G. K. Chesterton Quote
Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances which we know to be desperate.
G. K. Chesterton
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Anne Lamott Quote
Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.
Anne Lamott
Ice Breaker – Laughter
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.
They say that laughter is the best medicine. While I’m often known as the serious one (just ask my parents or my brothers), I love to laugh. There’s nothing like a great belly laugh. It can be so healthy to laugh so hard that you cry. With this in mind, I bring you this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker.
Question: Tell us about a time when you laughed so hard you nearly cried.
My Answer: Parenting has brought some of the biggest laughs more recently. The kids say some of the funniest things, and sometimes they do things that simply leave you in stitches.
A couple of weeks ago, we were watching home movies in honor of Hannah’s 15th birthday. We watched clips from the kids birth through the time Isaac was about 2 years old (which would have made Hannah 4). Hannah was very cute, very independent, and very much in charge when she was a toddler. Isaac often had a grin. He didn’t have much to say (as Hannah was speaking for him), but he often left us laughing uncontrollably through his expressions and movements.
Isaac used to have an exersaucer that we put him in before he could walk. He would sit in there for hours playing with toys on the tray. The funniest part was when he would spin the exersaucer round and round. He would spin so fast and so long that he would get dizzy. Leanne and I could watch him for hours as he made himself dizzy and entertained himself. We’ve had many, many laughs since then, but it started early. Now, Isaac is 12, and he still cracks us up with his “Stolpe”-like humor.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
The other day in the lunch room, I was talking to one of my colleagues. He’s getting ready to become a grandfather for the first time and for the second time as his daughter and daughter-in-law are both expecting babies to arrive in the new year. As we talked, we both agreed that time was going by so quickly.
He commented that the days go by so fast. He is trying to enjoy each day. He said, “Yesterday is gone. I can’t get it back.”
A couple of verses came to mind as I pondered this conversation:
All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.Isaiah 40:6-8
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:2-6
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34
Life truly is short. We get 24 hours a day. We get 365 days in a year. And we get approximately 85 years in our life time. If we blink it will be gone.
We have a choice to make. We get let these numbers depress us. Or we can use them as a reminder to make the most of the days we’ve been given. What’s your choice?
Here’s a few thoughts that might help you change your thinking:
- “Have To” versus “Get To” – Do you have to go to work today? Or do you get to go to work today? Do you see how changing one word in that question can change the whole thing? I get to go to work today. I get to work with a great team as we wrestle through some great challenges. I get to go to my son’s basketball practice tonight. I get to finalize our Christmas letter tonight.
- Celebrate the past and move forward. There are many things from our past that deserve pondering and celebration, but we need to keep moving. I’ve been guilty of dwelling on the bad things from my past. It’s kind of like stepping in a pile of dog poop and deciding to stand there. We need to move away from the pile. Sure, we need to clean up our messes, but we then need to move on.
- Plan for the future, but be present today. I believe that good stewardship involves planning for the future, but we must not get so focused on the future that we forget about today. How can we be more intentional with the time we’ve been given this day? How does this impact my family, my job, and my other areas of passion and interest? Am I making the most of these moments? These are important questions to answer.
- Live like we’re dying. How would you change the way you live today if you knew you only had limited time left? Thinking this way brings perspective and a sense of urgency. Let’s make the most of these days!
What do you think? What other ideas can you add to the list above? Are you stuck in the past? How are you being intentional today?
The Stretched Blog Visits Failing Forward – The Power Of Gratitude
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle
Over the past couple of months, I have formed a new habit. I started writing handwritten thank you notes on Thursdays to deserving recipients in my office. The impact of simple gratitude has been amazing.
Today, I have the honor of guest posting over at Matt McWilliams’ blog, Failing Forward. Matt is the person who got me started on this new habit. My post, The Power Of Gratitude, explains how I joined the Thank You Thursday Revolution, and it tells the stories of one of my thank you notes. I hope you’ll head over to read the post. While you’re there, check out Matt’s other writing. He is a tremendous blogger who writes about intentional leadership on a daily basis.
Here’s an excerpt from the post:
A couple of months ago, Matt posted about starting a Thank You Thursday Revolution. I don’t know if you remember that post, but I took him up on the challenge. Matt’s challenge involved writing a Thank You Note (or notes) every Thursday. He encouraged readers to put a recurring reminder on your calendar to make sure we remembered to write a note.
My world has been rocked by the Thank You Thursday Revolution.
Since I read Matt’s post, I have delivered a handwritten Thank You note to someone in my company every Thursday.
[Click here to read the rest.]
If you are visiting from Matt’s blog for the first time, welcome! I’m so glad you stopped by The Stretched Blog. I hope you’ll consider becoming part of The Stretched Community by following along and adding to the conversation through the comments. I blog daily about life’s STRETCH marks. Here are a few posts to get you started:
The Advent Box
Our family is trying something new this year in preparation for Christmas. We are celebrating advent with an advent box. Each day leading up to Christmas starting with December 1st, the kids open the box which reveals a clue for something special.
Sometimes the special is simple and sometimes it’s elaborate. Sometimes it’s short and sometimes it takes a longer period of time.
The main focus of the advent box and the daily advent clue is to help us be more intentional in our family time as we go through this season. Generally, our family is on the go all the time with different activities and responsibilities. In some ways, the Christmas season can make it worse as we add holiday concerts, parties, and other responsibilities to our already hectic schedule.
The advent box has forced us to slow down. There are times when ten intentional minutes in the evening can make all the difference in the day. So what are some of the things we’ve been doing as part of the advent box? Here’s a list of what we’ve done so far:
- December 1st – Evening in Philadelphia (dinner at Marrakesh and The Music Man at the Walnut Street Theater)
- December 2nd – Hot Cocoa and Tea with Christmas Memories
- December 3rd – Just Dance
- December 4th – Candy Canes
- December 5th – Dinner with Jim Brickman
- December 6th – Dessert following Isaac’s Winter Concert
- December 7th – A Christmas Movie – It’s A Wonderful Life
- December 8th – A visit to the Christmas Tree farm to pick out a tree
- December 9th – Putting ornaments up on the tree
- December 10th – Setting up our family’s nativity
(I can’t tell you the other items yet as I don’t want to give they away to my daughter who has become a regular reader of The Stretched Blog.)
The Advent Box is a chance to be intentional. It’s an opportunity to help put our holiday into perspective. And it’s a time to spend with family. May you find time to be intentional, to gain perspective, and to be with family through this Christmas season.
How are you preparing for Christmas? Do you have any fun and intentional family traditions that help bring perspective and meaning to the Christmas season? Share them with The Stretched Community by leaving a comment.
S-E-X on the Big Blue Bus (A Guest Post by Shawn Smucker)
Today, I have the privilege of presenting guest blogger, Shawn Smucker. Shawn is a fellow blogger from the great state of Pennsylvania. I have enjoyed connecting with Shawn over the last year or so. His writing is inspiring and thought-provoking. Today is a special day for Shawn as his newest book officially releases today. How To Use A Runaway Truck Ramp is a collection of thoughts and stories from the adventure of a lifetime that he took with his family last year in a big blue bus. After reading Shawn’s post below, consider picking up the new book. You won’t be disappointed.
The woman who still feels like a girl sometimes tires of digging through the bottom of the bus for the kids’ shoes or wondering if the next Laundromat will have a change machine. The man who still feels like a boy is weary of emptying the waste tank and worrying about getting the bus stuck. The third month of a four-month trip is the 21st mile of a marathon.
The woman looks for a movie for the kids while the man makes popcorn. She bends over and sweeps Legos out of the way, then opens the small drawer under the couch. The man pinches her butt. She laughs and looks over her shoulder.
“What movie are you picking, Mom?” one of the four kids shouts.
They have been in very close quarters for over ninety days. Moments of intimacy for the parents are few and far between. The man gives the woman a signal.
Meet me in the back in two minutes.
They walk back the long bus hall, closing the two doors. They are giddy, like high schoolers trying to find a place to park late at night. Unfortunately, the bedroom door has a gaping hole in the bottom where a large vent used to be, so the man blocks it with an oversized plastic storage container. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
She moves the dirty clothes on to the floor, and he jumps into bed. More Legos greet him, like tiny sea urchins. They sigh and pull back the sheets and pick out the Legos and doll clothes and Matchbox cars.
When the bed is clear, they lay down. He smiles. She smiles. He kisses her. Then, they hear the tiniest of voices from the other side of the storage bin blocking the door. He looks over his shoulder, and a small head peaks up through the narrow space.
“Guysh, what are you doing?” It is their four-year old. She has long blond hair and blue eyes, and her s’s come out like sh’s (think Sid from Ice Age). She wants a drink. The man shakes his head in disbelief.
“How do you even fit through there?” he asks, walking toward the door.
“Are you guysh naked in there?” she asks them.
He tries not to laugh. She keeps asking questions.
“Did you lock the door sho that no one would shee you when you’re naked?” she asks again.
“I wish,” he says, leaning down and pushing her head gently back through the vent. “Now, go ask your brother for a drink. And don’t come back in here until the door is open. Understand?”
“Of coursh.”
He goes back to the bed and lies down beside the woman. And suddenly the woman and man are boy and girl again. They look at each other – she giggles, and he laughs. They hold hands and stare at the ceiling. She suddenly remembers, in the time it takes a lightning bug to flash on and off, that this is the greatest adventure of their life together. He recalls the first time they held hands in that movie theatre in Camp Hill, PA. He remembers how he hadn’t wanted to be anywhere but there.
They hear the voices of their children in the front of the bus: how’d it happen so fast? How could those two people holding hands fifteen years before be in any way connected to these very different but same people, holding hands in Yellowstone while their four children argue over popcorn rights in the front of the bus?
Outside, a few miles away, herds of bison and elk wander through Haydn Valley. A bear swims through icy Yellowstone River, her cub following desperately behind. Downstream, water crashes through the gorge, wearing away another layer of time.
But in the big blue bus, for just a moment, time has stopped.
(This piece first appeared at Tamara Out Loud)
When was the last time you felt like time had stopped? How has parenting been different than what you imagined?
Shawn Smucker is the author of How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp and Building a Life Out of Words. He lives in Lancaster County, PA with his wife Maile and their four children. You can find him on Twitter and Facebook, and he blogs (almost) daily at shawnsmucker.com Maile blogs at mailesmucker.blogspot.com
The Second Sunday of Advent: Love
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13
I shared a similar picture last week, but it fits so well with today’s post that I had to share this one this week.
If you come from a more traditional church background, you probably will be lighting the second candle on the church’s advent wreath. Today, is the second Sunday of Advent. Many people around the world will be talking about love. Today’s verse above expresses an extreme love. Christmas is way more than presents and a baby in a manger. Christmas is about a God who loves us so much that He would send His Son to pay the penalty for us on the cross. May you know God’s love this season in a deeper way.
As we go through this time of preparing for Christmas, may we also share God’s love with those around us.
How have you experienced God’s love this week?
Today, I’m hooking up with The Sunday Community and Fresh Brewed Sundays. Hop on over here and here to see what I’m talking about.
John Lennon Quote
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.”
John Lennon