live in the moment.

December 2, 2013December 2, 2013 by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

While standing in line, I watched a young mother balance her baby one on hip, effortlessly hand money to the cashier, and place her packages in the cart. One of her children, about 6 yrs old, went to get the toddler who was gazing at a display of shiny cookware. The other 2 children, about 3 and 5 years of age, dreamily followed, dragging their stringed mittens across the floor. Then out the door they went following their mother.

For a moment, I warmly remembered my own shopping days with kids in tow. But I didn’t allow myself the luxury of staying in that moment. My heart always sinks at the end of such things because one child is missing. And I don’t want to think about how he was there and now he’s gone.

Then there are times when I think of the future and how I thought things would turn out; my unfulfilled dreams of what I had prayed for, hoped for, and worked hard for. I’m at the point where it is no use to keep at it. That’s not hopelessness. It’s reality. And sometimes admitting is the right thing to do.

So I have been thinking: why not live in the moment?

I wonder how many of us do? It seems we are thinking about what was or what could be and miss now. I wonder how much energy we spend doing this and not really, really enjoy the moment we are in?

If we’re thinking about the past too much it may lead to regret or not moving forward. If we’re thinking about the future too much it may lead to worry or fear.

There are seasons in my life that have come and gone. Gone. People, friends, and even family who once were a constant…have taken a new direction.

Accepting it isn’t easy. Admitting it is.

We can’t hold on to the past and we can’t grasp the future.

So, why not live in the moment and let it do its magic?

~~~

Photo credit: ChaoticMind75 / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

scripture friday.

November 29, 2013November 29, 2013 by Kathleen Moulton

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not depend on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3

~~~

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

thanksgiving.

November 27, 2013November 26, 2013 by Kathleen Moulton

Not feeling much like being thankful? I know. When you’re hurting, being thankful is not in your mind. And even if you think about being thankful, the fact is you don’t want to be.

And a picture of a sunset or snowflake or flower won’t do a thing for you. Not when you’re feeling some deep loss or despair.

Feel the pain. It’s okay.

But lift your tear stained face off that pillow for a minute and breathe. You see the now. But there is a tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Don’t let the sorrow consume you to the point of not wanting to live. Just as quickly as that pain stormed down the door and pounced on you – it can leave just as quickly.

There is something to be thankful for. Something.

Abraham Lincoln gave a proclamation to the American people during the Civil War. Despite a time of severe sorrow and loss, he leads the country in establishing our national holiday on the last Thursday of November, and called it Thanksgiving. What? How can this be?

Finding something to be thankful for is not avoiding or ignoring the pain. But it will help you through it. Abraham Lincoln must have known that.

panic attacks (part 2)

November 25, 2013November 25, 2013 by Kathleen Moulton

The world is not perfect.

Our bodies are not perfect.

Things wear out. Things go wrong.

That should go without saying. But often, we are surprised when it happens to us.

The Bible says God works all things out for our good. That’s very comforting. Especially when you have experienced God doing this for you.

Having panic attacks disrupted my rhythm. But they caused me to see life in a new way. Not only was I sincerely grateful for medication that helped (which caused gratefulness to be extended in other areas), but I found areas in my life where I needed to slow down, manage stress, and most of all, feeling empathy, sympathy, and compassion for others. This wasn’t a lesson, but God’s desire to free us from things that we do not realize hinder us. He just doesn’t think the way we do. He takes the ashes and gives us beauty.

Whatever you are going through, it’s not the end of the story. I know it seems like it, but just like the rainbow after a storm, we have hope.

Nature reveals the heart of God for humanity. Even if you don’t believe in God, or are not sure there is a God, all you have to do is look around and you will see him everywhere.

And even if your situation doesn’t change, God gives us the comfort and strength to endure.

~~~

Photo Credit: rwangsa / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

scripture friday.

November 22, 2013November 21, 2013 by Kathleen Moulton

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

Psalm 56:8

~~~

Photo Credit: Emily’s mind / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

rest.

November 20, 2013November 19, 2013 by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

It’s alright to stop everything and rest.

Only you can make the time.

We weren’t made to always be on the go.

Anchor yourself for awhile. Breathe in the fresh air. Smile at the sky.

Rest.

~~~

Photo credit: FriaLOve / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

panic attacks.

November 18, 2013November 17, 2013 by Kathleen Moulton

Since the loss of my son, I began having panic attacks.

If you have them, you know what they are. They’re scary!

After the 3rd visit at the ER, a very kind doctor asked me, “Why won’t you take the medicine your doctor recommended? What are you afraid of?”

I wanted to cry out, “Because I’m a Christian and we don’t take stuff like that!”

But I didn’t. I was silent.

“If you had diabetes, you would be taking insulin, true?”

“Yes.”

The light went on. I’m not weak in my faith. I had misdirected faith. Would I have the faith to trust God to do something I didn’t understand? That I didn’t want to do?

I filled the prescription and it took less than a week to get straightened around.

The scary part of panic attacks was my mind racing. I felt like I was losing control. But the truth was, I wasn’t.

Truth is a wonderful thing. Perhaps difficult to admit to at first, but it really does set you free.