Saturday, April 1, 2006

Out of Order

A new devotional called Out of Order is featured in Blessed Lady. Click HERE to read!

Good news! Topsy Turvy Land can now be ordered through this website. You can either pay by PayPal or with a credit card. If you'll look in the right hand column, you'll see a button that says "Visa, Master Card, Buy Now." Click on that. It's that easy!

Dont' forget to stop by the "Prayers for the President" blog occasionally.

I've also added a "Make a Donation" button. I noticed some of the blogs have 'tip jars,' and I've had a couple people ask why I don't have one. Since I look at this site as a ministry, I decided to put a button on the site, but I can't justify keeping money for my efforts. Any donations made to my ministry will be automatically given to charity. God bless you!

Donna J. Shepherd © 2005 All rights reserved. No portion of this Website may be reproduced without permission. For more information, contact Donna.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Dancing with the Stars


There is a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to have sorrow, and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 (New Life Version)

We seem to have a lot of television shows dedicated to the ‘stars.’ Gossip and entertainment shows abound. Everyday people vie for the opportunity to interview, dance with, or touch a famous person. Magazines employ large teams of writers to report on the latest makeup tips, clothing styles, and private lives of the celebrities.

Even in Christian circles, we have a few people who might be considered ‘stars’ – pastors of mega-churches, televangelists, and best selling authors.

Who would you classify as a star in the Bible? Moses? David? Paul? Or how about Eve or Esther? I consider these men and women to be true stars for they reflected the love of God, the Creator of light.

Even the disciples felt the need for the spotlight. They debated who would be the greatest in the Kingdom. We read the account in Luke 9:46-48, “An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great."

In Matthew 23:11, Jesus said, “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Servanthood as a prerequisite to greatness? Quite a different slant to ‘stardom,’ isn’t it?

When Paul wrote to the people in Philippi, he said Christians should “shine like stars in the universe (Philippians 2:15 niv).” We are the light of the world, allowing other to see the light of Jesus Christ in us.

In heaven, we will dance in the presence of the One and Only Star, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Revelation 22:16, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”

In the Psalms, David, a famous dancer himself (2 Samuel 6:14-15), exhorts us to praise God with the timbrel and dance. So, we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to dance with all of our might. You got on your dancing shoes?

Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 150

Prayer: I praise You, Lord, for You are worthy of all praise. I will praise You with all of my might. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Monday, February 27, 2006

The Beauty of Contentment



(This week's Carnival of Beauty is hosted by Bethany. To read the other posts highlighting the topic of contentment, go to
A Picturesque Life)


Being content is a foreign concept in our market driven culture. I know. I struggle myself. A few years ago, I ordered my first item from one of the home shopping networks. When I saw how easily I could spend my money, I soon ordered more. Before long, I had brown packages piled up on my porch and spilling out of my mailbox nearly every day. I bought jewelry, clothing, and items for the house, my husband and children. My husband made the comment, “It’s like Christmas every day around here!”

After each jewelry order, I’d promise myself I wouldn’t order any more. I had enough – more than enough. Then the next sparkly bauble would dance across my television screen, and before I knew it, I’d placed another order.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul shares his attitude concerning material things. He says, in verses 11-13, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

When he wrote to the Philippians, Paul declared he was in chains for Christ. Even the palace guard had been witnessed to because of Paul’s bonds. He had spoken “courageously and fearlessly.” Paul experienced trials like nothing we have ever experienced - beatings, stoning, shipwreck, hunger, misunderstanding, and on top of it all, desertion, yet he had learned to be content.

Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21.)

Ouch! Oh, me! Contentment comes from establishing biblical priorities – and materialism is not even on the list!

I can hear the protests. “But I need to strive for a better job. I can’t rest on my laurels. I must get ahead in my profession.” “Doesn’t God want me to have a bigger house? Better clothes?”

Being ambitious can be a good trait. Paul certainly exhibited an undeterred desire to tell others of Jesus Christ, but he was willing to submit to God's will, and even if God took away every material good, I must learn to be like Paul – content in all circumstances, knowing God’s will is best.

Contentment is not being joyful with what we own, but Who owns us. I’m not my own, I’m His. God is my Father, and He says He will never leave nor forsake me. I rest in that promise, and I am content.

Since that first order from a shopping channel, my cable system has added two more, but I only get a brown package every now and then these days. I’m learning.

Prayer: Lord, I trust you to provide for me all my needs. My life is in Your strong hands. Thank You for Your love. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Blog Tour with Alyice Edrich

Since I have an ebooks available now, The Lonely Lightning Bug (Guardian Angel Publishing), I had questions for eBook author, Alyice Edrich, when she made a stop here on her blog tour.

Alyice Edrich is the author of several work-from-home e-books, including Tid-Bits For Making Money With E-books - where parents earn hundreds of dollars selling information they already possess.

Donna: How long should an e-book be?

Alyice: An e-book should be as long as it needs to be to get the point across. Often, people come up with a great title, a great theme, but then leave the readers hanging because they don’t put in the time necessary to write a thorough book.

If you are writing a book on how to build a tree house, for instance, your book will need to be comprised of things such as: do you need a building permit, how to get a building permit, how to draw up a blue print, how many people will be needed for the project, how to tell if a specific tree is sturdy enough, what types of woods are there and which are best, should you use nails or screws, shingles or cement, etc. Then of course, you’ll need to decide if pictures should be included and if you use pictures will they be sketches or actual photos, in which case you’ll need to build a tree house from scratch. Such a book could run 200 pages.

If you are going to write a book about building a tree house, it does no good to just give a list of rules in 20 pages. People could end up buying too soft of a wood, untreated wood that warps once put together causing a safety issue in the structure, and nails that rust or loosen over time.

By taking the time to go into detail, providing more than surface answers, your readers will tell others about your book and you’ll gain more sales through word of mouth advertising.

Donna: Do non-fiction e-books do better than fiction?

Alyice: Yes! While you can do well with fiction books, many people buy fiction to read at leisure and often prefer bound copies. It’s a little hard to read a computer printed book while soaking in the bathtub, or traveling on a bus, for instance.

Donna: How do you decide the price of an e-book?

Alyice: It depends on what the market will bear. If you have written a book that can be found in traditional bookstores for $10, then you’ll have a very hard time selling your e-book for $50 unless you do some sort of package deal where you include bonus e-books or a bonus training session via email or the phone.

Donna: How long are chapters in an e-book?

Alyice: Again, chapters should be as long as they need to be to get the point across. But I will tell you this: readers feel ripped off if they receive an e-book with twenty chapters and those chapters are only one page long or consist of graphics that take up over half the page and then three pages in each chapter.

Donna: How do you market an e-book?

Alyice: Marketing e-books is just like marketing any other product. You have to develop a business plan. You have to discover your target audience and then you have to pitch your e-book to that target audience.

Market your e-book through word of mouth, speaking engagements, published articles, advertisements, press releases, radio interviews, etc.

You can visit Alyice Edrich at The Dabbling Mum Press to order a copy of her e-book, Tid-Bits For Making Money With E-books today! To make more stops on the blog tour, click HERE.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

New Columns and Poetry, too!

  • Click here to read the February column for BUSY Parents on The Dabbling Mum called Agape Love.
  • I started a new poetry blog. I've already had one poem I've posted published in a church newsletter. What a blessing! Here's the link if you'd like to read. Feel free to post comments there just like you do here: Poetry by Donna
  • I also have a column up on NABBW for February called From This Moment. Click here.
  • My column on Crossmap.com called Smelly Saints is now one of the All Time Most Popular! Thank you for reading it or click here if you haven't yet.

    I'm pleased to announce my inclusion in the book, Itty Bits of Bliss. Compiled by Christine Tricarico, the book contains 38 fully illustrated fun, whimsical poems to inspire children ages 4-ll. $2.00 per book is being donated to Love Our Children USA in honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

    Here a link to purchase information:

    Itty Bits of Bliss

  • Donna J. Shepherd © 2005 All rights reserved.
    No portion of this Website may be reproduced without permission.
    For more information, contact Donna.

Monday, February 6, 2006

That Lovin' Feeling

Aren't you humming the Righteous Brothers song after reading that title? A new devotional is published in Blessed Lady. Since it's February, I wrote on love, or should I say, the sometimes lack of it - even in Christians. Oh, dear!

Click here to read!

Donna J. Shepherd © 2005 All rights reserved. No portion of this Website may be reproduced without permission. For more information, contact Donna.

Sunday, February 5, 2006

Author Chat

Twice each season on his website, Kevin Scott Collier, the illustrator of Topsy Turvy Land, features an interview with a writer or author with whom he has worked. For the end of winter 2006, he chatted with me! We discuss our joint creation of Turvy Turvy Land, Chizzy's Topsy Tale, and The Lonely Lightning Bug, and a few other topics. To read, click here!
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