Wednesday, March 16, 2011

April Issue Preview

One of the reasons I enjoy publishing the Nebraska Family Times is that there are different things to do every week, and even every day.

Next week is put-the-paper-together week, which includes finding articles (mostly from various websites), getting and editing columns and articles from readers, writing articles, and contacting advertisers. By the middle of next week I should have gathered all of the articles that will appear in the paper, and then Jennifer Gleason (of Gleames Creative Design www.gleames.com) will get them laid out so I can see how they'll look when the paper comes out (more about this process in a future post).

Since next week is "put-the-paper-together week", this week is planning week. Today I'll send out reminders to regular columnists, asking them to have their articles e-mailed to me by next Monday or Tuesday. I'm blessed because all of the columnists are very punctual in getting their articles to me on time! It's fun to read their articles every month as they come in.

I also contact several organizations for information about upcoming events. I'll publish these events in the paper space permitting. (If there is an upcoming Christian event you would like publicized, e-mail it to shelly@shellyburke.net. Space permitting, it will be published in the papaer).

One of my favorite things to do it interview people for articles that I'll write for the paper.

Last week I met with and interviewed Deb Burma. She's the author of several devotion books, "Treasured" and "Beautiful Feet," which were reviewed in the last issue of the NFT. (See the reviews at http://nebraskafamilytimes.blogspot.com/2011/03/fantastic-devotion-books.html)

During the interview Deb said that since she was a little girl she "always liked words." (She even enjoyed diagramming sentences!) Her love of words took her from speaking on live radio when she was on the South Dakota State 4-H Council when she was a teenager, to sharing her faith in front of live audiences. In June she will speak in front of her largest audience yet, as the keynote speaker at the LWML (Lutheran Women's Missionary League) National Convention in Peoria, IL. Read more about her journey in the April issue of the NFT.

I was thrilled to get back in touch with a high-school friend for an article about a cause that's important to her and the more than 40,000 kids (including Sondra and Tim's daughter Ashely) who are born every year with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). Sondra and I talked for over an hour yesterday about Heart Hero Capes, an organization that provides capes for children with CHD. The kids wear the capes when they're headed to a doctor's appointment or for tests or surgery, to give them courage in a situation that can be very scary. The full article will appear in the April issue of the paper as well.

We also talked about the book Sondra is also planning to write, documenting the challenges she and her family have faced during Ashley's life with CHD. Ashely has had countless doctor's appointments and tests, and several surgeries (with serious complications following one surgery) to treat her CHD. Sondra is at the beginning of the book-writing process, and I'm already excited to read the book! Look for updates on the book here and in the NFT.

Habitat for Humanity is coming to Columbus, NE! The first Habitat house is scheduled to be built starting in May. Read more about what Habitat for Humanity is, how it works, and how you can help, in the April issue of the paper.

Now that I've done the interviews, it's time to write the articles! I'm looking forward to re-reading my notes and putting the articles together.

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If you have an idea for an article for the NFT, please e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net. I'm always looking for leads to articles that readers would enjoy.

If you are a subscriber, you'll receive the April issue of the NFT the first week in April. If you're not a subscriber but would like to see what the NFT is all about, e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net, or call (402) 993-2467 to receive a FREE issue.