Attitude

Today was my last day at work at LA Harbor Grain Terminal and I actually ended up working next door for a company called San Pedro Forklift. My job was fairly simple, all I needed to do was sweep out the trucks of those who had just had hay unloaded onto the dock. Now to be clear, these drivers normally have to do this on their own because San Pedro does not normally supply someone to assist with cleaning and therefore having someone there is like a gift to these guys. Cleaning the truck can be a tedious task because some companies require that the truck pretty much be "spotless" before a different type of product can be loaded into the container. Anyway, it would take 15-20 minutes to sweep out a truck thoroughly by myself and if the driver helped (which they are supposed to) it would only take about 10 minutes and half the effort. I found that unless I asked them to help, the drivers would simply stand around and watch as I did their job for them. At any time, I could have walked off and found something else to do while they had to clean their own trucks. At first I was annoyed by them standing around and then not even tipping me at the end! others would help and still give me a small tip just for helping and I was gracious for that. I started to get furious when people would not tip (mostly those who did not help) then I just about lost it when two drivers in a row did not even get out of the driver seat and just waited for me to wave them off. No thank you or anything! I decided after this though that if I kept this mindset, I would probably not get any tips the rest of the day and I would just have to go through the day doing a free service and not complaining because I needed to do this to learn a lesson and to just be content with what I had. All in all, I made 20 dollars in tips throughout the day (about 12 trucks) and I was happy with just sweeping out the truck and moving on because it was nice to just help out.

Paul writes to the church in Philipi and he states in Philipians 4:11-12, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. Whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." What powerful words from Paul. Everyday, we ask God for more and more and some of us hardly give anything in return. We think it is God's job to bless us because it is just what he does. Question is will we praise him regardless of the outcome or will we get frustrated and let our emotions get the best of us? I know I complain about not getting things sometimes or I wish I had more but I need to realize that he will provide what is needed for me and that should be enough. There is no catch, there is no fine print. God is very straightforward and he will do what he has promised and I need to trust that he will take care of me and let my faith take ahold. Sometimes it is better to just volunteer and give some time for those who are not used to having things done for them. My good spirit might have encouraged some people today and shown them that people are willing to do something regardless of what they receive in return. I told many drivers that I did not charge and tips were not necessary, but they insisted on giving me money and it is not very polite to refuse a gift (pretty much telling them they need it more than you do). We can control how we do things but the outcome is usually out of our hands and welcoming the outcome is the only way to be truly happy because we know that God will provide everything that we need. I am glad I experienced this today and I hope that everyone has to deal with this at some point because it is a very humbling experience. 

Well, I head back to Phoenix tomorrow and I hope that I have a safe trip and that I get to spend some good time with my friends and family while I am there. I hope you all had an amazing day and TGTIF.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson

Weaknesses

So just as things were on the up and up I let myself fall again. Big surprise right? I seem to start off a post like this every 3 weeks or so. Well I got to thinking about it and I thought of someone else in the Bible who had tons of God given talent and almost threw it all away. It led to a big fall for him because he did not guard himself and look out for his best interest. I am a few days away from my recruiting video and now more than ever would be a good time for me to pray and for you to pray for me so please do so. Also, let me know if you need prayer for anything and I will be sure to address it. I have found that trying to be passive with sin is not a very good way to go about dealing with it. When I try to let something go by just trying to ignore it, it always comes back to haunt me. Dealing with a weakness is one of the best ways to become strong. Improving your strengths is key but eliminating the weak points in your relationship will help you to become even more than you ever thought you could be. I know that if I did this, I would be like 10 times happier everyday and I would have a hard time falling because I would have ousted everything that hinders my perception of everyday life and living for God.

The person I am referring to who had their weakness is Samson, God made him so talented and gave him all this strength and blessed him with so much. Then, knowing his weakness, he gave up his secret because his emotional weakness was Delilah because he loved her so much and wanted her to feel the same way so he gave up the fact that his hair was his the secret to his strength even when he knew that something bad would happen. Delilah was his weakness and that was exploited and it led to his fall. He had his hair cut and he had his eyes gouged out so that he could not see, I do not know about you but I think that would be painful and would not be fun to be blind as the end result. Fortunately for Samson, God had something bigger planned for him and we see this in Judges 16:26-30 which states, "Samson said to the servant who held is had, 'Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.' Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. The Samson prayed to the Lord, 'O Sovereign Lord, remember me, O God, please strengthen me once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.' Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines. Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed more when he died than when he lived." Sure all we see here is pretty much how Samson recovered from his weakness though he did not really overcome it. However, we can learn that unless we can get past what is sometimes pulling us back, we will always be held captive and could end up falling for good. Why leave your relationship contingent upon one minor detail that you are unwilling to let go? Satan is going to exploit that weakness until you do something about it because he will get to you anyway he can and if you leave a door open, he does not knock but he walks right in. Do not leave yourself vulnerable to be kicked to the ground because before you know it, you are being kicked while you are down and there is no defense unless you can turn and give it all back to God.

I have areas I need to work on and ignoring them will not help. I feel like I fall back into the same stuff occasionally and I do not want to end up like Samson where my big fall comes as a result of me failing to take care of something in my life that is detrimental to me. Not necessarily something that is causing me sin but leaving temptation that I could take out of my life and not doing it. We are supposed to keep ourselves out of situations that will potentially hurt us. I know how to make the necessary changes in order to do this, it is just a matter of doing it and I will keep you all updated on how I am doing. I think this is a good lesson for us to learn and we need to apply this in all aspects of life.

I leave in the next few days for Arizona, so pray that I have a good last day at work tomorrow. I hope you all had a good night.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson

Days

Well, I will be heading back to Kansas a week from today and I have 2 more full days left here in California before I head back home. I have definitely found my time to be much easier the past few days as I have reverted back to my daily blog posts and letting God take control. It is easy to take part in the world and just live life everyday but it takes a strong minded person who wants what is best for themselves for eternity. It is not about being perfect, but it is about doing what is healthy and what has been commanded of you by your creator. We all hit bumps in the road and sometimes like just downright sucks but as I used Romans 5 yesterday, perseverance builds character and since I already established from much earlier posts, character defines who we really are, we can see that our struggles show our true colors and whether we overcome or fall under pressure. I know how easy life can be with the help of God and I am trying to make it a daily routine to invite him in and to let him have control of my life. This is rather complicated for me but I know that I am beginning to see the benefits and people around me are starting to see the transformations that have taken place. I love helping friends and I can always promise to be there but it is a two sided effort and I need to stay connected to God as well otherwise I will burn myself out. 

Colossians 2:20-23 states, "Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." We have been called to be set apart from the ways of the world and only when it becomes evident that we have, can we fully begin to impact those around us as they see the changes within us. They might try to provoke old behavior or force you into sin but standing strong will show that you are different and that there is something to the relationship that you have with Christ. When people feel you have distanced yourself from them when you have not at all, this I believe is a good thing. It means that your priorities have been realigned and you are spending more time doing what is going to benefit you in the end and hopefully are giving the time to God that he deserves. When people ask you how you are doing in your walk and they do not even have a personal relationship, people are noticing and they are holding you accountable and checking to see if you are the real deal. People notice success when they look to find it and they will want to have what you have if it means making life easier and better. I have experienced this first hand and hope to continue to show people changes over the next semester and hopefully take some more steps in changing people's lives. I believe I have influenced people in helping making decisions that will hopefully be very beneficial not only in their walk but also in helping them grow just as a person in the world. Growing up is not the same as getting older and I believe that growing up obviously takes a lot more work. We cannot force people to grow up but we can guide them and wish them the best and give them advice that will hopefully maximize their growth. 

I am excited for what the next week will bring as break winds down and I am excited to start a new semester and see what challenges I must face. Things are going well for me and I hope to keep making positive and beneficial decisions and striving to do the right thing everyday. Hope you all had a great day. 

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson

Hope

No matter how hard I work everyday to get things done, I always feel like there is no hope when I do not turn to God to take care of everything. He has closed a door for me to play Baseball which leaves only one option and that is still only a possibility. I know I have not been as fervent in seeking him since I started the search for schools and not giving it all to him and letting him take care of things has led to a door being shut on me. There is still hope though because no matter how tough my life gets or how alone I feel, he will always be there to push me and to hold me in his arms when I feel like the world is crashing down around me. I now have two choices for the 2009 Fall Semester, Vegas or Manhattan and we will see where God leads me. I know that wherever it is, I am going to continue to grown and learn from those that surround me and I will build up others in Christ as I have been trying to do for the past few months. Just in the past 24 hours, I have had some opportunities to encourage some friends and in turn I have seen that God can use me and he is going to use me as I continue to grow in him. He has taken care of me and a lot of the time I take that for granted but even as I was rudely woken this morning and accused of staying up late, I stayed in good spirits and thanked God for another day to live. It is tough but just being thankful can make your day that much better and showing God love is going to help you further your relationship with him because I think we fail to do such a simple task most of the time.

The verses that I have been encouraged by and have been able to use to encourage people were brought to me at about 4:30 this morning when I woke up in the middle of the night. Found in Romans chapter 5 verses 1-5, it states, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out this love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." As people everyday, we find ourselves struggling, getting into arguments, having a hard time with family, to stay strong and committed to our boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, to remain pure and to do what is noble and good. However we need to understand that God has given us hope and he will strengthen us as we battle through these things. He has give us immense support and if we surround ourselves with those who care about us and are willing to listen and help, there is nothing that we cannot overcome. Even though our faith might be little, nothing can stop the hope that we have in him. Hope brings us closer to the end, it brings us joy, it leads us to our dreams, it keeps us up at night because we are excited to see what happens next. Our story is written everyday and we only hope for the best but when everything seems to crash and break around us, we will persevere, we will build our character, and we will regain the hope and the faith that we profess. How will you face adversity? 

I still have not found my devotional book, but I think God is going to take care of me and supply me with what I need to get by everyday as long as I continue to seek him no matter what. I'm about a week and a half out from the beginning of Semester 2 but I am more than ready and have a willing heart to make changes when I go back. Best wishes to all and I hope you all had a great Monday.

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson

Pressing On

So I dunno who all reads this anymore and that is mostly my fault for not posting everyday and I am almost sure people have lost interest in checking something that they are almost positive will not have an update but I am still working out some busy things and finding time to post things that I learn though I continue to grow everyday and am trying my best to further my walk. I can grow without posting but I have made a promise to do my best to keep this up and it is time for me to keep that promise. Tonight as I sat outside Starbucks with one of my better friends who has definitely seen better days but could definitely use someone to talk to and to cheer her up. Unfortunately I did less time listening and more time talking but I know it was constructive time, better than sitting at home complaining about being bored. I now know that I can get on and I will move on to finish my schooling and I do not need her to be a compassionate interest in my life. When I came back to Orange County last Sunday, I did not know if I could just be friends with her because I still wanted more even though I had agreed about 2 months ago that she made the right decision in helping break anything we had going off. I still care about her and want what is best for her and she is still stunningly gorgeous (sorry if you are reading this but its just how I have felt). I am okay with being friends and even if I never get a chance again to show her how special she has been, I am okay with that because I am at peace for now and if the time rises again then I know that I can always pick up where I left off. It is definitely not the same as it was over the summer but then again, when do things ever happen the same way twice? Sure the outcome is the same but things cannot always be like they were and sometimes they are not even close. I cannot say that she has a special place in my heart because things never got too serious but she definitely has a place as a friend and only God knows where our roads will lead. I came to the realization that God does help us get on with life even when we feel like we cannot go any farther because he cares about us and wants us to be happy. I am so glad I got to spend time with her tonight and she knows that if she ever needs anything, I am always able to lend an ear and if need be and I am in town, I am here to comfort her and take her to Starbucks or Yogurtland. If you know her, I am talking about Sara Taylor and if you do not, well she is just the girl to everyone else :-D

Revelation 4:1-2 says, "After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.' " Unfortunately our life is not like a crystal ball and we are not able to look toward the future but God does have a plan for us and he would gladly show us our future if it would not overly excite us. But we have to be patient and learn to trust God because it is not in our hands, the decisions we make help take us to where he has planned for us but sometimes we do not follow God's plan and we can make destructive decisions on our own. I finally learned today that impulse decisions can hurt more than just letting things take their course and giving it all to God. Sometimes you can even ruin what you thought was the best thing to ever happen to you and then you feel like a failure because you might not ever get the chance to fix it. Luckily for us, God can fix things we have broken and if it is in the plans, he will make it work again. We should not dwell on that because that is holding onto baggage, we need to let it go into God's hands and let him guide us from that point on and who knows what will happen down the road. Once again, live every moment as if you do not know what tomorrow holds but use caution when making decisions that could alter your life. I am known to be a little cheesy and I am working on it but in regards to this, one of my favorite movie lines is from Transformers and it states, "50 years from now, don't you want to say you had the guts to get into the car?"  Again, use CAUTION when applying this but when you know that you know it is safe to take the risk, go ahead an do it and wee if it leads to places you never could have imagined. God might be waiting for you to jump but if you do not do it, then you are right where you were before. In the Christian walk, 50 years from now, don't you want to say you had the guts to speak up to that person and change their life? or better yet, change yours? Think about it.

Still have not really had time to look for my devotional book and I have had a lot on my mind this week but I have been making progress and am looking forward to my last week and a half of break before heading back to Manhattan and K-state. Hope you all had a great holiday season and great weekend. 

God Bless,

Joseph Robinson