when understood.

May 9, 2017May 9, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton

Yesterday, I read this:

“God’s anger is that of a father who is unconditionally committed to his children but because of that is furious at their sin. There is nothing that affects us like the displeasure of one we love and adore. This fatherly anger, full of unfailing love, when understood, is a transforming motivation that makes us willing and able to change.” The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller

… full of unfailing love, when understood.

There’s a lot we don’t understand about God.

But there is enough we do understand.

We either see an angry God, aloof and disconnected or we see him as loving to the extent of accepting whatever we do or how we live.

Both are wrong.

It’s up to us to understand. And we can.

We may say because we cannot understand everything we cannot understand anything. If you believe in God, if you believe Jesus died on behalf of your sin, you must believe in a benevolent God who didn’t leave us without understanding some things.

Maybe not all, but some. And some, is enough.

The most important thing we can understand from the Bible is God’s character. There is plenty there to tell us what He is like and what He will do.

It’s true – God is angry at sin. That’s kind of hard to understand in a world which accepts so much sinful behavior, along with accusations of not loving if you don’t accept it.

Excuses are made. Labels are applied. But the bottom line is sin is a real thing we have to come to terms with.

But then there is God so loved the world …

He lowered Himself to become a part of humanity.

He dwelt among us.

He gave Himself on the cross and his anger was justified at the cross.

Again, this may be difficult to comprehend because society has become so accepting of certain sinful behaviors (more so than 10, 20, 50 years ago) it may be hard to remember that God sees things differently than we do. I mean, after all, he is God, right?

Yet, He also loves us in a way we cannot fully grasp. Our love is limited. His is not. Our love is conditional. God’s love is unconditional.

Does that mean he loves us no matter what? Yes. He embodies love in the highest form – sacrificing Himself on our behalf.

So how does this help a hurting person?

Unless you know who God is, you are unlikely to trust him.

If you think he is just angry, you will stay clear of Him.

If you think he is just loving, you will be angry because He “let this happen”.

The only way you can trust Him is to understand who he is. Not what you think He is, but who He really is.

What does God want from us? Following all the rules and regulations?

He wants our love.

We cannot love what we don’t understand.

When we find out who God is – what He is really like – we will be motivated to be willing and able to change.

Believe me. When you begin learning what God is really like, you will begin loving Him, because you will start to trust Him. You find out he really does comfort you. He really does give you peace in your mind.

And you will want to change only because you love Him; not because you have to behave in order to go to Heaven.

It’s not just about changing how we live, but how we view God through what the Bible tells us about Him. We either believe it or we don’t. And because God loves us so much, it’s okay to ask Him to help us believe.

The reason to change is because it works. Like a good, earthly father, He knows what is best for us. The reason to avoid this and do not do that is to keep us happy and safe.

Hurting people get angry at God.

Hurting people get bitter.

Hurting people hurt themselves even more when they don’t turn to God for help.

He is there, waiting for you.

8733483995_b8b386d372_c — Mara ~earth light~ via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

God has no grandchildren.

April 24, 2017May 9, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 3 Comments

If you’ve raised your kids in a Christian home, this is for you.

If you’ve raised your kids in a Christian home and you are hurting, this is for you.

We all know parents typically pass on their values and traditions to their children. We model what is important to us. We live, breathe, and eat what is valuable to us.

I have been very strong in my faith in terms of taking the scripture literally: Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment.

The events of my life brought me to needing certainty in which to build my life upon. Maybe I was more needy than most. It doesn’t matter. The scripture stands true for all of us not matter what our story is.

Needless to say, I was determined to pass on to my children “the map” to guide them through life. I was not alone. Most of my church community were first generation Christians. This means church wasn’t just for Sundays, Easter, and Christmas. It was a lifestyle for us of embracing what God gave us, the Bible, to be the light guiding our path. Not in a legalistic, micro managing sense, but a nurturing environment whereby they could grow healthier and stronger than we ever did.

And avoiding the mistakes we made.

I worked hard at this. I raised and home-schooled 8 children. They will never know what I went without in order to give them all they needed. And I don’t really want them to know in order to get their eternal gratitude. That’s not the point.

I made mistakes along the way. I lost my temper. I could have hugged them more. I could have been more encouraging. I could have given more individual time.

As one friend said during this time of raising our children, “you know, we are just one step ahead of them”, meaning, we are learning along with them.

But my main goal was they would love God the way I had come to love him. And we all know teaching is not so much what we say but how we live.

That didn’t mean rituals and reciting prayers. It meant loving God and doing what he says – not the letter of the law as if to receive good points or salvation – but out of love and knowing his ways are to bless us not harm us.

We knew it worked. We experienced it first hand.

The part I forgot was they had to experience it first hand, too.

One thing we were reminded as we raised our families, “God has no grandchildren”.

This means God only has sons and daughters. In other words, no one comes to God through another. It’s not automatic. There has to be a personal response to the salvation provided for you (Don’t we stand in awe of the guy who sacrificed his life by taking the bullet on the front lines, saving his platoon? Like that.). And there has to be a personal, ongoing relationship with God to know him, his ways, and all he provides to help us throughout life.

As our church community raised our children, I think most of us thought input – output. I know I did. I remember reminding my friends we can’t look for the results too quickly. We could be impatient. I mean, that’s how the world was conditioning us already in the early 80s and we’d have to be careful we weren’t looking for the “fruit” too soon. It’s like planting a garden, right?

It seemed simple enough. Practical. Of course, they would hear and see and automatically follow. They would see how their parents invested in them in such sacrificial ways. At the very least, they would understand what we didn’t know when we were their age.

Then the years unfolded. We were naive enough to believe the teenage years would not be as tumultuous because we had provided and protected and kept the words of life visible in thought, words, and deed. Certainly the struggles were not going to hit them as hard as they did us when we didn’t have the map.

They did.

These unique, God-given, children who received Christ and were baptized, you know .. the ones God had a purpose and destiny for .. struggled, tripped, and fell just like we did.

And worse.

Then I remembered, God has no grandchildren.

That doesn’t mean only when they are 8, 10, 12 years old.

It means when they are 16, 18, 20 ..

.. 30, 40, or 50.

Dear parent, don’t look for the fruit too soon. They have enough of the word of God in them. It’s in there. And we know what God says- It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Remember? … the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

God’s ways, his time, is not like ours.

That doesn’t mean at age 12 or 18 all will be well.

It might.

But it might not.

That’s because our lives are a series of situations and events which cause us to choose which way we will go. And each one of us has to choose accordingly.

Each one of our children have to personally respond to what their decisions will be. It is between them and God.

It’s important to me that my kids, no matter what age, that they will see God’s word is true and can be trusted. That each one of us, no matter who we are or where we came from, are broken with weaknesses and faults and sin. We are vulnerable and frail. God knows this. He wants to help us.

If only we would listen.

I’ve learned something very important about myself, too. I know how I feel if my kids don’t choose God’s ways. It hurts because I know the personal sacrifice.

Now I know how God feels when I don’t choose his ways. Because He knows his personal sacrifice.

And now I have a greater understanding of how it makes him feel.

God loves us no matter how far away we stray from him. That is incredible to think about! He never, ever lets go.

If you are hurting because you’ve paid a price of raising your children with Christian values and principles, and perhaps even were mocked in the way you chose to have a Christian home, don’t despair.

You did not fail. You dedicated him or her to God, remember?

God knows all the details.

baby

limping along.

April 22, 2017April 22, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 6 Comments

We all know what it’s like to have a bad day.

But how about a bad month? Or months? Or year?

There are difficult times in life I like to call seasons. Because just like seasons, they go on for awhile. The good part is a new season is always coming, and with it, hope for brighter days.

And eventually, everyone gets brighter days.

I’ve been feeling like I’m limping along for awhile now with many situations beyond my control.

How we feel (emotions) are real. But they are unpredictable, not always accurate, and can consume us if we don’t have something to anchor ourselves to. Beyond the days of heavy, dark clouds, the sun is shining. What you are feeling is real, just like the clouds are real. But you don’t always see beyond them.

If you’ve been reading here for awhile, you know my anchor is God and the Bible.

Now before you start getting riled up with the oh-so-common opposition you feel welling up inside, let me ask you this: what anchors you? What keeps you from being overwhelmed? You are turning to something in order to cope. What is it?

Even though I am limping, I am steady.

I cry, I am angry, I am discouraged, I am weary.

But just like the small, unseen pilot light that keeps the pot on your stove constant without burning or boiling over, just like the steady glow of the lighthouse guiding ships to safety, God provides us with something to steady us through difficulty and even tragedy.

It’s called grace.

And God says grace helps in time of need.

And God says it is sufficient no matter what we’re facing.

It’s called peace.

And God says it’s not the kind of peace the world gives.

And God says it protects your heart and mind.

And it’s called joy.

And God says this joy is our strength.

And God says when we believe we will have joy.

I didn’t get here overnight. No one does. It has been a series of situations leaving me floundering in a sea of doubt, discouragement, and despair. I navigated through life not turning to other things, but believing and trusting God meant what he said. Through it, I became stronger and stronger.

God has “hard wired” us to depend on him. The fact anyone would resist is proof enough. We are pretty independent and God does not want us to be independent from him. He wants to help us and he outlines the way he will help us – if we want it.

I’m not saying if you haven’t developed a lifetime of building your life the way I did that you can’t do it now. He tells us he hears and answers … anyone at anytime.

So, great news! You can start your “lifetime” today.

Am I happy? Not really. I’ve had better days of happiness.

But I have discovered the real deal is when so much is wrong, you feel the grace, peace, and joy only God can give.

Doesn’t make sense, does it?

All the more reason to know it’s from God.

reach-for-the-heights_l

the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

April 16, 2017April 16, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

“Christianity is unique among world religions, and Christ’s true uniqueness is the centerpiece of Christianity. The truth about Christ is based primarily on the New Testament documents which have been shown elsewhere to be authentic. The New Testament record, especially the Gospels, is one of the most reliable documents from the ancient world. From these documents we learn that numerous facets of Christ are absolutely unique.”

Christ offers a better way of salvation. Unlike the God of Islam, the God of the Bible reached out to us by sending his Son to earth to die for our sins. Muhammad offered no sure hope for salvation, only guidelines for working oneself into Allah’s favor. Christ provided all that is needed to get us to heaven in his death, ‘For Christ also died once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that he might bring us to God’ (1 Peter 3:18).

Christ teaches a better way of salvation. The Hindu is lost in the karmic cycle of reincarnation until he reaches moksha and is left to work the way out of this maze alone. Jesus promised that we would be saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5–7), and that we could know that our salvation is guaranteed (Ephesians 1:13–14; 1 John 5:13).

Christ offers a better way of salvation. The Buddhist also teaches reincarnation as the means of salvation. However, in this form the self or individuality of the soul is eradicated at the end of each life. So even though you live on, it is not you as an individual who has any hope of attaining nirvana. Jesus promised hope to each man and woman as an individual (John 14:3) and said to the thief on the cross beside him, ‘Today you shall be with me in paradise’ (Luke 23:43).

the lesser of two evils.

April 2, 2017April 2, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 5 Comments

The following is an excerpt from Questions Asked by Teens About Suicide & Ideas for Appropriate Responses:

What is an appropriate memorial to a suicide victim?

“The most appropriate memorial is a living one such as contributions to support suicide prevention. The American Association of Suicidology cautions that permanent markers or memorials such as plaques or trees planted in memory of the deceased dramatize and glorify their actions. Special pages in yearbooks or or school activities dedicated to the suicide victim are also not recommended.”

I completely understand the concern here. Anyone who is vulnerable may take their life, too. It’s called “copy cat suicide”.

Yet, I think it’s important to allow people to grieve in a way that helps. Especially teenagers. They are still here and the memory of their friend or classmate will be with them forever.

Additionally, the family of the one who took their life is already suffering. To take this approach isolates the family and they suffer more.

I know suicide is a very, very difficult situation. Everyone is hurting.

I also know allowing people to grieve through remembering the one who died is important.

We try to control what we don’t understand. Sometimes, we make it worse.

Which is the lesser of two evils: another suicide or the remaining loved ones feeling isolated and shunned? Does one person have more value than the other?

I see nothing wrong with a yearbook page or plaque. It’s a simple gesture to remember a valuable life. Without allowing something tangible to remember, it makes that life unimportant.

People who took their life were either hurting and unable to see beyond the moment and/or there was a physical imbalance creating mental illness.

How can we not have compassion for that? It is not compassionate to try and sweep it under the rug. And that is what it is when you deny someone the ability to create a memorial.

perspective.

March 18, 2017March 18, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

Today, while peeling an orange, I thought about people who lived centuries ago, who never tasted an orange.

Or a banana.

Or ice cream.

Those who struggled to breathe on their death beds without the remedy of penicillin.

Those who went to war without a cell phone to call home.

Those who died in childbirth and premature babies who did not live without access to what we have today.

And more.

This doesn’t make the pain better. But it does give perspective.

God spoke about an eternal perspective and living daily with a view of eternity in sight.

That’s because God knows we need to look ahead in order to survive the pain.

Way ahead of here and now.

Without pausing to reflect about people who lived without the small and big things available to us, we get self absorbed for too long.

It’s up to us to reflect and remember so we don’t become consumed with hopelessness.

There is a last chapter and it’s not written yet.

Meanwhile, God comforts us until that day in eternity.

orange

light.

March 11, 2017March 11, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton

It is not a “religious” thing to live your life with the Bible as your guide.

Some of us read the manual when we get a new appliance or device. Some of us glance over the instructions. Some of us read it when we can’t get something working. And some of us throw the manual out without reading it at all.

No matter what kind of person you are, the manual will always help. It’s meant to help.

It’s common for people to compartmentalize life and put everything to do with the Bible on Sunday mornings and special holidays.

God wants us to live daily with his word to guide us in how we think, act, and believe. Why? Because he wants to help us, not hurt us.

‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

Have you ever had the electricity go out in the middle of a moonless night? Pitch black.

If we’re prepared for such emergencies, we feel our way in the darkness to get our flashlight.

People often turn to God during times of darkness, remembering a scripture, a prayer, and hanging on for dear life.

But we don’t just need the light at night. We need light during the day, too.

The light helps us – what we see, where we go, and how we get there.

The scripture is meant for day and night. Everyday.

We can’t throw out the Bible because we have questions or because we don’t understand some things. Do you know how the world was made? Even if you believe in the Big Bang Theory, the elements had to come from somewhere.

There is enough in the Bible that we do understand.

The problem is us.

We can accept or reject. God gives us that choice. And if we’re honest, we do avoid what we don’t want to hear. But if we will hear it, he will do the rest. Lots of times we wait until we feel it. God wants us to choose it, then he will help us to feel it.

You can either stumble through the dark room because you don’t know where the flashlight is, the batteries are dead, or you don’t have one.

Or you can think you see something frightening in the darkness – until you put the light on and realize it was just your imagination.

The Bible clears a lot of things up, guiding us through life, showing us how God wants us to think about things.

We live in a world where bad things happen. Really bad things.

But there is also enough good things which cause us to pause and remember the world also reflects a loving God we can learn to trust.

Whether the light at night or the light at day, we need it to see.

We need God’s word to light our lives.

grace and peace

wait for the Lord.

March 6, 2017March 6, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton

I personally have found it challenging to wait on the Lord because of the fast paced world we live in today.

Nevertheless, the Bible says:

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

I have navigated through life always embracing the scripture, no matter how I felt, no matter what things looked like.

That’s not to say I haven’t run the gamut of emotions when faced with frustration, disappointment, and tragedy.

But at the end of the day, we put our trust in something.

Putting your trust in God and what he says makes us wait. Waiting is difficult for most of us.

Waiting for what?

Waiting for God to lead us in a way we weren’t anticipating.

Some people say , “God opens doors”. We might not like that because WE want to be the one to open (or close) doors.

That’s not to say we can’t because God does give us that ability to do so.

It’s just that many times we find ourselves stuck in a place and not moving. We don’t like that. If we don’t trust God and wait (only because he tells us to), we will either forge ahead or go backwards. Either way, we can make it worse.

And it’s amazing to me how he is always with us even when we take matters into our own hands. He places sure footing before our steps, even when we’re going in the wrong direction.

Make yourself wait.

When you least expect it, a door will open and bring you into a new place. This has happened to me and it really is wonderful because you know God did it.

But there is another waiting.

Waiting for eternity.

Because we’re all going to die someday. No matter what your religion, you can’t dispute that fact.

I know God promise eternal life with him when we believe. Not the kind of click your heels 3x fairy tale stuff believing.

This kind:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

And this:

Yet to all who did receive him[Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. – 1 John 3:23

If you are hurting right now, God promises this:

He [God]will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

You don’t understand now.

But someday you will.

For now, wait for the Lord.

sad

preserve my life.

February 27, 2017February 25, 2017 by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

Christians are familiar with this scripture:

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)

I’m not sure if they are with the next part:

I have suffered much; preserve my life, LORD, according to your word. (Psalm 119: 107)

Verse 105 is easy. It is the declaration of every Christian who believes in the scripture to be the inerrant word of God. It is used as the point of reference for the application of morality. It is used when a Christian is navigating through difficult situations.

But then there is the next part: I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord.

There used to be (and still is in some church cultures) an emphasis on faith, to the point of almost denying there is such a thing as suffering for the Christian. It kept one buoyant…above the fray…optimistic, positive, and fighting with the sword of the spirit (the scripture).

This is not a bad thing. It’s only bad when you are caught off guard.

Sometimes, we think suffering happens to other people.

There were times when Christians would speak of God’s goodness of an answered prayer while I was sitting there, suffering, because my prayer was not answered.

Then I learned to speak of God’s goodness when I was suffering. When I did, I found myself feeling stronger, finding peace, and even joy. When we accept, we are trusting God.

Joy and sorrow were together at the cross.

How is it we acknowledge there is suffering in the world, but then are surprised when it comes to us?

We are offended with God. We are angry. We are hurt. We are rejected because God didn’t hear our prayer. He didn’t see how hard we worked. How faithful we were. How much we did what God asked because we loved him with all our heart, soul, and strength.

Two things:

As smart as we are, as capable as we are, as productive and innovative as humanity is, we do not understand everything. Think about the things science and medicine cannot explain. So how can we possibly think there is an explanation for our personal pain and suffering?
Life is eternal. There will be a day when we will understand. All things are hidden with God. There is comfort when you believe that. And it’s not hard to believe it. Because when you have truly hit rock bottom and there is no place to look but up, God is there.

God preserves us during times of suffering. He does it even when we do not know it.

But when you know it, it is all the more wonderful.

sidewalk flower

when it hurts

Author: Kathleen Moulton

when understood.

God has no grandchildren.

limping along.

the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

the lesser of two evils.

perspective.

light.

wait for the Lord.

preserve my life.

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