DAWIM......LAWIY

"This looks like it could be addictive for some people," were the words I spoke to my husband as we got our first (and my only) tattoo together.  My husband happens to be one of the "some people." I think he's on tattoo number 14????? The thing I LOVE most about his tattoos are that they ALL have some spiritual meaning/significance. In fact, awhile back  we had our family dinner devotions every night for 2 weeks based on a different one of his tattoos                    Well, I'm definately NOT one of the "some people," but if I were I think I would get this tattooed on my fingers/ hands:               Left hand (one letter on each finger):    D A W I M              Right hand ( "                    "         ):    L A W I Y   Any guesses as to what those letters stand for??     D....eath A....t W...ork I.....n M...e     L.....ife A....t W...ork I......n Y.....ou   Listen to this great truth:   "We have this treasure in jars of clay.......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 reavealed in our mortal body. So then, DEATH IS AT WORK IN US, BUT LIFE IS AT WORK IN YOU. " 2 Corinthians 4:10-12   Or another way to say it:   " This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."  1 John 3:16   So, wake up this day saying to God:   " Thank you for loving me so much, Jesus, that you would give up your life for me. The knowledge of that breathes such life into my soul. Knowing I am loved by you gives me great reason to face this day.Help me to be alert to where you might be asking me to lay down my life, my selfishness, to show someone else love; to show them YOU.  Use me to breathe LIFE into someone elses soul. May I be like you today, a "Life-giving spirit." Although I do not want to get those letters tattooed on my fingers, would you TATOO them on my SOUL that I might remember your words and have the greatest joy of revealing you to those who don't yet know you. May it be!!"   Help me be alert:            * In my home          * with my children          * With my husband          * On the road          * at school          * at the grocery store          * at the gas station          * at the football game, the track meet, ballet, gymnastics          * at church          * in the parking lot          * in my neighborhood          *  and anywhere else you might lead me.   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

Destruction or eternal life????

I just got back from a run around my neighborhood and a conversation with my neighbor and entered my home with this TRUTH ENGRAVED UPON MY HEART:    "Do not be DECEIVED: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature WILL REAP DESTRUCTION; the one who sows to  please the Spirit, from the Spirit WILL REAP ETERNAL LIFE." Galatians 6:7   WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!   Sin brings destruction. It WILL hurt you and those you love. You will "cry your eyes out for a month "(or more) if you CHOOSE to "sow to please your sinful nature."   CHOOSE LIFE, My friends!!!  "Sow to please the Spirit!!!"   Blessings from Bombadil............home of a woman who desires to HEED THE WARNING. 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

A traveling companion

Before I left my house I prayed, "Jesus, I invite you to come with me, go before me, and please be my traveling companion."          This past Friday I had a wonderful gift given to me of some time with a very special friend who lives in Virginia.  My husband, who usually is my traveling buddy (whenever I do travel, which really isn't much) bought me a ticket to fly to Virgina for the weekend.  I flew form K-zoo to Detroit to Virginia.  I was a little nervous because usually Rob is the one who gets us to where we need to go, but now it was all up to me. After arriving in Detroit, I looked up the gate number for my connecting flight and headed straight there. Upon arrival, I checked in making sure that was the correct gate number and then sat down waiting for them to announce when it was time to board.   While I was waiting, a woman came and sat down next to me. We began chatting about all kinds of things and during our little chit-chat she mentioned something about the fact that sometimes airports change the gates of the departures.  As soon as she mentioned that, she asked if I had checked to see if perphaps MY gate for my connecting flight had changed.  The thought hadn't ever even crossed my mind. I didn't know they did that. It actually seemed a litte mean to me making me run to another place after I was quite settled where they originally told me to go. I had been sitting there the entire time and they sure hadn't mentioned anything about a gate change.  So, I approached the front desk and asked if the gate to Roenoke, Virginia had changed.  Sure enough, the gate that I was now supposed to be at where the plane was taking off in 20min. was changed to the entire other end of the airport.  I gathered my things, thanked the woman who informed me of such things happening at times, and hauled bootie down to the other end of the airport making it there just in time to board flight 2989.   A. Just luck that that woman came and mentioned that to me???   B. Coincidence??   C. Or the hand of Jesus, going before me and coming with me as my traveling companion guiding me to where I needed to be??    I choose and BELIEVE "C."   May you ask him to be YOUR "traveling companion" today through life.   "The Lord WILL GUIDE YOU always." Isaiah 58:11   "In your UNFAILING LOVE you WILL LEAD the people you have redeemed. In your strength you WILL GUIDE them to your holy dwelling." Exodus 15:13   May you/we believe that He knows exactly what we need when we need it. May we TRUST HIM. Ahhhhhhhhh......what rest and peace is there in believing that. 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

stand firm!!

"Therefore , my dear sisters, STAND FIRM. LET NOTHING MOVE YOU. AlWAYS, GIVE YOURSELVES FULLY TO .............(TO WHAT???)  ..........THE WORK OF THE LORD,..................(WHY??)...........BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOUR LABOR IN THE LORD IS NOT IN VAIN (Lacking substance or worth; fruitless)." 1 Corinthians 15:58     How can we give ourselves "FULLY" today??  What is the work God has for you to do today? Do you know that NO LABOR OF LOVE IS IN VAIN????   Everything you do today, done in love prompted by your faith MATTERS. He sees!! Keep loving! Keep giving yourself!  Blessings from Bombadil. Kristy LInk

Don't say a word

"When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and SYMPATHIZE  WITH him and COMFORT him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; THEY BEGAN TO WEEP ALOUD, AND THEY TORE THEIR ROBES AND SPRINKLED DUST ON THEIR HEADS. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. NO ONE SAID A WORD TO HIM BECAUSE THEY SAW HOW GREAT HIS SUFFERING WAS. "  Job 2:11-13   When suffering is great, may we just be there/be present, weeping and crying with our friends who are mourning. May we feel and express compassion; commiserate, seek to understand our friend''s feelings. May we be wise enough to understand that many times it is better to NOT SAY A WORD. Blessings from Bombadil....home of a friend who needs the sacred wisdom of when it is better to not say a word. 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

Limited perspective

I was sitting down on a chair painting our fence white the other day when I had a little reminder. I thought I had gotten everything covered and couldn't believe it when I stood up giving me a very different perspective. I had missed a TON.  I was reminded of these truths as I stood ABOVE my gate/fence/posts:    "You say "I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. BUT YOU DON'T REALIZE THAT YOU ARE wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and slave to put o your eyes, so you can see."     "You are from below; I am from ABOVE. You are of this world. I am not of this world." John 8:23   "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. "As the heavens are HIGHER than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8 & 9   "He sits enthroned ABOVE the circle of the earth and its people are like grasshoppers............ his UNDERSTANDING NO ONE CAN FATHOM." Isaiah 40:22 & 28   "The earth is my footstool." Isaiah 66:1   It is soooo easy in this world to forget that our perspective is that of one which is "below." God sees ALL. He understands all that is missing in our lives(and the lives of those around us)  even though we might insist that we don't need a thing. Or maybe we are sooooo far from insisting we dont' need a thing and are VERY AWARE of our need/needs. Maybe we have become soooo weary because from our perspective things arent' looking so great. May we trust the One who is from above. He sees ALL. He knows exactly what is needed for the situation you are in and WHEN to give it to you. He is the God of perfect timing.  Trust Him!!!!  He knows what is coming and just how amazing it is.     May we NOT live life from our incredibly limited perspective. May we seek daily the perspective of Him who is from above; The One whose understanding NO ONE CAN FATHOM.  So get off your little chair and stand up, get into God's word, and view your life from His  "Above" perspective..........He is preparing us for Heaven, Paradise, the place of no more pain, tears, mourning or death.  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

NEW

Last night, we gathered in the living room to bring some "LIFE" to our children. We sat around talking about the summer and preparing for this NEW school year.  We asked each of them to share about their hopes for this NEW school year and then Rob shared his hope for them this NEW year.   Rob shared this truth:        " You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made NEW in the attitude of your minds; and to PUT ON THE NEW SELF, created to be LIKE GOD in TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS and HOLINESS."  Ephesians 4:22-25   As our children, "put on" their new school clothes or as we "put on" our new work clothes, may we all be mindful of putting on our NEW SELF..........."created to be LIKE GOD."  May the "ATTITUDE OF OUR MINDS," be FULL of righteousness and holiness. Blessings from Bombadil...........home of an 8th grader, 6th grader, 4th grader, 1st grader,  and preschooler who are FULL OF EXCITEMENT at the NEWNESS of a school year. 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