September Issue

The September issue of the Nebraska Family Times will appear in your mailbox, or favorite sponsor’s waiting room or reading area, by September 5th.

Check out the thought-provoking article on the front page; Time Peace; A New Perspective on Time. The article about how our society seems to be ruled by our watches, and reminds us of Jesus’ perspective on time.

The article “PINK Kids Make Trip to Canada” is near and dear to my heart, as the kids who went to Canada are members of “my” church. It was interesting to interview several leaders and kids who went on the trip. I think you’ll enjoy reading about what they accomplished teaching VBS in Cormorant, Canada, in July.

Bible Challenge is a fairly new feature in the paper. I hope people will take up the challenge every month and learn more about the Bible.

What features would you like to see in the paper? Would you like to see articles on a certain issue or topic? Please let me know! You can e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net or call me at (402) 750-3496.

First Day of School

The first day of school this year is bittersweet for me . . . it’s Cody’s last, first day of school! Yes, he is a senior this year and next year will be heading off to college . . . and I probably won’t be there on that first day. (I joke that I’m going to buy an RV and camp out in the parking lot outside his dorm or fraternity house . . . and although there are some days I’d like to do that, I’m not going to . . .{well, I’m probably not going to!} )

Morgan is a sophomore this year! She is looking forward to seeing her friends and getting started in new classes. She has some challenging ones, including geometry, biology, and speech. She’s considering being part of the speech or mock trial teams, but will have to see how that will fit in with everything else.

Cody and Morgan didn’t have to be to school until 11:00 this morning. Morgan had an appointment in the morning, so Cody drove by himself and I took Morgan to her appointment and then to school. After I dropped Morgan off I drove through the parking lot and saw Cody’s truck . . . and unexpectedly burst into tears! Of course I know that it’s part of life for our kids to grow up and leave home . . . but it’s going to be a huge change for our family. I talked to several moms who said the same thing happened to them—tears at unexpected times during that senior year.

I know that this year will just fly by, and I plan to spend as much time with Cody and Morgan as I can (without annoying them too much!). Years ago, in our MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) group, our mentor said, “With children, the days may sometimes seem slow, but the years will go fast.” She was absolutely right!

Newspaper Ponderings

I am so blessed to have this opportunity to be the owner, editor, and publisher of the Nebraska Family Times!

The job does, however, have its ups and downs! As the person “in charge” of, well, everything, I can do everything how I want to do it . . . but I’m also responsible for absolutely everything. I’m also blessed to be working with people who know more than I do in the areas of websites, layout, and so on, and I’m so blessed to have several very trusted friends who I can ask questions of and can count on getting honest answers from. I appreciate the thoughts, comments, and advice I get from others! It’s easy to see everything having to do with the paper from “my” perspective, but I need to also consider what readers want to see.

Sometimes it all gets overwhelming! When checks are slow in coming in, or I can’t seem to find the articles I want to find, or people are upset about something that has to do with the paper, I wonder if I really AM cut out to do this!

But then I receive a positive comment or two, or a note enclosed with a payment, or someone tells me about an article that really touched him or her, and I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. When I get discouraged, I remember how I prayed before making the decision to buy the paper. I very clearly heard from God, that this is what I’m supposed to be doing.

I have so many ideas of things to do with the paper—my ideas and those that have been given to me by others. I want to touch people throughout Nebraska and beyond! I want to show God’s great love for us, His plan for each of us, and how He can guide us through life. I want to do what He wants me to do, with the paper. Many days I wish I could stay up all night, just working on the paper! (I guess I could—I was able to during nursing school!—but at this age staying awake for one night wipes me out for about three days!)

I recently heard Joyce Meyer, one of my favorite Christian authors and speakers, say something that really hit home with me: “I may not be where I should be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be.” And that’s how I feel about the paper. I don’t have everything exactly as I want it to be, but I thank God for what I’ve learned not just since I’ve owned the paper, but all through my writing career.

I thank you, my readers, for all of the thoughts, comments, and suggestions you’ve shared with me! The paper is for YOU, so please let me know what you like, and don’t like, and want to see in it. I also ask for your prayers, that God will guide me in the direction that He wants the paper to go.

20th Anniversary

Tim and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary today!

We were hoping to spend the day at the zoo with Cody and Morgan, and stay overnight in Omaha, but our plans just didn’t work out. Instead we went to Grand Island shopping with Morgan. I should say, Morgan shopped, and Tim and I browsed and sat and talked. It was nice to spend time with Tim without the phone or laundry or anything else that, at home, seems to interrupt us.

When I look back, I see the many blessings God has given us throughout our marriage. After our faith, we of course consider Cody and Morgan our greatest blessings! We also have achieved our dream of living at the ranch, where Tim and Cody and Morgan have their cattle and Morgan has her sheep. We are each blessed with our own businesses, and each other.

I’m not much for trying to imagine where I’ll be in five, or ten, or 20 years, so I never had a picture of where we’d be on our 20th anniversary, and I don’t have a picture of where we’ll be five, or ten, or 20 years from now. What I know is that Tim and I have been blessed by God in our years together!