Mind Dump

It's been brewing for a while. The following is a massive mind dump of all the random stuff going on in my head...

• 2010 is rounding the corner to the end of it's existence.  According to the documentary, Back to the Future II, we now have less than five years to invent flying cars, hoverboards, and self tying tennis shoes. I just hope that by 2015 someone invents an ironing board that doesn't squeal like a banshee every time you set it up.  Awful.
• "That's what she said" has changed the way I speak and write.  Thanks to, Michael Scott from, "The Office" that joke is said so often I now think defensively against it. Whenever I write an email, blog, twitter, or speak in public my mind filters the things I say so I don't set someone up to say "that's what she said." It's not easy. In fact it's really hard.
• That's what she said.
• I love that the NBA season started this week. Love it!
• The NBA needs to make West Coast games start earlier. There is no way the NBA will ever catch the NFL's popularity if they don't make games come on earlier. I tried to stay up for the Lakers season opener and I just couldn't do it. The first quarter didn't start till 11:00 PM.
• I'm still really enjoying the book, "Sun Stand Still" by Steven Furtick. It's practical, and it inspires me to live audaciously.
• So the San Francisco Giants are in the World Series and they are winning? I remember watching them in the World Series when an earth quake hit. That was a crazy thing.
• I'm pulling for Texas to come back and win the World Series. We lived near the stadium for two years.  We went to a game when A-Rod was with them.
• Today is the deadline to sign up for a volunteer exclusive event at Waters Edge. We are recording our very first CD with Phil Poteat and the Waters Edge Band. It's going to be a night of epic proportions. If you volunteer at WEC you can register here.
• I was asked recently what the best movies of the last few years were. It was really hard for me to think of a list of great movies. There have been some good ones, but in my opinion there's only a few great movies.  My favorites are The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, The Blindside, and Iron Man. What about you? What great movies would you list from the last 3 years?
• I'm getting a hair cut today. I like a hair cut, but I just hate going to get one. It feels like a waste of time to me. Even though it only takes 15 to 20 minutes I'd rather do something else. I guess once I go bald I won't have to think about hair cuts any more. 
• I love when people leave comments on my blog. I think it's my love language. I hope the new comment system has made it easier. There certainly are more people leaving comments, so I hope so. 
• I have the privilege of speaking this weekend at Waters Edge. We moved our Sunday evening services to Saturday night for one time only.  I hope people actually show up on Sat. night. 
• This week Monica and I hosted Mr. Anderson and his wife Kristi. They were here to find a home. They did, so he starts his new job at Waters Edge on November 8th. Can you dig it?!!?
• Mr. Anderson is going to be the Community Group Manager. He's going to help take Adult Community Groups to a whole notha level.
• Kristi Anderson introduced us to something called miracle mud. I can't wait to A. try this out. And B. blog about it.
• So I'm painting a ceiling today. Apparently the people who built my home didn't prime the bathroom ceiling before they put the popcorn crud on it.  We paid someone to paint our ceilings and as soon as paint hit the popcorn it crumbled.  We (I say we because my good friend Dan Peters is going to help me) have to scrape off the popcorn crud, prime it, and then paint it.  It took Michelangelo (no not the Ninja Turtle) 4 years to paint the Sistine Chapel. I'm hoping it doesn't take me that long.  
• By the way my house is for sale. I feel like we've done a great job at taking care of the house God has blessed us with. It's going to be a little sad to sell it.  
• Some of the Students in my Student Community Group were talking about how sad/weird it will be to meet at another house. For some of them they've been at my lil house every Wednesday for the last 3 years.
• God made it so birds can fly and humans can't. I wish He would have at least made it so that birds can't poop while they fly. They are like flying weapons. I think they poop on things just to remind humans that we can't fly up there to catch em.  Luckily for us God gave man the ability to invent guns. I kid I kid.
• There are some amazing cooks in this world. Many people have brought food by since Monica is on bed rest. A-MAZING!
• Monica is doing ok. She is feeling better and having less problems which is great. She's a little bummed about missing so much time in her classroom. She is teaching kindergarten for the first time and hates that she can't be there. I'm praying she can go back to work soon.

Whew...I feel better now.

I Am Blessed

There is a fun group game that we call visual telephone. I'm not sure if that's the official name, but it's ha-larious. The game involves writing a noun, players interpreting that noun, and then drawing the interpretation of that noun. So if the first noun is Rob it ends up being something crazy like ninja billy goat.  It's a lot of fun.

One of the last times I played the noun I was given was, "we are blessed." Two observations...1. I'm not great at grammar but I'm pretty sure that's not a noun. 2. How in the wide world of sports do you draw we are blessed? It ended up being pirate booty. Like I said it's a lot of fun.

Now I may not have a fat clue how to draw "we are blessed," but I do feel blessed. This week Monica and I have been blessed by so many people.  We have had tons of food provided, a year subscription to Netflix given to us, and we were given multiple gift cards. People have been going above and beyond to show us love. Monica is on bed rest and it has equaled the best food I've eaten, lots of company, and loads of encouraging words.

The love people have showered on us has overwhelmed me. It's helped lift my spirits. Last week I posted about dealing with some depression. Having all this loved poured on us has led me to feel like my old self again.  Just knowing that people are praying for us and for our babies means the world to me. I am blessed.

Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Halloween Sluts?

What are you going to be for Halloween? That's a question that gets asked a lot around this time of year.  According to multiple students, and some parents, one of the top answers high school girls give to that question is, "I'm going to be a slutty _____.  A slutty nurse, a slutty school girl, a slutty army soldier, and even a slutty, I don't know what I am, are some of the costumes students are baring for Halloween.  The key is to find a costume and make it slutty.

Now the following is not me being judgmental. The worth of the person isn't changed by what they wear. However, I am making a judgment. You say, "what's the difference?" I say, "the difference is I'm not questioning the worth of the people involved." There are lots of things in this life that we should make judgments about. For example I know a lot of people like to snort liquor and drink crack, but I've made a judgment call to abstain because of personal convictions.  You make judgements about lots of things. Whether or not to overeat, exercise, watch hours of TV, or look both ways before crossing the street are all judgment calls that you can make.  In this life it is wise to look at a situation and then make a judgment based on how you think it will affect your life. If it affects your life in a negative way then it's not best for you. It doesn't change a person's worth if they disagree with you. I'm simply making an observation and giving some alternative options. If a person doesn't agree with me I still feel like they have worth and value.

The definition of a slut is
a. A person, especially a woman, considered sexually promiscuous.


b. A woman prostitute.

2. A slovenly woman; a slattern.

I'm just not sure that's what any girl should want to represent. I don't even know what a slattern is, but it doesn't sound respectable.  I know they are just having fun. I know they don't see themselves as that. In fact I know some great girls who have vowed to save themselves for marriage and are still representing something slutty for Halloween.  I know that it's perceived to be cute. I know many teenagers will disagree with me, but I just think that there are other options.
 
I know I'm old school in thinking but I believe that if it's not on the menu you shouldn't advertise it. In other words if your not a slut don't represent one. Sure you could say the same thing about being a bum for Halloween. I mean nobody aspires to be a bum, but dressing as a bum doesn't cause guys to think impure thoughts.  With so many options out there for girls I wish more of them would not use Halloween as an excuse to dress slutty. Some things just shouldn't be seen by everyone. What are your thoughts?

You Can't Shake Me

Yesterday was another Dr.'s appointment that had some good news and some scary news. The good news is that we heard both our twins heartbeats. The bad news is the Dr. labeled Monica as a threatened miscarriage.  The Dr. said that 95% of the time what Monica has doesn't lead to a miscarriage, but he seemed concerned about her. In fact this was the first time they didn't give us pictures from the ultrasound.  We have to go to the Dr. once a week now to check on the babies, and Monica is on bed rest until an undetermined date. 

The roller coaster of emotions hasn't been easy to ride.  I know that compared to many we have nothing to complain about. We are blessed, but I'm tired. I'm tired of being scared that we might lose our babies. I haven't met them yet, but I feel a love for them that compels me to worry for their safety.  I'm tired of feeling helpless. I'm tired of hurting for Monica. I'm tired of all the scares. Scares that have led to tears, prayers, and more scares.  I'm tired of fighting the fear that comes with Monica on bed rest. If she can't go back to work we are docked her pay. I'm tired of not having a reason or a cause for Monica's problem. The Dr. said that he's now concerned for Monica's health. I'm tired of worrying about how I can't live without her.  I'm tired of not being able to fix this. I'm tired.

I'm tired, but I'm not shaken. I will not waiver in my faith in God. This world can hit me with it's best shot and I will still have lived a blessed life. I am loved by God. I am loved by God. I am loved by an amazing God.  A God who led me to the love of my life. A God who has a plan for my life. A God who is the giver of life.  A God who has surrounded me with people who show us such love and support that I don't dare question His love. I may worry. I may struggle. I may cry my eyes out, but this world can't shake me.  YOU CAN'T SHAKE ME from believing that I am loved by God!

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - The Apostle Paul, Romans 8:38-39.

Rocky - The Musical

I never noticed that Rocky Balboa had a musical. That all changed last week.

I'm a big fan of the Rocky movie franchise. When we went to Philadelphia I had a CD with the Rocky theme ready. It played on repeat as we drove around the city. One of my goals in life was to run the museum steps that were made famous in Rocky I and II.  I ran them both times I went to Philly.  I own all six of the movies and will watch them at least once a year.

Last week I had the privilege to watch Rocky IV.  It's probably my favorite in the Rocky series. As I watched it I couldn't help but notice something that I had never noticed before. There are a ton of musical montages in the movie. Now most movies have a musical montage. It's where a song is played as the actors do something. It could be a flashback scene. It could happen when the hero of the movie turns things around. Or in Rocky's case it could be as he trains for a big fight.  You may have never noticed it before, but the next time you watch a movie I'll bet that there will be a music montage of some sort. 

Rocky IV has 6 music montages. I think that constitutes it as a musical. They are all awesome, but it is a lot of musical montages. There's the beginning of the movie where "Eye of the Tiger" plays. There's Apollo Creed's fight entrance to Living in America by James Brown. There's the epic flashback scene, the arrival in Russia and two, count em, two training montages. Finally there is the classic theme that plays during the final fight scene of the movie.  If you are a fan then you'll appreciate and remember the following...

Leave A Comment

I've heard from multiple people that they've tried to leave a comment at robshep.com but for whatever reason they couldn't. So I downloaded a new comment system. I hope it makes things easier.

This is where you come in. Will you leave a comment and let me know if leaving one was easy or not. If what I have is not as good as what I had I'll change it back. Oh if you've never left a comment before I'd love to know who you are. Tell me your name and where you are from. Thanks in advance.

Mind Dump

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

• I was passed by a mini-van that had the fake wood paneling on the side. Do you remember those? Now two thoughts came to my mind when I was passed by this van...1. how slow was I going to be passed by a mini-van from the 80's. 2. who ever thought it was a good idea to put fake wood paneling on a van?
• While jogging the other night I passed an elderly guy who was walking his dog. Now the reason this is getting mentioned on the blog is because this elderly guy was wearing a flashlight on his head, and he was looking for his dogs poop so he could scoop it into a plastic bag.  I giggle whenever I see people scooping their dogs poo into a plastic bag, but the site of this guy with the flashlight on his head was very humorous. 
• Last week I posted about lima beans. My wife loves succotash which is lima beans mixed with corn. I forgot to add the following to that blog post. If a food wants me to eat it then it can't have the word suck in it. Granted it's spelled slightly different, but I still ain't eating it.
• This week Waters Edge hosted a House Party. It was the biggest House Party ever. Now after the House Party I form new Community Groups with the info that people provide on their info cards.  I put the groups together with the help of Josh Wilson, Director of Administration.  After looking at one of the info cards Josh said...and I quote..."this guy said he came to the House Party with Anita Group." After he said it I thought that it sounded like something out of a Bart Simpson prank. There is no way another person has the name Anita Group. If you don't get it then let me fill you in...it sounds like "I need a group."  Whoever put that on their info card is pretty witty. 
• Halloween is a week from this Sunday. Are you a fan? Will you dress up as anything?
• Speaking of Halloween vote for your favorite candy on the new survey at robshep.com.
• I think I'm going to jog a 5k on Thanksgiving. I've been jogging 3 miles and it actually is becoming a little easier.
• I bought new jogging shoes last week.  I also bought some jogging socks.Did you know that you are not supposed to jog in cotton socks? I don't know what the difference is but I figured if I'm going to do it I might as well try to be like the pros.
• You might have noticed, but I don't call what I do running. It's seriously jogging. It's a little faster than a power walk, but I'm pretty sure a two year old or an elderly person who doesn't need a walker could catch me. 
• Last night on my way home from the Redbox I saw a lady crouching in the middle of my street. As I drove past her I saw that she was scooting a dead squirrel out of the street and she was using a stick. I really wanted to ask her why she was doing that.
• Next week Mr. Anderson will be in the 757. Mr. Anderson is the brand new Community Group Manager at Waters Edge Church! He is an answer to prayer and I can't wait to start working with him. He's coming with his wife Kristi to look for a place to live.
• Speaking of a place to live we are selling our townhouse. It's really hard to think about not living here. We've lived her for 5 years and it's the first house that we bought.
• If you are looking for a local realtor we've been really pleased with Dan Peters of Creed Realty. He's gone above and beyond!

Valley God

I think that most of us have a limited view of God. I think we underestimate His love for us. I think we underestimate His jealousy. God wants our hearts, minds, and devotion; and He's jealous when we give it to something else.  I think we underestimate God because we see Him with a limited perspective. 

I recently read a passage in the Bible that grabbed my attention.  Israel is at war with another nation. They are outnumbered vastly. God speaks through a prophet and says, "Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord." - 1 Kings 20:28.

God acts on Israel's behalf because an army that attacked them viewed God as a God of the hills and not the valleys.  This nation had a limited view on God and they suffered for it. Similarly we suffer when we limit our perspective of God. God is not a God of the good times only. He's still God during the hard times. God is God who cares about us. He cares about our needs, wants and desires. God is a God who is faithful. God is a God who passionately wants a relationship with us. 

For me it's easy to remember that God is good when I'm on the hills. In other words it's easy to remember that God is good when my life is good. But God is good when I'm in the valley just as much as when I'm on the hill. God is still in control. God is a valley God just as much as He is a hill God. 

I Want The Old Rob Back

For the last four weeks I've been struggling with depression.  I'm not sure what triggered it. If you read robshep.com regularly you'll remember that it was about four weeks ago that I started jogging outside. Coincidence? I don't think so, but I do hate jogging. 

The strange thing about it is that nothing has triggered it. No one has hurt me. No thoughts are keeping me up at night. Nothing has changed with my schedule. I'm still eating Chipotle once a week.

I first noticed it when I had lost my passion and motivation to blog. Normally ideas come somewhat quickly to me but I went a whole week wrestling to get blog posts up. I think that depression can manifest itself in various ways and one sign can be a loss of passion or motivation. 

Since then it has randomly hit while I was at work, at Community Group, or even just at home by myself. It doesn't seem to last for long periods of time, but it has been consistent enough that I know I want some help. I want the old Rob back. 

I scheduled an appointment with a Christian counselor. Our first appointment is next week. I think talking about it will help. I talked with my pastor about it on Monday and since then it has been a lot better.  I don't know if it has been triggered by the emotional roller coaster that I've been on with Monica's pregnancy. It's been filled with intense excitement and multiple scares.  I don't know if it has been caused by stress of my job. I don't know if it's from carrying the burden of the multiple people that I have counseled.  I don't even know if I'll get any answers, but I'm excited to meet with a Christian counsel to see what they say. 

My Life Would Suck Without You

On my jog last night my iPod was set on shuffle and the Kelly Clarkson song, "My Life Would Suck Without You" came on. Yes I have some Kelly Clarkson on my iPod and no I'm not too prideful to admit it. I like some of her music. I digress.

While listening to the chorus of that song I couldn't help but think of how my life would literally suck without God.  Now I have a lot of great things in my life. In fact most days I love my life! I feel I live a charmed life, but without God it would suck.

I don't remember a lot from my Greek classes in Seminary, but I do remember the word "skubala." Skubala means poop, but it's more equivalent to the the vulgar term that rhymes with spit. As a kid I heard another kid tell a joke with this word in it..."Shhh it's around the corner." Now this isn't a word that I use. I don't even feel comfortable writing the joke that makes two words form this word. 

The context of this word comes from Paul's letter to the Philippians. He wrote, " What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." The word that is translated rubbish is actually a nicer version of this word. The point is that Paul was saying that he considers everything in his life poo compared to knowing Christ. He had accomplished a lot of great things, but they are skubala compared to knowing Jesus. In other words his life would have sucked without God. 

I'm not trying to preach in this blog. I just couldn't help but write about it. Last night while jogging I was overwhelmed with the blessing of having God in my life. Without him my life would suck...or if you prefer it'd be skubala. 

How to Make Your Man Better Part 2: Guest Blogger Monica Shepherd

Last Wednesday, Rob posted a blog on How to Make Your Man Better. Since I believe so much in this topic and it received so much feedback, I thought I would follow up with a guest blog about respecting your husband. Rob discussed how men desire and crave respect, but that some women have a very hard time respecting their man. "A respecting wife inspires her husband to greatness. A disrespecting wife is like a swift kick to the crotch."
In the comment section of the original blog, Lindsey asked for a top 10 list of ways to respect your husband, so here it goes!

1. Pray for your husband every chance you get. Pray that he would pursue God, make wise decisions, and have the energy to love you well! I always ask Rob about his day each morning so I know exactly how to pray for him during the day. If he has a Sunday programming meeting, I pray he has creativity. If he has a counseling appointment, I pray God would give him wisdom.

2. Tell him every time he does something well! Even if it is something small like unloading the dishwasher, thank him and make sure he feels appreciated. Believe it or not, it propels him to continue doing things for you! If it is something big at work, avoid negativity and find the good to encourage him with. Rob's love language (how he feels the most loved) is words of affirmation. Don't get me wrong, we give constructive criticism, but it is well received because we pour on the compliments as well. We are each other's biggest fan.

3. Never bad mouth him to your friends or family. This does not mean you are fake if you have a frustration or problem. If you have an issue with him, communicate it with him, not everyone else! It will not get better if you do not talk to him about it fairly. There is nothing more disrespectful for any relationship than to bring it to others before you bring it to the person directly involved.

4. When communicating to your spouse, avoid using the words never and always. The chances of him "always" doing something or "never" doing something are slim. Even if that is how you feel, you have to fight fair. A better way to say something is, "The last two times this happened, I feel like you...." Wait until the 2nd or 3rd time this thing that "always" happens occurs, and communicate fairly and timely to avoid it becoming a bigger issue. Respect him by communicating reasonably. When I conference with parents, I don't just dump everything on the table bluntly. Why would I do this with the man I love?

5. Tell him you love him every chance you get.

6. Tell him how proud you are of him as a husband, father, employee, whatever! Find something to celebrate!

7. Be creative in how you show him that you love him. This is different, and often better, than just saying I love you. I have sent Rob cards at work, flowers, made a picnic of his favorite foods, surprised him with trips and sporting event tickets, and bought him little presents. This leads him to do the same for me and it just perpetuates the cycle! Whenever he surprises me with flowers or something at school, my principal still asks what he did wrong, but that's the whole point of this! We don't wait for something to be wrong!

8. Communication and creativity also play a role in the bedroom! Both are necessary and make for a much healthier relationship! You might not think it's related to respect, but you'd be surprised!

9. Take an interest in what he is interested in! He won't look for other people to share things with if he can share them with you! Before college I could not name a single Laker player besides Magic Johnson. Now, I can name the entire team, all of their past all-stars, and I wear jerseys to the games! I also love watching SportsCenter and PTI now, which started because they were a big part of Rob's life! I don't belittle his hobbies or interests, and this shows that I respect him.

10. Ask him how you can be a better wife or how you can show him more respect. Every person feels loved in different ways, so your spouse's love language might not be listed here. Ask him! He'll be impressed you care! Warning- if you ask him, be prepared to follow through!

It is just as important for the husband to cherish the wife. Wives respecting their husbands is not a one way street, but it does make it a million times easier for your husband to cherish you if you are trying the list above. Finally, tell him what you need! Husbands can't read minds and shouldn't be expected to. That's all.

An Update About Jogging

So a month ago I posted about how I hate jogging outside. I asked readers to convince me to give it another chance. They did and so I've been jogging 3 to 5 times a week ever since.  I still hate it.

Two weeks ago my knee swelled up like a hemorrhoid on a old person or pregnant woman...take your pick. There wasn't any pain in my knee but it swelled nice and big.  Out of all my years of running on an elliptical I've never had any knee problems.  I will say however that it has gotten easier. I will also say that I do enjoy the challenge of pushing myself to see how far I can go. On Tuesday I went over 3 miles for the first time in my life. 

The following are some interesting things that I've noticed since I started jogging...

• The first mile is still hard. It's no longer hard because my lungs feel like they are going to explode, but it is hard because I feel like at any moment my legs will give out from under me. One night it was so bad I thought I was going to have to crawl to a strangers house and beg them to let me use their phone to call my wife so she could pick me up. That would have been ha-larious...after the matter. Can you imagine if a fat white guy, who you didn't know, and who looked like he was about to die, crawled up to your doorstep and asked to use the phone?
• I jog in my neighborhood and certain sections have their own smell.  There is one section that smells like lovely lady perfume. Now lovely lady is not a brand but a thought I have. It smells like a lovely old lady who put way too much perfume on. She's nice and the smell isn't bad, but it slaps you in the face.  There is also the dryer sheet smell. I don't know why it's so strong or consistent, but one corner always smells like someone is drying clothes. There is also a section that smells like a gas leak, and an occasional dog poo smell.
• After the first mile something kicks in and my body stops hurting. From there it's just a mental game where I have to convince myself to keep going instead of going home to watch TV.
• It's easier on me to jog at night then in the morning. I don't know why, but I can go farther if I go at night.
• I like jogging to slower music more than I do upbeat music. I tried this the other day and it helped me keep my pace slower. A slower pace has allowed me to go farther.
• I sweat a lot. So much so that I've been thinking about carrying around a sweat towel.
• When I burp I get discouraged. For some reason I feel like a burp pushes me backwards and slows me down. I know it doesn't, but I think that I feel this way because it's the opposite of how I feel when I poot. 

Well that's it for this jogging update. For all you joggers who read my blog...if you have any suggestions for some new jogging shoes I'm going to get some this weekend.  Let me know what you like.

I Think Seth Godin Hates Me

Now I know what the title of this blog is, but I don't really think that Seth Godin hates me. I did however have an interesting interaction with him last week at Catalyst. I was blessed with the opportunity to host a VIP luncheon with Seth Godin. Now if you are not familiar with Seth he is a blogging master, genius writer, and thinks on a whole notha level.  Below is my brief conversation with Seth...

Rob: Hi Seth, my name is Rob and I'll be hosting you for this luncheon.
Seth: What does that mean?
Rob: (nervously) um...it just means that I will be facilitating questions to you.
Seth: You broke the first rule in catering.

Time out: Now I had nothing to do with the food at this event. I felt bad that a catering rule was broken, and because I was hosting I decided to take responsibility...even though I had nothing to do with the food. Time in:

Rob: What's the first rule?
Seth: Never put the food table against a wall. It slows things down because people can't go on both sides of the table.
Rob: That's a good rule. I'm sorry about that.
Seth: (nothing but silence)
Rob: Now Seth, can I get you some food or are you going to eat later?
Seth: I don't eat.

He then walked away and that was the end of our conversation. I'm not sure what his last statement even means. I mean does he truly never eat? Surely that's not the case. But if he does eat then what did he mean by his statement? Now you need to understand that I get really nervous around guys I look up to because I have a tendency to say really dumb things. After analyzing our conversation I don't think I said anything dumb around him, but when it was over I couldn't help but laugh at our interaction.  I love Seth's blog and his books are incredibly influential. If you haven't read anything of his you should check it out immediately. And if you ever happen to host a lunch with him make sure you don't break the number one rule in catering.

How To Make Your Man Better

A lot of women marry an idiot.  Maybe it's just men in general, but it seems like women have a hard time respecting their husbands.  Now when a woman has a hard time respecting her husband her first response is to nag him, or put him down. 

I recently heard a story from pastor and author, Craig Groeschel.  He was counseling a couple with his wife. The wife they were counseling kept belittling and disrespecting her husband. Finally it got so bad Craig's wife remarked that the issue the couple was having was a direct result of the way the woman was talking to her husband.  The woman responded by saying, "maybe if my husband was half the man as yours I wouldn't have to talk to him like that." Craig's wife responded with, "maybe my husband is the man he is because of the way I respect him." Now I put that in quotes, but it was written from memory. It's what I remember him saying, but there is a chance that it's not an exact quote. 

I loved what Craig's wife said. I love that she respects him and it helps make him a great man. I think there is so much truth in what she said. I don't know why God wired men to desire and crave respect, but we do. A wife thinks she's helping her husband when she nags or puts him down, but it's the opposite. A respecting wife inspires her husband to greatness. A disrespecting wife is like a swift kick to the crotch. So if you have a man help respect him to greatness.

I can say with confidence that I wouldn't be the man I am if my wife wasn't amazing! I praise God for her.

Bowlin'

It's no secret that I have a men crush on Tripp and Tyler.  I guess it'd be more proper to say I have a man crush on both Tripp and Tyler.  I think they are funny. I recently got to enjoy some of their videos at Catalyst. They helped emcee this great conference and as usual they were ha-larious. Their latest creation is an ode to bowl cuts. It features Chris Tomlin and has a cameo from my friend, Chad Johnson (no not the football player).  Enjoy...

Sufferin Succotash

I am not a picky eater. I like to think I'm selective. I know what I like and I eat what I like. I will try a bite of just about any food, even if it looks gross. To prove my point I ate a chicken heart in Brazil.  It was gross.

There is one food that I've never tasted, but I know it's gag nasty.  Lima beans are my kryptonite.  Now I've never tasted lima beans because of an incident that happened when I was a little pune. When I was a kid my parents created a "new" rule. I was in third grade and the rule came out of no where. My parents said that if we didn't clean our plate we couldn't eat dessert.  On the first night of this experiment of rules my parents tested us by serving lima beans.  They also had an amazing dessert.  Being the middle child I have the benefit of learning from my older sister's mistakes. She dove in, plugged her nose, and choked down the lima beans.  With a fork in my hand I was about to try my first lima when my sister PUKED a satanic spew of lima nasty beans all over the table. On that day I swore off lima beans forever. 

Last night my wife made succotash.  She loves lima beans but rarely eats them because she knows, like garlic to a vampire, the smell will kill me.  Succotash is lima beans mixed with corn.  She tried hard last night to get me to taste just one lima, but I couldn't do it. I've never thrown up. Never! I've never been sick to my stomach and I've never hugged a toilet. I know that if I eat one of those satanic beans I'll stark puking like a demon possessed girl in the Exorcist.  I think everyone has a vegetable that acts like kryponite.  What's yours?

Robshep.com Coming to New Year's at Times Square

Some friends of mine recently went to New York City for vacation. We will call these friends Brian and Steph.  We will call them that because that's their names.  They explored the historic sites. They ate the yummy food. They not only were on, but got to meet Regis and Kelly.  It sounded like they had an amazing trip.

With all that they were doing I was surprised to receive an email from Brian.  Thanks to them robshep.com is going to be a small part of the New Year's celebration in Times Square. Brian sent me the following picture...

Now if you can't tell what you are looking at I'll tell you. You are looking at a piece of confetti that will be dropped on the masses in Times Square when the clock strikes midnight.  How crazy is that? Thanks Brian and Steph!

My Very Own Justice League

For the last few years we have collected a few essential baby items.  We knew that it was just a matter of time before God answered our prayers and we became pregnant.  Monica recently pulled out the collection to see what we had.  It's small, but like I said it includes some essentials.  Such essentials include a Lakers bottle, bib, and a now unusable Shaq Lakers onesie. He plays for the Celtics and I just don't think I can do that to my kid. 

Probably the most essential and most exciting thing that we found is a Superman onesie.  Since I got married I have dreamt of the day where I would have my very own Justice League.  Now if you are not familiar with the Justice League it's a super hero power house whose members include Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Aquaman.  My brother recently had a son and we immediately started talking about joining forces to create the greatest superhero team of all time.  With the addition of my sister's 3 kids (she has 2 and is pregnant with the third), plus our twins we are well on our way to having our very own Justice League.  I'm preparing you now for Halloween 2011. A baby Justice League is coming to a Picture People near me...that is in the Patrick Henry Mall. 

Now we just need to get a Kobe and Magic Johnson onesie, and two of everything else.  Most importantly a Batman, and Flash onesie. It will be one step closer to having my very own Justice League.

Backwards

I've been thinking about a few things as of late.  In my opinion there are a few things that started off with good intentions but now have become backwards. It's as if somethings started off well, but now are going in the wrong direction. For example...

• Getting old. Nobody likes to get old, but we've become obsessed with staying young.  Age should be a blessing. Getting older should respresent wisdom, accomplishments and passing on a legacy.  I think that one reason why Americans hate getting older is because we fail to accomplish anything significant when we are young. Now I'm not a fan of getting so old I poo my pants and drool, but my goal is to get old with no regrets.
• Freedom.  I love that we have freedom in America. But freedom doesn't mean there aren't rules and that we aren't responsible. I recently heard about a girl who is suing her school because they asked her to take out her nose ring. After she refused they suspended her. She's suing on the basis of freedom of religion. That's right religion. She's a part of the Church of Body Modification. A church that finds god through piercing. I'm ok with them having the freedom to have that silly religion, but that doesn't mean that other rules don't apply. If I made a religion of fat naked guys I'd have the freedom to worship God in that way, but I still couldn't go out in public. Just because I have the freedom doesn't mean other rules don't apply. We are free but there are lots of rules we still have to follow.
• Woman's rights. I'm all for women having equal rights with men. Let me say it again...I'm all for women having equal rights with men, but I feel like we are so pro women that we have sacrificed the role of men. Men in our society are depicted as sex addicted, beer loving, idiots.  I think we need both women and men to live responsible and help each other out. We are not equal in the gifts that we bring to the table, and our society needs both women and men.
• Privacy. I'm all for privacy, but I feel like we have put up so many fences and barriers that we have lost having community.  People these days don't even wave to their neighbors. I feel more comfortable calling a friend 15 minutes away to borrow eggs then I do most my neighbors.
• Not caring what people think. I hear this often, "I'm going to be me and I don't care if people like me or not." First off that's not completely true, everyone cares about what someone thinks about them. Second, there are some opinions that we should care about. I'm all about trying to not be a people pleaser, but at the same time not caring about any one's opinion is unhealthy. I've learned to grow as a person. I've been challenged. I've had blind spots pointed out because of other people's opinions. Not every one's opinion matters, and I don't think we should live for others opinions, but we should allow some wise people to influence us. We should allow some people to help make us better.

Mind Dump

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

• Wearing a Superman shirt must give people the freedom to talk to you. I own a superman shirt and no matter where I were it someone will say something to me.  I mostly wear it to the gym and people who don't notice me one day will walk up to me and make a Superman comment when I'm wearing that shirt.  I even got called out in a workout class. The instructor told everyone to look at Superman for this next set. It even happened in Mexico.  Multiple, random, Mexicans would walk up to me and say "Superman." 
• This week is the Catalyst Conference! I love this conference. It's my tenth year going. I love it because I get to see a lot of friends that I don't see that often.  I get to see my best friend from middle/high school, seminary, and my youth pastor. Plus it's a sick nasty conference that is unlike any other in the world.
• My friend Chad Johnson (no not the football player) is the Catalyst Concierge. He asked me to host two luncheons at Catalyst. The first is with Seth Godin, and the second is with Perry Noble.  It's my goal to not say anything stupid. That's not always easy for me.
• I'm still jogging. If you are new to the blog...I hate jogging.  I've actually started to not hate it as much as of late. I still miss watching TV while I work out, but it's getting a little easier. I did however get a lil joggers nipples after jogging 3 miles.
• Speaking of joggers nipples multiple people have suggested things like a bra or a bro to me. Not only am I never going to wear that I'm also NEVER GOING TO WEAR THAT!!!! I'd rather bleed.
• Yesterday at Waters Edge was AMAZING! We baptized 50 people, Lead Pastor Stu Hodges killed the talk, and I got to do a little diddy with Phil Poteat and the Waters Edge Band. I hope to post the video of it sometime on my blog.
• Mike Dominice is a guitar ninja and he volunteers his services to Waters Edge Church.  Not only is he talented but he rocks really hard. So hard that after jumping in the air he fell to his back, rolled to his knees, and kept rock'n the whole time. It was awesome. He asked me at one point if I'd been doing my rock squats. I laughed. He said he was serious. I should have listened. My knee is swollen and throbbing and I think it's because of rock'n with the band.
• Football is back. Even more exciting than that the NBA is back. I now enjoy watching SportsCenter again. I watch daily whether I need to or not, but now that the NBA is back I really love it.
• I hate switching deodorant. They didn't have my brand so I am currently using a different kind. I don't mind the smell, but it's like my armpits can't handle the change. They itch. I don't want itchy armpits. I'm tempted to go deodorant-less, but I think that would be a lose lose.
• This Wednesday we are at week 11 with our pregnancy. Week 12 is the BIG milestone that we are hoping to get to. The Dr. said that after week 12 miscarriages are less likely.  We appreciate all the prayer support people have been giving us and we would love the continued prayers.
• I love the Fall. It's my favorite season. I love wearing long sleeve shirts with shorts. I love that I don't sweat to death outside. Love it.
• I feel bad for September. It's still technically summer, but nobody likes this month because it represents going back to school. It doesn't feel like summer, but it also doesn't feel like the fall.  There are also no major holidays that make you love September. I know it has Labor Day, but A. That's not a major holiday and B. It's called Labor Day. It's hard to love a day with the word labor in it.
• I think I may have to grow a mustache. Or at least I may have to grow a soul patch. Unless God answers my prayers it's only a matter of time before I shave my head and go with the bald look. I don't know very many guys who shave their heads and don't have facial hair. I don't know if it is a compensation type thing or if it's a club rule.  I'll find out soon enough. The problem is I've never grown facial hair, not to mention I'm not sure I can. Oh and my wife hates the thought of me shaving my head. She also hates facial hair. I'm not sure how that's going to work out.

Whew...I feel better now.

Today Is A Live By Faith Type Of Day

I can’t feel You movin’ inside
I don’t hear Your voice whisperin’ in the night
And I’ve never seen You with these eyes
Am I a fool, am I just a fool?

They ask how I follow what I can’t see
Why I trust in a love that my arms won’t reach

I don’t need You, don’t need You, to prove it to me
I’ll be a fool, yes I’ll be a fool

‘Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on
Holdin’ on for another day
‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith

So I cry for Your help while the world looks on
And they laugh at my hope when all hope is gone
But I’ll just keep prayin’ when answers won’t come
Am I the fool, am I just a fool

For standing alone while they mock Your name
"Well if your God is so good, tell us why all the pain?"
I’m not sure, not so sure that God is to blame
So don’t be a fool, please don’t be a fool

‘Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on
Holdin’ on for another day

‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith

In a world where our questions are haunted
‘Cause life’s not as fair as we all wanted
Where the innocent die, we ask why

And still we await the reply...

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on
Holdin’ on for another day

‘Cause that’s what it means...it means holdin’ on for another day
‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith
Yes that’s what it means to live by faith
That’s what it means to live by faith, to live by faith

*Live By Faith is a song by Chris Rice
**Hat Tip to Casey Greene for this blog idea.

5 Favorites: TV Edition

I've been told that I'm passionate about the things I love. The following is a list of 5 Favorites of mine.

5 Favorite TV Shows

1. The Office
2. Modern Family
3. Chuck
4. The Amazing Race
5. PTI

I've given you 5 of my favorites now give me one of yours. What is your favorite current TV show?

Prepping For The Storm

Before moving to Virginia my family lived in Kansas.  People in Kansas took tornadoes seriously.  We had tornado drills at school. These were embarrassing and hard to do for the none flexible. You had to sit on your knees and put your head towards the floor. I'm sure the teachers saw not only London and France, but a whole lot of little kid's underpants (if you've never heard it there is a little jingle that says I see London, I see France, I see so and so's underpants).  Living in Kansas I took the drills seriously because we actually had tornadoes touch down in our neighborhood.

In Virginia they take hurricanes seriously.  If there is even a rumor of a hurricane stores instantly become sold out of bread, eggs, spam, and milk.  Ok the spam still sits on the shelf, but I thought it would be funny to include in that list.  In high school the threat of a hurricane canceled school for the day.  I went outside and played tennis all day.  For the most part the hurricane threats in Virginia have never led to anything substantial.  I'm not complaining, but it does affect the way that I react to storms. 

No matter where you live you will face some type of storm.  Whether it's financial, personal, or medical storms come.  A lot of people do nothing to prep for the storms of life.  They wait to come to God or to lean on others after the storm hits.  By that point it's often too late.  If you look at Jesus life He often withdrew to solitary places and spent time praying and seeking God.  I think all of that investment prepared Him for the greatest storm of His life...being crucified on a cross.   Jesus said in this world you will have trouble, the question is are you prepared?

Follow My Example

I'm still nervous about the thought of having twins. I can't wait and I'm excited...but I'm nervous. Yesterday we went for another ultrasound and it was amazing to see how much they've grown.  One of the twins even looked like he was waving to us. The fact that my kid is not even born and he can already wave makes me think he'll be gifted.  I kid I kid. 



Pictured Above: These are the first pictures where the twins actually look like babies.



I've heard that with parenting or leadership that habits are often caught just as much as they are taught.  In other words it's important to teach right from wrong, but it's equally important to model it.  I've got some bad habits that I hope my kids don't pick up on. I often eat late at night, I tend to be about 5 minutes late to most things, and I text other people when I hang out with my friends.

One thing that I hope my kids will say about me is that I love Jesus. I hope that they will be able to see it by the way that I live my life.  I'm challenged by a verse in the Bible that I recently read. "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." - I Corinthians 11:1.  The author is challenging his readers to follow his example. Sure he's not perfect. Sure he has faults. Sure he had some bad days, but he was so consistent in following Jesus that he could confidently ask his readers to follow his example.  That's what I want. I want my twins, the students in my youth group, my friends, and the people at Waters Edge Church to follow my example as I follow the example of Christ. 

I'm nervous to make mistakes with my kids, but I'm confident that they can follow my example and it will lead them to a relationship with Jesus. 

Needle Butt Pick???

You've got to love Google.  Or if you don't...You've got to love Yahoo.  Or if you don't...You've got to love Bing.  The point is that search engines, no matter what the name, are a great thing.  It makes finding things on the Internet oh so easy. Thanks to the various search engines some people have stumbled upon my little blog.  The following are some of the searches that led people to robshep.com with some comments by me in parenthesis...

• Stu Hodges Waters Edge Education (What?)
• Awesomely Bad Movies
• Swine Flu After Effects
• List of Things I Love About My Wife
• Is Chili Soup (I posted on this a couple of years ago and it is still one of the top searches that leads people to robshep.com)
• Movies For Men Wednesday September 22 (that is a pretty specific search)
• I Shot My Wife Pics (I'm concerned that someone is searching for this...and for the record when I shot my wife it was with a needle and I was told to do it by our Dr.)
• Pastor Cussing During Sermon (to my knowledge I've never cussed during a sermon and I don't remember posting about this)
• Giving It To My Wife Is Her A$% (I'm not even sure what this means, but there are some sick people out there...sick)
• Top 50 Reasons To Not Have A Dog (I'm pretty proud of this post and it still leads a lot of people to my little blog.)
• Worst Things That Could Happen On A Camping Trip
• Should I Make My Maiden Name My Middle Name (this was one of the most heated debates on my blog.)

Thanks to Statcounter.com I'm able to track things like what searches led other people to robshep.com. 

I Love You Warts And All

Growing up I heard multiple old people say "I love you, warts and all."  I understood what that meant but I couldn't really relate to it because I've never had a wart.  That is until this year. I'm actually not sure how long my wart has been a part of my body.  I discovered it in August, but it could have been there much longer. It's on the bottom of my foot...a place that I don't often look.  I wasn't too concerned about the wart until the guys in my Student Community Group told me about this guy...

Pictured Above: Tree Man - a guy whose warts have morphed into what looks like tree bark.

After hearing about Tree Man I not only was grossed out, but I was a little freaked out. I immediately called my doctor and set up an appointment to have my wart killed.

I'm not going to lie it's hard to love some one's warts. Whether a wart represents a small rounded protuberance on the skin or a less than desirable personality trait, it's gag nasty and hard to love. It's easy to love someone who doesn't have warts or who hides their warts well. It's hard to love someone when their warts are exposed. I think this is why it's so hard to be married or to have deep friendships. When you get close to someone you are going to see their warts. True love is loving someone with their warts and all.

"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." - Jesus.

I Would Change the World But I'm Too Apathetic

My mom recently sent me an interesting article about the Tytler Cycle.  According to this societies go through a cycle before they fall apart.  After doing a little research there is some discrepancy on whether or not Alexander Tytler did in fact write the following...but none the less I found it interesting. 

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

• From bondage to spiritual faith;
• From spiritual faith to great courage;
• From courage to liberty;
• From liberty to abundance;
• From abundance to complacency;
• From complacency to apathy;
• From apathy to dependence;
• From dependence back into bondage.

According to this where would you say America is today? I spend a lot of time with teenagers. I would say that the overall description of teens today would be apathetic.  I think though there could easily be an argument made for the saying that the next generation will be dependent. 

I think most people would agree with Aerosmith when they sang, "There's somethin' wrong with the world today. I don't know what it is."

If you have a teenager, work with teenagers, or even know a teenager I think you'll be inspired by the following quote. "How radically different would modern American youth culture be if we stopped raising our kids to survive their world and started empowering them with a vision to change it?" - Steven Furtick (Sun Stand Still).

It doesn't do any good to complain about the world. Instead I think we should try to change it.

Prayer

I believe in prayer. I believe that prayer is more than just asking God for things. It's communicating with the creator of the universe. The Bible says some interesting things about prayer...

• Jesus said that whatever you pray for believe and you will receive it.
• If you make a show out of prayer you'll be punished.
• If you try to impress people with your prayers you have already received your reward. 
• We are supposed to pray for our enemies.  
• God will reward us if we pray secretly.
• God wants us to get to the point when we pray and not babble.
• We should pray to God the Father. 
• Jesus will guard your heart and mind from anxiety when you pray.
• Prayers aren't answered when we don't forgive other people.
• Prayer is how we protect ourselves from spiritual attacks.

For me prayer is more than just hoping that God will give me the stuff I want. I can't function without God. My life would be in disarray without Him and prayer is the way that we communicate.  Lately I've been praying for some specific things. Here are some examples of things I'm talking to God about. 

• Monica and I have a couple of really good friends who are single. I pray weekly that God would bring a godly spouse into their life and that they wouldn't settle.
• I pray for the Students in my Community Group. I pray weekly that God will speak to their heart. The last few weeks I've been praying that God would rock a couple of the students who have been making some foolish choices.
• I pray every day as I wash my hair that God would work a miracle and regrow it. I pray that God would make the dead hair cells alive and that I would not go bald. You may laugh but I pray it every day.
• I pray for my pastor every week. I pray that God would speak to him. I pray that God would give him boldness. I pray for his family and that he'll continue to make wise choices. 
• I pray for my wife. I pray that God would allow me to love her like He loves me...unconditionally and sacrificially.
• I pray that God would draw my heart to Him. I hate it that I'm so prone to wonder.
• I pray that I'd have self control. I suck at watching what I eat and I'm praying that God would give me self control so that all my working out will actually make a difference.
• I pray and thank God for the amazing blessings he's given me.
• I pray for our twins. We are nine weeks pregnant today.  I pray that God would give them life.  We saw and heard their heartbeats and the second I heard them I started praying that God would form in them a heart for Him.  I believe that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. I believe that they are an answer to 6 years of prayer. I believe that God is going to use their birth to show people that He is faithful and He still does miracles. I'm believing and begging God for a healthy pregnancy. 

So that's what I'm praying for. What are you praying for?

A Letter To Donald Sterling

Dear Mr. Sterling,

I know you will probably never read this blog post, but with the world wide web anything is possible.  I live in Virginia, and I've had the privilege of flying out to Los Angeles to see your Clippers play basketball on two different occasions.  The truth is I flew out to see the Lakers play and luckily for me I was able to see them play four times because two of the games were against your Clippers.  Apparently at the games I went to see the majority of the people that were there were also there to see the Lakers. 

You own a team that plays in the same stadium as one of the biggest sports franchises in the world.  At one of the games I went to the home team was booed when they were introduced. The problem is the home team was your team the Clippers.  At one point in the game the stadium DJ pleaded with the fans to not boo the Clippers on their own court.  The franchise has had two winning seasons since coming to LA, some would say they are cursed, and you will always be in the Lakers shadow.

Just with the small chance that you would read my little blog I wanted to offer a suggestion.  You should move the Clippers to Norfolk, VA.  The 757 is prime to have a pro sports team and you would be the first.  You wouldn't have to compete with another NBA team, or a single pro franchise for that matter. You wouldn't even have to compete with a major college team. I know Virginia isn't as glamorous as LA, but your team would shine here.  The 757 is the largest area in America without a pro sports franchise.  I would even cheer for the Clippers at every home game...except when they play the Lakers.  Thankfully for you, moving out to the East Coast would move you out of the Lakers division.  I know this is the last of your worries but I'd even be the team chaplain if you move here.

Something to think about,

Rob Shepherd

Mind Dump

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

• This week the Waters Edge staff is on a off-site.  We used to call them retreats, but that gave people the impression that we were relaxing.  There will be some fun, but it's hours and hours of planing, dreaming, and brainstorming. 
• My wife, Monica, has 3 1/2 weeks left of getting a massive shot in her butt. I blogged about here if you missed it.  It's for the health of our twins and I still get the giggles giving the shot to her. 
• Last night the shot didn't go so well. The needle broke off in her butt, and the medicine went everywhere.
• Since Monica has gotten pregnant her sense of smell has mutated. She now smells everything and most of it turns her stomach.
• With me being gone our good friend Courtney is going to have to give her the shot. That's a good friend.
• I won not one but two contests on Terrace Crawford's blog.  If you are a ministry leader, especially with students, then you need to check his site out. 
• The stuff I won from his site was from Catalyst. Catalyst is by far my favorite conference to attend each year. This will be my 10th year and I can't wait! It's October 7-8, with pre conference labs on the 6th. 
• My best friend from middle/high school is the Catalyst Concierge. Chad's the kind of friend that could punch you in the face and you'd want to thank him afterward. He's just that awesome.  I can't wait to see him at Catalyst.
• If you are a single girl I'd recommend that you go to Catalyst. 12,000 young church leaders and 99% of them are men. I'm telling you church conferences are one of the few places where the line to the men's bathroom is twice as long as the ladies. 
• If you have $20 I'd love for you to  help a great cause. I'm partnering with 30 bloggers to raise $30,000 in 30 days for charity: water. 20 bucks will provide clean water for one person for 20 years. It's a great organization.  Click here if you'd like more information.
• I'm currently reading "Sun Stand Still" by Steven Furtick. My pastor was kind enough to give me an advance copy of the book. So far I like it a lot. I tend to settle for the mundane and forget to ask God to do the miraculous.  Furtick's book is like a kidney shot to my faith. It's rock'n me.
• Where did Bruno Mars come from? Before this year I hadn't heard of him, but he's currently blowin up the music scene. I first heard him sing on B.O.B.'s song "Nothing On You." Then he was featured on the Travie McCoy song that stapled it's way into my brain and wouldn't leave, "Billionaire." Finally the best song as of yet is his solo effort, "Just The Way You Are."  I'm sure he's been around for a while, but it seems like he appeared over night.
• I LOVE the app "Tower Madness." If you have an iPhone, or iPod touch you should check it out. It's addicting. My wife makes fun of me because the goal of the game is to protect your flock of sheep from space aliens. I say it's the closest I've ever felt to being a true Shepherd.
• I've been jogging lately. I just don't understand why it's so hard. I work out on a elliptical for 3 times as long and I don't get as tired as I do when I jog. I posted why I hate jogging last week and asked for readers to try to convince me to jog. They did and I still hate it. 
• Luckily for me all this jogging hasn't affected my nipples. I know you were wondering.
• Joggers nipples are for real. I saw it on the documentary called "The Office." The staff of Dunder Mifflin did a 5K run to raise money for a cure for rabies.  Andy Bernard had such a bad case of joggers nipples that they bled through his shirt.  The show is a documentary so it's real. 
• Monica has been on bed rest since Thursday.  She has been spotting, which scares the mess out of me. So far the doctors don't seem too concerned but they do keep writing her notes to miss work.  The problem is that she's trying to save her sick days for when we have the babies. 
• We've been watching a lot of movies since she's been on bed rest. We've watched "The Killers," "How to Save A Life," "Letters to God," "Cable Guy," "The Back-Up Plan," "Diary Of A Wimpy Kid," "Meet The Parents," and a whole lot of the TV show "The Office."  Some of the movies we watched were hard to get through. 
• I'm very thankful that the fall TV season is back. I'm really excited to watch "Chuck," "The Office," and "The Amazing Race."
• I've recently been on a dc Talk listening kick. They are my all time favorite band, but I haven't listened to them much as of late. That is until last week. There songs have been playing non stop in my car. If you haven't heard of them before you should check out the songs "Jesus Freak," "In The Light," "My Will," "Supernatural," "The Hardway"...shoot just get their greatest hits.

Whew...I feel much better now.

The WEC'd Epidemic

If you have driven on the Peninsula side of the 757 then you might have scene a WEC magnet on a car or two.  We've given out two different versions over the last seven years.  I tend to see them everywhere. If a car is in front of me with a WEC magnet I'll often speed up to to see who it is.   Most of the time I don't have a fat clue who is driving the vehicle with the magnet attached.

There is a small group of people...we'll call them students...who have started an epidemic. They call it WEC'd and they rummage through parking lots and driveways turning magnets upside down.

Now the problem with this is that often people don't realize their magnet has been turned upside down and they drive around looking like a fool.  The other problem is it's messing with someone else's private property.

Some would say that writing a blog about it will only highlight these magnet delinquents, but I say the good people of the 757 should help put an end to it.  Bond together fellow citizens and slap the mess out of the wrist of anyone who would dare to flip a WEC magnet upside down.  Who is with me?

You dropped your audacious dream

When I was in high school one of my classmates used to walk up to people, point to the ground, and then say, "you dropped your elbow."  For some reason people almost always looked to the ground.  I thought this was very funny. For a brief time in my life I was inspired by this classmate.  I'd walk up to people and say the most outlandish things to see if I could get them to look at the ground. I'd say things like, "you dropped your kidney" or "you dropped your pelvis."  For some reason saying body parts that you don't talk about often made it funnier to me. 

I feel like most people (when I say most I'm including myself) wait around doing the mundane things of life and waiting for someone else to do something different.  Very few people are courageous enough to dream and then willing to work hard enough to make that dream a reality.  Everyone else waits to jump on the bandwagon of their hard work.  For example...it took James Cameron 10 years to make Avatar. It was filmed in a new technology that he created.  It was a HUGE hit at the box office.  Since Avatar, there have been a million copy cats attempting to bank in on the 3-D craze.  Movies are even throwing on awful 3-D graphics at the last minute in order to capitalize on James Cameron's empire (look at the Last Airbender for an example). 

I'm currently reading an advanced copy of "Sun Stand Still" by Steven Furtick.  So far this book has been inspiring and challenging.  He's daring readers to have an audacious faith in God.  He asks the question, "what happens when you dare to ask God for the impossible?" I feel like Steven Furtick is the James Cameron of pastors. He's dreaming bigger than everyone else and he's working hard to accomplish those dreams. 

Every once in a while I dream of doing something great for God. Somewhere along the way I lose my passion and let it fall into the pile of forgotten dreams.  Whether it's telling people that they've dropped a body part, jumping on the 3-D bandwagon, or copying the newest trend in churches it's easy to sit around and wait for someone else to do something different. It's easy to live in the mundane and never reach for anything audacious.

Would You Rather...

Would you rather...

Have to walk around naked. I'm talking to the gym, grocery store, work, the mall and anywhere else you might go. 

Or

Have all of your thoughts exposed. I'm talking every little thought you think about your boss, your spouse, your friends, and your co-workers. 

No matter what you pick you are going to expose yourself. On the one hand you are exposing parts of your body that very few people should or even want to see.  On the other hand people might not like you if they hear every thought that goes through your head.

It's funny to me how hard we try to hide our real selves. We cover our bodily imperfections with clothes. We cover our thoughts with fake smiles and nods.  Rick Warren, Pastor and author of the Purpose Driven Life, recently tweeted - "Authenticity is being what you seem & saying what you mean." One thing I pray often is that God would help me be authentic. It's easy to hide. It's easy to hide behind well thought out Facebook posts, fake smiles, and the facades that we create.  The problem is the fake me isn't as good as I think it is and the real me isn't going to change unless I let others in. It feels weird to write, but I try hard to be authentic. I try to let down my guard, say what I really think, and even allow myself to look foolish if I've made a mistake. 

There is a lot of freedom in being authentic. It's hard work trying to convince others that you are better than you really are. 

Why I HATE Jogging Outside

Last week I went jogging...once. That was all it took to bring back to my memory all the reasons why I hate jogging outside.  I can't remember why I didn't go to the gym that day, but it was the worst mistake of my week.  I hate jogging outside because...

• The weather. It's so unpredictable. I don't need much of a reason to not run outside, but the rain, snow, heat, cold, or even a mild gust of wind are enough to make me stay inside. 
• At the gym I find entertainment in some of the fellow worker outers.  I know that's not proper English but I didn't know what else to call them.  I get a kick out of seeing the old guy who wears khakis, and an Oxford shirt to run on the elliptical.  There is also the guy who looks like a fisher man...including wearing a slicker, the Asian guy who does Tae Bo to stretch before he runs on the treadmill, and the guy with the ponytail.  
• When I jog outside I am the entertainment for those who see me. It's like a scene from Baywatch but for all the wrong reasons. Slow motion and jiggly may have made a star out of Pam Anderson, but it doesn't work for me.  
• It hurts. I ran on the elliptical for an hour today. I ran almost 3 miles. On that fateful day that I jogged outside I ran 1.1 miles and had 3.5 heart attacks.  My legs hurt, my body hurt, and it took me 5 days to recover from the soreness. 
• Speaking of hurting...joggers nipples.  The fact that jogging outside is so painful it affects your nipples is enough reason for me to stay away.  Seriously what else in this life affects your nipples?
• Just in case you didn't catch it jogging outside can make your nipples bleed. It's called joggers nipples and it's a real thing. Google it.
• The gym comes with a tv for me to watch. The time goes by so fast when I watch SportsCenter while I run. I don't get SportsCenter when I jog outside.
• The elliptical comes with a fan that has two settings.  When I start to get tired I turn the fan on low. When I feel like I can't go any further I turn the fan on high.  There is no fan when I jog outside. Sure I get a little grossed out because the fan is basically recycled sweaty air from the gym, but it's worth it to help me keep going. 
• It's expensive. I hear people talk about things like iPods that work with their Nike's, emails that automatically track your progress, and shoes that make you feel like you are jogging on air. I'd rather spend that money on going to gym. At least my money comes with cable, air conditioning, and the chance to people watch.
• There is no great place for me to jog.  I don't like jogging on major streets. It's not safe and too many people get to experience my Baywatch motions.  If I'm going to drive someplace to jog I'd rather drive to thy gym where they have cable, air conditioning, and the chance to people watch. 

So those are some of my reasons. What are some of yours? Or if you like to jog outside feel free to try to convince me why I should give it another shot.

A Rumor Sparks A War

Last June I had the opportunity to visit Boston, Massachusetts.  While there I ended up picking up a book about the Boston Massacre.  The book pointed out that even though 5 people were killed the event was exaggerated by the colonists and was a key factor in starting the Revolutionary War.  Now I wasn't at this famous event in American history when it happened, so all I can do is base what I know on the history books. According to the book the Boston Massacre wasn't really a massacre.

I think it's interesting how easily people are ready to start a war.  It seems like most people are on edge and waiting to hear something that will rile them up. It doesn't matter if it's true as long as their is a partial truth to it. 

Rumors are powerful when people aren't interested in waiting for the truth.  This past weekend one of my students was in a field hockey accident. She was hit in the face with a field hockey stick.  If you've never seen field hockey this is something that you don't want to happen to you.  She was taken in an ambulance to the hospital.  While talking with her boyfriend, Dillon Tulip, he told me about all the stories that people were telling him about her. Apparently she broke her nose, was in a coma, and practically died.  The truth is she had a concussion.  That's serious, but it wasn't as big of a massacre as people made it out to be. 

Before you start a war do some research to find out what the whole story is. When someone tells you something take a deep breath, remember that every story has two sides, and then go to the source. Unless you just like fighting wars over rumors.

Week of Pictures: Twins

So to end my week of pictures on robshep.com I thought I'd show the pictures we received yesterday of our twins.  I'm not really sure what I'm looking at but the dr. told me it's two babies.  I'll take her word for it.  To me it almost looks like the mask from Scream. I hope they turn out cuter than that.

We were both excited and in awe of God after yesterday's appointment. We still have a long way to go, but are thanking God for every positive report we get.


Enjoy...

Pictured Above: Baby B and Baby A as the ultrasound calls em. For now I'm calling them Chuck and Norris (Hat tip to Dan Peters for texting me those names).

Week of Pictures: Blast from the Past

I like pictures and since my wife documents every second of our life with her camera I thought I'd dedicate a week to them...

At my house we literally have a closet that is full of photo albums. I've spent some time in there looking through pictures for this weeks posts. I thought it'd be fun to post some of the older pictures that I found.  Enjoy...

Pictured Above: My mom and me in one of my first photo shoots. Based on the face I'm making I'm pretty sure I was dropping a deuce.

Pictured Above: Rob with blond hair and in kindergarten.

Pictured Above: Jon (my brother), Rob, and Sarah (my sister). I don't know where this is, why it was taken, and or why I still have it.

Pictured Above: Jamey (my friend), Stu (my current boss), and Rob (with highlights in his hair). This was taken while I was in college.

Pictured Above: Rob, Blake (best friend from college), Chad (worship leader who we used for many student retreats), Stu (my current boss). 

Pictured Above: Jamey, Rob, and Stu rock'n vests. Yes this was the 90's, but we didn't choose to wear those fine looking vests. They were for a drama that we did while on a mission trip in Brazil.

Pictured Above: Ben, Kathi, Mollie (front row), Tommy, Rob, and Monica.  In college I worked at a church on the weekends and this was the family that I stayed with. I love this family!

Pictured Above: Rob and Monica on their first Christmas as a married couple. Also pictured is the first and only live tree we've ever bought together. It ended up leaking and ruining our apartment's hardwood floors.

Pictured Above: Jon (my brother) and Nicole (my future sister in law), Rob and Monica, Scott (my bro in law) and Sarah (my sister).

Pictured Above: Stu, Alicia, Lauren (front row), Phil, Rob, and Jamey (back row). This was the WEC staff when I first joined it. 

Pictured Above: This was the first time I took Waters Edge Students to camp. There were 24 of us that year. This past summer I took 107 to camp. 

Pictured Above: Matt, Alainna, Rob, Brie, Dillon, Eric, Kristen, and D Reeves. This was the beginning of the dynasty known as the Ferocious Chinchillas. We won 3 consecutive volleyball championships at Student Camp.

 

Pictured Above: Stu and Rob. This was the first holiday service where I was apart of the service. This was a segment and I was trying to break an egg with nothing more than the noise of the crowd.