10 Years Later- 9/11

Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11. There is a heightened terror alert out for that day. As I sit here wondering if Sunday will be the next big strike on the United States, I can’t help but remember the day that changed the life of every American.

I will never forget watching from our home here in Erickson, we were viewing “live” as the second tower was hit…I remember feeling such confusion but knowing deep within that my homeland was under attack. We watched as people jumped out to their deaths, I remember crying “no wait!” (“don’t give up”) and then watching in horror as the Twin Towers fell one by one…knowing at that very moment so many who were waiting had just died.

Our Pentagon was attacked next, and word had it that the capital and White House were targets as well. As an American you worry “Where is our President, is he safe, will he be able to lead us?” Word came from our family in Nebraska, the President was safe, after flying around in secure air space he was hunkered down underground at Offutt AFB (SAC) in Omaha. Nebraskans know exactly what that means. He can run the entire nation from underground there.

The man in town who was the dealer for the Star Choice (TV Satellite) came to our house immediately and installed a satellite system so we could get American channels and feel like we were closer to home.
We went about our days in a Haze, trying to make sense of what had happened.

Other nations have suffered much greater losses, as I was reminded by some in our area during the days that followed. But for Americans, this was our greatest loss. It wasn’t a military base that was attacked during war time, it was innocent civilians going about their workday.

As we come to the 10th anniversary on Sunday, please pray for the families of so many that lost their lives that day, Sunday will be especially hard on each and every one of them. Our towers will rise again but the families will live with the pain for the rest of their lives.

I have a fond memory of that day planted in my mind and I use it to replace the evil scenes that come to memory. After the towers fell, the dust cleared, and the moving away of some mass pieces; there, standing up from the rubble was steel cross. As the tower fell , steel beams had broken and had formed a cross… there it stood in victory. Oh, how my heart bowed at the feet of Jesus. Praise His Name! He is in control even in the darkest of hours.

God Bless America.

Empty Nest- An Update on the Robinson Home

This past May our youngest child Kittie, married Kurt Driedger a wonderful Christian young man. It was a beautiful ceremony to which we gained our 10th child!! All of our children now have their own little families.

This past week Kittie and Kurt moved from Rosseburn, MB (40 minutes away) to Olds, Alberta over 12 hours away. I am thankful though, as now Kittie and Sunnie are only about an hour apart. Anyone who knows them, knows they really need to be close in distance as they have such a close relationship.

The Lord has now after 30 years given us an empty nest. It has taken me all summer to get used to it but I am and I know God is at work. At the age of 47 we are both excited to see what the Lord has in mind for us!! No doubt things will be different.

I miss our little ones, but we now have 10 little ones in the form of grand-kids to love and spoil!! We will be heading out to Alberta the end of October for the birth of that 10th grand-child!!!

Third John says, there is no greater joy than to know your children walk with the Lord. We can tell you first hand this a true absolute joy! Praise the Lord the glory belongs to Him!!

We are soon heading south to make a quick visit with each of our kids before heading further south for a visit with friends. We are so excited to be able to see the kids and grand-kids again, the Lord has been so good to us in allowing us to see them often this year.

This was just a quick update on our family...thanks so much for taking the time to read it. Please continue to pray for us!!

Pat Answers

I was just thinking today; when we were new to the ministry, I would be accused of giving "pat answers".   But you know, we have been in the ministry 10 + years now and the answers are still the same: Christ and Him Crucified, God the Creator is in control of every single situation, trust Him, He will turn the bad around for good for His glory. His will is perfect, don't doubt Him, Always give God the glory, Surrender your life and live according to His Word.

I guess the key was finding more creative words to express those facts!!  Not that I really have, as I find it very hard to express myself verbally.  But when I absolutely need the words, God is gracious enough to give them to me.  The Lord has shown me time and time again, that it is not our ministry it is His and He works through us to fulfil His will for His ministry.  He enables us, He sends those into our lives whom we are to minister to, He removes those He wants to remove from our lives, according to His perfect will.  And thankfully, He knocks us down a peg or two when our eyes wander off of Him and on to our circumstances.

We have had a situation in our church.  The Lord sent us a family a few years ago.  At first He sent us their children to minister to through VBS and then Adventure Club and slowly but surely Children's church.  We knew immediatly God had plans for this family.  So we prayed and we waited.  After a year or two their mom began to attend church and, rededicated her life to the Lord.  

The family has attended faithfully and became very active in church.  2 weeks ago their home caught fire at a little before 4:00 in the morning.  We received a call a few minutes later that she alone (as her husband was on the road) got their 6 little children (plus an extra child) out of the house and was at the church.  God protected each and everyone of them by waking them and directing them all out of the house, even sparing them from smoke inhalation.  God has a plan for this family.

As of today they are pretty well homeless.  Some of them spend time and have their meals at the church but the family has been separated since this happened.  Thankfully they all have places to sleep and folks helping care for the children.

4 of the 6 children are foster children.  All but one they have raised since they were newborns.  The time is limited before CFS has to take the children and place them in different foster care homes.  Time is of the essence, but thankfully God controls time along with everything else.

Our heart aches for them.  We love them and the children.  Isn't that the way it goes?  When God gives you some one to minister to He gives you such a deep and protective love for them.  

What will happen?  We have no idea.  Where will they go and what will they do?  Will the children be taken away? Still we have no idea.  But we know God does.

So it really comes down to this:  Christ and Him Crucified, God the Creator is in control of every single situation, trust Him, He will turn the bad around for good for His glory. His will is perfect, don't doubt Him, Always give God the glory, Surrender your life and live according to His Word.

I guess it still falls back on those same old "pat" answers and praise God, it does!  To God be the Glory!!