Dear Tripp and Tyler,

I’m not real good with writing letters so the following is a bulleted list of random things that I want to say to the two of you…

• I think you both are really funny. In fact, I think that people who don’t think you are funny are sick. Not sick like all the cool youth pastors use the word, but sick like they need to go to the doctor and get some serious medical attention.
• You both left comments on my blog. Tripp’s is here and Tyler’s comment disappeared when I changed my comments to Disqus, but I promise you left one. That made my week.
• I often help write videos for Waters Edge Church. When I do I impersonate what I think you think would be funny. For example…
• Tyler have you ever wished that people said your name first when referring to the two of you? That’s really nice to let Tripp go first all the time. I’d say that’s like Jesus.
• Tyler and Tripp (you see what I just did?) I’ve had your song Bowlin’ (video coming at the bottom of this post) stuck in my head for 24 hours. Out of all the songs in all the world, my brain chose yours to trap. I think that’s what inspired this blog post.
• Tripp I’m glad you started blogging again. I really like your blog.
• Tyler you once said that you’d do a guest post for me. I can’t wait for that day. It will be like Christmas and my birthday rolled up into one amazing day.
• I first learned about you from Ben Arment’s site. You had me at this video…
•  
• I think the three of us would get along. Have you considered replacing the “and” of Tripp and Tyler with Rob? Tripp Rob Tyler has a nice ring to it. Or if you don’t like that idea I can change my name to and.
• Tripp, for the last 3 years I’ve sat behind you at some point during Catalyst. I wanted to talk to you, but I thought I’d say something dumb. Maybe this year.
• I promise I’m not crazy and I don’t physically stalk you. I may or may not virtually stalk you, but that’s okay…right?
• Besides becoming a Christ Follower, getting married, having twins (still waiting on that guest post about being a dad, Tyler), working with students, skydiving, rapping on stage in front of 2,000 people, winning the Student Summer Camp volleyball championship for three years in a row, and eating at Chipotle 5 days in a row, your week of videos on trippandtyler.tv was one of greatest weeks of my life. Thank you.
• Tyler, why do you like the Bachelor? I just don’t get it. I make fun of my guy friends who watch this show. You watch it. It makes me think that maybe I shouldn’t make fun of my other guy friends who do watch it. Help me out Tripp. Am I wrong for joking on guys for watching that show?
• Tripp and Tyler, people often ask me what you do. I don’t really know, so I say you make videos and emcee stuff. If my life ever inspires something worthy of having an emcee, I’d like for you guys to do it.
• I don’t know if that’s how you make your living but you do a good job at making videos and emceeing stuff. Videos like…
• or
• or
• I have an idea for a video for you guys. I will share it with you sometime. It’s probably the funniest video idea that you have not heard, from a guy named Rob.
• I don’t know if either of you will read this. I did a post about Jon Acuff and his wife left a comment. So you have that to compete with.

Thanks for being awesome,
robshep.com.

If you grew up in church or have even visited on a non churchy holiday then there is a great chance that you have heard about the fall of man. The characters are Adam and Eve, the devil in the form of a snake, and a forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve eat the fruit and sin enters the world. According to the Bible labor pains, weeds, guilt, and the need to wear clothes all came the second they ate that fruit. I’ve often thought about what our world would be like if they didn’t eat that fruit.

• Giving birth would be painless. I think that means that women would give birth while standing up and doing something they love like Jazzercise. There would be no mess and husbands would not only not be grossed out by the process, they would also catch the baby with their soft hands. If only we didn’t eat that fruit. 
• Men would have soft hands. There would be no calluses because there were no weeds and work would always be fun. We would work hard but it wouldn’t wear on us like it does in our world. If only we didn’t eat that fruit.  
• We all would have rock hard abs. Have you ever seen a picture of Adam? He always looks like he’s in good shape. Why? He was naked. Granted he didn’t realize he was naked but I can’t help but know that if everyone was naked we’d all have nice abs.   If only we didn’t eat that fruit.
• Since we would all be naked lust would not be around. Instead teenagers would sneak a peak at Playboy Magazine and it would feature women fully clothed from head to toe. There would be no guilt but the sight of fully clothed women would make them giggle like school girls. If only we didn’t eat that fruit.
• Food wouldn’t have calories. Or if food did have calories we would all have super mutant metabolism to be able to eat whatever we want and not gain weight.  If only we didn’t eat that fruit.
• Leather furniture would not exist. Skin sticks to leather. We’ve already discussed that we’d all be naked. Thus we would not have leather furniture. Instead we would have bear skin furniture! If only we didn’t eat that fruit.
• Babies would be born with rubber teeth that retract when they eat. One thing I do not look forward to is my twins teething. I’ve heard it’s not easy for babies or parents to go through. But in the glorious world of things before the fall, babies would not have to suffer when they grow teeth. Mom’s wouldn’t suffer either because their teeth would be made out of rubber that would contract when they chew on stuff. Babies not teething would be awesome.  If only we didn’t eat that fruit.
• No one would have to go to the bathroom. We would eat whatever we want and it would just dissolve in our bodies. How do I know this? Well, how gross would it be to go to the bathroom outside while naked and not have toilet paper? That doesn’t sound like paradise to me. The garden was paradise and that means nobody is pooping. If only we didn’t eat that fruit.
• It goes without saying but insects would not exist. Being naked and all we wouldn’t have shoes to kill the spiders, or clothes to protect us from mosquitoes. If only we didn’t eat that fruit.
• Math would not exist. The Bible says that God is not a God of confusion. Math is confusing as all get out, so therefore the Devil created Math. If only we didn’t eat that fruit.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” – Revelation 21:5a.

The world as we know it is broken. There is pain. There is hurt. There is suffering. But Jesus is making everything new. Jesus is in the business of taking the mess that we created and making it like new. The world we live in is broken but Jesus doesn’t let us suffer alone. Even though we broke the world He loves us and renews our lives. Through him we can experience a glimpse of what this world was supposed to be like if only we didn’t eat that fruit.

This is a picture of how I see myself in my mind…

Who is that guy? Well, it’s actually Jake Gyllenhaal. I don’t know Jake, but this image is pretty much how I see myself. He is smiling and looks like a lot of fun. He has a great head of hair. He is muscled enough to wear a v-neck t-shirt. He looks like a fun, cool, and pretty laid back guy. That’s how I see myself.

I was recently told that I am somewhat different then the picture above. Now what I was told was not out of a mean spirit. They weren’t trying to hurt my feelings or make me feel bad. They had noticed something that had been going on for quite some time. As I listened to their description of me it looked more like this…

Now this is Shrek. Not Shrek from Shrek 2,3, or 4. That was a gentler less grumpy Shrek. No this is Shrek from the first movie. He’s a big ogre. He has the potential to be lovable, but at the end of the day he is an ogre. Now that I’m looking at the pictures I do kind of resemble Shrek as well. I have a few more hairs on my head but I’m quickly going the way of the Shrek dome. But this post isn’t about physical appearance. I digress.

It’s hard to hear how others view you. It’s hard but it’s healthy. The truth is that I analyze myself a lot, but even with self analyzing we have blind spots that we just can’t see. I wish it was as easy to see our faults as it is to see the faults of others.

It’s like my eyes are made of magnifying glasses when I look at others and kaleidoscopes when I look at myself. I can see the faults in others so clearly but when I look at myself I only see a fraction of what’s really going on.

Maybe that’s why Jesus said, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ’Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?’ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:2-4.

I wish planks were easier to see.  I’ve got not one, but two, eyes for seeing other people’s sawdust.

I’m thankful that in a non-judging way I was confronted with my ogre like behavior. Because we all have blind spots we need help with our planks. Not in a judgmental way. Instead our planks should be yanked with grace. We need relationships with people who love us as we are but refuse to leave us as ogres. With God’s help I’m trying to be less of an ogre.

Do you think that the image you have of yourself fits who you really are? Is it easier for you to see other people’s sawdust while being blinded to your plank?

For the last three years I’ve been asked by students from my senior high Community Group to drive them and their dates to prom. If you are interested you can check out year one here and year two here.

I am amazed that a group of public school students would want to spend a good portion of their prom with their youth pastor. This past Friday I had the privilege of taking ten students to their prom in the Waters Edge party bus. I picked them up and took them to take pictures at City Center. A HUGE group of students met there. It was so much fun seeing so many Waters Edge students before prom. After lots of photos we made our way to Williamsburg to eat at Bone Fish Grill. The students collected money to pay for me and Monica to eat dinner. I was so honored to sit at dinner with them on their prom night! I was also very excited to eat but not have to pay for Bone Fish. Can you say Bang Bang Shrimp? That stuff is a party, plus an after party in your mouth. It’s amazing! From there we went down the road to the Kingsmill Marriott.

The night was so much fun for both me and Monica. In a day and age where it’s easy to use prom as an excuse to make stupid decisions I’ve been blessed by students who decided to go a different route. Enjoy some pictures of my night as a limo driver.

And now it’s time for a Paula Abdul flashback. I’ll see you after the video…

My wife and I have a lot of differences. However, I don’t know if we are opposites. Let’s see…

• She gets really tan vs. I am pasty white.
• She’d rather read the book vs. I’d rather watch the movie.
• She thinks about a million things at once vs. I have a one track mind.
• She likes vampire books, movies, and TV shows vs. I would like it if someone killed all of the vampires…especially the sparkly ones.
• She loves the beach vs. I hate the beach.
• She likes to dress up in fancy clothes vs. I like to dress down in t-shirts and shorts.
• She’s really good at grammar vs. I stinketh at grammar.
• She can’t sit still to watch a movie at home vs. I not only sit still I often fall asleep.
• She doesn’t like for other people to hear her sing vs. I sing no matter who is listening.
• She is very direct vs. I tend to be afraid of what people will think so I guard my words.
• She is quality time and could care less about words of affirmation vs. I am all about some words of affirmation.
• She loves camping vs. I think camping is punishment.
• She doesn’t prefer Chipotle vs. I prefer Chipotle for at least one meal a day.
• She is a night owl and often gets going at 10:30 PM vs. I am a morning person and can’t stay awake past 10:30 PM

So when looking at this list it appears that we are opposites. That’s good if you are Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat, but I’m not sure it’s enough in marriage. In fact most of the people that I am really close to I’m close to them because of our similarities not because we are opposites.

My wife and I have something more than being opposites, we have a commitment that transcends all understanding. I’m committed to put her needs ahead of my own and she’s committed to put my needs ahead of her own. It’s crazy how when two opposites put the other one first they find something better than attraction. They find love.

What’s your favorite Paula Abdul song? If you are in love is the person you love an opposite from you?

My son, Hayden, has very active hands. On a daily basis he will find a way to grab my chest hair and pull the mess out of it. He is really strong for a 9 week old. I am wearing a shirt but he finds a way to pull down the collar of the shirt and grab a baby fist full of manly chest hair.

My wife tells me that I’m going to have to start wearing turtlenecks. That’s not going to happen for two reasons. 1. Wearing a turtleneck goes against everything I stand for. It goes back to being in high school. While I was in high school one of my friends who just happened to be a girl made me promise to never wear a turtleneck. A guy in my class was wearing one and in a very serious tone my friend looks to me and says, “promise me you will never wear a turtleneck.” I promised and I plan on keeping that promise for all eternity. And that leads to number 2. I’m not a poet or a jazz musician. I feel like poets and people who sing jazz can get away with turtlenecks. I’m neither.

Add to that the fact that there have been multiple occasions where he pulls on my chest hair through my shirt like a cowboy pulling on the mane of a wild horse. Giddy up. No shirt seems to help.

The other day he grabbed my chest hair and it forced me to yelp. It just plain hurts. This time though his action spurred on a thought. Too often in life we fail to grab hold and not let go. I think about all the things in life that people let go of far too easily. I think about the relationships that are let go of at the first sign of drama. I think about the dreams that never fulfilled because we fail to grab hold. I think about the moments that we miss out on because we are not fully present to grab hold and soak in the moment.

I don’t know about you but I often give up far too quickly. Real relationships take work. You can’t let go at the first sign of trouble. Real dreams take work. You can’t let go the first time you run into an obstacle. Bing present in the moment takes work. You can’t let go of the moment to check your smart phone. I hate it when Hayden grabs a hold of my chest hair but I respect him for his consistent ability to grab hold and to not let go.

What is one relationship, dream, or moment that you need to grab a hold of and not let go?

I love Memorial Day. I get the day off from work, I normally eat at least one hot dog, and typically it’s a great weekend for a Summer Movie. Truthfully I often celebrate Memorial Day without doing what it’s designed to do…honor those who have given their lives for America.

So for today’s blog I have two questions.

1. What are you doing for Memorial Day?
2. Who is one soldier that you will commit to pray for today?

Today Monica and I are going over to a friend’s house for a cookout. I love hanging with friends and I’m really excited about that hot dog.

I don’t personally know any soldiers who have given their lives but I know a boat load who serve our country. Today I’m praying for the guys in my Community Group who are in the military. Today I’m praying for my friends from high school that are serving our country overseas. I’m thankful for the men and woman who I know from Waters Edge who have dedicated their lives to serve our country. Today I’m thanking God for our military. Now you’re up. See you in the comments.

The following is a list, from A to Z, of robshep.com.

• A is for Amazing Race – one of my favorite TV shows.
• B is for Batman -my favorite superhero.
• C is for Chipotle – by far my favorite food. I’d eat it everyday if I could. Plus Oprah said it was healthy.
• D is for Die Hard – one of my favorite movies of all time. Catch it on TV some time to see the greatest action movie of all time. 
• E is for Easy – I like things to be easy. If it’s filled with drama or overly complicated I check out.
• F is Farmville – not the game on Facebook! There is actually a place in VA called Farmville and it’s where I met my wife.
• G is for Gag nasty – this is my phrase of choice when talking about something gross.
• H is for Hair – I’d like to keep mine and may or may not purchase more for my head at Hair Club for Men.
• I is for Indiana Jones – Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of my all time favorite movies!
• J is for Jerseys – I own 8 Lakers jerseys and I do enjoy wearing them.
• Kids – for the first time in 32 years I can say that I have kids. They are only 8 weeks old but there is two of them so that qualifies as kids. I love em! Reese and Hayden have forever changed my life!
• L is for Lakers – I’ve been a fan since I was in the third grade.
• M is for Monica – my favorite person ever.
• N is for NeedToBreathe – my favorite band. They are working on a new album and that makes me very happy.
• O is for Orange Julius - do you remember those? I loved them. We used to have one in our mall but it closed down.  
• P is for PTI – Pardon The Interruption on ESPN is a very entertaining show.
• Q is for Qi – Have you ever played Words With Friends the iPod App? I often get the letter Q in this game and my go to word is Qi. I don’t have a fat clue what it means but I play it anyway.
• R is for robshep.com – I enjoy having a blog. I appreciate you coming by and reading it.
• S is Superheroes – I love superheroes!
• T is for Tripp and Tyler. These two are ha-larious. Check out their newly designed website for their latest videos here. 
• U is for under there – did you think under where? If so I just made you say underwear.
• V is for visiting the Office – ok I may be cheating on this one, but every Thursday night I love to visit The Office…one of my favorite TV shows.
• W is for Waters Edge – I love my church.
• X is for X-Men First Class - the last two X-Men movies have been blah in my opinion. This one, which hits theaters on June 3rd, looks really good.
• Y is for Young Life – my wife became a Christ follower through YL. Plus they have the funniest skits around.
• Z is for Zachary Levi – the star of Chuck. I’m so glad Chuck is coming back for one last season. Love it.

All right so that is 26 things about me. Now it’s your turn. Give me one fact about you that starts with the first letter of your first name. See you in the comments.

They say that two is better than one. I have twins that are 8 weeks old. So two babies is better than one right? Is that why when we tell people we have twins they say things like (and I quote) “I don’t know how you do it with two. One was really tough.” “Oh my! Twins. One baby at a time was all that I could handle.” Wait…I’m not really making my point that two is better than one.

Two is better than one even when it comes to babies. Sure it’s extra hard, but it’s also extra amazing. You have two times the snuggles, two times the cuteness, two times the love. With that in mind I’ve been thinking about the greatest twins in the history of the world. I now declare the Ultimate List of Twins…

6. Dylan and Cole Sprouse – I first saw them when they played one kid in the Adam Sandler movie, Big Daddy. They later appeared as Ross’ kid in the TV show friends. They then ended up on the Disney Channel. The fact that they have been in acting for so long and are only 16 years old helped them make the list.

5. Jenna and Barbara Bush – You may not like their dad but he was president for two terms. That’s 8 years of them being in the spotlight.

4. Tiki and Ronde Barber – both were amazing football players in the NFL.

3. William and Vivian Shirtliffe – if you aren’t reading ironicmom.com then I think it’s safe to assume that you don’t have a computer. Her blog has taken over the world and her posts about her twins William and Vivian are ha-larious.

I want to be like Ludacris. Not in the sense that I want to be a professional rapper and make movies in my spare time. More in the sense of doing what he does when he works on a song.

I was telling my wife that if I ever hear a song and Luda (I like to call him Luda) makes a guest appearance that song automatically becomes amazing. I would never admit to being a Justin Bieber fan but when Luda raps on Baby that song becomes amazing. Fergie does okay without the Black Eyed Peas, but add a little Luda to her song, Glamorous, and it becomes amazing. Taio Cruz has a somewhat catchy song with Break Your Heart, but when Luda breaks into a rap it becomes amazing. Jesse McCartney sings a catchy little song called, How Do You Sleep? but out of no where Luda comes on and makes it amazing.

It’s my goal to make the things that I am apart of better. I hope that my marriage, my friends, my job, and even the world wide web are better because I’ve made a guest appearance. I am not even close to Luda status with making things that I do amazing, but I am trying.

When something isn’t great it’s easy to complain about it. But what if instead of complaining we pulled a Luda and made it better just by being a part of it? I once heard that it doesn’t help to complain. Instead become part of the solution. If you don’t like something offer something positive to make it better. I know he gets paid a lot of money so this analogy breaks down, but if Luda can make okay songs amazing why can’t you make okay situations amazing? See what I’m talking about? I want to be like Ludacris.