Sunrises

I love sunrises, and fall is a time for especially beautiful sunrises in our part of Nebraska. I've taken pictures of several sunrises over the last few weeks. I can never remember which setting on my camera takes the best early-morning scenery pictures, so I end up taking quite a few pictures, using different settings, over the time period of 10 or 15 minutes or so.

When I'm looking at the sunrises in "real life" and when I look at the pictures on my computer I always have the same thought--what a great God we have, to have created such beauty solely for our enjoyment. He could have made every sunrise exactly the same, but He did not. Some mornings there are clouds...some mornings are perfectly clear...on some mornings there is a veil of mist over the fields. I have taken hundreds of pictures of sunrises during the 6 1/2 years we've lived in the country, and I am still amazed at how different the sunrises are from day to day, and even minute to minute.

Recently in my Bible study I've been reading a Psalm each morning. The following verses fit the beauty of His sunrises.

"Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious, merciful, and righteous." Psalm 122:4

When our days are dark because of circumstance, we can always be confident that "light will dawn," both literally and figuratively. Just as the sun comes up every morning and brightens the world, the Son  brightens our world through His love and grace and mercy. Just as the sun is there even when we cannot see it, the Son is also there. Even if we cannot see Him or we feel far away from Him, we can be confident that He cares for us, He listens to our prayers, and He is aware of everything that is going on in our lives.

 The other verse that inspired me; "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!"

When I watch a beautiful sunrise, I can't help but praise the Lord! I praise Him for giving us such beauty in our world, I praise Him that I am able to see and enjoy the sunrise and I praise Him for His gift to us that makes all other gifts pale: the gift of His Son and our salvation.

May you find joy in sunrises, and in the Son.

Would you Like to Become "More than a Good Bible Study Girl?"

I read this book several months ago and loved it! It encouraged me to make God and Bible study more than just another "to-do" on my list. I reviewed Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl in the September issue of the Nebraksa Family Times and was so inspired and encouraged by the book that I wanted to share the review here, with you. I hope you enjoy it! (And if you decide to order More than a Good Bible Study Girl, please consider ordering through Proverbs 31 ministries; it's a little more expensive than ordering through a "big" e-bookstore, but you'll be supporting the Proverbs 31 Ministries). 
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Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl

By Lysa TerKeurst

Review by Shelly Burke, Editor

Lysa TerKeurst had a difficult childhood and a legalistic view of God, believing that if she did the “right” things, He in turn would give her what she wanted. All of that ended the day her baby sister died and Lysa completely turned away from God.

Several years later she was led back to Jesus by a verse a friend had written in a card, and started to seek inner peace through Him. In Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl Lysa shares her struggles and the truths she found. Lysa says the message she wants to share is, “to help women not only know God’s truth but also feel equipped to live it out in their everyday lives.”

Lysa addresses six areas in which we can become “more than a good Bible study girl;”

• In My Heart
• In My Walk with God
• In My Relationships
• In My Struggles
• In My Thoughts
• In My Calling

In each area she shows how we can develop a deeper relationship with God. Lysa covers personal, sensitive topics; chapter titles include “When I  Feel Like I Don’t Measure Up,” “When God Hurts My Feelings” and “What Do I Do When I Don’t Feel God?”

                                                   

Lysa lets readers know that it’s OK to struggle with devotion time, become disappointed when we don’t get the opportunities that we seek, and struggle with the “uglies” (times in life when things don’t go as they should and we feel ugly). She addresses real-life situations that include dealing with gossip, changing a bad attitude, and defeating satan’s attempts to make us feel inadequate. She assures us that we are not the only ones who feel this way, and then gives practical advice for finding Biblical truths and living them out in our daily lives.

Lysa writes to new Christians as well as those who have been believers for a long time, and every reader will benefit from her suggestions for studying the Bible in a way that will make it come alive

I found myself taking pages of notes and writing down Bible references as I read Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl. I was able to immediately put her suggestions to use, and was especially uplifted by her encouraging words for times when things just don’t go our way. One of the most reassuring things I learned was that not getting opportunities when I want them is not God’s way of keeping me from my calling, but instead His way of preparing me for opportunities.

Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl is a book I will refer to often, and I recommend it to anyone who seeks a deeper relationship with God and wants to live His truths in their daily life.

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Lysa TerKeurst is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. Go to http://www.proverbs31.org/ to order Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl and for many more resources and links to blogs and devotions of other women who are a part of Proverbs 31 Ministries.

Why You Should Hang Up Your Robe
by Glynnis Whitwer

(Editor's Note: This article really hit home with me; I have a bad habit of not quite finishing what I started. Reading this article helped me to realize the importance of finishing what I start, even with such seemingly minor tasks as hanging up my robe. Thanks, Glynnis, for your wise words!)

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…” Acts 20:24 (NIV)

My first instinct was to leave the clean, folded clothes on top of the dresser. Granted, my arms were filled with freshly laundered items...

 

To read the rest of the article, go to http://www.nebraskafamilytimes.blogspot.com/ . Check out more by Glynnis Whitwer at http://www.glynniswhitwer.com/.

"The days may seem long, but the years are short"

One of our MOPS mentors told me that years ago, when I had two toddlers at home. And indeed, some of the days did seem very long, between diapers, and nursing, and (very short!) naps, and more diapers, and interrupted sleep, and more nursing, and preparing meals, and baths, and more nursing...

But I was reminded of her words once again a few weeks ago, on Morgan's first day of her senior year. After I took the last, first-day-of-school picture, waved good-bye to her, sent up a prayer to God to protect her, and wiped away a few tears, I went through her old scrapbooks until I found the picture of her first, first-day-of-school (see the pictures below).

As I looked at the two pictures I felt a mix of emotions; a little bit of sadness that my "little girl" was soon going to leave to go to college and start her life; pride in the independent, thoughtful, God-loving young lady she's become; disbelief that she's gone from being a kindergartener to a senior in high-school in the blink of an eye...and overwhelming gratitude that God has given Tim and I such a blessing in Morgan.

This is such a bittersweet time for me...happiness and joy in Morgan's anticipation of "what comes next" along with a little tug in my heart every time she hugs me good-bye in the morning, knowing that next year she will be going to college and I won't be there to hug her every morning.

So, moms of young kids: Remember--"the days may seem long, but the years are short." Enjoy every stage with your children. Enjoy reading to them, discovering the wonders of nature with them, and cuddles in bed with them. As your children get older, you'll celebrate their independence in eating, going to the bathroom, and dressing themselves. Before you know it they'll be (gulp) driving and dating...and considering their options of what to do after high school. The hugs may become less frequent, but you'll still get them once in awhile!

I do not regret one moment that I spent with Cody and Morgan. I enjoyed each of the stages they went through (although I would not go back and repeat any stage)! And I look forward to the "stages" yet to come. May God bless every day you spend with your children.

Morgan's first, first day of school, with her first dog, Hershey

Morgan's last, first-day-of-school, with her dog Jenny. Yes, she's sitting on the same swing that's in the first picture! (It's almost time for a new porch swing.)

Bacon goes with...Chocolate Chip Cookies?

I enjoy trying new, unusual recipes, and last week my sister sent me a link to a recipe I just couldn't resist trying--Brown Butter, Bacon, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. ( http://mouthfromthesouth.com/brown-butter-bacon-chocolate-chip-cookies/ ). The recipe called for three kinds of chocolate, giving me an excuse to buy three bags of chocolate chips, and I'd never made brown butter before, either, so I was really looking forward to trying it.

Making the brown butter wasn't hard, just a little time-consuming since I was worried about burning the butter (the recipe and my sister both warned that the butter could go from "a little brown" to "burned beyond being able to use" in just a few seconds). The instant it started to turn brown and smell nutty, I took it off the heat.

The batter tasted just like batter for chocolate chip cookies...with bacon. (I felt an obligation to try the batter, just to make sure it tasted ok to bake. I wouldn't want to serve my family an inferior product, after all!).  As I spooned out the batter on the cookie sheets, it was a little strange to see bacon pieces among the chocolate chips...but they came out of the oven smelling wonderful!

Morgan wouldn't taste a cookie until I did...I bravely bit in...waited for the taste to hit me...and the cookie tasted like...a chocolate chip cookie with bits of bacon in it. It wasn't horrible or disgusting, but wasn't anything fantastic either. I tried another cookie this morning (OK, two of them) just to see if "aging" overnight made a difference...nope.  I'm going to send some of the cookies to my niece; maybe she'll take them to school on Monday. I don't know if they'll make her "the-most-popular-girl-to-trade-lunches-with," or "the- girl-to-avoid-trading-lunches-with"...but I bet she'll try them.

My suggestion? Try the recipe but leave out the bacon. Tim was right--chocolate chips and bacon are both essential food groups...best served separately.

And I will look forward to the next unusual recipe Becky sends me!



Can you see the chopped up bacon?
The recipe calls for a whole cup!



What would YOU Like to See?

So far on this blog I've told you a little bit about myself and my book, Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom's Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home.

My prayer is to make this a blog that will encourage readers, especially readers who have children. My faith and my family are the most important things in my life, and I want to share those with you in a way that will help you in your faith and parenting walk.

What would you like to read about in this blog? I have a list of ideas :-) but I want to make sure I cover topics that are important to you! Although I have a child in college and one who will be a high school senior, I've loved all of their ages and stages (yes, I've really loved them all...although there are a few stages I wouldn't want to go back to!) and I've collected a lot of good ideas and "real life" advice from friends along the way--advice and ideas I'm happy to share, all the while encouraging you to do what you know is best for YOUR unique family. I plan to have guests write posts too--if you would like to write a guest post, please email me.

Please let me know what you'd like to read about--and don't be afraid to ask about touchy topics like difficult family members, frenemies, and trials of parenting.

Please leave your suggestions as a comment or e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net.

I'm so excited to get this blog started! I've wanted to do it for a long time and am very happy that the time is finally right.

God bless you and your families and I hope to hear from you soon!

Giving Birth to a Book

I’ve heard the process of writing and publishing a book compared to giving birth to a child…while I agree that they are both huge accomplishments, giving birth to Home is Where the Mom Is took a lot longer than giving birth to my children (and there is nothing that can compare to giving birth to my children—not even publishing a book!)!

It was so exciting to be writing a book! I had quite a few (rejected) ideas for magazine articles, so those were the start of the book. I used a file folder for each topic and put notes, articles, and even sticky notes that contained ideas pertinent to that topic, in the file folder.

Gradually it became obvious that Home is Where the Mom Is would have three main sections: Taking Care of Yourself, Taking Care of Others, and Organizing Your Life. Chapter titles and topics naturally evolved from there.

Throughout the whole process of writing and publishing I asked for God’s guidance; I knew I couldn’t write a book without His help and leading! There were times the words just flowed, and I know it was God guiding my thoughts and sentences—it couldn’t have been me! I asked God to guide me to write the words that would encourage the moms who would read them; I wanted them to feel the joy and peace I have in my faith.

I began by writing a few chapters. I worked to include Bible verses and Christian beliefs as appropriate; my faith is a major part of my life and I wanted Home is Where the Mom Is  to encourage readers to strengthen their faith and incorporate it in every part of their lives and their kids’ lives.

Eventually the title of the book, became clear; Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home.

I wrote in longhand, on legal pads, and when I completed a chapter I typed it on the computer. Then I began editing. I actually enjoy editing; it’s a challenge to me to make ideas flow more smoothly and make my thoughts understood. I used a red pen to make corrections or edits, and most of the time on the first draft, by the time I was done editing,  there were more arrows and red marks than typed words! I knew I was done editing a chapter when my edits turned out to be the way I’d worded that sentence originally.

After I wrote a few chapters it was time to look for a publisher. I researched Christian publishers and found about 15 who I thought might be interested in Home is Where the Mom Is. I carefully prepared a proposal package that contained several sample chapters, an outline of the remaining chapters, and a marketing plan, and sent the package off to the appropriate editors.

I began to receive responses a few weeks later. I was encouraged to receive several letters expressing some interest in Home is Where the Mom Is, but discouraged when that sentence was followed by…our publishing schedule is full for the next two years…or …not right for us at this time.

I became discouraged at this point, and was tempted to just throw all of my files, my papers, and my research into a file box and hide it in the basement! I told my friends and family this and they strongly encouraged me not to give up. I prayed about it and felt God telling me not to give up, either. I prayed for his guidance as to what to do next.

I knew a little bit about self-publishing and at this time did a little more research, eventually feeling that this was the way to get Home is Where the Mom Is to moms. I focused on working on Home is Where the Mom Is every day; at times it was very difficult to do so, but eventually (after much more than nine months) it was completed! A few weeks later I received the very first copy of Home is Where the Mom Is in the mail…and after all that work and time it was almost as satisfying as holding a new baby in my arms. I was so happy that my dream of publishing had come true!

My next task was getting Home is Where the Mom Is into the hands of moms.

Future posts will include more about self-publishing!