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December 17th, 2011 Week In Review…

Another week has come and gone. It was a busy week in real life and here on the Stretched Blog. The blog is trending towards similar traffic patterns to last week – maybe even stronger this week. This week saw the second best day ever on The Stretched Blog. And I’m excited about what’s coming up in the week ahead. Here’s a recap of the week.

Monday, I kicked off the week with a post which indicated that the Stretched Blog was visiting The Handwritten. If you haven’t read it yet, please head over to Michael Perkin’s blog to read my guest post titled Stop & Start. On Tuesday, I shared about my surprise party and I threw out a question about the cake. We learned some interesting things about some of those in The Stretched Community. Wednesday, The Stretched Blog paid a visit to Deuceology for a guest post titled I’m Dreaming Of A Stretched Christmas. Larry “The Deuce” Carter mentioned that the post has been running strong over on his blog. Please head over and check it out, and read the other stuff that Larry’s writing about. My Thursday post was an introspective post about what it means and looks like to be on fire with our faith. I’m still wrestling through this one, and I appreciated the comments that contributed to the conversation and my thought process. And finally on Friday, we finished the week off with another fun holiday Ice Breaker where we learned about what gift everyone would like to receive on the 13th day of Christmas. You should check it out if you’re trying to figure out what to get The Stretched Blogger for Christmas!

I am so thankful for your contribution to the blog through comments. Your comments are what makes this Stretched Community! Please remember to take the time to Subscribe to the blog, so you can have Stretched delivered daily to your e-mail inbox. Also, don’t forget to stop by the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook fan page. Become a fan to keep up with some additional Stretched stuff. Thanks!

A few of my favorite posts from the rest of the blogging community this week:

Even Nice Labels Lie by Tony J. Alicea on The People of the Second Chance
When You Need Help Writing Do This… by Jeff Goins on Jeff Goins Writer
How to Lead Yourself Everyday! by Dave Ferguson

I’m really excited about this upcoming week as I’ll be sharing a guest post by Jonathan Pearson along with some other great ideas brewing as we head into the Christmas weekend. I can’t wait!

How about you? How was your week? If you’re a blogger what happened over your way this week? Did you read any great blog posts this week? Share with the rest of us!

The Stretched Blog Visits Deuceology

Today, I have the honor of guest posting over at Deuceology. Deuceology is a blog by my friend Larry “The Deuce” Carter. Larry is a Christian, blogger, husband, dad, and a huge Tennessee Vols fan. Everyday, Larry posts his thoughts and struggles as he seeks to spur others and himself closer to God. I love his honesty and openness which leaves me challenged on a daily basis. Please check out his blog and my guest post which is titled I’m Dreaming of A Stretched Christmas. Then do me a favor and leave a comment. Thanks!

Larry "The Deuce" Carter from Deuceology

Regarding guest posting, I love opportunities to guest post as it provides another opportunity to “stretch” me, so contact me through the comments if this is something that interests you. And I love to share others stretch stories and guest posts, so let me know if that’s something that interests you as well.)

December 10th, 2011 Week In Review…

These weeks keep blowing by at a rapid pace. This week was a milestone week. I turned 40 on Thursday, and the Stretched blog is having one of the best weeks ever. Here’s a recap of the week.

Monday, I kicked off the week with a post about my reading list for 2012. Thanks to all of you who gave me ideas to add to my list of consideration. If you missed it, please stop by and add your recommendations. On Tuesday, I shared about our families Christmas ornament tradition. I really appreciated hearing about your favorite family ornaments and Christmas tree traditions. Wednesday’s post paid tribute to my Grandpa and his legacy. Thursday was my birthday. I appreciated all the birthday greetings through the comments and on Facebook. Finally, we finished the week off on Friday with another holiday Ice Breaker where we learned about everyone’s favorite Christmas songs and carols. As always, I’m thankful for all of you who stopped by and left a comment or just checked things out.

A few of my favorite posts from the rest of the blogging community this week:

I’m really excited about this upcoming week as I’ll be guest posting on a couple of blogs. It should be a blast!

How about you? How was your week? If you’re a blogger what happened over your way this week? Did you read any great blog posts this week? Share with the rest of us!

It’s 40!

Yesterday, I shared about my Grandpa, and I mentioned that I think about him every year at this time. The reason I think about him especially today is that we share a birthday – today! Yep, that’s right, the Stretched blogger turns 40 today. How did that happen?

As I consider this milestone, I’m thankful. I’m thankful for all the life I’ve experienced so far and for the life that lies ahead for me. I’m grateful for the people that God has placed in my life. And I’m so thankful for a God who loves me in the ups and downs, the goods and the bads, and in my successes and failures. Today’s Psalm applies perfectly to my thoughts for the day.

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
   and put their trust in him.

⁴ Blessed is the one
   who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
   to those who turn aside to false gods.
⁵ Many, LORD my God,
   are the wonders you have done,
   the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
   were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
   they would be too many to declare.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
   but my ears you have opened—
   burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
⁷ Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
   it is written about me in the scroll.
⁸ I desire to do your will, my God;
   your law is within my heart.”

⁹ I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
   I do not seal my lips, LORD,
   as you know.
¹⁰ I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
   I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
   from the great assembly.

¹¹ Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
   may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
¹² For troubles without number surround me;
   my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
   and my heart fails within me.
¹³ Be pleased to save me, LORD;
   come quickly, LORD, to help me.

¹⁴ May all who want to take my life
   be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
   be turned back in disgrace.
¹⁵ May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
   be appalled at their own shame.
¹⁶ But may all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
   “The LORD is great!”

¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.

Psalm 40

How do you celebrate and process the milestones in your life?

My Grandpa

Grandpa and The Stolpe Boys

When I get to this time of year, I often think about my Grandpa Stolpe. (I’ll tell you why tomorrow.) My Grandpa passed away a few years ago, and he is missed by his whole family. Grandpa has two kids, seven grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren. I’m sure each one of us would have a different perspective on our grandfather, and I wanted to share a little bit about my take on the man my cousin calls Big Grey.

Grandpa was first and foremost a follower of Christ. He lived it. He breathed it. He provided a clear example that Christ should come first in our lives. I remember Grandpa leading us in prayer and Bible reading when we sat down for breakfast when we were there for a visit. He was always involved at church. And he had a huge heart for missions and bringing God’s love to everyone around the world. As we sat down for breakfast, I remember Grandma and Grandpa praying specifically for missionaries around the world.

Grandpa was a killer croquet player. Whenever we went over to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, the croquet set would come out of the garage and the croquet match to end all croquet matches would begin. Grandpa knew the rules like the back of his hand, and he was always quick to teach us the correct way to play the game. After Grandpa beat the rest of us around the croquet course, he would go back and knock out the older cousins so the younger grandchildren could win.

Grandpa had a great sense of humor. Some of my cousins and siblings might argue with me on this, but this is something I carry with me. Grandpa had a desire to make everyone laugh. He always had a corny joke or response that broke the ice and made you chuckle. For example, when the cantaloupe came out, he would say, “I can’t elope. I’m already married to Grandma.” Or if we had nectarines, he would say “I don’t neck with Irene; I neck with Grandma.” I’m proud to say that I picked up some of that humor.

Grandpa was Swedish. Grandpa knew how to speak Swedish. He shared the Swedish traditions with our family – especially the Christmas Swedish traditions. I big part of celebrating Christmas is eating the Swedish food. I attribute this to my Grandma and Grandpa. At Grandpa’s funeral, they even sang a Swedish hymn.

Grandpa was an incredible example. After his faith, his marriage was always his top priority. He and Grandma were a team. They complimented each other well. They put each other first before their own interests and needs. Grandpa would do anything for Grandma. After his faith and Grandma, family was a top priority. He would do anything for all of us. He always wanted the best for each one of us. He and Grandma prayed consistently for each one of us. Grandpa had a special relationship with each of us. When we showed up for a visit, he showed us off like we were movie stars.

I share about my Grandpa to brag, to share, and to remember.

Who in your life to you want to remember and why?

Our Christmas Ornament Tradition

My first Christmas ornament from 1971

I love this time of year when we break out the family traditions related to the Christmas season. One of the traditions that I love is when we put up the Christmas tree and decorate it with special ornaments. Each year, we give our kids a “special” ornament that represents something about their year. This year, our daughter received a canoe ornament from the Christmas shop in Mont Tremblant. This ornament will help her remember the fun we had on our family vacation to Canada this summer when she paddled around a small lake in a canoe with her brother. Our son received a ski gondola ornament also from the Christmas shop in Mont Tremblant. This ornament will help him remember our hike to the top of Mont Tremblant and the easy trip down in the gondola.

We’ve been doing this tradition since the kids were born, so they are starting to develop quite a collection of these “special” ornaments. Each year when we set up the tree, they take turns hanging up their ornaments and reminding us all about their ornaments and the memories that are associated with each of them. It’s a fun tradition!

They're almost as tall as the tree! How did that happen?

I can’t tell you that Leanne and I thought of this on our own, because that wouldn’t be true! My parents actually carried out the same tradition for my brothers and me. I still have all my ornaments from when I was a kid, and yes, I still hang them up every year. And I think my kids actually enjoy hearing the stories associated with my ornaments. As we were hanging up our ornaments this year, we wondered if the tradition would carry on to our grandchildren some day. I hope so!

Do you have any tree trimming traditions at your house? What is one of the “special” ornaments that you hang on your tree every year?

Thoughts From Seeing Mary Poppins On Broadway

Last week during our New York City adventure, we visited the New Amsterdam Theater to see the Disney musical, Mary Poppins. Our Broadway evening actually began in the afternoon when we lined up in the middle of Times Square to purchase discounted show tickets at the TKTS kiosk. As we waited in line we decided to pursue tickets for Mary Poppins or Sister Act. When we reached the end of the line, the Mary Poppins tickets were available at a better price, so we went with this show.

When we arrived at the theater later that evening, we discovered that our seats were up near the back of the balcony in one of the biggest theaters in the theater district. Nevertheless, we were happy to be there seeing a Broadway show with our kids.

As the show began, we quickly learned that we were in for a treat as we experienced sets and props that were amazing and actors that did an amazing job with the songs we all grew up listening to that were part of the original movie. My favorite songs were Step In Time and Supercalifragilisticexpaladocious (did I spell that correctly?). You couldn’t help but tap your feet and clap your hands as the dancing and hand jiving continued on the stage.

For me, the story as played out in the musical emphasized the importance of taking time for family. In the musical, Mr. Banks discovers that his focus on his career and wealth have clouded his focus on what’s more important – his family. By the end of the musical, Mr. Banks finds a balance between work and family. I was inspired by this part of the story. I generally believe that I keep my family first, but there’s no question that there are times when my focus on work and other things can overshadow things that should have a higher priority in my life.

And so…I left New York City seeing a great show and being reminded of a great lesson.

What’s got your focus right now? Are your priorities in the right order?

Have you ever seen a show on Broadway? Share your experience.

Thanksgiving Marathon Recap

The race started and finished at the tortoise and the hare statue

As promised, here are some of my reflections on completing this year’s Thanksgiving Marathon in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York City, NY.

As I’ve shared before running a marathon is an ambitious task. Most don’t just get up and decide they’re going to run a marathon today. It takes time, energy, and lots of training. But something I’ve relearned through my experience on Thursday is that you can be a runner at any distance. People can get so caught up in the “I could never do a marathon” or “I’m not a runner” or “I admire people who can run, but it’s not for me.” What I loved about Thursday’s race is that runners could choose from a multiple of distances – 5K, 1/8 Marathon, 10K, 1/4 Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 3/4 Marathon, and Full Marathon. It was also clear that you didn’t have to be Ryan Hall, Jesse Owens, or Carl Lewis to get out there and run. There were runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. I loved it!

Regarding my experience, the day was perfect – sunny and cool. We arrived at the park in plenty of time to find a parking space at the Van Cortlandt Golf Course. As we walked through the park, we could see people gathering across a flat open field. I thought to myself that this is a good sign the course will be somewhat flat. Was I ever wrong! As we arrived at the starting line, I grabbed my runner’s bib. I love that they give all the runners number one for these holiday races. I stretched out and began to find my place at the starting line. Before the race started, the race organizer gave some instructions at informed runners that the marathon course had been changed due to the previous two days of rain. Now, we were running 8 hilly trail laps instead of 4 flatter trail laps. That didn’t sound too exciting, but there was nothing I could do about it besides get moving.

Coming off the trails for a lap around the field

As the gong went off to start the race, I started my watch and my GPS to track my time and mileage, and I started my marathon journey. About 1/2 mile into the race, we split off of the flat open trail and turned onto a gradual uphill trail that began to narrow. Every twenty or thirty yards there was a railroad tie to hop over. I’m pretty sure they were placed to control erosion, but they became quite an obstacle as the race wore on. The course proceeded to run up and down through the wooded and sometimes single track trails. As I popped out of the woods the first time, I was greeted by my own personal cheering section. It was such an encouragement to see Leanne and the kids throughout the morning as I made my way through the course. (Apparently, they were the only spectators for the race, and they received many thanks from other runners.)

Bringing me into the finish

Despite the challenging course, I was off to a good start. I ran the first half of the marathon on pace to finish at 3 hours and 20 or 30 minutes which would have beat my marathon PR by a huge margin. But… I kind of knew that this was probably a bit too fast for me – especially on this course. As the race continued, the uphills became more and more of a challenge. Eventually, I was walking most of the uphills and trying to run the downhills and the flats. It’s amazing how the body breaks down over the course of a marathon. I didn’t quit, but it was a real challenge to keep my body moving as fast as I wanted it to go. As the laps continued, I also realized that a marathon course that requires this type of repetition is probably not my favorite type of course.

The Gong - The privilege of the finisher

Nonetheless, I kept going until the finish. My daughter ran the last quarter-mile with me as I approached the finish line. You could tell that she was proud of her dad. What more could you ask for in a marathon experience?

If that wasn’t enough, Leanne and the kids reminded me to hit the finisher’s gong after I crossed the finish line. I collected my finisher’s medal – a 12″ serving fork! And I signed into the race log book where I entered my time of 4 hours 1 minute 0 seconds. Years ago, I would have been more disappointed that I didn’t break 4 hours but not this year. I was happy to run! I was happy to finish! And I’m already thinking about the next one!

Slow and steady wins the race

Hope all is well with the Stretched Community!

How was your Thanksgiving? How did you counteract the calorie intake?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I’m so thankful for today! There are so many reasons give thanks. Our family has a tradition of using a table-cloth every year for Thanksgiving. Each year, we trace our hand prints on the table-cloth, and we write something we’re thankful for in each finger. So here are my five things this year:

1. Leanne – I am so thankful for her restored health. I’m so thankful for her friendship and love. She’s such an incredible mom and wife.

2. Hannah – I blogged about her Monday. It’s amazing to see how she is growing up.

3. Isaac – I’m proud of him too! He is kind, sensitive, and extremely talented. He makes us laugh, and he keeps us on our toes.

4. Blogging – This has been a big year for me when it comes to blogging. I have really enjoyed this outlet. And I’m especially thankful for all the friends I’ve met through the blogging community.

5. Job – I don’t want to take this for granted. I love what I do (most days). I love the fact that I can help people succeed.

If all goes well, I’m running the Thanksgiving Marathon today (I’ll report more on that later). Honestly, running could probably be another thankful point, but I’d have to grow a sixth finger on my hand. I’m looking forward to returning home tomorrow and enjoying our Thanksgiving feast on Saturday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for this year?

I Need A Break

Have you ever come to a point where you know you need a few days off?

The time has come for me. I’m taking a couple of days off from work, and I’m heading to NYC with my family for some time away together. The Stretched blog will continue, so don’t go away. It should be great to have some rest and recharge for the final sprint to the end of 2011.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

So seriously, do you need a break? When will you stop to take a breath?

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