Giving Total Effort

With intellect,
Great affluence,
Elite gatherings,
And great influence.

The teachers of the law
Gave eloquent speeches
And lengthy prayers
But they were leeches.

Looking good on the outside
And thought to be a doer
But on the inside
Being spiritually poor.

Unlike the widow
Willing and glad
To give an offering
With all she had.

Let’s take this example
And have no regrets
As we give total effort
Pursuing eternal assets.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 09-29-2022

Loving God and Neighbor

To love the Lord
With all my heart
And my neighbor
Each day I start.

Is a commandment
Of most importance
And brings to life
Great significance.

Each and every day
I will always embrace
To expand my faith
And be filled with grace.

Building relationships
Each day I awake,
The Lord will guide
Each step I take.

Building the path
From a place of doom
To a place I grow
And begin to bloom.


Poem by Mark Shields – © 09-22-2022

The Right Picture

Questions from those who oppose
May be from the wrong premise
Giving credence to their way
And present a menace.

Spreading fake news
That some have clicked
With wrong assertions
That have many tricked.

With the wrong perspective
Or wrong point of view
That trap many 
Into the coup.

Instead, follow the Truth
That is life-giving
Written in the Word
With guidelines to living.

Learn from Jesus
Within the scripture
And trust Holy Spirit
To give the right picture.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 09-15-2022

This poem is inspired by Mark 12:18-27 when the Sadducees questioned Jesus. They wanted to trick Jesus but Jesus was prepared. He wasn’t trapped and we can learn from the Way of Jesus. The Good News prepares us all for the fake news so get the right picture from the scripture.

Equipped with the Tools

The world has a lot 
Of negatives that bite
With a deadly venom
That leads to our plight.

To set us up
And take control
So we are caught up
In things bad for the soul.

But God’s Holy Word
Equips us with the tools
Needed to catch the snakes
Who think we are fools.

To be set free 
When the world tries to trap
And be equipped with wisdom
To handle the crap.

By following the Way
In which souls are nourished
And a future
We all can cherish.


Poem by Mark Shields – © 09-08-2022
Photo: Taken when a rattlesnake was found in the shrubs next to my house

Accept and Be Helped

Focused on what 
We each can do
Accepting His help
To get us through. 

Saying yes to the ONE
With the solution
Into an amazing future 
Of devolution.

Towards tomorrow
In which the impossible
Is facilitated 
Towards the possible.

Then there is peace 
And tranquility
In accepting our place
With humility.

Using His power
And Holy wisdom
For the glory
Of the kingdom.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 09-01-2022
Photo: Taken about two miles from my house at lake in Waco Texas

Road Map

Leaders were deceiving
So Jesus calls them out,
Overturns the tables
And begins to shout.

Told them to get out,
To stop misleading
And creating a burden
On people succeeding.

He crushed their scheme
And caught them in a trap
Just as you can today
If you follow the road map.

Discover the Truth
Which is the key
To opening the door
And setting you free.

So you are liberated
And made whole
Which is good for the heart,
Mind, body, and soul.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 08-25-2022

Here is a link to the road map – link

Feeding Souls

From the Holy Word,
My soul is fed
And in my sharing,
Benefits are spread.

Let me absorb
The nutrients
From the Holy Word’s
Ingredients.

Gaining strength to endure,
Patience to wait,
Energy to withstand,
And faith to be great.

Let me be fruitful
So there is assurance
That the world is a place
Of abundance.

Collecting knowledge
From the Holy Word
And sharing God’s plan
So more are spurred.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 08-18-2022

Step Ahead with Confidence

Acting in faith,
Fears subsided
Because for the Lord
I have decided. 

Courage is needed
To form the battle lines
Against the people
Who put me through hard times.

Going to the Lord
In prayer is a must
And planning next steps
With friends I can trust.

I take action now
Using spiritual weaponry
And relying on instructions
The Spirit gives me.

I step ahead now
With confidence
For the Lord is with me
To give assurance.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 08-11-2022

Come to the Table with the Savior

We experience 
Highs and some lows
As we go up against
Those who oppose.

The lows of life 
Make us callous 
Which brings on 
Thoughts of malice.

But with the Holy Spirit, 
We focus on the unseen
And the enemy fears us
As we fulfill our dream.

There is then hope
With possibilities
And a grand vision
For future activities. 

Bringing excitement
As hearts are stirred
And we feed the soul
With the Holy Word.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 08-04-2022

Photo – In the photo is my dog Marlee. She is ready each day to get up early for her food. She jumped up on the chair next to the dinner table and this is her way to tell us she was ready to be fed. We also go on walks and she loves it. She lives for the moment as she listens to the birds and identifies the scents along the way.  

Benefits for Current Situation and Future Generation

Photo Credit – Link

Jesus made impressions,
And has brought elation
To all generations
In bad situations.

He was fervent
To lead as a servant
Not as a king
But King of all kings.

Going further,
Willing to suffer;
Giving more than receiving
For all human beings.

So all would believe
And could perceive
Salvation for all
From the deep fall.

From oppression
To progression;
From transgression
To salvation.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 07-28-2022