Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Gettin' Down and Dirty

Two years ago on spring break, we took our three youngest children (Katie, Kody, and Jacob) to Washington DC and spent five days touring the sites. Dirk had visited as a child, but the rest of us had never been. One of the most remote places we visited was Roosevelt Island. It was a place Dirk really wanted to see. And it didn’t disappoint. Since Roosevelt was such a conservationist, this island in the Potomac River between Arlington and Washington proper is a perfect location to honor his memory.

This quote by Roosevelt is lengthy, but worth the read…hang with me.


“It is not the critic who counts;

not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;

who strives valiantly;

who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;

but who does actually strive to do the deeds;

who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;

who spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Galatians 6:9

What is your worthy cause?
Get sweaty!
Strive valiantly!

12 comments:

  1. Thank you Robin for reaching out to me! Ali is such a sweetie! You're daughter Anna is at our campus and I am inspired by her, it gives me a picture of what my daughter might be able to do someday after years of training her up at home! :)

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  2. to love deeply...no matter how wounded they may be...to love until it hurts and love some more! After all, this is what Christ does for us! Love you!

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  3. I'm taking my mother to DC this summer for her 70th birthday! Can't wait!

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  4. Robin, you do not know how much I needed to read that quote tonight...thank you for encouraging me! Jayme Roberts:)

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  5. being a mommy...to sacrifice my own selfishness and to serve and love my children in a way that they would expirence God's love and desire Him all of their days.

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  6. I really needed to hear that today... I'm struggling to give up on my students... sometimes I think they just don't get it! But thanks for the reminder that it's worth a try at least! I'd rather have sweat and blood than a clean face any day!

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  7. A beautiful quoye and a timely call to action. That's a "save" post.

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  8. I have so many right now, but it is awesome. Thanks Robin

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  9. My worthy cause is to be a better mom and to give my children a great spiritual foundation.

    I love that word strive. It is so much better than work. :)

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  10. oooo.. I like that! So many, battling alongside those who are battling alone. To hear dn love like the lord!

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  11. Nick& Vanessa--so glad we discovered each other! Isn't Ali cute?! Tell Anna hi for us ;)
    Shanna--I KNOW your cause! You live it!
    Cindy-we loved DC!
    Jayme-hang in there mama! It WILL be worth it all!
    Christie-I love that you are a curse breaker! And a great one!!
    Anna-NEVER give up, 300 WOMAN!
    Kim, Roger, Theresa, Jessica---THANKS! You guys are awesome!

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  12. my short people and those i mentor who aren;t so short

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