My goal for summer is to take a critical look at everything to do with Shelmar Publications, update what needs to be updated, organizing, re-doing, and so on. In June I’m focusing on all things Internet-related, including my blogs (I started a new one–more on that later), website, and newsletter.

I’m seeking God’s guidance and leading in all I do (although I wish sometimes that instead of gently guiding he would give me a firm kick in the right direction!). I want whatever I write–be it in a blog, newsletter, book, study guide, workbook, or even in an email!–to benefit the reader–to, in the words of the mission statement of Shelmar Publications, “To inform, encourage, and inspire.”

Since motherhood is one of my passions (I wrote a book about it–Home is Where the Mom Is–you can read an excerpt at www.shellyburke.net) I’ve decided to start a blog titled, Between Cooing and College; Surviving the Middle Stage of Motherhood–the Teenage Years! You can check it out at www.themiddlestageofmotherhood.blogspot.com. I hope to provide information, encouragement, and inspiration to moms who have kids of any age, but especially those in the teenage years. Catch up with my latest joys and trials on the blog.

This blog will focus exclusively on hints and tips for writing, as well as goings-on in my business, Shelmar Publications. I have come to the conclusion that most people dream of writing . . . and most, if not all, people would like to improve their everyday writing. Both aspiring writers and those looking to improve everyday writing will benefit from this blog. I’ll give suggestions for writing an outstanding “thank you” letter, comforting “sympathy” message, and so on.

The newsletter will also have a new format, focusing on practical hints and tips for the everyday writer as well as the aspiring professional writer, a short excerpt from one of the Shelmar Publications books or workbooks, short Bible verse and devotion, and one of my personal book or website recommendations. I want the newsletter to be fun as well as useful.

My overall goal is to benefit you, my readers. Please tell me what YOU want to see on my blogs, website, and even in future books or workbooks. You can reach me at shelly@shellyburke.net, or leave feedback on either blog. Thanks in advance for your input!

And happy birthday to my sister, Deb. Happy Birthday, Deb! Next year is a big one . . . (of course, I hit my “big” b-day last year . . . )

In celebration of the new month, I’m going to post a picture here. The lady who manages my blog and website (I e-mail her with any questions and she either fixes it, or tells me how to, in language I can understand) updated it recently and hopefully it will be really easy to post a picture or two.

It worked! I’m not sure why the picture is at the TOP of the post and not down here, but I’ll work on that next time! This is Morgan and her dog Jenny.

Since it’s the first day of a new month, take a few minutes and make several goals for this month. Remember to make them realistic and write them down. I’ll share my goals for May later today or tomorrow.

It was a day filled with diverse activities!

1. Received a new password so I could get into my amazon.com/advantage account (something was messed up and it took several e-mails to resolve, but it’s resolved now!) and get their order for another book. Confirmed the order, printed the mailing label and invoice, and packed the book!
2. Visited one of my home-health patients to evaluate his Home Health Aid (OK, maybe it didn’t advance my writing career, but it was a bright spot in my day to talk to the family and the aid!), which will pay a bill or two.
3. Did an interview with the man in charge of the new Missouri Synod Lutheran Mission Church in Columbus–the 1C church (you can check it out at www.1Cwhatever.com) for an article in the Nebraska Family Times. It was neat to hear how the mission church came about and how it’s meeting the needs of the community.
4. Mailed taxes! Note to self (and husband!): don’t be in such a hurry to get everything signed that you forget to see whose name is on the actual form . . . our 16 year-old son brought in enough money from his cattle to have his own form to sign . . . Tim and I accidentally signing it, which necessitated an extra trip to the accountants office for a “revised signature form” . . . people who work in accountants offices do NOT have a sense of humor the afternoon of April 15th! Along with mailing taxes, mailed book to Amazon.com, sample goal book, and paperwork for private duty patients.
5. Read several local newspapers for ideas for Nebraska “good news” or service articles for the Nebraska Family Times.
6. Researched JobDig.com. I received an e-mail yesterday requesting excerpts from How to Find Your Perfect Job in Nursing, to possibly use on the site! (you can check out an excerpt at www.shellyburke.net) I’m doing the research to make sure the sample excerpts I send them will fit in with the focus of the website. I’ll submit them tomorrow!

WISH FOR TOMORROW: Less wind!!! It’s been blowing about 40 mph all day . . . but we’re thankful that the sun was out and the temperature was near 60 degrees.

I’ve decided to narrow the focus of this blog and make it more helpful for my readers. When I give presentations and talk with people about what I do, they often share their dreams of writing, with me.  I find joy and fulfilment in writing and publishing, and I want other people to experience that same fulfilment when they accomplish their own dreams of writing. 

My ultimate goal is to make writing and publishing my full-time “job,” and this blog will document that. Along with that goal, I will share my own experiences and hints and motivation for readers, so they can outline, work on, and accomplish their own dreams of writing.

I know I enjoy reading blogs about people doing things I will never do–climb a mountain, work as a nurse in an NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), live in Washington DC–so I hope that even if you don’t dream of being a writer, you’ll enjoy reading about my quest to do that full-time.

I’m sure I’ll still write about my family and life in the country . . . those topics are often the inspiration for my writing! If you read this blog in part to find out what my family and I are up to, you’ll still be able to do that.

Wherever you live, whatever you do, whatever your dreams, I hope you’ll enjoy the new focus to my blog.

If you have any suggestions, topics you’d like me to cover, or suggestions, please e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net, or leave a comment on the blog (I have to approve any comments before they actually appear on the blog, but try to do so within 24 hours of your leaving a comment).

I think I need to give my blog, and my business, more focus. The last few weeks I’ve been working extra days, and I feel like I’m not getting anything done with my writing. I’ve had several of the same things on my “to do” list for weeks!

What information would YOU like to see on this blog? What about the newsletter? I’m doing some research by “talking” (e-mailing) people who have blogs I enjoy reading, reading other blogs, and reading books about blogs. I really do enjoy the research! I just get frustrated with myself when I don’t get what I feel is “enough,” done.

I FINALLY downloaded the program so I can improve and update my website! I’ve been really excited to make some changes and include more things that will beneficial to readers.

The lady who was doing the updating charged $40/hour. I know that’s not unreasonable, and she did a GREAT job, but I want to be able to do it whenever I want to. The program was “only” $170 so it’ll pay for  itself very quickly.

Some of the additions/improvements I plan to make include posting some of the articles I’ve had published in various magazines, a question  and answer section for new writers, more information about the speaking I do, reviews of books I’ve enjoyed, and more links to my favorite websites.

My prayer is that the website will inform, encourage, and inspire, YOU, my readers–moms, women, authors, readers . . . so if there is something you’d like to see on the website, please, e-mail me with your suggestions!

Happy Leap Year Day! It’s kind of neat that we get a “bonus” day every four years.

I didn’t do anything special today, but it was a productive day. I started with a long to-do list, and crossed off quite a few things that were on it, including cleaning up the house, writing a short article for the Nebraska Family Times newsletter, updating my calendars for March, laundry, and e-mailing a friend several times throughout the day.

Sometimes the most productive days are the ones on which my to-do list is the longest! I just picked one thing to start with (the article, since it needed to be in early), and then went to the next thing . . . every time I completed a task I chose another one to work on (not necessarily the next one on the list) and just kept going all day long.

The best part was when a friend stopped by to pick something up . . . we had a really nice talk. It’s always a treat to catch up with a friend!

I’m still going to get the Shelmar Publications newsletter out tonight, so I better get going! I hope everyone else had a productive day, too!

Do you ever have a day (or week?) in which you feel you haven’t accomplished anything? Maybe you’ve worked busily all day on a to-do list, or putting out fires (hopefully figuratively, not literally!) or caring for a sick child.

I felt that way all week. I felt like I was on the run all week, but questioned if I accomplished anything. I think I made three or four “to-do” lists (I tend to write them on small sticky notes, then lose the sticky note . . . ) but just could not get everything crossed off any of them. Last night, after the kids had left for the cattle show, the living room and kitchen were still a mess. The bills weren’t paid. I didn’t do a blog post all week. Didn’t get more books ordered. I think my “things I didn’t get done” list was longer than my accomplishements!

Today I had a bit of breathing room. I found some of my “to-do” lists and saw that not a lot was crossed off . . . but I thought of the things I had done, but hadn’t written down.

I worked at my nursing job several days, took Morgan to an appointment and Confirmation, made a meal or two that everyone liked, rubbed Tim’s sore back and legs one evening, started a new Bible study, took a walk yesterday (now that the temperature is above -30 with the wind chill), e-mailed friends, talked to my Grandpa on the phone, talked to both sisters on the phone, cuddled with Morgan, spent time with Cody talking about “serious” issues.

I didn’t think I’d gotten much writing work done, until I was looking at e-mails today. I found that I’d submitted several articles to different blogs and websites, answered book-related e-mails, jotted down ideas for promotion and publicity, made goals for March, and today ordered a shipment of books.  

All week I tried to make every moment count, and be productive in whatever I did! Last night when the kitchen, dining room, AND living room were all a mess, I set the oven timer for 15 minutes and concentrated on cleaning those areas. I had to set the timer two more times before everything was picked up, but what a feeling of accomplishment to go to bed knowing I’d gotten that done . . . and it sure was nice to get up to a relatively clean house.

When you feel like you haven’t accomplished anything, look back and really think about what you HAVE done. Did you encourage someone? Comfort someone who was sad? Spend time with your family? Do something for yourself? Spend time with God? Read His Word? Those intangible things you do count as much as, or more than, crossing something off of your “to do” list.

Now, I’m going to enjoy this sunny, warm (well, 30 degrees–warm for NE in Feb!) day and when I get back, I’m going to call my mom and dad.

Enjoy your day!

I posted the following article in the Shelly Burke Shelmar Publications newsletter that was e-mailed last Friday. My prayer is always that I will be lead to write something that will help, or encourage, or inspire my readers. I received several comments about this article, so decided to reprint it here. I hope it encourages YOU!

P.S. To sign up for the Shelmar Publications newsletter, go to www.shellyburke.net.

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WISE WORDS: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zech. 4:10

I have grand ideas and big goals for my business-writing more books (I have several in mind!), having more people sign up for the newsletter, continuing to speak for different groups, reaching many through the blog . . . one of my dreams is to see a display of my book in the window of a bookstore!

I become discouraged and frustrated when I have to deal with the “small beginnings” of my business-organizing notes, paying bills, and just cleaning my office . . .

I try to remember that these “small beginnings” are a part of EVERY business, every goal, every plan.

My ultimate “dream job” of being a wife and mother and managing our home involves plenty of “small beginnings”-planning meals, clearing out the dishwasher, folding
towels (there’s an overflowing basket just staring at me from the couch right now!).

But I know that these small things, whether for my business or my family, are a necessary part of the whole, of the dream, of the goal.

When I read that ” . . . the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,” it is easier for me to make these small beginnings.

May God bless and lead you as you make your small beginnings on the way to your ultimate goal!

Shelmar Publications has several new products, created based on comments and suggestions from customers and people I’ve talked with after presentations and talks. These products will help you make 2008 the best year yet!

These products aren’t on the website yet, but you can order them by sending payment through PayPal to: shelly@shellyburke.net. Be sure to specify what you’re ordering; you can order any books by going thru this Paypal site, also.

I’m getting the program so I can update my website. That’s been in the works for several months–I had to get more memory installed on my computer before I could download the program, and it took a few weeks for that extra memory to be ordered and come in. But it’s in now–all I need is to download the program! I’ll be working several extra days this week because the other nurse for my private duty patient is sick, but I hope to get it downloaded over the weekend. Of course, then I have to learn how to use it . . .

Anyway, on to the new products!

• Be Good to Yourself! 366 Ways to Take Care of Yourself in 2008! This unique calendar lists a way to take care of yourself for every day of every month. When you take care of yourself, you can better care for everyone else! The calendar is undated so you can pick what you want to do, every day, and then check it off.  $10 each or 3 for $20
• Home is Where the Mom Is Study Guide for Individuals or Groups. Questions relevant to each chapter will give you insight and encourage discussion. Readers are provided with space to list a Bible verse that is relevant, and make a goal related to the information in that chapter. $5 or FREE with any other purchase! 
• Make it Happen! Your Guide to Setting and Reaching Goals that will Change Your Life! This workbook will take you through the characteristics of a good goal, along with steps for setting a goal you can work towards and accomplish. Types of goals are described (short term, medium and long term, goals requiring consistent actions, etc.), and worksheets are provided–fill them in, following the directions, and you’ll be on your way to accomplishing your goals! There is a special section encouraging women to take time for themselves, and appropriate goal sheets for doing so. 38 pages.  $15 or 2 for $25.

If you have purchased one of these new goodies, please send me your comments! If you have any questions, please e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net.