treasures.

treasures.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 2 Comments

Memories ebb and flow, washing upon the shore of our mind. Sometimes the tide comes in uninvited, carrying debris with it. If we allow the debris to lodge in our minds, we can become laden down with self-pity, discouragement, and depression.

The tide will go out. And with it, the debris.

But look! There are some surprising treasures that the tide brought with it. If you look carefully, you will find them.

all-alone-4_l

Pain does not have to drown us.  God knows we do not have the strength to tread water for long. He brings reprieve in the form of little joys that will make us smile in the midst of even deep sorrow.

The first clear notes of a cheerful robin, chasing away the bitter winds of winter.

The surprise visit of  a summer breeze, bringing relief on a hot summer day.

The palette of  warm, autumn colors painted on a dreary, gray canvas.

The gentle falling snowflakes quieting a troubled heart.

All is well.

~~~

Photo courtesy: wildxplorer / Foter / CC BY

rest.

rest.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 4 Comments

When we have physical pain, we rest.

When we have emotional pain, we don’t rest.

The world is busy, busy, busy. The only one who will get you off the treadmill is you.

sleepy-time-1_l

Emotional pain is not visible. Take care of yourself. That doesn’t mean becoming a recluse. Find balance. Only you know how you feel.

Don’t be someone you’re not just to please others.

Rest when you need it.

~~~

Photo courtesy:

Alexandra Guerson / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

a cup of water.

a cup of water.

by Kathleen Moulton

Sometimes, giving out of your pain seems unattainable. That’s because you are looking to do great things.

Did you know that Jesus said the least in the kingdom is the greatest? In other words, we often look for the biggest and brightest and best of everything – when God almost always picks the smallest, and dimmest, and the least of everything.

Jesus was born in a barn. Not a castle.

Your giving can be useless and small in your eyes, but it’s a sacrifice God takes note of.

And you know something? It seems to be the secret to soothing your hurting heart.

                   I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not

lose his reward.

-The Bible

Photo courtesy: igorms / Foter / CC BY-NC

sacrifice.

sacrifice.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 5 Comments

Some people have been hurt in church. It’s the last place you’d expect it.

Some people have remarked with a quip: “There’s no perfect church!”

Well, it’s not funny.

 

 

 

It is true that people are not perfect.

It is not true that people are not perfect

enough to say “I’m sorry”.

 

 

 

If you’ve been hurt in a church, you may have turned away from God.

Don’t. You will feel worse.

It’s not God’s fault.

 

 

And you’re right.

The people in a church should have

a caring

a compassion

and a love

not seen anywhere else.

 

You be different.

Give to others out of your pain. It’s like giving yourself what you were not given.

And watch what happens.

~~~

Photo courtesy:

seanmcgrath / Foter / CC BY

Pink Sherbet Photography / Foter / CC BY

in his hands.

in his hands.

by Kathleen Moulton

Take a step back from the situation that’s bringing you distress.

And put it in proper perspective.

We think big – but we actually think very small.

He’s got the whole world in his hands.

Believe.

Only then will you find peace of mind.

~~~

Photo courtesy: Harrison Schmitt

“The earth seen from Apollo 17”

thanksgiving.

thanksgiving.

by Kathleen Moulton

Not feeling much like being thankful? I know. When everything around you is painful, 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.

The Psalms are full of the heart cries of sorrow. Yet, in the end, the psalmist concludes his pain is bigger than him to handle. The solution for the pain he cannot contain is turning toward God and saying – yet I will trust in You.

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?

This wasn’t a war fought in a foreign country. It was right under the noses of the American people. The battlefields could not be ignored. They were stained with human flesh and blood from the slaughtered sons and fathers who never came home. Surely, our nation’s cries of angst echoed in the heavens up to God’s ears. And it took someone such as President Lincoln, who spent many private moments grappling in the darkness of his soul, to lead the nation to do the right thing. The thing that makes no sense. But the thing that would bring relief, comfort, and peace for an aching heart.

Thanksgiving.

Finding something to be thankful for is not avoiding or ignoring the pain. It is the secret to getting through the pain and seeing your inability to handle it alone. It is the secret to knowing the God you’ve heard about.

Being thankful won’t make the pain go away. But it will help you through it. Abraham Lincoln must have known that.

walking through mud.

walking through mud.

by Kathleen Moulton

There are days – even weeks – when it feels like you’re walking through mud.

Each step is an effort.

Life’s difficulties have you so overwhelmed that each moment feels heavy.

mud

And messy.

It will clear up soon.

But until then, it may be worth making the best of it!

It’s okay to buy yourself something to make it easier.

~~~

photo credit: William Beutler / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

prezzybox.com

forgotten.

forgotten.

by Kathleen Moulton

Sometimes it feels like you’ve been forgotten.

That no one cares.

Don’t you see your beauty?

While others have gone on, you reveal strength and endurance.

It’s all in how it looks in the light.

Sparkle!

morning.

morning.

by Kathleen Moulton

It was a restless night of tossing and turning.

Until the morning light came and made everything look different.

A new day. A new perspective.

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word

~~~

Photo credit: James Jordan

Lyrics: Eleanor Farjeon