Category Archives for "blog spotlight"

Guest Post: When God Provides, You May Be Stretched By Tom Tarver

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 Tom Tarver. Tom blogs regularly at A Curious Band of Brothers, and he is a regular commenter here on the Stretched blog. Please check out Tom’s post and leave an answer to his question. Afterwards, go check out his blog. His contact information along with a short bio can be found at the end of the post. Thanks!

When God Provides, You May Be Stretched

I planned to be somewhere else other than Alaska this summer.

But God had other plans.

And His plans would stretch me for two weeks … to a point … of breaking.

My original plan. This summer I wanted to pedal from sea to shining sea. I had declined to join our church’s short-term mission team in July because of my cycling plans. Reggie, the organizer and team leader, knew this.

My plan failed to come to fruition. But Reggie didn’t know that.

God intervenes. On a Sunday morning two weeks before the team would leave for Two Rivers, Alaska, Reggie and I spoke for the first time in months about the trip, and for the first time he learned about my summer plan’s failure to launch.

Too bad we hadn’t spoken earlier. The team now overflowed with talented folks. They had no room for one more.

But God had plans for me, and through an unexpected illness, a spot opened up hours after our conversation. I hadn’t been on Reggie’s radar but I quickly moved to the top of his to-call list.

When Reggie phoned, he said, “Everything’s already paid for except you’ll need a ticket.”

How much?

Too much!

“Sorry, Reggie. On such short notice, I can’t come up with that kind of money.”

“But God has resources.”

I humored him and allowed that, yes, God did have resources. I said, “I’ll pray about it, make some calls, and let you know tomorrow.”

Two calls the next morning netted the entire amount. In less than 24 hours I knew God wanted me on that team. I knew it!

What I didn’t know was why.

When I arrived in Alaska and settled into the rustic camp setting our team would call home, I knew I belonged there.

When I shivered through the first night, I knew I belonged there.

When I slapped the thousandth mosquito, I knew I belonged there.

When I pounded the concrete wall to break it apart, I knew I belonged there.

When I trotted to the outhouse for the third time during the night, I knew I belonged there.

But I still didn’t know why.

While others quickly found their parts in the project, I wandered around asking, “Do you need help?”

“Not now. Maybe later.”

For ten of the dozen days we were in Alaska, I said to a friend, “I don’t know why I’m here.”

Our last two days on the project, God began to grant me understanding, insight that surprised and troubled me.

Here’s what I learned, lessons that continue to stretch me.

I’m afraid of failure. With other people, I’ve shared over and over again the importance of embracing failure. Failure in attempting something great teaches some awesome lessons. To launch out, attempt a great thing, and fall short is better than remaining safe at home.

And I thought I did plenty of launching out.

But, as I spent time working with others, I discovered I shied away from making decisions. I let others handle the power drill or cut the boards. I didn’t want to make mistakes.

And I didn’t want others to discover how poor I was at building things. I could tear down stuff. I could clear up the debris. But after the destruction, I didn’t know how to construct.

Even on our fun day, I discovered my heart quaked at doing something new in front of an audience.

At the end of an Alaskan gold mine tour, we all ended up panning for gold. I needed help but wouldn’t ask for it. In the end, I was one of two people still panning because I worked so slow for fear of making a mistake. And this was supposed to be fun.

I crave action and grow impatient with planning. At the church where the team did a lot of renovating, I wandered around looking for the action. Because of impatience, I missed the opportunity to listen and plan with those who did know what they were doing. I moved on to the next place before I could understand the present project and before I could be available to help when needed.

So why was I in Alaska?

So God could stretch me, break me, and help me make needed changes in my life.

Question: What lessons has God taught you through His leading and provision?

About the Author

Tom’s a blogger and so much more. For an example of something other than his blog, follow this link. He’s written one novel with more in the works. He’s also been a two-time winner of MBT’s “Make Every Word Count Flash Fiction” contest as well as a 2011 semi-finalist (speculative fiction) in the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest. His novel, Dark Eyes, Deep Eyes, is available through WestBow Press, Amazon, BARNES & NOBLE, and other retail outlets.

Guest Post: Living the Lessons by Eileen Knowles

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 Eileen Knowles. Eileen blogs regularly at The Scenic Route, and she is a regular commenter here on the Stretched blog. Please check out Eileen’s post and leave an answer to her question. Afterwards, go check out her blog. Her contact information along with a short bio can be found at the end of the post. Thanks!

Living the Lessons

One of the most beautiful and scary things about writing is the power it has to transform us.

I’m learning over and over that when we choose to share our stories, the main goal isn’t to see how many pairs eyes view what we’ve written, the main goal is for us (the writer) to learn and grow in the process.

Our stats mean nothing to God…our souls mean everything.

It never fails, I’ll write about something that is on my heart and it becomes the learning portal for the day. The books and blogs I read, the conversations I hear, the sights I see, and the people I encounter seem to offer one more important piece in the learning puzzle. Every experience sheds more light on the lessons I am intended to learn.

Writing, if I allow it to, will:

convict me
challenge me
correct me

As I was writing this post, I realized that this not only goes for writing down our stories but for living out our stories as well. When we choose to share our stories and our lives with others, when we choose to live fully engaged, when we choose to live with our eyes wide open…we are shaped and changed in the process. Our lives become the books we write and the legacy we leave.

Life, like writing, is one big lesson for us to learn. Each day is a new day to understand that lesson just little bit more.

Here are some areas where the Lord is currently stretching me:

It’s fine and dandy to write and read about grace…
but are you living it out in your life? Is grace the air you breathe? Do you inhale grace in order to exhale it on the lives around you?

It’s fine and dandy to write and read about loving and serving others…
but are you putting others first in your life? Do you treat loving others as the most important thing in your life or is it sometimes an interruption or an inconvenience?

It’s fine and dandy to write and read about the power of prayer…
but are you praying without ceasing? Is prayer your first resort or your last resort? Does your prayer life really reflect that you believe in the power of prayer?

What about you? How is God currently stretching you as you try to live out your stories?

About the Author

Eileen Knowles is a small town Arizona girl who studied English at The University of Arizona a long, long time ago. She now lives in small town North Carolina with her husband, Roger, their eight-year old son, and one quirky dog named Bisbee. When she is not working part-time loving on animals at the local animal hospital, she thoroughly enjoys drinking coffee, running, playing Scrabble, leading Women’s Bible Study at her church, and writing about how cool it is to journey through life with Jesus holding her hand.

Eileen is passionate about leaving a legacy for her son and encouraging others along the way who might need a dose of hope poured into their weary lives.

You can find her taking The Scenic Route at www.eileenknowles.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cupojoegirl
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eileen.knowles.9

June 2012 Top Posts and Commenters

June was another good month. Overall traffic was about the same as last month. This month featured a giveaway, a guest post, and a Guatemala update. I also gave away three advertising spots on The Stretched Blog (I Love Skippack, Joseph Lalonde, and Bill Grandi). In addition, I had the opportunity to guest post on Jeremy Statton’s blog (Rediscovering My Dream) and K.C. Procter’s blog (Don’t Blink!).

As always, I like to share this month’s top posts. Interestingly, this month’s top 10 included four ice breakers. I’ve been contemplating the possibility of putting together an eBook based on the blogs ice breaker questions, and this month’s top 10 may confirm my thoughts. (What do you think?) To note, the top post was a guest post written by Kevin Haggerty. Thanks, Kevin!

Top 10 Posts for June 2012:

Top Commenters for June 2012:

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by and to everyone who left a comment. Your readership, comments, and friendship mean the world to me. In the coming month, I will be looking for more ways to extend the Stretched Community and to broaden my platform. I will be using my upcoming vacation and trip to Guatemala to feature top posts from the archives and guest posts. I am also looking for new opportunities to guest post around the blog world. If you’re interested in guest posting here or participating in a Stretched interview, drop me a note in the comments so we can connect.

Thanks again for a great month. Don’t forget to share The Stretched Blog with your family and friends.

If you’re a blogger, what was the top post on your blog this month? If you’re not a blogger, what was your favorite post here this month?

3 Thumbs Up! June 30, 2012

Each week, I feature 3 things that deserve a thumbs up. Here are my 3 Thumbs Up! for this week.

Thumbs Up Number 1: Woodside Lodge at Spring Mountain. A couple of weeks ago, Leanne and I went out with some good friends to this “new” restaurant in our area. This renovated restaurant and lodge used to be known as Woodside Inn. Several years ago, Leanne and I went to the Inn for dinner, but we weren’t all that impressed. The newly opened Lodge was a completely different experience. The wait staff was helpful. The restaurant was laid out well and nicely decorated. And the food was delicious. If you enjoy trying local craft beers, there are several beers from around the region on tap. We left the restaurant satisfied and excited about the prospect of coming back for more. If you live in the Perkiomen Valley area, you should consider checking out the Woodside Lodge at Spring Mountain.

Thumbs Up Number 2: Reading Phillies. This week, our 4-H Seeing Eye Puppy Club ventured to the First Energy Stadium to take in a Reading Phillies game. The Reading Phils are the Double-A Minor League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. We had a wonderful experience all around. Our seats were right along the 3rd base line (there’s not a bad seat in the whole stadium). The food is reasonably priced. The parking was free. Between each half inning, there is entertainment that included vegetable racing, hot dogs being thrown into the stands, dancing tooth fairies, and many other acts. We were also personally welcomed by a representative from the club who checked back with us a few times to make sure we were having a good experience. On top of that, the Phillies won the game! What more could you ask for. If you live in the area, you should check out a game. If you don’t live in the area, consider checking out your local minor league team.

Thumbs Up Number 3: Life As Experienced. This blog by Seth Caddell has become one of my new favorites. Life As Experienced provides spiritual insights on everyday life from this self-proclaimed pastor, husband, X-Box player, and Christ follower. Seth blog posts that appear 3 times each week or short and sweet and right to the point. Check out Life As Experienced to see what I’m talking about. Leave a comment, and tell Seth that I sent you.

What else deserves a thumbs up this week?

3 Thumbs Up! June 24th, 2012

This week’s 3 Thumbs Up! moved to Sunday thanks to a great guest blogging opportunity at Some Wise Guy. If you haven’t done so already, please go over to K.C. Procter‘s blog and read my post titled, Don’t Blink!. Meanwhile, here are my thumbs up for this week:

Thumbs Up Number 1: Zoup! No huge description here other than this place serves great soup and sandwiches. Leanne and I stopped here after church today for lunch while our kids finished up practice at church. Zoup! serves 12-15 different soups every day, and you are always welcome to try free soup samples before you make your decision. Today, I enjoyed a shrimp and craw-fish soup with a four cheese melted sandwich. Great stuff! Check it out if you can find one in your area.

Thumbs Up Number 2: The Mighty Macs. I had heard about this movie before, but I hadn’t had an opportunity to see it until we sat down last night and found it on Netflix. The Mighty Macs is a movie based on the true story of the Immaculata College girls basketball team from the early 1970s. Immaculata isn’t far from where I live, so it was cool to hear about a team who played so close to home. I’ve seen many other sports movies that probably have more grueling practice and game scenes, but the movie still provided enough drama and excitement to keep us all alert until the end. The story represented in the movie depicts the power of perseverance and belief that anything is possible. We could all use a little bit of that positivity from time to time. If you’re looking for a movie that works for the entire family, you should consider checking out The Might Macs.

Thumbs Up Number 3: The Daily Retort. I discovered Tor Constantino‘s blog a couple of months ago after we crossed paths several times in the blog world over the past six months. Tor is an ex-journalist, best-selling author, blogger, and speaker. He is also a husband and father. I appreciate how he intermixes his faith and his family with his regular blog posts. Tor and his wife are expecting a child any day, so many of his recent posts have been related to the anticipation of their new arrival. Go check out Tor’s blog, add The Daily Retort to your reading list, leave him a comment, and tell him I send you.

What else deserves a thumbs up this week?

The Stretched Blog Visits Some Wise Guy

Today, I’m honored to be guest blogging over at Some Wise Guy. Some Wise Guy is a blog written by K.C. Procter where he explores the everyday thoughts of being a dad. Here’s an excerpt from my post, titled Don’t Blink. Please head over to K.C.’s blog to read the rest of the post and to see what else is going on at Some Wise Guy. Drop K.C. a comment and tell him that I sent you.

Time flies when you’re a dad. Don’t blink!

I’ve been a dad for over fourteen years now, and I often feel like it’s been just fourteen days since my daughter joined our family. This past week, I watched her graduate from middle school. It literally seems like yesterday when we put her on the bus for her first day of kindergarten. I remember her excitement and her little brother’s sadness as she climbed on the bus with her very own backpack and her big smile.

What’s going on in your life right now that is moving too fast? How about something that’s moving too slow?

(For those of you looking for this week’s Ice Breaker, stay tuned to The Stretched Blog over the weekend. We’ll see what we can do!)

3 Thumbs Up! June 16th, 2012

This week’s 3 Thumbs Up! post has a dad flair. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

Thumbs Up Number 1: Some Wise Guy (tidbits from the trenches of fatherhood). This is an excellent blog by K.C. Procter. I’ve been following K.C. and his blog for a while now. Over the past few months, he really narrowed the focus of his blog to fatherhood. It’s been fun to see his passion and commitment to his family shine through the pages of his blog. This week he’s featuring several guest bloggers who you may recognize. Check out Some Wise Guy. Stop by and leave a comment. Tell K.C. that I sent you!

Thumbs Up Number 2: Dad Life. Just watch the video. You’ll see why this deserves a thumbs up.

Thumbs Up Number 3: Christlink. This is a blog by my dad. He doesn’t write on it every day, but he continues to add things through the add-on pages that you can reach via his navigation menu. His additional pages include sermon notes, a writing workshop, thoughts on being an interim pastor, and a page he calls pilgrim path. My dad has been a huge influence on my writing career from high school to now. Drop by his blog and see what I’m talking about.

What else deserves a thumbs up this week?

Experiment: Free Advertising On The Stretched Blog

Many aspects of blogging are an experiment. Picking the right theme. Choosing the right layout. Deciding on a catchy title for the whole blog or for just a blog post. In some ways, I feel like a scientist as I daily work on the craft of writing. Yesterday’s experiment proved to be worth while. The experiment involved guest posting over at Jeremy Statton’s blog (Living Better Stories) and hosting guest blogger Kevin Haggerty (TheIsleOfMan.Net). Yesterday, The Stretched Blog experienced its single biggest day of traffic to date. (If you haven’t done so already check out those two posts titled Rediscovering My Dream and Learning To Count To Five.)

With this in mind, I’d like to try another experiment today. Are you ready?

I’d like to offer three free advertising spots that will go on the right hand menu bar of my main page. I will select the “winners” of the spots based on response to this post. All you need to do is tell me why you think The Stretched Blog would be a good place to promote your blog. I’ll choose the three winners, and I’ll reach out to you via e-mail to coordinate the actual advertisement. I can probably help out a little with creating the advertisement, but I’m hoping that you might already have an idea that would fit in this spot. The spots will be 125 x 125. I’ll announce the winners in a few days. Sound good? Let’s try it!

Why do you think The Stretched Blog would be a good place to promote your blog?

How are you experimenting on your blog these days?

The Stretched Blog Visits Living Better Stories

Today is an exciting day here on The Stretched Blog. I have the privilege of guest posting over at Jeremy Statton’s blog (Living Better Stories) today. My post titled Rediscovering My Dreams shares some of my journey and thoughts regarding overseas missions. Here’s an excerpt to get you started:

It was almost two years ago that my wife and I were making final preparations for the missions trip of a lifetime to Nairobi, Kenya.

A Painful Death

As we finalized our packing list and visited the doctors for our final immunizations, the wheels began to fall off our plans. My wife was starting to deal with significant anxiety issues and her health began to deteriorate. We wrestled with a decision we dreaded.

Should we go on this trip and risk health problems in an unfamiliar country? Or should we cancel the trip and miss out on this adventure?

[To read the rest, click here.]

Please head over to read the rest of the post. Also, check out the rest of Jeremy’s blog, and sign-up to become one of his regular readers.

As I mentioned earlier, Kevin Haggerty is guest posting here today. Check out his post titled Learning To Count To Five by clicking here.

Learning To Count To Five – Guest Post by Kevin Haggerty

Today, I have the privilege of presenting a guest post by Kevin Haggerty. Kevin and I have become friends over the past few months thanks to the wonders of the blog world. His writing at The Isle of Man is generally humorous and he often shares thoughts in his daily posts that stretch me. I’m honored that Kevin would consider sharing his Stretching story here on the blog with The Stretched Community. I’ve included a short bio for Kevin at the end of the post. Please visit his blog, add his blog to your regular reading, leave him a comment, and tell him that I sent you. Thanks!

[If you’re interested in sharing your Stretched story with the rest of The Stretched Community, leave me a comment so we can connect.]

Learning to Count to Five

About a week ago, Jon asked me to write a guest post for his “Stretched” series. It was kind of comical to me, the timing of it anyway, because I’m currently going through a period of my life where I’ve never felt more stretched.

Here’s the brief rundown, for those of you who don’t know me:

In October of last year, my wife, Kim, and I bought our first house, after being married for two years.
In December, we received the incredible news that Kim was pregnant with our very first child.
In March, I found out that I was not going to be offered a contract to teach next year at the school for which I’ve worked for the past six years. Essentially, I was going to be (and have been) laid off.

That’s the short version.

It certainly isn’t how I drew it up, but when does life ever work that way? We don’t get the 12-month forecast for our life. Though, that would be nice, and if that were a website, I’d totally add it to my RSS reader subscriptions.

Instead, we generally get hit with life-changing news, then we have to adjust on the fly, like a hockey line change.

You don’t get advanced notice. You just have to make it up as you go.

So, at 32 years old, I’m at a place where I’m having to really figure things out. It sounds torturous, and in a lot of ways, it is.

But it’s also an awesome opportunity.

I have the chance to start over, in a lot of ways. I have the chance to take all the things I’ve learned and experienced and use them to branch out in a new and exciting direction.

Currently, on my blog, I’ve started a series of posts called “When Life Karate Kicks You in the Face.”

It will feature multiple volumes and will go until I’m done. Yesterday was the beginning of the series and featured Volume 1. I’d love it if you checked it out. Tomorrow, I’ll be posting Volume 2. It’d be great if you were able to read that too, and maybe even share in the discussion as it unfolds.

In the meantime, I want to share with you some of the things that have encouraged me during this down period.

There are two things I’ve used to help me when I am tempted to give into the demons. Maybe they’ll help you too.

Advice from Jack Shepard

In the hit television series, LOST, one of the main characters, Jack Shephard, gave some advice on how to overcome adversity.

In the very first episode, Jack tells Kate (also one of the main characters) a story to help her deal with the fear she is facing, while she is in the middle of stitching up a wound on his back.

Jack can tell the story better than I can, so why don’t I let him tell you instead:

It seems corny and cliché, but there’s a lot of truth to it. Jack was faced with a circumstance wherein he could have run for the door, and allowed disaster to overtake him (and the poor girl on the operating table), or he could have got a hold of himself and fixed it.

In life, often, those are our only two choices. Fight or Flight. Sometimes, I run away. But I can’t run away from this one. My wife needs me. My unborn son needs me. I could run, but I’m not going to.

Encouragement from a Friend

During all of this, my friend Shawn Smucker has been an incredible resource and encouragement to me.

If you’re unaware, Shawn wrote a book, Building a Life out of Words, about his decision to walk away from his business as a contractor, to follow his dream of being a writer, all as a married father of two young children.

Shawn made it work for him, but it wasn’t easy. Not in the slightest.

Shawn has been aware of my journey. I’ve talked to him a lot, along the way. He’s given me advice and really helped me a lot as I’ve been trying to decide just what to do.

One day, he e-mailed me. He asked me how I was doing. It was one of my “bad days.” I was honest with him. I told him I was depressed. I told him I wasn’t doing well, and that I was considering abandoning my dream of being a writer to do something “safe.”

Here was his response:

Hang in there, man. It’s a long road. There’s no time for feeling sorry for yourself.

I saved that. It meant a lot to me. I’m so grateful he had the courage to reach through the internet, grab me and shake me when I needed it.

There’s no time for feeling sorry for yourself. Sound urgent, doesn’t it?

It was urgent. It still is.

What will it be for you today? Will you give into the fear? Or will you count to five, face the terror and then take the control back. It really is a choice.

What will you choose today?

Kevin Haggerty is a 32-year old husband and expecting father. He runs and writes for a humor blog called TheIsleOfMan.Net. For his full-time job, Kevin is a middle school teacher and basketball coach. He also writes for a mixed martial arts (MMA) blog called MMAMania.com. He’s the oldest of seven children, a continual skeptic and smart people think he’s funny (at least that’s what he tells himself).

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