December 2012 Top Posts and Commenters

It was another record-setting month on The Stretched Blog with traffic increasing another 3.37%.  I was extremely happy with this considering the typical drop off of traffic during the holiday period between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  As always I like to highlight the top posts from the month.  As you can see from the list below, there were three guest posts in the top 10 and four posts written prior to the month of December.  It’s exciting to see traffic continuing to come in for older posts.

  1. Michelangelo Quote (November 18, 2012) – 221
  2. The Power of the Next Question (May 20, 2011) -100
  3. Musical Stretch (Guest Post by Dan Erickson) (December 5, 2012) – 69
  4. I’d Rather Have A Root Canal (10 Things Worse Than A Root Canal) (December 6, 2012) – 59
  5. Ten Things Every Small Group Leader Should Know (March 7, 2012) – 54
  6. Walking The Tightropes Of Life – Balancing Store And Steward (December 3, 2012) – 52
  7. In The Wake Of The Newtown, CT Tragedy – Turning To The Psalms (December 17, 2012) – 52
  8. Ice Breaker – Top 5 Christmas Movies (November 30, 2012) – 52
  9. Ringing Up Patience at Register Six (Guest Post by D’Anne Hotchkiss) (December 4, 2012) – 50
  10. S-E-X on the Big Blue Bus (A Guest Post by Shawn Smucker) (December 10, 2012) – 48

Also, I like to recognize my top commenters from the month.  For this month, we have a new top commenter – my brother, David.  It’s been fun to have him involved in the conversation.

Thank you to each of you who have made The Stretched Community what it is today.  I look forward to what lies ahead in January and in the year ahead.

If you are a blogger, how was your month of December?  What was your top post?  Share the link here.  Why do you think it was your top post?

2012 Top Posts

It’s been a great year here on The Stretched Blog.  At the beginning of the year, I switched over to my own self-hosted domain (jonstolpe.com).  As the year has gone by, I’ve been privileged to meet many new people through The Stretched Community and through the blog world.  As I’ve shared recently, I experienced transformation that I never imagined.  And I’m excited for what awaits in 2013.  Before we say good-bye to 2012, I thought it  would be great to recap the top 10 posts from the year.  Below, I’ve included the post along with the number of hits and the date initially published.

  1. How To Respond To The Election Results (552) November 7, 2012
  2. Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember (424) February 27, 2012
  3. Guest Post: Wondering by Leanne Stolpe (333) August 2, 2012
  4. Ice Breaker – Songs On Your Playlist (315) March 23, 2012
  5. Leap of Faith (310) March 21, 2012
  6. Ten Things Every Small Group Leader Should Know (258) March 7, 2012
  7. Michelangelo Quote (251) November 18, 2012
  8. Ice Breaker – Ice Breaker Questions (210) February 17, 2012
  9. Book Review: The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson (201) January 16, 2012
  10. The Power of the Next Question (165) May 20, 2011

2012 has also brought a number of new blogs and bloggers into my world.  Here are a few of the blogs I’ve started following this year:

Thank you to each of you for making 2012 great!

How was 2012 for you?  If you are a blogger, what was one of your top posts from the past year?  What blogs did you start following this year?

Sarah Ban Breathnach Quote

Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

Pope John XXIII Quote

Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do.

Pope John XXIII

How To Respond To The Election Results

Over the past week, I have been inserting some of the top posts from the Stretched blog.  The post today (How To Respond To The Elections Results) originally appeared on the blog on November 7, 2012 and was the most popular post of the year (and of all-time).  This post was written before the election and posted the day after the election.  It was the closest I’ve come to having a post go viral which made for an exciting day and week on the blog in early November.  As the politicians and lawmakers reconvene in Washington to tackle the budget and the impending “fiscal cliff”, it’s interesting to review these thoughts.

The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.

Psalm 118:24

Today is a brand new day.  I am away on business, and I have pre-scheduled this post.  I have absolutely no idea what the election results are.  Perhaps, the verdict isn’t even decided.  The polls on Monday night seemed to indicate that Barack Obama might be ahead ever so slightly, but it also appeared that the race may be too close to call.

From all the polls, the latest news, and the buzz on social media, half of the people in our country will be unhappy with the results.  And half of the people will be happy or at least in agreement with the outcome of last nights election.

I’m not so sure that God arranged the outcome of yesterday’s election.  After all, God gave us minds and free will to make our own decisions.  But I do think that God has given us a new day today.  This is the day the Lord has made.  Let’s rejoice and be glad in it!

You may or may not be excited about the policies and ideas of our president and the leadership in our country.  But you have a choice to make today.  How will you treat today?  Will you rejoice in the day that God has made?  Or will you pout, stamp your feet, and cross your arms in dismay?

Here are some ideas to get you started:

  1. Realize the blessings and freedoms that we experience in this country.  We have the right to vote.  We have so many rights and privileges that are not granted in other countries.  We are definitely blessed!
  2. Realize that you have the power to make a difference.  Just like Esther demonstrated the power to impact an entire people group through her actions, we have the ability to leave our mark – even if we sometimes feel as though we’re acting alone.
  3. Respond with honor.  Represent God and your faith with integrity in how you react to this election.  Our leaders deserve our respect – even if we don’t agree with them.  Stomping our feet may make us feel better initially, but it will eventually leave our feet sore and will fail to be productive.
  4. Commit to make a difference.  You still have the ability to impact your neighborhood, your state, your country, and the world for God’s kingdom.  That did not change yesterday.
  5. Pray for our leaders.  Whether it is the president of the United States or the mayor of your town, leaders have big decisions to make.  They face stresses that few of us could ever imagine.  They need our prayer.
  6. Put on a smile.  Sitting on your hands and frowning is not productive.  Period.  Decide today to have a good attitude.

I’m speaking to myself as I write these words and ideas.  I want to be known as a positive, respectful, and thankful person.  You and I have a choice to make.  How will you proceed from here?

What do you see in your world today?  How will you choose to rejoice today?

Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember

Over the next week, I will be inserting some of the top posts from the Stretched blog.  The post today (Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember) originally appeared on the blog on February 27, 2012 and was the second most popular post of the year.  This post followed a great weekend experience at a marriage conference in Hershey, PA.  As a side note, The Stretched Community can take advantage of special discount pricing on upcoming FamilyLife W2R conferences in the coming months.  Check out this post for more details.

This weekend, Leanne and I spent the weekend at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA.  We enjoyed Cocoa Massages at the Hershey Spa.  We enjoyed chocolate butter and chocolate mocha creme brulee at the Hershey Grill.  We enjoyed a quick ride at Chocolate World.  And we enjoyed plenty of Hershey’s Kisses and candy bars.  But we weren’t there for the chocolate.

We were in Hershey, PA to attend the FamilyLife Weekend To Remember event which ran from Friday night through Sunday morning.  Before you get too nervous, Leanne and I aren’t having any major marriage problems.  But we’re always looking for opportunities to improve our marriage relationship.  This year’s event was focused on creating oneness in our marriage, and the sessions are taught from a Biblical perspective.

As we were driving home yesterday, we thought it would be fun to share reasons for attending an event like this.  Perhaps, you’ll consider attending with us next year!  So here’s our top 10 (in no particular order) reasons to attend the FamilyLife Weekend To Remember:

  1. One Big Date:  This is a great opportunity to spend time together for the entire weekend (without the kids).
  2. Cocoa Scented Everything:  From the shampoo, conditioner, and hand lotion to the baked goods and chocolate steamers, you could smell chocolate everywhere.  You could even smell chocolate in the air when you walked outside the lodge thanks to the nearby Hershey factories.
  3. Speakers:  Trent and Andrea Griffith and Bob Maddox did an excellent job transparently relating stories from their own marriages and life experiences to help illustrate the main points of the teaching.  All three of the presenters were down to earth and approachable.  We actually ran into Bob on Saturday night, and he was so easy to talk with.
  4. Great Resources:  Besides the speakers, there are tons of books and other resources available to help your marriage and your parenting.  We picked up a handful of books that we’re looking forward to exploring together.
  5. Foundational Teaching:  We’ve heard many (if not most) of these things before, but it was great to be encouraged through the speakers.
  6. Date Night:  Although this was one big date for us (see number one), it was wonderful to have an evening designated as our night out.
  7. We’re Not Alone:  There were over 1500 others in attendance at this event.  It was a blessing to see that there were so many couples who have decided to make their marriage a priority.  On Sunday, there was an opportunity for people to share how they were changed by the conference and how they were going to apply what they had learned.  We both resonated with many of the things shared.
  8. Inspiring:  We both left with renewed ideas and enthusiasm for our roles as spouses and parents.  We were encouraged to list 2 or 3 action steps to take with us as we returned to the real world.  We’ll be sharing those in the coming days through our blogs.
  9. Dynamic Breakouts:  On Sunday, we attended breakout sessions for men and for women.  When we met together after these sessions, we both commented that these times were highlights for us.  These breakouts provided specific teaching directed towards husbands and dads and wives and moms.
  10. Renewing Our Vows:  At the conclusion of the weekend, we had the privilege of renewing our marriage vows.  These vows mean so much more now that we’ve experienced life together for over 15 years.

Have you ever been to a marriage conference?  Which one?  What were the highlights or biggest take-aways for you?  How did it change your marriage?

Wondering: A Guest Post by Leanne Stolpe

Over the next week, I will be inserting some of the top posts from the Stretched blog.  The post today (Wondering) originally appeared on the blog on August 2, 2012 while I was in Guatemala.  This was a guest post written by my lovely wife, Leanne, and it was the third most popular post of the year.  This post was an opportunity for Leanne to process some of the stretching that she experienced during the summer related to her job situation.  In many ways, the stretching process has continued, but this post was a healthy place to start.

While I’m away in Guatemala, several people have stepped up to share their stretching stories with The Stretched Community.  Today, I have the honor and privilege of presenting my wife, Leanne Stolpe.  Leanne is a mother, wife, teacher, friend, encourager, and she is my biggest support and inspiration here on the Stretched blog.

Wondering

This year I began a new adventure into the world of special needs as a behavior therapist. There’s days where I love my job-many of them. There are definite benefits. The flexibility is wonderful. I love working with preschoolers. I especially love when I get to work both with the preschoolers and their families. I can see progress made. I work with amazing people-both teachers, co-workers, and my supervisor. Yet there are times when I feel bored at my job.. I feel like I’m not using all my potential.  I feel like I could do so much more.

I wonder what my next step is. Would I feel more validated if I worked in a school  building? I work in a catholic school  building and still feel the same way. If I got paid more, would it validate this career in the eyes of the world and therefore mine? One thing I know. I was where I was supposed to be this year. I had the flexibility to raise a tiny seeing eye puppy. I provide therapy to a family that first suggested me pursuing my company in the beginning. God has provided opportunities with them. When I get home, I’m mentally home without take home work. I can shut my brain off. I’m down one case and have 3 open afternoons. My students are much more independent than they were at the start of the year. Does that have something to do with my drive for more…to learn more, give more….?
Wondering…
What has you wondering these days?  Click here to leave a comment.

Xenacoj Christmas 2013

Our family is planning to return to Xenacoj in Guatemala this summer. Here’s a video clip to help you get a taste for where we’ll be serving and the people we’ll be interacting with on this trip. More details to follow!

Merry Christmas

family christmas 2012 1

 

Merry Christmas from The Stolpe Family!

May you know hope, love, joy, and peace like never before this holiday season.

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