I feel better
With you beside me,
Without you here,
Who would I be?
I can find
My worth in you,
No need for you to
Need me too.
Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.
I Love My Country, I Love Our World
Regarding Paul:
He wrote about what he knew.
He wrote about the universal-
Those things we all know.
He wrote to clear his head
And to cleanse his heart-
And connected the masses.
Happy Mother’s Day,
And may God bless you,
All of you and each of you,
On this very American Fourth!
Let it be.
Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.
Who We Are
(With a nod to Mary Shelley)
Frankenstein and Dracula
And wicked witches all,
Find return in human heart
With back against the wall;
Depravity is all she wrote,
Resonating with the world
Is our pitiable condition,
As from the garden hurled.
Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.
Undercurrent Through Clay
Moon can not glow,
As sun will not shine,
Stars disappear
With all sense of time,
East now meets west,
North can’t find south,
Dislocated teeth
Bruising the mouth,
Motionless hands,
Legs that won’t travel,
Still melody flows-
Soul shall not unravel,
As hidden below
Your Word yet does battle.
Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.
A Soldier’s Gift
Now I lay me down to sleep,
Grateful to the ones who keep
Their fellow men to rest in peace;
As to our freedom they attend,
Our persons, property defend,
If need be, to own life’s end.
Copyright 2011. L.L. Shelton.
The First Kingdom
I am a Christian. This does not mean I am perfect but it does mean that I strive to be like my Master. My Master lived and walked the earth and his biography is aptly recorded in the Scriptures. Therefore, I read and study his life to learn NOT what WOULD He do, but WHAT DID JESUS DO? This question should be central to all followers.
I grow weary with both major political parties using God’s Word to justify their various positions and actions. Haven’t they ever heard of separation of church and state? Of course they have! They site it when it is to their advantage. There was a reason that the founding fathers of our country, who probably had a collective I.Q. twice that of any group of citizens we could put together, today, touted the principle regularly. Did you know that it was their idea of a way to ensure that the church is protected from the government- protected from tyranny?
We who are followers of The Way are citizens of his heavenly kingdom first. Our allegiance belongs to God in Christ first and to our nation second. This enables Christians of all earthly kingdoms and nations to be a collective “nation” of our own, of God, that is unified and overrides all other systems when it is necessary to obey God. This is not a difficult Truth, if you read the book and look for the answer with the sincere motive of finding how to be like Christ by learning what Jesus did.
Let’s not continue to drag our facsimiles of God into our political squabbles. He genuinely exists and He is everywhere. He continues to make Himself known to all who are paying attention to Him. We are primarily a part of a bigger better system. Our first loyalty is to a King who has issued his law and identified it as the most important, the greatest of all laws: The rule to love God FIRST, as He defines it, your neighbor second and equally with yourself; and to avoid any confusion He further interprets his law: Do unto others- any other human being- as you would have done unto you. Our efforts to mold and make God into something other than He has declared Himself to be are futile at best, absolutely foolish, and at worst, evil.
Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.
Bless and Keep Me
Keep me faithful
As the river winds,
Keep me gentle
As the whispering breeze,
Keep me shining
As the brightest flower,
Keep me bold
As the stately trees,
Keep me hungry
As the suckling things,
For you always,
Saving King.
Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.
God Will Tell
People are precious,
Invaluable to God.
People are eternal,
Invaluable to time.
People are essential,
Invaluable to space.
To harm another or yourself
Is unwise- to say the least.
God will tell.
Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.
These Weak Arms
Moving among them
Sensing the need,
Soaking in pain,
Feeling the plea,
Drenched in the rain,
Drinking in sorrow,
Swelling informed
Of trial for tomorrow,
Carrying harm
In these weak arms.
Moving through me
Sensing my need,
Soaking in Truth,
Feeling I’m freed,
Drenched in my Christ,
Drinking in sorrow,
Swelling informed
Of joy on the ‘morrow,
Carrying Love
In this heart from above.
Copyright 2018. L. L. Shelton.
Divine Arrangement
We like God
To stay small
In His box
Down the hall,
In the attic
Up the stairs
Until that day
Standing on chair,
Pull the cord
Drop the door
Bring it out
Manger to floor,
Dust it off
Nice and clean
Pretty little
Nostalgic scene,
Merrily we
Dance and sing
Of a tiny
Newborn king.
Copyright 2018. L.L. Shelton.