Ice Breaker – Holiday Hope

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I 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.

(I’m always looking for Ice Breaker question ideas.  If you have an idea, send me an email at jon@jonstolpe.com.  If I use your question, I’ll give you credit and share your links.)

This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent.  Many churches around the world celebrated Advent by lighting this first candle.  The first candle represents HOPE.  This provides the inspiration for today’s Ice Breaker.  Be sure to read a few more comments after my answer to today’s question.  Then leave your answer in the comment.

Question:  What are you hoping for this Christmas season?

My Answer:  I’m hoping for a Red Rider BB Gun.  Just kidding.  I’m hoping for some time off from work when I can rest, relax, recharge, and spend time with my family.  This is actually on my agenda for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  I value this time as it is often the time that I recalibrate myself before heading into the new year.

Many think of Advent as being a time to get ready for Christmas.  I guess it is to some degree.  We set up our nativity, our tree, and other decorations during this time.  But Advent was not really meant to focus on Christmas.  It is a tradition created to help us think about Christ coming again.  This is the reason for our HOPE.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep Stretching!

Christmas for 7000!

Have you started making plans for Christmas?

Have you started putting your Christmas list together?

My wife is getting our Christmas list together.  In fact, she has already started listening to Christmas music.  It seems a bit early to me, but I was reminded by a recent correspondence that it is time to get ready for the Christmas season.

This brings me to today’s post.  I suppose it is more of a challenge.

My friend, Dave Sgro, has been working and serving in the village of Santo Domingo Xenacoj in Guatemala for the past several years.  Each year, he has been conducting a Christmas giveaway for the children in the village.  It started out small, and it has grown to a few thousand.  This year, GO Ministries (Dave’s mission organization) has expanded into a nearby village.  They plan to giveaway Christmas gifts to 7,000 children.  This is a major endeavor with tremendous opportunities to touch the lives of children and their families.

Your help is important to make this happen.  And you’ll need to act fast in order to pull this off for a late December giveaway.  Check out Dave’s video and instructions below for more details.

These gifts will go to kids I have played with and served the past three years in Guatemala.  You will make a difference if you decide to help out.

Here’s a list of the items Dave is looking for in each shoe box:

CHRISTMAS ITEMS (Remove packaging as possible)
1. Tooth Brushes
2. Tooth Paste
3. Combs
4. Brushes
5. Marbles
6. Stickers
7. Jump Ropes
8. Plastic Animals
9. Playing Cards
10. Nail Polish
11. Pens
12. Pencils
13. Erasers
14. Rulers
15. Matchbox Cars
16. Crayons
17. Travel Shampoo
18. Travel Soap
19. Hair Things
20. Lip Gloss

To help you see the impact of past Christmas giveaways, check out this video:

What’s on your Christmas list?

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas from The Stolpe Family!

Ice Breaker – Christmas Carols

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I 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.

Ice Breaker – Christmas Carols

By now, you are either sick of listening to the Christmas songs and carols on your local radio station, or you are just getting primed to go Christmas caroling with your friends and neighbors.  Either way, this is the time of year to listen to Christmas music.  We only have a few days left before the big day.  Before you know it, we’ll be thinking about the New Year and singing Groundhog Day songs.  This week’s Stretched Ice Breaker is inspired by the songs we sing and hear this month.

Question:  What is your favorite Christmas song or carol?

My Answer:  I’ve shared this before.  My favorite Christmas carol is In A Bleak Midwinter.  There’s just something about this song I’ll always love.  Our local high school marching band used this song in their marching program this year.  I was a little surprised, and it brought a smile to my face whenever I listened to their program – even when they played before Halloween.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

ADVENTure Day 19

ADVENTure Day 19

Are you happy?  Tell your face.

Many of us (myself included) walk around with a scowl on our face.  We don’t laugh.  We rarely smile.  Yet when people ask us how we’re doing, we reply “Great!” or “Good!” or “Fine!”

Are we lying?  Or have we just forgotten how to express our happiness?

According the Webster’s dictionary, joy is a feeling of great happiness.

This season is supposed to be a happy, joyful season, but many of us don’t look very happy.

It’s time we wake up and remind ourselves to smile – to remember why we have reason to be joyful.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.  Proverbs 15:13

ADVENTure Activity:  Look in the mirror.  Smile at yourself.  Now go and make someone else smile.

ADVENTure Question:  When was the last time you laughed so hard you nearly wet yourself?

ADVENTure Day 18

Weeping May Come For A Night But Joy Comes In The Morning

Let’s face it. There are things in this world that get us down.

It can be a challenge to find joy in our lives when our car is broken down. Or when we’re dealing with broken relationships. Or when we’re sick or someone we know and love is fighting for their lives. Or when we lose our job. Or when we can’t pay our bills.

I could go on and on. Joy is often the farthest thing from our minds when we are going through things like this.

But here is the exciting thing…are you ready?

We are promised joy!

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalms 30:5 NLT)

And this is what Advent is all about. We may deal with the “crap” of life…things will make us weep, doubt, and even shake our head or fist. But there is good news.

Christ is coming back!

There will be indescribable joy when this happens. This is something worth looking towards.

ADVENTure Activity: Think of five things you are looking forward to in the next year. How will these things bring you joy?

ADVENTure Question: Why are you weeping today?

ADVENTure Day 16

On Saturday, Leanne and I were out finishing up some Christmas shopping when we ran into Santa Claus.  We had seen him earlier in the day at Wegmans (our local grocery store), so we were surprised to see him again at a different store several miles away.  We have not done the whole “Santa thing” for our kids.  Before you call me a Scrooge, I hope you’ll listen to my story.

At the second store, Santa was talking to a little boy.  The conversation went something like this:

Santa:  “Hello, what is your name, little boy?”

Little Boy:  “My name is Billy.  I talked to you this week on the phone.  My Mom helped me call you.”

Santa:  “Oh, yes.  I remember.  It’s great to meet you in person, Billy.  Have you been a good boy?”

Little Boy:  “Yes.  I’ve been a good boy, Santa.”

Santa:  “Well, this is good to hear.  I know you told me on the phone, but what is it you want for Christmas?  I forgot, and I want to make sure I have it right on my list.”

The conversation went on for a couple more minutes before the little boy rejoined his father at the check-out.  The boy was grinning from ear to ear, and so were many of the customers who had just witnessed this conversation.

This little interaction got me thinking.  Those who dress up as Santa Claus at Christmas time have a big responsibility.  They represent the hopes and dreams of little boys and girls all over the world.  The Santa at this store did a great job carrying the expectations of this little boy.  And it was incredible to see the joy on his face following this conversation.

As Christians, we have a big responsibility as well.  We represent Christ and other Christ followers to a lost and broken world.  People will often decide to pursue Christ based on the actions of Christians.  Are they (are we) real?  Do they (do we) represent the message of Christ with integrity?  Do we give people a reason to expect great things?  Just as this store version of Santa has an important legacy to represent to kids who come into his store, we have a very important legacy and message to represent to everyone.  Let’s take this responsibility seriously, and let’s represent Christ well.

ADVENTure Activity:  Make a list.  In your opinion, who represents Christ well?  What have they done to be included on your list?

ADVENture Question:  What is something you can do today to represent Christ well?  Why do you think this is important when you think about Advent and Christmas?

The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.  Proverbs 10:28

ADVENTure Day 15

Today is the third Sunday of Advent.  Many churches will be switching their focus to JOY.

Last weekend, our family watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  Joy isn’t the first word that comes to mind when I think of this movie.  The movie is more about dysfunctional family humor most of us can relate to in one way or the other.  There is however a scene in the movie when Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) bursts out in a “stirring” rendition of Joy to the World as he gets ready to plug in the outdoor Christmas lights for the family.  If you remember the scene, Clark has worked for hours attaching lights to every square inch of his house.  He staples them to the roof.  He staples them to the gutters.  He wraps them around the chimney.  He wants to make sure the Griswold family has the best Christmas ever, and part of this includes have the brightest house in the neighborhood.  After hours and hours of labor, he is ready for the “house lighting ceremony” with his family.  And this is when he begins.to sing.  Clark is so excited to show off the fruits of his labor.  Perhaps, Joy to the World is the best way he had to express his joy and expectation as he prepared to light the house.

It’s my understanding Joy to the World was not actually written as a Christmas hymn.  It was an expression of thoughts by Isaac Watts after he read Psalm 98.  The song was written in expectation of Christ’s second coming.  ADVENTure is all about expectation.  Do we have our expectations centered in the right place?  Do our expectations cause us to well up with joy?  These are questions worth pondering today.

ADVENTure Activity:  Think about a time when you were expecting something.  What were your feelings and emotions during this time?  Tell someone about your experience.  Feel free to share in the comments.

ADVENTure Question:  During this Christmas season, what are you expecting?  What gives you joy?

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
    and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

Ice Breaker – Christmas Cookies

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I 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.

Our family spent several hours last Saturday together making Christmas cookies to enjoy and to send to some neighbors, friends, and relatives.  This is always a dangerous time in our house as the flour, sugar, and butter start taking over the place.  This week’s Stretched Ice Breaker is inspired by the Stolpe Family Cookie Bake-Off.

Question:  What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

My Answer:  My favorite Christmas cookie is the Swedish Spritz cookie.  It’s just the right mix of sugar, flour, butter, and anise flavoring.  I remember making these cookies with my mom every year.  She’d help us make the dough, and she let my brother and I use the cookie press to make the cookies.  The best part was always eating some of the raw cookie batter that oozed out of the cookie press.  The next best part was always testing the first few cookies when the cookies came out of the oven.

If you’re looking for a way to win over the Stretched Blogger, you can’t go wrong with plate of Swedish Spritz cookies (you could also try shortbread cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, and bourbon balls).

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

ADVENTure Day 11

Today’s ADVENTure post comes from Bill Grandi.  Bill is a pastor in the great state of Indiana.  He blogs regularly at CycleGuy’s Spin, and he has become a friend over the past couple of years thanks to the wonders of the blogosphere.  Today, he offers a post to get you thinking about your ADVENTure from a different angle.

(If you’re interesting in guest posting as part of the ADVENTure series or in general, please leave me a comment.  I’d love to connect with you.  Thanks!)

It is said everyone has a story. Here is part of my Christmas one.

I grew up in what was commonly known as the projects in West Mifflin, PA. They were nothing more than glorified low income housing units built for the steel workers during the war. My father grew up in Fort Wayne, IN, was the product of an abusive home, and joined the Navy.  After his discharge he attended Findlay College for a year or two for journalism, but dropped out in order to marry my mother. My mother was raised by godly parents and her desire was to be a missionary. We always joked because her mission field wound up being 4 sons (all of whom are serving the Lord today). They moved back to her hometown and found housing in the projects. We moved to the one I remember most because it was while living there that my father lost his job as a yard clerk on the railroad. Times were lean…no make that very lean. Mom went to work in a mom & pop grocery store. Dad was jobless for several years, until my aunt eventually paid for him to go to computer school to learn the growing field of computers. That was the time computers were as big as a house and took huge rooms kept almost frigid to house them.

Through it all my mom’s faith upheld her. My dad was nominal at best, but my mother’s faith was real and deep. She made sure Christmas was special in more ways than one. While they were both conscious of the “material” aspect of Christmas, mom made sure we knew the deeper story of Christmas. Yes, we had Santa Claus. Yes, we had lights and a tree and trains (those was my father’s responsibilities). But I had a mother (and grandparents) who made sure we knew what Christmas was all about. I learned early on that it did not depend on what you did/did not receive, or what others got that you didn’t. I learned how important it was to be grateful for whatever it was I received, whether I asked for it or not. Even after my father found a computer job, that focus never changed.

I have a lot of good memories from Christmas morning-of games being played; of breakfast being eaten before we could even open a gift; of staring in amazement at the sight that greeted my eyes (when we went to bed there was N-O-T-H-I-N-G); but most importantly of loving parents who sacrificed so their children could have a “nice” Christmas.

ADVENTURE Question:  What do you remember from your early years which shaped your impression of Christmas, and is still affecting you today?

ADVENTure Activity: Do you know a family you can reach out to who may have run into some tough times lately? Do they have children whom you can help them with? Can you help them anonymously? Do something.