Catching up...{Drumroll}...And the Winners Are...

The winners of the gift basket (pictured below) are: 

• Marcy, for your comment on the Nebraska Family Times blog on 4/18
• Buffie, for your comment on the Nebraska Family Times blog on 4/16
• Melanie Schultz for your comment on the Home is Where the Mom Is blog on 4/16
• Multi-Tasking Mama for your comment on the Home is Where the Mo Is blog on 4/8

Please e-mail me your mailing address to me at shelly@shellyburke.net by Wednesday and I'll get your gift in the mail! 

The next giveaway will be announced later this week;

sign up to receive these blog posts in your e-mail so you can sign up

for the next gift giveaway! {HINT: It will contain CHOCOLATE!)

And stay tuned...I'll be catching up on posts for the A to Z Blogging Challenge on both blogs this week! 

Wild Week! And Chance to Win a Gift Basket Extended!

Yes, I know it's not the day for "W" yet...

Please accept my sincere apologies at falling behind on the "A to Z Challenge"! On Sunday I was invited to go with a friend to a little town in western Nebraska; she gave her "Chocolate" talk there. After, as she was talking with people who attended, we started hearing that the Interstate was closed...because of snow! We did NOT expect that but after checking with family and friends realized that we'd be spending the night in North Platte (where there was no snow, by the way...). After a trip to WalMart for pajamas and a few other necessities, we treated ourselves to a nice supper out and talked until almost 2 AM, discussing everything from our kids to the theology of heaven to our future writing plans and goals to the kind of toothpaste we used...

Needless to say I didn't get any blogging done that day or Monday...we left mid-morning to come home and within 5 or 6 miles saw the first semi jack-knifed in the median. We saw numerous other cars and semis on their sides or completely overturned as we made our way home. We were very thankful to get home safely!

The rest of my week was spent putting the May issue of the "Nebraska Family Times" together; if you'd like a FREE copy of the June issue e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net with your mailing address), working, going to church, welcoming Morgan, my daughter, home, seeing the movie "Heaven is for Real", planning and shopping for Easter dinner...and basically, well, not blogging.

I have my posts planned out and WILL catch up within the next few days.

To make it up to my readers I will be giving away 4 gift baskets instead of just one (see this post ) and have decided to extend it until Easter Monday; everyone who comments between now and then will be in the drawing for one of the gift baskets.

May God bless you and your family this Easter!

"He is risen!"

"He is risen indeed!"

"Alleluia!" 

A to Z Blogging -- M is for Measure

Measure

Jesus said, “…give, and it will be given to you…

For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

Luke 6:38

With what measure are you giving today? It is easy to “give”—of our time, our talent, and our treasure—to those we love, to those who have given to us.

But with what measure do you give?

Reluctantly, because you don’t want to take the time?

Resentfully, that someone demanding yet something else?

Angrily because you “have” to?

The Lord gives to us every day with a measure of generosity and love, more than we can imagine, more than we could ever deserve. Shouldn’t we do the same?

But it is not so easy to give to those who have measured out to us betrayal, or hurt, or maybe nothing at all. With the Lord’s help, however, we can do so. Pray that He will open your heart to forgive, to be generous and giving to others—even if they have not given to us in like measure.

Ask the Lord to help you give with love and generosity today.

(I’m also blogging the A to Z Challenge at Home is Where the Mom Is about 

The Morning Blues—Beating Them.)

A to Z Blogging -- L is for Light

Light

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works,

and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

What does it mean to let your light shine before men (and women and children too)? It means to let others see who you are in Christ.

When you let your light shine, His love for you and for others will show in your attitude, in your words, in your actions. When He is an integral part of your life, every day, your light will naturally shine.

Your light will shine when you let someone go ahead of you in the line at the grocery store, when you give a smile to the mom whose kids are acting up in public, when you invite a friend to church, when you offer encouragement to someone who is going through a down time, when you visit someone who cannot leave home. Then, when you have the chance, give the glory to the Lord. Share that you are able to shine because you know the Lord and His forgiveness, love and peace.

Every day I ask the Lord to guide me to show His love, no matter what I am doing—working at the surgery center, or the college, or just going about my every day errands. I want everything I do to reflect His love. I desire for others to know His love, His peace, the joy of knowing Him. Ask the Lord to be with you, to shine through you.

How are you going to let your light shine today?

(I’m also blogging the A to Z Challenge at Home is Where the Mom Is.

Click over and read “Life Skills to Teach Your Kids”.)

A to Z Blogging -- K is for Knowledge

Knowledge

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

and knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Proverbs 9:10

The wise lay up knowledge.

Proverbs 10:14

Unwise decisions—those made without knowledge—have the potential of throwing our lives into a downward spiral. Bad decisions have negative consequences…which can lead to more bad decisions and more negative consequences.

Decisions made with knowledge usually have positive results; continued knowledgeable decisions will put our lives on a positive path, one that will bring us joy and glorify the Lord.

Proverbs 9:10 tells us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”  The word “fear” does not mean “running away and screaming in fear” but rather respect, reverence and humility of the Lord. The Lord, through His Word, the Bible, offers us the knowledge that we need to make good and godly moral decisions.

The Bible doesn’t tell us outright what to do if we are confronted with an overbearing boss, or a cranky coworker, selfish spouse, backstabbing brother, or other temptations galore, it does give us the principles of how to deal with these situations and more—many more—in fact, any situation we may be confronted with.

When we study the Bible we gain knowledge—we lay it up in our hearts. When we are familiar with God’s words we will be ready when (not if) we face difficult situations. And if you are involved in a situation where you just don’t know how to act, ask Him. He will lead and guide you.

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise words. Consider using it for Bible study for a month or more, reading the chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the date. Today, April 12^th, read Proverbs 12.

(I’m also blogging the A to Z Challenge at Home is Where the Mom Is. Today I’m blogging on the topic of “Kids; Bringing God into Their Lives.”)

A to Z Blogging -- J is for Joyful

Joyful

“What gain has the worker from his toil? …I perceived that there is nothing better for them to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.”

Ecclesiastes 3:9, 12-13

We do not know what our lives will bring. We do know that there will be heart ache, and heart break. There will be stress and sadness. And some days will seem long, tedious and even boring.

But we also know that the years God grants us here on earth are nothing compared to what we will have, living in eternity with the Lord.

But God does not intend us to live unhappily here on earth. He wants us to have fun! He wants us to be joyful in what we are doing! He wants us to take pleasure in eating and drinking (not to excess of course!) He wants us to take pleasure in our toil. It is His gift to us—that we will be joyful in our daily lives.

Here are a few things I am joyful about today:

• Hearing the birds sing and only wearing a light sweatshirt when I walked Jenny (the beagle) early this morning.
• Finding out that the “zinging” pain in my tooth was just a “strained ligament”—not a cracked tooth or broken filling as I feared—not treatment required (but no more chewing my favorite candy mints!). And I laughed with joy when the receptionist told me “There is no charge for your visit today!”
• Talking with a friend who was down, and planning to spend a day with her.
• Finishing the laundry!
• Talking to my sister. 
• Writing this blog post! I’m joyful when I am using the talents God has given me and I pray what I write gives you joy and encouragement, as well.
• Making and enjoying a (to me) gourmet dish of pasta, fresh asparagus, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

What made you joyful today?

(I’m also blogging at Home is Where the Mom Is .

Click over to read “Just five Minutes? Twenty-five Things You Can Do.”)

A to Z Blogging -- I is for..."I"

“I am the Way…”

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

John 14:6

Years ago, before I read the verse at the beginning of this post, I didn't know how to respond to people who made statements like this:

“It doesn't matter what you believe, or who you believe in—as long as you BELIEVE, you will go to heaven. And even if you don’t really believe, if you live a good life God will love you and take you to heaven.”

But if you believe in the Bible it’s very clear;  to have eternal life with God, one must believe in Jesus, God’s Son, who came to earth to die for us and forgive us of all of our sins, and then, on the first Easter, rose from the dead.

It doesn’t matter how strongly  anyone believes in any other god or any other being. It doesn’t matter how many times a person goes to church, or how many “good” things he or she does, or how much money is given to charity, or how many prayers are said, or …well, or anything else. All that matters is believing the truth—that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

To be clear, God does love us, even if we do not love or believe in Him. But we will not spend eternity with Him unless we do believe in Him. This is not exclusive, but rather inclusive; inclusive of absolutely everyone who believes. It does not depend on a certain amount of money in the checking account, a  high-status the job, “enough” friends, how good looking, how many “good” things done.

Our salvation is through grace—God’s undeserved love for us. We could never do enough to “deserve” it; all we have to do—all we can do—is accept it. We are blessed!

Peter said, of Jesus, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other

name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12

If you hear one of the statements at the beginning of this post, gently and kindly point out these verses that show the true—the only!--way to heaven.  

(I’m also blogging the A to Z Challenge at Home is Where the Mom Is. Today’s post is based on Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things…”)