Ice Breaker – Halloween Costumes
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
As Halloween rapidly approaches, it’s time to think about costumes.
Question (actually two): What have you dressed up as for Halloween in the past? If you are going to dress up this year, what is your costume?
My Answer: My parents were pretty creative when it came to Halloween costumes. One year, I was a box of corn flakes (seems more appropriate now with my corny humor). One year, I was a Mexican (I guess that wouldn’t be politically correct these days). And one year I was a ghost. But the costume I will always remember (and I’m not proud of it) is the flower-pot costume. That’s right. One year, I was a flower-pot. The pot was made of cardboard that we painted brown. I wore a green turtle neck shirt, and we fastened white petals around my face. I’m sure my parents thought it was cute, but I think it may have left some scars. After all, what fourth grade boy ever wants to be a flower-pot for Halloween?
I don’t think that I’ll be dressing up this year, but if I were I could go two ways. I would either throw a Walter Payton Bears jersey on and go as a Chicago Bears fan, or I would go all out and dress up as a construction worker. I have the hard hat, the tool belt and tools, and the rest of the garb to make this an easy costume to throw together.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Halloween Candy
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
As Halloween rapidly approaches, it’s time to think about something important – Halloween candy!
Question: What is your favorite Halloween candy? What will you be handing out at your house on October 31st?
My Answer: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are by far my favorite Halloween candy. How can you top chocolate and peanut butter. We don’t get any visitors on Halloween, but if we did…Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Debate
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
This week’s question is inspired by Wednesday nights presidential debate. While I’m not interested in getting too political here on the blog, I think debate is actually one of the few fairly healthy things left in the whole election process (as long as the candidates can stick to the rules of the debate). As I was reflecting on this week’s debate, I started thinking that there are many fun things that we enjoy debating in our culture today. Surely, this could be a fun ice breaker question for this week. So as you read and respond to this week’s question add your position on the “fun” debates that others provide in the comments.
Question: Coke or Pepsi? McDonald’s or Burger King? What fun things can we debate? And where do you stand in these fun debates?
My Answer: Cubs or White Sox? This was one of the first debates that I can remember having as a kid. I grew up on the western side of Chicago in the Wheaton, IL area. This was clearly Cubs territory. So I cheered for the Cubs.
As for Coke or Pepsi? I would probably go with Coke although I have to stay away from caffeine now thanks to my migraine headaches. McDonald’s or Burger King? This was a debate when I was a kid. I probably would have voted for McDonald’s back then. Now, I rarely do fast food and if I do…I go with Chick-Fil-A.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Lunch With A Bible Hero
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
Question: If you could have lunch with someone from the Bible (besides Jesus), who would it be? Why?
My Answer: I think my answer would probably change from time to time, but for right now I think it would be pretty amazing to have lunch with David. David was known as a man after God’s own heart. He made plenty of mistakes, but he seemed to always come back to God. As a writer, I think it would be interesting to talk to him about his own writing. In a way, the Psalms are kind of like a blog from ancient days, and David is responsible for writing many of these poems. I would ask him about his faith. I would listen as he described God. After lunch, I’d see if we could head down to the local rock quarry, so he could teach me a thing or two about slinging stones.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – What’s For Dinner?
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
Sometimes the best ice breaker questions deal with the mundane, everyday occurrences of life. Today’s question is pretty simple, and it will be fun to see how everyone answers.
Question: What did you have for dinner last night?
My Answer: We are in the time of our lives when dinner is so important. Often it is the only time that our family has to connect as we transition from busy days at work and school to homework and evening meetings and extra curricular activities. Last night after dinner, we were running to Isaac’s Meet the Teacher Night.
For dinner, we had chicken crescent squares. This has become one of our family’s favorites. The recipe is made with chicken mixed with cream cheese, onion, and some other things wrapped in crescent rolls. I’m not giving it justice in my description, but you’ll have to trust me. It’s good! We also had strawberry salad, and cauliflower with cheese. Finally, we had watermelon to even things out. All in all, I a great meal at home!
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Are You Ready For Some Football?
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
With fall comes football – high school football, college football, and professional football. It can be a fun time of year especially if your team is doing well. This week’s ice breaker is all about football. If you’re not a football fan, it’s okay. Give us your best answer anyway
My college intramural football team after a muddy game and an amazing victory!
Question: What is your favorite football team – college or professional or both?
My Answer: I’ve lived in the Philadelphia area since the summer of 1980. The year we moved here the Eagles went to the Superbowl. It was hard not for me to become a fan of my local team. It’s been a tough roller coaster ride since then. One of these years, we’ll not only make it back to the Superbowl, but we’ll win it! My backup professional team has always been the Chicago Bears. My family lived in the Chicago area before we moved to the Philadelphia area. Walter Payton was my favorite player then, and he’s still my favorite all-time player.
As for college football, this won’t win be many points outside of Pennsylvania, but I’m a Penn State fan. I graduated from Penn State with my MBA in 2006. It hasn’t been a fun year for our fans, but I’m hopeful for the future. If it’s division three, I’ll be cheering for Grove City College. They don’t make the news for the football program very often, but they’re my team. If you look up college football rushing records, you’ll find that R.J. Bowers set several all-division rushing records at Grove City College several years ago.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – The Last Time I Cried
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
This week’s question is an oldie but a goodie. My answer has changed since I originally posted this Ice Breaker question back on October 19, 2011. This is one of my favorite Ice Breaker questions to ask. Depending on the answers, the level of community can go real deep with a question like this.
Question: When was the last time you cried? And why?
A family changed forever in Guatemala (Photo by Kaleigh Rank)
My Answer: Earlier this week, I shared my Wrecked Creative Expressions. This was created the same day I last cried. On July 29, 2012, our team finished the house in Guatemala. For me, this was the culmination of a lot of hard work, prayer, and team effort. As I’ve shared here before, it took 2 1/2 days and the hard work of our team of 31 to build the house. It took over 3 months and a generous blogging community to raise the money to pay for the materials required to build the house. The dedication service for the family was a moving experience (as I shared before).
After the dedication service, we headed to the center where we ate lunch every day. As I walked into the center, missionary Dave Sgro asked me how I was doing. I could barely get my answer out. I explained the feeling of being “wrecked” over this experience. I was transformed by the whole experience. I know we forever changed the lives of the family who received this house. But my life had been changed as well. As I grabbed my lunch, I sat off to the side. The tears were uncontrollable as I tried to collect my thoughts and eat my lunch. The tears were tears of joy for a feeling of accomplishment. They were tears of sadness as I didn’t want this part of the experience to be over. And they were tears of uncertainty not knowing when I would be able to do something like this again. And that is the last time I cried.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Back To School
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
This week’s question is inspired by the return to school.
Ready for the first day of school! (Photo by Leanne Stolpe)
Question: What was your favorite school subject?
My Answer: Okay, I’ll be a bit of a geek here. I loved math, and I still do. From the time they taught us how to add to one digit numbers all the way up to learning differential equations during my engineering studies at Grove City College, I have enjoyed math. Now, most of my math involves punching numbers into spreadsheets, balancing the checkbook, and analyzing financial data for my department. It’s still fun when there are numbers involved. While I don’t perform integrations and derivations any longer, the skills I learned in my math courses especially through high school and college prepared me for where I am today. (As for my second favorite subject, it’s probably gym or science.)
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Jobs
Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.
This week’s question is inspired by the upcoming Labor Day holiday. Whether you earn money or not, we all have a “job”. Maybe it’s keeping the house in order, caring for the kids, or going to school. This week’s question is all about your job.
Question: What’s your job? (Pretty simple.)
My Answer: I’m an operations manager for Siemens Industry, Inc. Our company designs and installs building automation systems in buildings around the Greater Philadelphia area. I’ve worked for Siemens for 16 1/2 years. My past positions have included project engineer and project manager. I’ve been an operations manager for ~5 years. I love what I get to do on a daily basis. My primary responsibility is to manage and lead a team of engineers, technicians, installers, and support staff in an effort to satisfy and blow away the expectations of our customers and to be profitable for our shareholders. I especially pride myself on leading with integrity and helping my team members succeed in their projects and careers. I’m so thankful for my job.
There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!
Ice Breaker – Memory Moment Songs
Happy Friday!
Friday’s mean it’s time for the Stretched Ice Breaker. Each week, I ask a question that is meant to “break the ice” and help The Stretched Community get to know one another just a little bit better. Once the question is on the table so to speak, I’ll answer it in the post. Then it’s your turn to answer the question in the comments. Ready or not, here it comes!
Question (it’s not actually in question form this week): Share a song that takes you back to a memory moment. While you’re at it, share a little bit about the memory.
My Answer: Lot’s of songs take me back to memories of getting to know my wife. For example, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton will always take me back to our first dance. In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel brings me back to the same evening when everyone cleared the dance floor to watch Leanne and I dance together. And The Best Thing In Life by Big Tent Revival takes me back to the first band we saw together at Creation 1997.
Recently, I was introduced to a new band who is apparently popular – Mumford & Sons. Roll Away Your Stone off their Sigh No More album takes me back to the streets of Xenacoj, Guatemala. Our Casas por Cristo team leader, Josh Crabbs, drove around in a beat up Mazda pick-up truck. I had the privilege of driving with him to and from the job site everyday during our house build project. At the end of the day, Josh would plug his iPod into the car radio and introduce me to new songs and artists as he relaxed after a hard days work. Once of the songs he played was Roll Away Your Stone. I remember riding through Xenacoj with the windows down, the music blaring, and the emotions riding high. Thanks Josh and students for opening me up to a whole new brand of music!
There you have it. Now it’s your turn. Share your answers in the comments. I can’t wait to read your responses!