be of good cheer.

June 25, 2019February 7, 2020 by Kathleen Moulton

The hay is swaying in the breeze through the old porch windows centered between peeling paint.

The ceiling fan hums, an occasional bird sings, the dog sighs.

Sweet paprika and thyme begins to permeate from the oven while the carrots, turnip, onion, and parsnips are waiting.

Tears well up in my eyes now and then.

There’s this. And then there’s that.

All the thoughts of what is not just, what is not right, and just plain why – tumble around in my head.

They’ve been there for quite some time.

I guess today, it was time for them to come forward.

An over used scripture (if there is such a thing) will not do.

A chin up! or this too shall pass, will not suffice.

Only God will do.

But wait. Isn’t scripture God? Isn’t faith and patience and perseverance God?

Maybe we’ve confused one for the other.

When you’ve walked through the darkest place on earth, and do not come out with shouts of praise and hallelujahs, people are strangely silent.

But they don’t know what to say she said.

And the words poured caustically into my bleeding heart.

I thought God spoke through his people. I thought we would do greater things than Jesus.

No one knows what to say?

Instead, they move along at an intentional pace.

To the early Christian, trusting God meant more than a teary-eyed testimony about the time I came to trust the Lord. It meant believing that even if obedience to God entailed great suffering, God was trustworthy to bring a person through it.

No time to sit and be silent and know.

No time to ask, what did you see in that valley? Was God there? What did he say?

But no one asked.

God tells you secrets. And I will tell you what to share and not to share.

But no one listened.

If you can’t speak to your own, how will you speak to the world?

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In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

practice makes perfect.

July 13, 2016July 9, 2016 by Kathleen Moulton

“Doing something over and over again doesn’t just make it easier. It actually changes the brain.” – Learning Rewires the Brain; Science News for Students”

Research says our brain has the ability to change over the course of our lives; that learning can rewire our brain.

If learning can rewire our brain in terms of mastering a new skill, can I learn to think in a new way which will benefit me? Make me less anxious or fearful? Lonely or insecure? Angry or bitter?

If we think in one way for a very long time, does that create paths of a particular mindset?

Perhaps that is why the Bible tells us how we should be thinking.

Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.

It matters how we think.

Practicing can make perfect wrong thinking, too.

When the Bible tells us to give thanks in all things, it doesn’t mean we quip rote words. God wants us to grasp the deeper meaning here because he knows how easy it is to lick our wounds for too long and what it will do to us.

When I have a splinter in my finger, I don’t feel like having it removed because it hurts. I have to decide it has to come out.

Following God’s guidance is just that. A decision. It is not necessarily going to feel right.

After our initial shock, reaction, confusing, anger .. pain, we will have to decide.

Will I continue to leave that splinter in my finger?

Or will I remove it?

How we feel is important to God. But he was upfront with us. He told us we would have trouble in this world but to take heart because he will have the last say.

We keep this in our sight. The Creator of the universe has a plan and a solution.

Practicing the words of this promise makes perfect thinking.

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