My life was about living, every day about the same. Nothing special to report, because He didn’t know my name. I was lonely and quite hungry, though I didn’t know what for. ‘Cause I hadn’t been to church, so I didn’t know the Lord. When I did attend I went for food, friendship and to […]
Discussion Questions for “The Painting”
Book Clubs Bible Study Youth Groups Personal Growth “The Painting” tends to yank out emotions long ago suppressed by older individuals and incite conversations and deep thoughts long after the cover has been closed. To assist in engaging in discussion whether book clubs, youth groups or even bible studies, the author has put together an […]
Designed to do Good Deeds
Ephesians 2:10 God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do. I have been working on “The Painting 2” and this scripture jumped out at me with the exact message I […]
What happened to Common Courtesy?
First, what is Courtesy? It is the showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behavior toward others. So let me ask you a question. When two people are talking and someone walks up to them, is it courteous to interrupt their conversation to ask your question? No. Is it courteous for them to keep talking […]
Cancelling Christmas | A Poem
It was two days before Christmas and all through the square, people were shopping like they hadn’t a care. Ripping through racks of toys, clothes and shoes, pushing past others, “You gave me a bruise!” They didn’t see the beauty, the lights in the trees, they didn’t sense the magic, the love or the freeze. […]
The Painting – Watch the Trailer
The Painting is Now Available! The long awaited novel by author Kathleen J. Shields is here! Watch the Book Trailer Video below: BUY NOW: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kathleen’s Books
Why God gives you trials.
The other day I was reminded of something from my past and I thought I could use it as a teaching tool. A long while ago, I worked for a small business owner. I was very good at my job and he knew it. He left me in charge of his business, as manager because […]
Is prayer, perception?
Today at church our pastor was teaching us about prayer. It led to a conversation with someone after church, whom I only know in passing. A conversation that stayed with me through lunch, through folding laundry, vacuuming and through writing this post. What I learned may only be for me, but I felt it was insightful […]
Who am I to write this story? – The Pain
Who am I to write this story? That’s the question I kept asking God for about a month after the idea came to me. During my discovery of the story’s plot, formulation of the characters and outline creation, I felt I couldn’t possibly be the best fit for this project. This story idea came to […]
Another Young Entrepreneur – Photography
Such beautiful photographs… Such an amazing eye… The color, the definition… I was drawn to her photos. Then when I realized she was another amazing young entrepreneur, setup as a vendor trying to sell her work, I couldn’t help but want to help. I told her she needs to setup a website, look into creating […]
What if God never painted the humans?
That was a question that was posed to me in a dream and it led me on the most amazing journey… My dream was about a boy named Gerald and he was feeling quite lonely (as was I at the time). I awoke after he completed painting an entire world on a blank canvas from […]
About The Painting – My Latest Novel
We start our lives as a blank canvas. It’s our diverse experiences that add color and definition to our painting. Gerald’s world was often harsh and challenging. Feelings of loneliness and isolation were normal for him. The people in his life didn’t understand him and as a result, often ignored him, or refused to […]
Do I matter?
The other day I was revisiting old pictures of my late dog Smurphy and I came across a few that took me aback. Pictures that, by themselves wouldn’t have had any significant meaning – were reminders of past sighs and disappointments. You see our entertainment system cycles through hundreds of family pictures and whenever I […]
Happy Mother’s Day to all women
Whether you are a mother, step mom or mother-in-law… Aunt, sister, grandma, wannabe mom, expectant mom, dog or cat mom , foster mom or left behind mom, happy mothers day to you. May the beauty of today’s sun shine on you. The aroma of nearby flowers fill you and the love of anyone around you […]
I am not home
There is a song by a Christian group called Building429. The song is called “Where I Belong” and I love singing with it on my way to or from tradeshows every weekend. My favorite verse is “I’m not home yet”. This song is upbeat and fun. It reminds me no matter what kind of day […]
Electrical Faith
So last week our pastor did a sermon that at one point connected electricity to faith. She gave a few examples that definitely got my creative juices flowing. So I wanted to share some of what she said and a bit of some I came up with. Electricity You can’t really see it. You don’t […]
Another Amazing Young Entrepreneur
I LOVE WHAT I DO! Not only do I get to sell my books at a tradeshow every single weekend, but I get to meet some amazingly creative people – many of which are children! Today’s amazing Young Entrepreneur is Racquel and what she does is truly creative. From a distance, walking by her table […]
Amazing Young Entrepreneurs
This weekend I met a young boy with his own business card. We were talking books when I suggested he take one of my cards. He then offered me, his. Wow! He twists balloons into fun animal shapes for birthday parties, picnics and events and also creates amazing Paracord bracelets and key chains. I then […]
Do the right thing… Pass it forward.
So the other day I was driving in a city – something I don’t do often and even with GPS I found myself in the wrong lane with no warning signs that it was about to end. I signal. Check my mirrors, wait for the closest car to pass. Then see that I had plenty […]
It is too easy to not listen to Jesus
This morning our pastor gave quite a powerful sermon. The story may be “Jesus is coming,” but her message was “He’s already here.” At the end she asked, would you kneel before Jesus… And she knelt down. I thought, “I should kneel down too.” God put it in my head and twice I ignored him. […]
Don’t do crossword puzzles in pen
BJW The other day a friend posted something on her timeline. She recalled a conversation she had once had with her father. She remembered the media making a big deal over a man who used a pen to complete crossword puzzles while her father always used pencil. She asked him about that and this is […]