FREE 2014 Verse Card, "God's Promises to You" with gift subscription

A subscription to the "Nebraska Family Times" is the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates traditional values the old-fashioned way--in their mailbox! The mission of the "Nebraska Family Times" is "to inspire, encourage and motivate readers in their Christian walk." We cover local, state and national news from a Christian point of view, and every issue also includes devotional articles, Bible Study and much more! 

In the past year we've covered:

• National news from a Christian point of view--including Miley Cyrus's behavior, the suicide of Arial Castro in prison (he was the man who held three women prisoners in his home for a decade), and the Boston Marathon bombing
• Nebraska news--what the legislature did, what Common Core Educational Standards are and why they are damaging to kids; Nebraska is one of a handful of states who are fighting against adopting the standards
• Local stories--Bruce Wall, the new director of Camp Luther in Schuyler, NE; Grace Knuth, a Lincoln resident, and her story of adopting a child with Down Syndrome from Bulgaria; Befriend Mentoring Program in Norfolk, Fremont and Columbus; the Global Passion Ministries-Nebraska team's fifth mission trip to Nicaragua coming up in February of 2014, and much more! 

A gift subscription to the "Nebraska Family Times" is perfect for anyone on your list including: 

• Someone who is shut-in and appreciates reading Christian news
• A Sunday-School or school teacher
• A mom of young children who needs encouragement and only has a few minutes at a time to read 
• Day care provider
• Elderly friend or relative 
• Anyone who enjoys reading a "real" newspaper made of paper--not pixels on the internet! 

A one-year, 12-issue subscription is only $20 and with every subscription the recipient (and the gift-giver, if it's a gift subscription) will receive our 2014 verses card, "God's Promises to You." 

To order, go to Nebraska Family Times and click "Subscribe to the Nebraska Family Times" in the right hand column, send $20 to PayPal, shelly@shellyburke.net or mail your check to Nebraska Family Times, 209 27th St. #13, Columbus, NE 68601. Questions? E-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net. 

Give a gift of encouragement that will last all year! 

I will be at the Scotus Craft Botique in Columbus, NE, tomorrow! Stop by if you are there--I love to meet readers and if you don't receive the "Nebraska Family Times" pick up a free copy at the craft fair! 

Hungry for God: Daylight Savings Time is Presumptuous

What do you think of daylight savings time? Here's an interesting perspective.

Hungry for God: Daylight Savings Time is Presumptuous

Nebraska Considering a Transgender Policy

By Al Riskowski

The Nebraska School Activities Association has announced that their board is considering a transgender policy that would allow students to participate in school sports without consideration of biological gender.

The board will consider the policy August 21 during its regular meeting.

“Placing the proposal on the August board agenda as an action item will eliminate any confusion on the transparency of the association or myself to formally address procedures for transgender participation within our board procedures,” Blanford-Green said in a news release.

Ironically, the policy, which originally had appeared on the NSAA’s website (but read the Transgender Policy here;  https://nsaahome.org/nsaaforms/pdf/transqa.pdf ), has been removed.

According to the original version of the policy, it would require students who want to participate in a sport with members of the gender opposite from their biological gender to prove their gender identity through the testimony of experts such as hormonal experts and psychologists.

Blanford-Green, executive director of NSAA, said she proposed the policy to the NSAA board because she wanted to establish an equity policy for transgender students before her appearance at a national conference on transgender student participation in sports.

If such a policy would be passed it would create an unfair advantage for transgender students, especially boys who ask to play against girls.

This type of policy can create so many difficulties for a public school in so many different ways, like locker room and restroom accommodation. It certainly seems parents should be involved in this type of decision that morally and economically affects schools and sports programs.

A policy of this type would also affect private and parochial schools because they compete against the public schools in various sports. For example, if a boy played for a girl volleyball or basketball team the home team would be required to accommodate in locker and restroom provisions. Schools would face difficult decisions on how to or if they should accommodate transgender student athletes and allowing boys and girls to share locker rooms and showers.

This issue is on the agenda for the August 21 meeting of the NSAA Board of Directors. It is not listed as an Action Item; it is listed as an item on the Executive Director Report. Thus, this proposal will be discussed at the August meeting but a vote on this policy may not be taken until possibly November.

The NSAA needs to hear from concerned Nebraska citizens who oppose the adoption of a transgender participation policy.

1. Send an email to the directors. Copy the executive director and all board members in your email. For contact information go to www.nebfc.org
2. Mail a letter to Rhonda Blanford-Green, Executive Director. Ask that she provide a copy to all board members. Mail to: NSAA Customer Service, P.O. Box 85448, Lincoln, NE 68501-5448
3. Call NSAA customer service at 402-489-0386 and communicate your concern.

You can learn more about this issue by contacting Nebraska Family Council toll free at 1-888-777-3191 or go on our web site, www.nebfc.org.

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Al Riskowski is Executive Director of the Nebraska Family Council. 

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The Nebraska Family Times publishes articles to "inspire, encourage and motivate Christian readers." You can receive local, state and national news from a Christian point of view for only $20/year by subscribing! Send your payment via check to Nebraska Family Times, 209 27th St. Apt #13, Columbus, Nebraska, 68601 or to shelly@shellyburke.net via PayPal. 

T is for…Temptation

By Shelly Burke, Editor, Nebraska Family Times

(The posts for the A to Z Blogging Challenge will focus on teaching kids lessons from selected Bible verses. Adapt your teaching to the age of the kids you’re talking with.)

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Jesus said, “Watch and pray that you man not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

Ask your children what they’re tempted by and ask them if they think Jesus was tempted by the same things. Remind them that He was made man when He was born here on earth, and was tempted as we are. Of course He didn’t have computers or TV to tempt him, but what are those temptations, really? The temptation to watch too much TV can be a temptation to disobey parents or not put God first. The temptation to cheat is also disobeying. The temptation to have sex with a boy- or girlfriend is disobeying the commands against sexual immorality and adultery. Discuss more temptations and how those temptations are “common to man” and have been for many years.

God is with us at all times; He knows when we’re faced with temptations. It is not a sin to be tempted; even Jesus was tempted. Temptations occur throughout our lives, every day, every hour.  That is part of sin being a part of our world. Our spirit—our conscience—is willing to follow all of God’s commands because we want to please Him and our parents too.

But our flesh—the part of ourselves that says, “I want to {whatever it is we are tempted by} and I want to do it now!”--is weak. It is difficult to say “no” when a bunch of friends are bullying another child, or want you to join them in drinking alcohol or cheating on a test or skipping school.

Read the account of Jesus’ temptation by the devil, in Matthew 4 or Luke 4. What did Jesus use when the devil tempted Him? He used the Word of God—the Bible—when He said “It is written.” You can use God’s Word, too, when you are tempted, to answer friends who tempt you and so you know what you should do in those situations (another reason it’s important to know what the Bible says).

God knows we will be tempted, but Paul (who wrote Corinthians) also gives a promise: “…with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” What is a way of escape? How can you avoid giving in to temptation? Here are several suggestions:

·        Pray with your kids, and for them, that they will avoid temptation and if caught up in a situation, make good choices and get out of the situation.

·         Simply leave the location where the temptation is taking place. It might not be easy (because of what friends could say) but it removes you from the temptation.

·         Arrange a signal with parents; if you text them they’ll call and “demand” you come home immediately—or pick you up from the location.

Role play with your kids, playing the part of other kids tempting them. Help them to come up with responses like the following.

·         “Jesus was kind to everyone and He wants us to be, too.”

·         “It’s not nice to make fun of anyone.”

·         “Cheating is dishonest and I’m not going to risk getting caught and flunking the class.”

·         “The risks of premarital sex are too great and God says we are not to do it so I’m not having sex until I get married.”

·         “We are not old enough to drink alcohol. I’m not going to break the law. If we’re caught we’ll get kicked off the team.”

·         “I respect my parent’s rules and I’m not going to sneak out.”

·         “If my parents find out they’ll ground me for a year!” (We assured our kids that if they misbehaved this would certainly be their consequence!)

Give your kids the reassurance that they have the tools they need to resist temptation; God provides a way of escape. Encourage them to practice so they’ll be ready when faced with temptation.

Lord, when I am tempted, please show me the way out, and give me the courage to take it. Amen. 

A to Z Blogging Catching Up: L, M, N, O, P, Q, R and S

by Shelly Burke

What’s that line about the “best laid plans of mice and men”? (After looking it up to make sure I got the quote right I realized the tragic ending of the book it came from, “Of Mice and Men.” Why do so many “classic” novels have sad/disturbing plotlines and endings? Guess that’s for another post.)

Anyway, although I'm not a mouse or a man, I knew last week would be busy; it’s the week of the month that I gather all of the articles and other information needed to put out the next issue of the “Nebraska Family Times” newspaper (if you would like a FREE sample copy of the paper, please e-mail your request, along with your mailing address, to shelly@shellyburke.net. I promise I won’t put you on any other mailing lists! My goal with the articles in the “Nebraska Family Times” is to “inspire, encourage, and motivate you on your Christian walk.” We cover local as well as state and national news from a Christian point of view.)

The previous Saturday, when I usually get a start on the paper, I spent shooting guns—as a part of the Citizen’s Police Academy. The CPA is a 14 week class for civilians. During the time we learned about many of the different things that the police force as a whole, does. I’m planning to write an article about the Citizen’s Police Academy in the June issue of the “Nebraska Family Times.” It was a nice day to be outside—we haven’t had many “spring” days in Nebraska yet—and I learned a lot about firearms.

On Saturday afternoon we began setting up for a book signing for my friend Deb Burma’s new book “Stepping Out: to a Life on the Edge.” You can read more about her book on her blog, Fragrant Offerings and an excerpt at Stepping Out . The book signing was Sunday afternoon and we had a great turnout! A lot of people put a lot of work into arranging the signing and it was nice to see things come together. Deb’s talk left people encouraged and her book will too. (I already read it when I did some editing and proofreading back in September, before she sent it to the publisher).

As well as putting the paper together and working on the book signing event I worked at my nursing job on Monday and Wednesday morning. I work at Columbus Surgery Center and we do cataract and other eye surgeries (OK, “we” don’t do the surgeries, the doctor does, but “we” –the nurses--get patients ready for surgery and care for them during and after surgery). I only started at the end of January but I really feel like I’m learning my jobs—and loving my jobs—and all of the people I work with (on Mondays I’m the circulating nurse in the operating room; I make sure patients are ready for surgery, take them to the operating room, help as needed with medications and supplies during surgery, and take them to the post-op area after surgery, and on Wednesdays I’m one of the pre-op nurses who gets patients ready for surgery).

On Tuesday I spent the entire morning in a police car! It was fun to post that as my status on FaceBook—I try to be a “good girl” so I think it shocked some people! I spent the morning in a police car as part of the CPA.

Being busy is not an excuse for getting behind on the A to Z Blogging—but as we all are, I’m doing the best I can! Here are my thoughts on the letters I missed:

L – I am loving my new job and thanking God for it!

M-Morals.  I had a great devotion, about morals, planned for the A to Z Challenge. It’s based on 1 Corinthians 15:33, which says, “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.” This is a good lesson for our kids—and for adults too. (I’m still planning to write the devotion!)

N-names in the Bible. It struck me last night how many are so strange—like Aristarchus, Agrippa, Lycia and Cauda (the last two are locations)—and how many are still used today, thousands of years later—like Paul, Rachel, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and right here in Nebraska—Syracuse!

O-Opportunities. I’m so thankful God has given me so many, with the “Nebraska Family Times,” writing, friends, job, etc. What opportunities are you thankful for today?

P-Citizens Police Academy—one of the most interesting, most fun things I’ve done in a very long time. Many cities hold their own Citizen’s Police Academy—check it out in your city!

Q-I am so thankful for the quietness of the last few days…after some really busy days, and having a cold, I needed them!

R-I was going to blog on Resisting Sin for the blogging challenge. I’ll still write the devotion, but for now I’m going to share the verse it was going to be based on—James 4:7b “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Thankfully James also gives us some suggestions as to how we can do this—with God’s help. Immediately before this verse he says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God…” and right after he tells us, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

S-is for the stuffy nose and cold I picked up last week! Thankfully it’s going away…but slowly…

Ecclesiastes tells us that “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. (Eccles. 3:1). Last week, my time didn’t go as I had planned…so today is time for catch-up. Come back tomorrow when the letter for the day is “T”. On the “Nebraska Family Times” blog the devotion will be based on “thought” and on the “Home is Where the Mom Is” blog I’ll give you my thoughts about teaching your kids about “temptation” and what they can do about temptations in their lives.

God’s blessings to you today! 

K is for…Knowledge

 by Shelly Burke, Author and Editor

(The posts for the A to Z Blogging Challenge will focus on teaching kids lessons from selected Bible verses. Adapt your teaching to the age of the kids you’re talking with.)

Begin by asking your children what they need to “know” and why. They will probably talk about what they need to know for tests at school, or what they need to know to play a sport. They also need to know rules—at home, at school, at church and when they go to visit friends. Next ask what they think the most valuable knowledge they can have, is; what will help them most throughout life, in whatever circumstances they face (whether or not to cheat on a test or employment application; how to determine what to do after high school, how to deal with relationship problems). Of course the most important thing we need to know is how God expects us to live; He expects us to follow His rules and to be an example of His love.  But can we live the life God wants us to live without knowing how He wants us to live? No! And how do we determine how He wants us to live? This verse gives us an answer:   

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

Prov. 9:10

In this verse, the word “fear” can be translated as “respect,” so respecting God, and His word, is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of God gives us insight as to what He expects and how He wants us to live. When we know God’s “rules”—like the Ten Commandments—we know how we are to act and live.

Give several examples of how knowledge of God’s Word can help them make decisions. What if kids in your classroom are making fun of a child? Should you join in? Why or why not? God tells us, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Is making fun of someone an example of loving him? What does God expect us to do instead?

Ask older kids more difficult questions: What if a boyfriend or girlfriend is pressuring you to have sex? Search for the answer in the Bible. What if friends pressure you to approve of homosexuality, or drug use? As kids get older they’ll face the conflict between what the world expects as opposed to what the Lord expects. Again, knowledge of the Bible gives concrete answers.

There are no Bible verses that specifically address lying on a job application or not filing a tax return, but with knowledge of the Bible, it is clear that these are not things that God expects us to do. The Bible doesn’t tell us which college to attend or which job offer to accept, but again, by knowing the principles in God’s Word we can discern opportunities that clearly do not conform to His will and we also know that we can pray and ask Him to guide us.

How can we gain  the knowledge He expects us to have? As well as reading the Bible your children (and all of us!) can learn about Him at church, Sunday school, and through prayer and listening to Him. As you, as a parent, are your kids’ first teachers, make it a priority to teach them knowledge of the Lord. Read the Bible to them; read it with older kids and discuss the meaning of what you’ve read. Take them to church and Sunday School and discuss what the sermon was about and what they learned. Demonstrate, in your life, seeking knowledge of God and seeking His will when you are faced with decisions.

“The wise lay up knowledge…”

Prov. 10:14

Be wise. Seek knowledge of the Lord, and help and encourage your children to do the same.

Lord, knowledge of you is the most important knowledge we can have. Please help me to see Your knowledge, and help me to help my kids gain it too. Amen.

(For more discussion of “knowledge”, look up and discuss the following verses: Psalm 139:6, Proverbs 1:7, 9:10, 10:14, 13:16, 15:14, 17:27; Isaiah 11:2, 11:9, Habakkuk 2:14, Luke 11:52, 1 Corinthians 8:11, 2 Peter 2:20)

I’m also blogging this month at Nebraska Family Times. Today’s post is also about knowledge, targeted towards encouraging adults to gain knowledge about God.

Shelly Burke is the author of the book “Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family and Her Home.” To see the table of contents click on the tab at the top of this page. To order, see the right sidebar. Shelly is also the publisher of a Christian monthly newspaper, the Nebraska Family Times. Click on www.nebraskafamilytimes.blogspot.com for more information.

J is for…Join

By Shelly Burke, Author and Editor

 (The posts for the A to Z Blogging Challenge will focus on teaching kids lessons from selected Bible verses. Adapt your teaching to the age of the kids you’re talking with.)

“My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will  arise suddenly from them…” Prov. 24:21

Begin by asking your children if they are ever tempted to join a group that, deep down, they know they shouldn’t join. Maybe it’s a group of kids teasing the new kid or plotting to cheat on a test…or plotting to sneak out and drink, have sex, or do something even more dangerous.

Peer pressure can be a powerful thing. But remind kids of the consequences; if teachers, the principal, or parents find out, the consequences can be severe and sudden and in some cases (like drinking and driving or having sex) can have life-altering consequences.

When I was a teenager my dad told me, “You need to decide what you’re going to do if you get into a bad situation, before you get into it. Of course you want to avoid the situation in the first place, but if you get into a situation where there is pressure to cheat, or skip class, or drink or use drugs, or you are alone with your boyfriend, you need to know ahead of time what you’re going to do in the midst of that temptation.” We knew that if we got into a bad situation, we could call mom and dad and they would pick us up, no questions asked. Of course the next day we’d have to account for it but their priority was to get us out of the situation.

Talk with your kids—even young kids--about situations in which they might find themselves and what they could do. Role play the “bad guy” trying to tempt your child to bully or cheat or drink. Younger kids might go to the teacher or tell you what’s going on. I’ve heard of kids who text their parents and in turn the parents call and “demand” the child get home “right now,” so they “have to” leave the party. We told our kids that they could say, truthfully, “If I do that and my parents find out I’ll be grounded for months!”

It’s important to reassure kids that they will be forgiven for actions when they are truly sorry for them—forgiven by God as well as by you. They will still have to face consequences, but they will be forgiven.

Encourage your kids to join a group that others will want to imitate, as in Paul’s words to the Philippians; “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” (Phil. 4:17) In the verses prior to this one, Paul is says that he is not perfect, but he is always striving to, with the help of God, do His will. We should strive to imitate Christ’s example and be an example to others. How do we know what His example is? By reading His Word and following His example of kindness, forgiveness, humility, and so on.

Encourage your kids to join…but to join a group of kids with positive values and actions.

  

Shelly Burke is the author of the book “Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family and Her Home.” To see the table of contents click on the tab at the top of this page. To order, see the right sidebar. Shelly is also the publisher of a Christian monthly newspaper, the Nebraska Family Times. Click on Nebraska Family Timesfor more information.