"We love a challenge!!!"

Last night, my daughters and I were sitting outside on my front steps eating dinner when 2 neighbor boys pulled up on their bikes.  I had been wanting to see these 2 guys, who love to play with my youngest son, because I had wanted to apologize to them.  This past Christmas Eve they had come over with a plate of cookies and a  formal written "challenge" to a Link  Lads Vs. Bauser Boys snowball fight. I was told to simply ring our big bell ( an old school bell that sits outside our house) when we were ready to "war".   So a few weeks later, with the bell rung ( although I think it was actually their door bell that was rung), the battle began!  When the snowball fight actually ended, from what I've HEARD, a few of the "Link lads" didn't hold back and used a little TOO MUCH of their strength.  From my understanding, the snowball fight "idea" was more fun than the actual "fight." As the mother of these "lowdown" lads, I had wanted to apologize
to these 2  "bullied boys" for any harm my sons had caused. Since the apology, I haven't been able to get the oldest of the Bauser boy's response out of my head. His response to my last night's apology was, "That's okay, WE LOVE A CHALLENGE!"  No sooner than the words were out of his mouth,  he put his bike helmet back on, mounted his bike/"horse" and rode off down the road  with his trusty sidekick (his younger brother) probably in search of another adventure.  I finished my dinner with a smile on my face and a lingering question in my heart, "Hmmmmmm, do I love a challenge????" 

 CHALLENGE-     The quality of requiring FULL use one one's abilities, energy, or resources. A call to engage                             in a contest or a fight.

His spirit inspired me. I think unknowingly I have become  weary of the challenges I face and have been approacing them as burdens. I want to EMBRACE the challenges as part of the adventure, part of the shaping of my character, part of the opportunities to KNOW & EXPERIENCE GOD MORE DEEPLY.  I WANT to "LOVE" a challenge, and not run away from them or become weary and give up.  

What's that old quote, "The greater the challenge, the greater the glory!"

God has given us the GREATEST CHALLENGE.

It is the challenge, the call to ENGAGE (entangle, involve, engross, become meshed, enter into battle) in a fight for our faith.  A call to know him and make him known!!!!!!!!!!!

"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF THE FAITH. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession int he presence of many witnesses.  In the sight of God, WHO GIVES LIFE TO EVERYTHING, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the GOOD CONFESSION, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame UNTIL  THE APPREARING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, which God WILL BRING ABOUT, in his own time- GOD, THE BLESSED AND ONLY RULER, THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, WHO ALONE IS IMMORTAL AND WHO LIVES IN UNAPPROACHABLE LIGHT, WHO NO ONE HAS SEEN OR CAN SEE. TO HIM BE HONOR AND MIGHT FOREVER. Amen!"  1 Timothy 6:11- 16

May we, like my "I love a challenge" neighbor,  Billy Bauser, LOVE, and not run away from or become weary of, the challenge and call to "FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF THE FAITH." Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Link

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

"Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:

SHOULD YOU NOT FEAR ME? Declares the Lord.

'SHOULD YOU NOT TREMBLE IN MY PRESENCE?

I MADE THE SAND A BOUNDARY FOR THE SEA,
AN EVERLASTING BARRIER IT CANNOT CROSS.
THE WAVES MAY ROLL, BUT THEY CANNOT PREVAIL;
THEY MAY ROAR, BUT THEY CANNOT CROSS IT.
BUT THESE PEOPLE HAVE STUBBORN AND REBELLIOUS HEARTS;
THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE AND GONE AWAY.
THEY DON'T SAY TO THEMSELVES,

'LET US FEAR THE LORD OUR GOD WHO GIVES AUTUMN AND SPRING RAINS IN SEASON,
WHO ASSURES US OF THE REGULAR WEEKS OF HARVEST.'

YOUR WRONGDOINGS HAVE KEPT THESE AWAY;
YOUR SINS HAVE DEPRIVED YOU OF GOOD."
Jeremiah 5:21-25

"Consider then and REALIZE
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the Lord your God
and have NO AWE of me," declares the Lord, the LORD ALMIGHTY." Jeremiah 2:19

May we "say to ourselves" today and everyday: "God is worthy of my praise. It is wrong of me not to be in awe of him. I CAN TRUST HIM! He is my provider! Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy lInk

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

War!

The soul is funny, deep, confusing and at war.  All the while I was praising God for my experience of the "whispering of love"  to my friend that I wrote about yesterday, I was also struggling with all kinds of thoughts that were seeking to destroy my peace and pollute my soul.

I was overwhelmed by the impact Joyce Meyer has had on our world and all the work she is doing. I became jealous, coveting her influence (despite God's commands to "not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.")

As I walked through the church where the conference was at, which was in itself quite overwhelming, thoughts of "see all that this church is doing." and "you aren't doing a thing" kept trying to fight for control in my mind and heart leaving me with a feeling of  wanting to quit trying to serve God altogether because I can't do it as well as all these other people.  

Seeing the admiration my friend had for Joyce and how she loved her made me feel so small and insignifiacant in the kingdom of God (not b/c my friend made me feel that way but b/c of my own war within).

So, although the conference was awesome, by the time I got home I needed my own conference (meeting with God) after the conference. I had been at WAR and my heart and soul felt polluted. The subject Joyce spoke on Friday night was PEACE, but I felt less peaceful upon my return to home then before I went.

So, because it is MY SOUL that I'm in charge of and given responsibility for, I knew that I needed to go to battle on behalf of myself.

I believe God's words deeply, "Above all else GUARD YOUR HEART, for it is the wellspring of life." Prov. 4:23

"He who gets wisdom LOVES HIS OWN SOUL." Prov. 19:8

I LOVE my own soul. I want my soul to live in peace, joy and righteousness. So I knew I needed God's wisdom, God's words/"SWORDS" to fight with.

"We take CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5

So I spent hours on Sunday morning, BATTLING/FIGHTING, saying God's words and truths OUT LOUD.

Words like"

" Since there is JEALOUSY...among you, are you not worldly?...After all, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? ONLY SERVANTS, through whom you  came to believe- AS THE LORD HAS ASSIGNED TO EACH HIS TASK. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, BUT GOD MADE IT GROW. So neither he who plants nor waters is ANYTHING, but ONLY GOD, WHO MAKES THINGS GROW.......each will be rewarded according to his OWN LABOR." 1 Corinthians 3:3-8

"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? What if God......."Romans 9:21

I began thanking God for this experience receiving it as an opportunity to confess my sin and humble myself before him, to let his words sink deeper & deeper into my heart, and to grow firmer in accepting my place in his kingdom, the place He has assigned me.  I know this will not be the last time I will battle over these kinds of thoughts but a work was done in me on Sunday morning. So when I gathered with my fellow believers to worship God, worshipping him had almost nothing to do with the music or worship leader but almost EVERYTHING to do with having wrestled with God in my own personal time with him, acknowledging that He is God and can do and use whatever/whoever he wants to and I will simply be thankful to have any part at all in HIs service.

So, my friends, I share this with you to remind you of the battle going on for our minds and thoughts, to remind us that God's words are the weapons we need to fight with, and that no one else can fight this battle for you. The more we interact with God and his words, the greater our worship and adoration of him will become. It is NOT ALL up to the worship leaders to provide us with "good worship." It has most everything to do with what has gone on with us and God throughout the week. May we fight the good fight and worship him with all our heart and soul. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Link
 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

"Whispering of love"

This past weekend I went to my first Joyce Meyer conference.  I went because two very special friends of mine LOVE her and have been incredibly blessed by her ministry.  For one of my friends, to go to this conference was truly a dream come true. Because Joyce has had quite a past involving much pain & hopelessness, but has walked with Jesus and has been transformed, she has brought incredible hope to my friend, and countless others. If it wasn't for Joyce's daily messages on t.v., I'm not sure my friend would still be alive today. So, needless to say, going to this conference was HUGE for her (let's call her, "Shrimp"). It didn't look like she was actually going to be able to go. However, many prayers were prayed on her behalf, and the night before the conference those prayers were answered.  So, on Friday, the three of us loaded into the van and off we went up to G.R. Before we got far on the highway, I was asked to pray for our time
together.  I continued prayers that had already been prayed, asking that God would bless our time together making it extra
 special and whispering his love very specifically to "Shrimp."

    The conference doors opened at 5p.m although the actual conference didn't begin until 7p.m. We arrived around 5:15/5:20ish only to find that most of the THOUSANDS of seats in this church were already occupied. It was unbelievable. Not having a clue where to go to find a seat, we approached an usher. I said, "Sir, would you be able to help us find somewhere to sit?" He very kindly responded by asking us where we wanted to sit. At this point we were happy to simply find a seat ANYWHERE. He asked us to follow him and as we did he led us to the very front (actually 3 rows back) and center, DIRECTLY in front of Joyce Meyer, where reserved signs had been posted. We could NOT believe it! As I thanked this man profusely, he said, "I've been praying about who to sit here." When I whispered to him that my friend was the right person, he said, "I know. God told me." The people sitting around us were incredibly curious about who we were to get
these seats. They asked us if we knew that man. They told us that they had been standing in line since NOON to get those seats.  We reallly had nothing to say to them because we knew we didn't deserve those seats, but we KNEW that this was the special "WHISPERING OF LOVE"  we had asked for from our Father in Heaven for "Shrimp."

The other friend I was with, pulls out a $20.00 and gives it to "Shrimp" to go buy a t-shirt. Another, "WHISPERING OF LOVE," we had asked for from our Father.

    That alone would have filled our souls for quite awhile, but God wasn't done yet. After the conference, which really was wonderful, we went out for dinner to Arbys. Many people filled the resturant enjoying their roast beef and curly fries. However, the manager came over to OUR table, out of the blue, and asked us what kind of shakes we wanted, "Choclate, strawberry, or JAMOCHA?" When he saw our confused faces he made sure we knew that it was on the house. We have NO IDEA why this manager felt compelled to give us free shakes. We only received this as ANOTHER "WHISPERING OF LOVE" we had asked for from our Good, Good, Abba/Daddy in heaven for "Shrimp."

"The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." Pov. 21:1

The usher and the Arby's manager's hearts were somehow compelled to bless us. Where does that come from if not the Lord?

"Every good and perfect gift is from ABOVE, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..." James 1:17

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us ALL- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?....for I am convinced that NOTHING in all of creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our  Lord." Romans 8:32 & 39

May you ask to experience more of His individual, perfect love for you. May the eyes of your hearts be opened to his provision for you. May your soul give him all the glory for his great, great love for you. He is whispering,
"I love you!  Do you hear him????? Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Link

  
 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

"I'm not afraid anymore."

Elyse, my almost 3 year old PRECIOUS little daughter, was walking upstairs yesterday ready to take her nap. Out of nowhere, she turned around to me as  I was walking behind her and said, "I'm not scared in my room anymore." I responded excitedly to her, "Oh Elyse, that's wonderful! How come?" With the utmost confidence and assurance she said, "Because JESUS loves me."

"...We KNOW and RELY on the love God has for us. God is LOVE....perfect love drives out fear."
1 John 4:16-18

"GOD has said,

'NEVER will I leave you;
NEVER will I forsake you( give up on you; desert you, abandon you, leave you altogether).'

So we say with CONFIDENCE,

' The Lord is my helper; I will NOT be AFRAID.
What can man do to me?"

Hebrews 13:5 & 6

As I was sharing this story with my husband, he said that he could totally remember losing his childhood fears when as a very young boy he believed that Jesus' love for him was real and true.

How beautiful. May this truth "dwell richly" in our souls and cause all fear to lose its grip on us. May we give every child we know this most precious gift of the knowledge of Jesus' love.  May we, like Elyse, be able to say with utmost confidence, "I'm not afraid anymore because Jesus loves me!"  Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

....but godliness....

My 12 year old son has his very first track meet today. Yeah!  How exciting. He has been training and practicing and now comes the day of his first meet. May I remind us of this truth:

"Physical training is of SOME value, BUT GODLINESS has value for both the present life AND THE LIFE TO COME." 1 Timothy 4:8

Oh my friends, there is a life to come. There is sooo much more than what we see with our physical eyes. May we make it our goal to please God in being serious about and perfecting our "godliness,"  GODLINESS, being like God in the way we live, love, think, act, etc....has value for right now. It's important! And not only for right now, but for the life to come. You do know and are entering this day knowing and believing that we are given this day to better prepare us for heaven, right? May we make the most of this day we've been given. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Link

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

equality

Yesterday I was making some blender drinks to bring to some people who were in need of some refreshment. I thought they had 2 boys and so I filled 4 blender drink cups- 2 for the couple and 2 for the boys.  After looking at the cups and seeing them filled to the brim, I had the thought, "Oooh- I'm not POSITIVE they only have 2 boys. I better call and make sure b/c that would be a bummer if someone gets left out."  So THANKFULLY, I called (probably a prompting/whisper of the Holy Spirit who knows all things), and found out they have 3 children, not just 2.  My blender was empty as I had poured all of it into the 4 cups,  so I began taking a little from each of the very full cups. By the time I was done, the cups that were overflowing were still full, although not to the brim and the one that was empty had just as much as the others. I had 5 EQUAL cups of blender drink to bless my friends with.As I stood back looking at these cups I
sensed God trying to whisper to me. It was one of those moments my spirit knew there was a deep truth and lesson in this. There was something sooo beautiful and right in every cup contributing to make an empty cup full, and all the cups equal.   I'm still allowing this experience to sink deep into my heart and asking God what this means for me. Here is the truth that came to mind through this experience:

"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be EQUALITY. At the present time your plenty will supply what THEY NEED, so that in turn their plenty will supply what YOU NEED. Then there will be EQUALITY, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little." 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 

May God, who loves us all the same, do His work in us through these words. Blessings from Bombadil.
Kristy Link
 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

Don't cry over spilt milk

It was right around bedtime, I had reached the end of my day and was eagerly anticipating closing my eyes for the night when I must not have pushed the full gallon of  milk all the way into the refrigerator because it came CRASHING onto the floor EXPLODING milk  EVERYWHERE faster than I can fall asleep at night (which is really fast).  4 children  quickly came running into the kitchen to see what had caused their mother to scream. Reese, my 4 year old, slipped on the floor twice that was now a sea of white. Ralf, our Newfoundland dog, went right to work slurping up as much as he could which was actually incredibly helpful because we couldn't get enough towels down fast enough. My oldest son ran downstairs for some reason only to return letting me know, much to my delight, that it was "raining" milk in our laundry room (which is right under our kitchen).  So, as these tired eyes surveyed the situation, bummed that I just wasted a gallon
of milk and sad that bedtime would have to wait, hearing the phrase, "Don't cry over spilt milk," looked at my children and began laughing and continued on with soaking up the "sea."

This morning I was curious just what is the meaning of "Don't cry over spilt milk?"

Here is what  I found:

    " Don't worry about something that has already happened. You are not going to be able to get the milk back into your glass ( GALLON CONTAINER) by crying over it- so work on fixing the problem."

    "If we make a mistake and something gets broken, it is not helpful to wail and lament instead we should clean it up and get on with it."

    "What has happened has happened."

So is this phrase Biblical? Would God whisper in our ear, 'Hey precious child of mine, "don't cry over spilt milk.....let's just clean it up and move on....together"

Oh, I believe it is Biblical and I do think these are the words God would whisper to us. However, I do think he would allow us a few minutes/days/weeks (however long its needed) to cry to get out the pain and disappointment, but then he would gently guide us  to move on.  He doesn't hold our sins against us. He has made us perfect through Jesus.

lISTEN:

"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." Phillipians 3:13

"Forget the former things: do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:18 & 19

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

"For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again." Prov. 24:16

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

So - if you have regrets over your past, perhaps you need to hear God whisper to you, "What has happened, has happened..............I've already cleaned up you rmess through offering you Jesus, now, lets move forward and become all that you are, that lovely, beautiful woman I am helping you become because I love you more than you can imagine.....don't cry over spilt milk, my precious, precious daughter.....well, cry for a little while if you need to." Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy- the milk spiller.
 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

Mom Monday

If you've been a woman who has grown up in the church or one who reads the Bible, you more than likely have heard this verse more than once:

    "Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can TRAIN the younger women to LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS and CHILDREN, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." Titus 2:3-5

I LOVE this verse. I love it because it reveals that the heart of God cares deeply about how we treat our husbands and children. It is His desire that we learn to LOVE THEM WELL. I also love it because it acknowledges that loving well doesn't come easy and naturally. We need TRAINING.

TRAIN- to be coached in or accustom to some mode of behavior or performance. To make proficient with specialized instruction and PRACTICE.

I've decided to make my Monday blogs (for awhile anyway) , "Mom Monday," and simply pass along some things I have learned or am learning in raising 5 children and seeking to love them well.

Prov. 13:24 says, "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who LOVES him is CAREFUL to discipline him."

To be CAREFUL is to be "cautious in thought, speech, or action. Thorough; painstaking; conscientious"

This verse came to my mind and was whispered in my ear this weekend as I was dealing with one of my children.I heard the warning, "Kristy, be CAREFUL!"  I was starting to feel VERY ANGRY and was tempted to become harsh in my action and speech. So, I placed my child in the "check your heart" chair and took a few minutes for myself in my own "check your heart chair" (not really-but I DID need to check my own heart.) As I got alone, I took quite a few deep breaths, and reminded myself what God's word says (I have no idea how parents survive raising children without God's words):

"A GENTLE answer turns away wrath, but a HARSH word stirs up anger." Prov. 15:1

As I let these words sink DEEP into my heart, I was strengthened for the task ahead of me. I was reminded that if I am harsh with this PRECIOUS child of mine, this "GIFT/REWARD from God", it would only make him more angry escalating into an all out battle and it would NOT communicate love.  After quite a few minutes and when I finally felt my gentleness restored, reminding myself of James 1:19:

"Take note of this: everyone should be quick to LISTEN, slow to speak, and slow to become ANGRY, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires,"

I was able to return to this child and discipline him with CARE.  As I spoke gently, as I listened to his heart more than I spoke what was on mine, his heart softened. He received his discipline ( a spanking with great care and no sweets for a few days) like a champ. That night he laid in bed next to me (only b/c my husband is out of town), falling alseep holding my hand.

May I encourage all you moms out there to get Prov. 15:1 deep in your soul. Let it guide you as you deal with your children ( and ANY child of God no matter how old). God's word says we will BLESSED if we DO what He says. You are NOT ALONE out there. PARENTING children is HARD WORK that deserves everything we've got and requires great care and knowledge and obedience to God's words. WE CAN DO THIS! Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy

p.s. I apologize to you who are not moms. If you want to just delete Mondays blogs, the rest of the week will be for all women. Thank you for understanding my need to give a little time to this as believe Scripture commands.  

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

You WILL answer me!

"I CALL ON YOU, OH GOD, FOR YOU WILL ANSWER ME."  Psalm 17:6

He will answer us!
You will answer me!!!!

 This is the word of God. This is truth!

Blessings from Bombadil! Kristy
 
 
p.s.- The " I once was lost but now am found" monkey party is happening today from 2-4 at the Link Household.  Pray for me.
 
 
 
"I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

Sing!

Our drive home from Indiana yesterday was about 3 1/2 hours. For almost 2 out of those 3 1/2 hours,  my almost 3 year old daughter, Elyse, SANG her little heart out.  She sang the alphabet song (many times). She sang "No more monkeys jumping on the bed (even more than the alphabet song). She made up all kinds of songs having to do with loving her brothers and family. While all her brothers and sister slept, Elyse passed her travel time with singing. It was beautiful. There were many moments during her singing that my heart swelled with joy and I had to just laugh as she went on and on and on and................................

Ephesians 5:19 says:

" SING and make music in your heart to the Lord AWAYS giving THANKS to God the Father for EVERYTHING, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

God has revealed himself through his word as a Father/parent to us. If my heart swelled with such joy listening to my daughter sing songs, HOW MUCH MORE might our Heavenly Father's heart be blessed as we, his daughters, sing and make music in our hearts to him, thanking him for EVERYTHING.

I reminded myself this morning of 2 truths:

"The body is.....meant......for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." 1 Corinthians 6:13

and

" All things were created by him and FOR HIM." Colossians 1:16

This day is NOT FOR YOU & ME. This day we've been given is to love God, to enjoy him, experience him, walk with him and please him  and make him known with our lives. 

May we train ourselves, our hearts and our children to "sing and make music in our hearts  to the LORD ALWAYS giving THANKS to God...." Making music in our hearts seems like a wonderful way to pass our traveling/journeying time on this earth while waiting to reach our destination.  It certainly pleased this mother's heart. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Link

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

Colossians 4:2-6

As I was having my early morning time in God's word today, I was drawn to this Scripture:

"DEVOTE yourselves to PRAYER, being WATCHFUL and THANKFUL. And pray for us too, that God may OPEN A DOOR  for OUR MESSAGE, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.  Pray that I may proclaim it CLEARLY, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY. Let your CONVERSATION be ALWAYS FULL of GRACE, SEASONED WITH SALT, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:2-6

A few things to ponder in your day:

    1. To DEVOTE means to give or apply one's time, attention, self ENTIRELY to a particular activity. Sounds to me like God is serious about his desire for us to commune with him A LOT!  What are we devoted to?

    2. Our prayers make a difference. Once we've offered up a request or asked him to lead us, it is our job to then LOOK for HIS ANSWERS, his working.  To be WATCHFUL is to be closely observant; alert; aware, awake and vigilant. May we be aware of the people around us today who need to experience the LOVE OF GOD, and just how he is answering our prayers.  

    3. Thankfulness is a HUGE part of following Christ. In other places of Scripture it says, "Be OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS," and "Give THANKS in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES." May we be women known, not for our complaining or faultfinding, but rather for our thankfulness.  The more we focus on being thankful, the more happy and peaceful our hearts will be (& the more of a blessing to others we will be.)

    4. We have a MESSAGE to share. Do you know what it is?

    "That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, NOT COUNTING MEN'S SINS AGAINST THEM. And he has committed to US the MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION. WE are therefore Christ's AMBASSADORS, as though Christ were making HIS APPEAL through US. We  IMPLORE you on Christ's behalf: BE RECONCILED TO GOD. God made him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5: 19-21

    5. God is the LEADER and we are his FOLLOWERS. Wait for Him to OPEN DOORS. The more we pray, the more we will be amazed by his activity all around us and the more clearly we'll see the!!! open doors.

    6. An opprortunity is that favorable time to act. It's the right moment to take action toward  the goal of making God known through loving  someone, saying something or doing something that reveals God's love and truth. Make the most of every opportunity!

    7. Our conversation matters!!! May we become experts in controlling  what comes out of our mouths. "Out of the overflow of the HEART the mouth speaks." May our hearts be sooo full of thankfulness, love, grace and mercy, tenderness, compassion, and all that is good and beautiful  (basically just full of God) & his words). Know wonder God says, "Above all else GUARD YOUR HEART." May we be careful about what is going on in the inside so that what comes out of our mouth is FULL OF GRACE. 

May many women come to know Jesus through our obedience to these words and all of his words. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy

p.s. I'll be out of town, "mourning with those who mourn" tomorrow. (My husband's aunt's husband {Rob's uncle} passed away) 

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

The lost has been found!

A few months ago, my son, Zeke, lost his most precious monkey. This 7 year old boy of mine has a crazy infatuation with ANYTHING monkey, but this one particular monkey was very special. It was the monkey my husband and I brought home for him from Ireland and it had fun little magnets on it's hands and feet allowing him to do all kinds of tricks. We had been at a banquet back in early February and know that it either got stolen there, thrown away, or it was hiding in a VERY good place.  We looked EVERYWHERE for this monkey. We sent out a plea to everyone who had been at this banquet to please let us know if they knew anything about the whereabouts of this monkey. We prayed and prayed that this "treasure" would be found. I heard prayers for this monkey with a passion and a crying out to Jesus like I have never (sadly) heard for anything else. Well, this past week, MONKEY ( Monkeyito I believe is it's actual name) WAS FOUND!!!!  Those little
magnets on it's hands and feet that I shared allowed him to do some cool tricks, gave him the opporutunity to stick to the bottom/underneath part of one of those metal chairs.  When Rob came home and shared the news with Zeke and handed him his monkey, the screaming, dancing and hugging that took place in our home could have matched any joy of a last second winning shot of a basketball game (wow....I can't believe I just made a basketball analogy......I suppose my father and husband have had quite an influence on me). THE LOST WAS FOUND!

We found this experience to be a great time to share this passage/truth with Zeke :

" Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." Then Jesus told them this parable:
'Suppose one of you has a hundered sheep (monkeys) and loses one of them. Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep UNTIL he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep (monkey)." I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over ONE sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent.
    Or suppose a woman has 10 silver coins an loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully UNTIL she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors  together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin." In the SAME WAY, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over ONE sinner who repents." Luke 15:1-10

I share this with you, my friends, to remind you/us of 3 things:

    *  Jesus considers ALL of us soooo precious and either has pursued or is pursuing you because he wants us to be with him both now and forever, safe & under his care.  He calls himself the "Good Shepherd." Be alert to God's pursuit of YOU. IT IS REAL!

    *Heaven and all the angels that reside there are for us, and somehow ( I don't know how this works, I just believe it) are witnesses to our lives. There is so much going on involving us that we cannot physically see.

    * We need to REPENT ( to feel remorse  for what one has done or failed to do.  To feel such remorse or regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it. To be sorry) for all of our ways that aren't loving to God and people.

We are sooooo much more precious to God than this silly little magnetic monkey is to my son, Zeke. If you, like this monkey, are trying to hide from the One who loves you more than you can imagine, please come out from your hiding place. The angels in heaven are waiting to throw a party in your honor! Hmmmmm...a party???? a  FOUND money party might just have to happen at the Link household. Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

Big Bear returns!

As we began our journey home from Florida last week, it didn't take long for Reese, my 4 year old little girl, to realize we (I should probably say "I") had forgotten someone. The "someone" who had been left behind at grandma and grandpas wasn't just ANYONE, it was BIG BEAR. Big Bear is to Reese like the blanket was to Linus.  Reese sleeps with/on Big Bear EVERY night and has a hard time resting well without him (excuse me, I mean "her".....all this time I thought Big Bear was a boy until just the other day). She has had this bear since she was a baby and has grown incredibly attached to this precious fur ball. So you can imagine the tears that flowed when she discovered Big Bear had been left behind. Sneaky ol'bear had fallen off and been hiding behind the bed when the van left at 7a.m. I knew I needed to do something quick with Reese otherwise it was going to be a VERY LONG ride home. After we mourned together a bit, we began planning a
welcome home party for Big Bear. We talked about what would be the best way to welcome a bear home until Reese's heart became hopeful for the day of Big Bear's return and party.  Well, Wednesday of this week, I am happy to say that Big Bear arrived safely from his travels ( Thank you, Mom and Dad!) and the party began! We set up the princess table (now knowing that Big Bear is a girl) with seating for 4 girls; Reese, Elyse, Myself and Big Bear. We blew up balloons, ate teddy grahams as an appetizer, used our best dishes for our pizza, and toasted to Big Bear's safe return. I found myself sooooo grateful for the Bible's command  in Romans 12:15 to "Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn." There is such an incredible richness in entering into other people's mourning  and rejoicing. Listen to the rest of the verses that surround this great command:

"Love MUST be SINCERE.
HATE what is EVIL; CLING to what is GOOD.
Be DEVOTED to one another in brotherly love.
HONOR one another ABOVE yourselves.
NEVER be lacking in ZEAL, but keep your spiritual fervor, SERVING THE LORD.
Be JOYFUL in HOPE, PATIENT in AFFLICTION, FAITHFUL in PRAYER.
SHARE with God's people who are in need.
Practice HOSPITALITY.
BLESS those who persecute you;
BLESS and do NOT CURSE.
REJOICE with those who REJOICE; MOURN with those who Mourn.
Live in HARMONY with one another.
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.
Do not be conceited.
Do not repay ANYONE evil for evil.
Be CAREFUL to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
If it is possible, AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU, live at PEACE with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written:
"It is mine to avenge: I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

DON'T BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD."
Romans 12:9-21

Don't we serve an awesome God who knows us so well and knows what is truly satisfying and good for our souls. Doesn't this reveal His heart that sooooo deeply values relationships and community. Is there anyone in your life who could use you to mourn with them or rejoice with them? Perhaps a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker. etc.... Go make today a little richer for your soul and someone else's by entering into someone's  joy or pain. Blessing from Bombadil. Kristy Link
 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

Creatvity!

For Christmas, the one thing I REALLY wanted was something very silly.  It was this little door that could be put on a tree to look like some kind of little creature lived there.  Well, I not only got the door but two little windows as well. So finally, a few days ago I put the door and the windows on a tree right outside my house. I LOVE IT! Every time I go to my car I see it and am simply getting so much pleasure from this very silly little gift. I keep asking myself, "Why in the world am I enjoying this silly little door and windows so much?" I came to the conclusion that it is because it is CREATIVE and has stirred our family to imagine what kind of little creature are we going to say lives in this tree.  As I'm trying to come up with some kind of creature that lives in my tree (which is very difficult to do), my heart has turned to ponder all the creatures our Creator has made. God has come up with some AMAZING ideas. God is
sooooooooooooooo creative! So really, this silly little gift has caused my heart to adore and delight in God more as I realize just how creative and fun He is.  May we see the Creator & his genius behind all created things and may we delight in Him more because of them. May we be careful to NOT:

"worship and serve CREATED things rather than the CREATOR." Romans 1: 25

Blessings from Bombadil, home of the tree with a little door and windows and who knows what creature!!! Kristy
 "I will  continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

The Passion

Did any of you watch the movie, The Passion" during this past Holy week? My family watched it Saturday night. It is an incredibly disturbing movie. There were many times I had to look away. As I turned my face away, I watched my 12, 10 and 7 years old sons watch with jaws dropped open as they whipped Jesus again and again. As awful as it is to watch what he went through, it is such a NEEDED reminder of what he sacrificed on our behalf because of the depth of his love for us. As I watched, I kept thinking, "I don't EVER, not for a second, minute or hour, want to forget what he went through for ME!"

"For Christ died for sins once for ALL, the RIGHTEOUS for the UNRIGHTEOUS, to bring YOU to GOD."
1 Peter 3:18

"..YOU were redeemed from the empty way of life...with the PRECIOUS BLOOD of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen BEFORE the CREATION OF THE WORLD, but was revealed in these last times FOR YOUR SAKE." 1 Peter 1:18-20

"I do not set aside the GRACE OF GOD, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for NOTHING." Galatians 2:21

"Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if YOU LET YOURSELVES be circumcised, Christ will be of NO VALUE TO YOU AT ALL. Again I declare to every man who LETS HIMSELF be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the WHOLE LAW. You who are trying to be justified by law have been ALIENATED FROM CHRIST; You have fallen away from grace. But by FAITH we eagerly await THROUGH THE SPIRIT the righteousness for which we hope." Galatians 5:2-5

"Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his GREAT LOVE FOR US, GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by GRACE you have been saved. .........For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- NOT BY WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST." Ephesians 2:3-9

If you have not ever or  not recently watched the Passion, I highly recommend taking an evening this week and filling your mind with the story of what Jesus went through for us. He did not go through that for NOTHING. May what he went through ALWAYS BE OF VALUE to us. May we be eternally grateful, "overflowing with thankfulness" ( Colossians 2:6). And may we

"See to it that no one takes us captive through HOLLOW and DECEPTIVE philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world RATHER THAN ON CHRIST." Colossians 2:8

Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

seek and find!

I LOVE Easter egg hunts. So do my children, my friends, my sister. What is it about those hunts that are just so fun???? Why did my husband have to hide the eggs AGAIN for my sister this year, AFTER the kids had their hunt? I believe it has something to do with the way our All- wise Creator made us. The whole idea of "SEEKING" and "FINDING" is all over Scripture. The greater the treasure, the greater our search should be. Listen and learn or be reminded of God's command to seek HIM!

"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with WHOLEHEARTED devotion, and with a willing mind for the Lord searches every heart and understands every MOTIVE behind the thoughts. IF you SEEK HIM, he will be FOUND by you." 1 Chronicles 28:9

"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and SEEK MY FACE and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14

"How can a young man/woman keep his/her way PURE? By living according to your WORD. I SEEK YOU with all my heart; don't let me stray from your commands." Psalm 119:9 & 10 

"SEEK the Lord while he  may be found; call on him while he is near." Isaiah 55:6

"But SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33

"Ask and it will be given to you; SEEK and you WILL FIND; knock and the door will be opened to you. For EVERYONE who asks receives; he who SEEKS FINDS; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." 
Matthew 7:7 & 8

"And without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and he REWARDS those who EARNESTLY (determined, eager, zealous, deep sincereity, serious) SEEK HIM." Hebrews 11:6

How about we make EVERY DAY  a treasure hunt day. May we enter this day with the excitement and anticipation of looking for Him EVERYWHERE and finding Him!  May we take great delight in knowing that God too, is on a daily treasure hunt and WE are HIS TREASURE!.(If you don't believe this, read Luke 15) 

" For the Son of Man came to SEEK and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10

May you be found by him today. May you be used by him to find others today. May these Scriptures be more than empty words but rather your reality, your personal experience! Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy

 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26

Precious!

As I began my Easter day, yesterday, I pondered ways I have recently, personally experienced the reality of Jesus Christ being alive. My latest experience came this past week while I was in Florida visiting my mom and dad. My mom and I had been chatting on the phone about some things we wanted to do while we were together. One of those things was watching a movie we had both been hearing about called, Precious.  Perhaps you've heard about it or maybe not. It's a movie based on a true story (or so I was told) about a young girl's experience of growing up in a home with verbal and sexual abuse. My mom and I wanted to see it because we are very aware that this is a reality for many people that Jesus loves deeply and aches for.  After watching the movie, we sat around and chatted for quite awhile about how this movie reminded us of different people we know and love and wondering how we could be used to bring God's healing to their wounded
souls. It was brought up by my dad that perhaps I should watch this movie with one friend in particular. Her name came to mind often while I watched the movie and I found myself going to bed that night "groaning," praying/interceding for her. The next morning I texted her telling her I had watched this movie that made me think of her. She IMMEDIATELY called me curious about what movie I had watched. When I told her the movie, Precious, she completely "freaked out" because while I was sitting in Florida watching this movie on Tuesday evening and thinking and praying for her, she was in Michigan watching the same movie weeping and bawling her eyes out. We had never spoken of this movie with each other before. There had never been any mention of desiring to see this moive. However, there we both sat, in two different states, on the same night, at the same time watching the same movie; a movie that could be sooo healing to her soul and story; a
story which I have been so honored to be a part of.

Some may say, "Yeah, what is so cool about that?" or "That's a crazy coincidence."

No! No! It's soooo  much more than that. It confirms what Scripture teaches- that He loves us, sees us, desires to heal us, is the One who guides us into the perfect timing of what we need.

 It's a personal experience with God's "whispering" of  what He has revealed as truth in His word. It's evidence of Him being ALIVE and aware of my friend's situation/history/need for healing.

  1. "My Father is ALWAYS at his work to this very day...." John 5:16

    2. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and calls             them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit." Psalm 147:3

    3. "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:8

    4. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

    5. "The Lord will guide you always." Isaiah 58:11

    6. "She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: "YOU ARE THE GOD WHO SEES ME."
        Genesis 16:13

    7. "Oh Lord, you have searched me and you KNOW me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive         my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all of my                 ways." Psalm 139: 1 -3

I could just picture Him, seated in Heaven, doing his work of arranging it, prompting our hearts to watch this movie at the same time. I could envision Him sitting back, watching both of us and looking forward to us discovering that we were both watching that movie at the same time. I could hear His whisper to both of us, his "daughters" that believe in him and love him, "You are PRECIOUS"

PRECIOUS- of high cost or worth; valuable; highly esteemed, cherished, dear, beloved.

Did I tell you that my friend had shared with me that the night before she had prayed and asked God for another sign of his love and reality??

May you be aware of his working all around you. May you believe and experience that He sees you, longs to heal you and is arranging things even now for revelations of himself. May you hear the most wonderful whisper that you are INDEED PRECIOUS to him. Why else would he have sent Jesus to take the penalty for all of your sin. " Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are WORTH MORE THAN MANY SPARROWS."Matthew 10:30

He's alive!!! Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy Joy Link

    
 "I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Phillipians 1:25 & 26