DID YOU KNOW A PERSON CAN BE ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED to fornication but love the one who fornicated? Opposed to adultery but love the adulterer? Opposed to the homosexual lifestyle but love the homosexual? Opposed to dishonesty but love the one who is dishonest? Opposed to drunkenness but love the one who’s drunk? Opposed to violence but love the person who is violent? Opposed to white supremacy but love the deluded white supremacist? Opposed to environmental waste, consumerism, and destruction of the planet and love those contributing to it? Opposed to the mistreatment of immigrants but still believe in stricter border control policies, AND love all the people involved? Opposed to the mistreatment, perverted sexualization, and abuse of women and children and love BOTH the abusers and the abused? Opposed to police brutality and corruption within law enforcement AND recognize the MANY good sacrificial men and women who serve, AND love them all? Opposed to the organized church promoting the election of those who appear to be unbelievers but still love the elected officials and those who vote for them, AND pray for them? Opposed to abortion and yet love everyone involved on both sides of the issue?

BELIEVE IT! JESUS MAKES IT POSSIBLE!
How else could we appropriately love even ourselves- much less our neighbor? Love God and leave the hating to him. We are not allowed to hate. Be angry and do not sin- tough call- but possible for the true Christian. We can’t be sinless in our hate. We must leave our rage with God. He is BIG. He’ll take care of it.

DIALOGUE. LISTEN. LOVE ONE ANOTHER. PRAY. HOPE IN CHRIST AND PREPARE TO BE SURPRISED.❤️

Evil speaks;
Softly,
Gently,
Soothingly,
Directly,
Sometimes the truth,
Many times a lie,
But always straight to the point:
Knees to the ground,
It’s where you’re wanted now.

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.

Father God I love you so,
Though thorns
Around my heart do grow,
One word from you
Cuts through them sure,
And Leaves my battered
Soul washed pure.

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.

Sunlight
Starlight
Moonlight
Firelight
Lamplight
Red light
Blue light
White light
Flashlight
Bright light
Candlelight
Lantern light
Sparkling light
Reflective light
Refractive light
Glittering light-
To top them all,
A lightening fight!

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.

In the dark of night I grew,
But daylight dried my wings.

From the ground I speak aloud,
While on the mountain sing.

Cacophony is deafening
As I hang with my friends,

There is much to talk about as
Thirteen years it’s been.

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.

Darkness overtakes us every evening,
Incessant rain brings about a flood,
Drought leaves the world around us ever thirsting, yet
We fail to claim our blessing by the blood.

Dancing with the ashes at Chernobyl,
Wading through the clinker that remains,
Twirling through the cinders o’er The Island,  still
Proceeding ever on in the same vein!

Fashioning our idols out of matter,
Destroying it to play a faster game,
Wandering earth’s avenues in search of meaning lost,
We push away the answers when they’re plain.

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.

Dear Child of Mine,

You must know that every time you hurt, I ache because I couldn’t prevent it. Each time you cry, I shed a tear of my own because I could not stop whatever that mean old thing was that caused you misery. When you’re scared, I fear my own overwhelming desire to destroy the thing that has had the audacity to cause you to be anxious. And the worst dilemma of all: Knowing that I may have triggered any of these difficult emotions.

I would never willingly give you back, and yet when you’re consumed with grief I wonder if it was a cruel thing that I played a part in bringing you here. Therefore, with His enabling grace, I do the only reasonable thing there is to do: I remember the sovereignty of my God and I lean into Christ Jesus, as He is the only hope of a concerned and thoughtful mother, and ultimately He is the only hope of every mother’s child.

I love you for always.

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.

Guess what I saw from my porch tonight,
Flying around in the full moonlight-
Insects with their tails so bright
Busily defying night.

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.

Did the wind begin to blow?
Graceful tree outside my window
Stands conversing with me,
First swaying to and fro,
Then bowing low
As in a slow dance,
Next waving frantically
As if she begs me to believe,
Now, she merely stands trembling,
Wondering what will be my response.

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.

Who are we;
Only slightly more significant
Than the ants,
Building our cities,
Tunneling our way through
Here and there,
Building nests and towers,
Crafting storages,
Eating and drinking
And making more of ourselves
For work and posterity,
Returning to dust
Only to begin again?

Copyright 2019. L.L. Shelton.