A Reminder, A Ministry, and A Children's Book Giveaway

A reminder: Exactly one month from today is Valentine's Day. Some of you - mostly males - might need this wake-up call. You're welcome.  :)

A ministry: I haven't posted a Ministry MATTERS post for a few months but if I had, Voice of the Martyrs just might be one of those highlighted. You may send them a donation if you feel so inclined but no comments are necessary, no strings are attached, and no prizes will be given for your donations.

A children's book giveaway: On the other hand, I do have a children's book to give away entitled The Story of St. Valentine, More than Cards and Candied Hearts written by The Voice of the Martyrs with Cheryl Odden and illustrated by R.F. Palavicini. I found this to be a fascinating account of the young man who defied the Roman emperor Claudius to worship God by upholding the sanctity of marriage. (Whoa! Does that sound like a modern issue or what?) The only thing some (including me) might take issue with is the statement that the "church" declared February 14th a day to celebrate Valentine in order to replace the celebration of the Roman goddess, Juno. But there are many words on my calendar that are directly influenced by the Greeks, Romans, and their immediate successor, the Roman Catholic Church, that I must of necessity use daily so I take it in stride. Parent who disagree with an author's point-of-view should use such opportunities to appropriately educate their children. We're Americans and we still have the right to do that by sharing our faith with our children and other people.

The tale ends with a quick vignette of a modern Vietnamese woman who has been arrested many times for her faith. The subtle point of this transition is to introduce American children to the fact that even today not all the world has the right to openly worship Jesus or share their faith with others.

The book is beautifully illustrated using vivid colors as vibrant as the blood-red hue that we normally associate with the day itself. (I laid the book on a red cloth for the photograph just so you could make the comparison yourself.) They are bold which makes them worthy of the actions of the book's hero.

Here are the rules to participate in the drawing:

• Leave a "legitimate" comment - multiple entries allowed but with a limit of 1 per day, please - stating you wish to be entered in the drawing. (Comments that activate the spam filter will not be entered and are an example of an "illegitimate" comment.)
• Tell about this giveaway at your own blog or website and leave me a comment stating the proper URL (of your specific blog post, not your blog address).
• Contest ends at midnight EST on January 31, 2011 and the name will be randomly selected and announced on February 1st. Winner has until midnight EST February 5th to make contact.
• Book will be mailed to winner in a timely fashion.

Let the countdown to Valentine's Day begin!