Introducing Connor Shepherd

This past Saturday my nephew, Connor, was born. My lil bro and his wife Nicole are the proud parents of a 8 lb 2.5 oz baby boy. He's super cute! Here are some pics from his first day on the planet.

Pictured Above: Apparently moms in labor have to wear diapers.

My brother and I had a lot of fun with that.

Pictured Above: I have a rule that I don't hold babies until they can

hold their own head up. They are just too fragile for me. My wife

forced me to hold Connor. Truthfully I didn't resist too much. I love

him and didn't want to miss out.

Pictured Above: Me and Jon. He's going to be a great dad!

Pictured Above: Connor showing off his abs. He's pretty much the situation.

Pictured Above: I watched as my brother changed a diaper.

As you can tell by the progression I didn't handle it nearly as well as Jon did.

It looked like black oil and I couldn't handle it.

Pictured Above: Nicole, Jon, and Connor

Mind Dump

My brain feels constipated with thoughts. The following is a mind dump of all the random stuff going on in my head.

• I had the privilege of baptizing 30 people at Waters Edge on Sunday. That's 48 people in two weeks. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward change. At Waters Edge we go buck wild crazy for baptism because is represents life change.
• The following is TMI. You've been warned. I ate Fiber One cereal for the first time on Sunday. My only experience with Fiber One is with their bars. Whenever I eat one it gives me awful gas. I was worried that eating it on a Sunday that I'm baptizing would cause me to turn the baptism pool into a hot tub. Farts bubble under water. Luckily for me the gas attacked after I got home from church.
• My lil bro and sister in law had their first baby on Saturday. Connor Crayton Shepherd was born at 12:23 PM. He weighed 8 lbs 2.5 oz. He's cute. Come back tomorrow for pictures.
• I got to spend time with my in laws over the weekend. It was a short trip, but I enjoyed seeing everyone. I really enjoyed seeing my aunt in law, Nancy. She's a faithful reader to robshep.com. She told me she really likes the "Mind Dump," so this one is dedicated to her.
• I'm speaking in a youth class at Liberty University on Friday. It's Youth Emphasis week and they bring in youth pastors to talk to the students. I'm bringing two of my students with me.
• Kansas jacked up almost every one's brackets. I didn't fill out a bracket because the Lakers aren't in this tournament. I love the Lakers! I'm very excited about the NBA playoffs starting very soon.
• The WEC staff got to spend some time with each other over the weekend. We don't get to hang out with all our families very often. When we do it's a lot of fun.
• The Blind Side comes out on DVD today. I pre-purchased it back in Jan. It was one of my favorite movies of last year.
• Whatever happened to Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum? Whenever I ask someone for gum I always get something minty fresh. Some of it's so strong I feel like I'm chewing on my dentist. I can tell by chewing on it my teeth are getting whiter, but it's not enjoyable.
• Just so you know I've never actually chewed on my dentist.
• Random fact about my teeth: I'm 31 years old and I've never had a cavity.

Whew I feel better now.

I'm Not A Nice Person

I try to be a nice person. I've even heard people describe me as a nice guy. It may seem that way on the outside but there are a handful of things that show I'm just not that nice.

• I hang up on telemarketers. I used to feel bad for them because their job stinks, but then they just kept harassing me. If you call me Mr. Shepherd, Robert Shepherd, and or you pause before you ask to speak to someone then I'm hanging up on you. Those are all signs that you don't know me, but you want me to buy your product.
• When I was a kid I blamed my brother for stealing one of my G.I. Joes. I found it right before my parents started spanking him. Even though I found it I still let them spank him.
• I kill bugs in my house. Until recently I thought everyone did this. I'm meeting more and more people who will actually catch a bug in their house and take it outside. Not me. I don't feel sorry for the lil guys. If you trespass in my house you will die...bugs that is.
• I get really impatient with people while I drive. I try not to cuss and I've only said one cuss word in the last 21 years of my life. However, I have been known to say substitutes for cuss words. If someone upsets me my word of choice is Jack hole. I don't know why I started saying it. Sometimes I just call them Jack. I'm basically taking the proper name of a donkey and mixing it with hole. It's like the beginning and end of two separate cuss words without the actual cuss word. I'm not proud...it's just what I do.
• I'm a people person, but there are times when I will walk the other way so I don't have to talk to some people. I know it's not nice. Most the time I don't do it, but there are times when I pretend to not see someone.
• I openly share my opinion to people who like movies that I think are rubbish. I don't mean to be a jerk about it. I know my taste in movies isn't the end all, but I just can't stop myself.
• I once squirted random people with Super Soakers from the back of a station wagon with my best friend Chad (not the football player) Johnson.
• I laugh when people fall.

You see, I'm not a nice person. I'm thankful that I don't get to Heaven based on being nice. God doesn't love me because I'm nice or not. He loves me despite of it. In fact He makes me want to love better which in turn makes me nicer. I'm still going to kill insects in my house.

How'd You Find robshep.com

Thanks for taking the time to read robshep.com. Some of you read because you are friends of mine. Others read because you go to Waters Edge Church. Some of you have blogs of your own and we have met via the world wide web. There is one last group of people who read robshep.com. It's the people who stumble across my site via a google or web search. Some pretty funny searches have led people to robshep.com. Here are some of the recent searches that led people here.

• 50 Reasons Why I Don't Sleep - I've never posted on this but it is getting me a canyon full of web traffic. I think it's stemmed from the post I did about 50 Reasons Why I Don't Own a Pet.
• 50 Reasons Why I Don't Own A Pet - I'm not sure why anyone would search the world wide web for this, but apparently a lot of people are.
• Is Chili Soup - Who knew this was such a popular debate? I posted this question on November 28 and it's still getting web traffic.
• Stu Hodges on Twitter - Many a people are searching for my lead pastor on Twitter.
• What Does A Possum On A Gum Bush Mean - You've got me? I've never posted on this, but thanks for stopping by.
• Kelly Surveyed 10 of Her Friends. She Asked Them What Their Favorite Pet Was. Two People Said Rabbits, Three People Said Cats - I guess they got here because of my pet post. I'm just wondering if I should called Guinness Book of World Records because that was the longest keyword search in the history of the Internet.
• Something Beautiful To Touch Me Married - I guess this is an ok thing to search for if you are married, but I'm scared. One of my favorite songs by NeedtoBreathe has the line "I just want something beautiful to touch me" but I don't think it's talking about another person.
• Robshep.com Clay Aiken - I once got semi attacked in the comment section by some Claymates (Clay Aiken fans). For the record I have nothing but love for the former runner up to American Idol.
• Prayer For Wrestlers - Back in March of 2009 I did a post on Wrestling. Apparently wrestling fans are big time Internet users because it sends a lot of people my way.

Benefit of the doubt

Do you give people the benefit of the doubt? How do you respond when someone cancels plans, talks behind your back, says one thing but seems to do another? All of those deserve a frustrated response, but is there a chance the person who wronged you didn't do anything wrong?

I heard Andy Stanley, pastor and author, say something to the affect that married couples who give each other the benefit of the doubt are more likely to stay together. That's not a direct quote. His point was that in relationships when someone hurts you it's easy to jump to conclusions and assume that they meant to hurt you. On the other hand the healthiest relationships give one another the benefit of the doubt.

The next time someone doesn't meet your expectations try giving them the benefit of the doubt before you pass judgement. Maybe they are in the wrong or maybe there's a reasonable explanation. Life is too short to get mad all time. Giving someone the benefit of the doubt will allow you to discuss it with them before you trash them. Most likely if it's someone you love they will have a reasonable explanation.

Movie Review: Remember Me

Remember me is not a movie I would have seen if I wasn't married. It was my wife's movie of choice for our date on Tuesday night. The last time she took me to a movie starring Robert Pattinson he sparkled in the sun and wanted to drink other people's blood. It was the sequel to Twilight and I wanted to gauge my eyes out.

This go around with Robert Pattinson was much different. Remember Me is moody, interesting, at times funny, and it includes a twist. One thing that impressed me was how the main characters pulled off their American accents. Not all good actors can pull off a respectable accent...aka Kevin Costner in "Robin Hood Prince of Thieves."

My wife really liked this movie! I on the other hand liked it but didn't love it. It's truly a sad movie. Not sad in the "Notebook" or "Walk to Remember" kind of way. More in a depressing, sad from the get go, and all life is meaningless kind of way. I give it one thumb up. It's rated PG-13 for a handful of swears (including the F bomb), and two sex scenes (no nudity is shown).

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

Superman

Movies fit into a few select genres. There's the action flick, and the chick flick. There's drama and comedy. There's kids movies and horror movies. Almost every movie fits into one of those categories. In the late 90's and early 2000's a new genre emerged...The Super Hero Movie.

There have been super hero movies for years, but it wasn't until the end of the 90's where we had multiple super hero movies coming out each year. Like with every genre there are great super hero movies and awful ones. For every Bryan Singer X-Men 2 there is a Bryan Singer Superman. For every Spiderman 1 & 2 there is a Spiderman 3. For every Iron Man there is the Incredible Hulk. Don't even get me started on how bad the movie Batman and Robin is. Side note: Batman and Robin was so bad it almost single handily killed the super hero genre. Many people attribute the movie Blade with reviving the genre.

Recently fans of the super hero genre became giddy when it was announced that Christopher Nolan (Director of Batman Begins and the Dark Knight) was going to revive the Superman franchise. It doesn't look like he will direct the film but it's going to be written by David Goyer, the writer of the Dark Knight and the Blade trilogy. Being a big Superman fan this makes me very excited!

Mind Dump

My brain feels constipated with thoughts. The following is a mind dump of all the random stuff going on in my head.

• Took the WEC Students to Leadership Rocks over the weekend. 11 of our 50 students became Christ Followers!
• We celebrated baptism yesterday at Waters Edge. I had the privilege of baptizing 18 people yesterday. For some reason I kept getting a brain fart right before I asked each person the following two questions 1. Have you asked Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior 2. Do you commit to follow Him all the days of your life. I jacked it up in multiple services. One hour for the second questions I said something like, "Is it your honor to honor God all the days of your life."
• Most the time I'm not at a loss for words, but when it happens it puts a sickness in my stomach. I'm sure I'm going to get joked on for the honor to honor line.
• My wife has been sick since Thursday. I think she has the Bubonic Plague. Apparently it's really hard to get rid of bubons because she can't kick it.
• It's March...that means it's March Madness time for college basketball. Can the Lakers win the NCAA championship?
• Going to see Remember Me tomorrow night with the wife. My last experience with a Robert Pattinson film didn't go so well. The dude sparkled in the sunlight! I've heard good things about this movie though. Look for the review later this week.
• How does someone get added to the suggestions on a google search? You know when you start to type in something in Google it tries to complete what you are looking for? Well when I type in robshep.com it offers me robshelp.com. I don't know who that is but it makes me wonder how my blog can become a suggestion.
• Easter is less than 3 weeks away. I'm very excited about Easter with Waters Edge. Our services are going to be at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. We may or may not have come up with the sickest opening to any service ever.
• It's Girl Scout cookie time. The season to buy is over but my wife came home with a few boxes that she bought from some of her fourth grade students. Vote on your favorite GS cookie on the new survey on this blog.
• How are you feeling about this season of American Idol? I think a lot of people have talent but lack experience. But that is what this competition is all about. I'm enjoying the competition.

Whew...I feel better now.

Levels of Friends

Saying the word friend is like saying the word callipygian. What does it really mean? I have friends that I never call. I have friends that never call me back. I have friends that I haven't seen in years. I have friends that I tell everything to. I have other friends that I never tell anything personal. I think there are various levels of friends.

1. Acquaintance Friends = Friends that you like but don't make the time to hang out with.
2. High Maintenance Friends = Friends that you are close to but you can only take them in doses.
3. Cyber Friends = Friends that either you stalk or they stalk you via Facebook, Blog, or Twitter. This is a person who is a friend according to the world wide web, but you don't have a relationship with outside of Cyberspace.
4. Frenemy also spelled Frienemy = Friends that talk poo behind your back. You still get along with them but they will throw you under the bus when it drives by.
5. Best Friends = Friends that you are closest too. This is probably a friend who is interested in things you are interested in because you are interested in them. These are my friends who ask about the Lakers when they don't give a rip about basketball. These are my friends who call just to say what's up. These are the friends that you can hang out with and not do anything. These are the friends who love you but aren't afraid to speak truth into your life.
6. Need You Friends = Friends that only call when they need you. We all have them and we are all that friend to someone.
7. Friends of friends = Friends that you are friends with because they are friends with one or more of your friends. You probably wouldn't hang out with them without your mutual friend but you like to hang with them when you do.
8. Out Of Site Friends = Friends that when you or they are out of site you don't think about them. These are probably friends that live far away. Whenever you get together with them you pick right back up, but when you are gone they don't call.
9. Work Friends = Friends that you have because you work with them. You hang out at office parties and have work in common. Most likely though this friend isn't someone you spend the weekend hanging out with.
10. Spouse Friends = If you are single this is something you get to look forward to. When you are married you get your spouses friends. You better get along with them because your spouse cares a lot about them.

I'm thankful for friends...no matter what level they are on I like having them.

Tyler Stanton has a book

About a year ago I saw the following video by Tripp and Tyler.



It made me laugh, and that's not always easy to do. I like to laugh, but for some reason it takes a lot of work for someone to make me laugh out loud. After I saw the video I discovered their blogs. Very funny stuff.

This week Tyler released his first book. I haven't read it yet, but I plan on getting a copy soon. I'm predicting it's going to be funny. Here's a preview of the book. If you like it buy a copy here.

Everyday Absurdities Book Promo from Tyler Stanton on Vimeo.

Kick Them Out of the Church

I recently had a conversation with a guy who wanted me to kick someone out of the church. He was justified in his request. He had been wronged. The sin committed was ugly.

I shared with him that even though he was justified (the Bible even talks about doing this) if we kicked her out we would have to kick him out as well. When it comes to kicking people out if you do it for one sin then you've got to do it for all. I'm just not ready to start kicking people out of the church. In fact if there is a any place "sinners" need to be it's at church.

I think it was an eye opening conversation.

Grace is getting what you don't deserve. I don't deserve God's forgiveness. I can't earn God's forgiveness. God demonstrated grace when He sent His son to die on a bloody cross for imperfect people. I deserve to be kicked out of the church, but God has shown me grace. When I remember grace it causes me to...

• Forgive even when people don't deserve it
• Show patience when people fall short
• Be humble because even on my greatest day I still don't deserve God's grace
• Reach out to those that are difficult to love
• Resist the temptation to judge others
• Not want to kick people out of church

Nice Day For A White Wedding

Over the weekend I had the honor of attending one of my former students wedding. She was in the seventh grade when I started as her youth pastor. She was a part of the first youth group that I was the lead youth pastor. I'd been an intern and an interim before, but this was the first where I made all the decisions. I was in college and it was a great time of my life. I loved going to the wedding and catching up with some of my former students. Here are some pics...enjoy.

Pictured Above: Two of my former students have a son that is old enough to be

the ring bearer. Wow.

Pictured Above: Amanda, the bride, and her father, the Tommy

Pictured Above: The cake. I love wedding cake.

Pictured Above: Me and Amanda

Pictured Above: Two of my boyz from the former youth group.

Pictured Above: Rob with Billy and Stone Cold Austin Leeroy or simply Austin-Lee. I give a lot of students nick names and when I was their youth pastor Stone Cold Steve Austin was a popular wrestler. For some reason I tagged his name onto her name and then added the roy. It makes no sense but that's what I did. Both Billy and Austin-Lee have blogs that you should check out.

The Second Annual Robscars

The Oscars were last night. I'm glad that Sandra Bullock won. Being a big movie fan myself I thought I would celebrate my favorite movies of 2009. I now present to you the Second Annual Robscars. And the winners are...

BEST MOVIE I SAW IN 2009
The Blind Side

SECOND BEST MOVIE I SAW IN 2009
Star Trek

TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM
Twilight a New Moon - I never saw the first so that didn't help, but in my opinion I definitely took one for the team. My wife wanted to see this so I gladly suffered through.

WORST MOVIE I SAW
Transformers 2 - I know a lot of people really liked it, but this movie was hard for me to sit through.

WORST MOVIE I DIDN'T SEE
Jennifer's Body - if you did see this movie I would keep it a secret.

MOVIE THAT DESTROYED EVERYTHING I KNOW AND LOVE ABOUT G.I. JOE
G.I. Joe the Rise of Cobra

BEST ANIMATED MOVIE
Up - I loved this movie

MOVIE I DIDN'T SEE BUT I STILL QUESTIONED THE NEED FOR A SEQUEL
The Final Destination

BEST COMEDY
The Proposal

BEST VISUAL MOVIE OF ALL TIME WITH THE SAME PLOT AS DANCES WITH WOLVES, FERNGULLY, AND OR POCAHONTAS
Avatar

OSCAR WINNER THAT I SAW BECAUSE IT WAS NOMINATED, BUT I JUST DIDN'T GET WHAT ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUT
The Hurt Locker

Things I Just Don't Understand

• The lyrics to Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson. I don't have a fat clue what he says in parts of that song.
• Why people leave comments joking on a spelling mistake I've made on Twitter or Facebook. I'm not a good speller. It's a weakness. Show me a little grace.
• Why there is so much space around the door of a public bathroom stall. I don't want to see people through the crack in the side of the door and I certainly don't want them to see me. Was it really that much more expensive to make a door that almost went to the ground and that didn't have a space on the sides?
• Why people talk while going to the bathroom. What happens in there is private. I try to keep all of my talking to before and after I take care of business.
• Why we are forced to take Algebra in school. It's so not practical. I'd rather every student take a course that taught how to budget money or balance a check book.
• Math in general. The Bible says that God is not a God of confusion. Math is confusing and therefore it's from Satan.
• Why people like The Bachelor. I get Reality TV. I get the drama. I just don't get how watching one dude kiss a bazillion different ladies doesn't hack girls off.
• Why the words live and live are spelled the same. One word shouldn't mean two totally different things. It should be live as in "Live with Regis and Kelly" and liv as in "Liv like you were dying."
• Why no one has invented microwavable popcorn that pops all the kernels in the bag without burning the popcorn.
• Why Americans don't call their language American. Have you ever tried to watch a show from England. It sounds nothing like American English. No offense but when we rebelled we should have renamed what we speak.
• Why God blesses me even though I don't deserve it.
• What they were thinking when they made the fourth Indiana Jones, Rocky V, and Spiderman 3.
• People who have email but never check it.
• Why we don't put deodorant on our feet or belly buttons. They can stink just as much as the pits.
• Why Facebook and iTunes change their layouts so much. I like em both, but I just wish I understood why they change every few months.
• How the news doesn't get sued for showing big butts when they talk about obesity.
• Why we can't tickle ourselves.
• Why anyone wouldn't like Papa Johns Pizza. "Better pizza, better ingredients" and yet I know multiple people who don't like it. I love it by the way.
• Why people say everything tastes like chicken. I've never eaten anything that tastes like chicken...except chicken.
• Speaking of eating things...why people say certain things have no flavor. I've heard lettuce, and water have no flavor. Really? They taste like lettuce and watter...that is their flavor.
• Why every magazine at the grocery store has an article about sex. On the front cover of almost every magazine is a line that says something like, "765 ways to improve your sex life." It doesn't matter the magazine either...Glamour, Home and Garden, Cat Fancy. Sure sex sells, but don't other things sell just as well?
• Why hair decides to grow where it grows. It should be simple...on the head = great. On the back = gag nasty.
• Why people don't like to watch old movies. Have you ever had a group of people over to your house to watch a movie? It's been my experience that the crowd will refuse to watch a movie unless it is rented or newly bought. Even if they haven't seen the movie they don't want to watch it if it's old. I've had people reject me on "Back to the Future," "The Fugitive," and "The Matrix."
• Why guys wear speedos.
• Why God blessed me with the mind to rhyme and two hyped feet.
• Why people didn't get that the last one was a quote from "U Can't Touch This."
• Why I fall asleep while watching movies. I love movies. I don't want to sleep during them but I often do.
• Why I think the word duty is so funny. Pretty sure I'll laugh if someone says they have..."bus duty, ship duty, multiple duties, or civic duty." It just sounds too much like doodie.
• Why people lie and say they've been cow tipping. I lived with a family that owned many a cows and they told me it's impossible.
• Why people follow me on Twitter even though I don't know them. I don't mind and I'm not saying that they shouldn't...I just don't understand. It's more that I'm just curious.
• Why there are so many things that I just don't understand.

What are some things that you just don't understand? Leave a comment.

Where is Chuck Norris

I don't know how people find out about stuff like the following...but I'm glad they do. Someone recently told me about what happens when you Google "Where's Chuck Norris." Now you have two options when you do a search on Google. 1. Google Search or 2. I'm Feeling Lucky. After you type in "Where's Chuck Norris" click on I'm Feeling Lucky and then see what happens. It's pretty funny. Or you can just click here. Enjoy.

In Response to Tues. Post

Apparently others have felt my pain when it comes to pets. Check out the commercial by Wade Blasingame, an attorney at law who takes dogs to court...



If that video doesn't convince you maybe this one will. This is a very funny video by Tripp and Tyler called "Things You CAN'T Do When You're NOT A Dog." Very funny.

50 Reasons Why I Don't Own A Pet

Now before you send me a hate comment, please understand that this list is supposed to be funny. I don't hate pets. I'm not a cold hearted hater. I just don't own a pet, and there are times when people give me a hard time for it. This is my humorous response.

1. I don't like to be sniffed in the crotch. I don't know why animals do this, but it is awkward and scary. I know that you trust your animal, but I don't. For all I know they could be hungry and that might be the reason they are sniffing up on me. Nuff said.
2. Animals cost a lot of money.
3. They eat or claw your stuff.
4. They don't know how to use the toilet. I don't want to have to bag poo, sift poo, or step in poo. All products of pets.
5. They smell. And people who don't think their houses smell like their pets are blinded by love.
6. When you go on vacation you have to find someone to take care of them.
7. They need attention. I'd rather spend my attention on my wife, friends, or staring at a wall.
8. They get sick and it's mad expensive to fix em.
9. They don't respect your personal space. They climb on you, jump on you, and try to sleep in your bed.
10. They hump in public. People have such double standards when it comes to pets. They want to treat them like humans but overlook the fact that animals will try to have sex whenever they want. They don't wait for an invitation or a private setting. If it's a dog they don't even care if it's your leg.
11. They shed. Fish don't really count as pets. Almost all others leave their hair all over the place.
12. If you want to count fish...they die after a few weeks/months. I'm still not over my fish, Hulk Hogan, dying when I was in the third grade.
13. I question their love. Anything that runs away the minute the door is open doesn't really love you.
14. They make noise. It's not like you can have a conversation with the noise they make.
15. They lick to show love. That's gross.
16. You can train an animal to play dead, go to the bathroom in a box, or balance a ball on their nose, but animals don't have enough sense to look both ways before crossing the street.
17. They could attack at any moment.
18. I like Garfield and Snoopy, but I've never met a cat or dog that acted anything like them. If I did I would have a pet.
19. Did you read about the pet whale killing its trainer when he accidentally fell in. Nuff said.
20. You feed em food made specifically for them and they still chew on your furniture, iPods, and children.
21. Poop in a bag.
22. At one point in history to call someone a dog was considered an insult. It's what Goliath called David. Now the dog is man's best friend. Societies typically go down morally and ethically. This may be a sign of that. What's next? Squirrels in the house?
23. Cat ladies.
24. When animals start to help pay the bills I'll consider owning one. Until then they just suck up money.
25. Jesus didn't have a pet.
26. Mad Cow Disease, Bird Flu, Swine Flu = animal attempts to rule humans.
27. Have you seen the documentary "Planet of the Apes"?
28. I don't eat humans. I do however eat animals. I would feel hypocritical owning a pet knowing I eat other animals.
29. I owned a rabbit once. Most rabbits run from humans. This rabbit clawed us, ate our electrical cords, and shot poop out it's cage into the next room.
30. I also owned a turtle once. His name was Michelangelo. He died and we didn't notice until we could smell him.
31. Science says we evolved from animals. Not owning a pet is my protest against evolution.
32. The movie "Pet Cemetery."
33. Satan took on the form of a snake. What makes you think he's not your cat?
34. Pets are addictive. Most my friends that have a pet end up having multiple.
35. I get my fill of pets by visiting the zoo.
36. "Cujo" is a true story.
37. Pet clothes. I know it's not their fault that owners dress them, but seriously...pet clothes!
38. People say that pets bring love to their life. People also bought Pet Rocks.
39. Did I mention Poo in a bag?
40. I'm really busy.
41. I like alone time. On my days off I don't mind some alone time. Animals don't give you alone time.
42. "2 hours of sleep and woke up to a house full of vomit courtesy of Daisy." - Direct quote from Facebook.
43. Have you ever stepped in dog poo?
44. We have a lot of guests over to the house.
45. I like the mailman and most pets don't. Actually I don't know our mailman, but if I did I would feel bad for causing him fear every time he came to my house.
46. Pet stores sell dogs and cats. They also sell birds, snakes, and rats. Smells like a conspiracy to get animals out of the wild.
47. PETA
48. I live in a town home. There is not a lot of space to run around for a pet.
49. Most my friends own pets so I get my full by hanging out with their pets.
50. Pets die. I recently had two friends have pets die. It was incredibly sad for them because they became a part of their family. I'm not good with goodbyes.

One Armed Basketball Player

I saw this story the other day and was incredibly impressed. Zack Hodskins is a 13 year old basketball player. What sets him apart is that he only has one hand. Watch the video and be prepared to be impressed.

Do You Hear?

The programming staff at Waters Edge has been working on Easter. We are only 5 weeks away! To give you a little taste of the kind of things we come up with here is a video from this past Christmas Eve.



We try to use humor to connect with people. Laughter helps everyone put their guard down. Now just in case you don't think we are funny there is always great music, a dynamic talk, and some type of moving element. Last Easter God used it all and over 300 people ask God to become a part of their life. I can't wait for Easter 2010!

And the winner is...

And the winner of 5 Good Questions is...

Daniel Carmen. It was hard to pick a winner. All six answers made me chuckle.

5 Good Questions

And now it's time for...

5 Good Questions

1. If you could professionally wrestle against anyone who would it be?
2. How much money would it take for you to lick another persons rash?
3. Would you rather pee your pants every time you laugh or have your laugh sound like a middle school girl screaming?
4. Is Superman ticklish? Why or why not?
5. Why do people say bye bye? I mean isn't one bye good enough.

Here's how you play. Answer the previous 5 Good Questions in the comment section. By Thursday at 10:00 PM Rob will decide which person answered the best and declare a winner.

God said not yet...

A couple of weeks ago I asked robshep.com readers to pray for me and Monica in our attempt to have a baby. We found out last Thursday that our sixth attempt with Clomid didn't work. So what's next for us? We are going to keep trying. Eventually we will try other fertility treatments, but for now we are going to try Clomid again.

I'm not mad at God for saying no or not now. Now before you think I'm some super human I'll tell you that we were both really sad. We were both disappointed that God didn't work things out differently. I think it's ok to be disappointed with God. I trust Him, but I wish He would tell us why.

It's hard to get mad at God when He's blessed me with so much. I have an amazing wife! We both have people who care about us and pray for us. The fact that people pray with us about this, cry with us, and will one day get just as excited as we do makes me feel incredibly blessed. If you are praying...thank you and please keep it up. I'll keep you posted as to what God says this month.

People talk poo about you

At some point this week someone is going to talk behind your back. I've found that no matter how nice, friendly, or polite I am someone is going to find fault with something I've said.  Maybe it's a complex I have but I wish everyone liked me.  The truth is even when I have the best of intentions someone is going to get their sensitive feelings hurt.  When this happens I've found that you have a few options...

1. Chalk it up to the person being immature, spineless, and way too sensitive. This makes you feel better but it rarely leads to fixing the problem. 
2. You can talk poo behind their back.  This also makes you feel better but then it shows that you are immature, spineless and way too sensitive. 
3. Pretend it doesn't bother you. Who are you kidding it bothers you.
4. Confront them and tell them that they are immature, spineless, sensitive, and a pathetic excuse for a human being.  Again this would make you feel better but it wouldn't be nice.
5. Confront them with grace because you know you've talked behind other people's backs.

I hate confrontation so most of the time I ignore it when I find out someone has talked behind my back.  Lately though I've tried to confront people with grace. My go to line is "you know me well enough to know I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Next time please talk to me about it and not behind my back."

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you- for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. - Ecclesiastes 7:21-23

Mind Dump

My brain feels constipated with thoughts. The following is a brain dump of all the random stuff going on in my head.

• Today I'm flying to ATL and back with my Lead Pastor Stu Hodges. We are going to talk strategy with a consultant. Exciting things are coming to Waters Edge this year.
• It was a great day at church yesterday. Over 100 people became Christ Followers. Can you dig it! 
•  I'm thinking about doing a post on how I'm an idiot Christian. It's been said to me by three different people that you can't disprove science and that Christians are embarrassing because they don't always agree with science. The problem I have with that is that science doesn't prove everything. A lot of science is based off theory. I was once told that we evolved from Chicken Dinosaurs by a college professor. If that's not faith I don't know what is. Call me an idiot but there are certain things that I believe because the Bible teaches it. What are your thoughts on this? 
• I'm in the process of sorting through resumes for a Community Group Manager at Waters Edge Church. If you are interested click here. 
• While working out last week I noticed an older gentlemen wearing a button down shirt, a sweater-vest, and khakis while at the gym. If there is anyone over the age of 60, who reads robshep.com, please let me know if something happens when you get older that causes you to no longer work out in proper gym attire. 
• Is it un-American to not really care about the Olympics? I like that we are leading the medal count, and I watched highlights of Shaun White's gold medal run, but for the most part I could do without them. 
• I went to my first tattoo parlor over the weekend. Is that what they are called? A member of my adult Community Group was getting a new tattoo and he asked that I come. So I did. 
• Dear self, if you ever get accidently stabbed take it like Jack Bauer and barely notice. And yes I caught up on 24 this weekend. Watching that episode I kept wanting him to say, "I don't have time to bleed" (Jesse "The Body" Ventura in Predator). 
• Last week I had the honor of tagging along with my pastor to a luncheon hosted by Ben Arment. A very diverse group of leaders were there. 
• Very excited about April 10th & 11th. 10th = TobyMac in concert and the 11th = NeedToBreathe in concert. I've got meet and greet passes to both so that makes me even more excited!

Whew...I feel better now.

Plain Wrong

On Monday night for my adult Community Group we had Toaster Pastries for snack. I haven't had one of those in years, and I was pretty excited about it. When I opened the box I noticed right away that something wasn't right. Apparently they forgot to fill one of the icing packets. That's just plain wrong.

Yesterday I pulled out a fresh Q-Tip and it was missing the fuzzy part that goes in your ear. If I hadn't of noticed I would have pierced my brain and probably died. Ok that's a little dramatic, but you get the point. It's just plain wrong.

As a Christ Follower love should be what I'm known for. Have you ever met a Christ Follower who was filled with bitterness, anger, jealousy, and negativity? It's kind of like an icing packet without icing or a Q-Tip without the fuzzy part. It's just plain wrong.

Love this video

I recently was introduced to PS22 at my friend Jessie Mintor's blog. She has a fun blog that you should check out here.

Ps22 is a elementary school choir from New York comprised of fifth graders. It's directed by Gregg Breinberg. They are not a school for the arts or a magnet school. Even if they were it would wow me...but it's especially a wow since they are not. I think you will enjoy the following videos...



Above: PS22 singing Viva La Vida



Above: PS22 singing Don't Stop Believin'

ABC's

I got the following blog idea from Jake Holland. He has a very entertaining blog. You should check it out here.

The following is a list, from A to Z, of things I enjoy.

• A is for Amazing Race - one of my favorite TV shows.
• B is for Batman -my favorite superhero.
• C is for Chipotle - by far my favorite food. I'd eat it everyday if I could. Plus Oprah said it was healthy.
• D is for Die Hard - one of my favorite movies of all time. Catch it on TV some time to see the greatest action movie of all time.
• E is for Easy - I like things to be easy. If it's filled with drama or overly complicated I check out.
• F is Farmville - not the game on Facebook! There is actually a place in VA called Farmville and it's where I met my wife.
• G is for Gag nasty - this is my phrase of choice when talking about something gross.
• H is for Hair - I'd like to keep mine and may or may not purchase more for my head at Hair Club for Men.
• I is for Iron Man 2 - hitting theaters on May 7...can you dig it!
• J is for Jerseys - I own 7 Lakers jerseys and I do enjoy wearing them.
• K is for Kohler- I recently got a new Kohler toilet. It's a class five which means it's awesome.
• L is for Lakers - I've been a fan since I was in the third grade.
• M is for Monica - my favorite person ever.
• N is for NeedToBreathe - my favorite band. Check em out here.
• O is for Outback - as in Australia. I'm currently learning to speak the Aussie language so I'll be bilingual.
• P is for PTI - Pardon The Interuption on ESPN is a very entertaining show.
• Q is for Qi - Have you ever played Words With Friends the iPod App? I often get the letter Q in this game and my go to word is Qi. I don't have a fat clue what it means but I play it anyway.
• R is for robshep.com - I enjoy having a blog. I appreciate you coming by and reading it.
• S is Sobe - whenever I'm tired I try to find a Sobe energy drink.
• T is for Tonight- the new album by TobyMac is excellent.
• U is for under there - did you think under where? If so I just made you say underwear.
• V is for visiting the Office - ok I may be cheating on this one, but every Thursday night I love to visit The Office...one of my favorite TV shows.
• W is for Waters Edge - I love my church.
• X is for X-Men 2 - one of my favorite superhero movies.
• Y is for Young Life - my wife became a Christ follower through YL. Plus they have the funniest skits around.
• Z is for Zachary Levi - the star of Chuck. I'm so glad Chuck came back for it's third season. Love it.

I call this adventure the time my house smelled like death

My wife, Monica, and I came home the other night to a smell that was literally gag nasty. Just to give you some perspective it smelled like death had rolled around in feces. Immediately, Monica and I started running around the house trying to find the smell. We tracked it down to a school experiment that Monica had done with her fourth grade class. The experiment involved broccoli and it was left out of the fridge. It stank.

We lit not one, but three, Yankee Candles. We then vacuumed the carpet because the smell had permeated the entire house. Then we bagged the broccoli, and put it outside. Hours passed and then some friends came over. As soon as they walked in the door the smell hit them in the face like a ninja kick. It took a full night of candle burning to finally get the smell out. Who knew that broccoli could smell so heinous? It makes me wonder if it can smell that bad can it really good for you?

My turn for Valentine's Day

In our second year of marriage my wife and I started a tradition where we take turns planning Valentine's Day. When it's not my turn I don't have to think about a date, or a gift. When it is my turn the pressure is on. This year it was my turn to plan our day together. We celebrated on Saturday because I had church all day on Valentine's Day.

It started with breakfast in bed. Now before you give me too much credit it was her favorite donut from Dunkin' Donuts. I then gave Monica her gifts. It started with a coupon book that I made. I saw this on a friend's blog...

My coupon booked included money for a chick flick, a massage, pedicure, and a Chick Fil-A ice dream. If you are interested in learning how to make your own click here. I then surprised Monica with a wireless printer. She's been wanting one for a long time. It wasn't in my Valentine's Day budget, but I had gotten paid for an upcoming wedding so I used that money to surprise her.

For lunch my plan was to take her to Bone Fish Grille. I looked on their website and saw that they were open at 11:30 on V-Day. I called to get a reservation and the lady on the phone told me that they weren't open until 4:00 PM. I kindly reminded her that their website said they were open at 11:30 on Valentine's Day. She then kindly reminded me that it was Saturday and Valentine's Day wasn't until the next day. We ended up at the Olive Garden.

We finished the day by buying a new toilet at Home Depot (this wasn't really a part of the date but we did go after lunch). We've needed a new one for some time and had finally saved up the money to buy one. It's a class five toilet. I'm pretty excited about it.

Monica said it was a great day so I'm happy.

Movie Review: Valentine's Day

Since Valentine's Day is on a Sunday, and I will be at church all day, my wife and I celebrated a day early. What better way to celebrate than going to see the star studded new movie "Valentine's Day." "Valentine's Day" has a gigantor list of A list stars in it. Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, McDreamy and McSteamy from Greys Anatomy, Jamie Foxx, Taylor from Twilight and Taylor Swift to name a few.

For the amount of stars in the movie one would expect it would be amazing. It's not a bad flick, but it's not great. The story is good, the characters are engaging, and it's fun to see that many stars in one movie. The problem for me was it wasn't that funny of a movie. I smiled a couple of times, but it never made me laugh. The other problem I had with the film is (and this may be the pastor coming out of me) sex is for the most part is as casual as a handshake. There were a few glimpses of waiting, but it wasn't for marriage.

"Valentine's Day" is rated PG-13 for very mild language, and way too short sleep wear. 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

What we could all learn from Chick-Fil-A

In most southern parts of the United States, there is a little slice of Heaven known as Chick-Fil-A. Now besides the high quality of their fast food, the thing that sets them apart is their amazing customer service. Chick-Fil-A goes above and beyond. Even though it's fast food they come by your table and ask if you want a refill, give you an after dinner mint, and often take up your trash. It's an amazing experience and they don't even ask for a tip! But even if you've never been to Chick-Fil-A there are a few things we all learn from them.

• Treat people with respect not because they can do something for you, but because you can. Did I mention they don't work for tips?
• Don't settle for mediocrity. Chick-Fil-A is fast food but they go above and beyond. How many times do you settle just because you can?
• Chick-Fil-A's are closed on Sundays so that employees can spend time with their family and if they choose to go to church. If we took time to rest and shut down once a week I believe we would be less stressed, have healthier relationships, and come to work on Monday's re-energized.
  •They are incredibly creative! If you've ever seen one of their billboards or calendars then you know what I'm talking about. All of us have the potential to be creative, but for some reason we've convinced ourselves that we are not. Sure creativity takes a little bit of work but it brings life to things. We need to add a little creativity to our marriages, families, and work places.

So if you are blessed to live near a Chick-Fil-A go eat their today and let them inspire you. If you don't...well it's worth it to plan your next vacation near one.

Better Blogging: 48 Simple Strategies by Tony Morgan

I'm currently reading "Killing Cockroaches" by Tony Morgan. Tony's a great author and an uber blogger. In his book he gives 48 Simple Strategies for better blogging. Now some people say it doesn't matter what you do with your blog, after all it's yours. I say that if that were the case then you should just keep a journal. You shouldn't blog for other people but at the same time when you blog you should keep your readers (or potential readers) in mind. Here's Tony's list...

• Be You
• Speak into people's lives
• Keep it brief
• Post regularly
• share the link love
• Don't try to sell
• Don't self-promote
• Use Humor
• Be vulnerable
• Build others up
• Share your wisdom, but don't make me feel dumb
• Celebrate success, but don't make me feel small
• Tell stories
• Don't try to cover up your mistakes
• Track your numbers
• Don't obsess about your numbers
• Comment on others' blogs
• Monitor who is linking to your site
• Talk like a normal person
• Check your spelling
• Tell me about your family
• Find your voice
• Find your audience
• Focus on that audience
• Tell us what you love
• Offer your opinions
• Don't spread gossip
• Tell the truth
• Spread the truth
• Use lists
• Allow comments
• Provide an email contact
• Check your links to other sites
• Develop relationships
• Use pictures
• Keep it original
• Tease us
• Remember, everything you write will be read
• Don't publish everything you write
• Pay for good design
• Don't correct posts, except for typos
• Update posts, but only sparingly
• Don't ask me to link to your blog
• Create conversation
• Share what you're learning
• Stick with it
• Have fun
• again, be you

TobyMac: Tonight

The summer of my fifth grade year I went to a music festival with my church youth group. At that festival I was introduced to TobyMac in the band dc Talk. I instantly fell in love with their music. dc Talk still to this day is my favorite band of all time. Love em!

Well TobyMac has gone on to become a very successful solo artist. Between dc Talk and his solo career I've invested 20 years of loving his music. On Tuesday he released his newest disc "Tonight." I picked it up last night and right away I could tell Toby delivered on another great album.

Every song sounded most excellent, but a few of the stand out tracks are Tonight, Get Back Up, Showstopper, and Wonderin'.

How Do You Define Sin?

There are certain things the Bible says that make me uncomfortable to talk about. It's hard for me to talk about divorce being a sin. I believe it, but there have been certain counseling situations where it was really uncomfortable to talk about.

The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin. That's easy to say until you come face to face with someone you love who is in a happy monogamous relationship. On multiple occasions I've sat across from someone I know and care about who asked me my opinion on what the Bible has to say about their lifestyle. The degree of hatred and judgement they have been shown from the church makes it hard for me to talk about what the Bible says.

The problem for me is that the Bible has been used to spread hate towards others. It's been used to make people feel superior to another human being. I think today many people feel the same way and their discomfort causes them to dismiss certain parts of the Bible. Our discomfort shouldn't be a reason to dismiss what the Bible says. You can't pick and choose what you believe. If that were the case you might as well throw the whole thing out.

So how do you define sin? Is it based off what makes you feel comfortable or what the Bible says? In my opinion sin is defined by the Bible, but our knowledge of sin should never cause a person to look down on another human. It should never lead to pride or hatred. Our knowledge should lead us to humility and thankfulness that God forgives our sin.

Pray for a baby

Over the past six years my wife and I have not been able to get pregnant. My wife, Monica, has a very positive outlook. She has said that even if God doesn't allow us to get pregnant she has lived a blessed life. She does an amazing job of celebrating when others get pregnant. She often brings the best gifts to the plethora of baby showers she attends each year.

At the same time she really does want to get pregnant. She recently finished taking Clomid, a first line fertility drug. The next couple of days are pretty critical for us. Our prayer is that God would allow us to get pregnant and that it would be a healthy pregnancy. We'd love the prayer support. If God brings us to your mind please pray that God blesses this treatment of Clomid with a healthy baby.

The Belly Burner

Recently for a funny segment at Waters Edge I bought a Belly Burner. If you're not familiar with this product it's pictured below...


I wore the Belly Burner for almost a week. I figured if I was going to talk about it I needed to experience it. They promised amazing results. Below is a picture of the amazing results I experienced...

You'll notice that it does wonders for your abs, but it doesn't do anything for your double chin. All joking aside this picture was actually a part of the segment. It got a great reaction. I hope you enjoy it as much as my church did.

Men and Women are NOT equal

Men and women are not equal. Now before the feminazis crucify me let me explain. Equality means that something is the same in measure or worth. 4 is the equal to 4. Woman typically are not equal with men when it comes to muscle mass or strength. Woman and men are not equal in their emotional make up. It doesn't mean one is better than the other, but the emotional make up is different. Men are not equal to woman when comes to the ability to birth a child...thank God.

Men and woman are not equal and I'm thankful. I'm thankful that my wife and I are gifted differently. I'm glad that we bring different things to the table. I'm glad that in some areas she is way more gifted than I am. Now humans beings are all valuable because they are created in the image of God. But saying men and woman are equal is like saying all pro football players are equal. It's just not true. My wife has more value than I do in certain areas (spelling, motivational drive, and attention to details) and I have more value than she does in certain areas (rapping, remembering memories and stories, and according to her I make better home made cookies). True harmony comes when we celebrate our differences and learn to work well with each other. I need her differences in my life and I'd hate it if we equals.

Snow Days

To have a decent snow in the 757 is a rare experience. In fact whenever the weather people call for snow most people who live in Hampton Roads don't take it too serious. That all changed this past weekend. The weather people said a big snow storm was coming and for VA standards they were right. Church was cancelled on Sunday, so I had two snow days in the house. Enjoy some pics of our snow days...

Pictured Above: My lovely wife Monica and our good friend Danielle.

Pictured Above: Danielle wore these shoes on a walk with Monica.

Pictured Above: The girls made homemade sugar cookies. They were fantastic!

Pictured Above: One of the Students from WEC, Dillon Tulip, was quite the entrepreneur. He went door to door shoveling driveways for cash money.

Pictured Above: A first in the Shepherd home...animals. To entice our friends, Dan and Danielle, to come over Monica said they could bring their dogs. It was weird having animals in my house, but it was worth it to hang out with our friends.

Pictured Above: Our town home in the snow.

Pictured Above: This was what we saw out our front door.

Now you may notice that I'm not featured in these pictures. That's because I spent most of my time watching movies, and playing video games with my buddy Dan. I enjoy a good snow day, but I enjoy it because everything shuts down and you get to simply hang out with people. I'm not a big fan of playing in the snow. Plus I don't have any snow clothes. I didn't even own a jacket until Monica made me get one last year. Ok she didn't make me get one she bought one for me for Christmas...and I'm very thankful.

To Philly and back in less than 24 hours Part 2

The Lakers vs. Sixers game started at 7:00 PM. We got to the stadium over an hour early. I like to walk around the stadium, look at the memorabilia stores, and get all the free s.w.a.g. (stuff we all get). The game was great! The Lakers won, but Allen Iverson drank in the fountain of youth and put on an excellent show. Here are some pics of the game...

Pictured Above: We had great seats! The game ended up being sold out. Over 20,000 people.

Pictured Above: Allen Iverson (from the 757) drives to the basket. It was fun seeing Iverson play. Pictured Above: Ron Artest shoots free throws. He's crazy but so far I'm glad he's a Laker.

Pictured Above: We were 20 rows behind the Lakers bench.
Pictured Above: The Lakers won by 8!

Now we were supposed to stay in Philly on Friday night, but because of the impending snow storm we made the call to drive back to VA. We left at 11:00 PM and arrived home at 4:10 AM. We hated leaving early, but in the end it was the right call. We were able to enjoy two snow days at home.

Pictured Above: Our GPS predicts our arrival home is 3:55 AM.

To Philly and Back in less than 24 hours Part 1

Last October Monica surprised me with tickets to the Lakers vs. 76's game in Philly. The game wasn't until this past Friday...the wait was killer for me.

Monica took off from work and we left for Philly at 9:15 AM. We got to Philly around 2:15 PM. Here are some pics of what we did before the game...

Pictured Above: The Rocky Statue.

4 years ago when I went to Philly the statue was in Hollywood.

I'm a HUGE Rocky fan so we went there first.

Pictured Above: In Philly you have to run the museum steps that Rocky made famous.

Pictured Above: Eating a Philly Cheese Steak in Philly!