Kathleen J. Shields's Blog, page 24
April 26, 2017
National Poetry Month – Be Great!
April marks the month where schools, libraries, publishers, poets, and booksellers celebrate the importance of poetry in our lives.
…So I didn’t want to let the month go by without posting at least one poem.
Did you know there are 55 types of poetry forms?
There’s a ballad, a couplet, an epitaph, free verse, haiku, iambic pentameter, limerick, lyric, rhyme, sonnet, verse, and oh so many more! Each one has it’s own way of doing things – just like we as humans do…
We are each unique! We are individuals. We may have been made by one Creator, begun with a single stroke upon a blank canvas, but that’s only the beginning. It’s the paints we add, the colors we chose, the brush strokes we decide to take – our life’s decisions – that create the painting that is our existence. We paint a world within each of us that is uniquely our own. And it was this thought – this inspiration – that made me write “The Painting” a now award-winning book…
The following is my very short poem for National Poetry Month.
Inspired by the Greatest “Painter” ever…
The world is but a canvas – painted with detail…
…of love and life and living – A masterpiece unveiled.
Each stroke of God’s great paintbrush; a blade of grass, a rose –
…where each drop of paint goes, only our God knows.
We may not understand His brilliance. We may not speculate…
…but our lives were designed by the painter –
………And He made us to be Great!
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Be Great – A Poem Inspired by “The Painting”
Like that poem? Purchase a Print!
[image error] https://www.zazzle.com/be_great_a_poem_of_inspiration_photo_print-190566207131809816
April 14, 2017
God Moments for Easter
In March my grandfather passed away. While emotionally trying, I have to admit, the frequent and blatant God Moments assisted the grieving process in a way that made the entire time, dare I say it – pleasant. KNOWING that my grandfather was with God and the rest of my family; my mom, my aunt, my grandmother… filled me with such joy that any tears I shed were more for the fact that I wouldn’t get to talk to him again, and not for regret or sadness. The following are just SOME of the many, many God Moments I experienced last month.
“KNOWING that my grandfather was with God”
The most important moment to share was on the moment of his passing. The story is long, but I will make it brief. Grandpa was smart, genius smart, and thus, couldn’t believe in a “magical” entity. However, I believed in my heart and soul that MY God wouldn’t turn away from one of His OWN Creations. A creation that HE designed with the human flaw of an inability to believe in fantasy. I KNEW that Jesus would come to my grandfather in his last moments, as his soul was leaving his human body, and say “Take my hand” – and HE DID. Less than three minutes before my grandfather took his final breath, without any cause or reason, without the energy to move or stretch or communicate, he reached for the sky with the only arm he was still able to move and accepted Jesus’ hand. It wasn’t until he was gone, and had been for quite a while, that it occurred to me what that last movement was for and I sobbed like a happy baby.
“Take My Hand”
The next God Moment were a few tear-filled laughs. Grandpa was not only still here watching over me, but he was able to manipulate things to send messages. Two examples of this are as follows. Not believing in ‘magic’ grandpa refused to ever open a fortune cookie, even for the fun of it. He knew I enjoyed it though, so at dinner a few nights later, I paused, spoke to Grandpa with my heart as I stared at the fortune cookies on the table, and I said “I know you thought it was ridiculous before, but I wonder what my cookie is going to say tonight.” I exhaled deeply, opened my cookie, and read “You will be receiving an inheritance…” Straight forward, no beating around the bush, no wishy-washy fortune-teller phrases. That was Grandpa telling it like it is.
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The other example was another night at dinner. Trailing away from the conversations to escape into my mind and wonder about my grandfather’s final days. When he had first had his stroke, and KNEW his time was limited, all he wanted to do was have the hospice nurses take him to his computer so he could write me an email – something he couldn’t do. I began to wonder what he would have written if he could have, what it was he hadn’t had the chance to say… It was at that moment that a song came on over the restaurants speakers; Stix: Babe I’m leaving. He wanted to tell me in his own words, and since he couldn’t, he found someone who could. Don’t remember the song? Listen to it here…
There were so many more moments. From my mother’s clock stopping, to a tree falling, to the music stopping in his home, to the being with family for my birthday, to getting my husband on a plane before the blizzard hit, to the rabbit staring at me, to the wonderful people on Craigslist, to things working out, to the timing being perfect, to having just enough to take care of it all… God works in mysterious ways. God is working through everything around us, ALL of the time. God’s plan is so simple and yet so profound. He is always here, always watching over us, always helping us with every step that we take – and if we can see it, if we can thank him, more and more blessings can be seen happening.
God Works THROUGH Us!
So this Easter, take heart in knowing that no matter what is going on in your life, no matter the hurt or trials, or family squabbles, or lost Easter eggs… God is ALL around us, watching over us, teaching us, helping us and Loving us.
So be sure to Thank Him for all of your many blessings.
He really likes that!
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April 5, 2017
So many things, so much to say…
If I would have had the time I would have prepared quite a bit of news, but alas time slipped away from me, just as my grandfather did this past month. While the past 30 days have been quite emotional, those feelings were mixed. There was sadness blended with happiness, joy combined with grief and celebration jumbled together with stress.
Award-Winners
Among the best news was the fact that the “Hamilton Troll Cookbook” AND my Christian novel “The Painting” both won First Place Awards for Best Books in those categories through the Texas Association of Authors!
National Poetry Month
While more information about that exciting news will be coming soon, there are also a ton of other items I want to get to this month, one of which is it being National Poetry Month and those who know me, KNOW how much I love poetry!
God Moments
Also coming up this month, I want to share some of the most amazing God moments I’ve had over the course of this journey. Signs and messages from beyond that will leave a smile on your face that spreads from ear to ear.
There are a ton of big things about to happen and as soon as I can I want to share these with you, my readers, friends and fans. So keep your eyes peeled.
2017 Best Book Awards
View the entire list of 2017 Best books in Texas.
Read the Press Release from TAA: 2017_Award_Press_Release 16
And catch me at any of two dozen upcoming Book Shows and Festivals!
This is going to be a Big Big Year!
March 7, 2017
Imagination is Key – What does that mean?
Imagination is the mental ability to create new ideas or concepts. It is the mind’s way of creating things and situations that aren’t there.
“Imagination is Key” is my mantra.
It is why I write what I write and why I encourage all children to use their imagination.
My motto is “The Only Limitation is Your Own Imagination”
It is what I tell any child who aspires to greatness.
You can do anything – so long as you put your mind to it.
Children have amazing creativity. Their imagination can take them to all new heights and it must be encouraged. In this day and age of education being in the forefront of every parent and teacher’s agenda, topped with so many extracurricular and after school activities, a child’s lifestyle can become quite busy and chaotic. It is my opinion, that children are not being encouraged to day dream and use their imagination as much as they should.
For me, imagination took me away from a boring bus ride to school and made me into a super hero soaring down the road and helping the world out as I flew. Imagination took me away from my bedroom where I could hear my parents arguing in the other room and took me to a magical fantasy world where beautiful rainbows filled the sky and the sun was always shining.
Imagination took my foster son to alien worlds where he could explore the stars in the universe. It helped him imagine what a dung beetles life might be like or how setting an ant pile on fire may affect the families that lived in that home.
Imagination can be encouraged while reading a book, after a short TV show or movie and especially after an hour’s play on video games. Encouraging children to story tell or write out their ideas, extends education in a more enjoyable environment – discussing subjects they enjoy. When a child finishes reading a chapter, or watches a cliff hanger, by simply asking them what they think might happen next advances their minds ability to imagine alternatives – to think outside of the box.
Children have been taught to only give correct answers and are too afraid to say a wrong answer. This, in my opinion, lowers their confidence. By giving them wildly crazy alternatives, things that will make them laugh but flip on that light of creativity, you open the door to a child’s imagination which opens the door to the universe!
This is why my children’s stories focus on imagination. Doing anything they want in the Dream World, learning about new cultures while riding on rainbows, solving mysteries through discussion. For my even younger readers, a troll will ask the questions and take the adventures they haven’t thought to do. The point is – it was my imagination that wrote the stories and their imagination that will write and do for the next generation.
Encourage a child’s imagination!
It’s one of the most important things you can do!
Learn more about Author Kathleen J. Shields and her books at www.KathleensBooks.com
February 28, 2017
It’s Here! The New Book!
The long-awaited “Constellation Crimes” is now available for purchase! If you’ve got boys, you’re going to want them to read this book. It’s crazy. It’s whimsical. It’s full of adventure and it’s educational!
Children will learn about constellations, the shapes the stars make. The myths behind the stars and they’ll have to discover why the red-haired substitute teacher who arrived the same night as the red meteorite seems to be connected to all of the constellation crimes that keep happening.
And is she from Mars or not?
Take the Adventure – Read the New Book Today!
Buy it from…
and everywhere books are sold online (including e-books).
Or find me at one of many upcoming book festivals and tradeshows!
Take I90 West Book Festival in Killeen this Saturday. Check my upcoming events calendar for additional shows and locations.
PS: Spread the Word! Share this with friends, neighbors, workmates.
They’ll be glad you did!
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February 22, 2017
Are you ready for a Crazy Ride?
A red-haired substitute teacher arrives from Mars, a red wolf begins terrorizing the neighborhood and red zits keep appearing on his face! Learning about constellations, Jared’s friends connect the dots on his face only to discover they make the shape of REAL constellations – AND – when they read the myths behind the stars, those stories come true!
ONE WEEK LEFT TO GO!!!
My latest book “Constellation Crimes” will go on sale March 1st but you can preorder it now!
Want to learn more about it? Watch the Trailer Video:
Visit Amazon to PreOrder Your Copy Today:
https://www.amazon.com/Constellation-Crimes-Kathleen-Shields/dp/1941345468/
Visit Barnes & Noble to PreOrder Your Copy Today!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/constellation-crimes-kathleen-j-shields/1125502644?ean=9781941345467
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January 19, 2017
Come Home – A God Moment on a Plane
I’ve been meaning to write about this magical moment for nearly two weeks, but what can I say? I hadn’t been home in almost two months and I had some very precious time to make up for. For those who didn’t know, I was tending to my grandfather who needed to enter hospice. It was all very emotional and the fact that it took place over the holidays, a normally depressing time of year for me, made it ever so much harder. However it was also a good time, a wonderful opportunity to really get to know my grandfather and be there with him for these final months.
That being said, the flight home was bitter sweet.
Yes, I was looking forward to coming home, seeing my husband and ‘kids’ celebrating Christmas three weeks late – just being home. However I was also worried about leaving my grandfather, the uncertainty of the future, how much time he has left, whether he’d be alright without me (even for a short period of time) – my feelings were conflicted. Top that with horrible ear pain every single time I fly… I was not looking forward to the planes decent.
So I turned on my MP3 player, flipped through my list, and stopped at a song that means the world to me – one I hadn’t heard in months. As the song began playing I was already feeling the pressure begin to build in my ears. The shooting pain I feel behind my jaw as it travels down my neck. The headache pain that eventually causes near nausea, the knowledge that it won’t stop until we get closer to the ground… I braced myself, focused on the music and stared out the window.
Come Home by One Republic
The scene that played TO the music was absolutely breathtaking!
It started with the angle of the plane’s wing . Looking straight down to the fields thousands of feet below, the sky was clear, not a single cloud on THIS side of the wing. However on the other side, all you could see was solid white, clouds as far as the eye could see. The perfect beginning for a two-person song.
Hello world, hope your listening…
Hearing the first part of the lyrics I kept looking down at the fields. I kept thinking about our property, our home, my ‘kids’ playing outside, running around free, running towards me because they had missed me so much. There’s someone I’ve been missing… I was day dreaming about my grand welcome home, my husband’s embrace, the better half of me… that feeling of finally being home, warmed my heart and soul.
Come home, come home…
The second part of the lyrics came next, the woman’s voice, a different perspective but a second soul coming into the fold. All I see is you and me… That was when the clouds, bit by bit, began passing by the threshold of the wing. Like tiny explosions, small flashes of white clouds began speeding by below us and it felt as if it were building up to something remarkable. I realized I was almost home. I was coming home, and as the clouds began shooting past my window faster and faster, filling in the openness of the fields below, it was as if they were filling in me.
That’s when the bridge began.
As the piano picked up tempo and the singer filled my ears with that harmonic oohh, the plane made a turn to the left and started towards the setting sun. The white fluffy clouds that were still below us, but were as far as the eye could see, had now turned a gorgeous bright gold. They lined the clouds like halos. It warmed the scene in this blinding way that simply comforted me in every possible way you could imagine.
During the lyrics of the bridge the scene illuminated my eyes with this massive awesomeness – it was like God’s light just radiating the entire heavens! It filled my soul with this indescribable warmth as the clouds shot by faster and faster, getting closer and closer… until I was full – until the song slowed.
The fight for you is all I’ve ever known… Ever Known…
Then we entered the clouds.
Surrounded by white, nothing but white, the voice, at top pitch, holding come, holding home, was like a single angels song filling my ears.
So Come Home…
White surrounded me – this bright white and nothing else… Come home… I’ve been waiting for you…
When the song ended, no other song played. I stayed in that moment, that lingering nothing-but-whiteness moment, held in time, until the plane came through the underside of the clouds and I could see home come into view. It was truly magical. And as I slowly came out of this moment and began to realize that my MP3 player had stalled and my ears hadn’t hurt and we were getting ready to land – I realized, God had pulled me through a would-be painful time and brought me home.
This is the Astonishing Power of God: to take a single moment and touch your life in some of the most surprising of ways.
December 6, 2016
We are like Squirrels
I was looking out back from the sliding glass window in Maryland and saw a couple of black squirrels going about their day. I don’t see black squirrels in Texas, at least not in my neighborhood. There we have grey squirrels. I know there are grey and black, have seen white albino and a couple of brown squirrels. But did you know there were also blond, tan and mixed color squirrels too?
There are all types and they all have to live and survive in this world. They all have to eat, forage for food and water. They like nuts and cat food, birdseed but aren’t picky, whatever is available to them they’ll check out (except raw onions).
They all need a place to lay their head at night, a hole, a nest, a tree limb with plenty of branches… we all have our preferences, the city or the country, a high-rise or a single story home.
We all have families, some we like, some we hate, some we choose and some we make. Some squirrels have odd hairdos, tufts on the top of their ears, shaved tails (probably not by choice, but how would I know)?
The point is: no matter the color, no matter the choices, preferences or tastes, we are all here on this world together. We can all mix and mingle. We can all accept each other for whom each one of us are. And we can all learn to adapt to our surroundings and situations. Life must go on and I say it’s time to be a little bit squirrly.
