Category Archives for "guest blogger"

The Stretched Blog Visits Failing Forward – The Power Of Gratitude

Jon Stolpe's Thank You Thursday Story

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:

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

 

Musical Stretch (Guest Post by Dan Erickson)

Today, I’m honored to present guest blogger, Dan Erickson.  Dan and I recently became friends through the blogging community.  He shares a little bit about himself in the intro to his post.  To connect with Dan, visit is blog (Intentional Rhythms) or follow him on Twitter.  Enjoy!

I’ve been stretched a lot in life.  I was a child victim of a cult.  I dealt with post-traumatic stress in my 20s.  I returned to college in my 30s.  I became a single dad in my 40s.  I have all sorts of sad stories I could tell, but I decided to keep this on the upbeat: music.

I’m a musician and a songwriter.  I’ve written 100s of songs throughout three decades.  No, you’ve never heard any on the radio… yet.  A few years ago, I reached a point that many call “writer’s block” as a songwriter.  I was burnt out.  I felt like I’d explored nearly every style and genre of songwriting.  I currently haven’t written a song in nearly two years.  That’s a record for me.  However, I’ve decided to stretch myself musically.

I’m taking some of my old songs and rewriting them.  I’m guitarist and drummer, but have picked up mandolin and banjo over the past few years.  Laugh, but I’m taking eight of my older songs originally written on the guitar and rewriting them on the banjo.  The songs are part of a project that accompanies my book A Train Called Forgiveness.  But enough about me.  What can you learn by this musical stretch?

  1. Think again.  When you feel like you’re out of ideas, think again.  We often trick ourselves into thinking we have nothing new, nothing fresh.  But it’s the process of continually experimenting that creates new material.  If you keep mulling things around in your mind you’ll be surprised at the results.
  2. Change tools.  If you always go back to the same tool day after day, you’ll only be able to do a limited amount of work.  It takes more than a rake to plant a garden.  As a songwriter, I was able to get some fresh melodies and textures out of my old songs by rewriting them on the banjo.  New tools can inspire and refresh.
  3. Consider the angles.  We often beat ourselves up over not being able to complete a project in the form we’ve convinced ourselves is best.  Rather than considering new angles we tend to kick the project to the curb.  My latest musical project has taken on new life because I was willing to go back and rewrite old songs instead of demanding new material of myself.
  4. Expand on skills.  If you’re a blogger who feels like your posts are getting repetitive, take some time to expand your skills.  Practice creative writing.  Work on the technical side of blogging.  If you’re a writer: take a writing class or read more books.  If you’re a musician: try another instrument or play a different style of music.

Sometimes life can stretch us.  I’ve had plenty of times when it has.  But don’t forget, we can also stretch ourselves by making choices to take our abilities to the next level.

Is there something in your life that you can improve upon?  Are you willing to rethink old ways?  Are you willing to try out new tools?  Do you consider the picture from a variety of angles?  Can you expand on your current skills?  If you answered yes to these questions, then you’re ready to stretch.

Can you describe a time in your life when you had to think outside of the box or use new tools to stretch yourself to the next level?  Please post your comments below:

Ringing Up Patience at Register Six (Guest Post by D’Anne Hotchkiss)

Today, I have the honor of presenting D’Anne Hotchkiss.  D’Anne blogs over at LifeIsHOTblog.  Today, she shares a recent STRETCHING experience with The Stretched Community.  A brief bio with her contact links is included at the end of the post.  Enjoy!

Life is not a road race. When we slow down, we have time to think, and to build our patience muscle. (The photo was taken by Brad Smith, and is used by permission.)

The other day I made my monthly pilgrimage to Wal-Mart. I picked a time of day calculated to have few shoppers and little road traffic. What is the virtue of waiting three light cycles to get through a single intersection? I love efficiency and I’m not a good ‘waiter.’ My idea of good use of my time would be to have my teeth cleaned, my hair cut, and a mani/pedi, simultaneously, preferably while I listen to a good book. Don’t ask me about lines at toll booths or airport security.

Shopping list in hand, it took me 20 minutes to pick up my items. Ah, the bliss of shopping off-peak. And then I got to the checkout. I picked a short line. I noticed that the clerk moved slowly and appeared to be of below-average mental capacity. But she was steady. Fair enough, hat tip to the hiring manager. Oh all right, the other lines were longer and those shoppers had more items.

Over on my blog, LifeisHOTBlog, I write about how being honest, open and true in all things makes us better people and bring us better relationships. So from time to time, I push myself to do something hard because it makes me stronger in my relationships. This was one of those times.

While the clerk rang up the women in front of me I bid my time and bit my tongue. I tried to find the shiny side of each irritating minute. I can tell you that every item was lovingly picked up by the cashier, carefully scanned, with a pause for the scanner beep, and only then gently placed in a plastic bag, as though it were a raw egg being readied for a long trip. My life has been rushed lately and I should take advantage of this time to slow down.

As each bag started to get full, the clerk would carefully rearrange items to make room for one or two more things. No sense wasting plastic bags that may end up in the landfill and that cost her employer a tiny slice of profit.

There was a misunderstanding about which item was being purchased in multiples and so required adjustments. Miscommunication happens to all of us.

Why, one week before Thanksgiving, did the shopper need a large roasting pan and this particular size of aluminum foil? Oh, to have childlike innocence and curiosity.

Finally, it was my turn. Yes, the clerk exhibited the same care, if not expediency, with my order as she had with the previous two. I pictured a cat I had who, when she knew she had no choice but to endure the vet’s exam or other indignation, became completely passive. Not a hiss or snarl or claw.

Honestly, I don’t know how long before I was sprung free, but I’d guess 20 minutes.

So what did I learn from my experience? Nothing new. But I was reminded of some things that I seem to need reminding of periodically. Number one, remaining pleasant and gracious on the outside lessens my feelings of impatience and aggravation on the inside. Number two, I can embrace my fight and flight emotions and hold them, without them holding me. Number three, hissing, snarling and clawing really get you nowhere.

What about you? Do you sometimes choose to stretch yourself by putting yourself in an uncomfortable situation? How’s that work for you? Like any exercise, it gets easier with time, so keep at it.

D’Anne Hotchkiss Bio:  Life is rarely perfect. Sometimes, it is not even good. These are the parts that especially deserve expression. That’s my belief and what has inspired me to create Life Is HOT. I’m on a journey to embrace life through Honest, Open and True living. Come along with me at LifeIsHOTBlog and follow me on Twitter, @lifeishotblog. Let’s see what happens.

The Stretched Blog Visits I Love Skippack

Today, I’m honored to guest post over at I Love Skippack for my friend, Michael Shaw (A.K.A. The Skippack Blogger).  In today’s post, I share about our family’s experience with the 4H Seeing Eye Puppy Club.  Here’s a teaser for my article.  Please head over to I Love Skippack for the rest of the story.

A Puppy With A Purpose, In Skippack

Dogs terrified my son and daughter. Big dogs, little dogs, fat dogs, skinny dogs — it didn’t matter. When a dog crossed their path, my two children would scream and crawl up my legs into my protective arms or seek similar protection from my wife.

When our children were very young, their fear was understandable. As they grew out of toddlerhood, it became more troublesome. Friends and family had to quarantine their dogs when we came to visit. My wife and I felt it was time to help our children face their fear.

We thought about getting a puppy, but didn’t feel ready to make the necessary commitment. We did research, visited pet stores and dog breeders, and became more convinced that we were not ready for puppy ownership.

Acting on a recommendation from a friend, we found a solution that didn’t demand we become full-fledged pet owners…[Click here for more!]

If you’re visiting here from I Love Skippack, I hope you’ll stay around for a while and consider becoming part of The Stretched Community.  I write daily about life’s STRETCH marks.  My blog posts are often about family, faith, and a few other things that stretch me on a regular basis.  Here’s a sampling of some of my posts:

Guest Post: Stretched By Grace by Sundi Jo Graham

Today, I have the honor and privilege of presenting Sundi Jo Graham.  Sundi Jo blogs regularly at Lead.Love.Laugh., and she is the author of a new eBook, Liar Liar.  Please check out Sundi Jos’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!

Today I am stretched in the area of grace. Grace for myself. It’s much easier for me to forgive others than it is myself. My flesh strives for perfection in certain areas of my life.

There are days it seems like I take two steps forward and three steps back. I immediately think of ways to beat myself up. I believe the lies that I’ll never be good enough. I tell myself that if I’m seeing myself this way, then eventually other people will see me the same way.

When I take a step back in my life versus moving forward, I tend to shut God out for a period. He never leaves me, but I put this roadblock between He and I, convincing myself that I need this time of punishment. I feel His grace trying to sneak through the cracks of the wall around my heart, and I try to seal them up.

Someone remind me why I must make my life so difficult. Usually when it’s all said and done and I feel like I’ve punished myself enough, I find myself weary, crying out to God for help. Yep, there He is – still waiting.

Do you ever convince yourself that grace is for other people, not for you? That when God was creating our very existence, He wrote your name down on a napkin and said, “Everyone but you will get my grace.” I’m yet to find that in Scripture, but so easily believe it to be true.

We can quickly convince ourselves of a truth that does not exist. Perhaps because it’s a lot less work to believe the lie. It’s easier to wade in the shallow pool of disgrace rather than forcing ourselves to jump in the deep end of grace, where we’ll have to work harder to stay afloat.

Today is a new day. Another moment to put the roadblock aside and receive God’s grace. Another day to allow myself the grace versus convincing myself it’s not for me. Tomorrow will be a new day too. Then the next.

In what area of your life do you need to give yourself grace?

 

Sundi Jo is a writer, speaker, and small business owner, making her home in Branson, Missouri. She is the author of Liar Liar, a manifesto that will challenge you, change your heart, and lead you in the right direction to believe the truth about your true identity. You’ll find her engulfed in the social media world, spending time with friends and family, hanging out in a pair of jeans and flip-flops, or writing. Find Sundi Jo on Facebook or Twitter (@sundijo).

The Stretched Blog Visits Wisdom of a Fool

Today, I have the honor of guest posting over at Wisdom of a Fool.  My post, How To Be A Politically Active Christian, is my statement on the current political scene and our response to the election process.  I try not to speak politics here, so this may be the closest you get to my political statement.  Please stop by TC Avey’s blog, read my post, leave a comment, and check out TC’s other stuff.

If you’re visiting here from Wisdom of a Fool (or elsewhere), welcome to The Stretched Community!  I’m so glad you stopped by, and I hope you’ll make the Stretched blog part of your regular reading.  I blog about life’s STRETCH marks – things that are STRETCHING me and things that might STRETCH you.  For a taste of more STRETCHY-ness, check out some of these posts from the past:

Appearing Elsewhere

Last week, I featured a list of guest bloggers who have contributed here on The Stretched Blog.  Today, I want to spotlight the places where I’ve guest posted over the past couple of years.

I really appreciate the opportunity to guest post around the blog world.  These are opportunities that STRETCH me.  If you’d be interested in having me visit your blog, drop me a comment.  We’ll see what we can do.

Stop by and check out my guest posts, and check out what else is happening on these great blogs.

Where have you guest posted?  Leave a link, so I can check it out!

Be My Guest

I am always looking for opportunities to feature guest bloggers here on The Stretched Blog.  I’d love to feature your Stretch story or your thoughts on how to Stretch the Stretched Community.

To submit a guest post, contact me via the comments and I’ll send you my e-mail address.  A guest post should be 400-800 words long.  I’d appreciate it if you could include a question at the end of your post that engages the Stretched Community.  The post should also include a title and a photo or graphic that can be used to highlight your post.  Be creative!  Stretch yourself, and don’t be afraid to stretch my readers.

(One other thing, I’d love to return the favor.  Let me know if I can help you out with a guest post for your blog.  This will Stretch me!)

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the privilege of featuring a number of great guest bloggers.  To give you an idea of what others have submitted, check out these links:

Have you seen any great guest posts lately?  Where have you guest posted?  Share your links here!

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.

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