Ice Breaker – Vacation Plans

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

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.

For many, next weekend marks the beginning of summer. People start traveling and taking time off from work to enjoy a break and to spend time with family and friends. This week’s question will get you thinking about the summer ahead and will remind you of summer days of the past.

Question: What are your vacation plans for this summer? What’s one of the best vacations that you have ever experienced?

My Answer: If you have been reading along for a little while, you’ll know our family is planning to go to Guatemala later this summer on a short-term missions trip to the village of Xenacoj. Besides that, we are planning to take a swing through the Midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) to visit my family who live in that area. In between visits with family, we’re also hoping to hit one of the water parks in the Wisconsin Dells.

As for best vacations experienced, I would say that I really enjoyed the trip that Leanne and I took to France to celebrate our tenth anniversary. We stayed in Paris for two days, the Louvre Valley for two days, the Bordeaux region for two days, near Marseilles for two days, and Lyon for two days. It was wonderful to see the various sites of this beautiful country, and it was refreshing to spend uninterrupted time together with my bride.

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.)

Answers From Me Part 5 – Favorite Phillies

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been answering questions that you posed to me in response to an Ice Breaker question. Today’s question comes from TMZ (a Phillies fan who currently lives on the West Coast):

Who’s your favorite current Phillies player? Of all-time?

Okay, I’ll be honest. I haven’t been following the Phillies as closely as I used to especially as they have fallen back into the middle of the pack. I’m still a fan though. And to answer TMZ’s question, I’d have to say that Chase Utley is my favorite current Phillies player. His grit, determination, and pure hustle are a great example for other players to follow.

And my favorite Phillies player of all-time? That’s easy. Michael Jack Schmidt. Schmidt played 3rd base for the Phillies when I moved to the Philadelphia area in 1980, and he is arguably the best 3rd baseman of all-time. He certainly had his flaws as a sports personality in a tough town. But he has stayed with the Phillies since his retirement as a coach and promoter. I’d love to meet him at some point to talk about his faith, his family, and his career. (Tim Gradoville, you were a close second place!)

There you have it, TMZ. Who is your favorite Phillies player (past and present)? If you’re not a Phillies fan, who is one of your favorite players and teams?

Ice Breaker – Mom

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

This week’s question is inspired by my mom. Sunday is Mother’s Day. We all have something in common. We all have a mom. Here’s an opportunity to share something special about your mom.

Question: What is one thing you appreciate about your mom?

My Answer: There are many things I appreciate about my mom. She’s an amazing cook. She’s such a friendly and caring person. And she’s a great Scrabble player. These are all great things about my mom. But the thing I think I appreciate the most about my mom is her faith. She has an incredible faith in Christ. She knows that she can take everything to God in prayer. My dad who is a pastor will tell you that besides Christ, Mom is his bedrock. Happy Mother’s Day! I love you.

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.)

Answers From Me Part 4 – Biblical Dinner Party

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been answering questions that you posed to me in response to an Ice Breaker question. Today’s question comes from Lulu:

If you could have a dinner party with characters from the Bible – which 3 would you invite? (Old or New Testament and not our Savior – as He is there anyways…ha ha.)

Thanks for the question, Lulu! Here’s my answer. David, Daniel, and Peter. All three of these characters from the Bible were leaders and were remembered for their faith. I consider David to be one of the original bloggers. I’d love to tap into his creative mind. I’d also love to meet the man who was known to be after God’s own heart. Daniel also had tremendous faith. I would tap into his inspirational story and learn more about his willingness to take a stand against what was against his beliefs. And Peter was a bit crazy, but his faith is remarkable. Anyone who would willingly get out of a boat in the middle of a storm and attempt to walk on water would be worth listening having at a dinner party.

And that’s my answer!

Now, it’s your turn. Answer my Lulu’s question: If you could have a dinner party with characters from the Bible – which 3 would you invite?

Ice Breaker – Musical Instrument

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

This week’s question is inspired by my son. On Monday, he will be turning 13, and he already is an accomplished piano and trumpet player. He is talking about following in his grandfather’s footsteps in becoming a music teacher and a piano tuner. He loves music, and he loves playing different musical instruments.

Question: What musical instrument(s) do you (or did you) play? Or what musical instrument do you wish you could play?

My Answer: I took piano lessons for about a year and a half when I was seven or eight. But my main instrument was the saxophone. I started playing when I was in fifth grade, and I played through high school. I played in marching band and concert band, but I especially enjoyed playing in jazz bands. In high school, I played the alto saxophone in a stage band, the tenor saxophone in a dixieland combo, and the soprano saxophone in a jazz combo. My senior year in high school, I went to states for all three of these jazz groups.

I still have the alto saxophone that my grandfather played when he was young. It comes out every once in a while, but I don’t make time to play it as much as I might like to.

As for other instruments, I tinker around with my acoustic guitar on a rare occasion. Maybe when I retire, I’ll have more time to play the guitar, the saxophone, and the piano again. Until then, I play a mean iPod.

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.)

Ice Breaker – One Thing, Right Now

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

Question: What is one thing you could do right now that would improve your life?

My Answer: Sleep more. If I had to guess, I probably average 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. Studies show that 7 hours a night is much closer to the ideal. And 7 hours of sleep provides most people with much better focus and energy for the day. According to a June 6, 2008 article in Time:

Studies show that people who sleep between 6.5 hr. and 7.5 hr. a night, as they report, live the longest. And people who sleep 8 hr. or more, or less than 6.5 hr., they don’t live quite as long. There is just as much risk associated with sleeping too long as with sleeping too short. The big surprise is that long sleep seems to start at 8 hr. Sleeping 8.5 hr. might really be a little worse than sleeping 5 hr. (Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1812420,00.html#ixzz2RWfzvoVV)

This is a tough one for me to change as I like to burn the candle at both ends. I get up early to run, write, and get ready for the day. And I probably stay up later than I should reading, watching television, or waiting for my teenage kids to go to bed. How can I fit it all in? I’m sure the answer lies in giving up a few things between the time I wake up and the time I go to bed. But what should go? That is the question.

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.)

Answers From Me Part 3 – Day Relived

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

A couple of weeks ago, I asked The Stretch Community to ask me anything. And they did! I’ve answered two of the questions so far, and I thought I’d take a stab at another question today. This one comes from my brother (David Paul Stolpe) who has become one of the top commenters over the past few months. Here’s his question:

If you could relive one day, what day would it be?

This is a rather thought-provoking question. Honestly, I know I can’t change the past, and I have little control over the future, so I try to live in the present. But…if I had the opportunity to relive one day, I’d probably pick my wedding day.

For those of you who are married, you can probably relate to my feeling that this day went by so fast. In many ways, it was a blur. I’d love to take time to appreciate those in attendance – especially my family who came from all kinds of distances and directions to help us celebrate.

I’d love to relive the joy of that first newlywed kiss, the first dance, the piece of cake, the ride together in the Model A from the church to the wedding, the ceremony itself, and of course our first night together. I wouldn’t necessarily change anything about that day, but I’d try to appreciate more deeply the meaning of that day and the interactions with those in attendance.

And that’s my answer!

Now, it’s your turn. Answer my brother’s question: If you could relive one day, what day would it be?

Ice Breaker – Break for Breakfast

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

Today, I’m cooking breakfast at the 4th Annual Sunnyside Up Breakfast Benefit at my office where we’ll be raising money for Warriors for Tim and organ donor awareness. We’ll be cooking up egg and bagel sandwiches with bacon, pork roll, sausage, ham, and cheese. The idea of a good egg sandwich has me thinking about breakfast which leads me to this week’s Ice Breaker question.

Question: Where do you like to go for breakfast when you have a chance to go out, and what do you like to order?

My Answer: I grew up in diner country here on the east coast. For me, there’s nothing like hitting a local diner especially for breakfast. I eat oatmeal (and sometimes cold cereal) most days at home, so I like to order a bigger breakfast when I go out to a diner. Eggs (over medium), home fries, and an order of rye toast is my favorite breakfast out order. If I’m living on the edge, I’ll order creamed chip beef and gravy.

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.)

Ice Breaker – Conferences

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

Today, I’m headed to YS Palooza – a conference for youth leaders being held at our church and put on my Youth Specialties. I’m not completely sure what to expect, but I’m sure it will be challenging, educational, and inspiring. And this brings us to today’s Ice Breaker question.

Question: What experiences do you have attending conferences? What is one of your favorite conferences? What conference would you love to attend that you haven’t been to yet?

My Answer: I’ve attended 3 or 4 Willow Creek Grouplife Conferences, 2 or 3 FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Conferences, and the Maximum Impact Conference (now the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast Conference). Each one of these has been a great experience. I really appreciated the opportunity to rub shoulders with other leaders at each of these conferences. I enjoyed most of the speakers I’ve heard. I totally love the opportunity to be recharged and inspired.

I would love to get to the Killer Tribes Conference, the Catalyst Conference, the EntreLeadership conference, and Jon Acuff’s Quitter Conference.

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.)

Answers From Me Part 1: Spare Time

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Jon Stolpe

Last Friday’s Ice Breaker was all about Questions For Me. Many of you chimed in with all kinds of questions. It you missed out, go over to the post and add your questions (it’s not too late). As promised, I wanted to start answering some of the questions this week. Today, I’ll respond to a question (or several questions) from David:

What do you do in your “spare” time? You have your job, it’s got to be at least 40 hours, you’re involved in your church, you have your blog. Do you even have any spare time? What do you do for YOU? If the wife and kids were gone for a few days and you were off work, what kind of things would you do just because you have the free time?

I know, I’ve asked more than my fair share of questions – sorry.

This is a great question! We are definitely at a stage of life with our kids that it seems like we’re running from one thing to the next to the next. For example, yesterday after work, I went to Hannah’s track meet. As soon as that was over, I took her home and picked up Isaac for Scouts. I finally had dinner and a moment to sit down around 9 PM. It’s not always like this, but you get the idea.

I like to work in the garden and in the yard. I have a garden that is roughly 12 feet by 60 feet. This year, I’m planting lettuce, spinach, radishes, turnips, parsnips, karoubi, potatoes, onions, shallots, peas, beans, zucchini, pumpkins, beats, tomatoes, peppers, garlic. Working in the garden gives me a chance to work physically. I also enjoy the opportunity to have think time. I also like to work on home improvement projects. This doesn’t happen a lot these days, but it is one thing I enjoy. Over the last 16+ years of home ownership, I’ve painted, tiled floors and back splashes, installed new electrical fixtures, installed a new bathroom, and finished a basement. Money and time are the biggest obstacles in doing more of these projects.

I probably watch more television than I should. I’m guessing I watch about 4 – 5 hours a week. The DVR helps keep this low, and helps me squeeze my favorite shows in when it suits my schedule. I’m still a big sports guy, so I enjoy catching a game (or moments of a game) when I get a chance. I’m also a closet “reality” TV fan. I watch Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Biggest Loser, The Voice, and American Idol when I get a chance.

Bringing me into the finish at The Thanksgiving Day Marathon – November 2012.

I run. I run to help counter my love for food. And I run for exercise and for think time. I’ve run 3 marathons, 5 half marathons, and tons of smaller races. I’m currently running 30-35 miles per week. Most of this happens in the morning well before the sun comes up. Yesterday morning, I ran 5.4 miles through the neighborhoods of my town – I was finished by 5:30AM. And then last night while Isaac was at Scouts, I ran 5.8 miles on the track at Ursinus College. I don’t normally run twice a day, but it just worked out this way yesterday. On a side note, I took a nasty spill with about 1/2 mile to go last night which is probably a story for another blog post. I was able to get up and finish my run, but I was glad that one of the Scouts was prepared with a First Aid kit when I made it back to the meeting.

I’m sure I have a lot of other interests, but this should give you a tiny glimpse into the “spare” time of Jon Stolpe. A lot of my spare time is discovered by being intentional with my daily calendar and weekly calendar.

So now it’s your turn, what do you like to do in your spare time?