What I wish all women knew

It's impossible for guys to fully understand women and it's impossible for women to fully understand men. For example I don't think a woman can ever fully understand how visual guys are.

I love my wife. I don't even want to think about another woman. When a girl goes out in public she sees what she is wearing as cute or nice or trendy. If she has a nice body she doesn't mind showing off a little skin or wearing something that is so tight it leaves nothing to the imagination. I mean she has worked hard for her body so why not show it off. When a guy sees that same girl his eyes see something very different. What she sees as cute he sees as hot. Now that might be what she wants, but most guys don't stop there. The image of that girls body gets embedded into a guys mind. One look can lead to one thought which leads to a lot more thoughts. A guy can take a little bit of skin showing and turn it into a fantasy as elaborate as a Harry Potter book...although this fantasy is not kid friendly.

As a guy who loves his wife I try really hard to bounce my eyes. When I see a girl that is showing some skin I try to force my eyes to look elsewhere. Sometimes I will even just say out loud I love my wife...I love my wife. I will do whatever I can to not think about another woman. I have had friends become addicted to looking at the female body. Their addiction included the Internet, magazines, and then turning the thoughts they had about those woman into reality by hiring a prostitute. If a guy wants to keep his thoughts pure he has to work really hard. A lot of well meaning girls don't make it easy because they just don't understand the guys mind. When a girl reveals her body it's not just the guy she wants to impress that notices. It's every guy. The grandpa, the father, the husband, the pastor, the 10 year old boy, and the check out guy at the grocery store all take notice. I wish that just for a day woman would be able to see things the way guys do.

Thrift Store Prom 09

Thrift Store Prom 09 was an event for Waters Edge Students. It's similar to a prom but instead of renting a tux or buying an expensive dress Students went to the thrift store and picked out their outfits. We danced, we ate, we played a game to crown a king and a queen, and we took ridiculously cool photos. Here are some pics for the night.

Behind closed doors

Lately I've been wondering why more people don't hurt themselves walking through closed doors. Think about it...you can't see what is on the other side. People walk in and out of them all the time. My question is why aren't more people hurt because they walk through the door at the same time? A person could get hurt when reaching for the door as someone on the other sides pushes it into their hand. I think it's only happened to me once. I walk in and out of a lot of doors. Why don't I collide more? Is it blind stinking luck or coincidence?

Harry Potter

Up until last week I had never seen a Harry Potter movie. They didn't look interesting to me. Over the years everyone from students at Waters Edge, friends, to my brother were telling me how good the movies were. Monica and I recently borrowed the five movies that are out on DVD. Last week we watched all five movies. Now that I've seen them here are my thoughts...

• The first two movies are decent but not great. The CGI looks really dated, but that is to be expected because they are older movies.
• The third and fourth movie pick up steam and are enjoyable movies.
• The fifth movie was my favorite.
• I didn't like how Harry and all of his friends lied in the first two movies. Whenever they would get caught for their mischief they would lie to get out of it.
• By the third movie I was wondering what all these wizards do once they graduate from Hogwarts? Besides becoming a professor or selling wizard wands what else can a graduate do?
• It was a little unnerving when they said things like divination and incantation. I grew up listening to the Christian music artist Carmen sing about a witches invitation. It painted a vivid picture in my mind of demonic activity surrounded by witches.
• I personally think that Harry Potter falls in the fantasy world of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, and the Narnia series. It was a make believe world of fantasy. Like anything in life there are good and bad things you can pull from the film. Overall it seems to be a series about good versus evil.
• I'm looking forward to the sixth film. Monica and I plan to see it soon in the theaters. I've heard mixed reviews about it.
• Overall I've enjoyed watching the movies. I don't think I'll ever own them on DVD. I don't have a desire to watch them again, but I did enjoy them. Whenever we would finish a film we would want to watch the next one to see what happened next.

Finish Strong Part 5

I may not have started strong, but I want to finish well.

I make mistakes all the time. I get frustrated at stupid things. I put my foot in my mouth. I hurt people that I love. I'm not perfect. It's my goal to not be perfect but to be genuine. I want to be real. I want people to experience the real me and not some fabrication of who I think people want me to be. In doing so I hope people aren't shocked when they see me make mistakes. At the same time I hope to learn from my mistakes and become a better person.

History teaches us about a man named Saul. He was very religious. So much so that he persecuted people who didn't believe the same things about God that he did. One day Saul met Jesus and it radically changed his life. He went from arresting Jesus followers to leading them. At the end of his life, while in prison for his faith in Jesus, he wrote "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

We all make mistakes, but it's not the mistakes that should define us. It's the way we finish the race. Saul wasn't defined by how he started the race, he was defined by how he finished it. Don't let yesterday's mistakes define you. Learn from them and become everything you were destined to be. Finish strong.

Concluded

Finish Strong Part 4

I may not have started strong, but I want to finish well. 

A few weeks ago a new friend of mine told me and my wife, Monica, that we acted like newlyweds.  She then asked how long we have been married and was shocked to hear that it's been almost eight years.  

When I first met Monica she was mean to me.  She had a great relationship with the last youth pastor and wasn't real found of his replacement...me.  It wasn't that she was mean it was just that I didn't know anyone and she appeared to go out of her way to not welcome me.  After a few months I won her over.  I asked her out.  I took her on a date.  I wooed her for an entire week.  At the end of the week I wasn't feeling the connection and I broke up with her.  I know it's cliche but it really wasn't her...it was me.  I had an idea of what I thought I would feel when I found the one.  I expected it to be like Hollywood.  Our relationship was good, but I had an idea that when I met the one I'd be finishing her sentences by the second date.  

A year after the breakup I fell in love with Monica.  I felt like God led us together.  This August we will have been married eight years.  I love when people think we are newlyweds.  It's sad for me to think for most people the only time married people get along with each other is during their first year of marriage.  Today I love being married to Monica.  I hate even thinking about life without her.  We didn't have a storybook beginning, but I believe when we are long and gone we will have lived happily ever after.  

Finish Strong Part 3

I may have not started strong, but I want to finish well. 

When I first started working in ministry I was an intern at my home church.  After two years I was basically forced out.  I was strongly encouraged to take another job at another church because I was never going to be more than an intern.  

My first year of college I met with my former boss, Stu Hodges.  Some of the college students were pushing for me to lead the college ministry back at my home church.  I met with Stu to let him know I wasn't pushing to have the job.  After I met with him I asked if he ever would consider me for that position.  He said, "Rob, to be honest, I don't think I could ever work with you again." 

Three years later Stu hired me to be the Assistant Youth Pastor.  We worked great together as a team.  So much so that when Stu started Waters Edge he offered me a job.  I've been working at Waters Edge now for 5 years and I love it.  Stu and I have a great relationship.  Rough beginnings are hard to overcome, but if you are committed to finish strong it's possible to be remembered for who you are and not who you once were.   

Finish Strong Part 2

I may not have started strong, but I want to finish well. 

When I started high school I had low self esteem.  I don't know why but I just never felt like I fit in at my school.  Most of my classmates didn't even know I existed my first year at the school. My second year at the school some of my classmates were shocked when I told them that I had classes with them the year before.  At school I was shy, reserved, and afraid to be myself.  So much so that I took my junior year of high school off to home school. During that year I found myself.  I started to get confidence in who God created me to be.  I'll never forget my first day back to school my senior year.  One of my classmates said there was something different about me.  

My senior year I still wasn't extremely confident, but I found my niche.  I made the homecoming court, got a couple senior superlatives, and for the first time in high school I didn't feel like a complete outsider.  It's hard to overcome bad beginnings but a great ending is what people will ultimately remember.  

Finish Strong Part 1

I may not have started off great, but I want to finish strong. 

I love going to summer camp.  Each year, taking the Students at Waters Edge to camp, is a highlight for me.  I love it.  

When I first went to camp though I didn't start off strong.  I was in sixth grade.  I led my friends to skip the first morning session to play in the woods.  I then wore a bathing suite to do an obstacle course. I didn't know that part of the course was having your team hoist you up over a wall.  Apparently all the leaders could see all of my business.  One of them asked if I needed to borrow his underwear for the rest of the weak.  Um no. I don't remember God moving in my life at that camp.  I don't remember having an amazing time. 

There are a lot of things in life that I didn't start off well.  I don't want to be remembered for how I start...I want to be remembered for how I finish.  

Insane Clown Posse Part 2

So a prank was pulled on the dorm I was staying in at camp. Apparently the pranksters went from room to room checking to see whose room was unlocked. They would then walk into an unlocked room and scare the Jesus out of them. One of our middle school students woke up swinging punches at the pranksters. One of the camp counselors from the camp screamed like a little girl. It woke up some of our leaders who, after seeing the camera, barricaded themselves in their room by moving a desk in front of the door. The people who pulled off the prank messed with the wrong church.

In fact the people who pulled the prank should have done a background check on us. You see we are from the 757. The 757 produces athletes that go to prison. Have you heard of Allen Iverson or Michael Vick. You don't mess with the 757. We're crazy. The leaders I brought immediately started talking about retaliation. It included man-napping the men behind the prank, blindfolding them, duck taping their hands together, and placing them on our charter bus.

After 30 minutes of searching the hallways for the insane clown posse I finally found the culprits. It was a rogue staff member who led the prank. The midget was actually some one's six year old son. I shared with them how uncool it was for them to break the rules. The next day the staff apologized over and over again. The culprits got in trouble and I don't think this will happen again. I'm glad no one was hurt.

Insane Clown Posse Part 1

The camp that I take the Waters Edge Students to has a no pranking policy. I love the policy because I have seen pranks go way to far at Student events.

This past Wednesday night at camp I was dead asleep when I heard the door to my room open. I sat up to see a midget in a scary mask standing by my bed. It was creepy! There were at least 2 other taller people who were wearing scary masks in my room. It probably would have scared the pee out of me if I didn't see the guy with the video camera filming the whole thing. My roommate just rolled over and went back to sleep. I looked straight at the guys in masks and said "that's not funny!"

They saw that I wasn't amused and quickly left my room. When I laid back down I thought about how funny it actually was. My laughter quickly faded when I started thinking about who it was in the masks. Was it some of my students? No. I knew it couldn't have been them because they don't have access to a video camera. Was it campers from another church? It better not have been. I know I would have a hard time holding our students back from retaliation.

To Be Continued...

Actor - TV Show = Lame

Back in the 80's one of my favorite TV shows was the Dukes of Hazard. Do you remember Coy and Vance? They were the cousins that replaced Bo and Luke Duke when the actors went on strike. It was the beginning of the end for the Duke boys. Even when the original Duke's returned to the show it just wasn't the same and it quickly went off the air.

Many shows have had lead characters leave. Think ER, or CSI. Both shows went on to have success even after major players left the show. Currently Paula Abdul is rumored to be leaving American Idol. Who knows if she actually will, but it begs the question: What show would you stop watching if one of the lead characters left?

Camp is over

I just survived another successful week of Student Summer Camp. With the help of 9 adults I took 81 high school and middle school students. The Students were awesome! It was great to hang out with them. The leaders that went to camp were amazing. They invested in Students and helped make this a very memorable week.

We saw 10 Students become Christ Followers! That gets me fired up. Right now I feel like a mack truck ran over me and then reversed back over me slowly. I'm tired. But without a doubt all the late nights, and lack of sleep were worth it to see God move in our Students lives. Thursday night at camp was one of the most powerful worship services I've ever been a part of. God moved in our Students lives. I can't wait to go next year. We went to Crossroads Camp. It's a great camp located in NC. If you want more information click here.

Summer Camp

So at the camp that we go to (Crossroads is a great camp) we stay at a college campus. The campus is great, but there is one tiny thing that I don't love...

You see I am grossed out by public showers. You have to, or at least should, wear shower shoes. Shower shoes for me are cheap Wal-Mart flip flops. I try really hard to avoid any contact with the shower, fearing I might catch the bubonic plague. I don't like touching the shower curtain or walls. My greatest fear is to drop the soap because I don't know if soap cleans itself after touching the drain in a public shower.

The showers at camp have hot water and so for that I'm thankful. The only problem is our showers were made for crack skinny people. I'm serious. Our showers are so small every time I move one part of my body rubs up against the walls of the shower. Whenever I move my right arm hits the shower knob and adjusts the temperature to either lava hot or freezing cold. My left arm rubs up against the shower curtain at all times. Touching the shower GROSSES ME OUT! I feel like I need a shower after I take the shower.

Here's the deal though I really am thankful for the showers. We live in a country that spoils us. At my house I have two working showers that are clean. This makes me blessed. I've had to tell myself that the crack skinny shower is better than the showers in the majority of the world. This thought alone helps me get through the two showers a day I take at camp. That and the fact that I just saw a middle school boy walk through the bathroom completely barefoot. So far he survived and that gives me hope that I will too.

Guest Blog: Kyle Walker

Kyle is a great friend of mine who lives in Texas. He's a pastor, and a fellow blogger. Check out his blog here. Thanks Kyle for the guest post!

It's common knowledge that Texas is just plain awesome. What may not be common knowledge is its ability to beat up other states. Recently, the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, made a threat to the United States that Texas may consider seceding from the nation. You can check it out here. So alongside such strong words from the President of Texas, it is with great pleasure that I now present to you 10 Reasons Why Texas can beat up any current state in the USA:
10. Chuck Norris
9. Drunk Cowboys
8. It's just big
7. It used to be its own country
6. Texas has its own state reptile, large mammal, small mammal (which still happens to be huge), flying mammal, and fruit. And oh yeah, it's own power grid.
5. Pecos Bill
4. Texas has at least 2 countries living inside of it- Mexico and the United States.
3. Every day at school, children pledge allegiance to the Texas flag. You too can memorize it, set a reminder on your phone, and recite it every day . . . or else . . .
2. The state flag of Texas is just as big (in many cases bigger) than the flag for the United States of America
1. Chuck Norris lives in Texas and is going to grab Texas by the Panhandle and slap your state off of the map. He actually did this 3 years ago to the state of New Jersey and with Governor Perry's permission they were allowed to rejoin the union.

Camp

Today I left for Stuent Summer Camp. I'm taking 82 Students and 9 leaders to camp. I love camp! It's a great time to hang out and invest in the Students at Waters Edge. I'd love it if you would pray for us as we are at camp. Pray that we will have safe travel, no discipline problems, and mostly that God would move in our Students lives. If you are interested in updates I will be posting them through Twitter. Click here to check it out.

Free Slurpee

One of the Students at Waters Edge Church just texted me and said that 7-11 is giving away free Slurpees today. He said it's the small size. I don't care if it is a small I like free stuff.

Apparently today is 7-11's 82 birthday. To celebrate they are giving away 7.11 ounce Slurpees.

Dillon Tulip is the student who told me about the free Slurpee. If it's not true hate on him and not me. If it is true then show him the love and leave a comment saying what flavor of free Slurpee you got.

You Pick

What are some things that you, the reader, would like to see me, the blogger, blog about? What do you want to see more of. I would love to hear what you would like to read. Let me know.

Monica is gone

My wife, Monica, is gone on a little trip with her family to Philadelphia. She is only gone for a couple of days but I hate it when we are not together. I do fine for the first few hours, but then it gets messy. Here is typically what happens to me while she is gone...

• For some reason whenever Monica goes out of town our phone stops ringing. It rings off the hook when she's here. At first it's nice, but then it's a loud reminder that I'm all alone.
• I do fine by myself, and I even like some alone time, but after a day of not being with her I breakdown in the silence. I often go down the list and call everyone in my cell phone.
• I can't sleep at night. When she's gone I normally watch TV on the couch until I fall asleep. I then drag myself to bed at some point...normally around 2 or 3 in the morning. When I do go to bed I never sleep as well. When she is here I fall right asleep most nights. When she's gone I toss and turn. I also lock the bedroom door when she's gone. I don't know why I do this but always do.
• I often turn to food to cope with her being gone. One time I made a cookie monster dessert. Homemade jumbo cookie with ice cream and chocolate sauce. It was good while it lasted, but as soon as I was done I felt bad that I ate that much.
• I try to pass the time by watching TV or movies that I like, but I know she doesn't enjoy. One time when she was gone I watched 24 hours of a season of 24. Around hour 15 I tried to stop but I just couldn't.
• I always try to think of things I can do to be productive while she's gone. For some reason my mind turns to mush whenever she is away and I can't think of anything to do.

The last couple of times she went out of town I made plans to hang out with other people. It helped curve me eating the loneliness away...and the addiction to TV. It didn't help my sleep. I know all of this sounds pathetic, but I just love my wife.

TobyMac in Concert

When I was in fifth grade I fell in love with the band DC Talk. I didn't just love their music their songs helped shape my views on God. TobyMac was the front-man for DC Talk and he is now a successful solo artist. I recently saw him in concert at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg VA. It was a great show.

Above: Brandon Heath opened the concert

Song you should download: Give Me Your Eyes
Above: American Idol Finalist Mandisa.

Song you should download: Christmas Makes Me Cry

Above: TobyMac putting on a great show

Songs you should download: I'm For You, The Slam, Gone, Jesus Freak...

just go out and buy his whole album!

Portable Sounds is on sale now for $5 at Lifeway Christian Bookstore.

Reading Machine

My wife reads like a machine. Have you ever seen a movie where a robot digests a book by feverishly flipping through the pages retaining every word they scan? That's my wife. She read 3, count em, 3 Twilight books in three days. She's on the fourth now, which is the size of two encyclopedias. She will have read that one before the day is over. That's not all. She has read 7 books in 7 days.

Since May I have read 1 1/2 books. I read Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel and I'm reading Samson and the Pirate Monks by Nate Larkin. I love both books. They are both very challenging and refreshingly honest. I recommend them. I'm not a machine reader so I have to force myself to read. I read a little bit everyday. Five days a week, before I get ready, I read a book that challenges me spiritually. I then spend a few minutes reading the Bible. If I don't force myself to read I won't do it.

So how about you...are you a reader? If so do you read like a machine or are you slow and steady?

Movie Review - The Proposal

The romantic comedy formula is often imitated in chick flicks. Girl meets boy and they fall in love. In the middle of the movie there is a conflict and they break up. They then get back together and live happily ever after. It's a formula that works if you have the right characters and enough humor to keep the guys interested. It's an awful formula if you don't.

The Proposal works the romantic comedy formula perfectly. It has a love story that makes the girls go ahhh, and the comedy to make the guys not want gauge their eyes out during the movie.

The Proposal stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Sandra is a hard nosed boss who is about to be deported back to Canada. In a slick move to escape deportation she convinces her assistant to marry her. Hilarity ensues.

It's rated PG-13 for a few swears and a brief almost nude scene of Sandra and Ryan. You don't see any parts of the body that should be covered with the bathing suit, but they are both nude when slam into each other by accident. 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.

Mind Dump

My brain feels constipated with thoughts. I need to get them out. The following is a brain dump of all the random stuff going on in my head.

• I had a great 4th of July Weekend. I didn't have to work Thursday or Friday, so me and my wife took some friends to her parents river house. It was fun.
• I did have to work on the fourth because I had to make sure my talk was ready for Sunday.
• I spoke at my church, Waters Edge, yesterday.
• It was my first time speaking since we've opened our new building.
• I felt good about the services at Waters Edge on Sunday. Lead Pastor, Stu Hodges, was on vacation. I definitely missed having him around.
• I did make a little girl cry because I mentioned in my talk that I used to believe in Santa Clause. I'm sure I'm going to hear about this one. I never said that Santa wasn't real, but apparently she was crushed.
• The river house doesn't have cable so I didn't know that Ron Artest became a Laker until yesterday. This is crazy. He is a great player who may be psycho. If anyone can keep him in check it's Phil Jackson. If you'll remember Phil coached Dennis Rodman to three championships in Chicago. We did lose Trevor Ariza to free agency. He was a HUGE part of the Lakers championship.
• My sister, Sarah, and her family are in town. They live in Ohio. It's always fun to see them.
• She has two really cute kids. She also has a blog. Click here to check it out.
• My sisters husband Scott has a blog. He updates almost everyday. I enjoy his blog. Check it out by clicking here.
• Went on a double date with Sarah and Scott last night. Went to see the movie "The Proposal" Look for the review later today.
• Monica and I booked our first cruise. Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before. Everyone tells us it's amazing, so I can't wait. The only thing that makes me nervous is the thought of sleeping on the bottom deck. I saw the movie Titanic and when the boat goes down they lock the gate to the bottom deck so no one can get out. Those people don't stand a chance. I don't know where our room is but I'm hoping it's not on the bottom deck.
• I leave for camp a week from today. I love camp. This year we are taking 82 students. It is one of my favorite weeks of the year, and I can't wait to go.
• Pizza Hut has a new BIG $5 menu. The commercials makes it look good. I'm going to try to eat there some time soon.
• I'm hoping to get the new Hillsong United CD soon. I love Hillsong's style of worship.
• I talked to one of my students at Waters Edge, who I've known for a year now. He asked me what I did for a living. I laughed. He was serious. So I told him I worked at Waters Edge Church. He then asked if that was a full time job. I explained to him all that I do and then told him the amount of hours the staff at Waters Edge works. He was blown away. It amazes me how many people are shocked that working at a church is a full time job. It's funny to me that they come every week and see the service and it never dawns on them that someone had to work their butt off to pull it off. I love that though, because it's a sign that many of the people coming to Waters Edge don't have a fat clue how churches work. They've never been to church before so they have never thought about it being a job. I love that.
• Tonight is my last night with my current Adult Community Group. A Community Group is a small group who meets weekly for to share life, and discuss the Bible. I've been with this group for over a year now. It's always a little sad to end a group, but at the same time it's exciting because it means we get to start a new group.

Whew. I feel better now that all of that is out.

Happy Fourth of July Weekend

Tomorrow is the 4th of July. Yeah America!

Question: What other countries have the 4th of July?

If you said none then you are incorrect.

Answer: All other countries have July 4th, but it's a holiday in America because we celebrate our Independence.

But did you know that Denmark also celebrates the holiday? According to Wiki "Denmark is the other notable country that celebrates July 4th, owing to a famous Danish-American, Max Henius who lived there and donated land specifically to Danish-American relations." Huh. Who knew?

For this fourth of July weekend I'm going out of town to hang out with some friends. I then have to come back on Saturday (the 4th) to work on my talk for this coming Sunday at Waters Edge. It's written, but I have to do some re-writes and memorize it. So what are you doing for the 4th of July?

Have you seen this?

Aaron Shutway, and eighth grader from Ohio, made a trick basketball shot that is amazing. It was featured on SportsCenter. In fact it was the play of the month for June. Side note: I'm a little bitter it beat out Derek Fisher's three in the Finals for the Lakers. Derek came in second place for the play of the month. If you haven't seen it then enjoy.

Waters Edge

I love my church. Last night a friend of mine texted me to tell me that Waters Edge landed in the top 100 churches for Youth Baptism for 2008. 97 to be exact. The only other church that made the list in Virginia was Liberty Baptist.

Baptism is an outward sign of what God is doing in a person's life. To find out more about baptism click here.

It's exciting to me, not because we made a list, but because it represents life change. I hope God always uses Waters Edge to make a difference in teenagers lives.

I'm bringing honor back

I think honor is a lost art in America. In an attempt to be funny we have turned everything from the President, to Pope into a joking matter. Nothing is sacred anymore. There are a few things that I try really hard to honor. I try to show honor to my wife. I try to respect her and honor her in the way I talk to her and about her. I also try to show honor to my pastor. He is one of the hardest working men I've ever met. But he's not just my pastor he's also my boss. I think that even if you have an awful boss you should honor them. If you can't leave your job. Anyway I think that we should show honor where honor is due. Here is a list of people that I think should be honored.

1. Teachers
2. The person who came up with the phrase "Righty tighty, lefty loosey." That person has saved millions of people a lot of time and effort when trying to loosen bolts, turn off faucets, and twist soda caps.
3. Police
4. Firemen
5. Church Volunteers
6. The inventor of toilet paper - at one time the world used shells. Shells I say.
7. Anyone over the age of 65
8. Parents
9. The inventor of DVR
10. The Military

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

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

Whenever I give criticism I try to give solutions to make it better. It doesn't do any good to just criticize (even if it's constructive) without giving suggestions to make it better. I don't always succeed, but I do try. Last week I gave the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen a less than favorable review. The following are my suggestions on how it could have been a much better movie.

• Lose the whole "Fallen" plot. That includes the history of Transformers being around since the beginning of time, the old Transformer that has a cane, and the Fallen being some leader in space.
• Instead start the movie with the Decepticons finding a way to resurrect Megatron. Once they succeed they start wiping out humans left and right.
• The Autobots then respond to this challenge. Cool battles ensue.
• Kill off the two military guys (Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson). No one would see this coming. One of the things that I think the movie lacked was real suspense. This would add to that.
• Responding to the military guys death the Autobots win the battle, but the Decepticons woman-nap Mikaela (Megan Fox) as they flee.
• At this point you have to develop a plot. I think the plot should be built around Sam (Shia Labeouf). It could be a coming of age movie where he learns to be a leader in order to save the woman he loves. He doesn't want to grow up but he has to because of the conflict.
• In the meantime the Decepticons are building the ultimate robot, Devastator.
• Throw in a couple of battles to keep the fan boys happy.
• You end the movie with a HUGE battle. During this battle Optimus Prime is struck down and presumed to be dead. Sam saves Mikaela, but loses Optimus.
• The movie ends. It's called Revenge of the Fallen. It plays like Empire Strikes Back. The bad guys win. This builds a reason to make another one. It leaves the audience wanting more. It gives the movie substance and not just flashy special affects.

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

North vs. South

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

My wife was Jesus

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

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

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

Michael Jackson

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

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

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

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

What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?

Contest

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

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

Movie Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

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

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

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

Rob's Rating System: Two Thumbs up = I loved it, worth paying full price, and I will own it on DVD.
One Thumb up = An OK movie, worth a matinee showing, and I may buy it on DVD if I see it in the $5 bin.
Thumb to the side = Wait and rent it. I wouldn't be mad if someone gave me this DVD, but I wouldn't buy it.
Thumbs down = I hated it, wish I wouldn't have wasted money on it, wouldn't own it on DVD.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nick Names

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

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

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

Boys Don't Look

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

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

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

Happy Padres Day

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

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

Thanks Dad for taking an interest. Happy Padres Day.

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

Lifehouse with NeedtoBreathe

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

Pictured Above: NeedtoBreathe rocking out.

Song you may have heard: More Time

Song you should download: Signature of the Divine

Pictured Above: Danielle and the brothers of NeedtoBreathe.

I was proud of Danielle.

She stepped up her stalking game (to hang with Rob and Jamey)

in order to meet the band.

Pictured Above: Jamey. He kind of looks

photo shopped in but he isn't.

Pictured Above: Rob with two of

the members of NeedtoBreathe

Pictured Above: Lifehouse.

Songs you may have heard: Hanging by a Moment, You and Me, First Time

Song you should download: Broken

Warm and Fuzzy Memories with Rob

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

Back to the Warm and Fuzzy Memory...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meet Jessie

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

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

If I Spoke At A Graduation

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

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

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

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

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken: Part 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concluded.

Hammer Dance

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

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken: Part 4

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued...

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken: Part 3

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued...

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken: Part 2

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

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

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

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

To be continued...

Does Jesus Taste Like Chicken? Part 1

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

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

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

To be continued...

Mind Dump

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

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

Teenage Mutant Ninja...Frog

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

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

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

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

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

Pictured Above: Rob having a stare down with the frog

5 Good Questions

And now it's time for 5 Good Questions...

1. What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it's all about?
2. What happens when you spell I cup out loud?
3. What does PU stand for (as in "PU, that stinks!")?
4. Why do people think that swaying their arm back and forth would change the direction of a bowling ball?
5. Is there a time limit on fortune cookie predictions?

Here's how you play. Answer the previous 5 Good Questions in the comment section. At some point in the future Rob will decide which person answered the best and declare a winner.

Swine Flu After Effects

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

Process

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

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

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

A Blast From My Past

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

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

Pictured Above: My first Lakers t-shirt.

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