My Pastor Doesn't Get My Blog

I had a conversation with my pastor the other day and he said that there is nothing wrong with my blog but he just doesn't get it. He doesn't get why I care about the stats of my blog. He doesn't get why I love writing it. He doesn't get why I promote it via Twitter or Facebook. He doesn't get it. He's not the only one. There are lots of people out there that just don't get why I blog. And that's ok.

It's hard to explain but I love having a blog. It's kind of like a kid who is proud of their art project. The reality is it's not a masterpiece but they are proud of it. They are proud of it because it's something they created. robshep.com is not perfect. I make grammar mistakes, I often write blog posts that are too long, and I sometimes say things that are inappropriate (did you read the blog post on wipe your own butt?). Even though it's not perfect robshep.com is a part of me. What you read is my humor, it's my thoughts, it's my life for the world wide web to see.

I love writing, I love making people laugh, and I love having a blog. It's one of the few things I've ever created from scratch. Can anyone relate? Maybe you can't relate to having a blog but maybe there is something else out there that you have created and because of that you are proud of it. Maybe it's not perfect but because it's yours you care about. I'd love to know what have you created that you love?

The Death of Dreaming

If you could be anything and not fail what would you be? If you could do anything and not fail what would you do?

At some point in our lives we used to dream BIG dreams. As kids we went from wanting to be superheroes, to firemen, to all star athletes. We used to dream big but most people don't dream big anymore.

This past week in our Student Community Groups our students were asked what they dream about. The sad report I heard was that many of them don't have dreams to become anything.

If you don't have a big dream for you life then it is a direct reflection of how small you think God is. God is able to do measurably more than what we can ask or even imagine. If that is true then why don't we dream BIG?

Don't Worry About How Others Respond

I'm a people pleaser. For years this is something that God has been working out of me. One of the things that I've noticed about being a people pleaser is that I hate confrontation. I've gotten a lot better at it, but I still find myself avoiding it.

One thing that God has been showing me is that I can't be responsible for how other people are going to respond. In life I should be respectful to all, but there are times when I should confront someone. There are times where it is actually unloving not to confront someone. It's unloving because it affects their quality of life. If I don't confront them then what I'm saying is that I care more about my comfort then I care about them. That's selfish.

In those moments I need to cowboy up and respectfully, lovingly confront the person. God has showed me that if I confront out of love I can't be responsible for how they respond. They may get mad or they may appreciate that I loved them enough to talk to them. Either way I'm responsible for the way I love and respect a person...I'm not responsible for how other people respond. What are your thoughts about this?

Stage Three Clinger

This past weekend I went to get my hairs cut. Hairs is not a typo. When I was in high school one of my teachers would always jokingly correct someone if they asked him if he got a hair cut. He would say something like, "I actually had multiple hairs cut and not just one."

Speaking of hairs...I'm quickly losing them. I was talking to the person cutting my hair and she said that I was a stage three. I didn't know if that was bad or good, so I asked. She said that there were only four stages. Stage three is noticeable hair loss but there is a chance to hang on to what you have. WHAT?! Once the hair falls out it's over and there is not going back. She said once you get to stage four you have to go see your Dr.

I'm a stage three clinger! My hair is clinging on for dear life. I told my wife, Monica, that this week I need to buy this shampoo the stylist recommended. It's supposed to strengthen my hair follicles so nothing else falls out. I can't buy it until we get paid on Friday, so until then CLING ON hairs CLING ON.

Busy Week

Does Sunday start off a person's week? I've often heard that but if always feels like the end of a week for me. If it is the start then my week started off at mach three speed.

• Sunday I spoke 4 times at my church, Waters Edge.
• I was dog tired last night. I told Monica, my wife, that my feet were killing me. She offered to rub them. I said no at first because feet are kind of gross, but she persisted and it was amazing.
• Today I'm leaving to fly to Charlotte, NC for a conference. It's called Three and it's put on by Elevation Church and Pastor Steven Furtick.
• I'll be at Three all day Tuesday and fly back that night.
• Wednesday I have a House Party for Waters Edge. A House Party is a gathering for people interested in finding out more information about our Community Groups.
• I'm going to miss my Student Community Group because of the House Party. That makes me sad.
• Thursday I have to put together all of the new Community Groups from the House Party. This is an all day affair.
• I'm amped about Friday! Friday kicks off the Summer Movie Season with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
• Because of the business of my week I'm actually waiting to see Wolverine on Saturday afternoon. Look for the review later that day.
• Speaking of the Summer Movie Season check out the newest poll on robshep.com.
• Whew...it's going to be a great, but busy week.
• If you are interested I will be making updates through Twitter.

I love gifts!!!!

I love gifts! This week I came into my office and had a wrapped present sitting in my chair. The present simply said To robshep.com. I didn't know what it was, but I was excited to see. I ripped open the present and found this book...

The book is by the creator of the founder of the website dedicated to Chuck Norris Facts. I don't know who gave it to me but if you read my blog...THANK YOU.

Here is a sample of what I've found in the book...

• When an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger aired in France, the French surrendered to Churck Norris just to be on the safe side.
• Rather than being birthed like a normal child, Chuck Norris instead decided to punch his way out of the his mother's womb. Hence the term "C-Section."
• Every piece of furniture in Chuck Norris's house is a Total Gym.
• The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
• Chuck Norris's poo is used as currency in Argentina.
• Chuck Norris makes onions cry.
• Chuck Norris refers to himself in the fourth person.

Funny stuff. Thanks again whoever gave me the gift.

Cool or Uncool

Cool or Uncool, a game at robshep.com where you decide what is cool or uncool. Here's how you play.

Step 1: Read the question below.

Step 2: Decide whether you think it is cool or uncool.

Step 3: Post your decision by leaving a comment.

Cool or Uncool? Pimping your own blog by telling people to read it via Facebook status and or Twitter?

Note: This cool or uncool is more of a reference to ok and not a person's status. For example "is it cool if I come over?" Or asking after an argument "are we cool?"

Brockey '09

Brockey '09 was a success. What is Brockey '09 you ask? It's a an event for the Students at Waters Edge Church. It's like ice hockey but with brooms and participants run in shoes instead of skates. It's always a scary event because Students bust hard on the ice. This year there was a lot of fun and no major injuries. Here are some pics.

Slim-Fast Slip-up

I started drinking Slim-Fast for breakfast a few months ago. It took me a few days to acquire a taste for the meal in a can, but now I kind of like it. My favorite flavors are chocolate and then strawberry.

My wife soon followed me in the Slim-Fast adventure and she started drinking one for breakfast. She doesn't like the chocolate flavor. Her favorite flavor is vanilla. Most of the time we buy two cases, one chocolate for me and one vanilla for her. Every once in a while we compromise and buy a strawberry for us to share.

This week we ran out of Slim-Fast so Monica asked me to go pick up two cases from the store. When I left the store I had one vanilla, (with a bonus three extra cans!) and one chocolate (no bonus for the chocolate).

The next morning when I awoke I went to drink my chocolate Slim-Fast and when I opened it I decided to look inside the can. Instead of a dark chocolate milk like substance I saw a muddy water looking substance. I smelled this substance and it didn't smell like chocolate. Instead it smelt like coffee. I hate coffee. I looked at the can and I had mistakenly picked up an entire case of Cappuccino Delight Slim-Fast. Honest mistake, but my taste buds are really mad at me right now.

Iron Man

I iron my clothes everyday. It started in high school. I remember a girl in my class wore something with wrinkles and people made fun of her behind her back. I didn't want to be made fun of so I started ironing. From time to time I even iron my clothes to the gym if they are extremely wrinkly.

Like me, my wife irons her clothes everyday. We just thought that is what people do. I mean it doesn't matter if my clothes are hanging in the closet or laying in a drawer they find wrinkles. I don't like wrinkles so I iron them out.

Come to find out not everyone irons. In fact most of our friends don't. We've stayed with friends on multiple occasions who didn't know where their ironing board was. When we ask to borrow the ironing equipment one of the first comments we hear is how they hate to iron.

I guess other people's clothes either don't get wrinkled or their wrinkles fall out before I see them because I don't know anyone else that irons. How about you...do you iron?

Warm and Fuzzy Memories with Rob

Once upon a time I was going to school to get my masters. Every once in a while everyone needs to take a skip day. Well, one day my friend Chuck took a skip day.

When I was in college I bought a copy machine to make colored copies for my youth ministry. Because I owned this I often offered to give my friends copies of the notes from the classes that they missed. I wouldn't charge them but they did come with a price...

You see I enjoyed adding extra "Rob" notes to the class notes. I would not tell the person I gave the copies to about the additions. For example one time when Chuck skipped class I wrote in my History of Christianity notes that a certain cult we were studying prayed naked. I then wrote that praying led to "other things." The other things was in quotes to make a point.

I gave him the notes and me and my friends laughed for days. Right before the exam I felt bad because I knew he would end up writing that on the test. I went to him and told him about the addition. He was thankful I told him because he read it and thought it was weird, but accepted it because it was a cult. And that my friends is another Warm and Fuzzy Memory with Rob.

Why I Part 5: Guest Blog Kyle Walker

When Rob asked me to be a guest blogger for this series called "Why I..." I knew immediately what I needed to blog about. "Why I . . . tinkle sitting down at my home- especially at night." I feel like I have even more reasons than these- I feel very strongly about this. I feel so strongly about this that I have made it a requirement of my wife that she only tinkle in the sitting position at home. I feel like I am not the only man who shares the same conviction about this. Where are the closet- toilet-tinkle sitters?

10 Reasons Why I... tinkle sitting down at my own home- especially at night.
1. It doesn't make me any less of a man.
2. Not a guessing game where the toilet is in the middle of the night when i can't see.
2. Able to catch some extra, well-needed rest in the middle of the night.
3. Cleaner. Home toilets are normally much cleaner- wooing all of us to have a seat.
4. More comfortable.
5. I'm usually not in a hurry at home.
6. It's much easier and safer to read while in the sitting position.
7. I am always much more prepared if a surprise rumbly becomes much more than that.
8. I have had some bad experiences when standing up to tinkle.
9. I still have the ability to ward off any burglars or violent assailants when facing them as opposed to turning my back on them.

Why I... call it "tinkle":
1. Because I am a Christian.
Why I... use two number 2's sometimes:
1. Because it's a free country and I can- it's not a subliminal message about doodie.
Why I... call it "doodie":
1. Because it's kinda funny AND I have a little boy now AND it's not because I thought the "Friends" episode was funny where Chandler blew a job interview because of smirking at the use of the word "duty."
Hopefully after this blog we will see a sudden shift in the popularity of toilet-sitting-tinkling.

Note from Rob: Kyle is a good friend from seminary, pastor, and fellow blogger. Check him out here.

Texas, Weddings, and Large Pink Panties

My wife (Monica) and I had a great trip back to Texas this past weekend. We lived there for two years while I was in school becoming a Master. We went to a wedding for one of our good friends. It was great being back there. Here are some thoughts on the trip.

• I love the food in Texas, but it doesn't always love me. The first two days there I got a rumbly in my tumbly. It was worth it though.
• Texas is HUGE.
• We visited the seminary I went to in Ft. Worth. It brought back so many memories.
• I love going back to places. It causes me to reflect on where I've been and who I've now become.
• We stayed with some great friends. On our first night there we found this in our bed...

• That is one big pair of underwear. After laughing for a few minutes we ended up putting them in the freezer. I figured they would randomly show up all weekend long. I didn't see them again so on our last morning there I made our host pull them out again. He had a plan to replant them but he kept forgetting.
• The wedding was beautiful. It was an outdoor wedding. There were thunderstorms all day long. It stopped just in time for the wedding.
• I love it when the wedding is only one of many highlights in a marriage. Too many people get all amped for the wedding but not the marriage. Our friends are going to have a great marriage!
• We visited our former church Fellowship Church. It was great to be back, but I missed being at Waters Edge.
• Monica got to visit one of her favorite stores in the world...Sam Moon. She got some very nice jewelry there. Sam Moon is an experience that I need to blog about. Thousands of woman going crazy of jewelry.
• On our last night there we were able to visit some more friends from seminary. It was a fun night catching up and laughing.
• The airline lost our luggage on the way back home.
• I loved our trip back to Texas!

Funny Face Photo Game

I like to make up random games. I'm blessed to have a wife and friends who play along with my silliness. Lately I've been playing a fun game that I like to call Funny Face Photo.

Here's how you play:
Step one: Have a digital camera

Step two: Have some friends that are not afraid to be silly

Step three: Each person takes a picture of themselves making a funny face. The other contestants must and I repeat must close their eyes so they don't see the other contestants funny face. Once a contestant takes their own funny face photo they then pass the camera to the next contestant

Step four: After all the contestants have taken their funny face photos view the pictures and declare a winner.

I had the opportunity to play this game twice over the weekend. The first game went to Monica. I won the second game. I like this game because even if you lose in the end everyone wins because it's a good laugh.

Pictured below: Monica (the winner), Rob, and Amy

Pictured below: Monica, Rob (the winner), Hudson, Jessica, Kyle

Why I Part 4: Guest Blogger Brian Miller

Wow! What an honor to be a guest blogger here at robshep.com. What many of you may not know is that Rob is the one that got me into blogging in the first place. Its been a desire of mine for years to write a book. My mom is always on me to write the Great American novel, but I always used the excuse I don't have enough experience yet. Great cover for, I really don't know what to write. Rob caught me at just the right time and provided a vehicle for me to start sharing stories.

If you think about it, our lives are made up of many different stories. No matter where you come from, your background, your triumphs or struggles, all these stories play a part in a much greater story. As these stories intersect and intertwine, I think we can learn a lot from each other's stories. People tend to take their story for granted. We think we have little to say, or who would really be interested in what we have to say. Or we think our life insignificant compared to others. The reality is that as you tell your story, you share your perspectives, what is important to you and in some small way this gives others the opportunity to experience life through your eyes. You never know who might need to hear that perspective at any given moment, it may make all the difference in their lives.

I've learned a lot and met a lot of great people here in the blogosphere that I never would have met if they would have kept their mouth shut or hands off the keyboard. My life would be much different for having not met them. That's "why I" blog, and I owe it all to Rob.

What?s your story?

Why I Part 3: Guest Blogger Kristopher Mobbs

Why I don't read ROBSHEP.COM.

There are a lot of adjectives tossed around to describe bloggers. Mindless, vanity-ridden, narcissistic, egotistical, wasters of time, comes to mind. But I know Rob. And he's none of these things. So I thought I would do him the honor of explaining to him and to all of you why I choose not to read ROBSHEP.COM. He tells me that lists are popular and since I sooooooo want you all to read this I'll make it into a TOP 7 LIST. That #'s holy you know?

1. I'm just too darn busy surfing other very important sites on the Internet. Like Theonion.com, Superherohype.com and Bored.com to name a few.
2. He's bipartisan- doesn't he know that if he wants readers he should be attacking one side of the isle or the other. Just choose one Rob. It doesn't matter which one.
3. Shouldn't your tithe money go to better use?
4. Rob's a Lakers fan? Need I expound?
5. He's a mega-church pastor, and I'm a post-modern Christian, and as we all know, all post-modern Christians are suppose to hate mega-church pastors.
6. Rob once got me in trouble by speaking at my church and using a can of beer for his illustration. That's right people a BEER!!!! He must have missed that verse in the bible where it says that demons live in cans of beer!
7. Somali Pirates have hijacked my computer.

Why I Part 2

Why I...use the somewhat offensive phrase wipe your own butt.

There was a time in life when someone else had to wipe your butt. Hopefully, if you can read this blog, that is no longer happening. At a certain age it was OK to have someone else wipe your butt. You weren't embarrassed or ashamed. It was a part of life. But at some point you learned how to do it on your own and didn't rely on someone else to clean you. I try to have a lot of patience with people. What I don't have patience for is someone who knows what to do but doesn't do it for whatever reason.

For example...if I email you I don't think I should have to follow up with a phone call to let you know I emailed you. And after I give you the follow up phone call I don't think that I should have to text you to tell you about the phone call that tells you about the email. If I have to follow up with a person that much I'm wiping their butt because they aren't doing what a person their age should do.

You could say this phrase when you have to clean up after someone, cover for someone because they are slacking, and or remind someone how to do something for the millionth time in a row. I have lots of examples, but I think you get the point. Whenever I say this I try to say it with a smile to lesson the blow. In fact sometimes I do things that make me think someone should say this phrase to me.

It's OK to make mistakes...we all do. It's OK to not know how to do something...babies don't know how to wipe. It's just not OK to not do something you know you should do...by the age of 16 you shouldn't need help wiping.

Why I Part 1

Why I ______.

Why I is a series of posts by me and some of my friends about why we do or don't do some of the things we do. As I'm developing this series I'd love to know what you would like me to write about. What do I do that makes you wonder why I do it?

I have smoker's teeth

I have smoker's teeth, but I've never smoked a single cigarette. I first noticed I had smoker's teeth in the 7th grade. My family moved and I started a new school. On one of my first days at the new school a classmate asked me if I smoked. I laughed. But then I was curious as to why he would ask me that. He then said that I have really yellow teeth like a smoker. I smiled and replied, that's cool...are you a hockey player? He said no, why? I punched him in the mouth and knocked out his front tooth. I then said because you have a hockey player's smile. OK I didn't punch him in the face, but I wanted to.

Currently I'm using Crest White strips to remove a few shades of yellow.

I don't really know why my teeth aren't as white as others. I brush, floss (the week before I go see the dentist), and I've never had a cavity. That makes me think that I have good teeth, but alas they are yellow. That is one thing I am trying to change about my appearance. What is one thing you would change about your appearance?

Fat People Know Diets

Being a person with some girth I think it's ok for me to weigh in on the subject of fat people and diets. If you need some advice about dieting talk to one of your fat friends, don't talk to one of your skinny friends. Most of my crack skinny friends don't know a lot about dieting or even eating right. I have a few that are health conscience but a lot of them have a super mutant metabolism and they eat whatever they want.

A lot of fat people know diets because we're the ones who have been on them. Some of the best advice I've got about dieting, exercise, and weight loss has been from overweight folks. I've received advice about what diets work, how to speed up my metabolism, and how often I should exercise. Now one would think that all that knowledge would translate into a fat person becoming thin. The truth is knowledge alone doesn't do anyone any good. Just knowing about dieting doesn't do a person any good unless they are disciplined enough to put what they know into practice.

The same is true with the Bible. Far too many Christians are fat on knowledge but that knowledge doesn't really do them any good. You only see results if you apply what you already know. This post was inspired by James 4:17, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

Easter At Waters Edge

The two Easter services at Waters Edge Church were wicked awesome! Here are some thoughts.

• The day started early. Many volunteers had to be there at 5:30 AM. I loved seeing our volunteers in action. I'm blown away with how much they gave to make everything come together.
• One of our volunteers catered breakfast. They had a concession stand making hot eggs, bacon, sausage, toast etc. AMAZING!
• We did, not one, but two egg drops. Thousands of eggs dropped from a helicopter. Thousands of kids collected them after they dropped.
• Jake Miller helped raise the bar for this year's egg drop. I heard many people say how much better it was than last year's...and last year's was great.
• I was blown away with the services. We don't have official numbers but over 300 people asked Jesus to become a part of their life. That made all the hard work more than worth it.
• Lead Pastor, Stu Hodges, did an outstanding job with the presentation. God used it.
• As always Phil Poteat and the Waters Edge band rocked my face off. They were fabulous.
• I'm tired. I might sleep for days.

Pictured above: Scott, Rob, and Harvey playing the trash cans for the

opening song Magnificent by U2.

Pictured above: Scott, Kevin, and Nate playing the buckets

on the opening song.

Pictured above: Phil Poteat makes his entrance.

Pictured below: Busted...a segment I did with Stu.

Pictured below: I played the role of a spy. The segment was video from hidden

cameras. I caught random people from the audience in the act of embarrassing moments

and busted them.

Pictured below: Stu opened his presentation on the hood of a car.

Pictured below: Stu illustrated how our lives are busted by beating the mess

out of the car. It was great.

Pay the Price Part 9

Today we celebrate the ultimate price. Jesus died on a cross. He paid our price. Three days later he arose from the grave. It's the greatest price ever paid.

Pay the Price Part 8

One area where few people are willing to pay the price is in marriage. I tell the students at my church that they should start paying the price now for their future spouse. Even though they don't know him/her every decision they make now is an investment or a withdrawal into their future relationship. I started praying for my wife long before I knew who she was. It's hard to invest in something that you can't see but once you find that person the investment is worth it.

I talk to married couples often who aren't willing to pay the price. Wives would rather nag their husbands then respect them. Husbands would rather neglect their wives instead of romance them. Marriage is hard work. Both people involved have to be willing to pay a high price. A great marriage involves sacrificing for your spouse. When you invest in your spouse they in return don't have a hard time investing in you. You can either pay the price and invest in your spouse or pay the price later and invest in a lawyer.

Pay the Price Part 7

I once heard that character is what you do when no one is looking. You have to pay a high price to have good character. It means doing what you know you should do even when it's hard. It means doing what is right even if it's not popular. Even though you pay a high price to maintain good character you pay a higher price when your character is destroyed.

Warm and Fuzzy Memories with Rob

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

Once upon a time I got pulled over by a cop with a car full of middle school girls.

I was in Nags Head visiting a family from my church. One night their daughter started talking about Brew Thru. Brew thru is America's original drive-thru convenience store. You actually drive your car into the building to order your snacks, drinks, and other convenience store items. With the parent's permission, I drove the daughter and three of her friends to try to find a Brew Thru.

On our way back a cop pulled behind me. I changed lanes to let him pass. He changed lanes to stay behind my car. I was so nervous I missed our turn. I ended up doing a u-turn and the cop followed me.

The cop turned on his lights and pandemonium erupted in the car. The cop came to my window and after I gave him my license and registration he asked me to step out of the car. Now I was freaking out. He then asked me to come to his car.

So I'm sitting in the cop's car and I hear him say, "who's your pastor?" At the time the church I was working at didn't have a pastor. I didn't know how to answer him so I asked him to repeat the question. Again he said, "who's your pastor?" At this point I started to explain that our church didn't have a pastor...we did have an interim pastor and his name was...

At that moment the cop stopped me and said clearly "Who's your passenger? You know, the people in your car."

I then said that they were students from my church. I was visiting their family for the weekend and we were trying to find the Brew Thru. He then told me to follow him and he would give us an escort back to the place we were staying. I was so scared I never asked him why he pulled me over.

And that my friends, is another Warm and Fuzzy Memory with Rob.

Pay the Price Part 6

My wife and I try not to use our credit card. It's too easy to pay the price now and use the credit card, but you always end up paying a bigger price later.

It's really hard for us to say no to things that we want. We both like nice things. The thing that has worked for us is that we save for what we want.

When we first moved into our house we didn't have blinds on any of the windows. It was weird being able to see people outside. It was probably pretty weird for them to see us when we walked around the house naked. Just joking...I don't do that. Anyway we saved up and bought the blinds we wanted...it took a while but we did it....one room at a time.

Our house is still a work in progress. We waited two years to get the dining table we wanted. We paid the price of not having a dining table so that we could pay the price of the dining table without going into debt. It takes discipline and we are not always good at it.

It's hard to want something and have to wait for it, but I would rather pay that price then have to pay the price of credit card interest.

Pay the Price Part 5

Anyone can have nice abs. In order to get them though you are going to have to pay the price. It's going to take a lot of hard work, discipline, and time.

On the other hand you don't have to pay the price for nice abs.

I've been trying to lose weight. I've lost 13 pounds. I've grown to love going to the gym. I'm not going to lie though, it's hard to get up every morning before 6:00 AM. I keep telling myself pay the price now so I don't have to pay the price later. I want to be healthy for the long run so I pay a price by going to the gym. I also try to tell myself this when I eat bad. It doesn't work very often. In fact I went to the gym twice in one day this week. I ate really bad one day and then thought to myself "you are going to pay the price on the scale." So I went to the gym again.

To be continued...

Pay the Price Part 4

I love going to sporting events. Most of the time we pay for the cheap seats. In fact for more than one occasion we've sat at the very top of a basketball stadium. We were so high you couldn't hear the ball bounce.

On the other hand the two times my wife and I went to LA we paid a price to get really good seats. We were on the floor. The experience was totally different.

To be continued...

Pay the Price Part 3

A good steak costs money. I once went to a restaurant where the cost was at least $50 per person. A friend paid for us to go.


On the other hand you can have all you can eat steak for just a few dollars. There is a buffet in almost every town in America that has steak on its buffet line. You don't have to pay a lot for it, but you will have to pay for it later because it almost guarantees a stomach upset. I mean you might as well get a good book because you will be spending a lot of time on the toilet.


To be continued...

Pay the Price Part 2

I've never owned a nice personal computer. I've never been willing to spend the money to get something good. I'm thankful for the computers that I have owned, but I've had to pay a price. The first computer I owned died a quick death a few years after I bought it. My current computer was donated to me. Sure, it randomly decides to shut off without giving any warning. Sure, it's big and takes up a lot of space. Sure, it's not a Mac...But I'm thankful for it.

The point is you get what you pay for. I can't expect my current computer to be great because I didn't pay a high price for it.

I'm not saying that we should get into debt and buy things that we can't afford. I'm not saying that we should be consumeristic and try to keep up with whoever the Joneses are. I'm just saying that if you want something great it's going to cost you something.

To be continued...

Pay the Price Part 1

I've found that if you want great things you have to be willing to pay the price. Sure you can have good things, but if you want something great it's going to cost. The truth is that if you don't pay the price for something great, you will pay a price in the long run.

I once bought a shirt at Wal-Mart. I was young and not making a lot of money. I saw a shirt that looked just like the shirt I wanted at Structure (do you remember Structure?). The first time I wore it I got a lot of compliments. I wouldn't tell anyone where I got it from but that's besides the point. After wearing this shirt once I washed it. After washing this shirt once I threw it away. It shrunk, strings popped out from the buttons, and the color faded. I got what I paid for.

Great things come with a cost. You are either going to pay the cost now or you will pay the cost later. You pay a price later because cheap knock offs are never as good as the real thing.

To be continued...

Call the Pet Detective

Call CSI, call PETA, call the Pet Detective because I have a mystery involving animals. Dun Dun Dunnnnn...

Yesterday I went to get gas for my car. As I was pumping the gas I noticed something in the roof above me. Here is a picture.

At first I couldn't tell what it was. I thought it might be leaves, but they were too big for leaves. Could it be a stain? Nope.

I thought to myself, "you know what...that looks like feet!"

After I finished pumping the gas I walked over to get a closer look. Sure enough there were multiple feet attached to multiple dead birds. Count em...three dead birds in the ceiling.

I think it's a serial bird killer and he/she is hiding his/her victims in the gas station ceiling. All Righty Then...what's your theory?

Rob's Rant: Naked People

My buddy Dan and I play racquetball a couple of times a month. When we go to the gym near his house we have to endure one of the most awkward experiences known to man. For some reason this gym built the racquetball courts on the other side of the locker rooms. In order to get to the courts you have to walk through the locker room and then past the showers. You are guaranteed to walk past at least 2 buck naked men.

I walk fast with my head down.

A lot of times there is a naked dude weighing himself. Come on man, put some clothes on. Seriously!

The thing that really throws me off is that there is almost always two guys talking to each other and they are both naked as a jay-bird.


Maybe it's just me but I don't like being naked. I practically run from the shower to my clothes. I especially don't feel comfortable being naked around other people. The last time we walked through they gym I told Dan afterwards that I don't think I will ever feel comfortable enough to have a conversation with him while either of us are naked. He was OK with that.

Call me insecure, call me immature, but just don't call me if you're naked.

Rant Over

Good Idea Bad Idea

Time for another...

Good Idea: Filling your kids Easter basket with candy

Bad Idea: Eating all of your kid’s Easter candy

Good Idea: Taking your kids to see the easter bunny

Bad Idea: Taking Rob Shepherd to see the Easter Bunny

Good Idea: Having an egg drop at the Ferguson Center for the Arts

Bad Idea: Having an egg drop at home

Good Idea: Putting cash in your child’s easter egg

Bad Idea: Putting Wavy 10 meteorologist John Cash in your child’s easter egg

Good Idea: Eating a chocolate Bunny

Bad Idea: Eating a live Bunny

This was a fun segment we did at Waters Edge this past Sunday. We had a host dressed in an Easter Bunny costume say each of these one at a time. We do segments from time to time to keep things fun. Phil Poteat put the pictures together. He is a ninja with Photoshop.

Speak Thought

Fear consumed my thoughts and I did not know what to do...

I get to speak in front of people a lot. I love those moments when I'm in the zone and every thought just flies out of my mouth. There are times though when I'm saying something and my mind is thinking something totally different. It's like I zone out from what I'm saying in my mind. This happens sometimes when I feel like I've messed up. I start beating myself up in my mind while my mouth continues on with the presentation. It happens sometimes if someone does something funny in the audience like fall asleep. To my knowledge I still stay on my script and it doesn't throw off what I'm saying, but I hate it because for those few seconds my brain goes somewhere else.

This happened yesterday at church. I was doing the welcome and as I started I saw someone in the audience laugh. For some reason at that moment fear consumed my thoughts and I did not know what to do. I panicked because at that moment I thought my zipper was down. I normally check it right before I go out on stage but for some reason I forgot. I'm standing there giving the welcome and all I can think about is a way to turn around and check my fly. I had some solace in the fact that my shirt was untucked, but my mind would not stop thinking that everyone could see...everything.

As soon as I got off stage I checked and thankfully the zipper was zipped up. That my friends is speak thought. Saying one thing while speaking and at the same time thinking something totally different.

Day of Lists Part 9

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ROBSHEP

• I had a hernia and then surgery when I was four years old. When I was in elementary school other kids thought the word hernia was funny. They would bust on people by saying "you had a hernia." They never said it to me because I never admitted to having one.
• I had blond hair for the first five years of my life. It magically changed one day to dark brown.
• In high school I was voted: Best Eyes, Friendliest and Most Encouraging.
• One time at church I called my dad to come pick me up from youth group. On my way out the door another student trapped me and started talking my head off. It was serious so I didn't have the heart to tell them to stop. When they got done I felt really bad for my dad because he was waiting in the parking lot. All the lights were off in the church. I thought I was familiar enough with the building to run full speed in the dark. I hit a wall hard. So hard I saw stars.
• I've never thrown up, been stung by a bee, or worn a dress.
• The first time I went to my now favorite restaurant Chipotle I didn't like it.
• I used to have a crush on Alyssa Milano from the TV show "Whose the Boss." In middle school I bought a poster of her for my room. After a few weeks I took it down because no matter where I was in the room it looked like she was looking at me. Even though she wasn't really there I felt awkward changing in front of her.

Day of Lists Part 8

WORST MOVIES I SEEN

• Batman and Robin - George Clooney said "that he would personally refund anyone who saw the film. He often apologizes for the movie in interviews, and joked on David Letterman's Late Show that Arnold Schwarzenegger "helped me ruin the Batman franchise.."
• Speed 2: Cruise Control
• The House of Sand and Fog
• Envy - a comedy that nobody in the theater laughed at...even once.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
• Stop or My Mom will Shoot
• The New World - this movie made time stand still. I kept telling myself not to look at my watch. After what seemed like 3 hours I looked and only 30 minutes had pasted.
• Junior - Arnold Schwarzenegger as a pregnant guy. Nuff said.
• Blade Runner - this is supposed to be a classic. My brother and I watched it and afterward we wanted to kill ourselves.

Day of Lists Part 7

IF MY LEFT HAND WAS MADE OUT OF THE FOLLOWING FOODS I WOULD TRY TO RESIST EATING IT BUT AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS I WOULD DEVOUR THE YUMMY GOODNESS KNOWN AS MY LEFT HAND

• Chicken Fajita Burrito from Chipotle
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Cookie Cake
• Marcos Pizza, Papa Johns Pizza...what the heck almost all pizza. I love it.

Day of Lists Part 6

THINGS YOU CAN'T DO WHEN YOUR NOT IN A POOL

Day of Lists Part 5

PEOPLE I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO LUNCH WITH

• Magic Johnson
• Kobe Bryant
• Steven Spielberg
• Stan Lee
• Andy Stanley
• Simon Cowell
• Rob Dyrdek
• Perry Noble
• Rob Bell
• Bono
• Shaq
• Peyton Manning
• Jim Carrey
• Will Smith
• TobyMac

Honorable mention: Mark Batterson. Some of our staff went to lunch with him and some of his staff. I would like to do lunch again and then have a rematch in the game of Cornhole/Tailgate Toss.

Day of Lists Part 4

THINGS I PRAY FOR

• To love my wife as Christ loves the church
• Wisdom
• That God would soften my heart. The Bible talks about men's hearts becoming hard towards God. I don't ever want that.
• For my single friends to find a great spouse. This is a big year for answered prayer. Congratulations Jamey, Susan, and D-Reeves.
• For God to give us a baby.
• For my future kids to love God.
• For the students in my ministry to love God.
• That I would grow to be 6'3"
• I pray for my pastor.
• For God to use Waters Edge Church.

Day of Lists Part 3

THINGS I SHOULD REMEMBER...BUT CAN'T

I have an exceptional memory when it comes to stories, movies I've seen, sports facts, useless trivia etc. Yet when it comes to things I should remember I struggle.

• How to do the laundry. I know the basics like...separate the colors, wash then dry the clothes, and to always use a dryer sheet. I struggle with remembering what settings to put the washer and dryer on for each set of clothes. I also struggle to remember what clothes my wife line dries instead of drying them in the machine.
• Which way is north, south, east or west.
• Street names.
• Directions.
• Grocery lists. My wife will tell me what we need from the store. I will listen. But the moment I walk into the grocery store I don't have a fat clue what I'm there for. If I don't right it down I'm screwed.
• My fourth grade teacher. I remember all the others but her...or him. I don't know who it was.
• Grammar and spelling. I know most the rules of grammar yet when I write I just word vomit things out and totally forget the basics.
• My parents birthdays. I have the months down but I have to think really hard to get the days. Sorry Mom and Dad.
• To bring my keys with me when I leave the house. I can't tell you how many times I've been in my own world thinking deep thoughts, and walked out of my house to realize...oh poo! I just locked myself out.

Day of Lists Part 2

THINGS THAT ARE GAG NASTY

• Sitting on a public restroom toilet seat. If I have to use one I hover.
• Sour Cream
• The word moist
• Lima Beans
• Bodily fluids coming out of your body
• Big men in tiny swimsuits
• Mayonnaise - I once lost a bet and had to eat two big spoonfuls. I burped mayo all night long and it was gag nasty.
• Excessive back hair
• Woman with hairy armpits.
• Extra nipples. I knew a guy that had 6 nipples. It was gag nasty.

Day of Lists Part 1

THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE

• Write a book. My goal was to write it on my days off this year. We are in April and I've written a paragraph. I stink at goals.
• See the Los Angeles Lakers play in every NBA arena. 5 down. 25 to go.
• Speak at Liberty University. This is my Alma Mater. They bring in speakers 3 times a week for convocation. I want one of those spots.
• See U2 in concert. I am one step closer to this goal. They are coming to Charlottesville VA and I bought a ticket.
• Not lose all the hair on my head.
• Sing/rap onstage with TobyMac. I had an opportunity to do this and I blew it. At a smaller concert (it was after the main concert at a different location, and there were only a couple hundred people there.) He asked for someone to join him on the stage. He picked a song that I didn't know all the words, so I didn't volunteer. The guy he did pick didn't know all the words either and it became awkward.
• Have Andy Stanley (pastor and author) leave a comment on my blog.
• Grow to be 6'3". I've been praying this since I was in middle school. I believe that if God can part the red sea he can make me tall.

I Need A Good Laugh

I like to laugh. Problem is I don't laugh as much as I want to. I think I'm a hard critic or a comedy snob. I'd love to know the last thing that made you laugh. Maybe just maybe it will make me laugh.

I HATE Reading

Years ago I heard someone smart say "readers are leaders and leaders are readers."

I've always preferred the movie. If you tell me a book is great then I will take your word for it and then wait for the movie. That way my movie experience isn't doomed because the film didn't match every detail from the book.

Because I want to be a good leader I've learned to force myself to read. I read a little bit everyday before work. I spend a few minutes reading a book that is going to benefit my job and or me spiritually. I then spend a few minutes reading the Bible. I have a hard time reading for hours so I read for minutes. I chew on a little bit at a time. I enjoy being stretched and I enjoy learning. I just wish I could do it by osmosis.

Here is a list of the books that I've read this year.

• Currently reading - Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson. I love what I've read so far!
• How to Ruin Your Life by 40 by Steve Farrar. This book was given to me by someone at church. It's a good book for teens or early twenties.
• Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell. I loved Rob's first two books. I enjoyed this but I didn't love it.
• Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. I love Mark's writing style. I enjoyed his first book, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, more but I still pulled some great insight from this book.

Got any new books that I should be reading?

The April Fool

There is a difference between being a fool and making a foolish mistake. We all make foolish mistakes from time to time. Case in point...I once owned a pair of Patrick Ewing basketball shoes.

A foolish mistake is something you did unintentionally and you regret it afterward. A fool knows the difference between right and wrong and chooses to do what is wrong anyway*. The key to not being a fool is to be wise. I pray for wisdom on a weekly basis. I pray for wisdom with my finances, in my marriage, with my job...the list goes on and on. I believe that we all are one foolish choice away from ruining our lives. It takes years to build a great career and only seconds to ruin it. It takes years to build a strong marriage and only seconds to ruin it. It takes years to build greatness and only seconds to destroy it. Sure you can find forgiveness, but a foolish choice can take years to clean up.

*I first heard this definition from reading a student lesson by pastor and author Andy Stanley.