Saturday, August 21, 2021

About the Book

Book: Donkey Devos: Listen When God Speaks

Author: Susan K. Stewart

Genre: Devotional

Release date: July 15, 2021

Did you know the Bible mentions only two talking animals? Each of these creatures had a different message. The first to speak out was the serpent. This character certainly wasn’t a model. If God was using this snake for a test drive, I can see why he kept the mouths of the other animals closed. This snake in the grass spoke words meant for evil. Later God allowed another animal to speak—the lowly donkey. The beast of burden. This time the animal had words of wisdom.

Susan K. Stewart expected dogs, cats, and the occasional goldfish would be all the pets she’d need—until the day Susan met donkeys at a rescue center. A few years after that fateful visit, three donkeys became part of the Stewart family. Susan soon learned these humble creatures are still messengers of wisdom.

Donkey Devos is a collection of forty pearls Susan has learned from spending time learning about her equine friends and chatting with them. She uses her experiences, donkey facts, and Biblical donkey details to share the truths God has taught. The whole family will delight in the donkey tales with a message from God.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Susan K. Stewart didn’t expect to become a “donkey whisper,” as some of her neighbors say. One day God put her in a herd of donkeys, and it was love at first bray. Susan and her husband Bob live in Central Texas with their three dogs, three cats, numerous chickens, and inspiring donkeys. They have three children and six outstanding grandchildren. Susan’s passion is to inspire readers with practical, real-world solutions and a few donkey stories.

More from Susan

I like to say, “I can’t not write.” I’m not even sure what event or who encouraged me to follow this pursuit. I do know my dream was to be a news reporter by day and a ballet dancer at night. God has given me the gift of teaching. I teach through written words.

Lois Lane was my inspiration. Seriously, in my teens I envisioned myself as a news reporter chasing after breaking stories around the world. I met my Superman, and Lois retired. But I began my own writing career with the help of friends and mentors.

Cecil Murphey has been a valued mentor and friend for nearly twenty years. His no-nonsense approach to helping this wanna-be writer pushed me forward to being able to call myself an author. And, Kathy Ide showed me I could be an editor. Her example and friendship have improved my writing as well

I grew up in a traveling family. (I went to fourteen different schools before graduating high school.) Of all the places my family lived, a rural ranch was not one of them. Pet donkeys and surly chickens were not part of my life experience or my bucket list.

Then it happened. I met a donkey nose-to-muzzle and a special bond was created. After my first visit to the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, I wanted donkey pets. Alas, our property was too small to meet the adoption requirements. When we made the move from California to Texas, donkeys soon became a part of the small ranch.

Caring for the donkeys turned into a friendship. Like all friends, my donkeys and I have had wonderful experiences. These goings-on became the basis for the stories in Donkey Devos: Listen When God Speaks.

I’ve written four books including the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers. When I’m not walking and conversing with my donkeys, I tend a vegetable garden, track family history, and read everything from the great American novel to the back of cereal boxes.

MY REVIEW

I must confess that when I saw the title of this book I laughed. What did donkeys and devotional have to do with each other? The old saying! “Never judge a book by its cover,” is exactly why the statement is true. I started reading and found some very interesting info about donkeys such as they are mentioned more than four hundred times in the Bible. There must be a reason for that and I became intrigued with the book.

I liked how the author pointed out that donkeys don’t go where they don’t think they are safe from harm. I can’t say the same for any of us. We sense danger but push ahead anyway thinking we will be okay. After making a bad decision we find ourselves going down a path that could lead us away from God’s protection. I guess donkeys are pretty smart after all and I certainly took notice of the nuggets of wisdom in the book.

I really liked the chapter where it talked about being bored. Donkeys get bored and find ways to amuse themselves like chewing up a delivery box that was left too close to them. During worship service do we find ourselves bored? Does our mind start to wander on other things and forget where we are at? I am guilty of this and sometimes even think , “ why are we singing the same song we did last week?” At that moment my critical spirit comes in and I have closed myself off from the presence of God. What we need to do is ask God to help us stay focused on Him and keep our minds clear of anything that is distracting us from entering into His presence .

I loved the book and read it twice because there were some great points I wanted to ponder on. The author includes many scriptures that helped me understand what each chapter was about. This is a good tool to use for a daily devotional and the perfect gift to give to someone.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.