Back in May I had the chance to take part in my graduation ceremony for my masters degree. It is something that I wanted to do and celebrate with my wife and son given the hard work and sacrifices that were made to allow to to earn the degree. The trip was well worth it for all of us.
We got lucky and were able to get a room in the dorms on campus. When checking out hotels I saw that they were either booked or expensive. Being able to get a room on campus was a blessing because it was cheaper and as we learned made it easier to get around campus and to all the activities. The entire family got into our little car in the early morning hours of May 10th and headed toward Lynchburg, VA. It is about a seven hour drive through the mountains of West Virginia. Now anyone with little kids can tell you that traveling with them on long rides can be a tale of two stories. Will they sleep most of the trip or will they cry. For our son we have already experienced both versions in previous trips. We simply did not know what to expect and this was going to be the longest drive of his little life. Thankfully between leaving so early in the morning and some good attitudes he either slept or smiled all of the way there. Most of the drive was uneventful and we did not encounter much traffic. However, when we pulled off the highway and onto the campus of Liberty University that changed quickly. The campus was full of people checking in for graduation the next day and getting gifts. Police were everywhere. After check-in we attempted to find the dorms, got lost a couple of times before finally getting away from traffic and to the dorms. That evening we attended the baccalaureate at the building next to the dorms. By now little guy was getting fussy from being still and sitting all day. Thankfully we sat in the last row and my wife was able to walk with him on the concourses. Saturday morning was the big morning. The first question was when was the rain going to arrive. The forecast all week called for an all day rain. We were hoping it would hold off until after the main commencement ceremony. Staying the night on campus came in handy as we did not have to deal with traffic getting there. My wife had debated on staying in the room and watching the live stream of the event given the security and number of people involved and that I would not be there to help since I had to walk in. She decided that morning to go and watch the ceremony at the stadium. Security was high as the Vice-President of the United States, Mike Pence was the speaker. Vice-President Pence delivered a wonderful message to us graduates and thankfully the rain help off just long enough to have everyone leave the stadium. The rest of the day was the individual ceremonies where I was able to make that wonderful trip across the stage with my son and wife cheering me on. This indeed was a wonderful experience for the entire family to enjoy. We had fun and got to travel to a new place. We were blessed by the different speakers that imparted wisdom into us throughout the entire weekend. In the end it was the perfect capstone to a lot of hard work and late nights to earn the Master of Science in Cyber Security with high distinction. I am glad I got to share it with my wife and son.
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These last few months have been busy for the family and I. Our summer was full of looking for a new job. Without any income at times we really had to depend on God to get us through. Thankfully, we always had food on our table and the bills continued to be paid. I spent days submitting resumes to several different companies while still trying to continue with my classes. It was a trial that brought the family closer together.
By the end of August I had a job offer. It was a major breakthrough that would ensure the family was taken care of while I got to spend more time with the family. A job where I would not have to work overtime everyday. I would not have to work on Saturday. Gone are the 60 hour work weeks. Gone are the countless days of being so worn out that I could not function when I got home. Gone are the days wondering if I was going to bring in enough to take care of the family. The job I took involves being a software support representative for the customers of the company. While this is simply an entry level job, it has proven to be exciting. I work a steady shift, when the day is done it is done. I get to spend more time with my wife and son. While this might be entry level, I know that my future is bright and the opportunities to move forward are right in front of me. This job meant changes for the family. First, and most important was that we had to move. The job was located in Dayton, Ohio which means I had to leave my small little town in Michigan to take the job. This is where the adventure begins. Finding a place in the area was difficult and it had to be close to work yet within out budget. So, while we were looking fro a place to live I had the amazing opportunity to stay with my best friend and world traveling companion, Steven. It was a blessing that he was able to take my family in so that I could start the new job. Further, his family and church took us in and made us feel welcome. As of today we have our own apartment again. While it is small it is nice. I live close to work so I can get home quickly and spend more time with the family. I am near some great friends that I get to see on Sundays and a few other days throughout the month. It has been a busy few months but know it is starting to settle down. The next few months will be interesting. I will be completing training soon for my job which means that I will be given a shift to work. Also, in a few weeks I will be finished with school. This is something both my wife and I are looking forward to as the last year of classes have been hard. There have been a lot of sacrifices made to get this far in the graduate classes. Knowing we are now just a few weeks away is such a blessing. We trust that God will use it to open doors, advance my career further. God will be using us in Ohio. We look forward to seeing what He will do in our lives here. Today is Father’s Day. This is the first one that I get to celebrate as a father. Just six months ago I was blessed to have a little boy join the lives of my wife and I and it has been an adventure. As I sit here this morning typing this post while my family is still sleeping I get a chance to wonder about dads and what it takes to be a great dad.
The best example that we have as the best father ever is that of God. He is the perfect father to everyone. Last week during Sunday School at the church I was able to lead the class and we studied the Parable of the Prodigal Son that is found in Luke 15:11-32. In this story we see a boy demand from his father to give him what he is going to get when his father passes. The father loves his son so much that he fulfills the request and allows his son to do what he pleases. Much like that of what God allows when He does not control us but allows us to exercise free will. When the son lives his life and has nothing left and finds himself eating with the pigs he decides to go home and ask to be a servant. When he was still walking the father saw him and ran to him. He treated his son with a hg and a kiss. He forgave him and restored him to the family. This is exactly what our Father in Heaven does for us. He always loves us no matter what we do and is there to restore our relationship with him every time we mess up. This is the love that we should show to our families. We know they will make mistakes. While my son is this cute little six month old now that smiles and sleeps all the time, he will grow up. No matter what he does it is my duty as the father to love him and to continue to restore him to this family. Same with my wife as well. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Yet it is the love of Christ that flows within us that allows us to forgive others as Christ forgave us and to restore that relationship. As we go about this Father’s day let us thank them men in out lives that raise us to be the people we are today. Let us also thank our Father in Heaven for the love he pours onto us every moment. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY. David was born on December 28, 2017. It has been two weeks since his arrival and my wife and I are still getting use to the new adjustment in our life. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. We just had a visit with the OBGYN the day before. They told her she was 3.5 cm dilated and told her our baby most likely will arrive early and soon. They told her to keep track of her contractions and if it gets bad make our way to the hospital. The rest of the day went off without a hitch. The next day I went to work as usual. Said goodbye to my wife and gave her a kiss before making my way out of the door. When I knew she would be awake I asked her how she was feeling. She said great but she was had some contractions. I asked her what the time between was and she didn’t know and was not keeping count. I had to remind her that it was important that she did that. Later in the afternoon she called me in pain. I called my mom to go over to our apartment since she lives only a couple minutes away. As for me, I started to plan my work day to get me closer to home. I got called by my mom and she told me I should get home and get my wife to the hospital. Being close to home I closed out my last task and drove home informing my supervisor I was leaving early. I got home and was able to take my wife to the hospital where they did not even wait for the doctor to arrive to admit us. The nurse looked at us and said we are in labor and that we would be admitted. They moved us to our room and we prepared for the arrival of our son. My wife did not take any pain medication and while delivering our child did not even scream. I am very proud of her. After an hour of pushing little David made his way out and took his first breath. We were parents and thankful that God has blessed us with our son. After spending the required time in the hospital for recovery we made our way home with our little bundle of joy. And he was bundled as it was extremely cold outdoors. In these first weeks we have been learning. We had to learn when we could get our sleep. How to change some nasty poopy diapers. We had to figure out how to know the baby was hungry. It has been a challenge. However, I would not change it for anything in the world.
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Joshua Robinson
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