Scholarships are coveted jewels in the game of life. Paying for college is becoming more and more of a challenge for the typical American family, so scholarships are tools most people take pretty seriously these days.

I love being able to dig up info on fun scholarship competitions. Here’s one for you. The Gallery Collection is a business-to-business mail order publisher of personalized greeting cards. They have just presented their first annual $10,000 Create-A-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest for high school and college students.

It’s easy to enter. If you are 14 or older, a legal U.S. resident, and currently a high school or college student in the United States, then you can upload an original photograph, drawing or graphic to enter for a chance to win a $10,000 college scholarship. Check out The Gallery Collection website for all of the rules and an application form.

Every business I have ever worked for used personalized business christmas cards to send out to friends and clients. I was usually handed a stack at the publishing house and told to send them to my favorite contacts at the businesses I worked with like Bayer and Chevron. When I was the art director for a manufacturing company, it pretty much went the same way, but also sent big baskets of Florida citrus only with the cards.

“This doesn’t involve our church, and we don’t have anything to say…”

Yes, that was the response the attorney for River of Life Church in Lutz, FL had for the press when asked about their youth pastor, Justin Ray Peterson, and his recent arrest for child molestation.

The man has been a pastor at their church for five years, a representative and steward of their congregation, and a role-model to their youth; and the church claims his actions have nothing to do with their church. Niiice.

Peterson is now 31, but allegedly when he is was 18, he used to baby-sit a girl who was 7 and 8 at the time. She charges that he fondled here and forced her to perform oral sex on him. He has been charged with two counts of sexual battery on a person younger than 12 and is in Orient Road Jail with no bail set.

The victim now lives out of state and is 18 at this time. Back in September, she contacted local authorities about the issue and has recent recorded phone conversations between Peterson and herself. In these conversations he tells her he had been addicted to pornography and that she was an “easy target”.

“This doesn’t involve our church, and we don’t have anything to say.”

There you have it. This is what the typical American church can offer you in the way of taking responsibility for the actions of the individuals they choose to lead their people. I’m a Christian and I know not all churches would take such a “cop-out” stand on such an issue. Sadly, though, a lot will.

Peterson may have performed these acts before he was affiliated with their church, but it remains that to have not been open about his past actions with a minor when he leading the CHILDREN of the congregation, is beyond irresponsible. Some may say that what is in the past should remain in the past, but when it comes to adults who use children for sexual reasons, it is NOT that simple. Studies show that it is nearly impossible to rehabilitate someone who has sexual urges toward children. For this man to be in a trusted position with this church’s children is shocking.

“This doesn’t involve our church, and we don’t have anything to say.”

I’d say that is does indeed involve your church. If you employ this man as a pastor, then it is your responsibility to make sure he is fit to lead, especially in light of the accusations that have surfaced. There are children and their parents in your congregation who are probably scared and confused right now. This most certainly involves your church.

When the leaders of a church cannot even take responsibility in our society, why would we expect anyone else to?

EDIT:
I have received messages from people who claim to know this guy, telling me I should forgive him. I’m pretty sure I never wrote that he should not be forgiven. That is another issue. What I AM saying is that you do NOT allow anyone without a spotless background in relation to children to work with children, ever. Use some wisdom. Think of the kids and the parents who trusted the guy and remember what they Bible tell us about “even a hint of sexual immorality. ”

Who in their right mind does not understand that those in leadership will be under harsher scrutiny. It’s a fact of life.

How out there has not heard of the iPod or the iPhone? Before either product was actually even available on the common market, both were phenomenally popular internationally. Call it a sign of the times, but cool electronic gadgets are the true superstars of our culture. And, ipod accessories are their entourage.

Kids are bringing both of these things into the classroom. I can hardly believe it. It’s not my place to protect the items they choose to take outside their home, but I still find myself wanting to help keep an extra eye on their backpacks for them. What are they thinking? What are their parents thinking?

Either way, when you own something as desirable as an iPod or an iPhone, you tend to want to protect your toys with leather cases and holsters. We dress our babies up like they were our children. Like I said, it’s just a sign of the times.

Yesterday was Liev Schreiber’s 40th birthday. I nearly forgot, until I was on the phone with pfunk and she happened to mention it. I very quickly sent him a chipper little e-mail wishing him well. I think his 40th year had been a big one for him. He is with a supportive partner, his son was born this summer, and his career is finally at a place where he can call the shots. Live well.

My daughter’s godmother and one of my best friends has her birthday today. I left her a voice mail and hopefully when I get back out to the car and to my phone, she will have returned my call. We will be sewing both her and her husband in just a couple of weeks when they come to Florida for a brief vacation. Gigi remembers her godparents well, even though I think it has been since Christmas that she has seen them.

The next big birthday coming up is my own. Yikes. I think we will skip talking about that.

Southern Living has an article this month of getting away with the girls. I have been meaning to plan a getaway with a few of my best girlfriends to the Outer Banks of NC for a long time now. This article has sort of put the spark back in my motivation.

Southern Living mentions several locations they feel are idea for a weekend away with the gals. Nashville tops their list. I’d have to agree. I think that sounds like an ideal place to get away from it all. They follow that up with a resort in Austin, TX and the charming town of Blowing Rock, NC.

The south is just filled with amazing pplaces to visit. I count myself lucky to have moved here from Washington, DC (though there are those who argue DC is in the south as well).

Now, back to planning that trip with the girl. I’m off to send out e-mails now see who is interested.

I’ve never had that one special place where I vacation each and every year. I tend to pick a new place to explore whenever I have some time to get away. There are a few places I’ve gone back to over and over, but on an annual basis. I like to revisit Williamsburg, VA and Washington, D.C. Other than that, I make it a habit to see as much as possible.

I have one friend who goes with her family and another family to a cabin in the Smokey Mountains every year. I have another friend who likes to go annually with her husband to the Tropicana Las Vegas. Yet another friend always spends her free weeks in London. They’ve made traditions of it. I was all for having a vacation tradition with my family, but my ex-husband was almost impossible to convince to even take a vacation. We did so infrequently and he just let me plan it all.

My daughter is almost 5. She is all too happy to make Orlando our annual treat. I think it’s a fine tradition as long as she is young enough to enjoy it, plus it is only about an hour from home. As she gets older, I’m hoping she and I can start a more elaborate annual travel tradition.

How insane is it that I am at the public library blogging and checking my e-mail? With the major internet provider not running in our local area the way it should be running,. I have little to no access to the sites I need to use on a daily basis. There is something negative to be said for replying on technology to make a living.

Don’t get me wrong. Technology has brought us so many innovations that make out lives better; I can hardly begin to make a list here. I’ve started and maintained friendships I would have never been able to foster had it not been for the net. I can pick up my phone and call anyone anywhere without incurring long distance charges. My daughter can chat using video and speak to her grandfather, even though he lives a thousand miles away. Technology can rock.

Today, though, I’m thinking technology is a naughty little freak.

I might not live in Hawaii, but I do live in Florida and the sun is the focus of our lifestyle here. Sandals can be worn all year around and sometimes I don’t break out the jackets for years. Mad Gringo sells Hawaiian shirts, but when I shop on their site, I feel like I am right home here in Florida.

“Watch more sunsets. Every day there is one more less of them,” it says at the top of the home page.

“Drop the to do list.
Lose the cell.
Grab the flip flops.”

Yep, that’s Florida as well.

People do wear hawaiian shirts here, and not just the tourists. There is just something about being only a couple of miles from the Gulf of Mexico, being able to often smell the salt air, the sheer sun-drenched quality that decorates our days that makes you want to Go Slow.

Mad Gringo doesn’t just do the Hawaiian shirt; they also sell all manner of casual beachwear. If it’s tropical in spirit, they sell it. Their Bubble Tea Adventure Sarong is right up my alley. I like to be able to feel the sun on my skin and know that my clothes look good with the sandals I love so much.

I’m not sure why, but the biggest cable internet provider in the county is having an access issue and more than half the sites I attempt to access today are not loading. It’s network-wide, so I am less worried that there is an issue with my personal connection, but it is slighty angst-causing that I cannot access my G-mail or even make a Google search. I cannot even get to half the blogging communities I like to visit. Google ads are not loading on the pages I visit, which seems to weird to me. It’s as though the internet is split in half and I just cannot get over the wall to the othr side.

I’ve mentioned before that at the beginning of a new television season, I start out by watching a whole lot of new shows. Since I have a DVR, I can record two shows simultaneously in any given time slot. Then, I go back and watch at my leisure (also bypassing the commercials). Most shows don’t make it to a second episode for me. The ones that do make the first cut don’t always make to the end of the season on my roster. So far, the CW’s Gossip Girl is making the cut.

You may or may not be familiar with the very popular young adult series of Gossip Girl books by Cecily von Ziegesar. That same popularity is being translated into a television show on CW. The executive producer is Josh Schwartz, the creator of The O.C. That might give you some idea of the appeal this new show is likely to have across all age groups.

I like to think of the main character of the show as the Blog kept by an unknown blogger. Of course, the Blog is not the main character, but everything in the series is central to what the unknown blogger writes in said Blog. That’s why I see it as the main character.

Otherwise, the show revolves around a group of pretentious Upper East Side teens in NYC prep schools. It deals with “teen issues” from a whole new point of view. These are not your typical kids – they are the privileged few. The Blog is also not your typical Blog. Pots are stirred, so to speak.

The first season of The CW’s Gossip Girl premiered on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. New episodes air every Wednesday at 9/8 central. If you’ve missed it so far, you can catch up by watching full episodes on the CW website, the MySpace Fan Page, or by downloading related You Tube Videos.