hands and feet

yesterday afternoon, my brother, my best friend and i had agreed to meet at the apartment after we were each done with whatever else we had going on, and we would watch a movie.

when i called my brother after my job was completed, he had an adventure ready for us.

so around 3:45 yesterday afternoon, my brother, my best friend and i headed to the flea market.

personally, i'm not a fan- i'll just make that clear. too crowded, too much stuff, and i just don't like the overall atmosphere.

but we had come on a mission. my brother had gone to this particular flea market a few weeks ago and had seen someone he wanted to minister to. specifically, a tarot card reader.

we arrived in the tarot card reader's section of the flea market, and the atmosphere immediately changed. do you ever get that off-feeling when you can sense the spiritual warfare? sometimes it's around a movie you shouldn't watch, when you walk into a house where Jesus is not welcomed, or when you walk up to a tarot card reader's booth. in the simplest terms, it just plain feels bad. this is the atmosphere change we experienced when we walked closer to her booth. she was with a customer, so we waited impatiently as we felt the battle all around us.

my friend and i let my brother do the majority of the talking, because this lady was such a burden in his heart. he asked her a bit about what she did, and they talked about the differences between all the witchcraft-fortune telling-tarot card reading and the gift of the Holy Spirit we know as prophecy. the lady was very acceptant of what we had to say, but she didn't seem otherwise interested, and her priority was obviously packing up her booth to go home. we knew this, so we stated our point: that we didn't come to intimidate her or be intimidated by her. we came to tell her that Jesus loves her, and that we love her, too. could we pray for her?

the atmosphere shifted.

she agreed to a prayer, and respectfully bowed her head, closed her eyes, and even held our hands as the three of us prayed for her upcoming surgery she mentioned and for a proclamation of truth in her life. amen.

the atmosphere snapped.

she looked up at us and said, "now that was powerful." we told her that there is power in prayer, and power in the blood of Jesus. she responded, "yes, but that was boldness."

as we left her booth, we passed other vendors who pulled us aside and told us how glad they were that we had talked to her and prayed for her! they were Christians, they said, and they weren't scared of her, but they wouldn't talk to her.

this broke my heart.

dear fellow Christ-followers, let's be the hands and feet of Jesus. what we preach is essentially worthless if we don't live it.

a heartbeat

"when our heart is beating in sync with God's heart, then the resource comes, doors open, opportunity happens...if God loves this world and gave His Son for this world, then wherever there is a trace of injustice we have the responsibility to be light in the midst of darkness...it's non-optional..."- chris caine.

a few years ago, i became suddenly aware of an injustice that has grown worldwide over the past couple of decades. the injustice is child soldiers. if you've ever seen the movie "blood diamond" then you've gotten a glimpse of the terror these children are put through. children, both boys and girls, are "recruited" into the army- some by kidnapping, some by manipulation into "patriotism" and "manhood", but few by choice. these children vary in age from as young as six years old to sixteen. they are brainwashed through drugs and over-exposure to war and violence, until the things they take part in no longer bother them- they don't even notice most of the time. they are robbed of their innocence, their whole childhood gone. with the shot of a gun, a six year old gains the experience that most western-culture adults have not even fathomed.

this is something that does not simply disturb me when i see it on movies like "blood diamond"... it became a passion burning inside of me. i must see these boys saved, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

i started writing this post with the intentions of sharing about a book i read this week. apparently God has deeper plans, as usual. anyway, here is the book:

this book changed my life. i watched "blood diamond" for the first time about a week before i bought this book, so i was able to put a visual to the words i was reading. ishmael beah is about twelve years older than i am, so reading this i realized the contrast: he was just escaping these horrors while i was growing up riding my tricycle and playing in my "little tykes" kitchen. two totally different worlds, two totally different scenarios, one thing in common: we were both children. we were both totally innocent. until.

his innocence was robbed when he was forced to see things, do things, that no child should ever have to see or do.

my innocence died in the best possible way: i learned about the loss of innocence in others through injustices such as this.

ishmael now travels the united states, telling his story of how he was a child soldier and was rescued. i do not know if he knows Christ, but i know that the hope of Christ is the only hope for children soldiers, present and former.

my loss of innocence was not without purpose. not only was i made aware of the gruesome stories of these children, but now i have made you aware as well. dear reader, what purpose will your loss of innocence serve?

"i'll stop and weep for a while
because innocence is gone.
she died some time today.
simplicity was all she knew,
and she was never afraid.

in her honour, i'll sing a eulogy.
i'll write pretty words
that'd make every mother weep.
then i'll sing an anthem cry
as we rise for
to see innocence restored.

she always picked the flowers,
'cause they'll grow back,
and she must bring beauty with her.
she never understood when the flower died,
but she'd always blame the weather.

in her honour, i'll sing a eulogy.
i'll write pretty words
that'd make every mother weep.
then i'll sing an anthem cry
as we rise for
to see innocence restored.

it's sad to say, she died very suddenly.
she found that a man had uprooted her flower-tree.
and she never was the same.
she had now seen and knew
that the weather was not to blame.

innocence died that day.
simplicity was gone and now she was afraid.
she saw things she could not forget.
responsibility took its toll and we go back to what i've said:

i'll stop and shed a tear.
innocence is gone,
and in her place here is the knowledge i cannot forget.
how could i go on and live a life
leaving all of this unsaid?
normal is no longer for me.
innocence was burried where once stood the flower-tree.

in her honour, i'll sing a eulogy.
i'll write pretty words
that'd make every mother weep.
then i'll sing an anthem cry
as we rise for
to see innocence restored.

innocence will live again.
she'll dance with her sweet bouquet
and sing songs to the wind.
she'll still know all she knows today.
but in the beauty of a brand new heaven and earth,
everything will be okay.
everything will be okay.

now pack a bag, bitter knowledge,
you'll travel the world with me.
there is innocence everywhere
burried on the plots of late flower-trees.
knowledge must be spread,
for i will not forget.
innocence will live in just a while
and this is how we bide the mean-time.
i will tell the world, innocence."

‎-rla

to catch you up...

my life is crazy busy, so a daily entry is next to impossible...

however, one of my favourite quotes is from the movie "Amazing Grace", and it says, "we are too young to know certain things are impossible, so we will do them anyway."

so here's to attempting daily entries, and pictures to catch you up in the mean time:

my childhood best friend came home from her adventures overseas, and we finally got to catch up! it's amazing to see what God has done in both of our lives.

Jeremy got married- and he chose his gal very well. love you, steph!

i went on a road trip with one of my best friends, and here's the scoop on that:

got to see my bug!

got to visit Mercy Ministries, a ministry i love dearly.

got to see my brotha from anotha motha. ;)

got to see one of my favourite people in the entire world: my nana.

after we got home, i successfully cooked! lol

went xmc shopping with my brother- what excitement!

spent the day shopping with my little sister for her birthday.

etc.

so this is the past two weeks in a nutshell.

here's to daily entries. c'est la vie.

endurance

well, first of all, happy independence day! i hope everyone enjoys this huge blessing we have!

second, congratulations to my cousin jeremy and his new bride stephanie on their wedding yesterday!

yesterday morning, i had a coffee date with Jesus. while i made my breakfast, i listened to a podcast by christine cayne while she interviewed jeanne mayo. both of these ladies are role models of mine and great women of God. during the interview, jeanne mentioned that most youth pastors hold that position for an average of two years. when christine asked her why so short a time, jeanne replied, "our culture has not put a priority on endurance."

oh, how this struck my heart! it's just so unbelievably true. i live in a generation of back-up planners who figure their biggest dreams won't last, if they're even worth pursuing, so get your degree in a back-up plan. the minute things get tough, bail. there's always plan E. there's always mommy's leg to hide behind.

as this occured to me, a verse came to mind:

hebrews 12:1, "therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (who have borne testimony to the Truth), let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly qnd cleverly) clings to and entangles us, *and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us." (AMP)

Jesus and i talked the passage over, and this is what i realized:

1. "patient endurance"- no back-up plans. God gave me so many crazy big dreams because i'm going to see them lived out. why settle for what i can plan when i'm promised plans that give me hope and a future? (jeremiah 29:11)

2. "active persistence"- i cannot afford to take a passive posture. i cannot give up or watch idly by.

3. "appointed course of the race"- i don't have to worry about what's ahead. there's no need to make a back-up plan, because God already knows. i just have to take it one leg of the race at a time.

now, i have been training to run a 10K (i only know of a 5K i'd like to run, but i want to be able to run a 10k anyway). the training i've been doing is an iphone app called "couch to 10k", and it turns a non-runner into a 10k runner in thirteen weeks. the secret? building endurance! using this program, i am building my endurance so that i can run the six miles straight without dying (lol!).

my prayer is that we will build our spiritual endurance as well. let's don't be a generation of back-up planners! let's be dreamers, persistent and enduring!

welcome to my first deep blog post :)

<3 robin

this one's for the girls...

actually, it's for anyone who cares to be smart with their grocery shopping. martina mcbride just happens to be stuck in my head.

so about once a week, i have an idea that is beyond crazy but it makes a lot of sense. it starts with a problem, as most ideas do. for example, a few months ago, i discovered that my mascara was not accomplishing the look i desired. as with most problems. i then set out to find a solution (i need a mascara that volumizes and lengthens without spending a fortune!) the solution usually turns into a challenge (can i find such a mascara for under $8?) and then into an endeavor (interviewing ladies about their mascara of choice, visiting stores and comparing prices and featured mascaras, etc.) i set out on my endeavor until i reach my desired solution (maybeline XXL pro, colossal, $4.97 at walmart).

now about two weeks ago, another problem arrived. i was at work, but for once i only had the baby, and several hours to kill. so baby and i went grocery shopping. i knew it was neither sanitary nor safe to take the baby to walmart, so we went to target, where my shortened grocery list cost me over fifty dollars.
problem: wayyy to expensive for a college student's groceries!
solution: price comparing? absolutely!

the endeavor turned into a scavenger hunt at five local grocery stores: walmart, target, winn-dixie, fred's, and dollar tree. my goal was to find the quality qnd quantity i desired for the cheapest price.
so here are my finds! i hope they help!
note: some brand names are more expensive or cheaper than others, but it's what i get. i'll list brand names as needed. also note that i'm a college student with a cooking disability (it's possible to burn water). sorry! lol

GROCERIES:

apple juice boxes (minute maid)- $1 for four packaged boxes, fred's or dollar tree.

bagels- $1.24 (half-dozen), target.

brown sugar (light, market pantry brand)- $1.69 (2lb), target.

hormel's compleats 90-second meals- $1.98 each at walmart.

cheese, sliced (borden's)- $2.94 for 24 wrapped slices, walmart.

cheese, string (target's market pantry brand)- $5.19 for 24 individually wrapped cheeses, target.

chicken breasts (tyson, skinless, boneless)- $5.68 at walmart.

chocolate syrup (hershey's)- $3.48 for 48oz, walmart.

cinnamon rolls (pillsbury)- $1.97, target.

cinnamon-sugar- $1.78, walmart.

coffee (starbuck's blend)- $8.88 at walmart.

coffee creamer (coffee house "caramel macchiatto)- $1.78, walmart.

eggs (large)- $1.45 for one dozen, fred's.

granulated sugar (domino brand)- $2.75 (4lb bag), fred's.

green beans (del monte, cut and salted)- $.60, fred's.

hot chocolate (swissmiss)- $1, dollar tree.

humus (red chili pepper, i forget the brand.)- $5 for two bowls, winn-dixie.

mac-n-cheese (market pantry)- $.52 per box, target.

milk (skim)- $4.20 (gallon), fred's.

muffin mix (jiffy)- $.45 per box, fred's.

oatmeal (quaker's maple and brown sugar)- $2.72, walmart.

oreos (double-stuffed is totally the best)- $2.79, target.

passion fruit juice (welch's, best juice ever)- $2.27, walmart.

pasta sides- $1, walmart.

pita crisps (to dip in humus)- $2.68, walmart.

pizza (digiorno's rising-crust)- $4.99, target.

poptarts- $3.50 (16-count), walmart.

soup (campbell's chicken noodle)- $.79 per can, walmart. (i'd like to point out that it's $1.79 at both target and winn-dixie!)

spaghetti o's (no meatballs, *grin*)- $.89 per can, target.

turkey (sliced sandwhich meat)- $3.09, target.

vitamin-C (adult gummies, *grin*)- $5 at walmart.

water (bottled aquafina)- $5.49 (24 14 oz. bottles), target.

wheat bread (multi-grain)- $2.58, walmart.

white rice (long-grain, off-brand)- $1 (1lb bag), dollar tree.

whole grain biscuits (pillsbury)- $1.77, walmart.

NON-GROCERY ITEMS:

conditioner (suave)- $1.38 for individual regular-size bottles at walmart, or $4 for three regular-sized bottles at winn-dixie. whichever is more practical for your life.

contact solution (opti-fresh, i think)- $14.99 for two 20 oz. bottles, target.

cotten swabs (q-tip's travel packs)- $.97, walmart.

cotten swabs (bulk)- $1 for off-brand at fred's or dollar tree.

deodorant (secret, shower fresh scent)- $3.92 for a twin pack at walmart.

dish soap (dawn with olay moisturizer)- $5 for two 32 oz. bottles at winn-dixie.

dryer sheets (cuddle brand), $1 (50-count), dollar tree.

eyeliner (maybeline)- $6.99 (gel), walmart. $6.29 (mechanical pencil), winn-dixie.

face scrub (neutrogena, daily)- $6.97, walmart.

face wash (neutrogena, fresh foaming wash)- $4.47, walmart.

face wipes (neutrogena, make-up removing)- $4.47, walmart. ($1 off-brand, dollar tree)

febreze- $4.97 for two bottles.

hand soap (softsoap brand) $.88 per bottle, walmart.

hangers (plastic pants-hangers)- $1.17 (10-count), walmart.

hangers (wire)- $1.17 (10-count), walmart.

ladies, sorry men-folk. pads (always, maxi)- $5.47, walmart.

laundry detergent (purex)- $7.97, walmart.

razors (noxema)- $3 (6-count, i like this bargain!), fred's.

shampoo (head and shoulders)- $4.72, walmart.

sunscreen (neutrogena, 100 spf)- $9.89, target.

toilet paper (charmin)- $10.50 (32-count), fred's.

toothbrush (oral-b)- $1 for two, dollar tree.

toothpaste (colgate)- $1, dollar tree.

well, those are my finds! if you have any finds, i'd love to hear them. :)
happy shopping!