, there are still a few more days to join into Barbara Curtis’ Love That Laundry Room contest over at Mommy Life. You have until March 15 to enter by sending her a picture of yourself in your laundry room, and you might win a copy of Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room!

Yesterday, I wrote somewhat of a rant, which I don’t normally do. But today, I’ll tell you about the flip side of forwarding humorous stories around that don’t have a writer’s name on them. Every day, I get a short article delivered to my email address from Daily Wisdom. This is a service of Gospel Communications International, which I chose to subscribe to, and I enjoy these messages very much.

At the end of each story, the writer’s name is included with a brief bio. Recently, I’ve enjoyed reading several things written by Rhonda Rhea. Her bio is always included, which says:

Rhonda Rhea is the author of Who Put the Cat in the Fridge and other insanely fun books, including Amusing Grace and Turkey Soup for the Soul: Tastes Just Like Chicken. She is a radio personality and humor columnist and speaks at conferences and events nationwide. Rhonda lives in the St. Louis area with her pastor/husband and their five children. Find out more at www.RhondaRhea.net.

So, now I’ve heard of this author and her books. And I love the way she writes! Well, what if I just cut-and-pasted her story and sent it around to some people, who forwarded it to a few more people? Somewhere along the way, her byline would probably get lost, and nobody would know that she was the author. It would just become another one of those “cute email things” that people read and forward, read and forward.

Instead, I read Rhonda’s story yesterday, which was called “Envy Wrecking,” and it really connected with me. I wish I could say I’m just super-spiritual and I never get jealous of people, but the truth is that it’s a sin I have to confess every day. I pray, “Lord, please forgive me for being jealous of ____. You’ve given me so many things to be thankful for. I praise you, Lord, for the gifts of my life.” Rhonda shared in her humorous way how she overcomes jealousy and gave us some scriptures to encourage us. So I went to her website and wrote her how much I appreciated her story. I was able to give her feedback — and who knows? That might have encouraged her to keep on with her writing.

So now since I’m a blogger, I get to share here one of Rhonda’s funny books, Who Put the Cat in the Fridge? I’m sure it’s full of inspirational humor, just like the snippets I’ve read in Daily Wisdom. I discovered Rhonda is also a member of the Christian Humor Writers’ group, along with Dena Dyer and Tim Bete, whose books I reviewed here last fall.

(I must say, I’m curious about that cat in the fridge!) 😉

P.S. I also discovered that Rhonda Rhea is a blogger as well. I know I’ll be back to visit!

I’ve been giving this whole idea of paid blogging some thought, obviously. I’m sure those positions with ClubMom.com are going to be highly competitive, and they’ll be swamped with thousands of applicants. One of the main reasons I posted that job opportunity is because it highlights the level of respect companies are starting to show for blogging.

Personally, I think most writers are underpaid for the amount of work that is required. There has been a huge discussion this past week in one of my online writing groups about plagiarizing and copyright infringement. Since it’s so easy to cut and paste, people do it all the time without a second thought.

I’ve finally gotten fed up with people who forward me cute stories and jokes that don’t have a writer’s name on them. This is plagiarizing, people. STEALING. There are a few individuals who keep sending me these things, and I’ve finally asked to be removed from their lists. I don’t want any part of that anymore. (Plus, people assume I’m only interested in “religious” things, so I keep being sent pictures of “The Last Supper sand sculpture” and things like that.)

I do subscribe to a few e-newsletters that send me interesting stories, quotes, news items and devotionals, and these help keep me updated on topics that interest me. But these newsletters always contain a byline, giving the author full credit. Often, the author is supported by advertising, so when I click through to check out an ad, that helps the author earn money.

Have you ever cut-and-pasted something funny in your blog or in emails to people without giving the author credit? Don’t do it. It’s the same as making xerox copies of a book and not paying for it. Or burning CDs without paying the artist. You can actually be sued for plagiarizing. If you copy more than four words in a row without giving the writer credit, that’s plagiarizing. It’s done all the time, and is rampant in schools and colleges now. (Students must think their professors are idiots. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff they try to get away with around here. They say, “Oh, I didn’t know it was plagiarizing to cut and paste an entire article, then sign my name to it to get a grade for it. Oops. My bad.”)

I enjoyed reading about La Shawn Barber’s new direction for her blog. In her post, LBC Retooling, she explained that she’s not going to be posting as much because she’s publishing her opinions in a lot of different places now. She’s also been approached by several literary agents and publishing houses lately who want her to write a book — so that’s where she’s headed. I say way to go, La Shawn. Here’s what she wrote in her post:

Before the blog, I used to submit op-eds to newspapers twice a month. Sometimes I hit, sometimes I missed. But the process became a habit. As the blog began to grow, I lost the habit and concentrated on writing for the blog. The audience grew. If all I wanted to be was a blogger, the goal was achieved. But I want to be a writer again. In fact, I want to be considered a writer first. Blogging is great, but I want to be influential and known outside the blogosphere…

Then again, political bloggers with heavy traffic tend to do a lot of outside-the-blog writing and speaking. I’ve been approached by literary agents and publishing house editors about writing a book (because of this blog!), and I’m just now at the point where I can focus on it. I’ve written a couple of very rough draft proposals, but I need to get serious.

I also like what her Language Artist site says about the future of business blogging. One of her interests is blog consulting. I like what she says about it here.

Most of us moms who blog do it because we like reaching out of our own small sphere of influence. Through writing online, we’re able to reach people around the world, bridging cultural and language gaps. I started a blog for two main reasons: one, because Stacy from Mind & Media asked if I’d join her book reviewing team, which you must have a blog with decent traffic to do. And the second is because I got tired of emailing people the same stories over and over. Although I don’t use my blog as an online journal, it still helps my family and friends see what I’m up to. (I actually do have a life outside of changing diapers and wiping up spilled juice, see?)

Yet I’m starting to realize that I do a disservice to the whole profession of writing when I spend hours and hours of my time to write for somebody else for free or for low pay. My personal blog is one thing — I enjoy posting whatever’s on my mind here — and I’ll continue to do so. But if I’m working hard for someone else, I’m not going to write for free or for peanuts anymore — unless I choose to do so.

So, for one thing, people keep sending me books to review that I haven’t asked for, and I’m sorry, but I’m just not going to write reviews unless I receive an assignment from a publication. If I read a great book on my own and want to post it here, I will. If I request one of the new books offered to Mind & Media reviewers, I’ll post my review here because I’m free to post my honest opinion in my own blog. Otherwise, I’d rather write ad copy for a publisher who will pay me to write about the good points of a book. I know I can do this — why not be paid for it?

It takes time and energy to market myself and seek job opportunities that pay well — but this is what’s best for my family. If I’m going to sit at the computer and write, I’d rather be earning money that can help pay our bills or buy some things our children need (like new clothes — why do they insist on outgrowing things?)

This is my long, drawn-out version of the word “no,” which I’m going to be saying a lot more in the future. I’ll just send people the link to this post and say, “Here’s why I can’t write for you for free.” We don’t expect dentists to work on our teeth for free. We don’t expect plumbers to fix our pipes for free. So writers shouldn’t be giving away words for free either. Unless we choose to do so. (The same as some dentists will go to poor countries and do dental work as a ministry.)

Whew. No time for FlyLady talk today. I’ve got to get off the computer and get some other work done around here. Hope you have a good weekend.

OK, I just read this on Spunky Homeschool, and I about fell out of my chair. Some lucky moms are going to get paid to BLOG. Yes, you read that right. There’s a company called ClubMom.com that reaches out to 2 million moms, and they’re looking for moms who blog to pay them a minimum of $500 to $1,000 per month (plus gifts and bonuses) to blog about things moms want to read about.

Yeah. This is for real.

You’ve got until March 30th to give this opportunity some serious thought and prayer, if you think this is something you might like to do. Here’s the scoop (copied with permission from ClubMom.com):

1. Help Us Showcase the Best Mom Blogs ($1,000/month):
ClubMom is seeking a Mom blogger who can launch the “Best of the Mom Blogs” daily Blog!

There are many amazing Mom bloggers across the country, some of whom are starting to grow engaged audiences. ClubMom wants to bring these unique voices and the blogging medium to mainstream Moms across the country. Our 2 million+ members are very interested to hear from other Moms with compelling voices and stories. By showcasing the “Best of the Mom Blogs” daily blog on Clubmom.com, we want to get Moms excited about blogs.

The winning candidate will create a daily round-up blog which consists of descriptions and links to the best blog content written by moms or of interest to moms. Candidate will be responsible for researching and reviewing the latest Mom blog posts on ClubMom as well as in the blogosphere and determining which blogs to feature on the site and in the newsletters. We are looking for someone with personality, insight, and an ability to develop themes and stories regarding what is happening with Mom bloggers across the country. This represents an exciting opportunity to educate and interest millions of moms on blogs as well as to help existing blogs get attention from millions of moms.

Applicants should have a passion for the Web and media in general, understand how moms across the U.S. use the Web to find information and support, have experience writing a blog, read multiple Mom blogs, and have a strong interest in subjects covered by ClubMom.com.

What’s Involved?
The “Best of the Mom Blogs” Round-Up Editor will be expected to research and review blogs for inclusion in the round-up blog; write entertaining descriptions and headlines; post at least 5 days a week; be the face of ClubMom to the blogging community; and, on occasion, participate in PR activities. In return, she will receive a monthly salary of $1,000 plus 20,000 ClubMom Points redeemable for items like gift certificates, with a performance-based bonus structure to possibly earn more.

To apply:
There are 3 parts to the application. Only candidates who complete all 3 will be considered. Send us an email with the following:

1. Tell us about you. Here’s what we’d like to know:
Your Name and contact information
Can you devote a couple of hours per day to this blog?
Beyond the basics above, tell us who you are and why we should hire you to be the Round-Up Editor
What kind of unique voice or spin can you bring?
Share some ideas for how you’d get readers to your blog.

2. Show us what you’d write. Write 3 days of the Round-Up posts.

3. Show us what you’ve written. Include links to three writing samples, preferably blog posts, which showcase your writing talent and voice.

Completed application should be emailed to roundupblog@clubmom.com by March 30th. We’ll review applications and contact applicants for follow-ups on a rolling basis.

2. Wanted: Mom Bloggers ($500/month):
ClubMom is looking for Mom Bloggers willing to contribute their interesting and distinctive voices on a variety of topics!

If selected, you can reach more than 2 million Moms who are already part of ClubMom (and that’s just the beginning) and get paid for doing what you love.

We are excited to round-out our member and expert generated content with bloggers who have compelling and engaging voices and represent a diverse group of moms writing on diverse topics. We are looking for Moms who can tell compelling stories and get our members emotionally involved.

The plan is to start out with about ten blogs but that can change based on the quality of the applications we receive. If you or someone you know would make a great blogger on ClubMom.com, please apply and/or spread the word!

What’s Involved?

Candidates will be evaluated on writing style and voice, your ability to get our members emotionally involved, as well as dedication and commitment. Accepted bloggers will be expected to write frequently (at least five posts a week) and in return will receive a monthly salary of $500 plus 10,000 ClubMom Points redeemable for items including gift certificates, spa services, movies and more; with a performance-based bonus structure to possibly earn more.

Here are some topics we think moms would be interested in reading about:

Parenting:
Pregnancy: Just found out you’re pregnant? Share the joys and challenges of your pregnancy and beyond with other moms. (group blog – 3 spots or individual blog) – applicants can be at any stage of the pregnancy
Parenting Novice – 1st time parent with a newborn
Homeschooling
Raising a tween or teenager
Raising child with special needs

Diet & Fitness:
Preparing for a physical challenge: Preparing for your first marathon (or triathlon or some other physical challenge)? Share your training highs and lows as you prepare for the big day.
Starting a new diet (group blog – 5 moms who are on different diets)

Relationships:
Military Life: If you or your husband are in the military, share your story.
Dating: Are you single and on the dating scene?
Going through a tough time and looking for advice from other moms

Time For you:
Celebrity Gossip
Fashion & Beauty

Health:
Going through challenging health issues
Someone you love going through challenging health issues

Home:
Making a Big Move (big move – city to suburb, across country, out of country, etc.)
Major home renovation project
Cooking – Trying new recipes

Money & Jobs:
Starting a business
Working from home
Family budget tracker
Trying to make it in show business
I’ve got the best/worst job of all time

Politics & Activism:
Running for office / officeholder / or working on a campaign
Trying to make a difference in the world

Faith & Spirituality:
Interfaith marriage
Raising faithful children

Blogger’s Choice: Got a fantastic idea for a topical blog that doesn’t fit into the categories above, but you think would be a great addition to ClubMom.com? Tell us about it in your application and we’ll consider it.

To apply:

There are 3 parts to the application. Only candidates who complete all 3 will be considered. Send us an email with the following:

1. Tell us about you. Here’s what we’d like to know:
Your Name
How we can contact you
What would you like to blog about?
How many hours per week do you think you could devote to your blog? Be honest!
Beyond the basics above, tell us who you are and why we should hire you to write this blog.
What kind of unique voice or spin can you bring to this topic?
Share some ideas for how you’d get readers to your blog.

2. Show us what you’d write. Write 3 potential blog posts on your chosen topic.

3. Show us what you’ve written. Include links to three writing samples, preferably blog posts, which showcase your writing talent and voice.

Completed application should be emailed to topicalblog@clubmom.com by March 30th. We’ll review applications and contact applicants for follow-ups on a rolling basis.

If you know others whom you think would make great applicants, please help us spread the word! Please feel free to post this on your own blog.

P.S. My personal opinion? This is the first wave of thousands of positions that are going to become available to talented bloggers. Why? Blogging is good for business. People are introduced to companies online now, and a blogger’s voice is the 21st-century storefront. It won’t be long before every company with an online presence will need to have a blog to attract and retain customers. Who wants to visit a site that never changes? It’s like having a mannequin out front to greet customers. Bloggers are living employees, giving companies a face that actually smiles and a voice that says, “Come on in and spend some time here.”

Here’s one of my favorite poems that kind of relates to what I wrote about yesterday: that fork-in-the-road decision. Have you ever reached a point of crisis where you KNEW you just had to make a major choice about something? Or have you been through a time when you felt like you hit “rock bottom” and you had nowhere to go but up? Did you ask God to help?

He’s always ready to listen to you — it just takes a small step of faith to talk to Him. Tell Him what you’re going through, what’s bugging you. Unload it! Sometimes, it’s during these desperate cries of the heart when you’ll know God is breaking through to answer your prayer. Now THIS is the kind of story you could write down to tell someone else — and you just might change their life!

“The Road Not Taken”
By Robert Frost

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

From Bartley.com

Today’s scripture reading:

“We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” Romans 5 : 3-4.

I hate the suffering part, and I’m not all that good at persevering, but I love the hope part. Don’t you?

Have you heard of God Allows U-Turns? I just discovered this book series has a blog! It looks like we’ve been missing a party.

Allison Bottke is the author of this series featuring stories written by people who’ve experienced the dramatic power of God changing the course of their lives.

I read over at The Writing Life that Terry Whalin is the guest blogger this week. Then I discovered that Allison has arranged a whole 2006 Guest Blogger Series, and many of my favorite writers are coming up. So, I’ll be checking back over there to see what’s going on — and maybe you can too!

One thing I like about reading other people’s dramatic stories is that it helps me think about my own life. I’m sure each of you have experienced a life-changing moment, a fork in the road, that perhaps changed the course of your life. Have you ever written that story down before? Reading other people’s stories may help trigger your own memory, and you’ll always be thankful you’ve written down your story.

Who knows? You may end up being featured in one of Allison Bottke’s future books! Here’s what she’s looking for now:

CURRENTLY ACCEPTING TRUE SHORT STORIES IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES:

Publication Dates: TBA
DEADLINE: July 30, 2006

God Allows U-Turns
The Choices Couples Make
The Choices Moms Make
The Choices Families Make
Medical Miracles

Have you ever had to make a tough choice as a mom? As a couple? As a family? Here’s a chance to submit your story.

P.S. I’ve read some of your blog posts that I think would be perfect stories for these books. You may get an email from me to bug you about sending it! Notice the deadline — you’ve got over four months to polish your story up!