Friday, December 26, 2008

Day 58

So I have been thinking the past few days about the effort that I put in on the baseball field and the effort I put in towards my relationship with God and sometimes this blog. I feel that if I put in about 2/5 of the effort I put in on the baseball field, I would be growing  a lot more than I am right now. Logically though, I should be putting in 2 times the effort I would put in on the baseball field in order to become stronger and better. Just knowing that judgement is before me should be motivation enough to stand strong and to seek God everyday, that and it is my calling to do great things for the Kingdom of God. Like I said the other day, embracing the situations in which we have the chance to do the right thing will help us immensely and make life so much easier. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he returned to find that some of the disciples were sleeping and he said, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." I find myself in this situation rather frequently, and it is where I am up for doing what I am told but I fall asleep and take my guard down. If I stay awake and pray and seek God, he will strengthen me. I know that I say this all the time, but my effort has been poor and I am going to step up and make the change. I have enough spirit to travel the world and preach all over, but my body is weak and the only way I can overcome that is through prayer and faith in God. 

Today's devotion is, "Looking for Direction" and the verse is one I have already used but am going to address again. It is found in Jeremiah, chapter 29 verse 11. It states, " 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " It is amazing how well I know this verse and simply cannot grasp its concept everyday. I know as always that I am just in a bumpy time in my life and I will get through it with God's help. However, it does get frustrating at some points and I feel God is the one to blame but then I remember that I am the one making some poor choices that lead me down roads that I never should have gone. I know he is there to guide me but giving up control is hard because as humans we want to control our own destiny. I cannot get anything done on my own anymore and if I want him to come through for me, I need to submit everything. For example,  I was supposed to shoot a recruiting video for UNLV over Thanksgiving but it rained and I was unable to use the fields. Then over the past week it has rained twice and I was supposed to shoot today but the fields are soaking and I leave for California tomorrow with no field to use and I will only be back in Phoenix for a few days before I leave to go back to school.  I cannot understand why this has happened but in some ways I want to put it on me for making poor choices and possibly angering God. I know that this is not a very logical reason but that is what I want to assume and though it is more than likely just chance, I like to kick myself when I am done and blame my failures for why I am not able to do certain things. I have a feeling that things will turn out okay either way, but I just wish things were not so complicated all the time.

Philip James Bailey said, "Walk boldly and wisely.... There is a hand above that will help you on." What I take from this is that as long as I continue to do the work of God and walk in his ways, he will be there to push me and to help me through the tough times. He does not want us to fail and he does our best to help us, but we have to be willing to take his help.

Well, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that you have spent some good time with your families. Without the birth of Jesus, there would have been no death and resurrection. While the atonement is the big kicker, the birth has just as much to do with salvation (because it also fulfilled prophecy). Hope you all have a wonderful day.

God Bless,
Joseph Robinson

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Day 57

Today was an awesome day, I got to sleep in a bit and then not too long after I woke up, I went to the mall with my sister and my mom and then I played golf with my dad. Seems like a short day but I was out from 11-6 and I had a blast spending time with my family and just being home with them all. My brother is coming into town tomorrow so that will add to the fun we are going to have and then Christmas is on Thursday, almost a day away now. I know that as I keep myself occupied with things that are beneficial to me as well as the work of God, I will not fall into sin so easily and I will be able to do the work I have been called to do. When things get tough, I will find a way out and have God guide me where he wants me to go. I am hopefully putting together a recruiting video on Friday (weather permitting) and I hope that goes well because I am not sure where God wants me to be but over this break, that question should be answered for sure. I will know where he is leading me and what exactly he wants me to do.

Day 2 is titled "Rest for the Weary" and the verse from Isaiah 6:8 states, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!" This is pretty much the question that God asks us every single day, especially when we are not following his ways when we know we should be. He says, "Whom shall I send" and he waits for us to answer the call but most of the time it goes unanswered. The missed opportunity you had at lunch, the failed conversation on the field, the big fall in front of your friends when you could have said no or not responded the way you did. We have choices everyday to continue to follow God or not, it is not just a one time decision, it is a daily decision. When we give it all to God, things get easier in the sense that we are sure of our daily decision to follow him and we feel security in him. That is why he provides rest for us; we need someone we can run to who can restore us when we feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. It is just an expression, but when people look to you all the time and you do not know what to do, God is right there asking you to answer the call and to seek him.

You may find this a bit cheesy, but I think that it applies to me and so I am going to use it anyway. Jack Sparrow says in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies that when the time comes and he has the chance to do the right thing, he, "Likes to wave at those moments as they pass by." This is almost exactly how my life is in a literal sense. There are times when I could do the right thing and make the decision to not sin but I do it anyway because my human nature says, "it will not hurt, it is okay because it only affects you" but in reality, my choices can affect tons of people and most of the time they do. It is up to me to take ahold of those opportunities and do what I know in my heart is right. The other time comes when I have the chance to minister to someone and I tell myself that if the time comes that I will do it, but most of the time, the time comes and I just let it go and do not even think twice about the missed opportunity. I know I have said this before, but the call has been made and the question is, are we willing to answer it? I know that I need to, but I have had a hard time doing it up until now and i am going to do what I can to make sure that I do as I have been called.

Since my devotional book only has about one verse a day, I think that I am going to memorize the verse of the day everyday so that when I get to the end, I will be able to see what I remember and see how I am supposed to apply it to life, that way I will be ready to help myself out when the time comes and I can reflect on the things I learned throughout the book and apply it.

Hope that you all have had a great day and that you have done all your Christmas shopping. Have a good night.

God Bless,
Joseph Robinson

Monday, December 22, 2008

Day 56

So being home alone is tough, there is a lot of temptation and you feel like you want to unwind from finals, there are many things that can lead you into trouble. Giving in is easy and I definitely crossed some boundaries today. I feel like my postings seem to be repetitive and I am not actually going anywhere with it because some of what I am posting, is just what I know. It is easy to scan the bible and find stuff you know and then talk about it, it is finding something that is new and picking it apart that will help one grow just as well. I also feel like I have been posting for length rather than depth. I feel that if I am not posting a certain amount, then I have failed. In all honesty, that is far from the truth and it is Satan trying to make me feel like I am not good enough, like I cannot do it and I feel that has contributed to some of my repetitiveness. So in an effort to try and make some changes and allow myself to grow a little more, I am going to start a devotional book that my mom gave me and I think I will do it every morning and then post my thoughts. I am also going to start memorizing as I have said that I need to and I will let you know how my memorization is going, I think that it is important and its time to start taking action in my own life as well as out in the world.

The first devotion is titled "Seeking the Truth" and the verse is from 1st Timothy 6:20, I like the translation in the book and I will give the NIV translation as well. The book's translation says, "Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge." The NIV version states, "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge." The next page talks about discernment and growing up and questioning what you have always been taught. Throwing away some things and taking hold of others while just clinging to some of the things you have always knew. I think deciding where to go and what to believe for teenagers is tough. With the world throwing sin and temptation in the eyes of all students and the church barely making a mark, students are lost somewhere in between but more towards the side of sin and the only way to make changes is through faith. There is a quote by Blaise Pascal and he says, "We know the truth not only by the the reason but also by the heart." Our heart guides us everyday though sometimes we do not follow our heart's desire and we fall. We understand truth because we know in our heart what is and is not truth. It is a feeling deep down that inspires us and forces us to question and search for answers.

Over the course of the semester and as I was in high school, I made the decision that I was going to follow Christ but I still had some things in the way of allowing me to do that. Questioning the decisions I was making, the lifestyle I was living, and where I wanted to be when I graduated all helped me become who I am today and they have made me a better person. I am at the stage in which a turning point is happening and its up to me to decide which direction I am going. Discernment is going to play a huge role in helping me make things work. Though I struggle, I will persevere and I will overcome sin with the help of God.

I stayed up late talking to a friend last night and this person has become a positive influence in my life and I am thankful for that. I think I might be having some sort of an effect on them as well and I am thankful for that as well. God is moving in great ways and this is just the beginning. I need to start living everyday as if there is no tomorrow. Knowing that if I die, I gave all that I could while I was here. I have not done a good job of that and I recognize that. Making a change is going to be pivotal for me and will have a great effect on where I am 6 months from now.

I hope you all are excited for Christmas and I hope you continue to seek God. I know he is all that I need but I have a hard time showing that to him. Do your best to show him the praise he deserves and give yourself to him.

God Bless,
Joseph Robinson

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Day 55

No need to tell me that my consecutive days streak of 2 ended... I traveled down to Oklahoma city on the day of my last final and was busy from the time I woke up until I went to bed at almost 12 in OKC. The next day I spent time with my Grandpa and Uncle as well as my Mom. Let me just say, if you have ever heard Abbot and Costello, my Grandpa and Uncle are about as close as you can get to the real thing. I enjoyed spending time there and going out with my mother to do some stuff. Then yesterday, I drove for 17 hours straight from OKC to Phoenix and when I got here I unpacked and then I went to bed because I went to my old church and joined the Bible Quiz practice this morning at 9. Last night was a little rough and I slipped up a little as well as today, but I am back on track with the blogs and I will not let myself nor God down. I hope that you all will continue to follow even when I miss days. I really think that people can benefit from it and I know that I am growing and trying to make changes everyday. Even though sometimes I feel like I am just hitting the skipping point on a DVD, I know that I am getting stronger and striving to make changes. With that, I was reading Luke and I came across something that I thought was interesting and thought of a good way to apply it to me.

Luke 18:31-34 states, "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them,'We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.' The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about." Here we find the disciples trying to understand what must take place in order for prophecy to be fulfilled. Not only that, but I bet there were a few who understood but did not know why it had to be Jesus. They stayed quiet for it was not the time to question the Son of Man's own prediction about his death. After all, he is the Son of Man.  There must have been confusion among them and almost for sure when they had some time alone, they were talking amongst themselves about all this prophesy and were trying to figure out why it must take place now. It is said that the night is always darkest before dawn and we see that the world will get worse before God returns and reigns.  The disciples had to understand this in order for them to understand why the prophecy was so important, they eventually realized this after they saw Jesus in the time following his resurrection, but it took time.

In my life, I feel that I have hit some of the darkest points I will ever hit and I feel that the dawn is upon me. Soon the sun will have risen and the son will have risen in me and the light will shine through me and I will be a good representation of my creator. This sun is one that will never set and will never run out of its energy because the fuel comes from him who created me. I still need to get to that point where I am sold out 100% for Christ and until that comes, I am going to keep falling and getting back up, I want to get to the point where I am standing firm permanently and then picking others up as they fall down. Like the disciples, I do not always understand why I go through some of the things I go through but God has a plan and as long as I stop being foolish and making the same mistakes over and over, his plan will be set into action. It is all about trust and faith in him and letting him take control of the things that are too great for us to handle on our own. Temptation and sin for instance, I still find myself trying to overcome it on my own and I still fail because I cannot do it on my own. I do not think it is so much trial and error as it is just me being ignorant and not doing what I should be doing. I am trying to make the break one where I break a few habits and then take them back with me as I head into a new semester. I am going to pray tons over break because I think that even if I only spend one more semester at K-State, he is going to work through me to reach some kids on that campus and it is up to me to answer the call and seek him so that I can touch others. Things may have to take place in my life in order for that to happen but like the disciples, I need to try and clear any confusion and just take it for what it is worth when it comes from God.

I am going to post everyday at least until I head back to Kansas because I have another long 17 hour drive back to OKC on January 13, so I am looking at about 3 solid weeks of posts and I want people to hold me accountable. I still do not think it is acceptable to miss these (especially over break) and I want people to know what is going on if I do not post. Please just ask me what is up and why I did not post because I will say that about 99 percent of the time I would NOT have a good reason too. I hope you all had a great weekend and that finals went well for all students who had them and I hope you all made it home in a safe and timely manner. I will continue to pray for you and I hope you will do the same for me.

God Bless,
Joseph Robinson

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Day 54

Well, today I was able to manage a 68 on my first college final only to bounce back with an 81 on my next one and my Algebra final tonight hopefully is an the 80s to 90s range. I definitely prepared better for the last two finals and I know that I got the grade I deserved so the only person I can be upset with is myself. Slacking is not something I usually do but I thought I could cruise the rest of the way and I definitely was put in check. I know that next semester I will spend the whole semester making sure that I go 100% in the classroom as well as outside the classroom. With Baseball season around the corner, I will definitely be busy just playing club ball but there are many more important priorities that will need to come before in order that I can be successful all around. I will continue to seek God and try and eliminate some things that have consumed me throughout the semester such as laziness, arrogance, games, movies, facebook. I know that things have started to become sort of a priority in my life and in a sense, the correct terminology would be that they are becoming idols. We are warned to be cautious of setting idols before us whether they are physical or mental. 

It is said in Ezekiel 14:1-6, "Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. then the word of the Lord came to me. 'Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, "This is what the sovereign Lord says: When any Israelite sets up his idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet, I the Lord will answer him myself keeping with his great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have deserted me for their idols." ' 'Therefore say to the house of Israel, "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices." ' " Sorry about the confusing quotation marks, the Bible was confusing me and I was trying to figure them all out and decided to just start putting them where I saw fit. Anyway, This is pretty much saying that we must learn to put God first and not let other things get in the way of our time with him, then these things become idols and that is against the commands of God. This applies to the Israelites at the time but in our age, this is more of an issue with video games, movies, internet, books, TV, sports, and work. Some of these are extremes but for the most part, we can limit how much of these activities we do and in other cases these are beneficial to us growing as well as surviving in life but they still should not completely consume us. We are told that when we put a stumbling block in front of us and then search for answers, the Lord will answer in regards to the idolatry in hopes of bringing us back to him and taking us away from the idols we have set in place.

I know that this is a struggle for me, as I mentioned, facebook can consume much of my time during the day. Video games and movies are also a major problem and I know that I need to make changes. It takes away from me doing my devotion at a decent time in the day when I am more comprehensive and can make clearer statements. I have let myself become somewhat consumed by things of this world, rather than using these things as leisure during my time here. I think that once I apply the fact that life is finite and that I can only do so much constructive stuff in the short time I am here, I should not spend my time with frivolous things that will be detrimental to my walk and to my effectiveness on this earth. I have talked about a higher calling and I feel that everyday and every step we take should be towards that higher calling. Sure there is time to relax but at the same time, we have tons of work to do and at this rate most of us will hopefully be disappointed that we could not do more when our time is done. If we recognize it early enough, we can make changes and I think that is what I started doing about 9 weeks ago.  My eyes have been slowly opened to so many things that I never knew and now applying everything is the real task, but I hope I can be the best at being who God wants me to be and I hope that I can instill change in myself as well as those around me.

Well, I head home tomorrow (weather permitting) and I will be in Oklahoma City for a day to spend time with some family at this time of year when family is the focus and we learn to appreciate some of the smaller things in life (hopefully). I hope that you all have been having an awesome week and I hope that everyone is encouraged everyday and that the buck does not stop with me blogging, but I hope that you will pass this on to someone who needs it or that you will just invest in someone else who you know is searching for something. Have a great night and God bless.

Joseph Robinson

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Day 53

Well, I am just outside 9 hours from having to take my first final in college. Unfortunately there were there was a few inches of snow today and walking around is rather hard. I do not mind the cold weather and the snow is actually just another reminder of how great God is. He has helped me through so much this past week and I am finally beginning to grasp how to overcome the desires that my human nature has and to follow what God has for me. The Spirit is starting to take more of a role in my life and thanks to a great mom, I finally started to take things more seriously. I know there are people I can run to and I know that I always have more help. I am excited for break and the things I am going to be able to do to help people and the way things are going to change for me. Next semester is going to be two times better than this one and I cannot wait. I have some words of encouragement for all of you and it also applies to me and those that are helping guide me along.

Paul states in Phillipians 2:12-18, "Therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my presence but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not tun or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad to rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad to rejoice with me." This is pretty much how I feel when I post these blogs. I want people to be able to grow and strive to be great in order that I will know that I have been able to touch people's lives through my own experiences and insights into life. God is not just having me do this for me, he is having me do this to make a profound impact on people that will in turn impact other people.  There is so much that we must do to be pure and blameless but it is not impossible and God will be pleased with our goal to be excellent in everything we do. 

I know that it is hard to strive to so what God wants me to do and to do it without complaint or argument. But as I have said before, it is our duty to shine like stars and be like lights. I want to shine like the child of light that I am and I want to be pleasing in my creator's sight. I want to do everything that he has planned out for me and I want to be successful in his eyes. I am not one who likes to disappoint (unless it comes to those who want me to fail) but as Paul said, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose." For it is not the people of this world that I should fear, but I should fear God. The purpose is not for him to scare us into his presence but we should be conscious of what he has the power to do and we should want to do what is best for us eternally. Now if you are still a little skeptical about whether God really has the power to do what he says, or you are not sure if the whole heaven and hell thing is real, talk to me about it and we will see what we can come up with. There are always explanations in Christ but we have to be willing to seek the answers and be fervent in our search. Once again, "for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm." Seek guidance in everything and do not give up. I have learned that over the past year and I have come a long way, if you want to know just how far I have come, ask me and I will be more than willing to tell you.  There is no compromise in salvation, it is black and white meaning there is no in between, it is either a clean slate that you and those who know you are proud of, or it is a dirty slate in which God wants to help you. There is no escaping God, there is only temporary hiding and in the end it will not be fun. 

Keep seeking God and all he has for you. He has something special for each and everyone of us and accepting it is definitely beneficial to us. Do not hold back, go all out and continue to let him work. I hope you all have a good night.

God bless,
Joseph Robinson

Monday, December 15, 2008

Day 52

I have been thinking and I know that in the recent weeks I have not been putting in my best effort into this blog and that has also been a reflection of my everyday walk. That is not to say that I have taken a step back but I got sidetracked and sort of tried to justify missing days and not living the way I am supposed to but that is what I (and I believe we) tend to do everyday pertaining to sin and as to why we do not get into the word and spend time with God daily. It is because we always seem to be able to find a way to justify what we are doing in our lives and so that makes it appear okay. Unless one is preaching 24 hours a day or being a missionary and working 24 hours a day, then one needs to be in the word and living a life pleasing to God. There are other exceptions which I cannot possibly cover them all but I think you get the point. I am going to make it a goal as I did at the beginning to accomplish a longer streak of consecutive days than the first one I set which I believe was 13 days or so longer than the original 30 that I planned to do. God is preparing me for bigger things and this is just a stepping stone for me and I know that many people have been able to get something out of this and i am glad about that. I need to stay focused on the prize as Paul stated in Phillipians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ." I intend to be all that God wants me to be because he has a higher calling for me and I know that I can fulfill it.

As I was thinking about Finals week, I was struggling to find something that could somewhat pertain to it but at the same time, I wanted to just find something that would fuel a dying fire because I know that in some areas I can start to lack and I wanted to keep it going. Isaiah 12:1-6 states, "In that day you will say: 'I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.' With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: 'Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for the things he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.' " For those of you facing finals this week and need a little pick me up, now is not the time to turn from God and say you are too busy "studying." He can and will give you strength to get through the week and will give you energy to do well but you have to ask him for help and show that you are willing to put in the time to seek him in the midst of a stressful time. The verse says "I will trust and do not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord is my strength and my song." Do you believe that your finals are too tough for God to help you out with or that he simply does not care? Well how about this, if you finals are too hard for him, why would he care to know every single hair that is on our head or every thought that consumes our mind? NOTHING is impossible for God and if we praise him for who he is and hat he does, he will be there during our time of need this week. He cannot put more hours in the day but he can help you manage your time so that you have plenty of time for sleep and studying as well as those oh so loved study breaks! Give thanks to the Lord and make known unto those around you what he has done and is doing in your life and he will bless you greatly for that. Do not expect him to respond with helping you pick up for slacking all semester, but he will do what he can to help you and it also reflects the effort you put in as well. He wants us to succeed but we have to be willing to do it and we have to apply these concepts to life and not ignoring him until we need something.

I find that this applies to me not just during finals week but everyday as a teenager. I have talked to people who view me as a Christian and they see how I live everyday and I may not be the best representation but I give off a better view than some do. I am not saying I am better than these people but I have just learned that people DO watch and see what I am doing throughout the day and the things I say and I have made the necessary changes in Christ to insure that I have integrity and can be a good representation of Christ. I give God praise in most of the things I do (not quite everything yet, but getting there) and I know that he is pleased with me because of it. I understand that God was angry with the way in which I used to live but he still loves me and it is my job to give him the praise that he is do. He truly is glorious and has changed me so much this semester. I understand how much I need to rely on the Christian body and him in order to stay strong in him and not fall into the world. I have read a few books that have helped me grow by showing me how to sort of overcome the human nature inside me that is pulling me in several directions. God walks among us everyday in Spirit and for some of us, he reigns IN us. He is superior and deserves all the glory for he is great and worthy to be praised. He has given me so much and for that I thank him. He is an awesome God and I will live for him for all my days.

I wanted to mention a song in this blog because I have been listening to it all semester and I think that even just singing it out loud is one of the best ways we can give God praise (as with any worship song) but only as long as we mean what we are singing and they are not just words.

I can feel the way you are and I want more
Like a warm summer rain or the quiet after a storm
rain down on me your glory, Lord
Let my heart know the wonders of your ways
Cause I remember being lost and alone
But before you know, I find myself with hope
Hope to dream of endless fields
with waves of green and be taken away
I'm taken away with you
As I look up at the sky on this glorious night
I can sense you here with me

Oh, I couldn't count the times I've allowed this sky
to remind me that you are glorious
God, you are glorious
It seems every single day I'm amazed
at the way this world reveals your love
I couldn't ever find the words
to explain the ways in which you are glorious
God, you are glorious

And daily I will let my life be a tribute
to the ways in which you are glorious
I wanna live in you
I wanna breathe in you
I wanna be all the things you've called me to
I wanna stay in you
Put my faith in you
I wanna let my life reside in you
Let glory rain down on me
As I look up at the sky on this glorious night
I can sense you here with me

Oh, I couldn't count the times I've allowed this sky
to remind me that you are glorious
God, you are glorious
And daily I will let my life be a tribute
to the ways in which you are glorious

I pray that you all take this to heart and will apply this scripture in the way it is fitting to your life. I am sure there is more for everyone out there other than just what I gathered from it. I believe that giving praise to God is something we need to do everyday and not just at church or when we are with other Christians. It is healthy for us and will reap blessings beyond anything we could ever comprehend. I hope you all have a good night.

God Bless, 
Joseph Robinson