Day 12

Hey Everyone!

Day 12.  I'm worn out so here goes.

I saw God today pick me up from a low point.  I hate to keep talking about being busy, and harping on being down, but that is where I'm seeing God the most.  I asked God to take a burden, to lift it, and no matter what, to believe in what he has planned for me, and to truely trust in that.

God took the burden, filled me with joy.

I am worn out, so this will stay short.   Night

dia once

Ten million thoughts, rushing through your head.  Your heartbeat jumps, your veins widen, and stick out of your arms.  Everyone is talking, but yet you all you hear is silence.  The room seems to be spinning, but really, it's you.   Sitting still, it's not an option.  You have to be moving, you are in the zone.  So drenched in emotion, a body filled with adrenaline.

Maybe you can relate to the above scene.  A big shot at the end of the game.  Maybe your asking someone on a date.  Maybe you just won the lottery.  

or maybe, you just snapped.  

Today, my body experienced raw emotion.  My fists, clenched so tight I broke skin in my palms.  My head, wanted one thing, to knock him out.  There was a "slight" verbal altercation between me and one of my co-workers at work today.  I said some things I shouldn't have.  

After the verbal exchange was over, I was ready to blow.  I honestly don't think I have ever been this close (and not hit someone) in my life.  The feeling, the sensation I described in the opening paragraph, that was me, after this altercation.  

So you may be asking, where is God in all of this?  I'm about to show you.

After about five minutes of pacing around the restaurant doing ANYTHING I could to keep myself busy, the thought occurred to me to pray.  So I began, through my anger and pride to pray.  I asked God for forgiveness, for grace, and for the strength and courage to set an example and ask for forgiveness.  

This was the first time, ever, I have ever thought to pray in a time of anger.  It's never happened to me before.  The thought has never crossed my mind, until today.  Even better?  God gave me the strength to approach him, after work, and ask for his forgiveness for the things I said.  He accepted my apology and the night ended smoothly.  It is just so cool to see God answering prayers like that, right in front of me.  It is so awesome to see my God, coming to my side, in my defense, when I called upon his name.  Amen?

I went from probably the most extreme anger I had felt in a long, long time, to the most joy I have felt in a long time in worship at Campus Church later that night, in a matter of minutes.  It is amazing what God can do when we simply believe and trust  that he has ultimate authority, if we just surrender ourselves, and allow him in.

I'm out for the night.  Tootles.

DAY 10

Feels so good to say that! Double Digits!

As I continue to keep going, and find the strength to post, when I really don't feel like it, I feel God speak to me even more.

Today's is gonna be really short.  These past 2 days have been insane.  Between homework, studying for a final, work, making sure EVERYTHING is perfect with the Virginia Tech transfer stuff, looking for a summer job, searching/ investigating places to live for next year, class, I have pretty well neglected spending time in the word, and in prayer.  Today I was struggling to find God, for these very reasons.  It was a busier day than yesterday.  The day started off bad, with me missing a quiz, got worse with homework I couldn't figure out.. I could go on, but I'd be complaining.  Let's just say by 4pm, I wasn't in a very Christ like mood.  Checking out of Wal-Mart however, that changed.  I was greeted, by honestly the nicest lady I have ever been greeted at in any kind of store.  She told me I should smile more, that I was good at it.  That's all it took.

The best part?  I didn't say a word to her before that.  That was the very first thing she said to me.  She didn't know I was having a bad day, a bad week.  She was joyful.  She used her good spirit, to influence me.  I don't know if she was saved or not, but there was something about her that stood out.  I believe we can see Christ in anything, and I saw Christ in her.  For the rest of the evening, no matter what happened, I didn't get down, I didn't get upset.  I was constantly reminded of this lady, and the joy, the smile she put on my face.

I can see God in that.

Also -- I'd like to thank my Grandfather Robinson.  He has been a HUGE encourager, leader, mentor to me in the word.  If it wasn't for his emails or his phone calls constantly reminding me to stay in the word, sending me scripture, telling me he loves me, I don't know if I would be doing this so whole 49 day challenge.  I have really been blessed with the best parents and grand parents I could ask for.

Anyways.. I leave you with this quote from "Shoeless Joe Jackson, Field of Dreams (1989)

Man, I did love this game. I'd have played for food money. It was the game... The sounds, the smells. Did you ever hold a ball or a glove to your face? 

How I miss baseball...

I'm out for the night. Peace.

Day 9

So today was one of those "valley" days.  Really busy, not much time to do anything other than stuff that stresses you out.  When my day was over all I wanted to do was cuss and drink a beer.  I didn't exactly have the last option, being at Liberty, but it's safe to say I was far from turning to the Lord for my strength throughout the day.

However, two cool things happened.

1)  I received some encouragement and advice from someone I have became acquainted with through my passion with the weather.  It was unexpected, but a pleasent surprise, and I have NO DOUBT in my mind that it was God answering my prayer for a sense of direction.  Reflecting, now that I have decompressed, it is so weird, so cool just to see how God has put so many people, places, opportunities in my life.  It even works in the opposite way as well.  For instance, all winter I was like, "I'm gonna work at a summer camp this summer!" Woooohooo!.  When the time came to apply for positions, I applied to several all over the East Coast.  I got a few offers, but not the one I really wanted.  I guess that was God's way of saying, answering my prayers, telling me his plans are different than mine.


2)  I saw God this evening when a brother in Christ texted me, and simply told me to stay strong in the Lord.  Little did he know of the above problems I was having all day, of the temptations that had been rolling through my mind, of the apathetic state of mind I have been carrying toward God all day.

But God Came Through, when I LEAST expected it.


I wasn't even looking for it and he's like " hey son, keep your eyes up here, not down there".  It is just so cool to see, when it actually happens in your own life.

Tomorrow, I'm gonna write about something that's been weighing on my heart lately.

I leave you guys with this quote from Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter".  Think about this, and how it pertains to our Christian walk.

"No man for any considerable period of time, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true."

Day 8

Whaddddup Doods.

So here it is, Day 8.  Today was just one of those, lets be lazy days.  But, I went to church! Twice! haha.  I tried out Brentwood, a local church here in Lynchburg today.  I was talking with my friend Alex about the potential of me transferring next year, and he said something that stuck with me, and I honestly believe it's true to the core.

Christian growth, and sustaining your faith is all about community, fellowship, with other believers.

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.  I don't need a biblical example to see the truth in that, it's been in front of my my whole life.  Logically, it makes sense.  The more Christian people you have around you, the easier it will be to find your hope and your strength in the Lord.

Speaking of which.  I've had a heavy heart lately.  For about the past 3 months, I have been considering the option of transferring to Virginia Tech, to study Geo-spatial Analysis and Meteorology, two things I LOVE.  However, at the same time, I LOVE Liberty.  This is honestly one of the best places I've ever been at.  I'm growing in my faith so much.  It's like, I'm getting an education here, but I'm also getting a spiritual education, all the time, non stop.  It has been a tough decision, honestly probably the toughest decision I have ever had to make.  If I go to Tech, I'll be studying something I love, have great Christian friends, ( who are already there), be closer to home, and save money.


The choice sounds cut and dry, and I'm honestly leaning heavily toward Tech, but I can't make my mind up.  I feel like maybe God wants me to stay here, maybe he's telling me something I'm not yet hearing, maybe he's too big for me to understand?  I don't think there's a "right" option for me to choose.  I don't believe God is saying, don't take path one to Virginia Tech,  this is not at all what I had planned for your life and you are defying my will."..or.. "If you stay at Liberty I promise I will give you this, and this, and this, and this, and this".   I don't believe that's how God works.  God is too big, too vast, for us to understand.  I am still searching for a peace.  As soon as I come to one, my mind switches back to the other.


I do know one thing however, which leads me to my main point for the night... how I saw God today.

Whichever path I choose to go, I know one thing is certain, and this much, I have a peace about.  Whatever I choose, If I actively seek God's direction with all of my heart, soul, and mind, his love and mercy will fill me, and I will be content with that alone.


God has just really shown me, almost like he's saying, "Listen, your Zach, I'm God.  Seek me, I love you, I won't let you down, as long as I am first in your life."

Anyways, you CC folks that are reading this enjoy those couple inches of powder in the morning.. if your from Liberty or Raddy or Tech or any other college campus... 6 weeks of school left.  Freakin' Right.

Love ya'll.  It's late.

Deuces.

One Week - Day 7

So today's the 1 week mark of this challenge.  6 weeks left.

Today, quite simply, I saw God pick me up, and comfort me.  I've been struggling with some things, like we all do.  Today though, the Spirit won.  As opposed to getting all down and out, and questioning God, turning to sin to try and escape from my displeasures, I turned to the Lord.  I didn't even feel like I came running though, rather, he lifted me up.

Psalm 146: 3-7

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

To have that promise, repeated over, and over, and over again is so reassuring, so comforting to know.  That's where I saw God today.  To feel my heavenly father pick me up, when I feel pretty dang down, it's a pretty good feeling.

On another note, the snow busted, once again.  This just isn't our winter.  Can't wait for summer, the river, friends, baseball... you name it.  Get here quick.

Finally, I want to leave you guys with this quote.  One of my favorite authors, Ernest Hemingway

 "Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another".

Take that, and apply it to your faith.  What distinguishes us in the way we live OUR daily lives, from anyone else?

Stay Classy San Diego.

day 6

One day from a a full week..

Where did I see God today?

In a few things.  I saw Got pouring himself out at convo today.  Talk about something that got to me, my word.  The name of the speaker was Rob Hoskins, leader of One Hope (Click Here), an organization dedicated to seeing that every nation, every person, every child has the opportunity to hear the word of God.  He opened his message with a video portraying the life of a girl living in the slums in Southeast Asia.  This girl, was supporting her two brothers, because both of her parents were not able to provide.  Stricken to poverty, she was ready to take her own life, when she received a bible in her native tongue.  The first one she had ever seen.  She got saved.

He continued on, and shared the story of a young lady in the slums of South America.  This lady, received a bible through his organization.  Upon digging deeper, they found out she too, lived in a troubled home, with a alcoholic father, and literally a house with no roof.  Within 6 months of giving her life to Christ, she began to serve at a local Church.  Within 2 years, both of her siblings were saved.  Within another year her father gave his life to Christ, and left his alcoholism behind him.  He was able to land a decent job, and the family has now moved to a more prominent neighborhood, and is in much better financial shape.

But that's not what got me... what got me was this, this point he continued to drive home.

No matter how much money, how much materialism we poor into these third world countries, they won't succeed without the word of God.  Point?  God is the only one who can bring us TRUE happiness.

Japan is one of the richest countries in the world, yet possesses one of the HIGHEST suicide rates in the world.  Money, materialism, stuff of this world will not make us happy, it is not fulfilling.  TRUE JOY, comes through Jesus Christ.

That's where I saw God today.

Day 5

Where did I see God today?

I saw him in these lyrics by the Christian artist, Lecrae:

I rejected his love, grace, kindness, and mercy
Dying of thirst, yet, willing to die thirsty
Eternally worthy, how could I live for less?
Patiently you turn my heart away from selfishness
I volunteer for your sanctifying surgery
I know the spirits purging me of everything that's hurting me
Remove the veil from my darkened eyes

I mean I think that paints a pretty big picture of what God has done for us, and what he continues to do for those who accept him.  The song is called "Boasting", by Lecrae, on his "Rehab" album.

Day 4

So this is by far the hardest day.  I've been busy, grumpy, tired, all of the above, but I'm gonna stick to it, not give up.  Finding God today, was kinda hard.  I had been grouchy all day.  I was dead tired.  I had my least favorite class. I had to work.  My foot hurt.  I have a chest cold.

Then it hit me.

All these things, I'm like. uggggggggggggggggh.  I've been praying, not to have these "ugh" moments.  Yesterday, or two days ago, the post about complaining - that's what I'm talking about.  I've been asking God to take that bitterness, that spirit of haughtiness, the complaining about everything attitude, and just drive it out of me.  Today, I really, really noticed myself when I was in these moments.  I think that's God working, God giving me what I asked for.

I also saw God in the piece of Chocolate Decadance cake I had from work tonight. <3.  That was amazing.

I am for real dead tired, and it is for real late thirty, so I'm hitting they hay. I'd like to leave you guys with this verse I read tonight, from First Corinthians Chapter 2.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^[c] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 

Day 3

So umm yeah, gonna keep this one short tonight.  I was reading a devotional my grandfather bought for me, ''The Upmost For His Highest".

This was the entry:

Did not our heart burn within us . . . ? —Luke 24:32

We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart— a heart that can go through anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with its commonplace duties and people, that smothers the burning heart— unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.

Much of the distress we experience as Christians comes not as the result of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test we should use to determine whether or not to allow a particular emotion to run its course in our lives is to examine what the final outcome of that emotion will be. Think it through to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something that God would condemn, put a stop to it immediately. But if it is an emotion that has been kindled by the Spirit of God and you don’t allow it to have its way in your life, it will cause a reaction on a lower level than God intended. That is the way unrealistic and overly emotional people are made. And the higher the emotion, the deeper the level of corruption, if it is not exercised on its intended level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay forever on the “mount of transfiguration,” basking in the light of our mountaintop experience (see Mark 9:1-9). But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action. When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that point, no matter what the cost.

We cannot kindle when we will The fire which in the heart resides, The spirit bloweth and is still, In mystery our soul abides; But tasks in hours of insight willed Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled 

I encourage all to read this.  I saw God in this, I had been asking all weekend, how to grow, how to stay out of the valley, how to stay on fire.

Ding, Ding, Ding.  Here's an answered prayer.

Check it.  Too Legit to Quit.

48 days of school left, and snow in the forecast for next week.  Let's go.  Goodnight and Goodluck.

Day 2

Today was a good day.  Got up pretty early to go to Boone for the metal in my mouth, went to the outlet malls, came home, came back to school. 

I worked out today!  Spring break kinda kicked my butt just a bit.  It felt good to run again. 

Anyways, what did I notice God in today?  This is kind of backwards, but I think it counts.  Driving down the road with my ever so loving little brother seems pretty care free.  Add a tired, grumpy, sore, hates the world Zach Robinson to the equation, things quickly become much more hostile.  Add to that, a loving mother, whose trying to keep peace between her two boys, by rambling on and on about not complaining, and being filled with joy.. shew, it was a long day.

I was captain Buzz Killigan all day long, every little move seemed to irk me the wrong way, and I made sure to let everyone know about it.  Mom was reading this book about changing attitudes.  She kept talking about complaining, and how we do it all often way too much.  I go to thinking, about complaining, and about how I do it all the time.  Then she said "if one is always complaining, always unhappy with something, are they really happy with God? Are they really filled with joy"?  (Don't worry, she read this from the book, no way she thought of that on her own :) ).  It hit me, kinda like a slap in the face.  Woah.  Don't step on my toes James Macdonald. 

In conclusion, I saw God today, speaking to me throught the people, the circumstances around me.  It was pretty cool, and eye oppening at the same time. 

49 day Challenge...

....They say it takes seven weeks to develop a habit.  6 days to break one.

Disclaimer**

This has nothing, no relation to the "30 day challenge" on Facebook.  That is a pathetic waste of your time.  If you are in fact participating in the 30 day challenge, I encourage you to replace it with this one.

Enjoy.

I want to I guess, "fall in love" ( that sounds really weird, not gonna lie) with God.  Right now in my Christian walk, I feel pretty lost I guess.  I will admit, I go through the whole mountain valley, high on God one week, cussing like a sailor, not caring about God the next, and that's what I want to get out of I guess.

To me, I guess it's not so much about my actions.  When I get down into these "spiritual ruts", I don't go off the deep end physically into sin.  The big thing with me, is the state my heart is in.  I get so apathetic to things, to the God that had enough grace and mercy to save my life, and I find myself honestly, just not caring.

Friday night, a bunch of us got together, and studied God's word.  It was cool to see I guess people my age so passionate about God, so passionate about growing in their faith, so energetic, so selfless, to becoming a disciple of Christ.  Well, being in the rut that I am, and being the natural goof that I am, I found it necessary to ask about 789 questions.  These questions though - - they actually led me somewhere.  I have longed, for I guess about 5-7 months now to "fall in love" with Christ.  I hear people talk about it, I see people around me overflowing with this abundant joy for Christ, but yet I only possess it about 1 every 4 or 5 weeks, often after an awesome church service or something.  Four days later, whatever happened to that passion? Where did it go?  It eats at me, it gets me, and it makes me I guess hunger for it.

So I'm searching, have been for a while, on what needs to take place in my life, in order for me to fall in love with Christ.  What took place Friday night was kind of strange.  We were praying at the end of the night, individually.  Everyone around me was just all "whoopty do I love Jesus".  Not me.  My state of mind, "whoopty dhoopty lets go sleep".  I just wasn't feeling it.  My two dear friends, Hannah and Becky came to pray with me, they knew I have been struggling, and decided to lift me up in prayer.  They prayed, then it came my turn.  I couldn't speak.  I didn't know what to say, I didn't want to say anything.  After about 35 or 40 seconds, I finally said a few words, than continued on being apathetic.  Then about 10 minutes later, my brother came to pray with me.  This is when I actually felt God pulling at me, I began to pray, for real this time.  I just opened up to God, told him literally everything on my heart.  It sounds maybe small, but it was a pretty powerful experience for me, just because I was being  so defiant, so selfish, so pathetic, and yet God STILL got a hold of me.

So, after all of this, I am challenging myself.  49 days, without stopping, blog about God.  Express how I have seen him in my everyday life, in my prayer life, in creation, in anything really.  I was told once that once you begin to see God in some things, you begin to see him more and more, in everything else.  The other part of the challenge is pretty simple; very, very important however.  1 Prover, 1 Psalm, and 1 Chapter of a book in the New Testament.  It's impossible to grow in your relationship with Christ if you aren't actively seeking to spend time with him.  Without that, this challenge is pretty useless.

here goes nothing....


Today I went out riding with my boys Eli and Chase.  Talk about fun, man it was a blast.  There is just something about being on a four-wheeler riding through what I believe is one of the most beautiful places in the world.   The views were spectacular -- here's one I shot driving home.

I know this is probably your typical, "God made a beautiful" sunset, answer, but seriously -- just stop and look at that picture.  The mountains in the background.  The sun setting casting pink, yellow, and blue hues across the mountain landscape.  Could that all have just happened by random chance?  No way.

Another way I guess I have seen God move is in my prayer life.  Imagine that.  Earlier this semester the idea of transferring schools to switch majors became  a very real opportunity.  It has been a tough decision.  I love love love Liberty University, the people, the atmosphere, but I also need to be studying something I can do for the rest of my life, something I can't find at Liberty.  I got some clarity, some sanity on the issue this past week, and for the first time in a while, I feel fairly at peace with my options.

Finally, I have seen God in quite simply, his people.  I couldn't tell you the amount of people in the past 3 days that have really set a great example.  I see God really living through them, and I see God pouring out of them, and that is awesome.  That is the lifestyle I want to live.

'til tomorrow, deuces.