Merry Christmas… and I would’ve been hot in the 80s. : ) December 23, 2008

This is a photo of me and my boyfriend Jakob at the BCE 08 (Best Christmas Ever). I was pretty convinced that Jakob was a pretty amazing guy, but the fact that he wore the tacky sweater I bought him and didn’t complain about it really convinces me.  The idea of BCE was to wear the worst, tackiest Christmas sweater you could find. Our sweaters aren’t quite Christmasey, but they were way too good to pass up. I have sequence and shoulder pads and Jake’s sweater has about every color you would never want on a sweater and it seems as though the designer couldn’t quite make up their mind on what pattern they wanted to use. To top that off about 15 minutes into the party Jake found a lose thread on his sweater and it began to unravel. Don’t worry though we tied it up with a nice Gold Christmas bow so really it just made it that much better. One thing to say about the sweater is this… we definitely would’ve been looking good in the 80s. I just need a little more height to my hair and we’d be set to pary it up in 1985. : )

I think the winner of the night however was my lovely grandmother. Don’t be fooled, I know that some grandmas sometimes are quite tacky with their attire, but that has never been my grandma. She is quite hip and is always looking good. She was def. looking good the night of BCE and as usual she was the life of the party. : ) 

yeah I know your jealous that your Grandma doesn’t look like this. : )

So weather your family is tacky and wacky or reserved and cool

I am hoping that this Christmas is a very merry one for you!

A Horizon High School Play, A Little Sister, and A Crazy Last 2 Months November 21, 2008

So I know that at this point no one will actually read this because it has been so long since I have blogged, but I figure what the hey lets give this blogging thing a try again and see if I can actually be consistent this time.

It is because of my little sister’s play that I feel the need to blog again. Elise is a senior at Horizon High School and last night and tonight (go if you don’t have any plans) they are doing the play “A Christmas Carol”. See up to this point I have sorta forgotten that the Holidays are coming soon. It is so easy to get wrapped up in life that you just let it roll on by and never really take the time to refelect on what has actually happened. Leave it to Mr. Scruge through is “bah humbugs” to show you how important it is to take a little time to look at what has happened in your life and realize that sometimes you just need to say thanks for the blessings you have… especially when Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Here are a few things I have reflected on in the past few months:

• Trip to the orphanage “Home of Refuge” in Yuma, Venezuela. What an amazing trip. These kids been through more than I could ever imagine, yet the whole time I was there I could feel God working. Joy is the best way to describe this place. A joy that can only come from the Lord. Even with the passing of their beloved caretaker Nancy this past month, Rosa (Tony her husband runs the orphanage as well as another on in Hondorous) reminded us of our Fathers great love and the way he provides what we need. It is hard not to realize how blessed you truly are after visiting a place like the Home of Refuge. A part of my heart wil always be with the kids there. Please continue to pray for them when you think of it.
• Working at Starbucks. In a wierd way I am very thankful for my time at Starbucks. I was able to develop some pretty cool relationships and got a lot of free coffee. : ) Coming back from Venezuela and returning to Starbucks was a very tough transition for me, but God used it to show me how to fully rely on him and trust in his plans instead of my own and God’s plans were so much better than mine!
• GOALS, Inc. I have started a new job working at GOALS, Inc. We work with at-risk youth in the school discrict. I am specfically working as a program lead for the after school component with the 4th and 5th graders. They are incredible kids. For the first time in my life I love to go to work everyday. I work with a great staff and we all have the same goal to just be there for these kids when so many other people haven’t been. I think that I am coming to GOALS, Inc. at a time when God is going to launch them somewhere cool and I am so excited to be apart of that!
• I met a boy and a pretty amazing boy at that. Enough said there, those of you who have met him know he is pretty cool. I am excited what will happen here too! : )

Bottom line is when I graduated in May I had this idea of what my life would look like. Boy was I wrong, but I am so glad I was. Many of us probably know Jeremiah 29:11, “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 a hope and a future”. and I have seen this verse play out in my life time and time again, but sometimes I forget to keep reading past verse 11 to verse 12 which I think is sometimes even more encouraging than verse 11. It says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen”. I think that is amazing! God not only has amazing plans for our lives that our so beyound our understanding, but he also says that we can call on him and he will listen. So sometimes we miss what God is doing, but he never leaves our side. Sometimes we totally get what God is doing and he still has never left our side. Anytime good or bad, we can call on our Lord and he will listen to our what we have to say. I am thankful for that! I am thankful for the way God has worked in my life! Don’t forget what God is doing in your life even if you may not fully understand it because God knows and he wants you to call on him because he is always listening!

Moms, Dads, & Grads! The three really do go together, this Grad would be nothing without her Mom and Dad! May 20, 2008

 

I am now officially a College Graduate! It is a feeling that I can’t describe to know that I am done and I am so excited to see what God is going to bring my way next! It is going to be incredible, I have no doubt. Both my parents have written very honoring blogs to me about my accomplishments, but I am not alone in it. I would have never made it this far without their love and support. This post is to honor them for all the sacrifices, support and time they put in to make this day possible for me.

Dad- where to begin? You have never had anything, but high expectations for me and you supported, encouraged me and loved me every step of the way to meet those expectations. Never once have I thought because I am a girl that I couldn’t do anything. If anything you taught me I could do more. : ) You and mom got married young and had me before maybe you planned, but I can’t ever remember a day when you didn’t work your butt of to take care of our family. I learned discipline and hardwork from you. Not becasue you lectured me day after day about the importance of working hard, but because you lived it!

Your life, the choices you made to serve God has always been such an inspiration to me. Every Sunday when you teach I learn so much. You’d think that by now I’d be tired of listening to you, but I look foward to what you have to say. It amazes me how you allow God to use and direct you.  You wrote in your letter to me, Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. You do this everyday.  You let the holy spirit shine through you with every word you preach and step you take. That is really the best gift you have ever given me! I am so blessed to have you as my dad!

Thanks so much for always listening to me no matter how long I decided to talk your ear off. : ) Thanks for always being interested in my life and asking tough questions no matter how awkward it made me feel. Thanks for loving me and giving me an example of the way my Heavenly Father loves me. It is because of you and mom I made it this far! That diploma partly belongs to you too! I love you so, so much!

Robbin

Mom- There is no one that understands me more, supports me more, or takes care of me more than you do. I am amazed as I look back over the years of everything you have done for me.  The choice you made to stay at home with me and the girls when we were little means so much. I am so thankful that no matter what happened you were who I got turn to when I needed something. We have def. had our tough times over the years. Remeber 5th-8th grade? Yeah those where some tough years. If someone told me then that by the time I graduated college you’d be not only my mom, but one of my best friends I never would’ve believed them. But that is exactly what happened. You became a friend and a mother. There isn’t anyone I laugh more with or cry more with than you. Thank you so much for always being there no matter what!

Mom, your compassionate heart, care for others, and desire to tell anyone and everyone about Christs love is incredible! I have never once in my life thought I was incapable of anything because you are so capapble of everything and I thought if I can just be half the woman my mother is I can do anything. I don’t think you have any idea how many people you come in contact with are blessed because of a smile you gave them or a kind word you said. You have always been my number one encourager! No matter how overwhelmed I became, you always shed light on the situation. It is because of your hardwork and dedication to finish your degree that I got the strength to get mine. I know that it wasn’t easy, but you did it and so did I! You are an amazing, godly, woman and I am so blessed to have you as my mother!

Thank you for laughing, teaching, loving, encouraging, crying, and just hanging with me! I am the person I am because of the person you are. Any accomplishment or thing I do is possible because of the foundation you and dad gave me. I thank God everyday for you! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Robbin

 

Finally a Day Off– They Never Go as You Plan January 21, 2008

So today is MLK Jr. Day which is very exciting to me because not only is it a day to remember an amazing figure of our history, but it also means I do not have school or work. I have been looking forward to this day because  it meant that I could finally sleep in. Last night as I went to bed I was thrilled I did not have to set an alarm of any kind and could just sleep.  I visioned myself pretty much wasting most the morning catching some z’s. What a wonderful day!

Well, it is about 8:30am right now and I am wide awake. I know you’re thinking 8:30 isn’t too early and I would agree with that, but I have been awake since about 7:00am. No matter how much I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to fall back to sleep I couldn’t do it. I know that I am tired, I went to bed well after midnight last night, but it doesn’t matter, I cannot fall back to sleep. I hate it. There was a time when I could sleep to noon with no problem. Now I can barely make myself sleep past 7:00am, it just really isn’t fair. I suppose 7am is sorta like sleeping in because when I work early I get up around 3:30am, but still it just doesn’t cut it for me. I mean come on the sun as only been about for about an hour at 7:00am,  it seems like I should get to sleep at least 2 hours past the time the sun gets up.

So I guess it is official… I really am a morning person. Some of you may think this is a good thing, but I not so much. I have always been somewhat impressed with  my lazy, sleeping in habits. But they cease to exist now. If I am not in bed by 9pm at the latest I am incredibly tired and I can’t sleep past 7 the next morning. Can you say grandma? But the sad thing is even my grandma can party late into the night with the best of them and sleep in the next day. What is the deal? I guess, just call me grandma Robbin, I’ll go out and buy some more sweaters to make it official.

Young at Heart? Not Exactly, Try Young At Eye. January 14, 2008

 Friday Morning I woke up feeling miserable. Picture the cold medicine commercials where a person walks around all day and their head is a balloon. That is pretty much how I felt (I guess those advertisers knew what they were talking about). Feeling worse Friday evening I decide to get my shift covered for Saturday. Well, its a good thing I did because I woke up Saturday morning and my left eye was puffy and almost swollen shut. Knowing that it is odd for a cold to cause my eye to swell in such a way and that I was starting an internship at the Denver Rescue Mission on Monday, I decided to suck it up and pay the after hours pay for the doctor and get to the bottom of the swollen eye situation. 

It turns out not only do I have a severe cold, but I also have pinkeye. Yes, you read that right pinkeye. I know what you are thinking, isn’t that what little kids get. Well, yes it is. In fact it is very rare for someone over the age of 18 to get it, but somehow I managed to. If you click the link below you can see the six causes of pinkeye. Mine was mostly caused by reason number two. Although it only occurred in one eye. Apparently a virus in your sinus can cause a virus in your eyes as well and lead to pinkeye. Who knew?

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T082800.asp

Anyways, if you read past the causes of pinkeye to the treatment of pinkeye you will have seen that part of the treatment is eye drops. This caused a problem for me. Being an adult and not a child anymore I realized that I would have to give myself the eye drops. Mommy wasn’t going to hold me down force my eyelid open and drop the drops in my eye. I had to be a big girl and do it myself.

Okay, no problem, I can do this. Attempt # 1: Look in the mirror, hold eye open, drop… no I can’t do it, freak out. Attempt # 2: psych myself out again and don’t do it. Attempt #3: Finally get the courage to do it, but I can’t get the drop to come out. Attempt #4: I get the drop to work, but I completely miss my eye and it lands on my cheek. Finally on attempt #5 I have contact, eye contact in fact (ba dump bump) : ). It only took me five tries, but I finally got it and now I do have to say I am an eye drop pro.  I did learn a valuable lesson through all this, however. Sometimes being grown up isn’t all its cracked up to be and you really do just wish you had your mommy.

Fired Up for Fall!! September 24, 2007

It is officially fall! I know there are some of you that are sad to see the summer weather go, but lets face it is time for a change. I love fall!! I love hearing the crunching of the leaves as you walk, I love that it is time to bust out the hoodies, hats and scarfs. So many happy things take place in fall. Here are my top 5 favorite things about fall:

5. Hoodies & Jeans!! That to me is the perfect outfit. Its comfy and cozy, what more could you want?

4. Curling up on the couch in your cozy sweats and watching a movie or reading your favorite book because you know the weather is a little dreary outside.

3. Soup or Chile. Isn’t it a great feeling to warm up with soup or Chile at night for dinner. It doesn’t taste as good in the summer.

2. THANKSGIVING!! I love Thanksgiving. My family always does a big shindig at someones house. We invite anyone and everyone who doesn’t have anywhere else to go on Thanksgiving. One time we had 45 people at our house. We all bring yummy food and sometimes we play a little football and then we almost always end the night by seeing a movie. It really is a great time with family and friends.

1. Do you have to ask… A Vanilla or Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks! These I do have to admit taste good all year round, but they taste a little better in the fall. Plus the Pumpkin Spice Latte is a limited time offer only in the fall, it isn’t available all year round, so you gotta get it when the gettin is good! I love walking outside and stopping in for a Latte. The combination of mmm mmm goodness and warmth is amazing!

This year specifically will be a good fall because it is my last fall semester of school ever!! I will just have one more spring semester and then I am done!! Woot! Woot! So I think this fall is going to be extra good!

Happy Fall Everyone!

The “We don’t need Church” generation… August 15, 2007

A recent article was published in USA Today entitled “Young Adults aren’t sticking with Church” (Click here for the article)I have to tell you, I understand why, but I never did until I became a “young adult”.

My dad is a pastor and I have always grown up in church. I remember being actively invovled in youth group and hearing the statistics that over 50% of students that grow up in church turn their back on their faith when they leave high school, and thinking how can that happen? I didn’t understand it, but then I graduated highschool. Once you leave high school the community you once felt in your youth group is gone and you set off “on your own” The truth you  know, or thought you knew is bombarded with worldy stuff and it is tough to stand your ground. The best point the article makes is that most young adults don’t feel like church has anything to do with their relationship with God. Today’s society is all about finding your own spiritual journey, finding what works for you and if someone doesn’t accept that then they are judgmental and close minded. Spiritualness is all about the individual so there isn’t a need for church because it is personal and doesn’t need to be shared with others. That is the thinking any way. 

The question that churches need to start asking is  how do you change that way of thinking? Everyone desires a sense of community and wants to fit in somewhere. But churches do not provide that most of the time for people after they leave high school. There is a gap between high school and adulthood. So they look for the community in other places and that is when the mentality of my relationship with God is between me and God and I don’t need anyone else begins. In their new communities they find anything goes and the truth they once knew begins to be questioned. So the question is, how do you make people see the importance of church and the importance of connecting with other believers, which ultimately will lead to the importance of relationship with God? And how to you build that community after highschool? That is what nobody seems to be able to figure out. Sometimes it seems that churches can’t figure it out, so they give up trying, but because of that churches are losing people to the world.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I think that most churches really are making a difference in God’s kingdom. There are the churches out there that reach out to their community and are the first to respond in crisis or disaster. There are churches that are biblicaly sound and strive to let God guide them, they grow and really impact their community. I don’t want to give off the “I hate church” idea, because the opposite is true. I love church. The church is the bride of Christ. God designed the church to influence this world and the churches that do it God’s way are doing that. But the church needs to realize that a “we don’t need church” generation is forming and it is time for the church, each church, to look at what that means for them and what they can do to change that way of thinking.  

The Zoo That Was My Fifth Grade Classroom. December 2, 2006

I had one of the greatest teachers ever in fifth grade. Her name was Mrs. Trask and she was an excellent teacher and one of the most caring, kindest people I have ever know. Part of her kindness was also extended to animals. You see it is common for most elementary classrooms to have a class pet– and we did. We had seven. There were the two rabbits–one very friendly, the other loved to scratch. Then we had the turtle, he never really did anything, but what turtle really does. We had two rats that personally I never really liked because their feet and tails creep me out. My favorite pet however was our hamster. This was a very special hamster. Towards the end of my fourth grade year, there was a terrible accident in Mrs. Trask’s class: The hamster escaped from its cage as students were doing art projects! Dun, dun, duuuuun! I don’t know if you have ever seen a hamster when it is cut loose, but those suckers like to run. So that is exactaly what this hamster was doing. It ran as fast as his little feet would take him under the desks and through students feet. Mrs. Trask’s classroom turned into complete chaos as everyone tried to catch the poor, frantic hamster. One boy finaly did, but as he jumped down to catch the hamster, he accidentlly kneed the hamster’s back legs pushing everything forward. I am sure it was not a pretty site. Mrs. Trask took the poor little animal to the Vet and miraculously the little guy lived! There was one catch, however, the poor little guys back legs were paralyzied. It is sad yes, but at the same time it was quite fascinating. When I got to fifth grade Mrs. Trask still had her hamster. It would crawl along using it’s front legs as it dragged its limp back legs behind him. He even did the hamster wheel. The resilent little guy would run ferociously with his front legs as his back legs dangled off the wheel. When we were good in Mrs. Trask’s class we were allowed to check out our classroom pets and take them on recess with us. I am not sure that these animals were ever ment to spend anytime on a playground, but for some reason we did it anyone. We even took the hamster. He of course was always the last to be picked because he wasn’t quite as fun outside since we were allowed to ever put him down and since is back legs dragging across you hand wasn’t the best feeling, well he didn’t get held a lot. But Mrs. Trask loved him and through that hamster as a fifth grade student I was taught that nothing should evern hold you back from being the best you can be and making it through all situations. If a half paralyzed hamster can do it, then nothing should stop us. Like I said, Mrs. Trask was an excellent teacher!

Six Ways to Make a Friend. November 3, 2006

Today in my Psychology of Communication class a presentation was given on a study that looked at friendships. According to this study the number of Americans who say they have no one to talk to has doubled since 1985. So the article gave some friendly advice for adults looking for friends.

Six Ways To Make a Friend.

1. Sign up for a group travel adventure: people tend to bond more easily when out of their comfort zone. The experience will provide an instant group of people with whom you share a unique memory.

2. Take a class in something you love; enthusiasm is contagious.

3. Get a dog (a pet is also good for the heart) and show up every morning at your local dog park. People love to chat about their pooches.

4. Track down old high school or college pals who live in your area, and see if old friendships can be resumed.

5. Take a fresh look at your neighbors, coworkers, classmates, fellow gym buddies– the people you meet and greet on a regular basis. I f you’ve been standoffish, say hello. If you’ve traded hellos for months, engage them in conversation.

6. Smile.

Well, there ya go. If you were friendless before, you won’t be for long, or something like that. I am not sure I agree that all of these suggestions are the best way of making friends, but I do know I really enjoyed hearing the guy who was giving the presentation say the word “pooches”. The bottom line is we are all wired to desire relationships. Do you know someone who falls into the category of Americans who feel they have no one to talk to? Why don’t you help change those statistics and become that someone for them to talk to? Who knows, maybe you too will find a friend.

I don’t have Gas! October 18, 2006

Last Friday I  met my friend at her apartment so we could go to lunch. Like usual we left my car parked at her complex and she drove us to Applebees. We had a woderful time at lunch and it was great to catch up. My day was going fantastic, I didn’t have school or work and had a great time with my friend. When we got back to her apartment and I went to leave I noticed a suspicious note under my windshield wiper that said:

 ”Your car is leaking Gas”!

When I read this I was very confused. Leaking Gas? No way, that isn’t possible. Being the car expert that I am, I looked around a little and decided I couldn’t see anything so I drove it home. When I got home I causally told my dad that my car might be leaking fuel. My dad had a similar reaction to mine and went out to investigate. Sure enough, my dad simply looked under my car and there was a huge liqioud puddle accompanied by an overwhelming smell of gasoline. My dad went into problem solving mode and called our mechanic. After a brief phone call my dad decided we did not need a tow truck and instead I would drive the car to the shop! I have to be honest, I did not like this idea. My dad assured me as he grabed the lawn mower fuel that he would follow me in case I ran out of gas. I told him that really wasn’t my concern. For some reason I thought an explotion might be something worth worrying about a little bit more.

 Well we got the car to the shop without running out of gas or blowing up. The mechanic’s diagnosis was that the fuel tank would need to be replaced costing about $550. This makes me very sad. I do not have $550 laying around. I am in negotiations with the bank of Rob and Carol Ann Kelly in hopes they grant me a genorous loan and that it can be payed off by loading the dish washer a couple times. Some how I think it may take a little more than that, but hey, it never hurts to try. : )