Tag: emotions

no feeling is final.

no feeling is final.

by Kathleen Moulton

“Let everything happen to you

Beauty and terror

Just keep going

No feeling is final”

-Rilke

No feeling is final.

Our lives are filled with beauty and terror, joy and sorrow.

Some of us have more joy. Some of us have more sorrow.

Yet, those feelings are not final.

We can be sure that when we breathe our last breath, there is more.

Christianity gives us the promise of eternity with God. God created eternity. God put it in our hearts.

He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

We have emotions. Those feelings can overtake us and hide the truth from us. When you are ready, when you are able, step away from feelings, even for just a moment, and the truth will be illuminated.

Truth is what holds us up. It is the foundation of all things.

Jesus had emotions. He felt what we feel.

Joy at pleasing his Father.

Exhaustion through ministering to people.

Anger at the prideful, religious leaders and the money changers and merchants selling livestock and doves in the temple.

Peace through accepting God’s will.

Love for the rich, young ruler, his disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and the whole world.

Sorrow, grief, and agony of the impending suffering he would experience on the cross.

Yet, the Bible says He endured the cross because of the joy waiting for Him: the promise of what is true, the promise of eternity, and the promise of making a way for eternity to be ours, too.

Truth says, the last feeling is this: everlasting joy. The joy Jesus felt when he accepted beauty and terror.

The joy Jesus felt because He knew – no feeling here on earth is final.

path

 

God can.

God can.

by Kathleen Moulton

Eighteen years ago, while piloting a plane, John F. Kennedy Jr. fell victim to spatial disorientation.

The weather conditions were poor, obscuring visibility, and his plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing him, his wife, and sister-in-law.

There are 6 types of spatial disorientation causing the brain to be tricked by the movement of fluid in the ears. When flying through clouds, a pilot might think the plane is maneuvering in a particular way when it isn’t.

Even seasoned pilots have been affected.

” … between 5-10% of all general aviation accidents result from spatial disorientation, and of those accidents, 90% of them are fatal.” -boldmethod.com

What is the remedy? Don’t move your head quickly, don’t rely on what you see or don’t see.

Do rely on your instruments.

Our emotions can trick us, too. We might react quickly with anger or hopelessness.

The Bible anchors our emotions because God knew we needed it. The scripture is truth. It is the instrument given to humanity to navigate through life. It has the ability to make things clear when our emotions overwhelm us.

After feeling the gamut of emotions we all share in, take a breath, step back, and ask, “What does God say about this?”

Let His word guide you through the days clouded with sorrow and heartache, loneliness and pain.

When you can’t see, God can.

cloud

Photo credit: xalphas via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

 

 

the power of being thankful.

the power of being thankful.

by Kathleen Moulton

There is real power in being thankful.

We know how to exercise our body to improve balance, tone, flexibility, strength, and over all health.

Did you know there is an exercise for our minds? If you feed it with dwelling on your situation, it is the same as not reasonably taking care of your physical body.

When I become overwhelmed with discouragement, everything looks grim. But when I pause and think about the beauty in the midst of sorrow, it lifts me out of despair. When I choose to give someone more benefit than doubt, I am a happier person.

That’s because I have not allowed that situation access to destroying me. Being thankful for the good that has come my way gives me a better outlook on life.

This isn’t “positive thinking”. It is a deeper, genuine, heart-felt moment of gratefulness.

Our emotions have a purpose, but we can’t live with them being the sole navigator of our thoughts. God gave us emotions (he has them, too) but he also gave us the ability to think reasonably.

You might have good reason to be angry. Set it aside for 1 minute. Let your thoughts go to what you are thankful for.

Dealing with tragedies do take longer. There is horrific, destructive pain out there. No one who loses a loved one is comforted by thinking (or being told) “at least you had them for a time”. No. You want them back and that’s all you feel.

It’s okay. God is not in a hurry. And what I have found is he brings small moments of brightness to your life when you aren’t expecting it. Gently and softly he touches your wounded heart with tender care. People often do not do this for us so don’t be upset. Some people expect more from Christians. It’s understandable because we expect compassion, care, and essentially, love.  It is what it is. Don’t let people define how God does things.

You can conquer the reality of your situation through how you think.

Practice being thankful and watch what happens.

ndbutter / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
ndbutter / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
emotions.

emotions.

by Kathleen Moulton

God created us with emotions.

Even God has emotions. Keep in mind, however, his emotions are not defined in human terms. Because we cannot fully comprehend him, we are prone to think of him humanly. For example, his anger is sourced in a divine response to evil.

In the article, God Without Mood Swings, Phillip R. Johnson states:

God is [not] literally subject to fits and temper tantrums. His wrath against sin is surely something more than just a bad mood. 

The Bible shows us some of God’s emotions:

love

grief

anger

joy

jealousy

compassionate

suffering

God relates to human emotions. In turn, we relate to him.

Don’t we turn to people who understand us?

Emotions can be wonderful. They make us feel alive! But, we cannot be led by our emotions. We need something solid to anchor our lives to. The wind carries a sailboat but it has to be steered and anchored to its destination.

Truth is our anchor.

Just like we live with physical laws (e.g., gravity), truth is an unseen law that has a way of settling things. The truth is often difficult (thus, “the truth hurts”), but if we embrace it for what it is, despite how we feel, our emotions will line up.

If you have found yourself in a muddled mess of emotions, truth will help settle you. The truth can be that there are no immediate solutions or answers to your situation and you have to endure it.

If you know God has emotions, you know he understands your emotions.

And because he understands your emotions, he will give you comfort, strength, and guidance.

 rexquisite / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
emotions.

emotions.

by Kathleen Moulton

God gave us emotions. Sadness is an emotion that God has, too.

I know people who are over-the-top positive or optimistic to the point of being unrealistic. Call it faith, positive thinking, or luck – but this kind of thinking is just as bad as people who live in sadness, discouragement, and self-pity.

With God’s help, our emotions can be controlled.

God knows sadness is a part of our life. Otherwise he wouldn’t tell us not to replay the video of difficult situations in our minds over and over and over again. He tells us to find something good to let our mind dwell upon.

… whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

This isn’t magic.

It isn’t avoiding reality.

It’s accepting that God knows how he made us and what works.

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

what can you change?

what can you change?

by Kathleen Moulton

Sometimes we stay in situations that we can change.

I’m not talking about giving up on your commitments when it is a selfish move that will hurt or affect others adversely.

But there are times when we don’t think of ourselves – don’t take care of ourselves.

There are certainly times of enduring situations which require us to either stop whining and grow up or stand strong and be brave.

Then there are the times when we can make changes to make things easier for us. If no one else is giving us permission we have to give ourselves permission. We can get so stuck in a rut that we don’t even consider a change.

No one is responsible for your happiness but you.

What can you do today to thrust yourself out of the suffering slump you are in?

Our choices have to override our emotions.  This isn’t easy to do but once you realize how you’re feeling isn’t always an honest assessment of your situation, you get in a routine of thinking differently.

I remember one time feeling like everything was closing in – irritable, cabin-fever, bored. So I decided to go for a walk. I discovered how much better I felt. My whole perspective changed.

This is the beginning of a new week. Do one thing each day despite how you are feeling, especially if you’re in a slump.

walk

Photo credit: Thomas Leuthard / Foter / CC BY
emotions.

emotions.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 3 Comments

Emotions are part of who we are.

But they aren’t the whole story.

How we feel doesn’t necessarily line up with what is true.

You may feel really blue about something. It seems as though it won’t get better.

I can tell you that it will. God does not allow pain without relief – without hope.

Whenever you are blue, remember cloudy days aren’t cloudy forever. Behind those clouds the sun is shining.

reach-for-the-heights_l

It will shine on you again – no matter what you are going through.

~~~

Photo courtesy: ecstaticist / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

thoughts.

thoughts.

by Kathleen Moulton

Sometimes we let our emotions guide our thoughts.

Emotions have a place in our lives.

But emotions can lead us in the wrong direction if we let them.

When we are angry or sad, things may look very bleak when in fact they might not be. Even in the darkest storms the sun is shining behind the clouds.

hope-for-the-planet_l

This is hope.

Hope for a new day, a new beginning.

But think before you act.

~~~

Photo Credit:

 

kevin dooley / Foter.com / CC BY

 

emotions.

emotions.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 1 Comment

Emotions are part of who we are.

But they aren’t the whole story.

How we feel doesn’t necessarily line up with what is true.

You may feel really blue about something. It seems as though it won’t get better.

I can tell you that it will. God does not allow pain without relief – without hope.

Whenever you are blue, remember cloudy days aren’t cloudy forever. Behind those clouds the sun is shining.

reach-for-the-heights_l

It will shine on you again – no matter what you are going through.

~~~

Photo courtesy: ecstaticist / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

fog.

fog.

by Kathleen Moulton ♥ 1 Comment

I know what it’s like to feel such deep heartache and despair, I wanted to close my eyes and never wake up. The pain was so deep I couldn’t imagine living another minute.

You know the feeling. You can’t see a thing. All around you is thick fog leading to nothingness. Your vision is muddled and emotions take over reasoning.

Emotions are a part of us – but only a part. It’s not all of who we are. Nor are they to be trusted. Emotions can take over and make us not think clearly.

Beyond the moment it seems empty. Void. A bottomless pit.

What we don’t remember, is the sun is about to burn off the fog.  Within moments, rays of warm sunshine will filter through the haze, dispersing the fog. The emotions dissipate , deferring to the light, bringing clarity and truth.

The shadowy silhouette of trees are full of life. Fragrant, pink and white apple blossoms will be buzzing with bees, gathering sweet nectar.  Tiny buds will burst open with shades of fresh, spring green – creating a sanctuary for a nest of baby robins.

Beyond the tree line is a bubbling river – 86 miles in length – carving out a path through meadows soon to be teeming with animal and insect life.

No matter how tragic a moment or day may be, there is always more than meets the eye. The fog will burn off and reveal what is hidden from your view.  This is part of God’s care. Never, ever give up. You never know what is just beyond the trees.