"A Thankful heart is a happy heart...."

    While volunteering in the Preschool room at our church on Sunday, I was
incredibly blessed. I was blessed by all the children and their smiles &
imaginations. I was blessed by the opportunity to pour some love and Jesus into
some precious little souls. I was blessed to offer other parents the opportunity
to go worship child free (as I myself deeply appreciate and understand how
wonderful that can be). I was blessed by the company of my friend who responded
to God's prompting to answer the "111" call for help in the preschool,  and I
was REALLY blessed by the VeggieTale video we watched. It was the
Madame Blueberr one on "Thankfulness."  I suppose it struck me because I know
how my own heart can get at times, I experience my children's unthankfulness and
hunger for more and more things at times, and to see  and experience the BEAUTY
of a Thankful heart is soul-stirring. When faced with an opportunity to be
unthankful and to throw a fit, whine, complain, to want more and more new
things, the children in this video sang this song (which, by the way, I have
been humming ALL WEEK):

    "I thank God for this day,
For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad,
For my piece of apple pie!
For our home on the ground
For His love that's all around
That's why I say thanks EVERYDAY (EVERYMINUTE)!

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have,
That's an easy way to start!
For the love that He shares,
'Cuz He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks everyday!

Thank you Dad for our day,
For our trip to the mall,
For the time just with me,
For my big red bouncy ball (the very small thing his dad could afford
when he REALLY wanted a train set) !
For the fun that we had,
I'm so happy you're my dad,
That's why I say thanks everyday!

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have, that's an easy way to start!
For a God who really cares
and he listens to our prayers,
That's why I say THANKS everyday!

"Give THANKS in all circumstances...." 1 Thess. 5:17

"There willl be terrible times in the last days. People will
be.......UNGRATEFUL...." 2 Timothy 3:2

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us BE
THANKFUL, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.." Hebrews 12:28

May we have thankful hearts this day. May we continually encourage our children
to have thankful hearts. May we make the teaching of our King attractive through
our obedience of being thankful. May we believe that good sermons can come from
anywhere........we don't just have to be in church............we can even get a
good sermon by helping out in the nursery or preschool. 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

"Be alert"

I got stopped at a red light behind a van yesterday that had all kinds of bumper
stickers.  I LOVE when that happens because I enjoy seeing what people think or
love  deeply enough to display on their vehicle.  The first bumper sticker on
this van that stood out to me said,

" I'd rather be getting a tatoo."

I thought, "Hmmmmm....this person and my husband should meet."

The second one that captured my attention was one I have seen before and was
as equally disturbed as the first time I saw it. I may have even written about
it in a previous e-mail. It said,

" I like their Jesus/Christ, but his followers are so unlike him." (or something
like that)

Ahhhhhhh! No!

"Help me be like you, Jesus!!!" was a prayer that screamed it's way to heaven
quickly.

Interestingly, when I caught a glimpse of who was in this van, ..............it
is a neighbor of mine. Perhaps someone else thinks this person and my
husband should meet.????

"My Father is ALWAYS at his work to this very day, and I too, am working." John
5:17

" Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on th child
she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have
engraved you on the palms of my hands..." Isaiah 49:16

In other words: "YOU are God's tatoo!"

"Be ALERT and always keep on praying." Eph. 6:18

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

The rainbow

Did you see it last night?????Wasn't it AMAZING???? You would have only seen it
if you live in Kalamazoo, Michigan....well, it's POSSIBLE you could have seen
it/one too if you live somewhere else........Heck, I was in Ireland and I saw
it/one a few weeks ago........but I'm speaking of the specific RAINBOW that
appeared soooo bright in the clouds around 7/7:30ish p.m. It was a PERFECT
bow from one end of the sky to the other. Ahhhhhhhhh........breathtaking.  After
spotting it first while taking a step outside, I quickly ran back in the house
calling all Link family members to come outside if they wanted to see a
beautiful rainbow. In less than 10 seconds all 7 LInks were standing outside on
our back steps staring in awe of this beautiful creation. Elyse, our 3 year old
said, "That's beautiful! It's the first rainbow I ever saw."  Jake, our 12 year
old grabbed the camera and began taking pictures like crazy. Max, our 10 year
old, and myself ran down the street making sure that anyone who was outside saw
this "Sign in the sky."  Even more breathtaking than the rainbow itself, are
these words:

" And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you
and every living creature with you, a covenant for ALL GENERATIONS TO COME
(that's us!): I have set MY RAINBOW in the clouds, and it will be the sign of
the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth
and the RAINBOW appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me
and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters
become a flood to destroy  all life. WHENEVER the RAINBOW appears in the clouds,
I WILL SEE IT AND REMEMBER the everlasting covenant between GOD and all the
living creatures of every kind on the earth." ' So God said to Noah, "This is
the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the
earth." Genesis 9:12-17  

Take a moment today to ponder the rainbow.....excuse me, "HIS RAINBOW" (VS. 13)

ROYGBIV= red,orange,yellow,green,blue,indigo,violet.

Why the colors?
Why the bow/arc shape?
Why high in the sky, in the clouds?
How in the world does that happen?
What kind of mind & heart is behind that?
What is He saying to us through it?
Do you hear him?

May we worship the Creator behind the creation today. Blessings from Bombadil.
Kristy Link

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served CREATED
THINGS RATHER THAN THE CREATOR- who is forever praised. Amen!" Romans 1:25
"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

Sometimes, in raising my 5 children, I can get a little discouraged with all the
issues that arise. I have a hard enough time dealing with my own weaknesses and
failures let alone those of 5 other precious souls. If I'm not careful I can
focus on  all the weaknesses and  obstacles before me and give way to an
overwhelmed, negative heart not  honoring God and  not bringing good things to
my family or my own soul.  

There is a story in Numbers about 12 spies that explored this place called
"Canan." Here's a little of the story:

"The Lord said to Moses, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I
am giving to the Isrealites......So at the Lord's command Moses sent them out
...... So they went up and explored the land.......At the end of 40 days they
returned from exploring the land.....They came back and reported to the whole
assembly......."We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow
with milk and honey! But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities
are fortified and very large...Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and
said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, FOR WE CAN CERTAINLY DO
IT." But the men who had gone up with him said, "We CAN'T attack those people;
they are stronger than we are." And they spread among the Isrealites a bad
report about the land they had explored.... "The land we explored devours those
living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. ..we seemed like
grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.......That night
all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.  All the
Isrealites grumbled....Then Caleb said, "The land we passed through and explored
in exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, HE WILL LEAD US into that
land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and WILL GIVE IT TO US. Only don't
rebel against the Lord. And don't be afraid  of the people of the land because
we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD IS WITH US.
Don't be afraid of them.......But the whole assembly talked about stoning
them.The Lord said to them, "How long will these people treat ME with contempt?
How long will they REFUSE TO BELIEVE IN ME, IN SPITE OF ALL THE MIRACULOUS SIGNS
I HAVE PERFORMED AMONG THEM?.......No one who has treated me with contempt will
ever see it (the land I gave them). But because my servant Caleb, has a
different spirit and follows me WHOLEHEARTEDLY, I will bring him into the land
he went to."  Numbers 13 & 14

As we parent these precious souls God has given us, may we refuse to FOCUS on
the negatives,treating God with contempt, instead may we  believe that

    * "If God is for us, who can be against us."

    * "He who began a good work in us (and our children) will carry it on to
COMPLETION." Phillipians 1:6

    "I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

    "He has made perfect forever those who are BEING MADE holy." Hebrews 10:14

    12 visited the land. 10 focused on their problems. Only 2 FOCUSED on the God
over their problems. May we be like the 2. The problems certainly need to be
addressed and cannot be ignored. But may the problems not become the FOCUS
causing us to lose heart and not believe in the promises of our Great God!
 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

1 Peter 1:3-9

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he
has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurection of Jesus 
Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or
fade- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power
until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice(Do I?), though now for a little while you may have
had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come SO THAT your faith-
OF GREATER WORTH THAN GOLD, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be
proved GENUINE and may result in praise, glory, and honor WHEN JESUS IS
REVEALED. Though you have not seen him, you love him ( Do I?) and even though
you do not see him now, you believe in him (Do I?) and are filled with an
inexpressible and glorious joy (am I?), for you are receiving the GOAL OF YOUR
FAITH, THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS." 1 Peter 1:3-9

Say this to yourself today:

"I'm in need of great mercy and God has been merciful...THANK YOU, GOD!"

"There is something wonderful (an inheritance) kept in heaven for ME.
(hmmm..what is that going to be like?)

" Through FAITH I am shielded (protected) by God's power UNTIL....."

"All kinds of trials come my way for a REASON.....that my faith is proved
GENUINE (sincere, authentic,real)

"Jesus IS going to be revealed...the day IS coming I will see his face."

"The goal of my faith is the 'salvation'( the deliverance from evil or
difficulty, rescue from the penalty of sin) of my soul."

"Jesus LOVES MY SOUL. He is the "OVERSEER OF MY SOUL."

May Your thinking be FULL OF GODS' WORDS/TRUTHS today.

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

Mom Monday

I was walking through an airport terminal when I caught a glimpse of something
that caused me to pause. After pausing and taking in what was before me I
decided to get out my camera and take a picture (much to my husband's chagrin). 
It was an advertisement for a bank. There were different pictures of all sorts
of things, but the one that really stirred me was the series of "Motherhood."
There was the same picture of a mom with 4 children but on each picture was a
different word. The first was, "Role model," the second, "privilege," and the
third was "sacrifice."  After the pictures came the quote,

" The more you look at the world, the more you recognize that people value the
same things but in different ways."

More than the quote, it was the words in each picture that stayed with me.

Let me just remind those of us who are moms:

   

    Being a mom is a HUGE PRIVILEGE.

PRIVILEGE- a special advantage, benefit to be ENJOYED by an individual.

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
children a REWARD from him." Psalm 127:3

Anyone who has desired a child and has not been able to get pregnant knows
deeper than anyone else just what a privilege it is to have children. Sometimes,
in the midst of parenting it is good to be reminded of the privilege it is.

    Being a mom requires a HUGE SACRIFICE.

SACRIFICE- The giving up of something highly valued for the sake of someone or
something considered to have a greater value.

I realize it is more of a sacrifice for some than others. I have always desired
to be a mom. I never had any career ambitions. I know that for many women who do
have desires and dreams for a career, the sacrifice of motherhood is HUGE. 

We are asked to sacrifice our time, energy, other relationships, sleep, money,
personal space, etc.....

Let me just remind us SACRIFICE IS BEAUTIFUL and SOUL- STIRRING!

   Being a mom gives us an opportunity to be a "role model."

That can be a joy and a weighty responsibility. Our children are watching us.
They observe how we are treating people, what we do with our time, how we treat
our husbands and our parents, how we drive, etc........

May we thank God for the privilege we have today to be a mom, guarding our
hearts as to never take it for granted. May we thank God for the opportunity to
sacrifice, bringing something beautiful into our world. May we pray for and ask
him for the strength  and discernment to give up that which is highly valued for
the sake of something or someone MORE highly valued.  May we take our "role
modeling" seriously. May we implement the golden rule in our mothering, "Do to
others as you want them to do to you."  May we parent our children the way we
desired to be parented. May we treat others the way we want our children to
treat others.  May we be aware of what we think about /how we view mothering
making sure it is how God views mothering. 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

"Sure that one day her dreams of happiness would come true.."

"To him who is ABLE

TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING

AND

TO PRESENT YOU

BEFORE HIS

GLORIOUS PRESENCE

WITHOUT FAULT

AND

WITH GREAT JOY-

TO THE ONLY GOD OUR SAVIOR

BE GLORY, MAJESTY,POWER AND AUTHORITY,

THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD,

BEFORE ALL AGES,

NOW,

AND FOREVERMORE!

AMEN."

Jude :24 & 25

To have the knowledge and belief that I will be PRESENTED to God WITHOUT FAULT
and with GREAT JOY can keep me joyful even on the worst of days in the face of
all my weaknesses and imperfections. Jesus has our back. He has covered ALL OF
OUR SINS. I will be joyfully presented as PERFECT.......How do people get
through life without this belief???

I read the story "Cinderella" to my  2 little girls yesterday and listen to a
few of the lines:

"But after Cinderella's father died, the Stepmother was very cold and cruel to
Cinderella. The kind girl was forced to work as a servant in her own house.
STILL, CINDERELLA WAS ALWAYS CHEERFUL. SURE THAT ONE DAY HER DREAMS OF HAPPINESS
WOULD COME TRUE, SHE STARTED EACH DAY WITH A SONG."

"Now faith is being SURE OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR..." Hebrews 11:1

"Be JOYFUL in HOPE." Romans 12:12

May we be like Cinderella. May we be SURE that one day our dreams of being
perfect, presented as faultless and in a place of perfect happiness will come
true. May we start each day with a song in our heart, a song of praise and
thankfulness to the one who has made it possible for us to be presented as
perfect.
  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

Not sure what to call this one..Has to do with marriage (sorry)

"Marriage should be honored by all..." Hebrews 13:4

"May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A
loving doe, a graceful deer- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be
captivated by HER LOVE. Why be captivated, my son, by an adultress? Why embrace
the bosom of another man's wife?" Prov. 5:18-20

"Go eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it
is now that God favors what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always
anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the
days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the
sun...."Ecclesiastes 9:7-9

"Another thing you do: You flood the Lords' altar with tears. You weep and wail
because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with
pleasure from your hands. You ask, "Why? It is because the LORD is acting as the
witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken
faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one?
Because he was seeking godly offspring. So GUARD  (protect from harm; watch
over; defend, keep in check; supply with proper controls and checks;
safeguard;take precautions; secure; supervise entries and exits; furnish with a
protective piece) YOURSELF IN YOUR SPIRIT, and do not break faith with the wife
of your youth....................So GUARD yourself in your spirit, and do not
break faith." Malachi 2: 13-16

 In efforts to do all of the above mentioned, to protect our spirits, our
marriage, to keep it fresh and to keep us connected, to HONOR marriage and
invest intentionally. to "enjoy life with your wife,"  Rob and I are taking off
for 10 days...just the two of us. It seems as if Satan is working overtime in
trying to steal the joy in my heart for having this opportunity. I have been
wrestling in my inner being from the moment I heard about this get away. Could
it be because one of Satan's most powerful weapons of destruction is breaking
down the connection between husband and wife opening them up to vulnerability
that can lead down a dead-end path? Is it not wise and worth every penny to
invest time, energy, money, and all your heart into a STRONG marriage??  I think
so...WHEW!!  But let me tell you......the battle has been raging and I have been
fighting "LIES/peace stealing whispers hourly. 

    As we all journey and must choose whose voice we will listen to and believe,
may we PRAY HARD, may we know our Father's voice, His words given to us in the
Bible, (words that bring PEACE...Satan used God's words but twisted them and
used them to condemn and steal peace) may we be discerning and aware that we are
indeed in a battle and there is one out there who seeks to "steal, kill, and
destroy," a "hungry lion looking for someone to devour." May we be women who are
not decieved and are wise in our marriage relationships.

I apologize to all you women out there who are not married and for whom
"marriage talk" rubs up against your wounds. I love you so and believe me when I
say I FEEL your ACHE and I do not make light of your situation and the depth of
your desires. I understand if you delete this e-mail because of what it stirs up
in you.

As the old song goes, ' Pray for me and I'll pray for you...."

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to
face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." 1
Corinthians 13:12

Blessings from Bombadil...home of a woman Battling to not be deceived and to
hear my Father's voice. Kristy

p.s. I will be returning on the 12th of September.

"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