MMCW is hosting a School Room Carnival! Share your blog posts and photos of how you organize your home learning environment. We will all be inspired by tips and ideas! Simply send the URL of your blog post to me at mentoringmoments@aol.com by Friday, July 30th. Yes, we’re extending the deadline to give everyone a few more days. You do not have to be a homeschooler to participate. The carnival will run on Thursday, August 5th.

MMCW is hosting a School Room Carnival! Share your blog posts and photos of how you organize your home learning environment. We will all be inspired by tips and ideas! Simply send the URL of your blog  post to me at mentoringmoments@aol.com by tonight. You do not have to be a homeschooler to participate. The carnival will run on July 28th.

Do you need something new  for dinner this week?  Today we’re going on a blogging tour to add some fun, fresh, and yummy recipes to our menus. Gals from across the web submitted their favorite summer recipe for us to try out. Come one, let’s get going…

Our first stop is Molly’s mouth-watering Vietnamese Chicken Salad at CounterCulturalMom. Molly says the combination of chicken salad, rice noodles, and veggies is the perfect girl’s night out meal.

Carla at Married Single Moms shares not only her wonderful Tomato Feta Salad but tips on garnishes and pretty plates.

Katharine at Just a Thought shares her beat-the-heat Summer Fruit Crock-pot Cobbler.  Fresh berries combined with nuts and a lemon cake mix sounds like a winning combination!

Ms. Baker at The Better Baker shares her winning recipe for home-made from scratch Strawberry Pizza.  Cool, refreshing and sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Nothing says summer better than a smoothie. Cyndejoy at Cyndejoy’s Blog shows us how to make her refreshing Summer Cool StrawPeachy Smoothie.

Wrapping up our tour of favorite summer recipes is some of MMCW oldies but goodies. If you haven’t had a chance to check out our Recipe Box you may want to. Our Recipe Box contains all the recipes posted on MMCW. Some of our favorites are:

Lori’s Maple Glazed Salmon, perfect for summer grilling.

Loi’s Marinated London Broil is super-simple and marvelous.

My mother-in-law’s Apple Dumpling recipe is one of the top viewed posts at MMCW. This is perfect for a summer evening with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

What’s your favorite summer recipe?
Let’s keep the carnival going–share your recipe via our comment section!

Do you have a favorite go-to summer recipe? Share it with us! We’re looking for your summer recipe blog posts for our Favorite Summer Recipe Blog Carnival.  The deadline for submission is tomorrow (July 7th).

It will be fun and yummy as we visit one another’s blogs to read about favorite summer recipes. This can be anything from appetizers to main dishes, dessert to beverages.

If you have never done a blog carnival before, it’s easy! Just write a post on your blog sharing your favorite summer recipe, and submit the URL of your post to mentoringmoments@aol.com. Blog post links must be submitted by Wednesday, July 7, 2010. This carnival will run on July 12, 2010.

We’re looking for your summer recipe blog posts for our Favorite Summer Recipe Blog Carnival. It will be fun and yummy as we visit one another’s blogs to read about favorite summer recipes. This can be anything from appetizers to main dishes, dessert to beverages.

If you have never done a blog carnival before, it’s easy! Just write a post on your blog sharing your favorite summer recipe, and submit the URL of your post to mentoringmoments@aol.com.  Blog post links must be submitted by Wednesday, July 7, 2010. This carnival will run on July 12, 2010.

Be sure to check back so you can read about all the delicious summer foods  our readers are concocting.

To leave a comment:

• Scroll down until you see the box entitled ‘Speak Your Mind’.
• Enter your name, email (it will not be published) and your website or blogsite if you have one (you do not have to have one).
• Click on the big empty space and then begin typing your comments.
• When you are done, click ‘submit comment’.  That’s it!  We look forward to hearing from YOU!

What’s February without a bit of chocolate? Settle in with your favorite tea or coffee and come with MMCW on a tour of staff and reader blogs. They have opened up their ‘online’ homes to us, sharing their favorite recipes and thoughts on chocolate.

As you visit with everyone, feel free to leave a comment. I know they will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Dawn at Olive Plants is our first Chocolate Cafe’ Blog stop to sample her delicious Chocolate Napoleons a la Dawn. Looking for a quick and easy dessert to take to church, Dawn adapted a complicated recipe to receive 4 out of 5 stars from her family. You probably already have the ingredients on hand to make this one tonight!

Sampling Jan’s Mocha-Walnut Bars with Dark Chocolate Ganache over at A Tiny Little Ripple is our next stop. Jan’s bars have three distinct layers with gorgeous photos to take you step by step. It’s amazing what a simple refrigerated sugar cookie dough can be transformed into!

Could anything be better than a good Tiramisu? One with a twist of course! Molly at Counter Cultural Mom shows us what to do when we can’t find ladyfingers–just make Tiramisu Bread Pudding. Molly says her family now loves this version more than the original!

Renee at Add More Chocolate dedicated January and February to, you guessed it, chocolate.  Her Texas-size family favorites: Best Brownies and Cowboy Cookies look marvelous. As an added bonus, check out her previous January and February posts for even more chocolate favorites!

We’ve come full circle. Back at MMCW you’ll find one of my favorite chocolate concoctions–Kisses Coffee Cake. You know any recipe using Hershey Kisses is a good and this one will not disappoint. In addition to Kisses Coffee Cake, check out MMCW’s many chocolate sweets in our Recipe Box. A few of my personal favorites are Loi’s Mississippi Mud Cake and Molly’s Peppermint Chocolate Pie.

To leave a comment:
• If you are reading this post in email form, click the article headline. This will take you to the article on MMCW’s website.
• Scroll down until you see the box entitled ‘Speak Your Mind’.
• Enter your name, email (it will not be published) and your website or blogsite if you have one (you do not have to have one).
• Click on the big empty space and then begin typing your comments.
• When you are done, click ‘submit comment’. That’s it! We look forward to hearing from YOU!

We’re looking for blog posts on everything chocolate for our first Chocolate Cafe Blog Carnival. It will be fun and yummy as we visit one another’s blogs to read about favorite chocolate concoctions. This can be anything from dessert to beverages.

If you have never done a blog carnival before, it’s easy! Just write a post on your blog about the topic Chocolate Cafe, and submit the URL of your post to mentoringmoments@aol.com.  Blog post links must be submitted by Saturday, February 6, 2010. This carnival will run on February 10, 2010.

Be sure to check back so you can read about the loads of chocolate goodies our readers are concocting for Valentine’s Day.

To leave a comment:

• Scroll down until you see the box entitled ‘Speak Your Mind’.
• Enter your name, email (it will not be published) and your website or blogsite if you have one (you do not have to have one).
• Click on the big empty space and then begin typing your comments.
• When you are done, click ‘submit comment’.  That’s it!  We look forward to hearing from YOU!

On May 11, 2009 MMCW hosted our first blog carnival focused on marriage. If you missed this special you can take advantage of it now. I trust you will be blessed, encouraged, inspired, and challenged as you read these thoughtful contributions.  Several readers have shared a slice of their lives, giving us a window into their marriages….what is challenging them, how the Lord is working in their lives, and ideas for strengthening our marriages. Simply click the links and enjoy!

Beth at Pages of our Life couldn’t be silent about her husband, even on Wordless Wednesday!  She writes, “A woman will not undress her heart until she knows it is safe, and that her husband lovingly adores her heart as much as he craves the package that is holding it. It so easy to be shamed by our noticeable imperfections and want to hide them, but having a partner that embraces them and loves them is the best thing in the world. We were never intended to hide behind leaves when we left the Garden of Eden….”

Angela at Dancing With My Father met her mother-in-law a few weeks before she met her husband-to-be.  She was instantly drawn to the woman who would become her mother-in-law, and it was some of those same qualities which ultimately attracted her to her husband.  Read her post Marriage equals two plus…., in which she reflects on how marriage is not just the union of two individuals, but of two families.

Marissa presents The 21 day challenge! Jesus and Ris take on afternoon anger! posted at Star Girl Marissa shares about her 21 day challenge to break the anger habit.  She reminds us that often our anger toward our husband stems from misconceptions we may hold about their motives.

Amy tells about a wedding she recently attended, with some inspirational advice for the new couple.  In her post  Marriage….,  she reminds us that in every life, a little rain must fall, but this prevents seasons of drought.  You can catch up with Amy at her blog If only everyone thought this way….

Jan wrote an original poem which captures the tender love she has for her husband.  Read her heartwarming poem Valentine’s day at her blog  A Tiny Little Ripple

Tracey has compiled a list of things that make husbands feel blessed.  Christian husbands contributed their thoughts to this post, and it is surprising how often they mentioned support as one of their greatest needs. This post will challenge you to be more intentional about blessing your husband. Blessing Our Husbands is posted at Mary Devoted, Martha Driven

Tracey also shares about how a woman influences the atmosphere at home in her post Setting the Spirit of the Home , also posted at Mary Devoted, Martha Driven

Carla Anne Coroy reflects on the bumping and bruising that occurs as two people rub off each other’s rough edges in her article about Carrots and Washing Machines. She reminds us that although it isn’t comfortable, the Lord uses this process to sanctify us. Carrots and Washing Machines is posted at Married Single Moms: A Christian community for married women parenting alone.

Lori’s touching article Marriage and Ballroom Dancing posted at Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island reminds us that we never see the sweat and hard work that goes into creating a graceful dance. A beautiful marriage takes lots of hard work behind the scenes, as well.

MMCW editor Kellie reflects on the role of mentors in a woman’s life in her post How Not to Clean a Toilet posted at Oasis.  Kellie also offers a bit of comic relief in her post Johnny & Chachi sing The Don’t Song posted at Oasis.  She encourages every married couple to watch this video clip, especially newlyweds! You’ll laugh as you hear Johnny and Chachi tell men what NOT to do if they want to be happily married.

Josephine gives us a challenge to put the Lord at the center of our lives, rather than our husband, in her reflection on  Who’s in Your Centre? posted at Somewhere in Time.

Brenda shares about The Red Book on her blog The Tie That Binds Us, saying, “A tradition that my husband started years ago has been a treasured keepsake and an open door to communication.”

Molly Evert explains how a man and wife are to reflect Christ’s relationship with the church to one another in her post  Encourage One Another, posted on her blog Counter-Cultural mom

Four Kinds of Happiness at Our Red House reminds us that happiness is a choice, and that those couples who remain happily married for a lifetime choose to overlook one another’s faults.

To leave a comment:

• Scroll down until you see the box entitled ‘Speak Your Mind’.
• Enter your name, email (it will not be published) and your website or blogsite if you have one (you do not have to have one).
• Click on the big empty space and then begin typing your comments.
• When you are done, click ‘submit comment’.  That’s it!  We look forward to hearing from YOU!

Some of our favorite Christmas traditions are just simple things we do at home. We sing carols by candlelight. We eat toast dipped in hot chocolate. We read through our Christmas Memories Journal and reminisce about Christmases past. These special memories don’t cost much to make, yet they enrich our lives in priceless ways.

What are your home-spun Christmas traditions? We’d love to hear about the little things you do at home to make the season special.

Write a post about it on your blog, and then put the URL to your post here, below this article in the MckLinky box. Be sure to write a descriptive title, as well, to let us know something about your blog post.

Don’t just link to your blog, please link to the post-specific URL where you tell about your favorite home-spun Christmas traditions. Please don’t forget to put the URL of this MMCW post somewhere in the body of your post, so that your readers will know about our carnival!

You can also read about the simple things that others are doing to celebrate the Christmas season in their homes. Click on the MckLinky link at the bottom of this post to open the list of blog posts submitted to this carnival. The linked posts are all in blue, and you can visit each one by clicking on their title.

This carnival will run from December 6 to December 12. Be sure to check back and find out what other Christian bloggers are doing this Christmas. You might just find a new idea to try in your own home this Christmas season!

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Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

“Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Isaiah 49:23b

A popular song from the 60s asked the question: “Is that all there is?”  Do you ever experience that same emotion once the busy holiday season passes?  Despite your best efforts and expectations to make it a memorable, magical season, it often turns out to be just one more furious blizzard of activity followed by an avalanche of bills come January.

In many cases our unrealistic expectations set us up for a profound disappointment once the holidays are over.  The popular culture portrays images of families on sleigh rides in the country, warm and glowing parties where everyone is welcomed and no one is sad, and families reveling in laughter and love in ornately-decorated living rooms.

Relieve yourselves right now of the pressure to have the perfect holiday–the proverbial White Christmas in Vermont.  Instead, base your expectations on who Jesus is.  The majestic Christmas Carol “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” points to Jesus your Deliverer, your Emancipator, your Rescuer.  Truly, we can expect great things from Him.

This “Long Expected Jesus” is our Hope as we find our satisfaction in the Lord, rather than expecting fulfillment from the parties, tinsel, and lights.  This song not only speaks about the expectation that God’s people had for a Savior and Deliverer, but also our expectation, as we wait for him to return again. This Christmas, celebrate the fact that Jesus loved you last year, loves you this year, and will love you forever. You won’t be disappointed.  Promise.

“I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18: 1-3

Click here to read the words and hear the music for Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus.