God doesn't love you Part One

God doesn't love me because I'm a pastor. He doesn't love a person more if they go to church or read their Bible. God doesn't love us any more if we do things for Him. God doesn't love you because of anything you do.

God loves us like a good parent loves their kids. Whether we succeed or fail God's love doesn't change. I think some people think that if they just do something for God He will love them more. Sure following God has it's rewards. Obeying God protects us from the consequences of poor choices, but it doesn't make God love us more.

So why go to church or read your Bible? Why should we do anything for God if it doesn't change the degree to which He loves us? I believe that serving, loving, and getting to know God has little to do with God and a lot to do with us. You see loving God doesn't change God's perspective of us it changes our perspective of Him.

To Be Continued...

God doesn't love you Part Two

God doesn't love you anymore if you do something for Him, and He doesn't love you any less if you don't. I've been extremely blessed because of my relationship with God. He's given me a an amazing wife, a great church, a loving family, and great friends. More than that He's blessed me by allowing me to know His son. I'm blessed. But I've also gone through hard times in life. I've been depressed, hurt, and broken hearted. It's during those hard times that I often question God's love for me. Like a spoiled child I wonder why should I serve Him if He's not going to protect me from pain and sorrow.

Hard times in life remind us that pain comes to all people. Loving God doesn't mean you will escape heartache. In this world you will have trouble! In times of pain and sorrow God uses things like the church, and the Bible to help remind us that He is in control. It reminds us that He does love us, and He does have a plan...even if we can't see it. I read the Bible, and go to church not because it makes God love me more. I do those things because it helps me to love God more. Loving God doesn't make God love us more. Loving God doesn't change God's perspective of us...it changes our perspective of Him.

Fun-mobile

On Wednesday afternoon I was told that a member of our church offered to take the staff out to lunch. I then learned that he was coming to pick us up in a Party Bus.

On Thursday our staff walked outside to see this...

Are you kidding me? This thing is awesome and he put our logo on it. It was a fun surprise.

Cool or Uncool

Cool or Uncool, the relatively new game at robshep.com. Here's how you play.

Step 1: Read the question below.

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

Step 3: Post your decision by leaving a comment.

Cool or uncool: Crocs?

Rob's Rant

I like listening to the radio in my car. The problem is I don't get to listen that long because I live close to wherever I go. For example in the morning I listen for about 1o minutes on my way to the gym and 10 minutes on my way back. I also get a few minutes to listen to it on my way to and from work. It's just not a lot of time.

I hate it when radio DJ's do a lead in to a story. It goes something like this...we have HUGE news about a upcoming concert, we also have a hilarious story about a farmer who is growing a new crop that tastes like chocolate, and we can't wait to tell you about a BIG story in Hollywood. They then say something like...all that and more coming up in the next hour. So for my ten minutes I get to hear them talk about what is going to come on the radio. I wish they would just talk about the story and forget the lead in. I know why they do it. They want to hook listeners, but I'm not going to keep listening once I get to wherever I'm going. Rant over.

I fought the dentist and the dentist won

I went to the dentist today. I'm 30 years old and I still haven't had a cavity. Not only that the dentist told me I had great teeth. The only problem is that when she went to clean them she cleaned them like she was upset at my mouth. She beat my gums up so bad my whole mouth was swollen. She pushed the sand blaster plaque remover (not official name) against my teeth so hard I thought they were going to uproot. I kept wincing in pain hoping she would notice but she just kept smiling. The dentist even poked my tongue with the sharp scraper (not official name). The dentist said a quick "I'm sorry" after that one. My mouth feels like it's been beat up. She even pulled out gauze to soak up the blood from my gums. I think the dentist hates that I have such good teeth.

Side Note: When it was over she asked if I would like a warm towel. I thought that was weird but I don't like to pass up new opportunities. I said yes and she brought me a hot mini towel to wipe my hands and blood soaked face. It was refreshing.

TobyMac in Concert

When I was in sixth grade I saw a band called DC Talk in concert. Immediately they became my favorite band. They continued to be my favorite band until they disbanded. I still like their music. In fact if they were to get back together I would need to change my shorts because I would lose all body control and pee myself. Not really, but you get the point...I really liked this group. One of the members of DC Talk has gone on to have a successful solo career. His name is TobyMac and he puts on a great concert. On Sunday night Monica and I got to see him in concert. Here are some pics.

The Robscars

The Oscars were last night. I'm glad that Slumdog Millionaire and Heath Ledger won. Being a big movie fan myself I thought I would celebrate my favorite movies of 2008. I now present to you the first ever Robscars. And the winners are...

BEST MOVIE I SAW IN 2008
The Dark Knight

SECOND BEST MOVIE I SAW IN 2008
Slumdog Millionaire

TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Two - I saw this with my wife...hence the award I took one for the team.

WORST MOVIE I SAW
The Punisher: War Zone

WORST MOVIE I DIDN'T SEE
The Love Guru

MOVIE THAT DESTROYED EVERYTHING I KNOW AND LOVE ABOUT INDIANA JONES
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

BEST ANIMATED MOVIE
Kung Fu Panda

MOVIE I DIDN'T SEE BUT I STILL QUESTIONED THE NEED FOR A SEQUEL
Step Up 2

BEST COMEDY
Baby Mama

FAVORITE SUPER HERO MOVIE THAT DIDN'T HAVE BATMAN IN IT
Iron Man

And there you have it the first ever Robscars. Do you have any favorite movies that didn't make the list?

American Idol

This week my friend Jamey received an email from Felicia Barton's husband. Felicia made the top 36 on American Idol. Jamey graduated with her husband Loren. I love stuff like this so I thought I would post it.

My friends.
It is now public knowledge that Felicia Barton (my beautiful bride!) will be performing in the third group of 12 semi-finalists on American Idol 8!! Not much to say, at the moment, other than “PLEASE TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO WATCH HER PERFORMANCE (THE 1ST WEEK OF MARCH) AND VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!!!”

We are so grateful for all of your love, prayers and support. The flood of encouraging messages has been spectacular! Felicia feels so loved and supported, by you, during this unprecedented moment of opportunity in her life! If you are anything like me, you are still reeling over the fact that Felicia was brought back onto the show after being eliminated. It’s nothing short of a miracle...and she’s going to take the chance for all it’s worth!!!

A few helpful thoughts on voting for Felicia:
The voting lines will be open for 2 hours after the show...you can log as many votes as you can call in during that time!
Your cell phone will vote within it’s time zone. (i.e. If you have a CA area code, your voting window will be 3 hours later than other voting in EST)
Consider a few ‘practice votes’ during this coming week’s show, to familiarize yourself with the process...that way you’ll be a PRO when it comes time to vote for Felicia
VOTE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN!!
When you make it to onto American Idol...Felicia and I will vote for you!!!!

The World of Blogging

The thing I like about reading blogs is that it's like peaking into a window of people's lives. A blog may not show you everything about the person but it gives you a glimpse of who they are. I read a lot of blogs. Here are few that I read. Check them out, and don't be afraid to leave a comment on their site. Tell em Rob sent you.

• This guy leaves the best comments on my blog. People often ask me who he is because his comments make them laugh.
• This guy posted a really funny video about Facebook.
• My brother in law started a blog and I read it everyday.
• This guy has my favorite blog from Australia.
• I'm excited to go to her wedding in Texas!
• This guy told me yesterday that his goal was to have more readers than I do. He's wants this to happen in the next 30 days. Help him achieve his goal by visiting his site.

Is there a blog out there that you love to read? Let me know because I would love to check it out.

Would You Rather...

One of my favorite games for road trips, survey questions on the blog, or just hanging out with groups is "Would You Rather?" All you do is come up with two scenarios and ask people which one they would rather do. Now there is always someone who tries to destroy the game by saying they would rather do neither. In which I reply with a quick kick to the groin. I then ask them if they would have rather played the game or been kicked in the groin. Just joking.

Here are some examples: Would You Rather be A Rod or Barry Bonds? Would You Rather be rich and have no friends or be poor and have a lot of friends? Would You Rather be poked in the eye with a sharp stick or have your hand nibbled on by a cannibal? Would You Rather scrub floors or hang wallpaper? Would You Rather steal from an old lady or laugh out loud at a funeral? Would You Rather make a child cry or kick a puppy? Would Your Rather have a cat or a dog?

I've been playing this game for so long I've used most of the good ones multiple times. I'm looking for some new Would You Rather questions...do you have any that you would like to share?

Flossin like Mike Jones

Do you floss your teeth? I hate using dental floss. I floss because it makes my dentist appointment less painful. I have a dentist appointment next week. I start flossing about a week before a dentist appointment. A week allows me to get all the bleeding and swelling out my gums before I see the dentist. I know that is gross. On a side note...up to this point in my life I've never had a cavity.

Rob's Rant

Recently I was watching TV and even though I have a million channels there was nothing on. I ended up watching part of the movie Starsky and Hutch with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. What I saw was mildly amusing, but I felt this rant rise up in me that I wanted to share with the world.

I don't understand why Hollywood takes classic TV shows and makes them into sub par comedies. To my knowledge Starsky and Hutch wasn't a comedy when it originally aired on TV. A more recent example is the upcoming movie Land of the Lost starring Will Ferrell. As a kid I loved Land of the Lost and there was nothing funny about it. Sure looking back it was a cheesy show, but it wasn't a comedy. Hollywood turned the classic Brady Bunch into a movie that spoofed the Brady family. Hollywood turned the wholesome Dukes of Hazard into comedy with pot smoking, and a little action thrown in.

In my opinion Hollywood should update classic TV and make great movies. Case in point The Fugitive staring Harrison Ford. Another example is Mission Impossible. Although I only really like part III, they attempted to make great movies from a classic TV show. Rant over.

Cool or Uncool

Cool or Uncool, the fairly new game at robshep.com. Here's how you play.

Step 1: Read the question below.
Step 2: Decide whether you think it is cool or uncool.
Step 3: Post your decision by leaving a comment.

Cool or uncool: Guys wearing v-neck t-shirts?

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day. A day of romance, chocolate, roses, and fine dining. Or a day created by Hallmark to peer pressure men to do something romantic. Whether you love it or loathe it, today is the day to be romantic...and the pressure's on. According to the news, the average couple spends over $100 on each other to celebrate Valentines Day.

About five years ago Monica and I started a new tradition to bring a little life into the holiday. We take turns planning Valentine's Day. One year I will do all the planning, gift buying, and romantic stuff. The next year it's Monica's turn. It's fun because it's a complete surprise for the other person.

This year is Monica's year. I woke up to find a great letter (not a card...a one page letter) and two gifts (Coldplay's newest album with 8 new tracks and a new DVD). She also gave me a gift last night right before bed...
get your mind out of the gutter. I would never blog about that. She gave me a Superman action figure to add to my collection.
Later today we are going to the gym together and then out for a Valentine's Day lunch.

Switching off planning the day has made this a fun holiday. So that's what I'm doing to celebrate, but the question is what are your plans for Valentine's Day and how do you feel about it?

Side Note: Growing up Valentine's Day was special to me because it is my half birthday. Because my birthday is in the summer my mom would make a cake or giant cookie so I could celebrate my birthday during the school year. I don't know anyone else who does this but as a kid I loved it. It was a big deal to celebrate your birthday in school and because of my mom's creativity I was able to.

Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th Dun Dun Dunnnnnnnn.

I guess because of the movie, "Friday the 13th" Part 1 through 256, today has some superstition around it. There are other superstitions out there. For example black cats, walking under a ladder, and breaking a mirror. I recently learned that most hotels don't have a 13th floor. Many hotels will go from the 12th floor to the 14th floor. Apparently the 13th floor has so much superstition around it people don't want to stay there. It has me wondering what superstitions do you have?

This is American (insert dramatic Ryan Seacrest pause) Idol

My wife, Monica, and I enjoy the show American Idol. In case you are wondering yes we do vote. Normally it takes me a few weeks to find the contestant I want to back, but this year Monica and I saw someone during the audition that we both like. Her name is Felicia Barton.
We like her for a couple of reasons...
1. She can blow. This phrase is a reference to the fact that she can sing her face off.
2. She is from VA Beach. Monica is from VA Beach.
Come to find out her and Monica grew up on the same street.
3. Her last name is Barton. Rob went to high school with a guy named Loren Barton.
Come to find out Felicia is married to Loren. Loren was a few years younger than me so I didn't know him well, but we went to a small school so I knew who he was.
4. Did I mention she can flat blow.

Anyway last night Felicia was cut from the show. We were hoping for her to make it to the final 36 because that is when America gets to vote. Simon said it was a split decision which I assume means he liked her but some of the other judges didn't think she had what it takes...errrrrrr (slam on the breaks)...

Today we find out that one of the contestants in the top 36 was booted off the show and they replaced her with Felicia!!!! I plan on voting for her when she sings next week. You should vote for her too. Just in case you don't believe me that she can flat sing here is a video of her singing in VA Beach. Her husband is playing guitar.

How to be a Ninja

My friend sent me this video today and it is ha-larious. We can't decide if this guy is for real or an act. If he is an act he is a great actor. If he is for real...well watch and you will know what I mean.

One Fear I Have

I don't fear a lot of things. From time to time I get spooked but I wouldn't describe myself as a fearful person. There is however one thing that I do fear. To me it's scarier than Michael Myers, Jason, The Grudge, The Ring, and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The thing that I fear is...destroying my life.

Whether it's sports stars, Hollywood celebrities, or famous pastors no one is immune from making a decision that will destroy life as they know it. I read this the other day and it has me thinking... "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." There is a way that seems right...that means that in the moment it feels like a good idea...but in the end it leads to death. Death of a dream, a reputation, or a relationship.

I have a fear of doing something that I have convinced myself is right and then watching that decision kill my life. It's so easy to allow selfishness to convince us that momentary pleasure is worth the sacrifice of everything we know.

Let's Get It On!

This Sunday Waters Edge kicks off a brand new series entitled "Let's Get It On." It's a bold new series to help relationships (dating, want to be dating, married) go to a whole new level.

We printed invite cards with the title of the series on them. We understand that it could be a little awkward to invite someone to church by saying "Let's get it on". In fact we understand it so much we sent Jamey Menser, logistics manager and ministry specialist at Waters Edge, to film a video with tips on inviting people to church during this series.



Now that you have experience inviting tips with Jamey watch this next video. It's the slap reel from the first scene...and yes the slaps were real.

Hatorade

I'm tired of my friends drinking hatorade and spewing it towards the NBA. It seems like most of my friends gave up on the NBA years ago and they now only watch college basketball. The problem is not that they don't watch the NBA it's that they don't watch and they hate on the NBA. Let me just say it's time to lay off the hatorade. The last couple of years have been most excellent in the NBA. This year so far has been crazy good! Normally it takes the NBA half a season to heat up, but not this year. This year you have the Lakers, Lebron, The Big Three in Boston, the resurgence of Dwayne Wade, the boring Spurs, and the Knicks making great TV (The Knicks because they allowed Kobe to score 61 and Lebron to almost get a triple double).

This past week I watched two great games and a bunch of other highlights. This weekend is the NBA All Star festivities and yes I'm excited about it. I'm telling you if you are not watching the NBA you are missing out. Stop saying it's a bunch of one on one selfish players. Stop consuming your hatorade and show some love to the NBA.

Cool or Uncool

Cool or Uncool, the semi new game at robshep.com. Here's how you play.

Step 1: Read the question below.
Step 2: Decide whether you think it is cool or uncool.
Step 3: Post your decision by leaving a comment.

Cool or Uncool?
Talking on the phone while using the bathroom. This was inspired by my recent bathroom stop at the restaurant Texas Roadhouse. When I walked in someone was in the stall dropping a deuce while talking on the phone.

W.A.T.G.

It takes about 25 minutes to get to my friends, Dan and Danielle's, house. It's a long trek, but well worth it. A few months ago my wife and I invented a game to help us pass the time during the long drive. We call it W.A.T.G. (pronounced wat-gu).

For some reason there are always people walking down this really long street called Jefferson Avenue. It doesn't matter what time of day, or how cold or hot it is. Every time we leave Dan and Danielle's we make our guess at how many people will be walking. The last time we played Monica guessed 7 and I guessed 9. There were exactly 7 people walking at 12:20 something AM. It's a fun game that I think will soon sweep the Hampton Roads area. W.A.T.G. stands for Where Are They Going?

We don't understand why anyone would be walking outside in the cold past midnight. Sometimes they have grocery bags from 7-11. Sometimes they are making new friends on the corner...normally new lady friends. Sometimes they are just enjoying their walk down Jefferson. I don't know why they are walking, but I'm glad they are because this is a fun game.

Movie Review - He's Just Not That Into You

Guest Bloggers: Monica and Courtney

To celebrate Nicole's birthday (my sister-in-law), ten of us (all women) went to see a classic chick flick. Courtney & I each give it one thumb up, but this is not to be confused with a two thumbs up rating. It's was pretty good, we were glad we only paid $5.00, and we might would buy it from the $5 bin. It has a pretty big cast and some of the best parts are in the previews. The movie is very predictable and is full of stereotypes, but it's fun to see how all of the characters were connected. There was some force crudeness/inappropriateness they could have done without as well. Marriage was also given a bad rap, which always makes us sad. We hope single women out there learn some lessons because the craziness portrayed, which really happens, does not make you more attractive. Quit making excuses; he's probably just not that into you. Men, as Beyonce says, if you like it then you better put a ring on it!


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.

Flip the Switch

There is a mysterious red switch in my house that says Emergency On Off Switch. I didn't dare touch this switch for the first few years of living in my house. Our first winter in the house we woke up one morning and noticed that we could see our breath. The heat stopped working and it was cold. The next night my wife and I borrowed a mini heater, slept in sleeping bags, and cuddled just to stay alive. It was on a weekend so we had to wait until Monday for the heating repair guy to come.

The heating repair guy told us that we had an old unit but that there was nothing wrong with it. It's a gas unit and it came with our 13 year old house. He hit it. It started working. That was the end of our heat problems...for that year.

The next winter the same thing happened. Just read the paragraph above again because it was the exact same situation. After the heating repair guy came this year our heat went out again. I called a friend who knows what he is doing and he came by to look at the heat. He said it was an old unit, and we were going to have to replace it at some point. It would cost about 5 grand, but currently there is nothing wrong with it. His suggestion was to flip the mysterious red switch that says Emergency On Off Switch, and wait ten seconds. After ten seconds he said we should flip the switch back. This worked and got us through another winter.

This winter our heat went off once again, but this time I didn't call the repair man. I simply flipped the mysterious red switch that says Emergency On Off Switch. We have to flip this switch a few times a week, but our heat stays on...most of the time.

Life often throws at us obstacles, problems, hurt and pain. Most of the time we don't know how to handle life when it breaks. I get to spend a lot of time with teenagers. I've listened to some horrific stories of sexual abuse, neglecting parents, and broken hearts. I hurt for these students because often they turn to alcohol, drugs, cutting, or sex. I tell them that I don't judge them. I understand why. The problem is that for some reason they don't want to deal with the problem. Whenever you have a broken heart it makes sense that you want to fix it. The problem is that most things people try are temporary. It's like flipping the mysterious red switch in my house that says Emergency On Off Switch. It helps for a little while but until we change the unit we repeat the same cycle over and over again. Eventually the only cure for a broken heart is to forgive whoever broke it. If you don't bitterness, hurt, and pain will continually cause you to be broken. Band aids don't help gun shot wounds. When someone hurts you you've got to take care of the problem. It takes time, but eventually forgiving the one who hurt you is the only real solution. Everything else is just temporary.

ChaCha

Have you heard of ChaCha? Some of the Students in my Student Community Group told me about it. It's pretty cool. If you ever have a question simply call ChaCha and they will text you back an answer in a manner of minutes. It's provided for by AT & T. If you want to know how how many years Kobe Bryant has left on his contract...ask ChaCha. They told me "If Kobe stays with the Lakers he could play out the remaining years on his contract and become a free agent in July 2011." If you want to know how much the Notorious B.I.G. weighed before he died...ask ChaCha. ChaCha says, "Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls weighed over 400 pounds before he died." Or maybe you want to know how many calories and fat grams are in your favorite meal. According to ChaCha there are "758 calories and 35 grams of fat in a Chicken Fajita Burrito from Chipotle." Or maybe you are in a debate and you want to prove what the number one movie at the Box Office was in 1988. ChaCha says, "Die Hard (1988) and the Rambo series (1982, 1985, 1988) all have achieved such success in the action genre." Um...OK, well I guess they don't get the answer right every time. In case you are wondering "Rain Man" was the number one movie at the Box Office in 1988 (Die Hard was 7th and Rambo III was 16th).

All you have to do is call 1.800.224.2242. They say that it is free but standard text messaging rates may apply. Give it a whirl. It's fun.

Cool or Uncool

Cool or Uncool, the new game at robshep.com. Here's how you play.
Step 1: Read the question below.
Step 2: Decide whether you think it is cool or uncool.
Step 3: Post your decision by leaving a comment.

Cool or Uncool?
White guys wearing shorts, and flip flops to the store when it is freezing outside. I say white guys because that is the only race I see doing this.

25 Random Facts

Are you on Facebook? If so you have probably been tagged by the 25 Random Things Monster. It's everywhere. If you're not on Facebook it's basically a survey you send out to 25 people about 25 random things about yourself. I called it a monster, but I actually like it. It's fun reading random facts about my friends. I don't know if I'm going to answer the requests on Facebook simply because you have to tag 25 people (which means you request for them to do the same thing you just did). If I did answer here is what I would put...

1. My first kiss was to my wife Monica.
2. I own 6 Lakers jerseys. And yes I do wear them.
3. I went to 12 or 13 different schools. It was so many I lost track. My dad was military so we moved a lot. I do remember that I went to 3 different kindergartens.
4. I still buy action figures from time to time. They are not dolls they are action figures.
5. I like Batman more than Superman. This may shock some people but it is true.
6. When I was in the 7th grade I felt God was calling me to be a rapper. Vanilla Ice was popular and my favorite group was dc Talk. Gangster rap soon entered the scene and my dreams were crushed.
7. My mom once told my wife she was surprised I wanted to keep the name Christian in the family. Monica and I like Christian as a middle name. After a few seconds Monica asked why she was surprised and my mom said she didn't know I liked my middle name that much. Monica then gently reminded her that my middle name is Christopher...not Christian.
8. I sang in a band for two years called Sixth Day Wonder. We once preformed at a theme park called Kings Dominion.
9. Sometimes I watch a movie on DVD and right when it's over I want to watch it again. Case in point the Dark Knight.
10. I started robshep.com because I wanted to connect with other pastors. Because of the blog I now have friends that I have never met in person.
11. My worst fear in life is that Monica would die before me. Call me selfish but I can't live without her.
12. I worked at a local radio station my first year in college.
13. I set a goal this year to write a book.
14. I was so excited when I heard a Chipotle was coming to the 757 that my wife said I acted like she just told me we were pregnant.
15. When I lived in Kansas I would ask Jesus to come into my heart every night before I went to bed. Why? Because my room was on the third floor of our house, I was in a bunk bed, and there were lots of tornadoes. I was afraid a tornado would hit our house at night and because I was so high up I knew I would die.
16. I put my DVD collection in alphabetical order. It makes it easier to find a DVD when I'm looking for it.
17. I became a Lakers fan when I was in third grade.
18. I like to listen to other preachers. My favorites are Andy Stanley, Perry Noble, and Rob Bell.
19. I have never tasted beer. I'm not against other adults drinking in moderation I just think it smells like urine. Plus people say you have to acquire a taste for it. I don't want to acquire a taste for something that I think smells like urine.
20. I iron my clothes everyday...including my jeans.
21. I wrote movie reviews for the Daily Press (local newspaper) when I was in college. My pay was a movie ticket to go see the movie they wanted me to review.
22. I don't laugh out loud a lot. I wish I did because I like to laugh.
23. My brother is the funniest person I know...he is one of the few people that can consistently make me laugh out loud.
24. If my left hand was made out of the buffalo chicken dip my wife makes...I would eat it. I would try to resist but after about 3o seconds I would consume the yummy goodness that is my left hand.
25. I don't go to the bathroom if my wife is in there. I also don't enter the bathroom if she is using the facilities. It kills the romance and the belief I have that girls don't poo.

So that is 25 Random facts about Rob. Now that I've shared 25 I would love to know one random fact about you.

Attack of the Clones

Did you hear about the Florida couple who had their dead dog cloned? I heard about this today and it blew my mind. The couple payed $150,000 to have their dog cloned. Seriously? Maybe it's because I don't own a pet but this seems crazy to me.

Question: If you had the money who or what would you clone?

Rob's answer: My wife Monica. I assume the clone would be injected with miracle grow so it would be the same age as her. Currently Monica is pretty stressed with her class load at William and Mary. She juggles a lot. She is a great wife, a Student Community Group Leader at church, volunteers on Sundays at church, works full time as a fourth grade teacher, and she is getting her masters at William and Mary. Whenever Monica gets stressed I would insert the clone to help her. The clone could type as Monica dictated a paper, clean the house so Monica could relax, and fill in for Monica at her job from 8:00 to 9:00 AM so Monica could sleep in a little.

My Former Pastor

When I was in Seminary my wife and I were members at Fellowship Church in Grapevine TX. We loved our time there! Fellowship is very creative and it has influenced my views on church a lot over the years. Anyway the pastor of Fellowship, Ed Young Jr, was on The Colbert Report a few weeks ago. The Colbert Report is a news satire/comedy show on Comedy Central. It was great to see him on there. If you have a second watch the clip.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Ed Young

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Paul McCartney Appearance

Funny Political Videos
More Funny Videos

Super Bowl Superlatives

The Super Bowl was a great game. The commercials were decent. The halftime show was lame. I blame Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson for this. Ever since their infamous wardrobe malfunction the halftime show has been old men in concert. Anyway I thought I would give out some superlatives for the Super Bowl.

Best highlight: The longest play in Super Bowl history...the interception for the touchdown.
Funniest Commercial: The Doritos commercial with the guy and the crystal ball.
Most Awkward: Bruce Springsteen sliding on his knees and hitting the camera with his crotch.
Favorite Commercial: The G.I. Joe preview.
Most Surprising: Hearing TobyMac being played as the Cardinals took the field.
Most likely to succeed: The Office after the Super Bowl...it was ha-larious.
Most disappointing: The commercials overall. GE needs to save their money and not make Super Bowl commercials. I also think that the beer commercials with the horses were a wast of money.

Overall it was a great night. Are there any superlatives that you would give out for the game?

Movie Review - Taken

In "Taken" Liam Neeson stars as a retired government operative who comes out of retirement to rescue his kidnapped daughter. Let me just say that Liam Neeson is a bad man. It shouldn't have surprised me because after all he played a Jedi in "Star Wars", he trained Batman in "Batman Begins", and he was in the cult classic "Darkman." But this movie takes it to a whole notha level. In "Taken" Liam's character is on par with Jason Bourne or Jack Bauer. I'm telling you he is a bad man.

The movie is good but not great. The action is intense, but the plot is pretty predictable. If you are looking for a good action flick on a cold day go see "Taken"...but go at a matinee price. I give it one thumb up. It's rated PG-13 for intense action, a brief scene with a girl in a nightie, and some drug references...but mostly for the violence.

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.

Hay Fever '09

Hay Fever is an event that I took the students of Waters Edge Church to. It involves a hayride, hay maze, and bonfire. Two out of three things involve hay...hence the name Hay Fever. The highlight of the event is the hay maze. There are two of them. The maze involves crawling around on your hands in knees in the pitch black dark. There are multiple levels to the maze, including a slide in the middle of the maze. It's a lot of fun. I took 50 of us to the event. Here are some pics.

Pictured above: Wayne, Amy, and Brie coming out of the Hay Maze.

Pictured above: Joe and Amanda roasting hot dogs

Pictured above: Will, Dillon, Monica, Courtney, and Jon staying warm by the fire

Pictured above: Anna, Phil, The Rob, Steph, and David resting after the Hay Maze

Pictured above: the crew on the first hay ride of the night

Pictured above: B-Rad and Mo on the Hay Ride

Super Bowl Sunday

In America the Super Bowl is a HUGE deal. Did you know that Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest at home party day of the year? It's true. Statistics say it's bigger than New Years Eve. Close behind Thanksgiving Americans consume more food on this day than any other day. According to one site I found 7-11 claims that they sell 20% of their total sale of antacid on the Monday after the Super Bowl. It's such a big deal churches cancel or move services. For example Waters Edge 6:00 PM service is moving to 3:00 PM so people can watch the game...or at least the commercials. There is even an online petition to make the Monday after the Super Bowl a holiday. I would be in favor of this!

This day is so BIG it deserves 3 questions from Rob...

1. Where are you going to watch the Super Bowl?
2. What do you like more the game or commercials?
3. Who is going to win?
   

Crankitol

This past Sunday at Waters Edge we showed a video in honor of our series Crank It Up. The video is for a brand new product called Crankitol. It's under 2 minutes. If you need a laugh...or at least a chuckle...check it out.

Top Ten Irritating Phrases

Researches at Oxford University have compiled a list of the most irritating phrases used. Many of these are irritating because they are overused ore used in the wrong context.

The top ten most irritating phrases:
1 - At the end of the day
2 - Fairly unique
3 - I personally
4 - At this moment in time
5 - With all due respect
6 - Absolutely
7 - It's a nightmare
8 - Shouldn't of
9 - 24/7
10 - It's not rocket science

One phrase that I think should be on there is "it is what it is." That phrase is used too much. What phrase irritates you? What phrase do you overuse?

Funny or Awful?

My wife, Monica, sent me this video the other day. Depending on how you feel about people falling, you will either think this video is ha-larious or awful. Watch the clip and decide for yourself.

Top 5 Worst Things That Could Happen To You...

It's Monday, and you might feel like complaining today. Maybe you feel like complaining everyday. Mark Batterson, the author of "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day", writes a chapter on reframing your thoughts. Instead of complaining today reframe your thoughts to something positive. How do you do that? Instead of focusing on the negative force yourself to focus on the positive. It's the idea that no matter what happens to you...it could be worse. Doing this can help you think about the positive things you do have in life.

I came up with a list to help you reframe your thoughts. If something happens to you today and you feel like complaining think about this list. After all it could be worse.

Top 5 Worst Things That Could Happen To You...

• Number 5: Walking on broken glass. This one is inspired by the Annie Lennox song Walking on Broken Glass. I heard it on my way to the gym today and I thought "if one piece of glass in my foot hurts walking on glass would really stink."
• Number 4: Your spouse dies on your wedding day. That would be awful.
• Number 3: A car accident that kills everyone in your car...but you. It's even worse if it's your family in the car.
• Number 2: Being Adultnapped. It's like being kidnapped but you are an adult. Have you ever watched this happen on CSI? The person napping the adults does sick things to them. Sick things.
• Number 1: Living the movie Cast Away. This movie came on over the weekend and Monica and I watched part of it. If you haven't seen it Tom Hanks becomes stranded on a deserted island. Midway through the movie I declared this would be the worst thing that could happen to me. Separated from the people you love, lonely, no food or shelter, and you've got to take out one of your hurting teeth with an ice skate. I hate camping. If this happened to me it would be the worst thing ever.

"The circumstances you complain about become the chains that imprison you." - Mark Batterson

You Can't See Me...Part Two

Before you read this post please click here to read this post.

So the student that told me that I can't see him in Tecmo Bowl came over to play the game. Not only can I see this student in Tecmo Bowl but I saw him get destroyed in 3 1/2 games. We quit the frist game at halftime so he could pick a different team. It wasn't even close.

Now to this students credit he did beat my buddy Dan in Super Tecmo Bowl. That gave him a little swagger and it made me a little less confident going into the game.

I believe it is only proper to end this post by saying...Mike, you can' t see me in Tecmo Bowl.

Mutant Healing Ability???

I went with my wife, Monica, to the doctor yesterday. We have recently changed doctors and this was her first appointment with our new one. Monica has been sick for over a week. She was diagnosed with a sinus infection. The doctor was questioning whether or not Monica really has a sinus infection. She thought that she may have the flu instead. When I heard the doctor say this I said,

"I have been questioning the same thing. Sinus infections aren't supposed to be contagious but I caught whatever she had."

The doctor then said, "it must not be the flu either if you are already feeling better."

Now I wish I could have my next sentence back.

I said, "I like to think that I have a super mutant healing ability and that is why I'm over it."

Silence.

The doctor never responded. She ignored my joke and went on to take care of Monica. I can't blame her for not responding. How do you respond to that comment?

It was meant to be a joke. As soon as I said it I knew it wasn't that funny and I just came off as a complete comic book nerd. I hoped Monica didn't hear it. We didn't talk about the comment after the appointment. In fact she didn't mention my comment until later that night. She told a friend of ours what I said and the friend responded with...silence. I tried to explain that it was a joke, but it didn't make it any better. Alas, I may have a mutant healing ability but I can't take back bad jokes. Have you ever said something you wished you could take back?

Waters Edge is Sick

A plague as ripped through the offices of Waters Edge. Our staff is small for the size of church we are (small in number not in height. I don't have any way to prove this but I think we are at least average in the height department). Out of the 10 staff members 6 were sick as of Thursday. Our fearless leader, Stu Hodges, has strep throat. Phil Poteat, our ninja worship leader, has been sick for three weeks. Pray for the Waters Edge Staff. If God doesn't heal some people...church will be interesting on Sunday.

Sometimes Life Stinks

I have a friend who is asking for prayer. In just a few sentences I learned that he was expecting baby number two and that the Dr. said they may have had a miscarriage.

I have another friend whose family moved to VA because of a new job. After a few months here the business closed. They are now trying to sell their house so they can move back home. They have no family here, no income, and because of the Housing Market they are struggling to sell their home.

I have another friend who took a job on a leap of faith. He took a job before he sold his house. About six months later his house has still not sold. Almost every weekend he drives four hours to be with his family. Every weekend he has to leave his family to drive back four hours to his job.

Sometimes life stinks.

Monica, (my wife) and I were told that without some type of medical assistance we would not get pregnant. In 2007 without any medical assistance we found out we were pregnant. It was a miracle. The day we found out we were scheduled to go to our first consultation with a fertility specialist. We knew it was going to cost a lot of money so the day of the appointment, on a whim, Monica took a pregnancy test. It was positive. It was the cheap Wal-Mart kind. I didn't trust it so I made her take one again. It was positive. I still didn't trust it so we went out and bought a name brand test. Three tests later and they all gave us the plus sign. We quickly canceled the Fertility Specialist appointment. We new this was a miracle baby. Seven weeks later as we were trying to hear our baby's heartbeat the Dr. told us that our baby had died.

Sometimes life stinks and there are no answers.

Maybe I'm wrong but I don't believe God caused these things to happen. I also don't believe that we lost the baby because of anything we did. It was life in a broken world. Bad things happen...even to people who love God.

The natural question that comes out in times like this is why? I believe God is big enough to handle the why question. But I also don't believe that God will always give us that answer. The question is basically asking is it God's will that we go through unexplainable difficulty? Does God allow bad things to happen? Yes. But that is different than saying He caused it.

As a Christ Follower who has gone through difficult situations I have found comfort that I know what God's will is. The Bible says, Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus I Thess. 5:16-18. God's will is that no matter what life throws at you if you want to survive...pray.

I've found peace knowing that God is in control, loves me, and has a plan. Because I know He loves me I can find joy even when life stinks. It doesn't make it easy. After the tears settle, after I ask all my questions to God, after I beg for Him to intervene...God gives me strength to find His will. Pray continually and God somehow gives strength to endure life when it stinks.

New Music for your iPod

I posted this in 2009. I stumbled upon it the other day and I thought that it needed to be reposted. The following are the worst album covers of all time.  Let the hilarity begin.

Jim Post album title: I love my life.

Rob's comment: With a mustache like that who wouldn't.

I hope for their sake this title was an innocent mistake.

First Question: Whose idea was it to not wear shirts for this album cover?
Second Question: What is the guy in the middle looking at?

Short shorts have gone out of style for guys but the Jazz hand is never uncool.

All my friends are dead, so I decided to share my depression with the rest of the world.

This is oh so wrong.

The flowers were a nice touch. They make her look less terrorist like.

Knowing that her daughter would feel a little insecure about her nose Mom decided to make sure all the attention went to her hair.

The one armed drummer from Def Leppard has nothing on this lady.

Lost vs. 24

Tonight is the season premiere of ABC's hit TV show Lost. I don't know about the circles that you run in but a lot of my friends are either Lost fans or 24 fans. There doesn't seem to be a lot of bleed over.

I've watched the first 2 1/2 seasons of 24. I started with season one on DVD and I ended up watching practically 24 hours straight of 24 just to get through the season. I hate starting something I can't stop. I liked season one but I didn't love it like most my friends. I then moved on to season two and 24 hours later I had watched that season. I didn't love it but again once I started I just couldn't stop. I then moved on to season three and midway through it I put my foot down. Enough is enough. It's just not that great of a show.

Some of my main criticism of 24 is that in the first couple of seasons Jack's family made the show unbelievable. They became involved in the action but they were supposed to be normal people. I also don't like how within a 24 hour period they twist the good guys and make them bad. It's not that they are flawed and make mistakes they turn and become polar opposites of their character.

I started watching the newest season of 24 and they seem to have fixed the family problem. The still did the whole switch a roo thing with Tony being a bad guy and then becoming a good guy.

I like 24 all right but in my opinion it just doesn't compare to Lost. I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for this, but I'm curious to know what you think?

Weather Men are not insecure

One of the signs of a secure leader is the ability to make decisions and stick with them no matter the out come. A leader does his or her best to lead people to the best position possible, but at the end of the day he or she has to make a decision. If the decision was wrong a good leader will learn from their mistakes and move on.

A Weather Person (man or woman) has to be one of the most secure people alive. They make decisions everyday that affect masses of people. Sometimes their decisions are more like predictions and many times their predictions are wrong. They fail time and time again and yet they are still doing their job the next day.

Case in point the weather people in the 757 area code. All last night they predicted heavy amounts of snow. So much so that many schools canceled today. I woke up early this morning anticipating the massive amount of snow only to find...nothing. At noon the weather people said that there was 100% chance of snow fall. I saw nothing. Not even a flake at noon.

I am guessing that many people are hacked off at the local weather people. Some probably had to take off work to stay with their kids. Others had to go to work when they planned on taking a snow day. Even though they royally messed it up the local weather person is secure enough in themselves to come back and do it again tomorrow. I say here here to the weather people...the most secure leaders around.

Today is the Presidential Inauguration. I don't think I've ever watched an Inauguration before. In fact I vaguely remember watching highlights on the news of past Presidents at their Inauguration. I will be at work during the Inauguration today, but I plan on DVR'ing it. Will you watch the Inauguration today?

I often forget to pray for the leaders of our country. I get so consumed with my life and the things that directly affect me that I forget to make the time to pray for the leaders of America. Whether you watch it or not I would like to encourage everyone who reads this to spend a few minutes praying for our new President. Pray that God gives him wisdom to lead our country. Pray that he would have a heart for God and a heart for what is right and just. There seems to be a lot of pressure on President Obama and if I were him I would appreciate the prayer support.

Monica is sick :(

Monica, my wife, is sick. It started on Friday night. She had a massive headache for two days straight, congestion, a cough, aches and pains. She woke up on Sunday morning and she was not feeling any better. She called me while I was at church and said she was going to go to Med Express (It's a mini Dr.'s office and it is faster than the emergency room).

I called my parents and they graciously drove to pick Monica up and take her to the Dr. At the Dr. Monica had a 102 degree temperature and a sinus infection. She is now on a bunch of medication but she is still not feeling any better. I'm praying she feels better soon. I hate that she is sick.

The Fear of losing

I'm a pretty competitive guy. I don't like to lose. On the other hand if I lose this competition I have a good blog post....

Last week I participated in the Waters Edge Church Directors Off-site. It's 3 days of planning, praying, and brainstorming for the future of Waters Edge Church. I don't know if anyone understands the amount of planning that goes into every decision.

During the Off-site we have a little fun to help us stay creative and energetic. This year we ended up at my father in laws 3-D Black Light mini golf in VA Beach. During dinner Lead Pastor Stu Hodges issued a challenge. The loser of the game would have to jump into the ocean. The competitors were Stu, Bill, Brian, Jake, and Rob.

Now I'm all about competing but what happened during this game was intense. There were moments of confidence and talking junk as well as moments of silence in fear of taking a loss. Bill took a risk on the third hole and missed. He was in last for a couple of rounds until Stu caught him by scoring a 5 on a whole. For the last three holes I thought I was in the clear until...Stu had a miracle come back. He sunk two holes in one in a row. Before he shot he was so nervous about losing he had hives on his neck. I know you can't feel the intensity of this game through a blog but the shots that Stu hit were almost impossible. Because of Stu's Tiger Woods like putting I ended up in last place going into the last whole. I didn't want to come in last...

In the end I pulled it out. Jake came in first followed by a three way tie of dun dun dunnnn...Brian, Stu, and Rob. So last place went to Bill.

Below is a pic of Bill freshly out of the ocean.

Super Tecmo Bowl

The Super Bowl came early to robshep.com and it was oh so sweet. I've mentioned before that my buddy Dan challenged me to a season of Super Tecmo Bowl for the Super Nintendo. We have had some epic battles. It came down to the conference championship. Our teams played each other twice in the regular season and we split the series...both winning one game.

It didn't start off well for Rob. On the opening kickoff Rob messed up and kicked an onside kick that Dan recovered. Dan scored right away and Rob thought he was done for. Dan then scored a field goal to go up by ten points in the first quarter. Then, like a scene out of a movie, Rob led the Dallas Cowboys to a ferocious comeback to beat Dan and the Philadelphia Eagles 35 to 17.

For those of you who care Rob then went on to beat the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. Besides becoming a Christ Follower, getting married, and winning back to back volleyball championships at Student Summer Camp, it was the greatest moment in Rob's life. And yes sometimes Rob writes in third person.

How was church?

Church today at Waters Edge was great. We are in the middle of a series entitled "Crank It Up." Lead Pastor Stu Hodges did a great job delivering a talk on how to "Crank It Up" at your job. As always the Waters Edge band rock'd. I love going to church at Waters Edge on Sundays!

Normally after church I eat and then take a nap. I need the nap to re-energize because I have to come back to church at 4:00 PM to do it all over again...twice. For some strange reason I'm not tired, so I am blogging instead.

I get to write about my life a lot on robshep.com, but I love to hear about other people's experiences. So how was church for you today? If you don't go to church what did you do instead?

Audition for American Idol

Thanks to the wonderful technology of DVR, I just finished watching the season premiere of American Idol. It got me wondering...if you could sing what song would you audition with?

Cell Phone Rules

Do you own a cell phone? If you do are you the type of person who answers their cell phone? If you don't answer your cell phone will you return the call if someone leaves you a message? If someone leaves you a message on your cell phone do you listen to the message or do you call the person back before listening? There needs to be some cell phone rules for people like this.

I am too attached to my phone. I need some written rules that say things like don't text while hanging out with friends, or don't answer your phone after work.

What if every cell phone came with rules? I don't know how you would enforce these rules. Maybe if you abused the rules your cell phone would shut down for 15 minutes...or your phone could send out a mild but affective shock of electricity.

What rules do you think should be in place for every cell phone user.

What's that smell? Part One

Do you smell?

When I was in middle school I would tell girls that I liked that they smelled. It would always get a reaction. They would hit me or give me a really dirty look. They then would smell themselves and declare...I DON'T SMELL! I would then tell them that they need to calm down because I didn't say they smelled bad. I simply made the statement that they smelled. This never got me real far with the ladies and it may explain why I was single all through middle school.

The truth is you do smell. You may smell good or you may smell bad but without a doubt you smell like something.

Now the question is what do you smell like? I was reading the Bible the other day and apparently knowing God makes your life smell. When your life reflects the love of God people are drawn to your smell like the smell of a Chipotle burrito. The verse goes on to say that some people will be repulsed by the smell of God...i.e. people who like Moe's (just joking). Either way if you know God your smell should cause others to react...to be continued.

What's that smell? Part Two

So according to the Bible knowing God makes you smell. Why is that? The Bible doesn't really say why, but I have a theory.

It's kind of like going to Starbucks. After you spend some time at Starbucks everyone will know it. Why? Because you will smell like Starbucks for the rest of the day. Seriously...have you ever spent time there? The more time you spend there the longer you will smell like Starbucks. The smell permeates your skin and clothes.

Translation: The more time you spend with God the more you will smell like Him. The more you digest the Bible the more your life will give off God's aroma. Here is something to think about...how does your life smell to the people you come in contact with? Does your life emit the stink of worry, anxiety, trouble, fear, anger, or negativity. Or does your life emit the pleasing aroma of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self control. If you want your life to give off a pleasing aroma then fill it with things that smell good.

Do you smell what the Rob is cooking?

I'm your huckleberry

Monica and I recently tried huckleberry ice cream with our friends Dan and Danielle. Immediately after trying it I said "I'm your huckleberry." Just to make sure no one thought I was crazy I asked "does anyone know what movie that is from?"

Monica and Danielle didn't have a clue. Dan knew right away. I then asked Dan if he thought our waiter knew what movie it was from. Dan bet that he did, but I wasn't so sure. We asked the waiter and guess what? He knew.

Later that night I asked Monica's parents if they knew. Monica's dad knew right away. Her mom didn't know.

What's the point of all this? I have yet to find a girl who knows what movie that is from and I have yet to find a guy who doesn't know.

I'm just wondering...do you know what movie "I'm your huckleberry" is from? Don't cheat and look it up on YouTube.

Texting

I heard today that the average teen texts 58 texts messages a day. I then heard stories of some people texting 400 to 500 texts per day. That's crazy!

It got me wondering. How many texts do you send in a day?

Super Tecmo Bowl

The NFL playoffs began at my house today. Today I started the playoffs in the old school game Super Tecmo Bowl for the Super Nintendo.

I mentioned last week that I would update the status of my Super Tecmo Bowl Season on the Super Nintendo. My friend Dan challenged me to a season. We pass the game back and forth because the Super Nintendo didn't have a memory card to save your game progress. The game gets passed in a Trader Joe's brown bag. Included in the bag is a book to record record setting stats.

Dan won the division in the regular season. I needed him to lose his last game and he won...barely. Anyway the playoffs began at my house today. I won two games and I am now in the conference championship waiting for an opponent. Dan gets the game next and if he wins we will play to see who goes to the Super Bowl.

Crank It Up

This January Waters Edge kicked off the New Year with a series entitled Crank It Up. This week we put together a video for a funny element in the service. It stars my dad. I wanted to show it to the world because I think it is really funny. Enjoy.

You Can't See Me

I work with teenagers. I love working with teenagers. I had the following conversation with a teen on Sunday. It started when the teen overheard a conversation I was having with my buddy Dan about the game Tecmo Bowl for the Nintendo.

Teen: Rob, you can't see me.
Rob: What do you mean I can't see you? You are right next to me.
Teen: You can't see me!
Rob: That doesn't even make sense. What's wrong with you?

A few minutes later...

Teen: Rob you can't see me in Tecmo Bowl.
Rob: I don't have a fat clue what you are talking about, but if we ever play Tecmo I will dominate you. You won't even score on me.
Teen: You can't see me in Tecmo Bowl because I have heart.
Rob: Heart has nothing to do with Tecmo Bowl.
Teen: Which button is the turbo button in Tecmo Bowl.
Dan: There is no turbo button in Tecmo Bowl.
Rob: Explain to me what the heck you are talking about when you say I can't see you.
Teen: Everyone at my school says it.
Rob: That's a dumb phrase. It doesn't even make sense.
Teen: It came from playing Xbox live.
Rob: OK that makes sense now.

I love working with teenagers.
Apparently "You can't see me" is in reference to playing Xbox live. It's like playing other players online. You are not physically near them but you can talk to them via a headset.

Advice - updated

So this week I asked for some advice. Read the blog here. If you haven't read the comments on this blog yet make sure you do. Some are funny and some were really helpful in my decision.

I went with John's advice and I mentioned the other wedding to the couple. I told them that each staff member at Waters Edge does the same premarital counseling. The ceremony is pretty similar as well. The couple couldn't have been cooler. They are very laid back and they said they understood completely. They said if one of the other staff members can do the wedding they wouldn't have a problem with it.

I checked with one of the staff members before the session with the couple. He went out of town and didn't get a chance to get back with me. If he can do it then I'll go to my friends wedding. If not then I will happily do their wedding.