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Watch Your Mouth

July 8th, 2011

Watch Your Mouth By Donna Shepherd NABBW’s Inspiration Expert Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies (Psalm 34:13 niv). An elderly woman has been in the news today. She got in big trouble for spouting off and making very controversial remarks to the media. Her comments could not be interpreted as anything but small-minded and bigoted. Because of the uproar, she resigned from a long-held position as a newspaper columnist. I was offended by this woman\’s views, but joked with some friends that the older I get, the more apt I am to let loose and opine with abandon... Read More

Dancing With the Stars

April 5th, 2011

Dancing With the Stars By Donna Shepherd NABBW’s Inspiration Expert 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... Read More

Perseverance

July 7th, 2010

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. – Proverbs 3:3 I attended a meeting for writers where an author spoke and gave many wonderful tips on how to get published in children’s magazines. She knows whereof she speaks, having been published over 400 times. When we ooh-ed and ah-ed over her body of work, she hastened to say she has probably had at least four times that many rejections – more in the beginning. That’s 1,600! But even in being rejected, she was never dejected. She looked to the future, and when receiving that... Read More

Watch Your Mouth

June 8th, 2010

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies (Psalm 34:13 niv). An elderly woman has been in the news today. She got in big trouble for spouting off and making very controversial remarks to the media. Her comments could not be interpreted as anything but small-minded and bigoted. Because of the uproar, she resigned from a long-held position as a newspaper columnist. I was offended by this woman\’s views, but joked with some friends that the older I get, the more apt I am to let loose and opine with abandon on almost any subject. My friend, Georgia, said, “Some people... Read More

Are You Ready?

February 13th, 2009

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:27-28 NKJV). I was nine years old and couldn’t wait to get to Sunday School. My teacher, a lovely, gentle woman, shared the most wonderful stories with us every week. Then we got to do a craft, a puzzle, or a coloring page. I didn\’t even care that one Sunday the other children had laughed at me. When we studied the Beatitudes, the... Read More

Each Moment I Live

December 12th, 2008

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 On January 1, I always breathe a sigh of relief. The frantic pace that begins the week of Thanksgiving lets up – a little. I always have two... Read More

Is Fear Your Master?

November 12th, 2008

His master replied, \’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master\’s happiness!\’ – Matthew 25:21 NIV As a little girl, I use to daydream a lot and tended to dawdle. In first grade, my teacher saw some artistic talent in me, and gave me an assignment to paint a poster-sized picture. Every day I spent part of my recess time staying inside and working on it. I\’m also a bit of a perfectionist, so the progress became painstakingly slow. One day my teacher came in to see... Read More

Hard Lessons from a Hard Drive

August 11th, 2008

After the LORD finished speaking to me, I got another scroll and gave it to Baruch. Then I told him what to write, so this second scroll would contain even more than was on the scroll Jehoiakim had burned. – Jeremiah 36:32 cev Have you ever had the hard drive on your computer crash and burn? I have. And I wouldn\’t wish that situation on my worst enemy. I lost everything on my computer. All my files. All my mail. All my favorites and email addresses. I sat in front of my laptop and prayed. Then I cried a bit. Then I prayed some more. I took my computer, which I really wanted to shove over... Read More

Pull Up to the Table

June 16th, 2008

If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to eternal life. But a person who has no love is still dead. – I John 3:14 NLT Do you have a favorite restaurant? What makes that particular eatery different from the rest? Each restaurant specializes, whether it\’s a hot dog stand or a fancy French restaurant. You won\’t get a fantastic piece of fresh salmon by going to a local pizza place, but you can probably order lasagna with homemade sauce or thick crust pizza piled high with the ingredients of your choice. I added a new place to my... Read More

A Mentor Named Mary

April 14th, 2008

Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. – Hebrews 13:17 nlt A wonderful woman named Mary Preston was a mentor to me in my early years of singing, and instrumental in my learning to play the piano. She never had children, but treated me as I was her own. I share this in honor of Mother\’s Day. As a teenager, I sang in the church choir. I enjoyed watching the pianist, Mary, as her fingers glided across... Read More