Higher Learning

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Mark Shields

This poem is inspired by my memories as a student at Sam Houston State University.

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Many will return back to college soon after a Holiday break. I’m reminded of my college days at Sam Houston State University. The University is located in Huntsville Texas about 70 miles north of downtown Houston. It took its name from the Texas hero Sam Houston who made his home in the city and is buried there.

Named after a Texas hero
With Historical roots.
Preparing young people
With noble attributes.

Statue of Texas Hero Sam Houston on the campus of Sam Houston State University

Higher learning place
Making people witty.
Small town attitude
Near the large city.

A friendly atmosphere;
A Stimulating environment;
Responsive to needs;
Providing enlightenment.

Center Part of Sam Houston State University Campus

Offering a career foundation
For people’s life call.
Preparing them also
To be friendly to all.

Building up many lives;
Making success smoother
As they grow in a career
For a happier future.

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It Takes Courage

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Mark Shields

4f39d-top-10-tallest-mountains-annapurnaI received an email a while back from a friend and in this email was a story of a lady who had started a long time ago to plant one daffodil at a time in a field. Now the field is covered with beautiful yellow daffodils. This story points out that if you start something positive even if it’s small, over time you will build something of beauty. Mark Twain said one time, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore – Dream – Discover.”

You have unique talents and abilities. Every ability and potential power you have was given for a purpose. All it takes is the courage to dream and the courage to set goals. Simply going after your dreams can lead to discoveries never dreamed of before. Do you know what planet we have learned the most about from space exploration? It is the planet Earth. We have learned more about weather, agriculture, geography, and physics. With a dream and goals, knowledge can be gained that helps reach other goals not dreamed of yet.

Think of all the discoveries that have been made over the years. Many of these discoveries were the result of accidents. Those that make new discoveries can relate the unrelated; look for materials, ideas, circumstances, objects, and needs that have not previously been associated. They use their imagination to see how to fill some need or accomplish some purpose that would benefit others.

Let us go back to the Purpose Tool Template at this link. Click on the tab at the bottom labeled List of Dreams and  use this to record any other dreams as you spend extra time dreaming and thinking about this list. Reaching for the stars is risky, but refusal to take that risk sets up a more foolish risk – missing the opportunity to become all you were meant to become. Make evident your devotion to God in your daily activities. Because of Jesus, the Spirit of God is in your heart so you are not confined to devotion only at church but in all that you do. Celebrate God’s care of you by beginning every day, every decision, or every business dealing with God. God’s law helps us to see faults and understand that help is needed. Jesus is that  help and the Holy Spirit gives the freedom to start new, to plan, to think and come up with ideas that make us better. It takes courage to choose a challenging goal and take action to move toward it but once you start, momentum keeps you going.

A good strategy is to improve on weaknesses and reap the benefits of strengths; having the courage to face weaknesses but not being embarrassed about them. Knowing what needs improvement and using this knowledge as a tool to steer you toward your destination.

It not only takes courage to face your weaknesses but it also takes courage to establish values. A tool to help is called the Self-Evaluation Inventory spreadsheet. Take a look at the Purpose Tool Template spreadsheet within the Priorities tab at this link. Record your priorities in the categories column of the Self-Evaluation Inventory spreadsheet and follow the directions for this tool. Here is a link to the template: link which you are welcome to download to your computer and modify. Your priorities are certain attributes you’re aspiring to obtain and maintain. Click on the WK1 tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet. See the Evaluation Category listed and in another column is a place for you to give yourself a score for each day of the week. A score of one would be that I’m failing and a score of five would be going beyond expectations. An example may be that I would like to watch my weight by moderating my food intake. If I want to give myself a better score, I will not eat the extra slice of pizza for dinner. This might bump my score up to a four for that day. It’s similar to a batting average. If you can give yourself 3’s, it’s like having a 300 batting average. It’s a tool to help transform your lifestyle so you develop the habits needed for attainment of your goals.

Next week, I will write about the keys to successfully realizing your God given purpose. The keys are thoughts, plans, desires, confidence, and determination.

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You Can Do Anything with God Who Gives You Strength

Posted on January 5, 2019 by Mark Shields

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The power of desire backed up by faith gives us a way to keep coming back when things seem discouraging. There is a big difference in wanting things that are good and just and things that have a negative impact on society.  Food, water, and clothing, are necessities of life that many of us take for granted but there are many places around the world that do not have these basic necessities. The foundation of meeting our basic needs provides us with lessons for not only meeting these needs but also in obtaining abundance in our lives.

The first part of meeting needs is to believe you can receive it. The bible tells us that we should have confidence in God and that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us. To ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who ask receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened. A walk with God provides abundant joys, life, grace, power, supplies, and entrance to eternity

Our talents are like seeds that have not germinated. As a seed requires light, heat, and nutrients to grow; talents require planning, goal setting, action, and dedication. As mentioned in lesson two, we live in abundance. There are over 100 billion galaxies with each galaxy having billions of stars. Scientists have also discovered that the universe is still expanding.  Although there is abundance in the world, we must see abundance in ourselves before we can use it. There is untapped potential in everyone. Most psychologists think few people ever use more than thirty percent of their potential.

Your brain has the capacity to think, to reason, to recall, to visualize, and imagine. It can also choose and create. I once heard a story about a tourist that stopped his car on a country road and asked a young boy “How far is it to Smithville?” “Well,” said the boy, “The way you are going, it’s about 24,996 miles, but if you turn around, it’s about four.” It’s important to put some thought into the direction you are going.  On a wall as you wait in line at the model-T car ride at Six Flags in Arlington Texas is a sign of a quote by Henry Ford that reads, “Thinking is the hardest work and that is probably why only a few engage in it”.

I read a book a few years back called “Man in the Mirror” and one statement made in this book was that each day is a battle for our thought life. You have to work at being a thinker. Gordon MacDonald in his book, “Ordering Your Private World”, says that we need to train our minds to be alert and alive, taking on fresh amounts of information every day, regularly producing new discoveries and conclusions. He says that thinkers see old things in new ways; they analyze hypotheses, separating out the true from the false.

A football team studies the competition by looking at game film to know the upcoming opponents tendencies. We too face competition. It is anything that holds us back like fear, despair, and hate. So, study the film called life to come up with plans for your tomorrows. Think accurately and make adjustments so you’re in a position to be successful. Develop that untapped potential; the amazing abundance of talent and ability that you have never used.

Every day you have greater opportunities than you have ever had before simply because you are the beneficiary of the past. You can relate the normally unrelated and see usual things in unusual ways. This week, take a look at the Purpose Tool Template spreadsheet at this Link. Click on the Priorities tab at the bottom and fill out at your own pace throughout the week. Also, feel free to download the template to your own computer and modify for your own personal use.

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Expressions

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Mark Shields

So much in life can give us a lift like a funny photo or inspirational thought. Give the mind positives to process and produced are qualities like enthusiasm, optimism, and initiative for life.

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Memory captured
By a photo taken
Lifts the Spirit;
Mind is awakened.

Encouragement from
Inspirational thoughts
Provide positives
To handle tough spots.

Reassurances from
A sermon message
Gives hope for a future
That is impressive.

Feeding the mind
So you are blessed
With effective ways
To handle each quest.

Producing qualities
Like optimism,
Initiative,
And enthusiasm.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 11-15-2018

This is a photo of our family dog. She’s very photogenic. When we saw her photo on the local animal shelter add, we went down to see if she was still there and when she was, we adopted her. Over the years, she has given us a lift with her funny expressions.

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Dream About Your Potential for Greatness

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Mark Shields

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Many famous people give us examples of how a dream can turn into reality even with many obstacles in their way. Christopher Columbus didn’t know the world was round but he had a good hunch it was so he acted on that belief with courage. As he set out to find a better route to China, he discovered America. Thomas Edison failed over 9,000 times before he invented the light bulb. Yet from that point forward he went on to receive 1,093 patents, more than any other person in U.S. history. Ray Kroc was 52 years old and in bad health when he started McDonald’s. At its high point, a new McDonald’s was opening every 5 hours somewhere in the world.

Leonardo De Vinci was a great artist but he also had a system for getting things done. The man that painted the “Last Supper” also created the parachute, bicycle, and helicopter. He acted on his ideas. The system he followed every time he began a new idea consisted of a specific goal that was measurable. He made sure someone kept him accountable for attainment of his goal and that it was realistic and relevant. The goal always had a timeline. If you take the first letter of each part of his system, you have the word SMART and that’s exactly what De Vinci’s system was.

You have the potential to do something great like the famous people mentioned above. Set your imagination free and free your creative powers. Consider this fact. The sun travels at a speed of 155 miles per second, but it still takes 230 million years for it to complete a single revolution of our galaxy. There’s nothing up there but sky and with God, the sky is the limit! My pastor for many years, Steve Ramsdell once said in a sermon that each morning, we have a fresh start with God. We have a chance to be freed from the pessimism we may have had and can use the unlimited power, amazing grace, and unquenchable love He has for us. It’s not always easy and we have bad days but think of all the inventions that have come about because of someone having a bad day. Bad days make people think up new ways to create better days for someone else. According to amusingfacts.com, it was after dropping and breaking a bottle of milk which spilled all over his floor one morning that John Van Wormer invented paper milk cartons.

The Bible Study Guide mentioned in lesson one is a tool that allows you to be creative and set your imagination free. Like the creativity of small children with curiosity and the questions they ask, we can ask God questions. As we get older, sometimes we stop listening to ourselves and to others because we become boxed in to this certain way of doing bible study. We become closed minded to new ideas. We lose our curiosity and shut out the adventure, excitement and thrill of gaining wisdom from God. Imagination is a tool for a successful and rewarding life. As you read from the bible each day and go to God in prayer, see a bright future; one in which you are on God’s side and are having winning days as you work together.

Happiness is something you decide upon ahead of time. It’s a decision you make every morning you wake up. In Psalms 23:6, David expected goodness and compassion, not part of the time, but all the days of his life. David’s attitude was that God will always provide and I just can’t get away from the good things of God!” David’s attitude was to build up the house of the Lord; a house where every need is met and all people are cared for. He encourages us to take the lead in promoting God’s goodness. This is the same David that faced the giant Goliath. Many thought the giant was too big but David’s only thought was about how big a target the giant was and that he couldn’t miss this big target. How should we face our giants each day? Do you see your targets like David did?

To have optimism, it’s important to go after things with a passion. People accomplish much more when they act on things that they have a passion for. A person can be the most skilled at their profession but unless they have the passion, they will not be at their best. There are six major beneficial emotions that help change goals to action and ultimately to success.

Faith             Desire

Love             Enthusiasm

Hope            Rewards

Many people pray with their minds filled with fear and doubt. Prayer is kind of like sound when communicated by radio. If the mind is cluttered with fear and doubt, the answer from God is hard to receive. The positive emotions act as an antenna to receive the plan from God.

From a website called howstuffworks.com, it was explained that the Voyager spacecraft transmits radio messages long distances because there is a large antenna on earth that is pointing directly to another one on the spacecraft. To read more about the Voyager probes, here is a link: Science News. Optimism is like that big antenna pointed in the right direction. We can also be optimistic when we are pointed in the right direction. When our thoughts are pointed to God, we are prepared, confident, and feel an inner peace because the Kingdom of God is within us.  If you want to be happy, work on your relationship with God, believe that you will receive God’s favor, and expect your future to be bright. Apply your faith by seeing a picture of success and help others as you work together; trust God for peace of mind, abundant joy, and rewards beyond measure.

I love pulling for a local sports team like the Cowboys. The only thing is that they don’t always win. It’s better to pull for God’s team. The victories keep coming in. The championship for His people is a prepared place in Heaven for all who are faithful to him. His people are even assured of the power over death. So let God conquer worry by believing in His son and receiving spiritual wealth. He can send the Spirit of His Son into your heart and touch you with divine power.

A book series that has sold millions of copies and produced income of billions of dollars is “Harry Potter”. The series of books and movies are about how the study of witchcraft leads to an amazing, fun, and adventurous life for a young boy. We all are writing a book as Christians. Each day, we are writing sentences to our book about how the study of Christ leads to an amazing, fun, and adventurous life. Millions of people will read this book you are writing over your life time and the reward you will receive is beyond comprehension.

They say that the earlier you plan for retirement the better. Well it’s the same with your Spiritual life. The sooner you start collecting the treasures from God, the wealthier you become spiritually. In God’s timing, things will be made right. Know that God is for you and believe you can do everything. Be at peace and focus on the good that will happen because you trust in Him. We can receive encouragement to help us manage our daily living. Be reinvigorated by Christ’s power and believe that tomorrow will always be better than today. Recall the blessings you have received and give praise. He has much more to give. If you are having difficulty, receive the hope. Be assured by a clear picture of victory. One use I have found with the Microsoft application called PowerPoint is to put together a slide presentation. I try to run this at least three times a week to get me on track. I have written down goals and included quotes and other inspirational affirmations. I use this tool to help me see my part in God’s plan.

As a believer, you share from the same nourishing food for the soul that not only improves your life but also those around you wanting to join in. As we relate to others, we can be optimistic because by the grace of God we are allowed to stand firm in Christ and possess His Spirit in our heart. This resource is only a deposit securing what is to come. So don’t worry if you haven’t received the promotion or big project – don’t be upset. You may find out that you are better off without them. I heard this saying on the Paul Harvey radio segment one time and it went something like this – it’s always the second mouse that gets the cheese. Friend, it’s Ok to come in second if God’s number one.  You are so much more prepared today to handle life’s challenges than yesterday. You’re getting better and better each day and closer and closer to the ultimate reward.

We live in abundance. The world is filled with abundance of opportunity which the dreamers of the past never knew.  A while back, Scientist discovered that the universe is still growing at a rate of 45 miles per second. This reminds me of a Bible reading I had recently. In 1 Kings 17:10-16, a widow was running out of cooking oil and flower. She was going to make the last meal and then God promised to provide flour and oil. God’s resources are plentiful. He has made the earth productive and His people acquisitive. In obtaining knowledge, the goal is to maintain what you have and to want more. Have you ever just looked up at the moon and thought “A person has walked on that”? It’s amazing and it makes me think that God will let us achieve the impossible if we just want to bad enough.  According to the book “Guinness Book of World Records”, there are over 100 billion galaxies with each galaxy having billions of stars.

Many may have potential but without a goal, nothing materializes. How does one start setting goals? First, goals must be clearly defined. Even the greatest high jumper didn’t begin at seven feet. They may have to start at four feet and work their way up. A good first step is to fill out the List of Dreams by clicking on the tab at the bottom of the worksheet. Here is the Link to the worksheet with the tab at the bottom labeled List of Dreams. You are welcome to save this blank copy of this excel document to your own computer. Plan for what you can become. Believe you deserve it and look forward to the reward. Decide for yourself what to do with your life. Only you can decide because you are the most qualified.

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