addiction.

addiction.

by Kathleen Moulton

When you’re hurting, you have to put the pain somewhere.

You many not be thinking in those terms, but we all cope in our own ways.

Why do you think so many people have addictions? And it’s not just drugs, alcohol, and sex. It’s food, over-the-counter medications, television, cell phones, social networks, exercise, and more.

Don’t confuse a healthy helping of activities that help you find fulfillment and peace. Some organizations like MADD are started by people who experienced pain.

But those things are still limited. When you lay your head on the pillow at the close of another day, where does your mind go? Is it peaceful? Or are the next day’s activities of whatever you are doing to ease the pain swirling around your head?

God has promised rest and peace for our souls. But we have to look at him for it. He’s always there waiting for you. In the midst of tragedy, he is the only one who can help you.  When you believe that nothing goes unnoticed by God, that he is so near to you that he knows how many strands of hair you have, you will bring your pain to him.

You can survive even when pain tries to paralyze you.

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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

-The Bible

scripture friday.

scripture friday.

by Kathleen Moulton

The Lord himself will lead you and be with you.

He will not fail you or abandon you, so do not lose courage or be afraid.

The Bible

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photo credit: Photo credit: Mrs Magic / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

seeing is believing.

seeing is believing.

by Kathleen Moulton

We believe what we see.

But what we see is not always true.

Sometimes, we have to take off the glasses.

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Shadowy forms come into focus. Depth perception increases. And was the sky always this blue?

Mindsets become our lens. We aren’t always right.

Are there perceptions .. thoughts .. opinions .. which you are clinging to?

Some people are easily frustrated or discouraged. Some worry or complain. Others are bitter and unforgiving.

Try taking off your glasses and tell me what you see.

Now try putting someone else’s glasses on.

There’s more to your life than meets the eye.

~~~

Photo courtesy: nicadlr / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

hidden beauty.

hidden beauty.

by Kathleen Moulton

Hidden away in the tall, slender blades of orchard grass, a subtle purple hue nestles in just right. It is a slightly swampy area and lays lower than the rest of the meadow. It might go unnoticed if it didn’t catch your eye in just the right light.

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It might not feel like it right now, but something will catch your eye and make life meaningful again.

And you will smile at your discovery.

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The world is a beautiful place. Ugly things happen. Yet, intertwined in the tapestry is beauty that is meant to bring us relief from our pain.

Wait for it.

You will find it where you least expect it.

~~~

scripture friday.

scripture friday.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 1 Comment

The vehicle in front of me hit a bird.

My heart sank.

The driver didn’t stop. Most people do not.

But God does.

Jesus said:

What is the price of two sparrows–one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it?

 

He didn’t say God stops the sparrow from falling.

He said God knows about it.

A bird. There are millions of sparrows. Yet God sees the one.

He knows about you, too.

~~

Photo courtesy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/e3000/2489821727/

sleepless nights.

sleepless nights.

by Kathleen Moulton

The world has become a stressful place to live. Mostly because I think we are not made to be overloaded with so much information and entertainment. The internet provides us access 24/7. Our cell phones are with us constantly. Television is on all night. When I was a kid, there was no internet, no cell phones, and there were 5 major channels to choose from. Television used to go off around 1 am. Sound boring? Not really. It was simpler and calmer.

Only you can control how much you let in. I know too many people who can’t sleep at night. This leads to thinking too much and ultimately worrying.

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Our brains are over stimulated.

If you have trouble sleeping, think about your routine.

Some tips to consider:

1) Don’t take your cell phone into a restaurant. You don’t need to be accessible 24/7.

2) Computer and phone go off at night. People lived for centuries without them. And they slept!

3) Turn off phone alerts that tell you every time someone posted or sent you an email.

4) Reduce or eliminate social networks.  Do we really need to know everyone’s thoughts all throughout the day and night?

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Photo credit: ronWLS / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

live in the moment.

live in the moment.

by Kathleen Moulton

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

I am a planner. I don’t like uncertainty. But throughout the years, I’ve learned through circumstances beyond my control, to live in the moment.

There’s nothing wrong with planning. But sometimes it can lead to unnecessary worry. We often worry about things that never happen. We get ourselves all worked up about the unknown.

Live in the moment and enjoy it. Even when things are tough. Especially when things are tough.

Practice it. Set aside those things you cannot control. The sun is going to come up tomorrow. The stars are positioned as always. Life is much bigger than you.

Breathe.

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Photo credit: Tess Mayer / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

 

scripture friday.

scripture friday.

by Kathleen Moulton

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

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Photo credit: Fountain_Head / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

stress remedy.

stress remedy.

by Kathleen Moulton

One of the best remedies for stress is very inexpensive: surrounding yourself with nature.

I love being outside. I think I subconsciously discovered it relaxed me. So if you’re more likely to be house-bound, consider making it a point to get outside.

“Those who lived in the areas with the most amount of green space had lower levels of cortisol, and their self-reported feeling of stress were lower than those who spent more time in urban settings”, writes Emily Main in her article, “The Natural Way to Calm Down“.

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One tip the article suggests for those who live in urban settings is to take your inside work outside – yoga on the back porch or eating outside.

Personally, I have found taking the time to be outside is restful.

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During winter, think flowers. You can pick up a fragrant, colorful bouquet at grocery stores for less than $10. How often do we hurry by the display and do not take the time to “stop and smell the roses”.

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Re-think your routine and make a few, small changes. See how you feel!