Category Archives for "blog spotlight"

3 Thumbs Up! April 14th, 2012

I’m back in Pennsylvania, and it’s time for the third installment of 3 Thumbs Up!  Without further delay, here are my three thumbs up for this week:

Thumbs Up Number 1:  Caine’s Arcade.  I just learned about this today thanks to the wonderful blog world and tylerstanton.com, and I think if you watch this video all the way through you’ll agree that this deserves a huge thumbs up.

Thumbs Up Number 2:  Life Of A Steward Podcast.  By now, you know that I’m a huge podcast fan.  A new podcast that has caught my attention and deserves a thumbs up is the Life Of A Steward Podcast.  In each episode, Loren Pinilis shares insights into how to make the most of our time.  So far, Loren has released six episodes.  I’m looking forward to the next one already!

Thumbs Up Number 3:  Big B.  Big B is a blog written by my friend Brandon Gilliland.  Brandon is a medical student with a heart for amplifying God’s kingdom.  He has a huge heart for sharing and encouraging.  He has recently written a couple of blog posts about blogging and quality content that have struck a chord with me.  I’m excited to see how God will use Brandon and his Big B blog in the days, weeks, and years to come.

What have you come across this week that deserves a thumbs up?  Let us know in the comments.

3 Thumbs Up! Dallas Edition

This week, I’m visiting my parents in Dallas, TX.  There are many things about being here that make you feel like you’re in another country – the culture, the people, the sports teams, etc.  All in all, Dallas is a good place to visit.  The people are friendly.  And the weather is great this time of year.

Last week, I tried something new with the first ever 3 Thumbs Up! post.  I’m going to try it again this weekend with a little Texas flair.  Here goes:

Thumbs Up Number 1:  Dave’s Ghost Pepper Jolokia Sauce.  My youngest brother is apparently following in the footsteps of my middle brother.  They both love hot sauce.  Upon our arrival in Dallas, my Mom and my brother combined to make some delicious pizza.  My brother, Erik, thought it would be a good idea to bring out the Ghost Pepper Sauce for his brother and his nephew to try out on their pizza.  Wow!  This stuff is good, but you only need a drop or two.  Don’t overdo it!

Thumbs Up Number 2:  Fiesta Mart.  We took a field trip yesterday afternoon to the local Fiesta to take in the grocery shopping experience from a Hispanic perspective.  Where else can you buy edible cactus, 25 pound tubs of lard, pig stomach, and an endless supply of tortillas?  The people in the store were extremely friendly as we walked through the store obviously out-of-place.  It’s hard to get the whole experience without actually being there to hear the music that plays over the PA system.  Our daughter who has a developing love of the Spanish language especially enjoyed the experience.

Thumbs Up Number 3:  Arny Sanchez. Arny is a blogger from the great state of Texas, and he has become a great friend through the blog world.  He has been writing for a while on The Analogous Truth blog where he uses pop-culture to point people to Christ.  I highly recommend heading over to his blog to see what’s new.  Arny has also been working on a new creative writing project called The Storied Soul.  Each week, Arny adds a new chapter to his story – a story which may leave you on the edge of your seat.  Go check out Arny’s stuff.  You won’t be disappointed.

What’s going on in your world that deserves a thumbs up?  Drop it in the comments, so we can all enjoy!

 

3 Thumbs Up!

Today, I’m highlighted three things that get my thumbs up as I head into this weekend.

First thumb up:  The 9 Thumbs Podcast.  The idea for this post came from the three guys (Rob Stennett, Jason Boyett, and Matthew Paul Turner) who put out this new podcast.  Each episode, the three hosts talk about nine things that are getting their thumbs up.  So far, they’ve released two episodes.  The podcast is funny and informative.  They talk about movies, TV shows, podcasts, people, inventions, and all kinds of other stuff.  It’s worth checking out.  You can find them over at iTunes where you can download the podcast for free.

Stennett, Boyett, and Turner from 9Thumbs.com

Second thumb up:  The Grand Theater.  I blogged about this place several months ago.  After a visit to The Grand last night with my wife and son, I’m convinced that this “old-time” theater located in East Greenville, PA is a true diamond in the rough.  The movie and snack prices are still reasonable.  The movies are great (last night we saw The Lorax).  What more could you ask for?  If you live in the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania area, I highly recommend you take a trip to The Grand, you won’t be sorry.

The Grand from a visit a few months ago

Third thumb up:  Shawn Smucker’s blog.  I just stumbled upon this blog this week thanks to some reviews for his new e-book, Building A Life Out Of Words.  I’m still figuring him and his blog out, but so far it’s a thumbs up for me.  Go check out at shawnsmucker.com.

Shawn Smucker from shawnsmucker.com

You’ve just read my first 3 Thumbs Up! post.  What do you think?  What would you give a thumbs up to this week?

Back To The Basics – Guest Post From Joe Lalonde

Today, I’m honored to present guest blogger, Joe Lalonde.  Joe blogs regularly about life and leadership.  According to his blog, Joe has “always had a desire to grow and to see others grow and become more effective in their life.”  Please check out his blog and become one of his regular readers.

(As always, I’m love guest blogging and guest bloggers.  If you have a STRETCHED story to share here, drop me a comment.  Or if you think I could help you on your blog, let me know in the comments.)

Back To The Basics

Sometimes the Christian faith seems so simple. You say a prayer asking Jesus to come into your heart, tell Him that you are sorry for your sins, and that you plan on following Him.

Creative Commons at Flickr by Chepe Lena

Simple, right?

Yes, it is simple but it is also complicated. And that is something that has been stretching me.

Questions have been floating around in my head.

When did this get so complicated? Is there more to Christianity than going to church and saying prayers?  Does God even love me?

This line of thinking has made me long for the basics.

What basics you may ask? Well, let me give them to you as questions:

  • Whatever happened to the Lord’s Prayer?
    Jesus took the time to describe how we should pray. Yet when is the last time you thought about it?My guess is that it has not been recently.I encourage you to dive into the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus gave us great wisdom and instruction when He prayed.He thought it was important enough to tell us how to pray. Why are we not teaching this to the congregations?
  • Are the 10 Commandments still applicable?

    It is interesting studying how the 10 commandments came to be.Moses ascended Mount Sinai and stayed there for 40 days and 40 nights. During this time, God gave Moses the 10 commandments on two stone tablets.Finally, Moses descended the mountain and was ready to bring the tablets to the people. Except the people had rebelled while Moses was with God. They made idols and false gods. This angered Moses.

    In his anger, Moses destroyed the tablets. The 10 commandments from God were gone, decimated.

    But the story does not end there. God, in His everlasting mercy, told Moses to recreate the two tablets that were destroyed.

    It appears the 10 commandments were important.

    After studying the 10 commandments, it seems they all come down to loving God and loving each other.

    Where has our love for them gone? How would our society look if we were to love the commandments and follow them once again?

    Take time to re-read the 10 commandments. What do you see them saying to you?

  • Do we even know Jesus?
    Everywhere you go, you can hear about Jesus and how He is love. He loves you and wants you to be happy. He wants you to enjoy your life. He wants peace. He does not want anything extra from you?Is that true?I see in John 14:15 Jesus says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”In Matthew 10:34-36 Jesus says “Do not think I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.”

    It sounds like we have forgotten that Jesus also had demands for us and that things would be rocky. There would be division.

    I am not saying that Jesus is not about love. He is. He came to save us when we were yet against him. He cared enough about us to die a horrible, miserable death.

    What I am saying is that we forget the basics and give ourselves only the parts that make us happy.

This is where I am being stretched right now. I am being stretched to get back to the basics. To dig deep into the basics. To see our church leaders stand up and proclaim the full gospel, not just the feel good sayings of the Bible.

Are you ready and willing to be stretched back to the basics?

Question: Have you overlooked the basics of your faith? Are you being stretched to dig in and rediscover the truth of the Bible? How so? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

February 2012 Top Posts and Commenters

I blinked and February was gone.  Thankfully, I captured some of my thoughts and experiences here.  As always, I wanted to thank all of you for your daily readership and contribution to The Stretched Blog.  The new platform (jonstolpe.com) is growing!  I like to take the opportunity with the first post of the month to look back and to celebrate what’s been happening here.   So here are the top ten posts from February 2012:

1. Stretching To A New Focus – Guest Post by Leah Adams

2. Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember

3.  Say What You Need To Say (Jan. 2012)

4.  Log Eye Lessons

5.  Ice Breaker – Groundhog Day

6.  Stolpe Superbowl Scavenger Hunt

7.  Ice Breaker – Verse Of The Day

8.  Stretched Perspective

9.  The Kid Stretched Me – Guest Post by Tom Tarver

10.  Quality – Time

Here are the top three commenters:

1.  Tom Tarver (35)

2.  Joe Lalonde (29)

3.  Larry Carter (21)

Overall traffic increased on the blog despite the fact that I cut down my average posts per week from six to five.  This is a good sign that new readers are joining the community and conversation.  We had several brand new commenters and one or two new subscribers.  If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing to the blog (on the right hand side of the main page), adding the blog to your RSS reader, and becoming of the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook fan page.  These are all great ways to make sure you stay connected with what’s going on in and around the Stretched Community.

Finally, I’d like to highlight a few blogs that I’ve recently been enjoying.  Stop on over to these great blogs and see what’s happening:

–  Dicipulus

–  Some Wise Guy

–  The Isle of Man

How was your month?  What was your top post?  What was your favorite post here?  What other blogs can you share with The Stretched Community?

Stretching To A New Focus – Guest Post by Leah Adams

The Kid Stretches Me – Guest Post by Tom Tarver

Today, A Curious Band Of Others visits The Stretched Blog.  I’m honored to present guest blogger Tom Tarver.  Tom writes about the daily struggles to hear and to do—the building on the rock foundation process—to those who dream bigger dreams about being the church, the body of Christ in motion.  After you read his post below, swing over to his blog and check things out.  Add A Curious Band Of Others to your regular reading.

(If you have a STRETCHED story to share, drop me a comment so we can connect.)

My young friend Richard looked like he’d finished an Ironman Triathlon—face buried in his arms, legs like jelly. There would be no more basketball for him today.

“The first day is always the hardest,” I said. “You’ll feel better after a few days.” I hoped he’d show up again but had my doubts.

Between gasps, he said, “I haven’t played basketball in three years.”

I headed back out to the court for the next game and figured I’d had my last conversation with Richard for the day, perhaps even for the week. Shoot, maybe even the year.

I was wrong on all accounts. Richard trotted out for the morning’s last game. In the final moments, he lunged to save an escaping basketball and tipped it in my direction. I turned and swooshed the game winner.

Richard surpassed all my expectations because I underestimated him in a big way. I shouldn’t by now; because he made a number of exceptional plays on the football team I coached and hustled his heart out on our softball team.

He doesn’t look the part of an athlete—he’s whippet thin but tortoise slow. When players ran routes in full pads, I could distinguish Richard from the other skinny receivers by his foot speed. Forget a stopwatch. You need to clock Richard with a calendar.

But here’s the thing about Richard. He sticks to it (whatever it is—football, softball, basketball, etc.). And I admire him for his resolve. He just doesn’t quit. I’ve seen better, more talented athletes who would be exceptional if they had Richard’s heart.

Richard’s friendship serves to remind me of the prophet Samuel’s visit to Jesse’s home. He came looking to anoint a king and based his initial judgment on appearances. God had another standard.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Jesus also spoke about appearances. In John 5, we read about Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath. In John 7, He’s confronted by the Jewish religious leaders. He knows they want to kill Him, have wanted to ever since the Sabbath-day healing, and will kill Him in due time. In that context, Jesus says, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly” (John 7:24 NIV).

So here are a few takeaway thoughts that stretch me.

1) Value people. Jesus valued people above rules and regulations. He knew the Law was important. In truth, the Law flowed out of God’s character. But why? Because God loves and values people.

2) Go deeper. You know the saying. “Beauty is only skin deep.” I can see skin deep with my physical eyes, but I can’t see any further than that. Everything I take in visually—what he wears, how she fixes her hair, his height, her complexion, etc.—is mere appearance. Hollywood has built a successful industry primarily on eye appeal. But for us, living in obedience to the Lord, we must go deeper than the skin.

3) Gaze upon the heart. How many times have you assigned a motive to another person because he angered you? How many times have you stopped a conversation with “That’s stupid” or something worse? Whether I’ve said it or not, I’ve certainly thought it. To get to the heart of a person or a matter, I have to slow down and think. For me, that means gaze instead of glimpse.

What’s true for me in relation to Richard remains true for me in my relationship with God. I must go deeper than my circumstances, whether good or bad, to know God’s heart. I must gaze upon Him in Scripture, in worship, and in life to understand the depth of His love for me. Even then, I may only get a glimpse of His glory. But, with God, a glimpse is more than I deserve and more than enough.

Questions: What kind of person does God use to stretch you?

Stretching To A New Focus – Guest Post by Leah Adams

Today, The Stretched Blog features guest blogger, Leah Adams.  Leah blogs over at The Point.  I’m grateful to share Leah’s story about how she feels STRETCHED these days.  As always, stop over to her blog after you read her post.  Become one of her regular readers.  Leah’s bio and contact information are at the bottom of this post.

(If you are feeling that STRETCHING feeling these days, I’d love to share your STRETCHING experience here.  Drop me a line if you’re interested in becoming a guest blogger.)

I think God is the originator of the concept of stretching. He never lets us be comfortable for very long before He sends us a challenge designed to stretch our faith in Him.

So it is with me and the ministry He called me to several years ago. My passion is speaking. Specifically, my passion is teaching the Word of God. The focus of that passion has been speaking to women about the love and grace of Jesus. That is what God has allowed me to do for the past four years.

Now, it seems that He has decided it is time for Leah to S-T-R-E-E-E-E-T-C-H. In the past year the Lord has sparked a fire in my heart for young men and women in the 16 to 29 age range. Why this group? Probably, because this is a hugely unreached group with regard to the church. It all started when I read David Kinnaman’s book entitled unchristian: What A New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity and Why It Matters. Peeps, we are losing this generation of young people from the church and it is primarily because we, in the church, often do not act like Christ would have acted. We don’t love like Christ. We don’t care like Christ. Because of that, WE are driving young people away from the church by the thousands.

Last fall, I had the opportunity to become involved with a couple who do ministry to international students studying in the US. Oh my word! My eyes were opened to a huge, wide open mission field. There are thousands of students from other countries studying in the United States and over 90% of them are never inside an American home. What a missed opportunity to share Jesus’ love!

These students are eager to learn about American culture and engage with American people, yet, we never take the time to get to know them, show them we care, be there for them if they have a problem. We could so easily be surrogate family to these students who are thousands of miles away from home, yet the church of Jesus is often oblivious to them.

There is a small, four year college very near my home in rural northern Georgia. I called over to the admissions office one day in the fall of 2011 and asked if they had any international students. I figured I was wasting my time, but felt the urging of the Lord to call, so I did. I was stunned when they told me they had 38 international students. Thirty eight international students right on my doorstep! My heart did back-flips.

My Tuesday morning Bible study ladies and I have begun to engage with these students. We took them goodies bags during fall semester final exams. We did a meet and greet with them. In late February we plan to do a bonfire and marshmallow roast for them. A bowling trip. Provide rides to the grocery for them. Movie night. Anything we can do to show them friendship and love is what we plan to do.

Last week I sat with one young man—and when I say young man, I mean probably 18 years old at the most—who had been at the local college for only 2 weeks. He was a soft-spoken runner from Kenya. We talked about how he likes America, his scholarship to run, and when he would go back home to visit. He told me he would not go back for 5 years. FIVE STINKING YEARS without seeing his family! I nearly bawled right in front of him. He is just a baby and he will be in a strange foreign country where he knows no one for 5 years. He held back tears as we spoke, too.

Ya’ll, this is low hanging fruit as far as I am concerned. These young men and women are so hungry for love and family. To show the love of Jesus to these students is my new passion and it is how God is S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G me.

How have you been STRETCHED in your focus recently?

BIO

Leah describes herself as the “prodigal son’s sister” after spending several years walking far from the Lord in her twenties. Helping others understand the grace that is offered by Jesus to anyone who will accept it is the passion of Leah’s heart. In a works-based and failure-prone society, grace is a concept that many people have difficulty grasping and Leah’s speaking and writing ministry, called The Point Ministries, seeks to point others straight to Jesus and his amazing grace.

An anointed speaker and communicator, Leah lives in northern Georgia with her husband, Greg, who is also her dentist. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Mercer University School of Pharmacy. Leah is a CLASS certified speaker and is the author of a Bible study for ladies entitled, From the Trash Pile to the Treasure Chest: Creating a Godly Legacy. She writes for Internet Café Devotions, CBN.com and Christianparenting.org. Visit Leah at her ministry website at www.leahadams.org. Find Leah on Facebook at Leah Colwell Adams and on Twitter (@PointMinistries).

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