Friday, November 28, 2008

Is Chili Soup?

I heard an interesting debate on the radio today. The DJs were talking about whether or not chili is a soup. A couple of the DJs passionately said that yes it is a soup, but one was staunchly against it. He said that chili is a separate entity all its own. Weigh in on the debate. Chili a soup or not? Comment.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Movie Review - Four Christmases

After Thanksgiving dinner my family has a tradition where we go see a movie. This year the movie of choice was Four Christmases staring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.

Vince and Reese play the dating couple who both come from divorced parents. Their upbringing causes them to avoid family oriented subjects like marriage, having kids, and celebrating Christmas with your family. They believe that marriage is the end all to a relationship so they avoid marriage like the plague. Each year at Christmas they go on vacation to avoid the family gatherings. This year their plans suddenly change and they are forced to celebrate Christmas with their family. Because both their parents are divorced they end up having to go to four different Christmases.



It's rated PG-13 for mild crude humor and some swears. It is not bad for PG-13 standards but this is definitely not a kid friendly movie.



Overall I thought it was OK. It's decently funny, but the characters are all very cliche. Since I'm pretty hard on movies I will tell you that the rest of my family liked it. They thought it was pretty funny. It's definitely not a new Christmas classic, but it is not a horrible movie.


Rob's Rating System: Two Thumbs up = I loved it, worth paying full price, and I will own it on DVD. One Thumb up = An OK movie, worth a matinee showing, and I may buy it on DVD if I see it in the $5 bin. Thumb to the side = Wait and rent it. I wouldn't be mad if someone gave me this DVD, but I wouldn't buy it. Thumbs down = I hated it, wish I wouldn't have wasted money on it, wouldn't own it on DVD.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Turkey Day


Question: What is your favorite food for Thanksgiving day? Leave a comment.

Does Jesus Make A Difference Part 4

Does Jesus really make a difference in a persons life?


This is the final post on this topic. I would like to give some practical ways that Jesus can make a difference in your life. Please understand that doing this list doesn't change God's perspective of you, it changes your perspective of God. God loves you no matter what and doing things won't make Him love you more or less. It will however allow Him to make a difference in your life.

  • Pray. I'm not just talking about praying for sick people or that you win the lottery. Pray that God would make a difference in your life. Beg God to show up and move you. The whole Christian movement was started by 120 people who were seeking God. Read Acts 1:15. God moved through 120 people and then it spread to 3,000. From there God continued to move and connect people to Him. Today Christianity is HUGE, but it started with 120 people praying.
  • Fast. If you want to depend on God fast for a meal or two. It sucks to be hungry. That is why I make sure I eat at least 3 times a day, but Jesus told us to fast. When you fast take the time that you would normally eat and spend that time praying. Make sure you drink lots of liquids and lower your amount of physical activity.
  • Tell someone about Jesus. When you are passionate about something you talk about it. Ask God to give you an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus and then seize the opportunity.
  • Stop doing what God has asked you to stop doing. If you have a sin in your life that God has convicted you about then stop doing it. Ask for help, get accountability, do something.

I'm sure there are more things that you could do. The point is to do something. There is nothing magic about this list.

I would love to know how Jesus has made a difference in your life. Leave a comment.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Does Jesus make a difference? Part Three.

Does Jesus really make a difference in people's lives?

What difference does Jesus make? Some would say he helps a person become a better person.

Anyone can learn to be moral. With the right amount of discipline all of us can become good people. You don't need Jesus to become good.

Here's an example...I've never heard Angelina Jolie talk about God. I don't know if she believes or not. I do know that the work she does overseas to help the needy is very Jesus like. The Bible says that Christians are to take care of the poor, the widow, and the orphan. Angelina has done more for the poor and orphan than most pastors combined. So she is doing Jesus type work and she may not even have Jesus in her life.

So if a person can learn to be good or moral then what difference does Jesus make? I know that Jesus makes a difference in where we spend eternity, but there has to be more. The Bible says that if you are in Jesus, that is if you have a relationship with Him, then you are a new creation. It goes on to say the old has gone and the new has come. So according to this verse Jesus makes a difference. He changes a person and makes them new. So the question is if you are not feeling new, if you are not feeling like Jesus is making a difference in your life, then either Jesus doesn't make a difference or you are not allowing Him to make a difference in your life.

Does Jesus make a difference? Part Two.

Does Jesus make a difference in this world?

If you've ever been through a church business meeting then you might wonder if Jesus really does make a difference. Have you ever been around a group of people who claim to be Christians but they are more hateful, rude, and selfish then someone who doesn't claim to be a Christian?

Jesus loves us no matter what we do, but Jesus doesn't make a difference unless we do something. Do you agree or disagree?

I think that we get out of a relationship with God what we put into it. It's the same with people. If you want a great relationship with your spouse, or your friends then you have to put good things into that relationship. You can't just expect things to be good. It takes work.

Now I believe that God loves you the same whether or not you do anything, but to truly experience God in this world you have to do something. If you want little from Jesus then give little to Jesus. If you want all of Jesus then you have to give all of yourself.

Does Jesus make a difference? Part One.

I'm wondering if Jesus really makes a difference in our world.

I recently read a survey given to high school students. The survey asked moral questions like is it wrong to have sex before marriage, cheat, lie etc. The survey divided up the students into two groups, those that were Christians and those that were not. When asked the questions the Christian students answered like you would expect Christian students to answer. They said that it was wrong to lie, cheat etc. The majority of the other students said that it depended on the circumstances, or that if it benefited them it was ok.

Then the survey asked the students about the last few weeks of their life. According to this survey the majority of the Christian students lied, cheated, and had sex. So basically the only difference Jesus has made in this group of students lives is that they say things are immoral, but they still do them anyway.

If the only thing Jesus is going to give you is a guilty conscience then why bother? Over the next few posts I'm going to continue discussing this topic. I would love for you to come along for the ride. So how has Jesus made a difference in your world?

Monday, November 24, 2008

I love gifts!!!!

On Saturday night my doorbell rings. I was in the bedroom putting away laundry and I looked at Monica with a who could that be look. She said that answering the door was my job. Since I don't have to clean the toilets I will gladly take the job of answering the door.
I went to the door and there was no one there....except a cardboard cut out of The Incredible Hulk. Now you may not know this about me but I own 15 cardboard cut outs and I love super heroes. The Hulk fits right in with the Batman, Superman, and Spiderman cut outs.

After a few minutes of hiding out in the cold the culprits finally came in. We ended up watching Elf and eating Christmas cookies. Thanks Brad for the gift and thank you Moriah for delivering it with him! Welcome to the family Hulk. Here are some pics.

How did your football team do?

Sorry B-Rad...the Titans finally lost. How about your football team, how did they do?

Sunday, November 23, 2008

For a million $'s

I have very interesting conversations with my friend Dan Peters. Lately we've been discussing what we would do for a million dollars. Here is the question for you...

For one million dollars would you have your pinkie finger surgically removed? Comment.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Working out with women

I've never worked out like a woman before...

On Wednesday after my normal workout at the YMCA I picked up a sheet with times and descriptions of the classes they offer. There is a class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings called powercut. The description said it involved weights and was good for a total body workout. My friend, Danielle Peters, assured me that the classes were guy friendly. She's a girl.


I was nervous to go to the class. I typically don't like trying new things. I also don't like to feel embarrassed, but I am not seeing the same results from my weekly workouts. I needed to try something new.


When I got there I noticed right away that there were no guys anywhere near this class. The women that were there were very nice. I think they felt sorry for me. They made sure I had a mat, a step, and some weights. Normally I would have bailed on this class but I thought what the heck...at least I'll have something to blog about.

Midway through the class the instructor told everyone to get an exercise ball. She described what we were going to do as being similar to ridding a horse. She straddles the exercise ball and then says "you should really feel it in your pubic area." Now I don't know if she forgot that out of the 9 people in the class only one of us was a guy, but when she said that I said "wow this is awkward." I don't know if she heard me or saw my discomfort but she then says "this probably is not a good exercise for gentlemen. Why don't you do some lunges." First off I don't know what a lunge is. Second thank you for giving me the invitation to never take your class again. I ended up standing next to my exercise ball until this exercise was done.

The class did involve a lot of weight lifting. Today my muscles are still sore. Even though that class was awkward and embarrassing it was a really good workout. I think too many times in life I'm afraid to try something new. I'm afraid that I'll fail or look foolish. The truth is that in order to stretch and grow and break out of the same old same old you've got to be willing to take a risk. If you want a great life you've got to be willing to break out of the monotony of your everyday life. Try something new. Allow new experiences to stretch you. Yeah it may be awkward but it will produce results. Who knows how God will use that new experience to sculpt your life.

I think I will go back to the class on Tuesday.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I love gifts!!!!

I love receiving gifts! My friends Ryan and Kim Windle recently gave me a Chuck Norris shirt that says "10 Things You Need to Know about Chuck Norris."

The funny thing about that shirt is that Chuck Norris, Rob, and the Windles go way back. The Windles were in the first Community Group that I led. During that group I used to tell Chuck Norris facts on a weekly basis. During that time Ryan and Kim were pregnant. Ryan started telling people that it didn't matter what the sex of the baby was he was going to name it Chuck after Chuck Norris. After Natalie (not Chuck) was born I went to the hospital to see them. The first thing that Ryan says to me is that Chuck Norris watched the birth of his daughter. During the delivery Ryan looked up and saw that the TV was on. The show that just happened to be playing was Walker Texas Ranger staring Chuck Norris. I get a kick out of that story. Thanks Windle's for the gift! By the way did you know that before Chuck Norris goes on stage he breaks someone's leg to give himself good luck?

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

My weekend with Monica


Last weekend, after Monica finished class, we went to her parent's river house. We went to celebrate her birthday. Her parents met us there and made dinner for us. After dinner they went back to VA Beach and the place was all ours. It was a nice get away. We went just to be with one another and to relax. And relaxing is what we did. We watched 3 and 1/2 movies, read books (Monica = 3 Rob = 0, but I did read a magazine), and went for a walk. I love spending time with Monica! Here are some pics of our weekend.

We celebrated Monica's dad's birthday as well. His is the day after Monica's.





Monday, November 17, 2008

Christmas Eve

Here is a video we showed at Waters Edge on Sunday. It is meant to be a funny video to get the word out about the Christmas Eve services at WEC. Enjoy!


How did your football team do?

Not a lot changed in the BCS standings. The NFL had some great games! So the question is how did your football team do?

Quantum of Solace Review

Quantum of Solace is the newest James Bond 007 movie. If you didn't see it over the weekend do yourself a favor and watch Casino Royale before you go to see it. I think it will make your movie experience a lot better.

Plot: Quantum picks up right after Casino Royale. The movie takes you from one adventure to the next. Weaving in and out of the plot is James Bond quest for revenge for the death of his girlfriend. Sound familiar?

In my opinion Quantum is a good movie but not a great movie. It is without a doubt influenced by the Bourne movie franchise. The way the action scenes were shot, the pacing of the movie, and even the plot for revenge over the death of a girlfriend are all taken from Jason Bourne. It had good actions scenes, but I want more than that from a movie. Overall I give it one thumb up. It's rated PG-13 for intense action and violence, some sexual content.

Rob's Rating System: Two Thumbs up = I loved it, worth paying full price, and I will own it on DVD. One Thumb up = An OK movie, worth a matinee showing, and I may buy it on DVD if I see it in the $5 bin. Thumb to the side = Wait and rent it. I wouldn't be mad if someone gave me this DVD, but I wouldn't buy it. Thumbs down = I hated it, wish I wouldn't have wasted money on it, wouldn't own it on DVD.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Monica's Birthday

Today is Monica's birthday. One thing you may have picked up on by reading robshep.com is that we love birthdays! Here's the thing about today...Monica has class at William and Mary from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

So with the help of some friends we celebrated Monica's birthday last night.
  • Here was the plan: friends were going to arrive at 5:50.
  • The limo was going to arrive at 6:00.
  • At 6:05 Monica and I were going to walk out of the house (she thought we were going to Dan and Danielle Peters' house for a birthday dinner) and she would be surprised to see the limo. Then when she got in the limo she would be surprised to see some of her friends.
  • We were riding to Richmond to go to Maggiano's.

Here is what happened:

  • 5:50 Friends arrived close to on time but there was no limo.
  • 6:05 I got a text telling me to stall. Monica hates being late and I had already stalled past 6:05. She was getting impatient.
  • 6:08 I pretended to have to go the bathroom. It was all I could think of. I pretended that it hit me and I couldn't wait. It was the only place I could think of that could buy me some time.
  • 6:12 we went to the car because I couldn't think of any other excuses as to why we weren't leaving.
  • 6:12 I told Monica that Danielle may have a plan to take her out and I asked if she felt comfortable in what she was wearing. I knew she didn't. Monica almost always dresses really nice, but for some reason she came home from work and put on a VA Tech shirt and rain boots. She said thanks for telling her and then said she wouldn't ruin the surprise. She still had no idea what was about to happen.
  • 6:16 I can't stall anymore and Courtney texts me and asks if they should surprise her in the driveway. I said yes.
  • 6:20 we open the door and our friends yell surprise. Monica yelped...it startled her. She was so excited and surprised!
  • 6:21 She still has no idea about the limo and she is busy hugging and talking with everyone. Then finally the limo arrives.
  • 7:45 we arrived a Maggiano's were I had a reservation for us.
  • 9:15 we were just getting our main course. I knew we had to leave by 9:30 to get the limo back on time.
  • 9:30 still waiting for dessert. Maggiano's is a family style restaurant where you pick two appetizers, two salads, two pastas, two entrees, and then two desserts. It's all you can eat and it is amazing!
  • 9:40 we tell the waiter to forget the desserts and just bag em. We will eat them in car.
  • 9:45 the waiter brings out an extra dessert with candles for Monica's birthday. Nice, but we were in a hurry!
  • 9:47 we rush out to the limo. Right away we start digging into the dessert! It was amazing.
  • 11:00 PM we arrive home.

It was a great night and Monica was really surprised. Here are some pics.




Friday, November 14, 2008

We lost! Bad!

So the WEC staff got killed at Corn Hole vs. Mark Batterson and the NCC staff. We were down two team members. Meredith May was out sick...you can read about that here. Brian Miller had to go home to take care of his son Cole. Cole is really sick. You can read about that here. When you do please pray for Cole!

Mark Batterson blogged about the Corn Hole shellacking (no I did not misspell that word...it means we got beat down! Here is the definition: 1. shel·lacked also shel·lacked, shel·lack·ing also shel·lack·ing, shel·lacs also shel·lacks Slang
a. To strike repeatedly and severely; batter.
b. To defeat decisively.) here.
We lost really bad. We played the best out of 7 and we lost in 4 straight. If add up all the points we scored in the 4 games it would not be enough to win one game...how sad is that? It was a fun day though. Thank you Mark and the staff of NCC for hosting us!
Here are some pics of the event.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Today I Battle Mark Batterson

Today is an exciting day for me. One of my favorite books in recent memory is the book In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. About two months ago, I was at a Director's Retreat for Waters Edge and during our breaks we played a game called Corn Hole or Baggo or Tailgate Toss. I learned about this game from Mark Batterson's blog. Anyway I suggested to my pastor, Stu Hodges, that we should challenge another church staff at Corn Hole. He threw out Mark Batterson and his staff at NCC.

That night I emailed Mark and challenged him and his staff...he doesn't know me from Adam. I may or may not have ended my email with "if you're scared say you're scared." He's not scared! He wrote a book about chasing lions. In other words...Mark accepted the challenge.

Today we are driving up to meet with the NCC staff for lunch at Ebenezers Coffeehouse. We are going to pick their brains and make some connections. Then after lunch the battle begins. I'm praying that God gives me the right words to say. Sometimes when I'm around people I don't know but I look up to, I get really quiet or I say really stupid things. I think I get quiet because I don't want to say stupid things. Anyway I'm really excited about this!

By the way, if I start losing I am not afraid to pull a Karate Kid and sweep the leg. And that my friends is a perfect example of a stupid thing I might would say to Mark Batterson.

You can follow my day through Twitter. You can subscribe to my Twitter page from my blog.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Guess who got engaged???

OK this news just made my week! D-Reeves and Angela got engaged last night!!!! If you don't know them then you should know that I named my car after D-Reeves mom. I also gave him the nickname D-Reeves and I may or may not have played a part in D-Reeves and Angela meeting. Basically I love the guy! Congratulations David "D-Reeves" Reeves and Angela "future Mrs. D-Reeves" Montondo! I'm so happy for you guys!
D-Reeves sent me some pics that I thought I would share with the world. Enjoy!





Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Warm and Fuzzy Memories with Rob

And now it's time for another Warm And Fuzzy Memory with Rob...

When I was in college we used to visit, hang out, and if we had money, shop at Wal-Mart. One of the things I love about Wal-Mart is that they provide jobs for many elderly folks. One day as I was walking out an older Wal-Mart employee near the exit asked to check my receipt. Her whole job was to check receipts, making sure you walked out with only the stuff you purchased. When she was done checking your receipt she would make a check mark on your receipt with a highlighter. The elderly Wal-Mart employee took my receipt in one hand as she looked it up and down. In her other hand, unbeknown to her, she marked up and down my shirt with her highlighter. When her eyes went down the receipt she marked down my shirt. When her eyes went back up the receipt she marked back up my shirt. I was wearing a white button down shirt from the GAP. When she did it the first time I gasped, but she didn't hear me. When she marked back down my shirt I just smiled. I thought I'm glad I'll have a place to work when I'm old. And that my friends is another Warm and Fuzzy Memory with Rob.

Epilogue:
Now that I think about it, I bet she was just using her age as an excuse to mess with people. I bet that night she went to her Bingo club and told a hilarious story about how she marked up and down some college kid's shirt and he didn't even say anything.

Monday, November 10, 2008

How did your football team do?

Big weekend in the world of football. How did your College, NFL, and for Mike Maloney...high school team...do over the weekend?

And for this week...how did your fantasy football team do? This is the first year in a long time that I didn't play fantasy football. I kind of miss it.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Holds up vs. Doesn't hold up

My friend Dan Peters and I have some pretty interesting conversations. They have inspired Monica (my wife) to start a journal of various quotes that have been said during some of our conversations. I would like to include you the faithful robshep.com reader in on one of those recent conversations...

Dan is adamant that the movie Speed doesn't hold up. He says he liked it when he first saw it but now it's horrible. I on the other hand disagree. I think it is still an entertaining movie. It's not Oscar material, but it is a good action movie. So I'm wondering what do you think? Does Speed, with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock driving a bus around LA at 50 miles an hour in hope that the bus will not explode if they drop below 50 miles an hour, still hold up?

Saturday, November 8, 2008

New Blog

Meredith May, the Director of Preschoolers and Kids at Waters Edge, has started a blog. Meredith is creative and is way better at grammar than I am. You should check it out.

For those of you keeping record Meredith is the 5th WEC staffer to have a blog. Here are the others in order of when they started...

  1. Bill - if you want to read about what Bill did last July (he doesn't update it very much) visit http://billsprouse.blogspot.com/
  2. Rob - robshep.com. Doesn't do well with grammar but at least it makes you giggle.
  3. Phil - Phil blogs in spurts...when he does it's good. Check him out at http://www.philopedia.com/.
  4. Brian Miller - Brian blogs almost everyday. He also leaves comments on other blogs (I love this about Brian), so if you want comments on your blog become his friend. Check out Brian's blog at www.waystationone.com.
  5. Meredith May - her blog is only about a week old. Become one of the first to follow it at http://www.heymayday.com/.

I've been thinking about this for a while. I would like to compile a list of all the WEC members who have blogs. I'm thinking about starting a blogroll on robshep.com that has all WEC members. Leave a comment if you have a blog and you go to WEC.

Friday, November 7, 2008

It's a bird!

Every Sunday night Stu Hodges prepares...scratch that...provides dinner for those of us that have served all day at Waters Edge. This past Sunday KFC was on the menu. When I came down stairs from doing the announcements at the 6:00 PM service I saw this...


That's gross! When I arrived at the Yoder Barn Theater for church this bird was lying dead by the side door. Reason for death is undetermined. Someone in the band (Randy ...I can name him because he refuses to read robshep.com) thought it would be funny to put the bird on a plate with a biscuit...it actually was in the biscuit at one time. Seeing it grossed me out! Then it made me laugh. Then I had Meredith May take a picture.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Great Quotes

I read these great quotes from Mark Batterson's blog and I wanted to share them with you.

Ron Martoia said, "Our spiritual formation efforts have focused on information acquisition." So true. And the problem with that is this: we are educated way beyond the level of obedience.

George Barna said, "Christianity has become a way of thought instead of a way of life." Ding. Ding. Ding. I think we've created a culture where we know more and do less all the while thinking we're growing spiritually. Also love the way he said: "If you don't change you become part of the problem."

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I Voted!

I voted...now on to the free stuff.

Did you know that by showing your "I Voted" sticker you can receive free stuff? You can! Here is a list of some of the places giving out free stuff.

  • One scoop of ice cream at Ben and Jerry's.
  • One star shaped sprinkled Krispy Kreme Doughnut.
  • At participating Chick-fil-A stores you can receive one free chicken sandwich.
  • I heard that Sonic was giving away a free drink, but I can't confirm that online.
Did you get anything free on election day 2008?

Costume Party Number Two

Last Friday I went to my second costume party in October. I went once again as Mario. In fact I have a four year plan for this Mario costume. Next year I'm going to add yellow buttons to the costume. In two years I'm going to add raccoon ears and a tail to be Mario from Mario 3. In three years I'm going to build a car out of cardboard and strap it on...thus I will be Mario from Mario Cart. In four years I'm going to strap shoes to my knees and walk on my knees all night...thus being the regular Mario before he becomes super. I figure if I spent money on it I might as well get some use out of it. Here are some picks from the costume party.
This time I brought Luigi. Luigi kept wanting to kiss me all night and I refused. I don't kiss my brother.
Speaking of my brother. A lot of people dressed up like the Joker this year...but I think it is safe to say only one person dressed up as the Joker in a nurses outfit. If you've seen the movie then you know what scene it's from. My brother ended up winning two costume contests that night. He won a $20 gift card to Starbucks and he won $100 cash money!

Here is a shot of Brian Miller and I strategizing for Baggo/Cornhole.

Pictured below...Carlyn as a gold digger, Monica as Luigi, and Courtney as a girl in a black dress with a pointy hat.

Monday, November 3, 2008

We Can Vote However We Like

If you haven't seen the sixth and seventh graders from The Ron Clark Academy in ATL rap about the upcoming election you need to watch this! Monica found it and showed it to me and it is wicked AWESOME! It's taken from the song "Whatever you like" by TI.



Now that you have seen that watch the CNN interview.



I'm thinking I would have made straight A's in school if this was how I was taught.

How did your football team do?

Big weekend of football. We have a new number one team in the BCS polls. There was also a lot of action in the NFL. How did your team do? I know that many of you are Redskins or Steelers fans, and that your team plays tonight. If that is you who do you think will win?

One interesting side note: Did you know that the Washington Redskins have predicted 16 of the last 17 Presidential elections? Here's how it works..."if the Washington Redskins win their last home game prior to the presidential election, the candidate representing the incumbent party remains in office. If the Redskins lose, the incumbent party also loses.” So if you are voting for Obama then root for the Steelers. If you are voting for McCain then cheer for the Redskins.