Goals for 2017

I don't have much resolutions for this year. . .but I do have a few goals I would like to reach.

1. Continue to let God lead me
2. Save at least $40,000
3. Get a new car
4. Have another child
5. Cure Cancer
6. Find out who let the dogs out
7. Dust off my Soprano Sax and learn to play that one Grover Washington song
8. Learn Christmas time is here on Piano so I can play it next holiday season
9. Run the spartan Beast in VA
10. Run another Spartan Sprint


this will be an ongoing list and I'll update and write about it as I complete each one.

Until next time,

mr. robinson

Dad Blog Entry 2: God's Child and My Child

God's Children

If you've ever gone to church, you know that God considers us his children.  He loves his children.  He provides for his children. He protects his children from dangers seen and unseen.

God made us in his image, we strive to be like God, ( even though we always falling short of the Glory) even when it comes to our own children.  Before Laila was born, I loved her. Not even a father yet but the fatherly instinct to provide and protect were overflowing.

Just as God does for all of his children, I wanted to do for mine. Recently, I saw a post from a facebook friend (Shoutout to Mr. W., fellow educated black father) saying 'If you knew how much stuff God saves you from everyday, you would thank him more'. Such a simple statement but just so profound.  It's amazing to think about all the times God saves us from possible catastrophic events and we have no idea about or what was going on.

Think about it:

• You woke up that morning; God gave you another gift of life saved you from death.

• Have you ever been driving to work and you drive pass an accident; God may have caused you to forget your  wallet/keys/purse to stall you so you wouldn't be a victim.

• You're nervous before an exam/appointment; God reaches and puts his hand on you giving you comfort.

• Demons looking to do you harm; God sends his angels to protect you.

• Your plans may cause extreme damage; it won't be comfortable but God stops it cause his plan is greater.

And if you mess up or get hurt, our Heavenly Father is right there with open arms telling us He loves us and everything is going to be OK.  We can't see it at the time but God knows.

Now take my daughter Laila and I, she's just beginning to walk so you can imagine the fun of following a toddler. But as I said, just as God protects his children, I want to protect my child from the seen and unseen dangers.  I know other parents can attest to this that toddlers have NO FEAR. They will run around like nothing can or will happen to them.  But as a parent, we have our eyes on them:

• Has your child ever almost walked into the side of a table but you put your hand between their head and the table to protect them?

• During bathtime, does your child have a knack for wanting to stand up in a slippery tub? What do you do? You put your hand on them and make sure they don't slip and fall. 

• When your child is learning to walk and they stumble and is falling to the ground.  . . . .you've caught them in mid air.

• When you see your child about to put something in their mouth that's not supposed to be in their mouth.... You stop them before they can do it or get it out before something serious happens (choking, poisoning etc.).

But there will be times when our kids will slip and fall or bump their head.  And when it happens, just like our Heavenly Father, it is our duty as our kid's Earthy Father to be right there with open arms telling our kids we loves them and everything is going to be OK. 

Here's to you,

Mr. Robinson

Dad Blog: Entry 1

Being a father is one the most rewarding events that will ever happen to me. So many new experiences with this little, beautiful, full of life, beaming with personality, proof that God loves me little girl has changed me as a person and has made me become a better man in the process.

I haven't blogged in a while but I'm going to start blogging about my experiences as a Dad. I'm sure there are many Dad Blogs out there sharing similar experiences but fatherhood is a new experience for me.
No promises on how often I will post. Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Just look out for it.

Welcome to my journey in fatherhood.

Here's to you,

Mr Robinson

Future Spartan!!!

So. . . . a few months ago I'm talking with my one of my best friends and he says 'ayo, we should do one of those Spartan races'.  I've always wanted to do one but I had no one to do it with so I thought "sure, why not".  Months go by and. . . . nothing.  Then all of a sudden Groupon has a deal on you guessed it, a Spartan Race in Pennsylvania.  Said Best friend brings it to my attention, 'ayo, what's good?'.  I see the deal and do nothing.  The funny thing is, he didn't do anything either.

Then it got me thinking of the "average person". 
The average person who says they are going to do something but never does it.
The average person who says they are going to do something, have the opportunity and means to do it but ends up finding an excuse for themselves.

I don't want to be average. 

It is on my bucket list to run one of these races and here I am with the opportunity and means to do it.  I could make the excuse, "I'm not ready for that type of race"  then I stopped and told myself. . . . "Then Get Ready".

I registered for 2 Spartan Races that day.  Physically, I'm not ready for a race like this but just as my mind said to my body. . . ."Then Get Ready"

Let the training begin.

https://www.groupon.com/deals/2016-reebok-spartan-races-27

https://www.groupon.com/deals/2016-reebok-spartan-races-43

Being Average

I'm more than halfway through reading John C. Maxwell's "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth" and I am very much enjoying it.  Possibly another book that has changed my life (the other books being The Bible and The Blessed Life)  But there is one passage in the book that explains "Being Average" that I found very interesting that I had to share it:

"Too many people are willing to settle for average.  Average is what the failures claim to be when their families and friends ask them, 'Why they have not been more successful?' 

Average is the top of the bottom, the best of the worst, the bottom of the top, the worst of the best. . .which one are you?

  Average is run of the mill, mediocre, insignificant, non-entity.  Being average is the lazy mans cop-out  its lacking the guts to take a stand in life, its living by default.

Being Average is to take up space with no purpose, to take a trip through life and pay no fare, to return no interest in God's investment in you.

Being Average is to pass life away with time than to pass once times away with life.  It's to kill time rather than work it to death.

To be average, is to be forgotten once you pass from this life.  The successful are remembered for their contributions, the failures are remembered because they tried.  But the average, the silent majority, is just forgotten.

To be average is to commit the greatest crime one can against oneself, community, humanity and God.

The saddest epitaph is this, 'Here lies Mr. and Mrs. Average, here lies the remains of what might have been except for their belief that they were only average.'  "

Powerful passage and makes you want to do and be better.

Keep on evolving,

Mr. Robinson

STFU and Do Something

I have this voice in my head that likes to pop up whenever I am unhappy about something.  It never fails me and on many occasions it has been there faithfully to push me in the right direction.  There were many things that I have been be unhappy about. . .

• I just got out the hospital and I lost 5 lbs because of my stay.  I was lean before, now I'm damn near skinny. . .unhappy
• This wedding I'm paying for got my finances looking questionable. . .unhappy
• Even in instances in past relationships. . .unhappy
• My place is a mess. . .unhappy
• I'm kinda bored. . .unhappy.

 Whenever those unhappy thoughts popped in my head the same voice would come back and just say one thing:

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT"

Once I heard this, I immediately got back to action and bypassed being in a pity party attitude.  I got a plan to gain my weight back, made a budget to save and put money towards this wedding, got out of those past relationships, cleaned up, and found something to do.

I've found that being unhappy is a choice and the voice in my head refuses to be in that state of mind.  So the next time you find yourself in a rut, a funk, feeling down and just unhappy.  Ask yourself, why you're there and then STFU and do something about it.

Post Valentine's Day Rant

I was going to write this post last week when it would seem more relevant but I got busy.  But I said to myself, no matter how late the day I'm still going to blog this.  So here it is.

Last year, I wrote a Valentine's themed blog entitled 'Part Time Valentine' where I just had a flashback of a conversation I had with a female friend of mine back in high school.  Check it out when you get a chance.  This year, as Valentine's Day came and went, I noticed alot of the same thing.  We have the posts about those who love Valentine's Day. . . . We also have the bitter bitches. . . .But I'm going to focus on the ones that say 'Valentine's Day should be everyday'.

Is it really though?  I'll add my two cents but my good friend Patrice L. said it best when she wrote this in a fb status:

"My V-day twitter rant...

Valentine's day CAN'T be everyday. People have jobs and children and shit to do. That's why there IS a day set aside for all the lovers of the world to stop everything else and recognize it. Let it live. I hate when people say ! Valentine's Day should be everyday"! No it shouldn't. That takes the fun out of it! Should you show your s/o love and affection and let them know they're appreciated everyday? Of course! But all the extra shit for Vday is not, cannot, should not be an everyday thing. That's like saying your birthday should be celebrated everyday because you should celebrate everyday you're alive. While this may be true, who the hell has the time, energy, or even the WILL to do that?! So can we please cut the "Vday should be everyday" nonsense?! Cuz it shouldn't."

Whether you like it or not, she has a point.  Valentine's Day should be celebrated in that one day.  Of course you  should love and admire the person you are with everyday but all of the extra stuff just isn't possible every single day.  Of course it's good sometimes but it if was received EVERY SINGLE DAY, it would lose it appeal and its flair.