Friday, July 24, 2009

FW: Temptation

Let me remind myself and all my friends out there who want to know Jesus better and may be struggling with temptation:
JESUS IS SYMPATHETIC! HE KNOW AND UNDERSTANDS WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH!
Ponder these two truths:
1. "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." Hebrews 2:18
2. "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fimly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been TEMPTED in EVERY WAY, just as we are- yet was without sin." Hebrews 4:14-16
TEMPTED- To entice someone to commit an unwise or immoral act, especially by promise of reward
I don't know what you will be tempted by today, but I am sure you will be tempted in some way. Use these two truths as "swords" to enter into the battle. Jesus knows what you're going through. His word says he is sympathetic to our weakness, he knows the pressure, the great desire to give into the temptation and he is able to help. Whatever your temptation- see it for what it is- unwise or immoral leading to harm or danger. Jesus LOVES us and deeply desires us to experience his Kingdom- peace, joy, and righteousness.
"There is no temptation taken you but that which is common to man. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Ask God to show you the way out he is providing. Temptation itself is not sin. It's what we do with the temptation that matters. Fight the good fight today! Remember, "He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." We are already "perfect forever" in God's eyes because of what Jesus has done for us, but we are now in the process of "being made holy." Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered. Kristy Joy Link


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Thursday, July 23, 2009

It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie!

"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE." Hebrews 6:18
 Really?
"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE."
Why? Why can't you? It's "impossible"? It's not capable of happening? Why?
"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE."
I can lie. I can easily lie. But not you. It' IMPOSSIBLE for YOU to lie.
"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE."
Just how good are you, God, that makes it IMPOSSIBLE for you to lie? Just how much do you love righteousness? Show me just how Loving you must be. How great is your wisdom, your love and concern for others, your hatred of evil that you just CAN'T lie?
"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE."
 So when you say you made me, you see me, you love me and care about me, it has to be true?
"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE."
When you tell me to not let my heart be troubled, and to trust in you because you have prepared an awesome place for me in paradise, I should believe you?
"IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE"
"We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a LIAR, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:9-12
It's imPossible for YOU to be a LIAR so what you say about Jesus Christ MUST BE TRUE! 
Oh Jesus- May we know and believe in the depths of our beings that IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO LIE! May we live like we believe it!  Blessings! K.J.L


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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The ant

While I was painting the "tree house" in my backyard yesterday, I got bit by a little fire ant. Do you ever think about ants? The Bible speaks of them in a couple different places:
"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it STORES ITS PROVISIONS IN SUMMER and GATHERS ITS FOOD AT HARVEST." Proverbs 6:6-8
 "Four things on earth are small, yet they are EXTREMELY WISE; Ants are creatures of little strength, yet THE STORE UP THEIR FOOD IN THE SUMMER." Proverbs 30:25
Things to ponder this day:
     *Live by the "YET".................ants have no commander, they are small, they have little strength, YET..........Don't let the things stacked against you determine who you are.
    *It is EXTREMELY WISE to:
                         1. Prepare for the future
                         2. Save and store up while the provisions are available
 
STORE:  A stock or supply reserved for future use; to deposit in a storehouse for safekeeping
 PROVISIONS: a stock of neccessary supplies, especially food
SUMMER: Any period regarded as a time of fruition, fulfillment, happiness, or beauty
 May we be women who are extremely wise.May we be prepared for our future of meeting God. May we be wise with our money. May we be wise with our time. Now is the time that God favors what we do. May we be women who store up God's words (food for our souls) while it is summer and we have his words available. We don't know when the winter will come. May we be women who are busy at work following in Jesus' footsteps when he says, 
"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:4 & 5 
"Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where theives  do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20
When you see an ant today or tomorrow may these words enter into your heart and mind causing you to ask yourself and God, "Am I being wise like the ant? Am I preparing for my future and making the most of the day I have and all it's provisions?"  Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link


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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

FW: A broken spirit

 Did you ever see the movie, The Horse Whisperer? Remember the scene where the horse was soo wild and disobedient that the horse whisperer had to wound him a little with great gentleness until he brought that horse into submission? Life was not going to be good for either the horse or the owner until the horse was broken and ready to submit to it's owner. I think I experienced that last night.
 After driving 12 hours in a van with cooped up kids , coming home from my grandma's 90th birthday party in New York, I was weary and simply ready for bed. However, during one of our stops, one of my children (who I will keep nameless) was very disobedient and disrespectful  and in need of some serious discipline. After getting everything unloaded, 4 other children in bed, and myself in  a state of mind to disicpline well and not in anger, this precious child of mine and I sat on our couch ready to enter into some soul work.  As I gathered this child up in my arms, stroking this beloved's hair, we began chatting about the day. I took off my little " 25 characteristics of a fool" frame hanging on my wall and GENTLY AND LOVINGLY began reading some of the characteristics. Immediately, this child stood up and with the same kind of attitude of the wild horse in the "Horse Whisperer" began walking around the room saying to me, "Are you calling me a
fool?....Go ahead. Call me a fool." As I let this child wrestle with the Words of God, I sat quietly by, continually reminding this child how much I loved him/her and how deeply he/she was loved  by God. Finally, after many minutes of dialouge and redirecting this child's thinking, reminding him/her of the depth of love for this beloved's soul and allowing the pain of the truth to sink in, this child of mine slumped into the couch with a beautiful  contrite spirit saying with all sincereity and humility, with tears and remorse, "I AM a fool, mom. I'm sooooo sorry." As I embraced this child fully, I reminded my "gift" that he/she wasn't a fool but rather acted like a fool . I shared how many foolish choices I have made myself. We talked about how God's Word is given to us to help us see ourselves for who we really are, to be sorry over our foolish ways and to change.   God's Word isn't given to us to beat us up but rather to help us
become all that God meant for us to be. After probably 1/2 hour of engaging in "soul work" this child couldn't keep his/her hands off of me. I received sooo much lovin' and had my wonderful child "back". I went to sleep thankful for the Words of God and their power.
"For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES OF THE HEART." Hebrews 4:12
 "This is the one I esteem: he who is HUMBLE AND CONTRITE IN SPIRIT, and trembles at my word." Isaiah 66:2
 May we be women who let the Word of God do its work in us. May we not fight it as defensive wild horses but rather may we be broken, ready to admit as we slump into the couch, " I am a fool. I have been wrong." And may we find great joy and delight in being esteemed by God.  Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another's soul. Kristy Joy Link



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Friday, July 17, 2009

what if?

In conversation with someone last night, the comment was made about wanting to have enough truth inside her heart for the time our Bibles may be taken away. Great thought!
WHAT IF OUR BIBLES WERE BANNED TODAY? WOULD WE HAVE ENOUGH OF GOD'S WORDS STORED UP IN THE DEPTHS OF OUR SOULS???????
Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy


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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Matthew 10:27-42

Yeah! I got my haircut yesterday (nothing crazy different).  Thanks to a very kind and generous Crystal Witteveen, (thank you, thank you, thank you!) I now have that "fresh and clean" feeling.  Whenever I get my hair cut I cannot help but ponder that portion of Scripture in Matthew that speaks about hair:
"What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.  AND EVEN THE VERY HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD ARE ALL NUMBERED. So don't be afraid; YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN MANY SPARROWS.  Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. 
Do  not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-
a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophets reward, and anyone who receives  a righteous man because he is a righteous man, will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones BECAUSE HE IS MY DISCIPLE (motive matters), I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

I was just going to write the words about hair, but I found myself wanting to know what came before and after.....the context. So let me just remind us of some important truths to meditate on today:
1. We need to speak up for Jesus.
2. It is a very serious matter to get things right with God before we meet Him face to face. 
3. Don't be afraid of death. It will come to us all. If you are right with God through belief and acceptance of Jesus, your soul will live on in paradise with Him.
One of my favorite quotes is, 'All men die. Not all men really live."
God is aware of ALL THINGS (Hebrews 4:13). He sees you......He knows the secrets of your heart and where you are at all times. Remember that song, "I always feel like, someone is watching me...and I have no privacy."
5. You are worth soooooooo much to Him. You are sooooo special.
6. GOD IS AMAZING! HE'S A GENIUS! HE'S BRILLIANT! HOW IN THE WORLD CAN HE KNOW THE NUMBER OF HAIRS ON THE HEAD OF EVERY SOUL THAT HAS WALKED THIS EARTH???? HE IS HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE AND WORTHY OF THE GREATEST AWE AND RESPECT!
7.Believing that truth, that He knows every detail of our life, should cause us to be peaceful and free from fear and worry.
8. There are serious consequences for disowning Him here on this earth.
9.Believing and accepting Jesus as truth will draw a line in the sand. It may cause division between you and those who don't believe. It all comes down to this,
You are either for Jesus or you are not. If you choose to be on His team, He is your first allegience- even over family.
10. We were created for Him. He wants to be our first love over everyone else.
11. We will, someday, be rewarded for all of our expressions of love because of our faith. Hang in there. He sees what is done in secret. You will be rewarded.
12. Jesus has a very tender heart toward little children and cares about them soooo deeply. He wants his followers to care as well.
Wow! All that just from getting a little ol' haircut. May His words sink deep, deep, deep into your soul today. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link



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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

He is light!

As the sun shines down on you today, remind yourself or tell yourself for the first time:
 
"God is LIGHT;in Him there is NO DARKNESS AT ALL." 1 John 1:5
 
He is sooooooooooooooooooo good and pure.
 
.............not an ounce of evil.......all LOVE.
 
Everything He does is good, right, & out of His best interest for us.
 
May it sink DEEP, DEEP, DEEP, into your soul just how good He is.
 
Think more about how good He is today than your own struggles. Your spirit will be much more peaceful.
 
Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link


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Monday, July 13, 2009

POWER!

While I was worshipping God in church yesterday, my spirit hungered for more of God's power in my own personal life and in my church as a whole. As I sang songs to God I couldn't get this verse out of my mind:
"There will be TERRIBLE ( unpleasant, disagreeable) times in the last days. People will love themselves. They will love money. They will brag and be proud. They will tear others down. They will not obey their parents. They won't be thankful or holy. They won't love others. They won't forgive others. They will tell lies about people. They will be out of control. They will be wild. They will hate what is good. They will turn against their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think they are better than others. They will love what pleases them instead of loving God. They will act as if they were serving God. But what they do will show that THEY HAVE TURNED THEIR BACKS ON GOD'S POWER. Have nothing to do with those people." 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Oh how I need His words in me to remind me of what He considers truly TERRIBLE. As I read these words I kept saying to myself, "It is terrible, Kristy, to act without thinking. It is terrible to seek to please yourself more than seeking to please God. Kristy, it is terrible to be ungrateful for all you have and to not be thankful".......... If we live the way the above verse mentions we will be making our choice to turn our backs on God's power in our lives. In another version of Scripture is says, "having a form of godliness, but denying it's power."
May we be women who have POWERFUL lives.

POWERFUL;    1. Effective or potent, as medicine.
                   2. Great
 How sweet the sound that as we choose to say "no" to these "terrible" ways we could possibly be like MEDICINE,  first to our own souls then to the souls around us bringing healing and wholeness to our world. Remember that sin (any wrong doing) leads only to death and decay (YUCK!)
MEDICINE: 1. Any agent used to treat disease or injury
May our saying "NO!" to everything that the PERFECT, LOVING, ALL WISE & KNOWING Creator says is terrible lead to more effectiveness and potency in bringing healing to our hurting, not knowing who God really is, world.
Blessings from Bombadil! Kristy Joy Link
P.s.- Remember if you're in Kalamazoo- we are meeting at Kelli Luke's house this Thursday night from 7pm-9pm to discuss Chapters 7-12 of the book,
"The Shack".  All are invited and welcome to come. E-mail me if you'd like Kelli's phone # or e-mail for directions.




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Saturday, July 11, 2009

You Will Be

I was watering my flowers the other day when a butterfly flew by. My heart skipped a beat, the most gentle rush of wonder stirred in my soul and it literally took my breath away  .Immediately my spirit groaned, "Oh God, I want to be transformed like that butterfly, I want to be beautiful like that butterfly." It was then that I  heard that WONDERFUL, GENTLE WHISPER,
 
'"You willl be."
 
"The Lord said, "Go out. Stand on the mountain in front of me. I am going to pass by." As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart. It broke up the rocks. But the Lord wasn't in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn't in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire came. But the Lord wasn't in the fire. And after the fire there was ONLY A GENTLE WHISPER. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his coat over his face..".
1 Kings 19:11-13
"Dear friends, now we are children of God. He still hasn't let us know what we will be. But we KNOW that when Christ appears, we will be like him." 1 John 3:2
"Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a mirror. But SOMEDAY we will see clearly. We will see FACE to FACE.  What I know now is NOT complete. But SOMEDAY I will know completely, JUST AS GOD KNOWS ME COMPLETELY." 1 Corinthians 13:12
May your breath be taken away today by one of His millions of wonders. May you hear his gentle whisper filling your soul with peace, joy and hope.We are not yet what we will be. I believe it! Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link


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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Don't give up!

There are days that being  a mom feels like the most exhausting, frustrating, perplexing, and seemingly thankless job. Then there are days like yesterday. Days when all my work seems to be paying off a little and I am overjoyed, completely fulfilled and incredibly thankful for this very important job I have of nurturing, training, discipling 5 precious little souls. Actually, yesterday felt a little like both.
>
> Yesterday:
>
> Zeke's (my youngest son) love tank was full and pouring out to his oldest brother, Jake, because something has happened in Jake where he has recently been making visible  and consistent choices of choosing love over hate, generousity over greed, and selflessness over selfishness.  In the Link household, with 3 boys, 11,9 and 7 yrs, there is much bickering. There are many things in parenting that are wearisome to the soul, but nothing quite like bickering. I don't know what it is in the sibling relationships that causes them to LOVE to pick on each other, but I HATE it. So almost every day, all day I am seeking to teach them God's words about love, building each other up, dying to oneself and applying negative consequences when they choose to go their own way and not Gods'. It seems that after 11 years of HARD WORK and many prayers  something is taking root in my son's soul and he is CHOOSING to love his brothers. I cannot describe the joy in my soul
> when  I have witnessed this week ,Jake taking Zeke out for ice cream and paying with his own money, Jake helping his brother on the computer,  Jake offering to buy Zeke a drink  when he was complaining of being "sooooo thirsty", Jake dying to himself and verbalizing, "Zeke can go first."
>
> My second son, Max, and I began our day with a wonderful conversation about "sowing and reaping." Max is noticing how kind Zeke is now being to Jake.I took Max out to a rock in my garden and had him read the words on this rock, "Love is found where it is shown." We talked about how loving Jake has recently been to Zeke and how that is filling up Zeke's soul causing him in turn to be kind and loving back to Jake. Jake is simply reaping what he has sown. I highly encouraged (for the millionth time) Max to sow seeds of love into Zeke's soul as well and watch and see what happens.  Late in the afternoon sometime yesterday, Zeke came running into the house yelling, "Mom, mom.......Max is being kind to me.'
>
> I think I spanked (very controlled, 1 or 2 swats on her bum with much talking about "does mommy spank you because I love you or hate you?") my 3 year old daughter 4 times yesterday. Anyone who denies the truth of Scripture, "Surely I was sinful at birth," has possibly never raised a child. All day long, we dealt with issues of lying and stealing, being destructive and selfish. My precious little girl probably sat in the "check your heart" chair for a total of an hour yesterday. I was in awe as this kind of disciplining (for the 4th time) was still going on up until dinner time. After dinner, however, while we walked around Meijers I observed a change in her. She told me with much joy how she saw a piece of candy on the floor and chose not to pick it up and eat it. She climbed up into my arms sharing with me how she looked a man in the eyes and thanked him when he complimented her beautiful little ballerina outfit. When I called her name to come she
> responded immediately with a cheerful, "yes mom."
>
> Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Parenting is truly exhausting and yet when I see changes, when I have spent hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year, of seeking to pour God's words into my children and discipline them when they disobey, and I see glimpses of change, it is all worth it! I agree with the Scripture that says, "I have no greater joy than to see my children walking in the truth."
>
> May I encourage us all (myself included) to keep up the hard work you are doing, whatever it is. God's word says in Galatians 6 :9
>
> " Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop IF WE DON'T GIVE UP. So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it."
>
> "All hard work leads to profit." Proverb
>
> Being  a mom, being there for your children to teach them God's words, encouraging them when you see them make wise choices and disciplining them with much love when they don't, praying for them, not giving up when you feel like a failure as a mom and like nothing you're doing is making any difference, pouring as much goodness and truth into their souls as you possibly can IS ONE OF THE GREATEST HONORS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN LIFE. Hang in there my friends.  Don't give up! Don't quit. Today is a new day full of possiblities. Perhaps this will be the day you will witness the word of God taking root. Perhaps this will be the day you will be rewarded for all your hard work, whatever it is. Just don't give up! He sees you and all your labor. Blessings from Bombadil.Kristy


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A story

"Then he told them many things by using stories.....The disciples came to him. They asked, "Why do you use stories when you speak to the people? He replied, "You have been given the chance to understand the secrets of the kingdome of heaven. It has not been given to outsiders...Here is why I use stories when I speak to the people. I say, "They look, but they don't really see. They listen, but they don't really hear or understand.....But blessed are your eyes because they see. And blessed are your ears because they hear." Matthew 13:3-16
>
>
> The Bible says Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. The Jesus who loved using stories thousands of years ago is still the same God who loves to use stories today. Yesterday, a friend of mine and I went to hear a "story". We went to the FREE, 10 a.m. movie at The Rave ( I highly recommend this) which just happened to be "Horton Hears a Who." There we sat watching this very entertaining Dr. Seuss cartoon with our children delighting in the characters and animation and oblivious to what my friend and I are seeing/hearing as the truths of God being revealed.  Have you seen this movie? Have you heard it? I mean did you SEE it? Did you HEAR it? In Luke 24:31 & 32 it says, "Their eyes were opened and they recognized him...they said to each other, "He talked with us on the road. He opened the Scriptures to us. WEREN'T OUR HEARTS BURNING INSIDE US DURING THAT TIME?"
>
> As we sat there listening to this story, our hearts were "burning inside us."
>
> Here is what I/we heard:
>
> 1. Remember that compared to the HUGENESS of God you live on a "speck."
>
> "God sits on his throne high above the earth. Its people look like grasshoppers to him." Isaiah 40:22
>
> "Heaven is my throne. The earth is my footstool." Isaiah 66:1
>
> Remember how small we are. Our lives are just little stories in the grand scheme. There is another perspective( a much bigger one) on your life.
>
> 2. Not everyone hears and believes
>
> 3. Believing in God may seem so silly to those who haven't "seen" or "heard" and they may make fun of you or even persecute you for it.
>
> "If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you. ..They will treat you like that because of my name. They do not know the One who sent me." John 15: 20 & 21
>
> We, like Horton, can expect to be made fun of or possibly even persecuted for believing something the world thinks is silly (Jesus is really God & is alive)
>
> 4. People may pressure us to give up, renounce our faith  and quit when the going gets tough. A true believer remains faithful!
>
> "Don't throw away your bold faith. It will bring you rich rewards. You need to be faithful. Then you will do what God wants. You will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:35
>
> 5. It can be very scary to speak of things that seem silly to people. However, speaking them can save them. Be like the Mayor who KNEW he heard the VOICE and SPOKE the  message to the people. It was a message that  ultimately saved/rescued them.
>
> "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God for salvation to all who believe."
>
> 6. When the Mayor asked Horton to reveal himself and make himself known to all the people- there was no response leading the people to believe there really was not anyone out there listening. That wasn't the reality, however. There was something else going on in Horton's world that led him to be silent. He really was there. He really did hear the people and their request.
>
> GOD'S SILENCE DOES NOT MEAN HE IS NOT THERE!!!!! HE IS THERE! HE HEARS YOUR CRIES!
>
> 7. The mayor wanted to be great. The way he became great was by being believing the words of the one who was much bigger than him and held his world in his hands.
>
> You will not be truly great if you seek greatness apart from belief and obedience to the One True God and his son, Jesus Christ.
>
> "Anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. And anyone who wants to be first must be the slave of everyone. Even the son of Man did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free." Mark 10:43 -45
>
>
> There was much more I "HEARD" but I'm out of time. I highly recommend seeing the movie and hearing for yourself what God is trying to communicate. If you really HEAR, consider yourself blessed because that is evidence that YOU BELONG TO GOD. Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another's soul. May you HEAR His voice! He is real and we truly are just a "speck." Kristy Joy Link


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He is working!

On Saturday night, July 4, four of my children and myself spent the night at my parent's summer home at a camp called Sandy Pines. While we were enjoying our time together outside by the fire , my parent's neighbor came over to chat for awhile. It was no surprise that she came and desired to linger near my mom because my mom and dad have the Spirit of God in them; that Wonderful Spirit  of love, acceptance, and compassion.  Ever since I was a little girl my mom has always attracted and spent time with people who others have cast aside. This neighbor who lingered was a woman who for unknown reasons had a very deformed face. Having recently had a bump on my nose (which is gone now....yeah!) causing my spirit to be sensitve to issues of "beauty" and the "flesh", I couldn't get this woman off my mind. I found myself wondering what life is like for her. My spirit immediately began crying out to God, "what do you want to say to me through her? What do you
> want to teach me, Father?" and "What would you have me say to her? What does her soul need?"
>
> The woman left our gathering, but she did not leave my mind. We enjoyed the rest of our evening watching fireworks and lighting our own fireworks ( which was actually done by our 11yrs. old son much to his chagrin). At the end of the evening, I needed to go retrieve my van which had been parked at quite a distance from my parents. Upon arriving at the main street, I was greeted by the longest line of golf carts (the main mode of transportation at this camp) I have ever seen. I literally had to wait 10 minutes before I could simply run across the street without getting hit. I got into my van, turned it around and was very graciously let into this golf cart parade by some kind gentleman   only to find myself driving behind this woman who had been on my mind all night. There she sat in front of me, all alone on the back of a golf cart with my head lights shining on her ,highligting the face that could not be erased from my mind sall that evening.
>
> What was that? What is that? How is it that in this "sea of golf carts", after waiting and waiting for an opening to cross the road and then reenter into the parade, I end up behind the ONE face that had pierced my soul that evening?
>
> I drove behind her watching her and again, calling out to God on her behalf and mine.
>
> Two things I want to encourage you with.
>
> 1. "God is working in YOU." Phillipians 2:13. -
>
> He is working all around you to draw you close to Him and His thinking. He is working to draw your heart into things of heaven and not of this earth. I just read this morning,
>
> "They think only about earthly things. But we are citizens of heaven. And we can hardly wait for a Savior from there. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He has the power to bring everthing under his control. By his power, he will change our earthly bodies. They will become like his glorious body." Phillipians 3:19-21
>
> 2. He wants to use you in the lives of those around you.
>
>
> God is God. He is in control of all things and His timing is perfect. He alone knows what is real, true, and at the end of this life. He alone knows what your soul and another's soul needs. May we be alert to His activity and open to what He wants to teach us.  Be observant of the people He brings into you life. May we live as citizens of heaven with our minds not too caught up in the things of this earth, the things that the Bible says are "temporary." May we be women who "walk by faith and not by  sight." May we be messengers to others of God's love, mercy, compassion, incredible goodness and the hope of Heaven that he offers to us. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link


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Beauty is fleeting.

On the 27th of May, for my husband's 38th birthday, I decided to surprise him and give him something he has hinted about for 3 years. I went with a friend and got my nose pierced.  It wasn't that I necessarily always wanted my nose pierced but rather something I wanted to do because I love my husband and knew it would be something he would appreciate and enjoy. But guess what! After having it in for one month, I have now developed a little bump by this "beautiful" nose ring leaving me feeling not so beautiful. So as I walk around with this hopefully temporary bump, I am reminding myself of this truth:
>
>
> "Charm is deceptive and beauty is vain (fleeting) but THE WOMAN WHO FEARS THE LORD SHALL BE PRAISED." Prov. 31:30
>
> May we "fear" Him. May we be in awe of Him. May our eyes be fixed more on Him than ourselves. May serving Him and doing what he says be our greatest joy. May we not get caught up in ourselves but rather be mesmerized by Him. I know if I focus my attention on my own insecurity my heart will be a little sadder, I will be a little more irritable and I won't reach out to others. However, as I shift my attention to enjoy the beauty of God my heart is freed, my joy is greater and others matter more than myself. So don't focus your attention on your 'bumpy nose" today. Focus on Him and you shall be praised. Blessings from Bombadil.....home of the woman with a nose ring and a bump.  Kristy Joy Link 


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Trust Him!

 "May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you TRUST in Him so that you may OVERFLOW WITH HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit."
>  Romans 15:13
>
> TRUST HIM! TRUST HIM! TRUST HIM! TRUST HIM! TRUST HIM! TRUST HIM!
>
> He knows what is best!
> He knows the "rest of the story."
> Know His word- Do His word!
> He loves you. He sees you. He is with you. He is making something beautiful out of your life. He knows the pain. He cares. You are not alone. He is working.
>
> TRUST HIM! TRUST HIM! TRUST HIM!
>
> Tell Him over and over "I trust you! You are sooo  good and want to bring good out of my life. I trust you to bring into my life all that will bring more beauty out of my life- even if it's painful." No pain- no gain!
>
> May we '"overflow with hope" today of living in paradise and being completely perfect  with no more pain, seeing Him face to face. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link


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His name

I was at the store the other day when I heard two different people, at two different times say the name "Jesus Christ" in a very irreverent manner. When I hear people say His name like that or say "Oh my God', I cannot help but wince. To wince is to shrink back as in pain or distress; to flinch. My heart aches and the prayer that Jesus prayed on the cross comes to mind, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Did you know one of the ten commandments is;
>
> " Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." or said another way
> "Don't take the name of God in vain." Exodus 20:7
>
> Vain- lacking substance or value; without due respect
>
> When we speak of God or Jesus it should be done with the greatest respect, honor, full of substance and value. Anything less is a misuse.  When I heard His name spoken "in vain" I began a conversation with God that went something like this,
>
> "Oh God- if they knew you they wouldn't use your name like that.  I don't think they know you. Help them to know you. Help me to know you. I know you are HUGE and more awesome than I can imagine, but I can't quite fathom just how great you are. If I really understood just how majestic you are I would hardly be able to utter your name. How do you want me to stand up for your name when I hear it spoken like that?"
>
> May we seek to know just how awesome he is so when we hear his name our only response is to bow  either physically or spiritually in our hearts. May we draw others around us into the great joy of knowing Him that they may love His name as well. May God give us wisdom to know how to defend His Most awesome name with the greatest love and respect.  Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Link
>
> " As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me." Romans 14:11



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Life!

This is a day of reflection for me. It's a day of celebration and remembering. I am compelled this day to fill my mind with what is true about life- after all- I only have one life to live and am never promised another day. On this day that I celebrate entering the world 37 years ago, I find myself asking with a deep passion- "Oh God- teach me more about life. What do you say about life?"
>
> ***You say that You are the giver and creator of life:
>
> "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth....he himself gives all men LIFE AND BREATH and EVERYTHING ELSE.....He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him."- Acts 17:24-27
>
> "For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before on of them came to be." Psalm 139: 13-16
>
> I don't understand it at all. It's way too huge for me to comprehend. I believe it!
>
>
> ***It is good to walk this life with the end in view knowing our time here is short
>
> "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath." Psalm 39:5
>
> "You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14
>
> ***My life is not my own
>
> "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps."- Jeremiah 10:23
>
> "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" Galatians 2:20
>
> ***I'm not to worry about my life! My life and every other human's life is sooooooo valuable.
>
> "Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not LIFE more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. ARE YOU NOT MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN THEY?" Matthew 6:25
>
>
> ***I am asked to watch over my life
>
> "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's LIFE does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Luke 12:15
>
> "Watch your LIFE and your doctrine closely." 1 Timothy 4:16
>
> ***I am asked to not love my life and be willing to lay it down for the sake of others
>
> "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters- yes, even his own LIFE- he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26 ( this doesn't really mean God wants us to hate our family- He is teaching that NOTHING should come before Him. He is #1 priority)
>
> "Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his LIFE for his friends." John 15:13
>
> "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Acts 20:24
>
> "We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." 2 Corinthians 4:10
>
> ***Being born once, physically, is not enough. I must be born again- spiritually- if I am to have real, true, everlasting life.
>
> "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' 'How can a man be born when he is old? Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!'  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." John 3: 3-6
>
> ****Knowing God and Jesus is what life is all about
>
> "This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3
>
> ****At the end of my life, I will have to give an account to my Creator.
>
> "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." Romans 14:12
>
> "Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13
>
>
> ***What I do now, how I use this life He has given me affects my future ( Heaven- life with Him- vs. Hell- future life without Him and "treasures in heaven")
>
> "They will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." Revelation 14:13
>
> "Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven..." Matthew 6:19
>
>
> Oh- I could go on and on. My time has ended as I hear Elyse (and have been listening to her the last 20 minutes). May our lives be pleasing to the Giver and Creator of Life. May we make the most of every opportunity. May we use His words to guide us into what is true as there are sooo many temptations and deceptions out there. May He give us the power to lay down our own lives. May we love Him sooooo much that we don't fail in obeying Him. Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another's soul. Kristy Joy Link


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Am I special?

Last night I was setting out my "you are special" plates for a few dinner guests. My table setter for the evening immediately verbalized his inner most, deepest question of the heart, "what about me? Am I special?"  Oh, that question!  It resides in the heart of all of us, doesn't it? "Am I special?" Do I matter? Does my life here on this earth make a difference? Is there anything unique that stands out about me?
>
>
> YES! YES! YES!.  How peaceful our hearts would be if we really believed that our lives are soooo precious and soooo special to our Creator. Is it not AMAZING and is God not whispering something when He has created billions of people and NONE OF THEM/ NOT ONE OF US have had the same fingerprint? He compares us to no one and we are free to be the one he has created us to be.
>
> "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? Romans 9:20 & 21
>
>  Here is my prayer for all of us this morning,
>
> "I pray that you, being rooted and established (ponder the depth of meaning here all you gardeners) in LOVE, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how WIDE and LONG and HIGH and DEEP is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:18 & 19
>
> As we walk through life this day, may our souls be at rest in the knowledge that Christ's love for each one of us is soooooo deep it is difficult to grasp and each one of us is sooo special to him. May we not have to fight for people's attention because we belive in the depths of our soul that we are special to the one who has made us for a particular purpose- maybe common or maybe noble- but it doesn't matter because we were made for Him and His purpose.  May we be overwhelmed today at the miracle and wonder of the Creator giving a different fingerprint to every soul that has walked this earth and may we treat each soul as the special creation that they are.  You are soo special! You are so special! He even knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30). Tell someone they are sooooo special today! Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another's soul. Kristy Joy Link


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