To the untrained eye, this is a picture of kids playing video games! But that is 315lbs folks! I can bench 3 plates now! I'm crushing it :) One of the more fun presents I got for Christmas was two 45lb plates. Here is to the year where we all crush it!
It is magnificent having so many good looking people in my life :). What a great picture of two people I love so much! Those faces reflect my own as I sit here and write about the last month or so of life. I'm in a season of hope, and I'm eagerly anticipating all the things that God is going to do this year!
God has asked me to run a mile a day to start this year. Below is a picture of me running and winning a race that I competed in earlier this month after just a little training. I know it's cheesy looking back at the people I'm obviously faster than... but God gets all the glory for how fast I am. When I run, I feel his Glory :).
You might be one of those... "my new years resolution is to not make resolutions" people, but just look at what a resolution can do!!! I actually hate running and that is not really a picture of me - I know you are shocked. But obedience in doing hard things is very important and running is helping me in so many ways, like in having the ease of conscience to eat more and drink more. Here is my actual running outfit. It's pretty comfortable and very warm.
The other resolution was to have daily devotions with my family and that has been incredible. I don't have a picture of that, but I can tell you it is growing and bonding us in amazing ways and was something that needed to be more regular!
Here are just a bunch of pictures of family and fun that has happened recently. The amazing cousins visiting and the joy of seeing Diane's sister Lisa here in our home; visiting my Cone cousins in Longview (I went to school with Jordan "Blood"); the very rare snow sighting in Dallas; onesies and puppies (two of the cutest things ever!); and my amazing son Creed and daughter Bella in their cool new Dallas Cowboys hats!
Sharing old stories... making sure my kids know that all the stories I've told them are corroborated finally :)
My girls have never met these lovely children of my cousins... 2nd cousins? I think that's right.
My inlaws are fostering the puppies and feeding them is nearly a full time job, but it's paid off. They are healthy and huge! Also, we aren't getting one...
This last Sunday I had the joy of preaching at my church! Check out the link if you want to hear it! You can watch the whole service or skip ahead to about the half way point when I get up there.
Speaking of epic sermons!!!! This sermon really inspired me and encouraged me... I encourage you if you haven't already listened to it to listen to mine first and then take this one for a spin.
I'm sure you just listened to both and your heart is soft and you are teary eyed! Incredible, right?
God is so good and I know that because he has surrounded me with an incredible community like you! Thank you for standing with me in prayer, love, hope, financially, through thick and thin and for spurring me on! I feel your prayers guiding and protecting and inspiring and you need to know how grateful I am for you! I could not walk this walk alone and I feel like we stand together as a light in a dark place as we advance the kingdom of God... and no weapon forged against us will prevail, the gates of Hell cannot overcome. Rather we take thoughts captive and we demolish strongholds and we take more and more ground!
MK is off to a strong start this year. We just completed our Unresolved Grief lessons and are ready for beloved guest speaker, Pete Isenberg, to join us next week. One of our amazing leaders stepped down, and that could really have dealt a blow but for the Lord filling my heart with hope! His absence means that I'm joining the weekly guys small group and that has been a great new connection for me.
I just completed another Trauma Healing Equipping and am now doing a healing group with some gentlemen who live in Pakistan and China. It requires some early mornings for me but is a great opportunity!
I'm looking forward to starting up again with my Thailand youth group! That will be a once a month commitment this semester and I'm looking forward to seeing those amazing youth again.
My pastor took a call to another church and that leaves the door open for me to preach more regularly, at least for a season. Please pray for our church as we seek to find another pastor!
I'm so busy these days, I'm grateful for the green pastures as God brings them. Life is full of wonder and hope and I feel renewed! Thanks for your prayers and support. My Dad's surgery was a success and he is recovered now! Please continue to pray for the couple who's marriage is struggling. It is a dark situation and I need your prayers as I seek to help.
I've been enjoying taking a Healing Prayer class with my wife. Please keep Diane and I in your prayers as she is going through a very busy season with work and her anxiety seems to really increase this time of year. She is so strong but none of us stand alone and if we do, it's not for long! So grateful for such an amazing wife!
I will leave you with these verses that have inspired and encouraged me!
May we be ever believing and may we see His promises fulfilled and may our hope ever be in our amazing God!
Love you all so much!
Blessings,
Caleb
If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or with recurring gifts, click on the tab "Supporting the Work" at the top of the page and sign up for Chase Quickpay. You can then send your donation to HCLC - Caleb Robbins Ministry using my e-mail address caleb_robbins@sil.org. If you would like further instructions on setting that up, please click on the link at the top right of the page called How to give. Or feel free to contact me directly! 214 558 8431.
Another way to donate to the ministry is via check. If you write a check to "Holy Cross Lutheran Church" and put "Caleb Robbins Ministry" in the memo line, it will get deposited into my ministry account.
The address is:
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
4400 W Arkansas Ln
Arlington, TX 76016
Diane is my beautiful wife and the mother of my precious children Creed 13, Asher 11, Liam 9, Echo already in heaven, Bella 6, and Serenity 4 years old.
