Verses with Kristin - 1 Samuel 12:24

So I am starting this new thing like where I share my thoughts on Bible verses.  Hopefully, I will put one up here every other day or so.
Today's verse: 1 Samuel 12:24   "Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you."
This verse tells us to fear and trust the Lord.  We need to fear him and serve Him with all our heart.  If we trust Him we will have no problem serving Him.  Why should we serve him?  You may ask.  it tells us in the verse.  God says because He has done so much for you.  How do you think gravity was formed?  God done it.  You may say, "Well God did not build my house."  He may not have built your house ,but He gave man the ability to do it.  If God had not given you arms, you could eat or throw a ball or anything like that.  If God did not give you legs, you would not be able to walk.  If God hadn't given you a soul, we would not get to walk and talk with Him.  You see, it is because of God that you can do what you can do.    But to serve him, you have to fear him and trust him!  And to trust him means giving your all to him no matter what the problem.  No matter what the task may be we should trust him.  God can help us through any situation we may be in.  God wants to help his children in any way, shape, or form.  He starts by saving the sinner.  Then as his children grow he shows them what they need through His Word.
Thanks for reading my little blog post!  Hope you enjoyed it!  If you have a favorite verse you would like me to use, just post it in the comments!

Thoughts with Kristin - Where do your thoughts go? A Christian's Job

Ok, so I was asked to do a post on where my thoughts lead or go, and where they should lead or go.  So here is this little post with my thoughts on the matter.

I actually had to think before answering this question: Where do your thoughts turn to first?  God or material things?  In a way, this is very difficult to answer.  I guess it all depends on like what I am thinking about.  Or what I see around me.  Let's take people for example.  Through the world's eyes, they're all just people.  But in God's eyes, they are souls that HE loves.  Before I was saved, I could care less about everyone else around me.  They were all just people.  But now, I see them as people, and I see them as souls on their way to hell, and needing someone to tell them about Jesus.  The main thing a Christian should see is souls on their way to hell that need to be told of Jesus' love.  Some people think that this job is only for people like missionaries and pastors to do.  They think it is not their job to tell others of Jesus' love for them.  But it is not just the job of a pastor, deacon, missionary, or evangelist- it's every born again believer's job to spread their joy in Salvation.  Christians are like walking books.  Though they shouldn't, most people judge a book by it's cover.  SO, with that being said, people will judge you by the way you act.  If you act like the world, but you tell them you're a Christian, then they'll just say that you're no better than they are, and they'll just go right back to the world, and doing what they did before.  This is not what a Christian should want.  That is an example of a ruined testimony for the LORD.  What you need to do is act different than the world does.  Don't do the things they do.  Don't listen to the things they listen to.  Do say the things they say.  Why?  Because really and truly, you're not like them.  You have something on the inside that changed you completely.  This is a good testimony for the LORD.  

Hope you enjoyed this little blog post.  Keep an eye out for more, and once again, if you have any suggestions that I should write about, tell me in the comments.  Until next time, TTYL!

Thought's with Kristin - What Life's About

Okay so here is another one of my 'thoughtful' posts.  It might seem a bit scrambled, so very sorry if it is.  Anyway, down to business.
I was doing my devotions a little while ago and ran across this verse.
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.  -Luke 12:15

This verse basically tells us a very important truth.  Life is not about what we have in this world.  It's not about money.  It's not about our new big house.  It's not about buying new cars or new clothes.  It's not about how much we can possess in this world.  But what it is about is God.  Jesus Christ is what life's about.  For a Christian, life is living for the LORD.  

Matthew 6: 19-21

(19) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20)But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21)For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This is telling us that we should not invest ourselves in material things on earth.  We should lay up our treasures in Heaven.  Because one day, this earth will end.  This earth doesn't last forever.  But the soul of every living being will go to live in either Heaven or hell one day.  Now how do you lay up treasures in Heaven?  By working for the LORD while you're on earth.  While you're here, and if you're saved, you should go tell others about what has happened to you.  Encourage fellow believers.  Do what God says.  And your treasures will be the reward you get when you get to Heaven.  So in other words, you work for your reward which is in Heaven.  This is what life is really and truly about.

Thanks for reading my thoughts.  Hope you enjoyed it!  Let me know what you think in the comments.  If there is something specific that you would like to hear my thoughts on, just tell me in the comments.  Until next time, TTYL!

UPDATE!!! 9/18/13

Ok, so I am actually going to give you an actual update on what's been going on here.  I know it has been a very long while since I have done this, so bare with me.
First of all, let me just say things are going well all the way around.  As far as our family goes, nobody is currently sick and everybody is doing well.
Pastor Srithone's church in Lampang is currently building a new building for the church there.  That church is growing very fast.  The new building is actually going to be pretty big.  People are getting saved here and there in Chiang Mai and also in Lampang.
Please be in prayer for the family and friends of missionary Rick Horn.  I am not so sure how long he was here, but he died in the states a few days ago.  Pray for his family and the work he's leaving behind.
Among other things, this is the highlight of my coming week!  On September 26, 2012 I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.  Before that, I went to church just like everybody else, but I wasn't truly saved.  I remember that night.  Pastor Srithone had preached a very convicting message about being afraid to die, and I listened to the whole thing.  I sat there, nervous as could be.  Everyone thought I was saved, but on the inside, I knew I wasn't.  I remember during the prayer time after I told dad, he took me out and I knew exactly what I needed to do, he didn't even need to help me with anything.  I bowed my head and asked Jesus to save me.  I am so glad the Lord brought our family to Thailand.  And even though I have to be away from all my family and friends and the things I know and love, Thailand is where God wants me to stay.  I know this because, I am a teenager, not yet an adult.  The will of God for my life is for me to follow my dad, and I know for a fact that Thailand is where we all need to be.  Next Thursday, I will be able to celebrate one amazing year of being a Christian.  It has been one of the most incredible journeys ever.  God has taught me alot from His Word and from the pastor's teaching.  I am so thrilled to be able to serve the Lord in Thailand.
Thanks for letting me vent to you a while!  Hope you enjoyed my little testimony, I have been wanting to let that out for a while now!  I thought about waiting until the actual day, but I am so excited about it that I just had to do it now.  Anyway, until next time, I'll talk to y'all later!!

Writing Prompt Day 7: Combination of All Prompts

So I really like this one.  I actually enjoyed putting all the stories together.  Hope you enjoy the last of my writing prompts!

The Door to the Future

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

Chris and Macy were going about their daily duties, same as usual.  But something was different about today.  Macy wasn’t sure what it was, but she knew something was going to happen.  Only moments after she had this thought, an urgent letter for Chris was slipped under the door.  It read: “Come quickly!  We need your help!”  Chris stopped reading and looked at the date of the letter.  It was dated in the year 3005!  He had no idea what this was, so he continued reading aloud so his wife could hear too.  “I know the date seems kind of weird, but you are the man we need.  As soon as you read this sentence, a door will appear to your left.  You must kiss your wife goodbye and immediately go into the door.  It will bring you to our time.  Don’t waste any time, we need you now.”  Chris looked to his left, and there was the door she spoke of.  He immediately kissed his wife, told her he loved her, and went in the door.  He had no idea what he was getting into, but he knew he must hurry, for the letter seemed urgent.  But his wife had no idea that she would never see him again.

Meanwhile, Tom Benson was going about his usual business in the blue world, when a piece of paper slapped him in the face.  He read the letter to himself, “Come quickly!  We need your help.  Jump in the door that appears on the ground when you read this sentence.  It will take you to the year 3005 where we are.  Come quickly!”  Tom wasted no time looking down and seeing the door there.  The year 3005 sounded so exciting, so he immediately jumped in it. 

Ben and William were sitting around telling jokes, just like always.  But suddenly, one of them saw a figure coming.  It looked like a ghost.  The figure spoke only a few simple sentences.  “Come, we need you!  You must go through the door to your right and it will bring you to us.  We are in the future, in the year 3005.  Come with haste.”  Ben and William knew that this was no time to make jokes.  They were about to ask questions when the figure disappeared and all that remained was a glowing arrow pointing to the right.  They went with haste and entered into this unknown world. 

At last, all four of them had ended up in the year 3005.  They were all exhausted and confused.  They had no idea what was going on.  There was a sign right behind them that read, “Hiroshima, Japan, 3005”.  Then someone came running up to them shouting, “Hallelujah you’re here!  We are currently engaged in a nuclear war.  Take up arms and follow me!”  Seconds later, the shooting began.  They all got the general idea that you just point, shoot, and hide, so that’s what they did.  They fought day and night for months.

One awful day, a bomb hit the barracks.  Ben and Tom got out alive, but William and Chris weren’t so lucky.  Months later, after the war ended, Ben and Tom were told that they were stuck here in the year 3005.  As days went by, strong storms came and went.  Ben and Tom were eventually killed in these fierce winter storms. 

Back at Chris’ home, Macy received another letter, telling of her husband’s death in the war.  She was told that her husband was one of the bravest soldiers ever.  She mourned his death for several days.  And she never got to tell him the news: she was going to have his first child.

Tom Benson had no relatives.  No one even noticed that he left.  He was never missed and never grieved over.  He died a lonely man. 

Ben and William’s relatives were told of their deaths.  Their relatives were heartbroken.  But they knew that if those two died in battle, they must have died for a good cause.

All this because of a door to the future, and a nuclear war.

Writing Prompt Day 6: Character Analysis

So today's prompt!  Enjoy!!!

Character Analysis of Tom Benson from Prompt #3

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

Tom Benson is a normal person.  He lives a pretty normal life, but lives in a pretty blue city.  Now Tom tries to be happy!  But if everything around you is blue, it is kind of hard to be bright and yellow.  So to be a little more in depth, let’s go into what he feels.

He wakes up every morning and goes to work.  The first thing he sees is that same old blue coffee pot with blue coffee and a blue mug to put it in.  Yes sir, everything is pretty blue.  But on the inside, he looks at the world from a different perspective.  He imagines it with lots of colors and stuff, and eventually starts to think it really is that way.  Pretty soon, he feels as though he is in a colorful little wonderland.  But how does he keep this up in a blue world?  By not letting the blueness get to him.  He thinks happy thoughts, talks about happy things, dreams happy dreams, and even does stuff that makes him happy.  He does this because if he does anything or thinks anything that makes him sad, the blueness starts to get to him and he starts getting down. 

So to sum it all up, let’s just say that Tom Benson is a ray of sunshine in a dark world!  Or a yellow smiley face in a blue world!

Writing Prompt Day 5: Dialogue

SO most of this one is dialogue! Enjoy!  I think this one's pretty funny!  Sorry about missing yesterday.

I Don’t Get it

Original Story by Kristin Rutledge

Ben and William meet for lunch today.  After lunch, they were telling jokes.  This one turned out kind of funny.

Ben: “Knock, knock!”

William: “Who’s there.”

Ben: “Who”

William: “No, that’s what I said, who’s there.”

Ben: “Who.”

William: “No, no, no, you’re not getting it, I am asking you who’s there?”

Ben: “I know, who.”

William: “Then who is it?”

Ben: “I just told you!  Who!”

William: “NO!  Who is it?”

Ben: “Yeah!  That’s it!”

William: “What’s it?”

Ben: “No not what, who!”

William: “What?”

Ben: “NO!  WHO!”

William: “I am asking you a question!”

Ben: “And I know the answer!”

William: “Then who is it?”

Ben: “You just said it!  Who!”

William: “Okay……..”

Ben: “Let’s just start over.  Knock knock!”

William: “Who’s there?”

Ben: “Who’s”

William: “Who’s who?”

Ben: “Nevermind!”