nature.

nature.

by Kathleen Moulton

the-letter-n-jason-wright

Most of the tundra is located north of the Arctic Circle – in the Frigid Zone – the coldest regions of the earth.

Rich Reid and Norbert Rosing

As winter approaches, the nights grow longer and colder as snow and ice cover the earth. The ground freezes solid.

Desolate. Barren. Empty.

Pain is like that.

But then-

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/

Who knew this far removed region of the earth would dance with color? About 400 wildflower species announces to the world that desolation is only temporary.

The existence of pain does not mean God isn’t real. We accept winter and spring. One does not negate the other.

The arrival of spring brings comfort and tells us that God is with us.

Read nature! It helps explain life.

~~~

mothers.

mothers.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

letter MNo one knows the burden of a mother’s heart … except another mother.

You smile when you’re heart is heavy. Why? Because you don’t want your child – whether young or old – to know you’re hurting. We just can’t seem to venture beyond protection mode. It’s just the way it is.

I can’t comprehend (really, I can’t) how a mother can live her life without God being her strength. Because just as the joys run deep, so do the sorrows. And with some things, no one can hold her up but God.

Maybe your child has a chronic or terminal illness. Maybe your teenager is involved with drugs and/or drinking. Maybe your adult child is having marital problems or going through a painful divorce. Maybe your child died.

Photo credit: Lars Plougmann / Foter / CC BY
Photo credit: Lars Plougmann / Foter / CC BY

There is suffering in the world.  Yet, many carry sorrow with strength and dignity.

Are you a mother who is hurting? Look in God’s direction. He has helped me. He will not turn away from you.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble.

-The Bible

love.

love.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

letter lA four-year-old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

‘Nothing , I just helped him cry.’

Photo Courtesy: h.koppdelaney / Foter.com / CC BY-ND
Photo Courtesy: h.koppdelaney / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

God defines love like this:

Love is patient, love is kind.

know.

know.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 4 Comments

images (2)What does it mean to know God? Can one know God?

For centuries, religion has made God seem distant and mysterious. But when you read the Bible, you find that God tells us he is very near to us. That’s good news, especially for people who are hurting.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34

Photo credit: nexus6 / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
Photo credit: nexus6 / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

If you have only known God to be unreachable, detached, distant, or mysterious, today is your day to know He is not any of those things.

You can know all about Him.

Just ask him.

jealousy.

jealousy.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

j 2When things are going wrong in our life, we can be jealous when we see the success, happiness, and prosperity of others.

It’s normal.

But you have to change your thinking or else you will be miserable for a long time. Not only that, but if you have the tendency to be jealous, it can make a pattern in your thinking that will crop up the rest of your life. You will become hateful and bitter.

It’s time to nip this one in the bud. We combat it with truth.

Truth: bad things happen to all of us. They really do. You only see the surface of what success, happiness, and prosperity and looks like. When those individuals lay on their beds at night, who knows what struggles they have?

How to change your thinking:

1) Choose to be happy for them. You would want others to be happy for you, right? Begin to think  and even voice your gladness for those people in your life.

2) Be thankful. We’ve all heard it but it really works. Think…even voice…what you are thankful for. It will soon make you content, no matter what your situation is. I know. Some situations are really hard. Like losing a child. Why me? But when you are thankful, the sting of the loss lessens.

3) Accept the pain in your life. Take your time with this one. It’s okay. But if there are changes you can make, do it!

Practice this and you will begin to change how you think.

Don’t let jealousy paralyze you from believing the best for your life!

mrMark: / Foter / CC BY
mrMark: / Foter / CC BY

~~~

isolated.

isolated.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 3 Comments

14864688-Beautiful-spring-letter-I--Stock-Photo-alphabet

Sometimes it feels like we are all alone.

We may think that no one understands us and so we isolate ourselves.

©kathleenmoulton
©kathleenmoulton

It’s healthy to have some time to pull away and rest our souls.

It’s not healthy to stay there.

Be aware of self-pity:  a feeling of pity for yourself because you believe you have suffered more than is fair or reasonable.* 

All of us get hurt.

All of us have to work through it.

You are not alone!

tulips1
©kathleenmoulton

~~~

*merriam webster dictionary

hope.

hope.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

It nevletter_h_89090er ceases to amaze me.

With predictability, with little or no assistance, the earth knows what to do.

Nature can tell us a lot if we’re looking and points to the Creator.

Hope springs eternal.

©kathleen moulton
©kathleen moulton

Cycles and seasons, death and rebirth.

It’s not over even if it looks like it.

©kathleen moulton
©kathleen moulton

The earth speaks – a new day, new hope.

Seize the day and bask in its beauty.

grief.

grief.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 3 Comments

Kijg9A6kTThere are no quick fixes for grief. It’s a process that continues the rest of your life.  You are not the same person. In some ways you are better. In some ways you are not.

If it weren’t for God, I would not have made it. I didn’t hold onto him as much as he held onto me. When no one understands, God does. When no one is there, God is.

How can I explain the calmness that came upon me in the middle of many nights?

How can I explain joy in the midst of sorrow?

How can I explain being content with unanswered questions?

I can’t. I can only say it exists. I felt it.

The very same God who did not intervene when my son died, is the same God who protected me from grief overtaking me. Thing is, many people turn away from God. I did not.

That’s because I made a choice to trust God, believing he knows all the answers to my questions. I won’t know “why” today. But someday, I will. Because he promises that there will be a day when he wipes away every tear and there will be no more sorrow or death.

For me, that is an answer. He knows life will be painful. For now. And I choose to keep that day in my thoughts.

Photo credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ / Foter / CC BY-SA
Photo credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ / Foter / CC BY-SA
failure.

failure.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

654721God loves us so much, He continually places sure footing before our steps, even when we’ve failed.

He doesn’t sit back waiting for the ax to fall on us. His mercy is so great and His compassion is so deep that He weeps over us.

When we focus on what God thinks about us, it changes our perspective.

bridge
Photo credit: Forsaken Fotos / Foter / CC BY

We all fail. Every single one of us.

Whether we failed by a choice we made or something just didn’t work out, God is always wants to refresh, revive, and restore us.

Stop beating yourself up. God isn’t. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Make things right.

Keep looking ahead and keep walking!

easter.

easter.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 3 Comments

Letter E Whether it is called Easter or Resurrection Sunday, this is the day for Christians to celebrate the day when  Jesus was    resurrected  from the dead.

The tomb was empty.

Why is this significant?

God took the form of a man and dwelt among humanity to save us from the consequences of sin: eternal death and eternal separation from God.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You don’t clean up before coming to God. He takes you as you are. He died for your sin before you were born.

You don’t have eternal life through doing good things. It is a gift.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The old covenant, the Law, could not save, only reveal to us what sin is.

The new covenant, Grace, saves, and wipes the slate clean.

Jesus took upon himself the sin of the world.  His death and resurrection broke the power of sin over our lives.

What does he want?

Our love.

Photo credit: Art4TheGlryOfGod / Foter / CC BY-ND
Photo credit: Art4TheGlryOfGod / Foter / CC BY-ND