Your Husband Is Not An Idiot Part 1

A friend of mine recently posted on his blog about a conversation he overheard. It was two woman who were bashing on men. I've heard this same conversation many times throughout the years. Men are idiots.

Here is some food for thought. If your husband is really an idiot then you are a bigger idiot because you married him. Nobody forced you to marry him. You fell in love with him or with the idea to change him. If he is really an idiot then don't bash him bash yourself for not making better choices.

Most likely though your husband isn't an idiot. We've all heard it before but men and woman are different. Just because someone is different or can't do what you do doesn't mean they are an idiot. I can't play basketball like Kobe Bryant, I'm not not handy, and I don't do well with details. Those are not my gifts and I'm fine with that. I need other people in my life to complete me. Your husband isn't supposed to do everything as well as you do. He needs you.

I Scared the Poo Out of a Snake

So a black snake is living near the front door of my house. I know black snakes are not poisonous, but what you have to understand is my wife, Monica, is deathly afraid of all snakes. Two times in the past week we have walked out of our house to find the snake. On Saturday we walked out and my wife started squealing while running for her life. I froze. I didn't know what to do so I just stopped moving. My wife finally gets out that there is a snake and when I turn to my right I see a black snake about 2 feet away. I go into the house to find a weapon of mass destruction. I come out with a shovel to protect my wife and kill the snake.

In the safety of our car my wife calls animal control. As soon as I turn the corner the snake slithers into a bush. All of the sudden I see a gooey substance dropping from the bush. I couldn't figure out what it was so I took a few steps to get a better view. When I did the snake practically leaps out of the bush onto our window seal. Monica yelled from the car "I think you made the snake poo himself." Sure enough the substance came from the snake and I think it was poo.

The snake and I were having a staring contest. It was like a wild west showdown. My wife said I should go get some help from our neighbor since I don't have a lot of experience killing snakes. As soon as I walked away he slithered quickly into the woods. The snake got away but not before I scared the poo out of him.

It's ok! I'm a limo driver!

Last night I had the privilege of driving 16 seniors to prom. Not only did they want me to drive but they also asked for me and my wife to go to dinner with them. It was a lot of fun. This group of seniors are very special to me. Most of the guys are a part of my Community Group at church and most of the girls are very plugged into Waters Edge Students. Love these guys.

Above: The boyz of my Community Group

Above: The Party Bus

Complain Up

I once heard Dave Ramsey (money guru and a great communicator) talk about complaining up. The idea was that at your job there are going to be times when you feel like complaining. Instead of complaining to someone who can't do anything about it complain to someone who can. For example it doesn't solve your problem to complain to the secretary or a fellow employee. Instead complain up to your boss or someone who can do something about the problem.

The problem with complaining to the wrong people is that it leaves us feeling better but we've dumped our problem on someone else. It ends up spreading the negativity because no action is being taken to make the situation better. Instead of being selfish and dumping your complaint down on someone else complain to the right person in order to try to solve the problem.

Jamey and Carlyn are getting hitched

My good friends Jamey and Carlyn are getting married today. I'm honored to be in their wedding. Congrats guys! If you like Jamey and Carlyn or if you would like to get to know them click on the links attached to their names.

Hug it out Biff

Are you a hugger? I like hugs from people I know. Last week I met someone for the very first time and they hugged me. It wasn't real awkward or anything but I did think "huh...I don't know you and we are embracing with a full frontal hug." So how bout it...do you hug everyone or reserve your hugs for those you love?

Cool or Uncool, a game at robshep.com where you decide what is cool or uncool.

Here's how you play.

Step 1: Read the question below.

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

Step 3: Post your decision by leaving a comment.

Cool or Uncool? Wearing socks with sandals.

Don't Forget to Say Thanks

During my first year of marriage I worked at a church as the Assistant Minister to Students. I loved my time there. There was however one not so positive thing about my experience there. I didn't know if what I was doing was making a difference.

I worked my tail off that first year. I worked hard to build relationships and make a difference in the students lives. After a year of being on staff I felt like God was leading me to pursue a Masters in Seminary. As soon as it was announced that I was leaving people came out of the woodwork to show their appreciation. Mom's who I had never met would stop me in the hallway and tell me how hot I was...that is so not true. I just wanted to make sure you were still reading. The truth is that parents who I had never met would stop me to tell me that I had made a difference in their child's life.

I remember talking with my wife during that experience. I didn't work hard to be appreciated but it would have been nice to know I was making a difference before we left. Why do we wait until someone leaves or dies before we tell them how much they mean to us? Maybe you think they will get a big head if you tell them. Maybe you haven't been appreciated enough and so you are just treating people the way you have been treated. Maybe we are just so self absorbed that we don't make time to think about others. Whatever the reason if you have someone in your life who you love you should tell them. If you know someone who has helped make you a better person you should encourage them by letting them know.

If someone has made a difference in your life don't be afraid to tell them. Write a note, send them a card, give them a random gift, take them to lunch, call them on the phone. It doesn't matter what you do just do something today. Who knows tomorrow you may not have the chance.

PS: I'm blessed to work at Waters Edge. One of the things I love about it is that I know where I stand with the people who attend. I feel appreciated.

Would You Do Your Job For Free?

Would you work at your job if you weren't getting paid?

A few months ago my pastor made a comment in one of his talks that I don't think he thought anyone would take him up on. He was talking on volunteering and he said if you have time to volunteer during the week we have plenty of work for you to do. The next day at 8:30 in the morning a guy from our church showed up to work. He worked all day and then came back the next day, and the next, and the next. In fact he hasn't left since. Everyday this guy comes to work at the same time the staff does and most days he leaves when we leave. By the way he also volunteers during all four services on Sundays. He works his butt off and he does it as a volunteer.

Today I was working with him and I had this thought. Would you do your job if you weren't getting paid? I think a huge sign of having passion for your job is if you would do it without getting paid. Now I know you need money to live, but if money wasn't an option would you still work at your job? If you wouldn't work at your job for free then your probably not passionate about it. Maybe it's not the right job for you. I think we were created to do specific things in life. We were gifted with certain passions and desires. If your job doesn't bring out those in you then you should change jobs. If you don't think you can then change your attitude.

Just a thought I had today as I worked along side the hardest working non paid staff member I know.

Star Wars vs. Star Trek

Saw this video and loved it. Very creative.

Bangerang Kool-Aid

I lead a small group of high school guys every Wednesday night for Community Group. We have some house rules.

1. Don't ring the doorbell. Just walk in when you come to group.
2. Help yourself. If you want a drink help yourself. (Amendment: the first amendment to the rules was I had to add a two drink limit because one of the students was drinking 3 to 4 cans of soda in an hour and half time period.)
3. When you pee in the bathroom out of respect for my wife put the toilet seat back down. Even if you don't know my wife respect her. There is a picture of me and my wife above the toilet. The students tell me it weirds them out but it's there to remind them to close the lid. Just joking.
4. When you drink the Kool-Aid you have to say bangerang.

Do you remember the phrase bangerang from the movie Hook? In a desperate attempt to cut back on the sodas we were buying my wife bought black cherry Kool-Aid. On the first night we had it I was trying to get the students to drink it and I told them it was bangerang Kool-Aid. Whenever they would ask why I would simply say because when you drink it you will say the words bangerang...it's just that good.

For some reason that stuck. Whenever we have Kool-Aid the students call it bangerang. If a new student comes to group other students will tell them to drink the bangerang Kool-Aid. I always feel a little weird at this point because drinking the Kool-Aid at church has some negative feelings attached to it. Anyway...sure enough when a student drinks the Kool-Aid they will say the phrase bangerang after they drink it.

I recommend trying black cherry Kool-Aid...who knows maybe you too will have to say bangerang after you drink it.

The Right Words at the Right Time

Last spring I went to LA and I went to a Los Angeles Clippers home game vs. the Lakers at the Staples Center. They share a home court. Ever since then I get weekly updates on tickets for upcoming events at the Staples Center...in LA!

They send great email messages. Floor seats for $20 (unheard of) for Clipper games, pre-sale for HUGE concerts and events, and a chance to by cheap season tickets. At least once a week I look at one of their emails and think...what the crap, I wish I lived in LA. Because I live in VA their emails don't do me any good. They don't do them any good either because I'm never going to take them up on one of their offers...yet they keep sending the emails. Those are the wrong words at the wrong time.

It's hard for me to do this, but I want to say the right words at the right time. Whenever I hang out with someone I want to bless them with the right words. I once heard a youth pastor tell a student, who didn't go to church, he shouldn't wear a particular shirt because the band wasn't Christ like. Wrong words at the wrong time for that student.

Sometimes I get so caught up in my life that I forget to even ask how someone else is doing. Sometimes I make a joke when that is the last thing a person needs to hear. Sometimes I force advice when all they need for me to do is shut up and listen. Sometimes I don't talk about God because I don't want people to think I'm forcing Him on them. It's hard to know what the right words to say are but I want to say them. Otherwise I might as well be telling people who live in VA about great tickets in LA. It wouldn't do anyone any good.

Peeing in the Shower...Seriously?

A friend of mine read a recent magazine article that talked about saving water by peeing in the shower. Seriously? That is gross. They said that instead of flushing the toilet just tinkle while you shower. Now I know many a friend who does this but it's just gross to me. I've never done it. I also don't pee in pools or in the ocean. Call me weird but I think there is only one place for tinkle and that's the toilet.

What's the real problem?

Two weeks ago we turned on the air conditioner for the first time. When we turned it on it worked for a nano second but then shut down. To fix it I changed the filters, turned off the power (I thought maybe it just needed to be rebooted), and banged on the thermostat. Everything worked temporary but nothing fixed the problem. I called an AC repair man but canceled the appointment the day he came because the air started working fine.

A few days go by and I'm in my shed getting out my lawn mower. This is a blog all to itself. It takes me 3o minutes to mow my grass and 22 of the those minutes are me wrestling the mower out of this shed that is really just a small closet. Anyway...I noticed that water was leaking from a pipe. I ran to find my wife, Monica, and she helped me discover what was happening. Come to find out our AC unit was freezing over. There were huge chunks of ice surrounding the unit. I quickly called for another appointment. We were low on freon and it caused the freezing.

When we saw this Monica said a profound statement. She said we tried everything to fix this problem but we never actually looked at the source. Until this moment this was the first time we had actually looked at our AC unit. Silly us.

In life we often forget to look at the real problem. Monica talks about this often. Many times as a teacher she sees kids acting up. Often they are acting up because of something going on in their life. It doesn't excuse their behavior but punishing them doesn't deal with the real problem. The real problem is that their parents are getting a divorce, or are fighting, or worse. Maybe you've dealt with some problem people. Maybe they are a jerk, or maybe there is something else going on. There are times when we need to look past the behavior and look to the source of the problem. Maybe something else is going on that needs to be fixed. It's not justifying the behavior but it's changing the way you deal with a difficult person. Maybe they are being difficult because of another problem. It's only after you fix the real problem that your issues will be resolved.

G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe has been a big part of my life. When I was in elementary school I would rush home to watch the cartoon. I used to get a $3 a week allowance and the highlight of my week was going to the store and picking out a G.I. Joe action figure. I even used to buy the comic books. In other words I loved G.I. Joe.

Recently my brother and I were talking about the new movie coming out in August. During our conversation he mentioned a G.I. Joe named Zap. I thought he was joking. I laughed really hard at that name. I thought I knew my G.I. Joe history so I told my brother he was crazy. He stuck by his story and made me look up Zap online. Sure enough Zap was a G.I. Joe.

Who knew? Zap came with a bazooka and a wicked mustache. Now it's got me thinking...there were a ton of G.I. Joes and maybe I missed some others. For all the G.I. Joe fans out there...who is the most obscure G.I. Joe that you remember?

I'm really patient unless you make me wait

Last night in Community Group we were talking about areas of our life where we need God to work. I shared something that surprised my group. I stink at being patient.

A few weeks ago I asked God to show me what I needed to work on. This is always one of those prayers that God answers quickly for me. For the last week it's as if incredibly slow people have been placed in my path to reveal how impatient I am.

I was trying to park at the grocery store the other day and a woman, who had one foot in the grave, was moving at a snail like pace across the street. At first I didn't mind waiting for her, but after a minute of watching her cross the street I wanted to get out of my car, pick her up and put her in a shopping cart to wheel her into the store.

Later in the week there was a woman who was on an elliptical at the gym. All the machines I normally use were taken so I decided to hop on a machine that I don't really like. I watched this woman on the elliptical move so slow the machine would ask if she was still there in between strides. I'm not joking. It was so slow I thought she was moving in slow motion. The whole time I was getting really frustrated because she was on the machine that I use.

For about a week now whenever someone moves at a slug like pace and they are in my way I start singing a song that I used to listen to as a kid. The song lyrics were something like...

Have patience

have patience

don't be in such a hurry

when you get impatient you only start to worry

Remember

Remember

that God is patient too

and think about all the times that others have been patient for you.

It's funny but singing this song is the only thing that helps calm my impatience down. If you would like to hear a snail sing this song click here. Maybe it will help you if you are like me and struggle with being patient.

My Own Personal Horror Movie

There is a quaint town near me called Poquoson. It's a small town surrounded by water. It's the perfect place for a horror movie.

I recently visited this little town to go to a varsity boy's soccer game. As soon as we opened our car doors we were attacked. At first it was a slow attack but slowly but surely the attack became a torturous massacre.

Poquoson has flesh eating gnats. These gnats are impervious to bug spray, they don't die they multiply, and they suck. During the game I sprayed bug spray on and you would have thought I covered my arms in icing. These gnats love hair gel so they were burrowing in my head. Luckily my wife brought a towel to the game to sit on and she was nice enough to give it to me so I could cover my head.

If murdering gnats was a crime I would be a mass murderer. These horrors of nature deserved to die. They made it incredibly hard to enjoy the game. So if you ever want to experience your own personal horror movie visit a quaint little town in Virginia called Poquoson.

Movie Review - Star Trek

It's weird for me to say this, but I'm now a fan of Star Trek. Star Trek in my opinion has always been the ugly step child of Star Wars. In my circles it was cool to like Star Wars, but one would think twice about admitting to being a Trekkie. The worst was when someone would get the two franchises confused. When that happened I would passionately defend Star Wars. So much so that the debate usually ended with me forcing the person to watch the original Star Wars trilogy.

J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost, MI 3, Cloverfield) has rebooted the Star Trek franchise. The new movie is great. There is humor, action, and a great story. The movie gives the back story of how Captain Kirk, Spock, Bones, and the rest of the Enterprise crew met. But Abrams take includes an interesting twist. I won't ruin it for you, but Abrams does a great job of paying homage to the past while at the same time creating a brand new future for the franchise. If you're like me and never loved Star Trek then I recommend you go see this new movie with an open mind. I give it two thumbs up.

NeedToBreathe

One of my favorite bands is NeedToBreathe. I heard them about four years ago. I went to a concert to see another band and they opened for that band. They hadn't released a CD yet but as soon as I heard them I said I was going to buy their CD the day it came out. Two CD's later they are one of my favorite bands. This summer they are releasing a brand new album. I can't wait! If you haven't heard them check out a couple of their videos below.



Above: This video was comprised of over 3,000 photos and a 3-day shoot. Pretty creative if you ask me.

Warm and Fuzzy Memories with Rob

Once upon a time I was an intern at a large church. Each Wednesday night we had to set up our youth room. It was really a gym for the high school students and a small fellowship hall for the middle school students. We didn't have our own equipment so we borrowed it from big church. There was a keyboard that we used each week and it was stored on the second story of a different building from where we met.

One day Stu (my pastor) and I went to collect everything that we needed to set up. We had to make multiple trips from one building to the other. On this day I grabbed the large key board and carried it down from the second floor. On our way out the door we had to walk down a small set of steps and then go across the street to the gym/fellowship hall.

On my way down the steps I fell. I missed the first step because the keyboard I was holding was so large it impeded my vision of the steps. On the way down panic seized my thoughts. I knew if I busted this keyboard I was in BIG trouble. On the way down I twisted to the side to protect the keyboard. I hit the ground hard. As soon as I fell Stu ask if I was ok. He had a panicked tone to his voice. I responded with "is the keyboard ok." As soon as Stu heard that he started laughing. Once he knew I was ok he couldn't contain his laughter. He is a sucker for a good fall.

That day I ripped a hole in my GAP jeans, I scrapped up my knee, I bruised my ego, but I saved the keyboard. And that my friends is another Warm and Fuzzy Memory with Rob.

Easter in May?

Around Easter time Waters Edge produced this little video. I happened to be on vacation that Sunday so I didn't get to see it until now. It made me chuckle so I thought I would share it with you. Bonus: It stars my dad!

What's that smell?

Earlier this week my wife said that our bedroom smelled. It wasn't a musty or stanky smell. In fact she couldn't tell what it was, but she said she it was strong. I didn't smell it. She lit a candle.

The next day she said it again and started searching for the smell. She said it was from my side of the room. No surprise there.

I went over to my closet and started sniffing like a hound dog. Alas I finally smelled what she was talking about. It wasn't stinky shoes. It wasn't crusty underwear left out for days (not that mine is crusty or left out). It smelled like dirt. It smelled like my lawn mower after I mow the grass.

The funny thing is it is only by my window. I searched and searched and I couldn't find out what the smell was. Monica thinks that it might actually be our lawn mower. We have a shed near my window. I don't think that is it. I don't even know who to call to figure out where this smell is coming from. Is it a leak that we don't see? The smell gets worse after the rain. If anyone knows who to call to fix this please let me know. If you don't know who to call take a guess at what you think the smell is.

Maiden Name Debate

Last night at dinner I was talking with some friends who said that most women replace their middle name with their maiden name when they get married. I knew some women did this but I didn't think it was the norm. I was quickly crucified by my comments. The four people I was with said that every girl does it and it's definitely the norm.

I didn't argue because I was out numbered. When I got home that night I asked my wife and she said she didn't think it was the norm. She didn't do it and most of her friends didn't do it either. Later that night my friend DP stopped by and I asked him. He said it definitely wasn't the norm.

Let the fun begin. What do you think? Which one is the norm?

Brain Dump

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

• The Lakers play tonight. They lost the home opener to Houston. This game is crucial.
• I've got so much on my brain your getting not one, not two, but three blog posts today.
• I've got my Student Community Group tonight. I missed last week because of Thr3e. I'm amped to be back with them tonight.
• Star Trek comes out this Friday. I'm waiting until Saturday to see a matinee. Look for the review by Saturday afternoon.
• Waters Edge is only three weeks away from moving into our building. That is crazy to me. I can't wait.
• I think the judges of American Idol have an agenda. They want Adam Lambert in the finals. Was it just me or did they seem harsh on everyone else last night? He was in the bottom two last week and I think they wanted to make sure he made it this week.
• Monica (my lovely wife) bought me some new clothes. She has great taste so I always like when she picks stuff out for me.
• I only have one pair of black shoes. They hurt my feet so I rarely wear them. I need to wear them with one of my new shirts. I think I'm going to get gel inserts...is that what you call them? Has anyone tried them? It's going to be hard for me not to say I'm gellin every five seconds.
• I heard on the radio that someone on the TV show 24 got arrested. They said that story was coming up but 15 minutes later they still hadn't talk about it. Does anyone know who they were talking about?
• I'm hoping my last series of posts didn't make anyone self conscious to talk to me after a talk at church. It's not something that I dwell on, but so many people say funny things to me I decided to post about it.
• My pastor is now on Twitter. If you aren't following him then you should. He writes good tweets.

Whew I feel relieved to get all of that out.

What to say to a pastor after a sermon...Part 3

I don't want anyone to think they need to walk on egg shells when they see a pastor after they preach. The point of this series of posts is to choose your words carefully.

I once worked at a church where the pastor would stand at the door and shake hands with everyone as they left. I spoke on a Sunday once and the pastor asked me to come with him to the doors. I've never received so many forced compliments in my life. If you didn't like the talk or if God didn't speak to you don't feel pressure to say anything after the talk.

If you did enjoy the talk let the pastor know but avoid words like actually or normally. For example "Normally I sleep through your sermons but this one kept my attention."

The best compliment you can give a pastor is if God spoke to you. At the end of the day there are only a couple of people's opinions that I really look to after I speak. I care about what my wife says and what my pastor says. The comments that really get me amped are the ones where people say God spoke to them. If someone makes a change in their life because of something God said to them through my talk then I get excited.

Concluded.

What to say to a pastor after a sermon...Part 2

Because of all of the work that goes into a message often times a pastor is sensitive to what people say. Again it's not that they preach for man's approval but you give so much of yourself when someone criticizes it stings. The first five to ten minutes after a message is delivered the pastor is the most sensitive to what people say. It's kind of like giving birth. It was a long painful process but after the talk is delivered a pastor is proud of what God has done. Unless they bombed it. If that happens then no one knows it more than the pastor. Anyway, if you ever have the chance to talk to a pastor after a sermon choose your words carefully. After all you wouldn't tell a parent their baby was ugly.

Here are some things that have been said to me after I have preached. Most of these were said by well meaning people and most of these made me laugh.

• You were actually funny today.
• I don't normally like it when you preach, but today I liked it.
• Today was actually a good talk.
• Today you were funny, insightful, and passionate. You were at a whole other level then where you normally are.
• Was that story true?
• Today wasn't one of your best. It was OK, but it just wasn't one of my favorites.

What to say to a pastor after a sermon...Part 1

If you ever go to church and you have the chance to talk to the pastor after the service you should choose your words carefully. A good pastor doesn't preach for compliments. What I mean is that at the end of the day they are preaching to please God and not people. At the same time pastors are humans and the words that are said to them after the service can weigh on them.

It's like this...for at least a week the pastor studies, prays, writes, and prays some more for this one talk. For me I write out my entire talk word for word. I often write at least one rough draft that gets completely rewritten before Sunday. An average talk for me is six to eight pages that I memorize. For at least a week the pastor has lived with this message inside of them. When the message is finally delivered it's birthed in front of an audience. What took hours to prepare can be torn down in 30 seconds.

To be continued...

Brain Dump

This past week I went to Thr3e in Charlotte, NC. Thr3e was a one day event put on by Pastor Steven Furtick and Elevation Church. It was good. It was really good. I went with my pastor, Stu Hodges, and he said that it was the best conference he's ever been to. Thr3e was three sessions in one day. No music, and no gimmicks. When we got done my brain was full. It felt constipated with knowledge. I've been sitting on these thoughts since last week and it is now time to let them out. The following is a brain dump. Even if you are not a pastor there are some great quotes from Thr3e.

• Their volunteers were amazing! When we got there they gave us Krispy Kreme Donuts and we were assigned a volunteer host. He gave us his card with his cell number on it in case we needed anything.
• First session was about 3 Elements Elevation wants to be known for. Culture of Audacity, Uniqueness, and Honor...somehow I ended up with a fourth one which was generosity. .
• Audacity is a spirit not a set of actions.
• God doesn't step up until you step out.
• Don't insult God with small requests.
• As a leader look for ways to remind your followers where you have been.
• Steven's take on honor was eye opening. I wish every senior pastor and every member of every church could have heard it.
• Steven said that as pastors, "If people don't see you as a man of God they can't hear from God."
• Session Two - Systems and Strategy
• We're Ruth Chris not Golden Coral. In other words do what you do well and say no to everything else.
• "Dress for the wedding not for the gas station." - structure your church for where you want to go not for where you are. If you are dressed for a wedding and go to a gas station you will look silly. But when you get to the wedding you will look great.
• Think Inside the Box - this was my favorite part of this session. Instead of focusing on what you are not think inside the box that you are in. The question is "how do I change what I do have."
• When you think outside the box you get frustration but when you think inside the box you are in you get innovation.
• Third Session - The Cost of Your Calling
• The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be is the pain you are willing to endure.
• The space between hope and change is pain.
• "You wouldn't worry about how much people think about you if you knew how seldom they did."

Whew. I feel better now that I could dump all of that out of my brain. The truth is there is a lot more. I took a lot of notes. Now I just pray I'll put into action what I heard.

Movie Review - X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The Summer Movie Season started this past Friday with the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. If you haven't been following the X-Men movie franchise then you may not know that this is a prequel to the first three X-Men films. The movie focuses on the origin of the X-Men's most popular character Wolverine.

X-Men origins is good but not great. In my opinion it's better then the third X-Men movie, but it doesn't compare to the second. The story is interesting, the action is intense, and the characters are cool. My only two constructive criticisms are the CGI at times looked really fake and the movie didn't offer me any surprises. I'm a hard movie critic. I see a lot of movies. If a movie is going to really wow me it has to give me something new or surprise me. If I can't tell where a movie is going or if they do something unpredictable my value of the movie goes way up. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a good way to start the Summer Movie Season, but it falls way short compared to last summers movie heroes in spandex...or iron. I give it one thumb up.

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 Job Would I Have If I Didn't Work at A Church

This past week I went to a conference with my pastor, Stu Hodges (speaking of Stu, you can now follow Stu's every move on Twitter). One night at dinner Stu asked me what I would do if I was not in ministry.

This was really hard for me to answer. I think my first response to him was "I'd be screwed." After a few minutes of brain racking (this is hard to do some times but it is a lot less painful then the other kind of racking I have experienced) I came up with a short list. Here are the other jobs I would try to do if I weren't in ministry...

Jobs For Rob If Rob Wasn't In Ministry

1. ESPN personality/broadcaster - before I felt led to do ministry this is what I'd tell people I wanted to become
2. College Professor
3. Author
4. I think I would attempt to work at Catalyst. They have a lot of fun and put on one of my favorite conferences every year
5. Counselor
6. Secret Shopper
7. Entertainer
8. Church consultant

So that's my list. What would you do if you weren't doing your job?

I Love It The Least

What do you do that you actually love to do but out of the things that you love to do you love to do it the least? Make sense?

For example I love going to the class Powercut at my gym to workout, but out of all the things I love to do in life that is near the bottom. I also love to draw. I rarely do it but once I start to draw I love doing it. Because I never make myself draw it must mean that it's near the bottom of my list of things that I love to do. A while back I did a post entitled I Hate Reading. Now that I think about it I actually don't hate it. I just love it the least amount out of the things that I do. I can't really hate reading because I subscribe to a magazine, I read blogs daily, and I slowly make it through books. I love it less than watching a movie, but I still love it. Make sense.

Now it's your turn. What do you love to do but you love it the least?

My Pastor Doesn't Get My Blog

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

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

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

The Death of Dreaming

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

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

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

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

Don't Worry About How Others Respond

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

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

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

Stage Three Clinger

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

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

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

Busy Week

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

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

I love gifts!!!!

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

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

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

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

Funny stuff. Thanks again whoever gave me the gift.

Cool or Uncool

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

Step 1: Read the question below.

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

Step 3: Post your decision by leaving a comment.

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

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

Brockey '09

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

Slim-Fast Slip-up

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

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

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

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

Iron Man

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

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

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

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

Warm and Fuzzy Memories with Rob

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

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

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

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

Why I Part 5: Guest Blog Kyle Walker

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

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

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

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

Texas, Weddings, and Large Pink Panties

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

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

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

Funny Face Photo Game

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why I Part 4: Guest Blogger Brian Miller

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

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

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

What?s your story?

Why I Part 3: Guest Blogger Kristopher Mobbs

Why I don't read ROBSHEP.COM.

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

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

Why I Part 2

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

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

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

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

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

Why I Part 1

Why I ______.

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

I have smoker's teeth

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

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

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

Fat People Know Diets

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

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

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

Easter At Waters Edge

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

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

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

opening song Magnificent by U2.

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

on the opening song.

Pictured above: Phil Poteat makes his entrance.

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

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

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

and busted them.

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

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

out of the car. It was great.

Pay the Price Part 9

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

Pay the Price Part 8

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

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

Pay the Price Part 7

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

Warm and Fuzzy Memories with Rob

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pay the Price Part 6

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

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

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

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

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

Pay the Price Part 5

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

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

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

To be continued...

Pay the Price Part 4

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

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

To be continued...

Pay the Price Part 3

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


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


To be continued...