Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I'm bringing honor back

I think honor is a lost art in America. In an attempt to be funny we have turned everything from the President, to Pope into a joking matter. Nothing is sacred anymore. There are a few things that I try really hard to honor. I try to show honor to my wife. I try to respect her and honor her in the way I talk to her and about her. I also try to show honor to my pastor. He is one of the hardest working men I've ever met. But he's not just my pastor he's also my boss. I think that even if you have an awful boss you should honor them. If you can't leave your job. Anyway I think that we should show honor where honor is due. Here is a list of people that I think should be honored.
  1. Teachers
  2. The person who came up with the phrase "Righty tighty, lefty loosey." That person has saved millions of people a lot of time and effort when trying to loosen bolts, turn off faucets, and twist soda caps.
  3. Police
  4. Firemen
  5. Church Volunteers
  6. The inventor of toilet paper - at one time the world used shells. Shells I say.
  7. Anyone over the age of 65
  8. Parents
  9. The inventor of DVR
  10. The Military

Bonus: Honorable mention to Ms. Pac-Man - the greatest arcade game ever created, and Mrs. Butterworth - the greatest syrup around

Monday, June 29, 2009

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen...re-written

Whenever I give criticism I try to give solutions to make it better. It doesn't do any good to just criticize (even if it's constructive) without giving suggestions to make it better. I don't always succeed, but I do try. Last week I gave the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen a less than favorable review. The following are my suggestions on how it could have been a much better movie.
  • Lose the whole "Fallen" plot. That includes the history of Transformers being around since the beginning of time, the old Transformer that has a cane, and the Fallen being some leader in space.
  • Instead start the movie with the Decepticons finding a way to resurrect Megatron. Once they succeed they start wiping out humans left and right.
  • The Autobots then respond to this challenge. Cool battles ensue.
  • Kill off the two military guys (Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson). No one would see this coming. One of the things that I think the movie lacked was real suspense. This would add to that.
  • Responding to the military guys death the Autobots win the battle, but the Decepticons woman-nap Mikaela (Megan Fox) as they flee.
  • At this point you have to develop a plot. I think the plot should be built around Sam (Shia Labeouf). It could be a coming of age movie where he learns to be a leader in order to save the woman he loves. He doesn't want to grow up but he has to because of the conflict.
  • In the meantime the Decepticons are building the ultimate robot, Devastator.
  • Throw in a couple of battles to keep the fan boys happy.
  • You end the movie with a HUGE battle. During this battle Optimus Prime is struck down and presumed to be dead. Sam saves Mikaela, but loses Optimus.
  • The movie ends. It's called Revenge of the Fallen. It plays like Empire Strikes Back. The bad guys win. This builds a reason to make another one. It leaves the audience wanting more. It gives the movie substance and not just flashy special affects.

Those are a few of my thoughts on how to make the movie better.

North vs. South

There is a belief that divides our country. It's a battle that pits family member versus family member. It's a battle where lines are drawn, sides are taken, and in the end only one side wins the war. The North vs. The South: Who has the better food? I'm talking unsweet tea vs. sweet tea. I'm talking Philly Cheese steak vs. Pecan Pie. The battle begins now. You decide which part of the country has the better food. The North or the South?

Friday, June 26, 2009

My wife was Jesus

It's hard to serve people. It's easier to pretend to not notice others. This week my wife served someone she barley knew. She scarified time she didn't have, money she would rather spend on something else, and exhausted herself to serve.

Her serving caught on. She asked for help from one of her co-workers and her daughter to serve this person. Her co-worker and daughter came through in a huge way. She then got a call from one of our friends to go to the pool. Monica loves summer and would have loved more than anything to spend time at the pool. She mentioned to our friend why she couldn't come to the pool and that friend stepped into action to serve. While that friend was serving in a HUGE way she ran into a mutual friend and that friend then chipped in to help.

The person that was blessed by all this service asked "where do you get this type of friends?" She was blown away that people that don't know her would serve her. Every day we have the opportunity to love and serve people. Since Jesus isn't physically present on this earth we get to represent Him. When we serve others and love unselfishly we become Jesus to those we bless.

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson was the first superstar musician I remember. I remember in first grade a kid in my class had the red jacket MJ wore in beat it. I remember being a kid and wearing one glove because of MJ. I remember when I first saw the moonwalk and immediately attempted to do it.

When I was a kid a Michael Jackson video was an event. My parents said I was too young to watch Thriller, but I remember it premiered on network TV and everyone wanted to watch it. Who can forget the videos for Beat It, Bad, or Black or White? Huge celebrities appeared in almost all of his videos. Wesley Snipes was in Bad, Michael Jordan danced with him in Jam, Magic Johnson and Eddie Murphy co-starred in the video for Do You Remember the Time, the kid from Home Alone rapped in Black or White, Joe Pesci played the villain in Smooth Criminal, and the list could go on. They may not seem Huge now but they premiered in the peek of their fame.

He was an amazing showman. I remember when he preformed at the Super Bowl. It is one of the best Super Bowl performances of all time. I wish I would have been able to see him in concert. Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, and Usher all pay homage to Michael by the way they preform today.

Over the last few years it's been easy to forget just how revolutionary Michael was. In the last couple decades his personal life has made more news then his music, but he will be forever remembered for the songs he created. Whether it was his work with the Jackson Five or as a solo artist Michael made classic, timeless music.

What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Contest

My buddy Matt is putting on a contest. If you'd like to have a chance to win a free t-shirt click here. Here are the rules:

Come up with a band or artist that you have caught flack for listening to and Matt will buy the winner a T-Shirt of that band. Matt will run this contest for the rest of the week. On Friday Matt will put up a new Poll of the top 3 responses. We will all vote, and Matt will buy the winner the t-shirt.
Contest Rules- one response per person...submit an email address that I can contact you with if you win...and be a legit fan of the band/artist and be able to answer one question about the band.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Movie Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers is a HUGE summer blockbuster directed by Michael Bay. Now in my opinion Michael Bay makes the best worst movies. He does a great job of creating eye candy special affects. He mixes those affects with intense action sequences. Most his movies lack character development and a plot. When you add it together he fools many people to think that he has created a great film. In my opinion there are elements of greatness but the lack of a good story makes it a really bad film.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is no exception. Many of you will love it...and that's ok. It has great special affects, and some cool action scenes. I on the other hand think that it was a plot less movie that looked cool. On a good side it was the funniest movie I've seen this summer. It has way more laughs then Land of the Lost which was supposed to be a comedy.

Transformers is rated PG-13 for language, intense action sequences, and Megan Fox's exploited body. Even if I loved the movie I wouldn't own it on DVD because of the way they pushed sexual images. I know guys love hot girls, but if you want to keep your mind pure then there a few scenes where guys should close their eyes. Call me old fashioned but I love my wife and don't want to have images of other women on my mind. I give it a thumb to the side.

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.

*Picture coming soon. The poster wasn't available at the midnight showing.

I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

There is not a lot of good television during the summer. Because of the lack of quality programming I've DVR'd a few shows that normally wouldn't not get my time. I found out the MC Hammer has a reality TV show. I also started watching "I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!"

One of the celebs on the show is John Salley. I've followed John's career for years. He was a part of the "Bad Boys" of basketball, the Detroit Pistons. He also had a cameo in both the "Bad Boys" movies. He won four championship rings with three different teams (two with Detroit, one with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, and one with Shaq and Kobe in LA). He is also one of the hosts of The Best Da#n Sports Show Period. I went to a live taping of this show in LA. It's highly entertaining.

Anyway, last week on I'm a Celebrity... John mentioned that he doesn't have any friends. He then mentioned how he now has (I think) six new friends because of the show. It made me sad. Here's a guy who has accomplished a lot. He may not be an "A list" celebrity but he is known by lots of people. How can he claim he doesn't have many or any friends?

I think that his statement is shared by most people. It's easy to have a lot of people know who you are but to not really be known by anyone. It's easy to have a bazillion friends on Facebook and feel friendless. It's easy to be surrounded by people and feel like you are all alone. I sometimes find myself sharing John Salley's statement. How about you?

I think the key is to be a friend. If you want great friends you have to be a great friend. If you want to truly be known and know other people you have to invest in people's lives. It's not easy but it's worth it. In my opinion it's better to be a nobody that has deep friendships then a celebrity that is lonely.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Nick Names

Do you have a nickname? If so how did you get it? It's kind of an art to give a good nickname. A lot of people don't give them. A lot of people don't have them. Some people get one and it doesn't stick. But a few people get a good nickname and it sticks.

I've given a few nicknames out. There's D-Reeves, Dominator, Bones, and Uncle Cracker (Do you remember this one Phil Poteat?). Some have stuck and some have been forgotten. I had a friend in college that everyone called Bird. His name was Jason. He got the nickname because someone started calling him J-Bird...as in naked as a J-Bird. It was college...don't ask.

If you are lacking a nickname you can spend some time creating one at GetNicknames.com. You can type in your name and pick a category to find your nickname. Some of the categories to choose from are Superhero, Gangster, Rap Artist, Pirate, and Pokemon. According to this site my rap nickname is Phantom Enchanter. I don't know what that means?

Monday, June 22, 2009

Boys Don't Look

My wife says, "boys don't know how to look." What she means by that is guys don't do a great job at finding something when they are looking for it. Now she generalizes and says "boys," but I am wondering if other guys have the same problem that I do. Here's an example.

This morning I threw away my old contacts and I couldn't find my new ones. I knew I had new contacts because we bought a years supply and I have only used two. I looked, on my own, for about 15 minutes in the bathroom closet. I looked very carefully. I took things out and forced my mind to concentrate on the task at hand. I didn't want to, but after 15 minutes I had to ask her where they were. She said they were in the bathroom closet. The same bathroom closet that I had been searching in for 15 minutes. After circa 5 more minutes of searching my wife walked in the room and pulled the new contacts out of the closet. It took her less than 5 seconds.

She then said to me once again, "boys don't know how to look." Is it just me, or does this plague the entire male species?

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Padres Day

My dad is amazing. He is probably the nicest guy you will ever meet. Looking back over my childhood one thing I greatly appreciate about my dad is how he showed interest in whatever we were interested in.

He took interest in Wrestling when Hulk Hogan was my hero. He took interest in basketball by coming to my games and staying updated on how the Lakers were doing. He took interest in my life. Still to this day he takes interest. I get my love for movies from my dad and there are many times he goes to see a movie, that he doesn't really care about, just to spend time with me and my brother.

Thanks Dad for taking an interest. Happy Padres Day.

Bonus: For the past 8 years I've been blessed with a Padre in Law. My Father in Law is one of the hardest working men I've ever met. He is a ninja at fixing just about anything. I am blessed to have him in my life.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Lifehouse with NeedtoBreathe

Last night me and some friends experienced Lifehouse with NeedtoBreathe in concert. The best part was that it was free. The concert was at The Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk. I love both bands, but as I've mentioned before NeedtoBreathe is one of my favorites. It was a fun night of hanging out with friends. I even ran into one of my high school buddies, David King. He saw the update I posted on Twitter/Facebook and drove over to the concert. Good times.




Pictured Above: NeedtoBreathe rocking out.
Song you may have heard: More Time
Song you should download: Signature of the Divine
Pictured Above: Danielle and the brothers of NeedtoBreathe.
I was proud of Danielle.
She stepped up her stalking game (to hang with Rob and Jamey)
in order to meet the band.
Pictured Above: Jamey. He kind of looks
photo shopped in but he isn't.

Pictured Above: Rob with two of
the members of NeedtoBreathe


Pictured Above: Lifehouse.
Songs you may have heard: Hanging by a Moment, You and Me, First Time
Song you should download: Broken

Friday, June 19, 2009

Warm and Fuzzy Memories with Rob

Once upon a time I went on vacation to Orlando. I traveled with my amazing wife, Monica, and my good friend Jamey. Orlando is amazing. I love it. In fact we went to see the Orlando Magic play the Lakers while we were there. Funny thing is the outcome was the same as the Finals and the Lakers won! Sorry I hadn't officially blogged about the Lakers winning the Finals so it just came out of me.

Back to the Warm and Fuzzy Memory...

We drove to Orlando and on our drive back we stopped for dinner. My friend Jamey likes fancy places. He asked if we could stop at one of his favorite restaurants for dinner. The place is Waffle House and Jamey says it's fancy because they cook the food right in front of you.

This was the most country Waffle House I had ever been in. I asked the waitress what city we were in and she said, in a such a thick southern accent, something inaudible. I asked her again and she replied with such a heavy southern twang I thought I was in the movie Deliverance.

As we were leaving Monica and Jamey went to the restroom. Separate restrooms of course. I was left standing all alone in the Waffle House. I was surrounded by manly men and manlier woman. I had a few quarters in my pocket so I decided to play a few songs to pass the time. The first song I picked was the classic "There's a Special Lady Waiting for Me at the Waffle House." It's at every Waffle House...look it up. I then picked a song that I thought would start a riot.

Monica and Jamey came out of the restroom and I said, "we've got to get out of here." Followed by "I'm not joking we need to run." The three of us hustled out of the Waffle House, the whole time I was giggling.

When we get to the safety of our car Monica and Jamey asked what I did. You see, the second song I played was "A Measure of a Man" by none other than Clay Aiken. I was shocked to see it in Waffle House. In my mind I could picture the whole restaurant stopping what they are doing, unplugging the jukebox and stringing up the tourists. Clay Aiken and Waffle House just don't go together.

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

Meet Jessie

Jessie is the winner of 5 Good Questions on robshep.com.

Jessie is a blogger herself. She is a teacher, wife, and all around fun person. Her blog is highly enjoyable. I recommend that you click here to check it out.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

If I Spoke At A Graduation

Yesterday I had the privilege to go to a high school graduation. Congrats to all the graduates that represented Waters Edge!

At the graduation I found my mind drifting. I don't know what you think about when your mind wanders off, but on this occasion I was thinking about what I would say if I ever had the opportunity to speak at a high school graduation. Here's what I came up with.

Class of blah blah and blah. Let me be straight with you. Today is a historic day for you. For some of you it is the end of the best years of your life. Most of you aren't going to make a difference in this world. The majority of you will end up working in jobs that you hate. You won't be able to quit because you have to pay the bills. According to statistics those bills will include at least $7,000 of credit card debt. The majority of you will find love and get married. At least half of you will get a divorce. Most of you will never become famous. Most of you will never make your dreams a reality. Like I said most of you won't make a difference in this world. Unless your willing to do what few people are willing to do. I believe that if you want what few people have you have to be willing to do what few people are willing to do. If you want to make a difference then you have do something different than the status quo. If you want to work at your dream job then you have to be willing to take a chance. You have to be willing to fail and learn from your failures. If you want to enjoy life then you have to resist instant gratification and Visa. If you want a marriage that lasts you have to be willing to do what few people are willing to do and that is put your spouses needs ahead of your own. Today is the beginning of the rest or your life. If you want to make a difference then you have to be different. Refuse to settle for what everyone has. Instead dream big, but work hard until that dream becomes a reality. If you want what few people have you have to be willing to do what few people are willing to do. Congratulations and may you prove me wrong.

I don't know maybe it's harsh. It's just what I came up with as my mind wandered.

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken: Part 5

Have you ever taken the tour of the Coke Factory in Atlanta? I have. In fact I've taken it twice. I think kids would enjoy it, but as an adult it's pretty cheesy. So why would I pay money to go on this tour twice. It's because at the end of the tour you get to taste the Coke. Not just Coke but all the various sodas that Coke makes. I drank so many samples I felt sick. It was totally worth it. In fact I will take the Coke tour again someday just for the experience of sampling as much free soda as I want.

Now why would I go back to something that I have already seen? It's because I experienced all the yummy goodness of Coke and I'm now addicted to it.

There is a verse in the Old Testament that says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good." Notice that it says taste before it says see? In other words you have to experience God for yourself before you'll see the affects of God in your life.

I think a lot of people go to church but never experience God. Many people treat church like it's a tour. The pastor is the tour guide describing the history of God. The problem is that until a person tastes for themselves they are only listening to someone else's experience. Sometimes they may feel guilty about what they hear. They may even want to change, but nothing ever comes of it.

I think tasting God means that we are to experience Him for ourselves. It's the experience or taste that makes you come back for more. Jesus told His followers to eat Him because all they wanted to do was see. They wanted one more miracle. Jesus wants us to taste which means to believe in Him before we see.

Some people think it's crazy to save sex for marriage, give 10% of your income to the church, forgive people who have hurt you, love your enemies, confess faults, serve others, read the Bible, submit your life to God. It's crazy to take the Coke tour more than once, but it's worth it for the taste. If you just see God, the rules, and what it means to follow Christ it looks crazy. But it's not crazy after you have tasted. We are to taste and then see. When you have experienced God for yourself it may seem crazy, but it's anything but. Once you've tasted it radically changes your life.

Concluded.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Hammer Dance

So I don't know if the following video is a prank, a movement, or just the coolest idea to ever come to reality, but it's totally worth watching. The following is a clip of a mob of people who invade a hip clothing store in LA. The catch is the entire mob is wearing Hammer pants and they do the dance to Can't Touch This. Click play and let the hilarity begin.

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken: Part 4

I hate lima beans. I refuse to eat them. Now the funny thing is I've never actually tasted lima beans. One night my parents told me and my two siblings that we had to clean our plates in order to get dessert. The vegetable for the night was lima beans. My older sister crammed lima beans down her throat as fast as she could in order to get dessert. As my mom was bringing out her dessert my sister puked on her dinner plate. Since that day I've refused to eat lima beans.

For those of you who have been following this series, here is the payoff. Jesus said that if we want to experience true life we have to eat Him. I don't think Jesus was being literal. I think He was making a point.

You see the people that He said this to wanted Jesus to do another miracle. They wanted Jesus to do something that they could see. In other words they told Jesus that they wouldn't believe in Him unless they had a sign. But Jesus doesn't want to work that way. The way Jesus works is that you believe and then you will see.

I think a lot of people right off God before they have ever tasted (experienced) Him. I think a lot of people judge God by the loony Christian they met, or the bad church they experienced. I understand why, but I don't think it's fair. It's not fair to judge God before we have experienced Him.

I say I hate lima beans, but I've never experienced them. I saw my sister puke and that experience caused me to right them off.

To be continued...

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken: Part 3

Americans love food. We plan meetings around it, include it in all the best holidays, make candles to smell like it, have professional eating contests, and show the world how much we love it by the size of our guts. We love food!

In the Bible Jesus said that if we want real life then we have to eat Him. I love food as much as the next guy, but I draw the line at eating the Son of God. I've often said that anything fried would taste good, but I think Jesus is the exception.

I'm not trying to be controversial or irreverent with this series of posts. I promise if you stay with me we will find a point to all of this.

Why did Jesus say this to His followers? Looking at the context of this verse will help us understand, at least why Jesus said what He said. Here's the scene...Jesus just finished doing a major miracle. He fed over 5,000 people with a only five loaves and two fish. Just a little while later the crowd finds Jesus and He tells them that they need to do the work that God requires. What does God require? Jesus said that God requires that you believe in Him.

Right after Jesus says this the crowd asks for Jesus to do a miracle to back up what He is saying. Are you kidding me? The people already saw a miracle. I think Jesus point is that the people didn't really believe in Him. Just to make sure He says EAT ME. I think this derives from "Bite Me." The crowd gets offended and leaves. They didn't really believe.

To be continued...

Monday, June 15, 2009

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken: Part 2

When I was a kid I watched a movie that said frog legs taste like chicken. It might have been a Muppet Movie...I don't remember. What I do remember is thinking that it was strange that frog legs didn't taste like frog they tasted like chicken. Come to find out people joke that any animal, other than pigs and cows, when eaten tastes like chicken.

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. John 6:53-56

I don't think Jesus was being literal when He told us to eat Him, but on the other hand he says, "my flesh is real food." It just makes me ponder if I have to eat Jesus does He taste like chicken?

I know the easy answer here is to say that Jesus wasn't being literal, I think that is true, however in the verses that come after this the Bible says a large portion of Jesus followers left Him after He said this. Apparently they thought he was being literal.

To be continued...

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken? Part 1

There is a verse in the Bible that doesn't get talked about a lot. It's one of those verses that makes you scratch your head and wonder "what in the world?"

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. John 6:53-56.

This is one of those verses that makes people afraid to drink the Kool Aid at church. It's just weird. But according to Jesus we can't have life in us unless we eat Him. So I wonder if I have to eat Jesus, does He taste like chicken? Over the next few posts I'm going to be chewing on this verse to try to understand it more.

To be continued...

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Mind Dump

My brain feels constipated with thoughts. The following is a brain dump of all the random stuff going on in my head.
  • Phil Poteat, Worship Programming Manager at Waters Edge, is doing a concert at Tuscany tonight. If you live in the 757 you should go.
  • I mysteriously hurt my back on Tuesday. It started hurting right as I walked into the gym. I preceded to work out with weights and I hurt it worse. It feels better today, but it is still not 100%.
  • I'm excited about church tomorrow. Lead Pastor, Stu Hodges, has a great talk prepared.
  • Everyone I know is going to see The Hangover. I wish it was rated PG-13. I hate when they make Rated R comedies. They add stuff that I just don't need to see, so most of the time I don't go to see the film.
  • I'm going to do a series of blog posts entitled Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken. Stay tuned.
  • The Lakers can win their 15th championship tomorrow night at 8:00 PM. I don't think they will win it in Orlando. I hope they do though.
  • The Fray are coming to VA Beach tomorrow night and I am missing it.
  • Even worse NeedtoBreathe is coming to Busch Gardens tomorrow night and I am missing it.
  • Good thing is NeedtoBreathe is coming to Norfolk next Friday. I'm there!
  • I'm wondering what your plans are for the weekend?

Friday, June 12, 2009

Teenage Mutant Ninja...Frog

At that moment she let out a bloodcurdling scream...

Last night during the Lakers game I walked into the kitchen to get a drink. The time was circa 11:30 PM. As I passed the foyer into the kitchen I noticed something on the floor. I stepped back into the foyer to take a second look. What is it...I thought as stopped to stare.

What in the world??? A frog was sitting on my floor. At this moment directions started being hurled at me from the other room. Scoop him up in a cup, open the door, get the shovel and remove him. To my knowledge frogs are pretty harmless but I was a little scared to get up close and personal to this frog. I mean, after all, he is a ninja. He came into our house without us knowing it and remained there for an unknown amount of time. I bet he snuck in to watch the Lakers game.

As I went to grab a cup to scoop him out I heard the loudest noise I have ever heard. My neighbors probably all hate me now. In the other room was Monica, my wife, and our friend Lindsey. From out of no where comes the loudest scream ever produced by human vocal chords. Lindsey was getting some action shots with the camera when the frog hopped. It didn't ninja kick, jump on anyone, or say that all he needed was a kiss to become a prince. It simply hopped. That's what frogs do. At that moment she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

I grabbed the shovel, came to the rescue, and scooped the frog up and out the door to safety. Who knew a frog in a house could cause such commotion.

Pictured Above: Rob having a stare down with the frog

Thursday, June 11, 2009

5 Good Questions

And now it's time for 5 Good Questions...
  1. What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
  2. What happens when you spell I cup out loud?
  3. What does PU stand for (as in "PU, that stinks!")?
  4. Why do people think that swaying their arm back and forth would change the direction of a bowling ball?
  5. Is there a time limit on fortune cookie predictions?
Here's how you play. Answer the previous 5 Good Questions in the comment section. At some point in the future Rob will decide which person answered the best and declare a winner.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Swine Flu After Effects

A Student in our local high school was diagnosed with Swine Flu last week. True story. He went to New York on a school trip and came back with the Swine Flu. Yesterday a member of my adult Community Group sent me this picture of the affects of swine flu. It made me laugh. Enjoy.

Process

I'm a pastor and most of the time I don't feel God. There are lots of times where I don't feel like reading the Bible. I have to remind myself to worship God in church and not just critique what is happening.

This past Sunday my pastor, Stu Hodges, talked about you have to experience a promise from God, then endure the process, in order to enjoy the party. For example if want to hold onto the promise of a great marriage you have to work in the process by loving your spouse, forgiving your spouse, serving your spouse etc. The party is a great marriage, but it only comes through the process. He applied this to many things like finances or raising good children.

I've been thinking about that talk all week. A promise that I hold on to comes from a verse in the Bible that says, "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." The promise is that we can find God if we seek Him. I've been thinking about how the process is going to church, reading the Bible, praying, serving others etc. I often don't find God in the process, but over time I see how He finds me. He changes me through the process. There are verses that He will bring to memory. Verses that I didn't even know I knew, but I must have read them through the process. The process is work and it doesn't result in instant gratification. It's through the process that I find God.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

A Blast From My Past

The Lakers are in the Finals. Sorry to all you non sports fans. They only need to win two more games and I'll stop blogging about them...for a while.

Anyway this past week I went down memory lane and pulled out some t-shirts from my childhood. I got my first Lakers t-shirt as a fifth grader. By middle school I had a different Lakers shirt to wear every day to school. Luckily my best friend wore Celtics shirts almost everyday so I kind of fit in. What am I saying...I was as dork, but I didn't care.

Pictured Above: My first Lakers t-shirt.

I thought about trying to squeeze into it...just joking.


Monday, June 8, 2009

Waters Edge Grand Opening Weekend

This past weekend is hard for me to put into words. It was the celebration of Waters Edge Church's Grand Opening. We had a party on Saturday and then our Grand Opening Services on Sunday. 1,923 came to Waters Edge on Sunday. That is a God thing! Instead of using words to describe it I'm going to use pictures. Here are some images from the Grand Opening weekend.


Pictured Above: Grand Opening Party on Saturday Night.


Pictured Above: Lead Pastor Stu Hodges introduces
his family during the services.
Pictured Above: I got the chance to do a song with the band.
Our band is rock your face off good. It was a lot of fun to do a song with them.
Pictured Below: On Monday we celebrated by going to lunch together.
It was a great time to hang out as a staff.

Thanks Derrick for a fabulous lunch. You are the man!

Cool or Uncool: Danny Menser Edition

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? A wife using her husbands razor to shave her legs and then putting it back for him to use.

*This cool or uncool is really asking is it ok. For example, "is it cool if I show up late to the party." Or asking "are we cool" after a fight.

**Danny Menser is, my friend, Jamey's dad. At Jamey's wedding Danny told me that he reads my blog. He then gave me a blog idea. Thus the Danny Menser Edition to Cool or Uncool.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Double Feature Movie Review: Terminator & Land of the Lost

Last weekend I saw Terminator: Salvation and I didn't have a chance to review it. Last night I saw Land of the Lost. Thus you are getting a double feature movie review.

Terminator: Salvation

In my opinion this summer movie season has been ho hum so far. There have been some decent movies but, Star Trek aside, nothing has amazed me. Terminator fits with the ho hum movies. It's not a bad movie, but it lacks greatness.

This is the fourth movie in the Terminator franchise. For this go around they have made the ever so popular prequel. For years we have seen clips of the future through the other Terminator films. This was their chance to do a whole movie based off the gloomy future after Judgement Day. The movie stars Christian Bale as, the future legend, John Connor. There is also a nice cameo from Arnold, the original Terminator.

Again it's not a bad movie but they just don't do a lot with it. There are some cool special affects, and some good action sequences, but it lacks a great story. Without the story it's like cake without icing. It may look good, but it lacks the thing that makes it great. I give it a thumb to the side.


Land of the Lost

Because I think Will Ferrell is ha larious I thought I would give Land of the Lost a shot. He was the only reason I was interested. I was hoping for a cleaner Will Ferrell comedy. His last few have been rated R and this is PG-13. I like his humor but I like him best in movies like Elf or Kicking and Screaming...funny but not offensive.

Land of the Lost is a movie based off a children's TV show of the same name. I've mentioned this before but I don't know why Hollywood insists on making sub par comedies based off TV shows that weren't comedies. Land of the Lost is no exception. It's mildly entertaining, but it lacks a HUGE laugh. I'm sure there are some Will Ferrell fans who will like it just because he's in it, but I was disappointed. I give it a thumb down.


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.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Meet Jake

Jake Holland is my connection to YouTube. He finds the best videos and then posts them on his blog. I've known Jake since...I want to say middle school...but at least since he was in high school. His blog makes me laugh. Take a moment to visit his blog and then leave a comment.

I saw this video on Jake's blog and it made me laugh out loud. It's a literal music video. That means they sing about what is happening during the music video. It's very creative.

Game One Success

Last night was a great victory for my Lakers. We won big. I hope they don't get cocky because they still have to win 3 more games.

Yesterday some friends stopped by to watch the game. My friend Carlyn brought Lakers, purple and gold, cupcakes. We drank Bangerang Kool Aid, ate pizza, and finished it off with the cupcakes. Here are a couple of pics of the night.

Below: Lakers cupcakes...m mmm good
Pictured Below: My friends are good sports.
They all wore Lakers Jerseys during the game. *Notice: To the right Jamey is wearing the jersey
like the players do...without an undershirt.
**Monica is wearing a purple and gold outfit,
which she wore to school all day in support of the Lakers!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

I Love The Lakers

I'm a BIG Lakers fan. Now before you say something silly, like I'm a bandwagon fan, I thought I would tell you about how long I've liked the Lakers.

When I was four years old my mom gave me a basketball and pointed me towards a ten foot basket outdoors. I shot and shot until I finally got the ball up to the hoop. From that day on I fell in love with the game of basketball.

During the first day of summer break, way back when I was in third grade, I stayed up late to watch TV. The Lakers were playing the Celtics. I loved watching Magic Johnson play. From that night on I became a Lakers fan. I had no idea about their history or how many championships they had won. The only thing I knew was that I love to watch them.

Unlike most my friends who jumped on the bandwagon of a winning team only to leave when that teams star player left...aka Michael Jordan...I have stayed with the Lakers even after Magic retired. The Lakers stunk for the next few years but I kept watching. I kept watching through the Shaq and Kobe years. I kept watching when they divorced. The Lakers are good once again and I'm loving it. I hope they win the NBA Championship this year. Go Lakers!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Meet Matt

Meet my friend Matt. He's currently serving our country overseas in a undisclosed location. He left his wife and friends in VA. His wife Kelly had a stuffed action figure made in his likeness. He has a blog that I enjoy reading. Check it out here and tell him robshep sent you.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

What Would You Do?

I recently met a gentle man who had breath that smelled like a monkey's anus. His breath was awful. I think he had stanky (stanky is one step beyond stinky) breath and then tried to cover it over with a cigarette. It really was one of the top ten worst smells I ever experienced.

Ya know it's just an awkward situation to be in. Do I tell him and risk offending him or do I just let him roam the earth with stankyness? I let him roam. I'm sure you've been in that situation. Has anyone ever had the guts to tactfully tell someone their breathe stank?

Monday, June 1, 2009

Bruised Lee

This past weekend I got jacked up. It started when I was doing a walk around Waters Edge new building. I was walking to pick up some trash that the contractors left and I stepped in ankle high mud. I was dressed for the service. I was wearing my new shoes. I washed it off with a hose and had a wet foot for the next four hours. I felt like Principal Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. If you don't know what I'm talking about watch the following clip. The mud part starts at 2:30. It's rated PG-13 for a few swears.



After that I skinned a chunk of skin off of my thumb. I snagged it while trying to tear off the plastic from a clipboard. Right after that I cut my thumb on a piece of cardboard. Same hand.

The next day I was trying to avoid stepping in ankle high mud and I fell on my face. I fell hard. I slammed the ground scuffing my new shoes, and jeans. I landed hard on my wrist. My wrist still hurts. It's probably broken. Ok it's probably not broken but it hurts. I also scuffed my hand and knee.

To close things out I have not one but two gumboils/canker sores/mouth zits or whatever you call them. They're right under my lip and they hurt like a mother. I blame this one on the stress of moving into our new building at Waters Edge. Right now I am a walking bruise.

Waters Edge First Service

Yesterday Waters Edge Church opened the doors to our new building. It was considered a soft opening. We have publicized this coming weekend, June 6 and 7, as Grand Opening weekend. We have never had a building before and we wanted to work all the kinks out before we opened our doors to the public.

The day went amazing. We started with baptism. We baptized 18 people. It was a great way to start our services. Then Phil Poteat and the Waters Edge Band rocked our faces off. They have never sounded better in my opinion. Next was Things You Must Know. It's a video hosted by frequent comment leaver Danielle Peters. She did a great job. After that Stu delivered a great presentation.

We had more people then we have ever had on a non holiday service. There are a few minor things we need to adjust, but overall it was a great day. If you were there I'd love to hear your thoughts.


Here are some more pics of the building and our first services.