Mind Dump

My brain is constipated with random thoughts. It's time to free up some space with another Mind Dump...

• I want an alarm clock that doesn't even have the alarm noise as an option. I want an alarm that whispers, "Rob it's time to get up. Today is going to be a most excellent day." I hate the noise that alarm clocks make.
• Have you ever said "love you" while ending a phone conversation, but it wasn't to someone that you should have said "love you" to? When you work with Community Groups at Waters Edge you will spend a lot of time on the phone. This past week was one of those times. We formed new Community Groups and had to call a lot of Facilitators. Apparently to end one phone call Mr. Anderson (AKA Steven Anderson - Community Groups Manger) said, "love you, bye" to one of our Facilitators.  I'm not sure he has even met the guy he was talking to. I'm not sure if I should be impressed with the way that he's trying to connect or scared. It was really funny.
• I don't know about you but I kind of like this year's American Idol better then the last couple of years. I liked Simon, but I got tired of the judges fighting with each other. I have been very impressed with Steven Tyler and JLo. I'm liking this season a lot so far.
• I love that people care so much about my wife. Last week I had to work late at the office. Monica posted on my face book page, "Just hurry." It's what she says when I'm delayed to go to bed because I'm blogging, playing a video game, or just feeling too lazy to move.  Apparently some people interpreted that as Monica was going into labor. It got a lot of comments from concerned friends. I love that people care so much. Love it...but it was funny.
• So Will Ferrell is going to do 4 episodes of the Office. I like what Toby (character on the show and one of the producers) said, “We found Steve Carell when he was nothing but a movie star and we turned him into a television star...We are proud to continue The Office‘s tradition of discovering famous talent...” This should be funny.
• I still really like the "Mind Dump" graphic from Wesdraws.com. What do you think?
• Besides just sitting around and surfing on Youtube I'm not sure how people find so many Youtube videos. I like having those people in my life. You know the ones? They have seen a million different Youtube videos and reference them often.
• Videos like the human ventriloquist...very funny...
• My mom will randomly call me and ask to take me to lunch. I love this, but what makes me love it even more is that she requests Chipotle. My dad doesn't love it so she gets her fix by taking me to lunch. Love it.
• This past week we went to lunch and she surprised me with a Superman onesie for Hayden and a Wonderwoman onesie for Reese. Our twins have almost three months till they arrive and they already have awesome stuff.
• Speaking of awesome stuff. We got a Lakers dress in the mail from our friend Kim. It's AMAZING! Reese will rock it!
• Oh yeah and she already sent two Lakers onesies, but since Reese became a girl two weeks ago she went back the drawing board and started over. Thanks Kim.
• Lindsey Brooks is a friend of the blog and now the painter of our nursery and guest bath. We had a wall that needed to be painted and she volunteered to do it. Now some will think, "why didn't Rob paint that room?" I could have and would have but I had something every night last week and Monica wanted it done ASAP. We had been waiting on our house to sell. Since it didn't sell we now have to get things ready. Oh and I painted the second coat in the bathroom.
• Speaking of our house...we had a couple look at the house and they loved it. They really loved it. They loved it until they pulled out a compass and found out the front door was facing north. What? Are you kidding me. I still can't fathom this.
• I recently received an email that said, "Congratulations you've qualified for help with your diabetes." I'm not sure that I should qualify before I have the disease. Is diabetes a disease? Anyway I hope I don't ever get diabetes, but I guess if I do it will be nice to know that I've qualified for help.
• dc Talk is still one of my favorite bands. I recently pulled out "Free At Last." This album came out when I was in 9th grade. I still love it! In fact I was head bobbin hard core to it while listening to it in my car. I think I got caught jamming out, but I don't care. It was fun.
• I watched Gremlins 2 on my day off. That movie is awful. It might be one of the worst sequels every made. On Facebook/Twitter I asked what other sequels should make the worst ever list. The responses included Sandlot 2 & 3, Grease 2, Speed 2, Spiderman 3, Indiana Jones 4, Star Wars The Phantom Menace, and Titanic 2...um wait a second there is a Titanic 2? There is but it has nothing to do with James Cameron's Titanic. I watched the preview online and it's some modern day boat called Titanic 2. It looked awful.
• I also watched "More than a Game." It's a documentary about Lebron James and his 4 best friends from high school. Loved it!
• Who is going to win the Super Bowl? Vote now on the newest poll.
• That's all  of my random thoughts. What's going on in your world?

Whew...I feel better now.

I've Never Changed A Diaper

So I've never changed a diaper, and that is about to change.  My wife is 27 weeks pregnant with twins. When my lil brother's son was born I was there to experience the first diaper change. It was like Jed Clampett struck some bublin crude...oil that is, black gold, Texas tea...except it was gag nasty and nobody was getting rich off of it. I don't know what I'm going to do when I've got two pooping at me.

We recently were talking with some good friends of ours and they asked me if I had ever changed a diaper. When I said no my friend went on to tell me that before having his first of four kids he hadn't either. His wife then tells us that they were featured on America's Funniest Home videos and Oprah. Apparently they videoed one of his attempts to change a diaper and the results were gag-alarious (this is a made up compound word comprised of the words gag and hilarious). They emailed me the clip from America's Funniest Home Videos. My friend Tyler is the third clip featured and he's the one that is wearing the surgical gloves. If you go to Waters Edge you may recognize him...it's Tyler Bragg.



This scares the poo out of me. I might end up like the guy in the hazmat suit.

To Warrior Dash Or Not To Warrior Dash That Is The Question

If you are a friend of the blog then there is a good chance you know something about me. If that's you then take a stab at the question that follows the following sentence.  If you are not a regular reader then look at my picture in the bio and then take a stab at the following question. What would you say if I ran in a race called the Warrior Dash? Here are a few details...3.26 hellish (that's a quote from the website) miles involving obstacles of mud, hay, and fire.  Oh yeah some people wear costumes and there is a cargo net. Have you ever seen a fat guy climb a cargo net in a costume?

So I'm not really scared of the 3.26 miles from Hades. I wouldn't enjoy jogging it, but I know that I can. It's the obstacles that really scare me. I once was forced to do an obstacle course at a summer camp. I was told that we were coming in first no matter what. I was told that no matter what the obstacle was I had to do it. So we end up crawling in dookie smelling mud. Someone yelled to crawl under so I crawled under...a root. The youth leader that saw it was shocked that I could fit. Apparently there was a board that we were supposed to crawl under. I heard crawl and I crawled. To my (sense the sarcasm) delight they still made me crawl under the board. When I got done I was in pain. Serious pain. Pain like I fell down the flight of stairs at the top of the Empire State Building and kicked by a little league soccer team of tourists the entire way down.  Little leaguers wear cleats.

Nothing in me is interested in jogging in the Warrior Dash. Nothing except the fact that a bunch of my friends are doing it, and the fact that it would give me something to blog about. That's right I care about the readers of robshep.com and I think you would get a kick out of this. The cost is $40 if I sign up by 11:59 tonight.

Watch the following video and then let me know your thoughts...


To Warrior Dash or Not to Warrior Dash, that is the question.

I Want To Have An Affair

I want to have an affair. Those are words that you don't hear that often. In fact I would say that no one gets married and thinks, one day I am going to ruin my marriage by having an affair. I read a stat that said 50% of women and 60% of men will have an affair. I can't tell you how many times I've been saddened by the news of a pastor admitting to an affair.  No one plans on it and maybe that's the problem. By the way I don't want to have an affair.

I love my wife. I love my wife with all of my heart and I have no desire to cheat on her. I have no desire, but I believe that we are all one step away from ruining our lives. It's starts with little compromises. Sure God can and will forgive, but the consequences of an affair are pulverizing.

I once heard Tommy Nelson talk about the E's of An Affair.  Nobody wants to ruin their marriage with an affair, but this is the process of how it happens...

• Elimination of that thing you got married for. This happens when men retire the romance jersey and women forget to call Victoria and ask for her secret.
• Encounter. This is where you meet another person who treats you nice. They meet a need that you have not had met.  Maybe it's that they respect you, laugh at your jokes, flirt with you, or don't zone out when you speak. 
• Enjoyment. You enjoy being around this person because they are bringing excitement to your life and meeting a need that your spouse used to meet. This is when guys find an excuse to hang out at the secretaries desk. This is when girls send private messages on Facebook. This is where it starts going bad quickly.
• Expedite. This is where a person goes farther then they should go. This is a lasting touch on the arm. This is a fantasy. This is trouble!
• Expression. This is where the person lets the other person know how they feel. It will be hidden, but it feels right because a need was met.
• Experience. This is where the affair happens. This is where they rent a shady motel.

Did you catch that the affair doesn't actually happen until the sixth E? It's a slippery slope. A person goes through multiple steps before they have an affair. By the time the affair happens they have convinced themselves that it's ok. So what can we do? Thankfully Tommy Nelson gave some application to his E's. 

• Don't think that you can't. If it can happen to Biblical heroes, pastors, and actors in Hollywood it can happen to you.
• Guard your heart. The Bible says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." - Proverbs 4:23. If you don't guard your heart someone can creep in and steal it. This means that when your needs aren't being met you communicate it in a loving way. This means that you strive to meet your spouse's needs. This means that you are in tune with your heart. 
• Stoke the fire of your marriage. I'm no boyscout, but I have been around enough camp fires to know the flame doesn't last forever. If you don't continue to add to the flame it ends up going out. When a couple first meets there is a HUGE flame, but then they don't take care of it and it starts to go out. This is hard, but husbands don't retire the romance jersey. And I know it's not as comfortable as the sweatpants and ratty t-shirt, but wives you've got to call Victoria and ask her what her Secret is. If you can't afford Victoria's Secret then cut a couple of strategic holes in that t-shirt and voila. The point is to not let the fire go out. 
• Surround yourself with friends of accountability.  Most people hide behind their picket fences and the safety of their homes. We may be social but nobody really knows what we struggle with. We need people in our lives who will notice when something is up. We need to be so invested in others that even if we don't say something they will.  

Angry Birds

I like the app "Angry Birds." It's a fun way to kill some time. I'm not sure what I did in doctor's offices before I got an iPod.  Have you played it? It's addicting.  Ever since Christmas this game has scared me.

On Christmas Eve I was returning from a long day of Waters Edge services and hanging out with family.  It was 10:30 at night and I was tired. As I unlocked and then opened my front door something swooshed by my head. I quickly jumped into my house, panicked that something just got me. I then heard a loud banging noise right outside my door. Now common sense would say lock the door and call the cops. Not me. I cracked that door open like the victim of a horror movie. If someone was watching they would have yelled "RUN."

On the other side of the door was an angry bird. It was now slamming its head into the ceiling outside my front door. This scared the Jesus in me. The Bible says that Jesus spirit lives in you when you follow Him. I think he got scared. I think I heard Him yell "WHAT THE DEVIL HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU, BIRD!" I kid I kid.

I then thought about the fact that my wife was close behind me. We drove separate because I was working all day at the Waters Edge services.  I am not sure what I would have done but I had to protect my wife. I probably would have yelled from the safety of my home, "Monica stay away there is an angry bird." I was just about to yell shoo bird...SHOO, but luckily for me this bird got tired of slamming its head into my ceiling and flew away. I can't even imagine the headache this guy had.

I don't have a fat clue where this bird came from. It was 10:30 at night and way past his bedtime. I have a theory about the bird though. I had just stuffed my face at my parents house for Christmas Eve. I think that this bird mistook me for a pig and tried to take me out.

The All New Mind Dump

My brain is constipated with random thoughts. It's time to free up some space with another Mind Dump...

• Did you notice the all new "Mind Dump" graphic? Love it! It's provided by Wes Draws.com.  I've recently discovered his blog and I like it a lot. He creates cartoons for a lot of his posts. I think he's mad creative. I asked if he would come up with something for the Mind Dump. Love it!
• Speaking of new did you notice the new robshep.com logo animation at the top of the blog? It was provided by Mark, who is one of the guys in my Student Community Group. He was sick one day and decided to create a little something for me. Love it!
• Have you noticed that Tupperware has improved it's quality? I've noticed that we have an increased amount of Tupperware. I would dare say it's a lifetime supply. I'm not sure where it all came from, but as I was putting it away the other day I noticed the improved quality.
• In case you missed it on Facebook or on the blog we thought we were having twin boys, but now we are having a boy and a girl. I think the shock has finally worn off. We are very excited!
• I don't think there are three babies in there, but a lot of other people do.  The ultrasound lady thought there was three in there at first. She then dropped the gauntlet and told us we were having a girl.
• Speaking of the babies...robshep.com readers really like it when I post about them. My stats triple whenever I feature them in a post.
• On the other hand readers don't really like super heroes. Friday's post was one of the lowest in two years. I'm not complaining I just thought it was interesting.
• I ate at Pollo Loco over the weekend. It's unfair that they serve burritos. It's unfair because I compared it Chipotle. It was good, but it's no Chipotle.
• Have you seen the movie The "A-Team?" It's definitely worth a rental.
• I jogged the Noland Trail on Friday. It's five miles of unapologetic pain. I wish someone would pipe in the Rocky IV soundtrack as I waddled through that thing.
• Are you watching the new season of American Idol? I watched last week and I think I'll keep watching. It's funny how the contestants are so much more starstruck over J-Lo and Steven Tyler then they ever were the past judges. It also seems like there is a plethora of 16 year olds.
• If you've got nothing else to do take a second to vote on the newest survey at robshep.com. It's about American Idol.
• So Michael Scott isn't going to be on the last four episodes of The Office this year. They are going to phase him out. What?
• Super Bowl = Steelers vs. Packers. Who do you want to win?
• I love the Super Bowl. I love the food, the friends, and the commercials.
• Speaking of commercials they released a list of commercials that didn't make the cut for the Super Bowl. One of them is for a site where you sign up to have an affair. Apparently if you are traveling and want to have an affair there is a website for you. The other one that got rejected is Jesus hates Obama.  It's a commercial for a website. I'm so thankful that commercial didn't make the cut. I don't care if they are trying to be funny I'm not a fan of the name of that site. Dislike!
• I spoke at Waters Edge yesterday. I normally don't get nervous speaking at WEC, but I was nervous yesterday. I was nervous because of the statement I made at the very beginning of the talk. If you are curious you can listen to it here.
• A couple of weeks ago I got caught in the BLIZZARD OF 2011. I went for a jog and when I left it was sunny and nice out. 1.5 miles into the jog I got attacked by a blizzard. I couldn't see 5 feet in front of me. When I got home my wife said, I just posted on Facebook, "Rob left for a run in shorts & a t-shirt. Now it's snowing like crazy! I mean, should I go find him? He's gonna be a snowman on the road!" She didn't come get me. To her defense she didn't know it was snowing until I was almost home. She had her camera ready and took this picture...

• This weekend is our first baby shower. I feel so blessed because people are really excited about it. I love that are twins aren't even born yet and other people care about them.
• Monica and I went to dinner over at the Fowler's house. Josh Fowler is the uber gifted new Worship and Production Manager at Waters Edge. Susan Fowler is the world famous blogger at http://sepfowler.blogspot.com/.  Before we ate Josh said a prayer for the food. Him and Susan held hands so I held my hand out. I was joking. To my surprise Josh took my hand and then started praying. I started laughing so he stopped mid prayer. He thought it was a little strange, but he just went with it. I thought it was a very funny moment.
• The guys in my Student Group have been making fun of my Call of Duty: Black Ops skills. Or should I say lack of skills. The thing that I enjoy most about this game is playing people I know. I don't care if I stink. I just like having fun and connecting with my Students.
• From time to time I predate a blog post. What that means is that I write it and then tell it when to post. Multiple people have said to me that I'm cheating when I do this. I didn't know there were blogging rules.
• In case you are curious I'm writing this at 10:35 on Sunday night. I'm slap tired. Preaching five times in one day wears me out. On that note I think I'm going to bed.

Whew...I feel much better now.

Practical Super Powers

I love super heroes. I love super heroes, but I think it would stink to be one. You could never tell anyone for fear that they'd expose your secret identity. You'd have an arch nemesis who would try to kill you on a weekly basis. If you went on vacation the crime in your city would rise and people would blame you.  Oh yeah and you'd have to wear tights.

I love super heroes, but most super powers are way too ambitious. Sure it'd be great to fly, turn invisible, run really fast, heal instantly, or have a spidey sense, but it would force you to do something great. You know "with great power comes great responsibility." Instead of a super power that would make me responsible for saving the world I'd like something practical. The following is a list of practical super powers...

• The Super Shusher - I think my arch nemesis is loud people at the movie theater. I'd love to be able to give them a super shush that forced them to be silent for the rest of their lives the movie.
• The Delegator - the super power to find other people who love doing what you hate to do.
• The Matabolizor - a super mutant metabolism would come in handy.
• The Sleeper - have you ever had a hard time falling asleep or lived with someone who does? How great would it be to have the super power to make people sleep? Your boss is mad at you...make them fall asleep. You do something embarrassing - make everyone in the room fall asleep. Maybe they'll think they dreamed it.
• The Invisible Pooper - I am thankful that I'm a guy. I have a fear of public restrooms. Most of the time I don't have to sit down. But for those few times when I'm in public and I've got to go...I'd love to make it disappear.
• The Cleaner - Laundry takes a lot of time. How cool would it be to have the super power of making clothes clean? Way cool!
• The Itch Remover - I don't know what causes a rash-less back to itch but my back itches like a mug. It'd be great to have the super power to remove itchiness.
• The Awkward Ender - Removing awkward situations in the blink of an eye.
• The Unwrinkler - I don't like wrinkles. My wife might say they are my kryptonite. I even iron my gym clothes if they are really wrinkly. No more if I could blink my eyes and wrinkles would disappear. Now that's practical.
• The Do Over - Sometimes you need a do over. In video games it's great because when you mess up you get to start over and try again. I'd love to have the super power to do over some things.
• The De-trafficer - Traffic is a part of life and it stinks. What if you could remove the world of all the traffic? That'd be super!

So those are some of my ideas for practical super powers. What would yours be?

You've Drank Weak Sauce For Too Long

There is a trail in the 757 called The Noland Trail. Monica and I walked it one time and we thought it would never end. It's five miles of hills, roots, and pain. I know some crazy people who actually jog this thing. Years ago I heard it was the place to go if you want to get grown up-napped, gang raped, or buried alive. I'm not sure where these rumors started, but it didn't help my desire to avoid this place like the plague. Add to that some crack skinny, ultra physically fit, healthy eating people recently told me how difficult it was to jog, and you've convinced me to wait until they release "The Noland Trail" on the PS3 or Wii. To quote Jim Gaffigan I'm what you call "in-doorsy." In other words I'm not going there.

And yet on Monday I found myself on the Noland Trail. My friend asked me if I wanted to jog it and for some crazy reason I said yes. The crazy reason is I needed to run and I knew that if I didn't do this I wouldn't exercise that day.

Before I attempted to jog this I told myself that I wouldn't walk until I got to three miles. Multiple times I told myself that I wanted to quit, but I kept holding out for that three mile marker. We passed mile one and two and I started looking diligently for the mile three marker. I went as far as I thought I could possibly go when I gasped, "where is that three mile marker?" I was assured that it was right around the corner. To my delight it was right around the corner. To my surprise when we got right around the corner the mile marker said mile four. I ran four miles because I thought it was three. When we finished I said, "I wish someone would present me with a t-shirt that says 'I survived the Noland' when we finished."

This proved to me that I'm stronger then I give myself credit for. I hate any type of pain and I often stop short of pushing myself to the limit because I'm afraid of it. I need to stop drinking the weak sauce.

I'm 32 years old. By 32 Alexander the Great had conquered almost the entire known world. At the age of 30 Donald Trump convinced banks to loan him 80 million dollars to buy a hotel. Bill Gates was a billionaire by the time he was 30. Before he was finished with puberty Justin Bieber sold millions of albums. What's my point? My point is that if other people did great things at or before my age then why can't I?

People lose weight all the time and yet I've drank the weak sauce and settled. People have overcome  difficult situations. People without arms have become well known artists by painting with their feet. People who have been raised in abusive homes have gone on to become examples of healthy members of society. People with large amounts of debt have made changes to live debt free. People in marriages that stink have committed to loving their spouse and turned things around. People are stronger then they give themselves credit for.

There is a great chance that you have quit long before you should have. I know I do all the time. So in what area do you drink the weak sauce?

I Think I Love My Wife

I love my wife. At least I think I love my wife...

My wife is an amazing person and very easy to love. She loves me well. In fact she goes above and beyond to show me love. That makes it easy to love her.  I say I love her but...

We have a rule that says we won't have a TV in the bedroom.  We have this rule because the bedroom should be a place of communication and intimacy. When a TV is in the room couples zone out, stop talking, and according to statistics have 50% less sex then couples with a TV in the bedroom.  So on our second year of marriage we got rid of the bedroom TV and haven't looked back.

Enter the iPod. The iPod is great for those nights where I can't sleep. About once a month I wake up before God. I'm kidding, but I do wake up early. Like 3:30 AM early. Before the iPod I would go to the other room when I couldn't sleep, so I wouldn't wake Monica. I would still end up waking her because she's a light sleeper. In August I got an iPod touch. I love it. I've developed a nightly routine where I play "Words with Friends," and check "Facebook."  Recently this routine has been bothering Monica.  It's bothering her because she is all about quality time. That is time without distractions.

Now, my first thought should have been, how sweet my wife enjoys time with just me. Instead I thought it's not that big of a deal. I mean it takes five minutes and it helps me wind down. Plus I don't care when she gets on her iPod for a few minutes.  That thinking is the problem. You see I say I love my wife, but at the first sign of having to love her the way she wants to be loved I get annoyed. Now it's not drastic and it's not a major problem, but it made me think. Love is not just loving someone when they do what you want. And it's not loving someone the way you want to be loved. True love is sacrificial.

So I really do love my wife, but I need to put away the iPod to show it.

Re-Introducing Hayden and Reese Shepherd

I don't think that I get shocked easily. In fact through the church I've counseled and or met people with the craziest stories. I even tell people before I counsel them that I won't judge them and they can't shock me. I've heard it all.  Yesterday I was shocked!!!

The week of Thanksgiving we had an ultrasound that confirmed that we were having twin boys. We told our parents and family. We told our friends. We told Waters Edge Church. We told Facebook! The Dr. was sure that we were having two boys. We were even given pictures to prove it. The following is the retelling of yesterday's Dr. appointment. To understand this story you need to know that my mother in law was with us.

This was our second main ultrasound where they double check everything in order to make sure the babies are ok.

Ultrasound Tech: "For a second there I thought there were three babies in there."
Rob and Monica: Nervous laughter because we thought she was joking.
Ultrasound Tech: "You aren't having three are you?"
Monica: "No. We did IVF and they implanted two in there. If one of them split they'd be in the same sack right?
Ultrasound Tech: Oh if you did IVF then there are only two in there.
Rob: Trying not to pass out.
Ultrasound Tech: (Not a direct quote because I was in shock thinking about three babies) "Oh there they are. I found your baby girl."
Monica: Uncontrollable laughter
Rob: Silence due to shock.
Monica's mom: You are kidding right? You've got to be kidding. You're joking aren't you?
Ultrasound Tech: I'm not joking.
Monica's mom: You are joking. I think you are joking.
Ultrasound Tech: "No that's clearly a girl. I haven't made a mistake in 14 years."
Rob: "EXCEPT FOR THE ONE WHERE YOU TOLD US WE WERE HAVING TWO BOYS" (that was my thought and it did not come out of my mouth)!
Monica's mom: (Jumping up and down over and over again) "That's what I prayed for. Prayer really does work. I've been praying that you would have a girl."
Monica: Laughing uncontrollably.
Rob: Silence.

The ultrasound tech became so nervous by our reaction that she tried to find our baby girl a second time. This time our baby had turned over and you couldn't see what was between its legs.  We left this appointment grateful that we are still having two healthy babies, but shocked. Here are some new pics of our now baby girl and baby boy...

Pictured Above: You can see to the left that this baby is clearly a boy.

Pictured Above: you can see to the left nothing but space which means this baby is clearly a girl.

So what does this mean?

• At this point we are still keeping our names. 9 years ago we picked baby names. Our dream names for twins if they were opposite genders were Reese and Reagan. We talked about going to that, but we have had Reese and Hayden in our minds for a couple of months now. We also really  like the name Hayden for a boy. Because it took us 6 years to get pregnant and because this pregnancy hasn't been easy we may not be able to have any more kids. Combine both of those reasons and that led us to keep the names.
• The superhero room that we were going to have is now dead and gone. It will probably be replaced by something to represent both genders. I heard Monica tell someone she was thinking of pink and green. I'm now thinking purple and yellow for the Lakers. Who knows?
• Our son will have doubles in some outfits. We've already been given twin boy outfits. Some people have already told us that they will have to take back some outfits. We feel really bad about that.
• We are going to schedule an appointment at "Fun Fetal Photo." It's a 3-D ultrasound where you get videos and pictures of your baby or babies. We weren't even considering this but now that we have been given two different answers about the genders we want to make sure. Oh and I want to make sure there aren't 3 in there.
• I will probably freak out a little. I'm still in a state of shock. Girls scare me a a wee little bit. I know how to wrestle, talk sports, and play with action figures. I don't have a fat clue what to do with a little girl. I'm thankful and excited, but also shocked and scared.

So that's where we are at. We are very thrilled! The journey has been exciting and the babies aren't even born. Oh one last thing...the ultrasound tech said that in 20 years there has only been one time where she was surprised at the delivery. Meaning she could still be wrong? That's why we are going to "Fun Fetal Photo." I just don't want to get through all our baby showers only to find out that there are three babies in there.

Fitness Challenge Day 5: The Book of James

Today is the last day of the Fitness Challenge. It was kind of a bad time to start the challenge. It went over the weekend which can be harder because we are not in our normal routine. But we've made it. At least I hope some of you are still with me.

If there is enough interest I might do this again. Is there a book of the Bible that would interest you if I do this again? I've really enjoyed. I hope that you not only built some discipline to read the Bible but that you applied what you read. Here are my thoughts on chapter five...

• vs. 3 - "You have hoarded wealth..." I don't want to be a hoarder! Have you seen the shows with hoarders? It's awful. People store up an excessive amount of stuff and live in misery.  How often do we do that with our finances. We have more money then we need and yet we get in debt and can't stop spending. I hoard most of my money because I spend it on me. I want to be the type of person who is generous. 
• vs. 12 - Do you struggle with saying no? I do. I am such a people pleaser that I hate telling people know. I've actually gotten better at it over the last couple of years, but it's not easy. So often others will say yes because they are afraid to let someone down but then they never show up. Let your yes be yes and your no be no or "you will be condemned." Those are strong words from James. Now his main point is that we shouldn't swear using God's name or sacred objects. Instead we should just say yes or no, but I think it applies to our inability to commit.
• vs. 13-16 - This is where you can see Jame's heart. He has the heart of a pastor.
• vs. 17 - Elijah was an amazing man and James says he was just like us. Not just like preachers. Just like us. The point is that he prayed and God did amazing things through Him. The power came through prayer.
• vs. 19-20 - This is what I want to do. I want to help those who have fallen or are far away from God find Him again.

If You Play Quarterback You Will Take Hits

So how did your American football team do? I have to distinguish American football because of Australia. With two regular readers hailing from Australia, they are the second leading country to read my blog. I've had people from England, former communist countries, and Canada read my blog but it was for one time only. I have two blokes from Australia who read the blog. Did you notice how I used the Australian word bloke? Thanks to John Finkelde I'm bilingual. I digress...like I was saying how did your American football team do?

After watching some football over the weekend I had this thought. If you want to play quarterback then you've got to be willing to take hits.  The quarterback gets all the glory if the team wins, but he also gets a lot of the blame if they lose. The worst part about being a quarterback is that a bunch of 300 lb grown men get paid millions of dollars to try to tackle you.  Think about it...they get hit over and over again and aren't aloud to hit back. That stinks.  

Now I don't play quarterback for a professional team. For that matter even when I play pick up games of football I don't play quarterback. I can't throw a spiral. I may not play quarterback professionally, but I do act as the quarterback in other areas of my life. There are areas where I have to take the lead. With the lead comes hits.

As the quarterback you will take hits from people. People who want nothing more than to hurt you.  They will hit you with negative words that feel like a freight train.

Now sometimes I play the quarterback, but other times I play a defensive lineman.  I love playing the lineman because I get to protect the quarterback. Try to talk smack about my pastor and I'll flatten you. Try to hurt my wife with words and it's on like Donkey Kong. Talk about my friends and I like being a lineman. I've got their back.

You may not be a leader, but I bet you are around one. If your a dad you've got to protect your wife from attacks. Don't let the kids run over her or speak to her negatively.  If you are a wife don't let anyone disrespect your husband.  If you are an employee then protect your boss. Don't let people quarterback sneak and hit them with negative words. It's hard to be the quarterback. Thank God for linemen who do what they can to minimize the hits.

Fitness Challenge Day 4: The Book of James

Today is day 4 of a five day challenge to read through the book of James. Over 30 people started the journey with me. If you've been reading then you see how straight forward James is. Chapter 4 is like a swift kick to the face. Here are some thoughts...

• vs. 1 - Not only does James tell us where fights come from, but he also says that God doesn't answer prayers because we ask with selfish motives. Maybe that's why God is not answering my prayer to grow my hair back and not go bald.
• vs. 4 - It doesn't get any more in your face then this verse. "You adulterous people." I've counseled multiple people who have been affected because of adultery. It's heartbreaking to find that someone you love is sharing the most intimate experiences with someone else. It's worse than a slap in the face. It's an awful feeling. I can't imagine how heartbreaking it is to find your spouse having an affair. James compares friendship with the world to an affair!
• vs. 5 - God's spirit is jealous. He's jealous when we don't turn to Him. He's jealous when we seek the world before we seek Him.
• vs. 7 - So the Devil has ADD? Resist the devil and he will flee from you. When we resist the devil gets bored and moves on.
• vs. 8-10 - This is not saying that we should always weep and wail. This is saying that when we realize that our selfish actions are like committing adultery against God it should lead us to repent. Imagine being caught in the act of adultery and realizing what a mistake you've made. That's what this is talking about. I hate it when I realize how my actions have affected God. In the moment my selfish actions felt so good, but afterward it feels awful. I'm so thankful that God forgives!
• vs. 11 In case you missed it not judging others is one of the themes of this book.
• vs. 13-16 - I think the point here is to include God in your plans? We make plans and then want God to bless them. Instead we should ask God where He wants us to go.
• vs. 17 - Ok this is a creative definition of sin. Creative and convicting. Like I said a swift kick in the face.

Fitness Challenge Day 3: The Book of James

Today is day 3 of the Fitness Challenge. I've challenged robshep.com readers to read a chapter a day of the book of James from the Bible.  I love the book of James. I'd love to have been able to hear him preach. He has great illustrations! Did you know that James' brother was Jesus? That means that he probably didn't believe in His brother until after Jesus rose from the grave. You can read it about in John 7:1-5 and Matthew 13:55.  Here are some thoughts on chapter 3 of James...

• vs. 1 Have you ever wondered why people who teach the Bible are judged more strictly? It's like if an obese person gives you weight loss advice it just feels off. Or if a person with massive debt gives you financial advice. Or a person who makes poor relational choices gives you relationship advice. I'm not sure but I don't think that a Christ Follower who teaches is judged more strictly by God. I think that they are judged more strictly by people. If you are going to teach it you better be living it.
• vs. 3-6 Great illustrations to make a point!
• vs. 9 You can't love God and not love people. You can't praise God and then curse humans who are made in His image. A true sign of a persons love for God is how they treat and talk about others. Including others who aren't like them. No one can tame the tongue...without God's help. God is big enough to help us tame the beast.
• vs. 14 If you harbor selfish ambition you shouldn't boast about it. So I shouldn't boast about my dreams to sell adds on robshep.com and make millions? I kid I kid. This is very convicting. It's easy to get excited and boast about selfish ambition. It's easy to want to make "me" the center of every conversation. It's easy to want to boast about the things that I do. It's easy, but selfish. Now this doesn't mean that you can't be proud of yourself or that you can't take a compliment. It just means that when you boast it should be boasting in how great God is.
• vs. 16 Where you find disorder you will find selfish ambition and envy. Why is there disorder in our lives? Maybe it's because we have selfish ambition to make much about ourselves, and or we get upset when others succeed? What would happen if we stopped saying whoa is me when we don't have what others have. I'm so proud of Monica in this regard. For six years we tried to get pregnant and for six years Monica did not envy other women. She was great at celebrating when others got pregnant. She would spend lots of money when she went to baby showers. She would celebrate when others got pregnant. We get depressed because there is disorder in our lives. We don't feel like we have what we are supposed to have.
• vs. 18 I'm still wrapping my head around this one. How can I sow in peace? It's like planting a garden of peace wherever I go. Do I bring God's peace into every situation I'm in? Do people feel God's peace by the words that I say? It's hard work to plant a garden. In a world that is filled with disorder we need more peace makers.

Fitness Challenge Day 2: The Book of James

Yesterday I posted a challenge to read an entire book of the Bible together. That's right 5 whole chapters of yummy spiritual goodness. The goal is to read it, digest it, and allow it to change us so we are not fat and lazy spiritually.  If you are participating in the challenge how was day two? Here are some of my thoughts on chapter 2...

• vs. 1-13 very convicting. How many poor people are even welcome in most churches? Not only that but it's really hard to not judge. Ouch!
• vs. 14-17 Faith without action is dead! So you are telling me I actually have to live out what I believe? I'm so convicted by this. Last week I met a homeless women. I introduced her to someone who was going to help her. I passed her off and then didn't think about her again. Not once did I think about personally meeting her needs. I had cash in my wallet, and cash in the bank. I could have provided something for her, but it didn't even dawn on me. On the other hand a friend of mine went out and bought a boat load of groceries for this same lady. My friend then delivered the groceries to the woman. When I heard that I thought about this verse. I hope that my conviction can change my mindset. I want to meet people's needs and not just pray for them.
• vs. 19 So the demons believe in God? The demons believe and their lives aren't changed. They believe and even have a response.  If you've ever been to a Christian camp then you know it's easy to get swept up in the emotion. You believe in God and then are moved by a message. Maybe you even cried. But unless your life is changed it doesn't mean squat. Faith and actions have to work together.
• vs. 25 a righteous prostitute...interesting.
• vs. 26 Just in case you didn't get it faith without deeds is dead. I love how straight forward and direct James is!

Awkward Things That Will Definitely Happen If You Work With Humans

The following is a list of some awkward things that will definitely happen if you work with other humans. DISCLAIMER: I cannot confirm or deny that I've ever done any of the things on this list, nor can I confirm or deny that any of the WEC employees have ever experienced these awkward things that will definitely happen to you if you work with humans.  

1. If you work with humans you will hear one of them fart.
2. If you work with humans you will walk into some one's office right after they have farted. If they are your boss don't say a thing. If you are their boss then it's ok to call them out. If you are an equal then it's up to you.
3. If you work with humans you will hear some one's stomach digest out loud. I hate when this happens to me. It's so embarrassing. It's not a fart but it's like your stomach is preparing other employees for what is about to come out.
4. If you work with humans you may not see London or France, but it is a guarantee that at some point you will see some one's underpants. Be careful when you bend down to pick something up unless you don't care that your office mates know the style and color of your under garments.
5. If you work with humans you will catch or at least think you catch someone picking their nose.
6. If you work with humans you will regret it when someone cooks stinky leftovers in the microwave. You will smell it for the rest of the day. No one knows why, but for some reason food cooked at work just stinks more then when you nuke it at home.
7. If you work with humans you will catch someone on Facebook. When you get caught you can either pretend that they won't see your screen or you can try to quickly click on something else. No matter what you do people will catch you.
8. When you work with humans you will discover that not all people think the same candles/room deodorizers smell good. In fact some people appreciate things that just plain stank.
9. If you work with humans you will catch someone wearing the same pair of jeans two or sometimes three days in a row.
10. If you work with humans you will know who has stinky breath.

So that's my list. Did I leave anything off?

Fitness Challenge Day 1: The Book of James

I almost didn't post today's blog entitled "So You Want To Be Fat And Lazy?" I don't know if I was feeling insecure about it or just scared. I had Monica read it because I was afraid no one would take me up on my challenge. 24 people either left comments on the blog, Facebook, or email and said that they wanted to take the challenge. As promised here are some thoughts on chapter 1...

• vs. 2 - I hate trials! According to this we are to consider it all joy. Like exercising for the first time in a long time it's painful to go through a trial. No one likes it, but we are stronger then we give ourselves credit for. In lifting weights, if you want to gain muscle you have to tear it first. It hurts and it makes you sore. Going through a trial hurts and it makes you sore, but you will become stronger.
• vs. 11 - I'm glad I'm not rich. Oh wait...compared to the majority of the world I am. Oh dang.
• vs. 14 - Temptation comes from our own evil desires. So maybe the devil didn't make you do it?
• vs. 15 - Imagine conceiving a baby. For nine months that baby lives inside of you. When that baby is born it changes your life. You love it with all of your heart. But instead of turning around and loving you back this baby grows up and tries to kill you. This is the process of sin. It is conceived with an idea from within. We birth it because selfishly we think it's what is best. We even tell ourselves that we love it. In the end though sin kills. No matter how great the sin feels in the moment it always leads to death. I wish I could remember this before I'm about to sin.
• vs. 19 - Great advice! This is basically the opposite of the Jersey Shore.
• vs. 21 - Get rid of all moral filth and accept the word that is planted in you.  Great advice but how do we do that? James is about to tell us...
• vs. 22 - You accept the word planted in you when you do what the Bible says to do. This verse is so challenging to me. It's kind of like my relationships with food. I've been on and read about almost every diet out there. I know a ton of information. In fact I could write a book on all the weight loss info that I know.  And yet I'm still over weight. The truth is that just because you know something doesn't mean squat unless you are willing to put what you know into practice. There are too many Christians who are fat with knowledge and not willing to apply or obey what the Bible teaches.
• vs. 27 - Have you ever wondered what type of religion God likes? It's the type that helps those that can't help themselves. In James time women could not work. If they lost their husband and weren't able to marry again they couldn't survive. Helping a widow or orphan means you did something for someone who had no way of paying you back. Kind of like what God does for us huh? God loves us even though we have no way to ultimately pay Him back. No wonder God likes this type of religion. 

So if you read chapter 1 what is one thing that you will take away?

So You Want To Be Fat And Lazy?

Have you seen commercials for the TV show "I Used to Be Fat"? While eating some reheated pizza, I found myself watching this show. You would think that watching a show like this would inspire me, but that pizza was about half a day away from growing penicillin. I needed to eat it before it went bad, right? On the episode that I saw, a teenage girl, who weighs 250 lbs, gets a trainer and loses 90 lbs. It was amazing!

What fascinated me was how her personal trainer pushed her. She was a lazy, whiny, spoiled brat. She would cry at the thought of working hard. She was so stubborn that most people would have let her be. Not this trainer. When she cried, he'd get in her face. When she would cuss him out, he'd say, "Cuss me out all you want, I'm not leaving." He tried multiple ways to motivate her. At one point, after she yelled that she hated him, the trainer got her to turn her yelling towards her work out. The girl ends up yelling the words that people used to call her. I felt really bad for the trainer.

After watching the show I had two thoughts...

1. I would like to have a TV show pay for a trainer who could help me lose weight and keep it off. I exercise a lot, but I don't manage what I eat like I should. I also don't like to push myself when it comes to lifting weights.
2. We are capable of a lot more then we give ourselves credit for. The girl on the TV show wasn't used to being pushed. She did what she wanted to do when she wanted to do it. The trainer pushed her to accomplish something that she wasn't willing to do without his help. I'd like to expand on this second thought...

I'd like to push the readers of robshep.com. I'm not fit enough to give a fitness challenge, so I'd like to give a spiritual one. What if we read through a book of the Bible together? I know what some of you are thinking...I'm too busy, I don't have time, or I just don't want to.  It's those type of excuses that made me think about this challenge. The girl in "I Used To Be Fat" had lots of excuses. She wanted to change, but failed until someone pushed her. She didn't want to be fat and lazy but it was easier then working out.

So here's the challenge...today I'm starting to read James in the Bible. James is one of my go to books of the Bible. I love James because I can understand it. He's straight forward. The book is five chapters, so for the next 5 days let's read James together one chapter a day. If my calculations are correct that means we'd finish on Jan. 17th. If you are interested leave a comment. If there is enough interest then I'll post a challenge each day to go along with the chapter. If there isn't any interest then no harm no foul. So who's with me?

Man Shower

There is something awkward about public men's locker rooms. At a local YMCA in order to get to the racquetball courts you have to walk through the men's locker room/showers. Wet naked men are everywhere. I keep my eyes down and I pray I don't slip on the wet floor. I don't know what would be worse for me...A. The slip that would land me on a wet floor and would really hurt. B. The fact that I'm now laying on the floor in a men's locker room. How many germs would I collect as I laid there? The thought alone is gag nasty. C. The fact that when I opened my eyes the only people around me would be naked men. I say all that to say I think this is the reason guys don't have showers for significant events.

This month my wife is getting her first baby shower. She's almost as excited about the shower as she is about the babies. Girls love showers. They have showers for weddings, and babies. Now granted the shower for the baby is more about the baby then the mom, but moms love the shower.  Guys on the other hand don't want or get showers. The closest we come is a bachelor party. Now for some this might be an exciting thing, but being a Christ Follower mine consisted of dinner with friends. It was good, but it wasn't that different than a typical night out and it wasn't a shower.

I motion for a shower for guys who would like showers. In order for that to happen a few things would need to take place...

1. Change the name. As mentioned in the first paragraph there is nothing but grossness at local places where guys shower. The name would make too many cringe. I say we change the name to BACON. What guy doesn't like bacon? I was trying to think of another name that would describe most guys and this was the best I could come up with. My other thoughts were smelly, jock itch, and hairy...none of those would draw guys to a man shower. Bacon on the other hand would.
2. Get rid of all the girly games. Instead of girly shower games we could play Black Ops, beat the mess out of a pinata stuffed with stuff that guys like, and watch movies that guys like. You know...Rocky IV, Tombstone, Gladiator, Die Hard, and Predator.
3. Gifts. For gifts it should be stuff that guys aren't allowed able to buy for themselves. You know things like motorcycles, video games, tattoos etc. There are certain things that guys want and they aren't allowed able to get. They can't get them because either they can't afford them or because their wife won't let them has other plans with the money.
4. Food. Food should consist of wings, burritos, nachos, and energy drinks and it should all be eaten by using their hands.
5. Etiquette. This will be up to the guy that the shower is for. If he likes to burp then Burps R Us it is. If he's not then they should at least have a burping competition.

Ok so my idea is pitched. What would you add to a Guy Shower Bacon?

I Hurt For You

I'm hurting. I'm hurting for a good friend who lost her dad.

I don't think I'll forget where I was when I heard the news. I was in a meeting and my cell phone started blowing up with messages. First was our admin assistant. I snuck my cell phone under the table hoping that others wouldn't see me check my phone. My first thought was that I must have forgotten about another meeting. I started to panic. Thoughts of a couple waiting for premarital counseling in my office while I'm out at another meeting filled my mind. I quickly told myself that I checked my calendar that day and there were no other meetings.  I then told myself that I'd listen to the voice mail as soon as we got a break.

Before I could pretend to be listening again at the meeting my phone went off again. This time it was my boss. I had the same thought about checking it at the next break, but then it was followed up with a text that said, "call me asap." I hate that my first thought is that I've done something wrong. I don't get yelled at by the people I work with and I'm decently responsible. I think it has to do with my selfishness and the thought that the world revolves around me.  I politely dismissed myself from the meeting to check the voice mail and then call my boss back.

When he told me who passed away it didn't even register. It felt impossible to hear. As one good friend put it after hearing the news, "this stuff just doesn't happen to us." Later in the day shock settled into tears. I couldn't stop crying for my friend. As the day went on I heard more and more about what happened. He was hit by a car whose driver fell asleep at the wheel.  He was only 55. I hurt for my friend.

Later that night we went by her house to spend some time with her and her family. When something like this happens it can be awkward to know what to do. Do you talk about it? Should I just sit in silence? Is it ok to tell a joke or to laugh at any point in the night? After hugging the family members I tried to let my friend do the talking. If she wanted to talk, I'd listen. If she wanted to cry, I'd cry. If there was anything I could do to help her not hurt, I'd do it.

Today is the funeral. Even though I find joy in knowing that her dad is in heaven I still hurt for her. I hurt for her mom who lost her high school sweet heart. I hurt for her younger brother. I hurt for my friend.

Naked And Happy

Why are you in your underwear, I asked. Because I'm naked. That was not the response I was expecting.

The other day Monica and I were invited over for dinner with some friends. Now this friend has two really cool boys. I was highly entertained with their action figures, wrestling, and costumes. The youngest, a 3 year old, greeted us with a superman t-shirt. After dinner he came downstairs in a full Superman costume. I'm talking full suit with the cape and all. I was loving it! But then out of no where the costume disappeared and this lil 3 year old was running around in nothing but his underwear.

He quickly ran to me to continue our game which consisted of me holding him over my head with him pretending to fly. It was great with the Superman costume, but I wasn't so sure about this new outfit. I quickly asked "what happened to the Superman costume?" He quickly replied, "I took it off." I responded with "I can see that. Why are you in your underwear?" He said, "because I'm naked." That was not the response I was expecting.

At what age do we become guarded and embarrassed? I'm glad adults don't run around in their underwear, but there is something refreshing about a child's lack of embarrassment. At some point we learn to hide. We hide our true selves. We hide our secret sins. We hide because we are afraid someone might see us for who we really are.

In the Bible the creation story starts out with two naked humans. They we naked and happy. Then Adam and Eve disobeyed God and their response was to hide. They covered themselves because they felt shame. Imagine if they didn't disobey God. Furniture would be really different. I mean leather sticks to skin so we wouldn't have leather chairs and couches. I think everything would be made out of bear skin. I've heard it's nice and soft. I digress...

I'm all for clothes. I think people should wear them. In fact I think some people should wear a lot more of them then they do. But with clothing came shame. What if the key to finding joy is by being who you really are and not feeling ashamed? I don't know, maybe we were created to obey God and find comfort in knowing who He created us to be. I think we hide because we feel shame. When we know Him and that He's proud of us it should take away our desire to hide. We should feel shame about our sins, but the key is to confess it to God and not try to hide it.

Big Gifts Video

This past Christmas Eve we premiered a video during Lead Pastor Stu Hodge's talk. At Waters Edge we use humor to connect with people. It's amazing how when you can make someone laugh they will let their guard down and receive truth. Even if it's a difficult truth from the Bible. The theme of our services was the Biggest Christmas Ever. In order to have a big Christmas you need to have big gifts. Enjoy...

Mind Dump

My brain is constipated with random thoughts. It's time to free up some space with another mind dump...

• This is the first mind dump of 2011. That means that I haven't mind dumped since last year.
• I think it's corny, but I still like to make jokes about not doing stuff since last year. I've been doing this since I was a kid. I remember one New Year I said over and over again that I hadn't got a spanking (yes my parents spanked me when I was bad and no it didn't kill me) all year. I said it so much my dad replied with, "I can change that." I think he was joking, but I didn't want to push it. After returning from a New Years Eve Party at 1:00 AM on Jan. 1 I tweeted, "I haven't slept since last year. I'm going to bed." It's probably corny, but I still think it's funny to say.
• Since starting jogging I haven't had many goals. Well, except to not die on the side of the road or to get so tired I have to crawl to a strangers house and ask them to call my wife so she can come pick me up. I digress. One goal that I've mentioned on this blog is to jog with Danielle Peters. She's run multiple marathons. I wanted to see if I could keep up. The other day we went for a 3 mile jog. Now I haven't jogged in a couple of weeks because I've used the excuse of having snow in the 757. Let me just tell you it was hard. Jogging with her is like jogging with a Kenyan. I'm not sure if that is racist or not, but I promise I'm not trying to be. I mean it in the highest form of flattery. Kenyan's are known for doing really well in long distance races. Jogging with Danielle hurt. I was doing fine until mile 2. Around mile 2 I said, "I think I'm having a heart attack." I then told her about this massive pain in the right side of my chest/shoulder. She calmly replied, "I don't think it's a heart attack because the pain is on the wrong side of your chest."
• I've already mentioned playing "Call of Duty" (the word duty still makes me laugh) in previous posts, but I had a thought about the next version of the game. I think they should include a chaplain option for the game. As the chaplain you would have to try to get to other players on  your team before they die. The catch is that the chaplain doesn't get a weapon. That would be intense! Oh and the chaplain could also catch people and make them go to church if they use bad language while playing online. Do you think this will sail? 
• Yesterday someone was smoking a cigar near the entrance of a building I was walking into. I don't smoke, but I do like the smell of a cigar. It made me wonder, why can't they make cigarettes smell good? I'm not saying that people should smoke. I know it's bad for your health. I'm just saying that when people smoke cigarettes it makes me wish I didn't have a nose. I hate the smell. 
• I was asked recently what I think about Lebron James and his recent success in Miami. If you don't follow the NBA the Miami Heat have turned things around and are now winning a lot of games. I'm not saying that Lebron won't win the title this year, but he has something to prove to me. I'm pretty sure the last two years he led his team to the best record in the league and then got bumped out of the playoffs. In fact his play in the playoffs was awful for a superstar.  Until he wins it all he'll have something to prove to me.
• Did you start any New Years Resolutions? I didn't. I am all about changing, but I want to make realistic changes. Whenever I do a crazy change it never sticks. Sure I'd like to lose weight and I'm trying to, but I want to make small meaningful changes that make a difference in the long haul.
• So Michael Jackson is still releasing songs. Either he is still alive like Tupac or he recorded a lot of music before he died. I don't really think Tupac is alive, but that joker released a bunch of songs after he died. Anyway I downloaded MJ's newest song "Hold My Hand." It's good. In fact I like it a lot.
• Now some people will judge because they don't like MJ's personal life. I understand but I don't agree. I hear many people boycott things like movies because of an actors lifestyle. I'm not saying I'm right in this, but if I start boycotting people because of their personal life I wouldn't be able to listen to any music, watch TV, or watch movies. Where does it stop? I watch and listen to things because I enjoy them or find value in them. I think even the worst person can produce something good. That doesn't mean that I listen or watch everything. I have standards, but it's based off of what the product is and not who's producing it. I don't agree with the life style choices of most actors, but I enjoy their product. For me they are providing entertainment and shouldn't be held to the same standard as a preacher. Any thoughts on this?
• My wife is watching Oprah and I just happen to be in the room. It's an episode about the behind the scenes of her show. I wish all churches would put the type of work into a service that Oprah does on her show. I'm thankful that Waters Edge believes that what we do is important and that we work our tails off to make sure each week is a great experience. Oprah said she works so hard because they get to change lives. If that's true of Oprah then how much more true is it of the local church?
• By the way I think Oprah has lost some weight. Good job O!
• Speaking of TV I'm thankful new shows are back on. In my opinion all TV shows should be like the show 24 and show 24 episodes in a row. Most series have 24 episodes, but they break it up over the fall and spring. They take too much time off. Just sayin.
• We had a doctors appointment this week to check on the twins. If you are new to the blog my wife and I are having twins in April. Everything went great and they both are looking healthy.
• Speaking of the twins we have a good amount of baby clothes. I'm not saying we have enough because we will have to dress two. What I am saying is that we did a full load of laundry because of the hand me downs we have been given. Those jokers aren't even here and they already have us working. I can't wait until they get to the age where I can have them work for me. First job will be the lawn.
• I love that my wife is pregnant. I think she looks beautiful.

Whew...I feel much better now.

Life Lessons From "Call Of Duty."

So I got Call of Duty: Black OPS for a Christmas present. It's one of those games that I hear about all the time but I've never played before. If you've never played then what you need to know is people play this game online. You can play war games like capture the flag, domination, or free for all.  I'm a little behind on the learning curve and it shows. I get killed a lot when I play online...sadly it's mostly by little kids. While playing I've learned some things about life...

1. When You Die Respawn - this is what it's called when you die and come back to life. In life something is going to kill you. Hopefully it will be old age, but I'm not talking about literally killing you. I'm talking about the project that is kicking your tail. I'm talking about that relationship that just isn't right. You can give up or you can respawn and come back.
2. Play With Different Communities - I play on the PS3 and it's a HUGE community. The other day I played against some people who spoke nothing but Spanish. At least I think it was Spanish. They were yelling and singing in another language. In life I like learning from other people. I like hearing other people's perspectives. In life it's healthy to get out of your little comfortable bubble and get around some people who are different. It's a way to grow and stretch. 
3. Play with Friends - for me the most fun has been playing against other friends. I've played against students in my Community Group, friends from WEC, adults in my adult Community Group, my former youth pastor, my brother, and even my wife. In life things are better when done with people you love.
4. Ask Questions - I don't have a fat clue what I'm doing. I've played games where I didn't know what the objective was. When the game ended I called a friend and said, "I don't have a fat clue what I'm doing." That friend and reader of robshep.com is Ryan and he's been very patient to teach me. In life too many people don't ask questions. We either reject something or accept something at face value. I want to ask the right people the right questions.  For example I ask questions to parents and teenagers all the time. When I see a teen with a great relationship with their parents I ask why. I want to know what they did so I can implement it one day with my kids.
5. Don't Be So Serious - Some people take this game way too serious. Some people take life way too serious. If you want to enjoy life you have to play. Think about it, when you were a kid you would play for hours at a time. It was hard work. When I was a kid I'd play guns against friends for hours. We'd run, build forts, and then come home completely dirty and tired. In life if you want to enjoy it you have to play it like it's a game. I know life is serious but we should have fun while we are living it. For example my job. My job is a lot of hard work and it's not all laughs, but I love my job. It's fun to go to work. If you hate your job maybe you are not doing something that you think is fun. Again that doesn't mean that you don't work hard it just means that you enjoy it. Like playing for hours as a kid.
6. Be Careful What You Say Because You Don't Know Who's Listening - With Call of Duty some people have headsets where they can talk with other players. I don't. For some reason though I can still hear these jokers talking through my TV. They don't have a fat clue who's listening. If I had a bar of soap and could equip my Call of Duty character with it I'd tie down their character and wash their mouth out with soap. In life you don't know who is listening. Your words represent who you are. Say things that will represent you well because even if you don't see them someone is most likely listening.
7. If You Want To Get Better Play - I die a lot in this game. This is like the upteenth (I think I made that word up) version of this game. I'm just getting started. People kill me all the time and then talk junk. The thing is I'm learning. I'm playing against people who are really good so that I can become really good. In life if you want to become great at something then be around people who are better at what you do then you. This is why I love teaching as a team. Before I teach at Waters Edge, Lead Pastor Stu Hodges, reads my talk and vice-versa. It helps take it to another level. This is also why I enjoy listening to other communicators. It helps sharpen me and make me better at what I do.
8. Don't Let What People Say Bother You So Much - People say stupid stuff. For about ten minutes straight a kid who couldn't have been older than 10 (when you read this make sure you read it in a really high pitched voice to get the full affect) said, "what's a robshepdotcom. I don't get it. Will somebody tell me what a robshepdotcom is. I'm so confused. I need help with this. What's a robshepdotcom." My username on the PS3 is robshepdotcom. I figured that I might as well promote my blog while I play online. Apparently this child didn't get it. My wife and I thought that was funny. I've had people call me all sorts of names on this game. I'm not that good...I get it...you don't have to cuss me out.  In life people are going to say stupid things. You can get worked up about it or you can let it roll off your back. Life's too short to get worked up over everything someone says about you.
9. Beware of The Sneak Attack - My wife wanted to play over the Christmas break. We were playing in a private match because she had never played before. About four games in someone came into the game and started killing us. I was scared. I told Monica, "I don't know what's going on. I feel like someone is intruding and I'm scared." This mystery person killed us over and over again. Come to find out friends online can enter a private match without any notice. In life you will probably get sneak attacked. I remember one time when a group of students met to talk about what a bad job I was doing as the youth pastor. I was young, but the real problem was I wasn't their last youth pastor. They went to another adult to find support. I'm blessed that this adult had my back. I could have quit but I kept investing in the students and eventually I made a difference in that youth group. I didn't mean for this to happen but when I left the next youth pastor called me and said the students wouldn't stop comparing him to me. I told him to stick it out and beware of the sneak attack.
10. If You Play You'll Talk About It - I didn't know what I was missing until I got this game. Call of Duty or COD comes up in conversation all the time now. In life people talk about what they are passionate about. When you are passionate nobody has to train you to talk about what you love. You don't have to go through courses. When you are passionate about something it comes out in everyday life. As a Christ Follower I want God to come up in conversations not because I'm preaching but because I'm passionate. I talk about the things I love naturally. Chipotle, the Lakers, Monica, my twins, and now COD. I'm not trying to become a street preacher but I want my words to not only reflect God, I want them to be about God. No one forces COD conversations. They just happen because people enjoy it and are passionate about it. I want that when it comes to God.

Pray Like It Depends On God Work Like It Depends On You

Where do you fall in the following two categories? Most people either pray like it depends on God and then do nothing or they work like it depends on them and never pray. I think it was author, pastor, and blogger Mark Batterson who I first heard say "work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God."

I like the idea of that. Praying because you want to see things happen that you know only God can do. I've got a few of those prayers. But far too many people pray and then don't put any action to their prayers. Or on the other end of the spectrum far too many people work hard and then take all the credit for what God does.

Here's some examples of how to pray like it depends on you and work like it depends on God...

• If you are single - you pray that God helps you make wise choices as you wait. You ask for wisdom and strength not to settle or make a poor choice and then you put yourself out there. If I was Christian single and wanted to get married I'd move to Atlanta and start going to North Point Community Church. There are a ton of singles there. If you can't do that then try a dating service or two. You pray and then take action.
• If you want kids - this is one that Monica and I went through. For six years we prayed like crazy that God would give us kids. At the same time we tried multiple fertility treatments and then finally IVF. We know others that have tried IVF and haven't got pregnant. We knew that it was still up to God. We did our part and begged God to do His. We praise God that He allowed us to get pregnant with twins.
• If you don't like your job - you can complain about it or you can pray that God gives you a new job as you rework your resume and then send it out to perspective employees.
• If you have teen who turns away from God - I understand if a parent wouldn't want to listen to what I have to say because I am not a parent of a teen. But I have worked with teenagers for 14 years and I've seen far too many students turn their back on God. Here's what I do...I pray like a mad man. I beg God to capture their heart. At the same time I invest in them by spending time with them. I want them to know that I care about them no matter what, but I hope that my influence will be positive for them. If I was a parent I'd pray and ask others to pray like crazy, but then I'd spend as much time being with them as I could.
• If you are going bald - I pray every day that God would regrow my hair as I wash it with Nioxin (supposed to help thinning hair). I put this one in to be funny, but I do pray this every day.
• If you want better friends - pray for good friends and then invest in people. Eventually someone will stick.

I think the point has been well made. We should pray like it depends on God because it does, but at the same time God has given us a will to work. Line yourself up with God and then do something. Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you.

Let's Get Pushy

I like to push people. If I ever see one of the guys from my Student Community Group and they don't see me I'm going to push them.  Not such a hard push that it knocks them over, but hard enough that they know I'm there. For some reason they never get mad. They always smile and greet me with some type of dap. You know dap? Dap is when you do something more than a handshake. For the guys in my Student Group it's normally a three palmer (like a five to the side but done three times) or a palmer into a hug for 1.5 seconds. This is kind of like a hand shake but it ends with a quick 1.5 second hug with two pats on the back. Anything more than 1.5 seconds gets awkward. And the two pats on the back are crucial. I digress.

Even though I like to physically push people this post is not about that. This post is about pushing people out of complacency. I have an opinion and since it's my blog I'll share it...I think most people are complacent. There are a few people who are driven in all areas of life, but for the rest of us we find a comfortable place and start coasting. I've blogged about it before but marriage is a perfect example. When you first start dating you pull out all the stops. Flowers, you open the car door, and you try really hard not to fart. A few years into marriage and it's easy to hang up the romance jersey and then let it rip in front of the one you love.

They key to being pushed is to spend time with someone who does something better than you. If you are complacent find a new set of friends, read a new blog, follow someone on Twitter/Facebook. In this day and age of social media it is that much easier to be influenced by people who can push you. The point is to add someone new to your life that does something great and let em push you.

Some people that push me include...

• Melissa Horton - she's had cancer 3 times and survived. It's not just her fight that pushes me it's her attitude. She's the type of person who laughs and smiles in such a way that it's contagious. She pushes me to be a happier person.
• Steven Furtick, Francis Chan, Perry Noble, and Mark Batterson - through blog posts, books, and sermons these guys have pushed me from afar. They don't have a fat clue who I am but they inspire me to love Jesus.
• Josh Wilson - he's run a half marathon and lost a lot of weight through jogging. I hate jogging, but I'm often pushed to jog after talking with Josh.
• Jon Shepherd - Jon is my brother and also the funniest guy I know. Whenever I'm around him he pushes me to try to be funny.
• Jamey and Carlyn Menser - Monica and I have a budget, but we don't like keeping it. We hate debt and do a great job of attacking or staying out of it, but we haven't always done a great job of planning for the future. Jamey and Carlyn have become Dave Ramsey (financial ninja) disciples. When they talk about money it pushes me to want to do better.
• Eric and Stacy Froyen - this couple is so thoughtful. Most of the time when I think of something nice to do I forget to actually do anything about it. Not the Froyen's. Whether it's a kind word or an amazing gift they push me to want to be more thoughtful.
• Daniel Carman - he leaves a comment every day no matter what. Even though I love comments I often find myself in the non-comment leaving section. His faithfulness to post funny, meaningful comments pushes me to comment on other blogs.

Most of the people on this list don't have a fat clue that they push me. They aren't pushy people. They don't force their beliefs or views on others. They simply live life in a way that inspires me. I want to be that type of person. When people hang out with me I want them to feel pushed to love more, be more, and experience life to the full. Let's get pushy.