The Grapevine – A Light in the Darkness. Carol Lynn Pearson talks to Sheri Joi.

Recently I had the magical chance to talk with Carol Lynn Pearson. Carol Lynn is a bright shining star bursting her light through the midnight sky, we both share the same vision of expanding that light until all the shadows are scattered and nothing but light remains. Carol Lynn is a woman of strength and courage and we both know what it means to have a passion for true love. This is not the love you fall into or out of, this isn’t the love that is sticky and gooey, this is the pure love of God and of Christ and those that know them.

Carol Lynn and I spoke about the sensitive subject of homosexuality. Part of Carol Lynn’s story is about her marriage that ended after 12 years and 4 kids when her husband could no longer be part of the marriage because he was gay. Listen to our wonderful conversation to see how this experience was an integral part of Carol Lynn’s journey as well as everyone that knew them. Her book, Goodbye, I love you, is the story of this journey. They remained dear friends and he died in her care, in her home 6 years after he had left their marriage. This woman knows what Christ’s love is and she shares it with everyone around her. She has become a spokesman for the gay community. We both became very emotional on the call as Carol Lynn shared stories with me about those that now reach out to her for support, peace, acceptance and love. She has become that trusted friend and advocate to so many in need. She receives countless emails, facebook messages and letters from all over the world from gay people telling heartbreaking stories of the persecutions, prejudices and the way they are shunned and ostracized by their own families. Story after story leads to suicide because of the shame, guilt and hopelessness they feel, this must stop.

Every life is precious, every life deserves love, every life deserves acceptance, every life deserves to LIVE! My hope and prayers are that by some small way I can join my voice with Carol Lynn Pearson’s and implore everyone around the globe to open their hearts to the love of God and encircle our gay brothers and sisters into our loving arms. The first weekend in November there will be a conference in Salt Lake City that shares the same name as Carol Lynn’s latest book, No More Goodbye’s: Circling the Wagons Around our Gay Brothers and Sisters. There is more information about the conference here at Mormon Stories.

May my interview with Carol Lynn, the conference in November, Carol Lynn’s books and all the silent prayers and pleadings bring awareness to the prejudice that is among us. May we open our hearts and know what true love is and never again say good by to anyone because they are different than we are. I dedicate this to my beautiful gay sisters and brothers – - you are my family and I love you so much.

I hope everyone will take the time to listen to this call with an open heart so that you can feel the love that Carol Lynn and I share for anyone suffering in the dark. May we bring LIGHT to that which has been in the darkness for when we bring light, the darkness can no longer remain. There is nothing for us to judge, there are only those for us to love.

Listen below:

Visit Carol Lynn Pearson’s website HERE and see the incredible things she is doing within her community to spread her light.

You can also buy her books from her website, Carol Lynn Pearson’s website.

Please share this message of love and light. May God bless us all and may we finally realize, we are all one!

All My love,

-Sheri Joi