Know Your Limits~

Yes, using a theme park as the foundation for my encouragement may seem kind of cheesy, but the lesson I learned during my thrill-driven day at the one-and-only Kings Island stuck with me.  Every year, I'm externally motivated why die-hard roller coaster fans, and by my stupid, human-self to ride every coaster at Kings Island, and this year, my determination was off the charts.

I started out with the Kings Island Drop Tower, "the world's tallest gyro-drop, standing 315-feet tall with a 264-foot drop". POV YouTube Link: http://youtu.be/y1yg8sKOqRg

Next was The Bat. POV YouTube Link: http://youtu.be/tdHDHE06B_s

Success. But next came the Delirium. Here's where I made my mistake.  In the past, spinning rides and swings have always made me motion-sick.  However, I took a risk, knowing there could be a consequence. Here's the POV link: http://youtu.be/Y-wd9r1sIY0

I started dry heaving as soon as I got off. All I'm saying is that we must understand that every decision we make WILL have a consequence.  My consequence turned out being negative, however, the risk I took wasn't really a smart one.  It's important that we use past experiences to conclude what we should and shouldn't do.  Just a little tip. Maybe encouraging? Maybe not...I don't know.  Have a blessed day everyone. ~Eric~

Commenting Trouble~

I'm aware that many have been having trouble commenting on the blog.  My apologies.  When you are reading a blog post, make sure you are off of the main "Blog Archive".  In other words, make sure when you scroll down, you're not looking at a collection of all of my different posts.  To view JUST ONE post, click on the title of the post.  Then, there should be a commenting option.  You see, you can only comment when you are on an individual post.  It will just require that you sign in with your Google account, or will give you other options of commenting.  PLEASE email me at ec99robinson@gmail.com if you're having trouble! I would hate for further trouble to occur.  Thank you!

Open Our Eyes~

Most summers, I prefer lying lazily by the pool, rewatching old cartoons, or climbing under my covers and just sleeping. However, this summer, a book flew into my hands and I'm loving it. The 400 page novel tells the chilling tale of two women caught in the communist regime in Afghanistan, from 1972-1992, and their continued stories afterwards, when a series of cultural civil wars break out in spite of a the government's desperate efforts.

The book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, has really opened my eyes to the horrors that happen behind the closed doors of other countries.  I think as Americans, living life in the world's greatest country, protected from the worldly dangers other countries are exposed to, we turn a blind eye to the closed doors of those other countries.  At this point, we assume that what happens behind those closed doors MUST be good, because many of us, including myself, HAVE NEVER BEEN EXPOSED to the worldly horrors that are realities to many people around the world.

In Afghanistan, teenage girls are taken as early as 13ish to become wives to men they've never met.  Girls are raised to become mothers, and many don't have the option to become educated.  73% of the Afghan people lack clean water. 95% lack sanitation.

Today, I pray that my eyes would continue to be opened to the worldly horrors that hide behind the closed doors of foreign countries, and I pray that willing Americans would seek to open these doors, and that we would rejoice in thanksgiving for all of the countless ways we've been blessed as Americans.

Matthew 7:7-8 says, 7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." This week, pray with me. Let's ask God to be with the all of the missionaries who are helping foreigners come to know Christ, and who are working to expose and stop the problems ravaging foreign countries.

I'm back!

I know~I'm late! Let's just say I've been busy.  I am proud to say, however, that I have officially embarked on a biblical journey, and should have the bible read front-to-cover in a years time.  So I don't really have a simple encouragement to share with you guys. Just wanted to remind you all that YOU PEOPLE CAN WRITE TOO.  Email me ANYTHING! I'll be trying to get the word out too. Have an awesome day and God bless.

Email List!

There's been a slight communication error, as commenting is rather difficult on this blogging site, but to make viewing the posts easier, and to keep all of you up to date, I am going to create an email list of people to send updates to.  If you want to be on this list, shoot me a confirmation email at ec99robinson@gmail.com ASAP.  Tell your friends people! Also~wanna write? Lemme know. 

Back in Orbit~

Time and time again, I remember getting lessons and corny lectures about how life was a journey of ups and downs, a roller coaster ride. I felt as if I was being condemned to that kind of lifestyle-one where I couldn't be happy all of the time.  (You know-rainbows and butterflies...)  But thinking back, I'm grateful for those wise forewarnings.  Realization hit me recently, and I have come to understand that emotional highs in life, aren't always spiritually beneficial.  I had been so caught up in a bustling summer, enjoying myself, that my spiritual game had fallen under.  After gentle reflection, I now realize that my fault-seemingly small to me, but a heart-breaking fault to God, was dangerous, as it was slowly breaking the seams of my precious relationship with God.  I had gotten so caught up in the world, ever since probably late April, early May, that ever so slowly, God and his word started drifting out of my orbit, floating away, even though he knew I needed him.  I let school, hobbies, and, well, life knock God right out of my world.  But wait? My world?  That was the real problem. Not only was I slowly leaving God in the dust, but sad as it is, I wasn't even in the right position.  I had swapped places with God, stolen his position as Centerfield.  Today, I want to give that position back to the Great "I Am".  God knows it's to much stress, anyway.  We all have those times in our life when we slowly let God drift away from our hearts, and lately, I've been letting him drift.  But this upcoming week, I pray that I would realign in spiritual devotion, and reembark on the journey of discipleship.  I can't let a small hiccup in God's great plans stop me all together!

Journeying with Christ~

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  I think this verse shows all of us that as long as we are journeying with God, the road ahead of us, although maybe shaky, will be beneficial.  However, every road is different.  Some roads will diverge, and God will expect us to choose which is right, based on our biblical knowledge, and love for Christ.  Others will twist and turn and try to throw us in a frenzy of disbelief and unfaithfulness. However, as this verse clearly portrays, our journey here on Earth will be prosperous, each hurdle NOT meant to harm us, but to help us thrive in a society where the name "Jesus Christ" is slowly melting away as wickedness begins gripping people's hearts.  As we journey with God, we must realize that every thing that happens to us is only benefitting out future, and not just our earthly future, but our eternal future.