WHAT WOULD CAUSE MY CONSOLE NOT TO SHIFT INTO GEAR WHEN THE CAR IS COLD?

My 1997 chevy van had a similar problem. The Brake pedal was linked to a locking mechanism on the shift cable along side the steering column.(column shift, auto trans) Cold weather seemed to make it worse, at first. This mechanism was piggy-backing on the shift cable and was easy to remove. I would recommend following the shift cable and looking for a similar device.