Category Archives for "life"

Detours

Today, I have the privilege of presenting my wife as my guest blogger.  Leanne and I will be celebrating our 15th anniversary in less than two weeks.  We’ve been through a lot together over the years, and I look forward to the adventures that lie ahead.  Her thoughts below are extremely insightful while being very transparent.  Leanne doesn’t blog at the moment, but your comments and feedback may help spur her on to share more of her life and story.

This week I took a day off and went to the beach. This is something I used to do a couple of times a year but recently haven’t done for quite some time. So, it was a big deal to me. I filled up my tank with gas. I packed a picnic lunch, and figured out my directions. I put my tunes in the cd player and started on my trip. I didn’t even get on the turnpike when there was a detour – right at the start of my trip!

It reminded me of how this past year seemed like a detour in many ways.

  1. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after being treated for a bipolar/postpartum psychosis diagnosis for 10 years. My doctor encouraged me to get a second opinion and when I did, the diagnosis was postpartum psychosis. So, I came off my medicine and gradually began having symptoms which led to a severe reaction. I have spent a lot of the year recovering but have found a greater understanding for people who deal with mental illness but also special needs in general, especially as they relate to children.
  2. I decided to resign as my position of our church preschool director because I missed the children. I found myself spending most of my working hours behind a desk instead of with the children I love. Through tutoring and subbing this year, I have rediscovered a passion to be with students in the public school.
  3. We had to put the trip of my dreams – Africa – on hold, but we have a greater resolve to make a difference in our local community as a family. We are excited for our service group to start-up again this fall. It was also a lesson of control. We quickly learned how much we are not in control of our lives.

In all these things, I am now able to look back and see God working for the good in all things. At the time, life seemed like a series of detours.  A friend asked me the other day if life made sense and for the first time in a while I was able to say that yes, right now it actually did. That doesn’t mean that life is without problems and everything is perfect but there’s faith, recovery, hope, and the support of family and friends.

What detours have you experienced in your life?  How have you seen God working good in your life through the ups and downs?

(I’m looking for guest bloggers to share their “stretch marks” here.  If you’re interested in becoming one of my guest bloggers, please drop me a comment, so I can get in touch with you.)

Running Inspiration – Let Us Run With Perseverance The Race Marked Out For Us

Hannah finishing a race a few years ago.

Yesterday, I posted some tips for those who are thinking about running a longer race for the first time.

As I was processing this post, I was thinking about things that inspire me in my running and in my life.  For example, I’m inspired when I hear stories of people overcoming adversity to reach new heights.  I think that’s why I like movies like Radio, Remember the Titans, and The Blind Side.

I’m also inspired by scripture.  The scripture below is a great reminder to persevere and to keep the right focus.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

It is so easy to give up and to lose perspective when we face the challenges of life.  As with my tips yesterday, here are some tips that I have found helpful in keeping my eyes on the prize.

1)  Follow a plan.  God’s Word should be the center of the plan.  I have tried different methods for staying in God’s Word on my own, but I have found that existing plans are most helpful in keeping me on track.  Two plans or programs that I have used recently to help me are YouVersion.com and The Daily Audio Bible.

2)  Find some accountability.  Get plugged into a small group or even a one-on-one relationship where you can be challenged with the tough questions like:  ‘Have you spend time in God’s Word this week?’ and ‘Have you lived with integrity since we last met?’

3)  Cross train and rest.  There are some great resources out there to get the most out of your walk.  I use several Bible-based blogs and books to give me a deeper perspective.  Getting to church on a weekly basis is also important.  This is a chance to be fed and to worship on a larger, corporate level.  Also, take time to rest.  We live very busy lives.  We must take time to reflect and to rest.

4)  Practice.  Practice.  Practice.  Get out and live your life.  Make a concerted effort to go about your daily activities in a way that would honor God.

5)  Set goals but learn to be flexible with God’s direction.  I’m a huge goal oriented person.  Setting goals is a great way to keep focused.  But we also need to be alert to the movement of the Spirit.

6)  Have fun and a positive attitude.  God doesn’t promise that this life will be easy, but we have a choice to make.  We can have a poor attitude when it comes to life’s ups and downs, or we can choose to have a positive attitude.

It’s amazing how these things line up with the tips from yesterday.

So what inspires you in running and in life?  What other tips would you add to the list above?

 

Time For Some Kick Ball!

Last night, we hosted an impromptu game of kick ball on our front lawn with our neighbors.  I was inclined to do some yard work when I came out of the house after dinner, but I couldn’t resist the chance to get into the game that was starting to form with the neighborhood kids.  It was fun, and it was so nice to hang out with the neighbors and to play with the kids.

It seems like we’re always running in a million different directions, and we miss out on the basic fun and the relationships with those who live close to us.  It would have been easy for me to let this opportunity pass and to continue on with my original agenda.  After kickball, the adults chatted on our front porch while the kids played another game.  It was great to share about the end of the school year and our plans for the summer.

It seems so simple, but these are the times to hold onto.  Our kids grow up so fast.  I want to make the most of the times like this.

What games did you play in your neighborhood as a kid?

Temporary Versus Permanent

From my journal dated 5/12/11…

“I was thinking today about how temporary things are in life.  At first, I was thinking of Leanne’s new job.  We are both thankful for this opportunity.  But I get the feeling that Leanne would like it to be more permanent.  Then, I started thinking about my parents.  This Sunday, Dad preaches at a church in San Antonio where he may become their interim pastor until they find a new full-time pastor.  For my parents, this could mean another church family, a new home, and new friends.  But it’s only for a little while.  Then I started thinking of my own job.  I’ve been with Siemens for over 15 years.  I like what I do, and I could see myself working there for a while – maybe until I retire.  But in reality, it’s just a job and it’s just temporary.  All our earthly pursuits and possessions will fade away – they are all temporary.  We long for life to be permanent.  We long to leave a legacy that will outlive us.  We long for the day when we will be truly fulfilled.  I believe that day is coming!”

These were just some of my thoughts from a couple of weeks ago.

What do you long for in life?  What things have you pursued thinking they would bring you fulfillment, but when you reached this goal you were disappointed?  Where have you found fulfillment?

“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them.  Surely the people are grass.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”  Isaiah 40:6-8

The Power of the Next Question

A blurb from my journal dated 5/18/11…

“I made it to my men’s group at Limerick Diner after missing it the past few weeks.  It was good to be back.  I was reminded this evening about the importance of asking the ‘next’ question.  So often we ask a basic question, but we don’t follow it up with questions that take us deeper.  Either we’re too lazy or we just don’t care.  I don’t want to be like this.”

Without going into specifics, one of the guys in our group seemed a bit down when we were initially going around the table at the beginning of our time together.  After this initial check-in, our conversation drifted to other subject matters.  My friend’s initial comment was temporarily ignored as we joked around and talked about other things.  It would have been easy to let our time together end without following up.  So often, I fall into this trap.  For some reason towards the end of this time, I asked him what was up – why did he seem down.

It’s amazing the conversation that followed.

It was so worth asking the ‘next’ question.  I think it was an opportunity for our group to rally around our friend.  I think it was a chance for us to be more transparent.  I think it was a chance for us all to grow.  I’m thankful that my friend was willing to open up and share what was troubling him.

As I stated in my journal that night, I don’t want to be too lazy or self focused to ask the ‘next’ question.

So when was the last time someone asked you the next question?  How did it work out?

Friendship Comes In All Ways

I have been blessed with some really great friendships.  I still keep in touch with some people from my first eight years living in Illinois.  And my many years in New Jersey brought me incredible friends through school and church.  I’m looking forward to meeting up with a few of these friends in a couple of weeks for our annual camping trip.  My time at college was also a great place for friendships.  As a matter of fact, I met my best friend and soul mate at this small school in western Pennsylvania.  Since I’ve been married, I’ve added to my list of great friendships through our church family, through our neighborhoods, through scouting, and through my job.

One place that has brought me a couple of interesting friendships is the internet.  I’m not promoting the careless release and exchange of information with complete strangers.  But I am intrigued by the value of discovering people on-line who can push you to greater heights, who can speak to your soul, who can relate to your interests, and who can give you something to think about.

I believe I have found this kind of friendship via the wonders of social media.  Over the past few months, I have been sharing blogs, tweets, status updates, and chat conversations with a new friend, Michael Shaw.  Michael blogs about his town, Skippack, PA, so he lives near me.  Based on our shared communication, I believe we share some common aspirations for living our life to the fullest and making a difference in this world.  Tomorrow night, we will have the opportunity to meet up face-to-face for what is sure to be an interesting interaction as we continue our conversation minus the technology that connected us in the first place.

I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Stay tuned.

Michael, I’ll see you tomorrow at the Cabana Bar in Skippack.

NAMI | NAMIWALKS

NAMI | NAMIWALKS.

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing you today to tell you about an upcoming event that I am participating in that is both very important and very exciting to me.  NAMIWalks, the signature walkathon event of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is being held in  Blue Bell, PA at Montgomery County Community College on Sunday, May 22, 2011.

For those close to our family, this is not news, but this is definitely new for many of our friends.  And this letter and blog post definitely puts it out there in the open for our family.  My wife was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  Thanks to the support of many family and friends, the marvel of medicine, and the faith that holds us together, we have been able to navigate these waters and see hope and healing both now and for the future.  We know that many do not have the same support structure that we have in place, and NAMI is an organization that we believe can help those who are going through some form of mental illness and help their family members as well.

Your support means the world to us as we embark on this adventure.  All four of us will be walking and we have a goal of raising $400 total.  Any part you can make in helping us to achieve this goal would be greatly appreciated.  So THANKS!

I would like to ask you to come and walk with me or to donate to support my participation in this great event. If you would like to register to walk with me, visit my team’s page at http://www.nami.org/namiwalks11/PHI/TRANSFORMERS. Or if you just want to make a donation to sponsor me, visithttp://www.nami.org/walkdonation.cfm?id=158586. Donating online is fast and secure, and I’ll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all whose lives are touched by these illnesses.  This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers.  The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office.

The goals of the NAMIWalks program are: to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved, and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible.  NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities “most likely to save the world” and has been given an “A” rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,
Jon Stolpe

On The Right Track

 

I took this picture before the start of Isaac’s last Pinewood Derby.  It was a fun morning, and Isaac took 3rd place overall to our surprise.

I like this picture.  It kind of reminds me of the importance of being on the right track.  It is so easy to get on the wrong track through the distractions of life.  We often let the busyness of life steer us of course and away from where our focus should rest.  Whether we get caught up in work or we get sidelined by some sort of defeat or setback or we get distracted by some sort of hobby, we all can find ourselves on the wrong track.

I think the author of Hebrews had this in mind when he wrote the first three verses of Hebrews 12.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

By keeping our focus on Jesus, we are sure to be on the right track.

You Are Here

I took this picture a couple of months ago while on a Cub Scout field trip to the Franklin Institute.  This sign was located in a stairwell between exhibits.  I just thought it was funny.  What can I say?  This is my humor, and you’re stuck with it if you’re still reading by blog.

As I think about the sign, “You Are Here,” I think it’s a good reminder for me.  Sometimes, it can be easy to get stuck in our past –  where we dwell on either our victories or defeats.  Let’s face it, we often like the way things were just because that’s what we’re used to.  Does that make sense?

On the other hand, sometimes, it can be easy to get caught up in the worries (and hopes) of the future.  I think it’s good to have hopes and dreams and to go after them.  But sometimes, we deal with anxiety because we’re so focused on what might happen in the future.  We are crippled by questions which have answers that are out of our control.

As I think about this, two passages come to mind:

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:25-34

These offer great reminders to rejoice in today – this moment in time when the past is in the past, and God holds the future in His hands.

I am here.  Where are you?

Filled Up With Bread

This morning on my way to the office, I was listening to a podcast from Mosaic, out in southern California.  In the podcast, Hank Fortener, was speaking about Jesus being the Bread of Life (found in John 6:35 – Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”).

Hank shared the following:

“You see.  I think there are these times in our lives where you go through these spaces where you feel like you’re spread out.  Spread thin.  Where you wonder if you’ll ever get back to normal.  Will I ever get back to better?  Will I ever get to good?  Will I ever be at awesome?  Will I ever get to the amazing part?  You see this is the part where Jesus says, ‘This is where I step in.’  Because one of God’s sweet spots is His ability to meet us at our weakest.  One of His sweet spots is His ability to be more powerful than our temporary circumstances.  So when Jesus says, ‘I am the bread of life,’ He’s saying that ‘no matter what you’ve done up to this point, no matter what you’ve experienced up until this point, it’s still going to perish.  You’re still going to die.  But I can give you something that gives you life – that fills you so full that you can barely breath.’”

As I listened to these words, I could relate.  Over the past year, I have wondered if things would ever return to normal.  I have wondered if things would ever get back to better.  I have wondered if I would ever get to the amazing part.

But I have also experienced relief – despite the chaos around me.  I have experienced healing – despite unanswered questions.  I have experienced a peace that comes from knowing that ultimately everything will be okay – despite the fact that life often seems to be swirling around me.  I believe this comes from knowing and depending on my “Bread of Life” – Jesus Christ.

Do you know Him?  Are you hungry?  Are you unfulfilled?  Are you thirsty for more?

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.  John 6:35