As some of you know, last June I lost my teaching position and my academic career was terminated. Needless to say this was due to my having integrity. If I had been dishonest and gone about things in a non-biblical manner by going to the person who stole from me privately, I wouldn’t be in this mess today. If I had know that I was dealing with principalities and powers rather than apparent ministers of righteousness, I would have gone about things differently. But the past is over and done with. As things stand, my wife is still working part time while I look for some kind of employment sufficient to meet our financial needs, while we take turns watching our three girls.
We live fairly frugally and even more so since my termination. We don’t have cable TV and going out to a KFC type place for dinner once a month with the family is a luxury,( which we no longer can afford). We cut off Netflix last month. Other than our mortgage, car payment and some small school loans, we have no revolving debt. We live within our means in our two bedroom home. My wife keeps telling me that I need to find a way to generate some cash flow from the blog writing I do. All of that apologetic experience has got to be worth something. So here goes.
I have been doing this for free. We have here a blog unlike most others in the blogsphere where we attempt to discuss unique material at a high level of sophistication. Few and far between are the places, at least that I know of in the blogsphere where you can discuss, not to mention learn about the kind of things we discuss here, even among “professonal” theologians and philosophers.
Soon my cash reserves will run out and I will be in serious financial difficulty. That means I will lose my house. Currently my wife and I have no health insurrance and my kids are on state medical coverage. So here I am begging until I can get on my feet. If you have found my writing significantly helpful and if you have disposable income and you need to be charitable or philanthropic, I am asking for help.
If you know of any job leads in the St. Louis area which would require someone with strong analytical skills, strong speaking skills and the kind of person who comes in early and leaves late, I could use those as well. For the last few months I have been applying to everything from educational positions, to selling shoes, to Enterprise Rent-a-Car. I am not proud, well at least not proud when it comes to feeding my kids. If you have already donated, you have my gratitude and I am not asking you to give again, but seeking to spread the love around as it were.
If you wish to donate or send me employment information, I would be most grateful. You may contact me at acolyte4236 AT sbcglobal dot net.
Thank you,
Perry Robinson
Energetic Procession 
Dear Perry,
Hang in there. I have been through the same type of ordeal (also at the hands of supposed brothers in Christ). God has something better for you.
-Rod
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Hang in there brother, I have been there before… but never had a family to support.
You are in my prayers.
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God bless you and keep you. I don’t know anyone at all in St Louis 😦
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Our prayers and help are with you, Perry.
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Dear modern-day Job, the meek shall inherit the earth and the Lord protects his own.
Blessings in Christ,
Thurs.
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Ferris, you should have my email address. Please email me your home address. If not, here it is, but please modify the comment to delete it so I don’t get spammed.
j watts (at) suddenlink . net
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Holy crap! Have you thought about being a paralegal? Looked around and it seemed well-paying enough and fairly entry level. Your academic career so far should substitute for some of the experience they’re typically after. Apart from that, I could always teach you how to develop software — which amounts to reading a few poorly written books and emulating what you see.
Brook’s going to think about it and look for something specific in the area.
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Trackback doesn’t seem to be working for me. But I am doing what I can to spread the word. Hang in there buddy. I will keep you in my prayers and light a candle for you and yours at church.
ICXC
John
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I hope Perry is receiving a lot of positive feedback in response to this most recent statement. This site is worth way more than we can repay. I lit a candle at the Liturgy for the Nativity of the Theotokos yesterday morning, requesting her prayers to intercede in this situation.
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Ouch, man, that hurts me even to read about it. You do have my prayers (and I may throw in a fast tomorrow at lunch for you!). To suffer in Christ is glory in waiting.
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Perry:
Been there, done that, still doing it. I feel for you and pray for you. And when I have “disposable income,” you’ll get some of it.
Best,
Mike
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You’re probably a shoe-in at Kaplan or Princeton Review for some short-term income. There are also other tutor-type positions you might be able to patch together.
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Be encouraged. God is faithful. He will not fail you and your family. He will meet all your needs.
Blessings,
A brother in Christ
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Perry,
I don’t know it’s done, but if you could setup a link to your Paypal account that would greatly simplify the donation process.
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Some of us may send payments via Paypal to your email address, and you may want to check your spam folder just in case.
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Do you have a paypal account? Many can donate that way. Also some bloggers have a donate widget on their blogs. I don’t know how they did it. But if you have a paypal account then I would be more than happy to donate.
JNORM888
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Perry, I had some idea of the “academic fracas” that happened a few months ago, but I had no idea it resulted in the termination of your academic career. I will see what I can scrape together; meanwhile, keep all of us in Houston in your prayers.
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God bless you and your family! I had not really looked at your blog before, my husband had added it to our Orthodox favorites, and the first time I look at it I see this.
I am sorry that you are going through this. You know that God is with you in all things, so you have a “leg up” on the rest of secular society that is going through the same thing. You also know that God has a purpose for you and will provide for you and your family (beautiful photo!) through all of this, BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?!
For getting an actual paycheck, any paycheck — well, a legal and moral one — preschool work and substitute teaching have worked for us. I think tutoring has been recommended. The homeschool association of middle tennessee here puts out a newsletter where teachers/tutors of all types advertise, I don’t know if you’ve tried talking to homeschool associations but I would think with the popularity of classical education that a philosophy professor might find some work with a small group or one on one.
You know your work is inspired by God. He will have His Way with His Children and you and your family are there.
Please know that I have tried to write the encouragement that I want to read on an e-mail sent to me if my family faces this again. God bless you all!
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Perry,
http://molonlabe70.blogspot.com/2008/09/post-for-perry.html
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You ought to think about a paypal donate link and potentially some non-invasive ads (either randomly or try to get some sponsorship by advertising exclusively from a series of orthodox sources (light and life, etc.). I don’t think the ad revenue will be enough to live off of (especially once it’s split, if it’s split), but it could help.
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As someone in a similiar position (with the divorce court monster on top of it), I have to second the opinions on teaching employment at the sub college level. In my case, it was voluntary (I left adjunct university work to impliment Arabic in the Illinois schools), and it provides something steady. You might even look, given your location, into getting certification in Illinois: I know that for substitute teaching you need a B.A. and pass some other hurdles (background, etc.) which I, from what I have heard of you, you would have no difficulty with.
Lord have mercy, and preserve Thy faithful servants.
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Hello Christopher [Perry),
Whosoever possesseth hope in the Lord is above all things that bring sorrow. {Lord’s Day Matins: Hymns of Ascent – Tone 4]
He whose hope is God: http://diakrisislogismon.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/nothing-is-fearful/
I pray all is well.
In Christ,
Diakrisis Logismon
_
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When a family falls into poverty, it may be compelled to borrow money in order to survive. But if the lender charges interest on the loan, then that family will fall deeper into the pit: not only will they have to repay the loan but also the interest that accumulates on it. The lender may pretend, even to himself, that he is acting kindly; but in fact behind the guise of charity he is acting with extreme malice. He is trading on the calamities of others; he is drawing profit from their distress; he is demanding a material reward for an act of charity, and so turning charity into robbery. He seems to be beckoning the poor family into a safe harbor, but in truth he is taking their ship onto the rocks. The lender may ask: “Why should I lend to others money that is useful to me, and demand no reward for it?” My answer is that you shall receive a reward: in return for the gold you lend on earth, you shall receive gold in heaven at a far greater rate of interest than you could ever imagine.
.
– St. John Chrysostomos
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My Orthodox family in Christ, I apologizing for disrupting this thread, but I was wondering if you would please let me know if I am correct in my most recent blog entry about your beliefs?
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If I may, another:
Imagine a carpenter with the crudest of tools. It takes him many days to make a simple table; and its quality is so low that the price he obtains for it is poor. He has a choice: either he can spend all the money he earns on food and drink or he can set some money aside, even if it means going hungry, in order to buy better tools. If he does the latter, then he will soon be making good tables much more quickly, and so his earnings will quickly rise. This choice is analogous to a spiritual choice that each of us must make. Either we can spend for our own pleasure all the wealth we possess or we can set aside part of our wealth to give to others. If we do the latter, then we may sacrifice a few immediate, earthly pleasures; but the joy we earn for ourselves in heaven far, far surpasses the pleasure we have lost on earth. Every act of charity on earth is an investment in heaven.
.
– St. John Chrysostomo
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Moneylending is a business that involves the exchange of present values for future values. Loans bridge the gaps in the timing of cash flows.
On the other hand, personal distress is most often an outgrowth of undercapitalization, not temporary illiquidity. Therefore, personal distress is more appropriately assuaged through gifts with no strings attached.
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This is obligatory material for those undergoing the interview process:
http://www.takimag.com/blogs/article/lie_i_cant_even_be_tactful/
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Perry, I remember you from a short correspondence many years ago (96 or 97, in regard to the Trinitarian statements of Chuck Smith), and am glad to find you are Orthodox. You and your family will remain in my prayers.
Eric Simpson
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Dear Perry,
While I consider you my theological enemy and an enemy of the Gospel, I must say that I am truly sorry that you were terminated from your teaching position. I know that this creates a tremendous crisis in your life and for your family.
At the risk of being misunderstood, may I suggest that sometimes God uses suffering to redirect us into a more theologically correct direction? I have no idea why you were terminated but I do believe in God’s absolute providence in all events in our lives.
I hope and pray for you and for your family. May God grant you the grace to survive this and to return to the doctrines of grace.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Charlie
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