Best of 2015

1. Experience The Supernatural

   When I was a child, I watched cartoons.  One of my favorite cartoons was Super Friends.  I liked watching the superheroes from the Hall of Justice work together with their different superpowers to fight evil.  My favorite character was Superman.  He was the leader of the Justice League, and his supernatural powers were pretty cool to a young kid.

   Of all Superman’s superpowers, I always wanted to fly.  I can remember running down the hallway of my parents house from my bedroom into the living room.  Several feet from the couch, I would leap into the air towards the couch.  While I’m sure this wasn’t the greatest things for the springs on the couch, it was a fantastic experience for me.  For a very brief second, it felt like I was flying.

   Today, the television and movie screens are filled with stories of the supernatural.  People are attracted to the supernatural.  They find ways to experience the supernatural through these movies and television shows.

   What if I told you there was another way to experience the supernatural?  (Click here to read the rest.)
   

2. 5 Things To Remember When We Say Or Do Something Stupid

   This post is stupid.

   Wait!

   What I mean, this post is all about how to respond when our words or actions are stupid.

   We all do stupid things.

   We do things we regret – things we’d like to take back.

   We have all said something dumb.  Once we say it, we want to catch our words and stuff them back into our mouths.

   We’ve even done something really ugly.  We’d like to go back in time and delete a scene from our life reel.  But it’s not that easy.  (Click here to read the rest.)

3. In Response To The SCOTUS Decision On Same-Sex Marriage

   Stretch.  This is what I’ve been doing lately.

   I told Leanne on Friday night that I might be done with Facebook for a while.

   After Friday’s Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex marriage, Facebook blew up.  I have friends and family on both sides of the issue.  Some of the comments and headlines I read were well thought out and constructive, but generally speaking the tone seemed disrespectful and hopeless.  The name calling nearly put me over the edge.  In one of the comment threads someone referred to someone as a “F@#$ing Idiot.”

   Many comments were made by people who would call themselves Christians.  This is what pains me.  (Click here to read the rest.)

4. September 2014 – Top Posts & Commenters PLUS BOOK GIVEAWAY(Click here to read the post.)

5. Redefine Rich

   What does it mean to be rich?

   Matt Ham is on a quest to redefine rich.  He writes about it on his blog.  He talks about it on his podcast.  And he’s getting ready to release a book designed to help you think differently about what it means to be rich.

   I’m excited to share some special news from Matt Ham’s world.  He recently released a podcast interview with me.

   I’m so thankful for the opportunity to speak with Matt.  I think our conversation will challenge listeners.  And I think you’ll like it.  (Click here to read the rest.)

6. 3 Steps To Take Before You Can Serve Effectively

   In order to serve effectively, we must first seek out reconciliation.

   A mission mindset cannot be fully realized without our initial conviction and action toward reconciliation.

   Our service for God and for others is misaligned if we have unresolved conviction in our path.

   Before stepping into the mission field, we must look inside ourselves.  We must have a desire for a clean heart.  (Click here to read the rest.)

7. 5 Ways To Represent Well

   Our office received a phone call yesterday from an upset woman.  She was calling to complain about the behavior of one of our employees who was driving one of our company vans.  She wrote down the phone number and van number, and she called in to voice her complaint.

   When I received the news, I naturally called my employee to get his side of the story.  After listening to his story, I spoke with him about the importance of representing our company well.  After all, he was driving around in a mobile billboard – a van with our company’s logo plastered in huge letters across the side of his van.

   We all are representing something or someone.  (Click here to read the rest.)
   

8. No Excuses!

   If God is calling you, you must go.

   We make up so many excuses.  “I have this activity planned.”  “I can’t miss this or that.”  The reality is this:  our priorities are out of whack!  (Yes, “out of whack” is a theological term.)

   Having a mission mindset requires us to respond to the urgency of God’s call.  We must learn to deal with our perceived “inconvenience.”  And we must understand that following through with a mission mindset requires sacrifice.  (Click here to read the rest.)

9. Ice Breaker – Homecoming

   When was the last time you celebrated a homecoming? (Click here to read the rest.)
   

10. How To Explain Death To Your Children

    Sunday morning, we received the unexpected news that one of Leanne’s good high school friends had passed away following her battle with breast cancer.  Tuesday afternoon, we drove to Latrobe, PA for the viewing, and we drove home Wednesday afternoon after the funeral service and some time with friends.

    Leanne’s friend was only 41 years old, and she left behind her husband and three elementary aged children.

    It seems like such a young ago to die.

    As we were leaving the viewing on Tuesday evening, we ran into some old friends.  As we stood outside the funeral home catching up, someone asked “If you were her husband, how would you explain this death to your kids?” (Click here to read the rest.)
    

What was your favorite post from 2015 at Jon Stolpe Stretched?