Robby's Rant: Sin

Oh Devil, why do you tempt me so? Why do you put these sinful, paranoid thoughts into my mind? Why must you put me through this mental agony and strain over the most stupid of reasons? You know that this is one of the big issues I struggle with on a daily basis, so how dare you use this issue against me. It's such a low blow, you conniving pest. Your powers are making me so paranoid that it frustrates me to be around the friends I love the most, to be around anything that annoys me in the least bit and almost anything period. You rat, you fiend, you devil. How could you? Why are you doing this to me?????

Be as it may, I am okay. Devil, you can never defeat me and I will come up on top. I will survive this moment of struggle because I have Strength. Because I have Power. Because I have Will and Grace and Mercy. This battle going inside of me will not last forever, not if He has something to say about, Devil. I know I have a higher power watching over me, guiding me and helping me get through this. Nothing that you can do or say or tempt me with can stop me, hold me down, or get me more mad than I already am at you.

"And when the waves are taking you under, hold on just a little bit longer. He knows that this is going to make you stronger, stronger. The pain ain't gonna last forever and things are gonna get better. Believe me, this is gonna make you stronger. 'Cause if He started this work in your life, He'll be faithful to complete it if only you believe it. He knows how much it hurt and I'm sure He's gonna help you get through this."

How dare you try to ruin something that has been made great for me, you fiend? How dare you?

Some articles of mine from the Tennessee Journalist

http://tnjn.com/staff/averones/

http://tnjn.com/2011/oct/19/pick-em-week-8/
http://tnjn.com/2011/oct/12/pick-em-week-7/
http://tnjn.com/2011/oct/06/pick-em-week-6/
http://tnjn.com/2011/sep/29/pick-em-week-5/
http://tnjn.com/2011/sep/21/pick-em-week-4/

http://tnjn.com/2011/oct/11/sec-power-rankings-bama-and-ls/
http://tnjn.com/2011/oct/09/dowd-makes-history-in-win-over/
http://tnjn.com/2011/sep/12/cover-two-is-texas-am-a-good-a/

And one more article that I was in from the Athaeneum
http://www.athenaeumnews.com/327/

Two hundred fifty nine thousand two hundred seconds. Two hundred fifty nine thousand moments so dear? Two hundred fifty nine thousand two hundred seconds. How do you measure, measure anthem?

This year's Anthem, VFC's annual Fall Break conference, was similar in many ways to how Anthem went last year. The weather was beautiful, the people there were amazing, the adventure was hilarious and muddy, the blob jumps were entertaining, the paintball was fun (kinda...I mean I'm not really into paintball), the messages were informative and the worship was electrifying. From the surface, it was just another Anthem.

But it really wasn't just another Anthem. This year was different. I mean, obviously this year wasn't going to be the exact same as last year's, just as this year's VFC wasn't gonna be the same as last year. It just amazes me how much can happen in such a relatively short time. The tone this Fall Break was considerably different than last year. I can vividly remember sitting in the main room last year wondering who half the people were, what exactly I was doing in VFC at all.

For some reason, the word 'nostalgic' constantly pops into my head when I think of this past weekend. I'm not sure it's quite the right word, but it'll do until I think of a better word. It is crazy how much I personally have changed in a year and it is said changes that seem to make Anthem a little different this go around. I see new people coming into Anthem for the first time, or I'll see the paintballing, adventure racing or preaching and something in me automatically reminisces.

I talked to several new VFC-ers and all of told me how awesome of an experience this was and how there lives are different after this and one even told me how she became a Christian this weekend. It brings such great joy to me, being a VFC veteran, of how a gift like Anthem can change lives like it has. There are many things that have given me great joy in the recent years and one can't help but stop and be thankful for all the joy that has come from being down here at UT.