December is here and a special Birthday is coming up!

So much happens this time of year that I feel like it's impossible to keep up and tell you things in a linear fashion. So here is a picture throw-up post that will titillate and tantalize you as you see a cacophony of photos and hear an assortment of associated tales. 

Thursday night my dear son got to sing with his school choir out in the frozen tundra of Cedar Hill Texas. Yes my friends, it was the coldest night of the year so far and my wife bundled up and went with my parents to support this future American Idol... if that show is even still around?!. No sooner had they left than I finished the final touches on cleaning up our delicious supper and fell into darkness... ah yes the power goes out on the night that it's supposed to be in the 20's. No fear! Dad is here and comes to save the scared little ones who are quite unaccustomed to this event that was a normal part of Dad's life growing up. I lit the candles and got out Prince Caspian. A few cozy minutes later found us lost in Narnia for the next hour or so. After that I tucked the kids all in one bed filled with many blankets and continued to read to them until Diane got back and I had to go. Memories like that are choices we make. We can't plan for the power to go out, but we can take advantage of it. I won't soon forget that wonderful time with my kids... and maybe just maybe I'll try and learn something from it about the joy of shutting everything down and just reading together on a cold night. 

For the last... long long time... I've been in workshops. Two Fridays ago I embarked on this non-stop ride that ended last Saturday. First I took 'Roots of Care' with the lovely people pictured below. It was a great refresher and educator on learning how to care better for Missionaries and their amazing children!

Then I had the joy of helping to teach a Story Based Trauma Healing class. It was really fun getting to work alongside my parents! Needless to say, it was a lot of fun in a short time with the other bits of my life stuffed all around it. I'm grateful for the opportunities to learn and grow and serve and I'm grateful that the marathon of workshops is over :).

Sometimes I wish I could just jump in some leaves... but that's why I have kids... So I can live this dream through them! I love the energy and joy that leaves can bring! Go Asher and Bella! 

We just had our family Christmas party and with it a nice time of remembering my cousin Laura who passed away January 1st of this year. A lot of firsts without her leave this time feeling a little more tender. I'm grateful to know that she is well and I'll see her again. The party was fun and afterwards we went and enjoyed a house in the neighborhood that takes Christmas decorating seriously to say the least.

And now some cute pictures to melt your heart!

I married an amazing woman! She is a scientist and master chef and mom and wife and much more! Here she is helping her wonderful children with their Science Fair projects. Thankfully as I write this they are all turned in and finished for another year! Yay Diane and Asher and Creed!

Oh yeah... I also work with youth... in case the pictures haven't communicated that yet :). Here is a wonderful picture of an event I fondly called "An Afternoon of Odds and Ends". I often find that I have too much to share with these amazing kids and can't fit it all into a Monday evening. I just collected a bunch of those random things I wanted to share and created an event to let me share them. We talked about grace and righteousness, we talked about cell phones and social media and how they are linked to depression and then we ate and watched Wonder Woman! Odds and ends! I was blessed by how many showed up! The evening was very fun!

And now for some more cuteness and holiday fun! Decorating the tree (much smaller tree this year because we need the space for hosting :). Thanksgiving with David... on a Friday this year because I got to go to the Cowboys game! That was such a special treat! One of the parents of the kids in my youth group invited me and I was so blessed to have a wife that said yes! So we moved the food fest to the next day and may have found our new family tradition :).

I turned 35 this year! I enjoyed having people over to celebrate with me. Here we are taking some time to worship around the fire together. It was a great evening! 

Along with Thanksgiving comes all the fun feasts with our kids at their schools. Here Diane is with Liam and Bella. It's a fun time!

This was my last time to visit the college and see those great MK's before the break! I love these kids so much and it's so cool how they love on my kids! What a great ministry I get to be a part of!

It's a busy time of year, but a really good one! I have enjoyed listening to Christmas music and thinking about the wonder of Christ's birth! I want to share my favorite song this year and encourage you to read John 1 after you listen to it :).

I love you all so much! Thank you for your part in my ministry! God is blessing what we are doing and lives are being touched and transformed by His power. Thank you for letting me be an instrument in His hands. Your prayers and financial gifts make a really huge impact on a lot of lives and people are richer because of you! Thank you! I'm thanked frequently by parents for the ministry that I'm a part of and the impact that it has had on their children! You get credited with that too!

Pray! 

Lots is left to do these next few months! I just finished up one Trauma Healing group I was a part of and will finish up the other one by the end of this month. Pray that we end well and people find real healing.

I'm doing a college retreat early next year. Pray that we can provide a great time of rest and growth for the students that are able to come!

Diane and I are preparing to leave for the Solomon Islands soon! I'm so excited! Please pray for us as we plan and pack and for safety along the way!

Praise! 

For you!

For health and strength and a God that is with us, in us, and for us!

For time with my parents!

Thanks again for your friendship and support! You are mighty warriors and the battle is already won! Praise God!

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 my 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 10, Asher 8, Liam 6, Echo already in heaven, Bella 3, and Serenity 1 year old.

Can I have a little November Please :)

I don't know why I named this post that.  Maybe because I love this month and it's kind of a play off of Thanksgiving. Please pass the November and the mashed potatoes and a little more to drink, if you don't mind? Anyway, on to the pictures :). 

What's something I really enjoy? Glad you asked :)... watching the Cowboys with my friends on Sunday afternoon. We have developed a great little fellowship there! Here is a picture of the exciting times we have... I love this guy! 

I'm a very proud father! This amazing girl is so adorable... look at that smile and just let the melting begin :). Diane has been doing a great job raising these girls and sharing her shoes with them... I think they love it. I never imagined having 5 kids... now I can't imagine anything better. So grateful for a heavenly Father that gives such amazing gifts and with such wisdom! 

Creed!!! The newest member of the National Elementary Honor Society! So impressed with this amazing kid. Just turned 10 and shining so bright! 

I'm also really proud of and grateful for an amazing group of people to do ministry with. Nadia is well on her way to being fully supported and then full time with me and Bob in the ministry! I can't wait to have such a natural decorator to share the office with :|.

Asher takes after me in so many ways and it is so cool having such a goofy kid! Here Diane has done his hair in this amazing new style and I love it! He's fierce... watch out :).

Our family had the joy of being a part of the new building dedication over with Pioneer Bible Translators. The 'Vision' building! It was such a unique and incredible experience. We all read a portion of scripture, including Creed and Asher, and got to be around a multitude of people reading the entire Bible in over 40 languages (Diane read in another language even!). It took 23 minutes to get it done. The whole Bible in one sitting. I don't know that it's ever been done before and I don't know when it will be done again. It was so cool! Here we are sitting missionary style in the dirt! Growing up in Africa prepared me for that moment :).

Look at this gem! Yeah, the house that I now live in back in the good old days when it was governed by my incredible Grandparents who have since left for a place that was well prepared for them by a master carpenter. They triumphed in hospitality, as you can see by this birthday celebration! I hope this blesses many of you!

One of the best weekends of the year for dentists just happened and it was a great time to celebrate with my MKs! They came and served at my church and we enjoyed another fantastic costume and candy time... Fall Festival and Chili cook off! The evening ended with a movie in my garage. We all kept each other warm while watching the classic "Fiddler on the Roof." These MK's live out the Word so powerfully.  They serve without complaining and they have incredible attitudes!

Diane is the most incredible person I know. It's pretty cool that I got to marry her and that she consented to being the mother of the amazing 6 (Echo is in our hearts always). The bride of my youth and the master seamstress to my youth. She made Asher and Creed's costumes this year and only sacrificed hours of time and sleep. She is amazing and one day my kids will truly understand the incredible gift God gave them in their mother!

My birthday is coming up and I'm very excited to be 35. Okay, maybe not that... but I am very grateful for the years the Lord has given me and I feel so richly blessed! I'm surrounded by an incredible community and I delight in the opportunity that I get to serve and love so many incredible people!  Thank you for making these last 5 years in full time ministry possible. I rejoice and give thanks for you! You show me what it means to thrive in the body of Christ, how working together we can accomplish so much for the Kingdom! I'm overwhelmed by your friendship, prayers, love, support, encouragement, and spurring on! 

Pray

For wisdom and humility as I continue to do this ministry! 

For a healthy season in the family as things get colder and sickness abounds! 

For Diane and I as we prepare for the Solomon Island trip coming up next year! 

Praise

For God the provider and the great gift! 

For His son who became God with us and for us! 

For the incredible things that God is doing in the MK ministry and the way He is providing for the way forward! 

and... 

God is teaching me more and more about what it means to "be" and how to rest in what that truth provides. There is an entering into His rest and there is an end to striving! These following verses have been such an encouragement to me as I seek to shine brightly for my King. I recently had the privilege of hosting some Mormons in my home. We had a great time talking and sharing and I loved learning about their mission and what it looks like. I shared what I had with them and then they left. Sometimes I have felt that I ought to have done more or something else, or felt like I have to save people instead of just being a witness of the One who truly saves. These verses encouraged me and I hope they encourage you! 

 

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 my 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 10, Asher 8, Liam 6, Echo already in heaven, Bella 3, and Serenity 1 year old.

The things that Fall

So much happens in life that the new normal is the abnormal... and just when you get used to that the old normal resurfaces... I call this the things that fall... in between the craziness of last post and this one... an assortment of God filled experiences that will be randomly given as an offering of thanks. 

It is so wonderful to have my parents back! My kids love their Grandparents so much and it blesses me to know that my parents make such an effort to be involved in the lives of my children. They go to school to eat lunch with them and come over in the afternoons to play with them.  They gave my older boys bikes and even joined us on a zoo adventure. Liam was especially heart broken when he heard that my parents are going on an extended P.D. trip. It has also been especially nice to have my sister around to play with my kids and to have all four of us together is truly wonderful. Thank you God for family and for all the joy that brings and how full it makes my heart and my house :). 

My Liam just had a birthday! He is a big 6 year old now!!! We celebrated with pumpkin pie and lots of family. He is such a sweetheart! Liam I love your tender heart and your sweet attitude. I like how goofy you are and how thoughtful you are becoming! Thanks for all your sweet prayers for me and mommy! 

I'm so proud of Creed. He was celebrated along with 6 other students (one for each grade) for being outstanding in the first 9 weeks. That is 7 out of 600 students. We were invited to a special breakfast for him and got to hear his teacher talk about what a great kid he is. It warms my father's heart to see my son walking in the way he should go! I'm so proud of you Creed! That was a very special thing to be invited to! 

My children are goofy and fun and I really love being a father of 5! Here Asher is feeding Serenity something delicious. It's so good to have the older boys help around the house! 

My girls are enjoying the rain... one of them understands umbrellas and the other one is just cute :). 

Sunday football time with my boys! Tackled and then somehow fell asleep on the couch. Go figure :). 

The ministry is going so well! I have an incredible group of MKs to love and an amazing group of people to work with. Here is a picture of us all going to see one of the MKs in her staring role in Cats the Musical. I enjoyed taking my boys along for the ride. We have such a great community!

I started this event called MKs Ride the Rhino! We all go to a local coffee shop and enjoy playing games and hanging out! We also learn how to navigate the cultural staple known as the coffee menu! Now with confidence we can order drinks such as "Little Sebastian" or "Hug in a Cup". We no longer fear the ordering process or look on in envy as those around us drink things that we could never imagine names for :). 

We have has so many great events during the last month or so! There is never a good time to write about them because just when I sit down to write, I think of 3 more coming up soon that would be fun to tell you about. The picture below was taken after one of our epic night game events! We played Sardines and Grey Wolf and Assassin and then joyfully collapsed on the ground for this picture... some of us got up quicker than others.

I've enjoyed starting up a guys small group with Josh Carlton, one of my amazing MK leaders! Here is the end of our first guys event! These amazing kids Risked it all playing Risk and shut down the party! You know you have something good going when the kids leave almost an hour after the party is supposed to end :). 

I added some pictures from my zoo adventure here... just to show you that I'm also very good with animals. I found a bird that makes a face I like to make... I also got the chance to kiss a hippo. Yes I'm versatile!

God is so good and as I said, the ministry is thriving. I just finished teaching a Trauma healing Advanced workshop and have two more healing groups that will take me to the end of the year. We bought our tickets for the Solomon Islands and are preparing for that adventure. There are lots of impending Fall Festivals and suches looming in the near future, but beyond the activity how do you measure what a thriving ministry is? Let me share a few short testimonies from a couple of the parents.

"Because of Caleb’s care for the youth, and his intentional teaching, and focus on the Word of God, our son was encouraged to begin immersing himself in the Word every day like he’d never done before."  

"He is thriving in his MK identity and his own calling to missions. He has been given a solid foundation emotionally and spiritually through the MK group. We are excited to see what God will do in his life in the future."

Hearing that blesses me so much! What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul. Real prosperity is in knowing God and growing in that knowledge daily! You are a huge part of the testimonies because without your support, both prayerfully and financially, I wouldn't be able to be a part of this incredible adventure! God is using you to truly impact lives! Thank you! 

Pray! 

I need wisdom and humility to lead this group! There are some significant changes coming in the next year! 

I'm finding myself increasingly busy! Yay God! Please pray that I follow my good Shepherd by still waters and into green pastures! 

Praise! 

God has provided faithfully for us to get our tickets to the Solomon Islands. Please continue to pray for provision for the other trips coming up next year! 

Thank you for standing with me in this calling! I'm encouraged and motivated by those verses and I'm inspired and blessed by your partnership! 

Blessings, 

Caleb 

Caleb 

 If you want to support what I do a little or a lot, on a one time basis or a recurring basis, 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 my 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 10, Asher 8, Liam 6, Echo already in heaven, Bella 3, and Serenity 1 year old.