Ice Breaker – Christmas Songs and Carols
It’s that time of the week again…time for an ice breaker question! In keeping with last week’s theme, I’m going to stay with a Christmas related question again this week. For those of you who are new or who forgot, ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. I love hearing what other people have to say and how they think. So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Question: What is your favorite Christmas song or carol?
My Answer: Here you go….
I think I’ll answer this twice. My first answer will be my favorite secular Christmas song, and the second is my favorite Christmas song that you might hear on the local pop radio station. For my first song, it may surprise you to know that I really like the song, In A Bleak Midwinter. Before you get to flustered let me explain. I realize it’s not the most up beat song, but the words of this song speak volumes – especially the last verse:
1. In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter, long ago. 2. Our God, heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain; heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign. In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. 3. Angels and archangels may have gathered there, cherubim and seraphim thronged the air; but his mother only, in her maiden bliss, worshiped the beloved with a kiss. 4. What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
And my favorite Christmas radio classic? Bruce Springsteen singing Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. How can you beat the saxophone solo and the part when Bruce tells Clarence that Santa might bring him a new saxophone. How can you beat that?
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….I can’t wait to hear what you’ve got to say!
Ice Breaker – Christmas Movies
It’s that time of the week again…time for an ice breaker question! For those of you who are new or who forgot, ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. I love hearing what other people have to say and how they think. So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Question: What is your favorite Christmas movie?
My Answer: Here you go….
If you have ABC Family coming to your TV, they are promoting their annual 25 Days of Christmas movie event where they show 25 different Christmas movies leading up to Christmas Day. I don’t catch most of them, but it’s hard for me not to get a little excited about Christmas when I see some of the movies. I’m a sucker for movies like Polar Express, The Santa Clause, and Home Alone. But my favorite Christmas movie doesn’t usually make it to ABC Family’s list.
My favorite Christmas movie of all time…are you ready…drumroll…It’s A Wonderful Life. I know it’s an old one, but I love the story, the humor, and the timeless message of the movie. I love how Jimmy Stewart gets a second chance once he discovers how different life would be if he had never been born. This movie is usually shown on Christmas Eve, so I try to catch it after we get home from the Christmas Eve service at church.
(By the way, Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story would probably make my top 5 list.)
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….I can’t wait to hear what you’ve got to say!
Ice Breaker – Black Friday
It’s that time of the weekend…time for an ice breaker question! For those of you who are new or who forgot, ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. I love hearing what other people have to say and how they think. So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Question: Today is traditionally known as Black Friday – when retail companies go in the ‘black’. Do you participate in the Black Friday madness? Are you an early bird shopper? What’s the hot item on your shopping list this year?
My Answer: Here you go….
Honestly, I’m not a big shopper. I don’t like the crowded stores. I’m pretty skeptical about the “deals”. Are they really deals anyway? As far as getting up early, I get up early to run and blog – but not to shop. As for the hot item on my list this year, how about the Red Rider BB gun? Just kidding of course.
This year, we’re driving back from New York City where we spent a few days with our family – taking in the sights and sounds and running the Thanksgiving Marathon. I’m looking forward to kicking off the Christmas season with some good food, some holiday music, and plenty of time with my family.
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….
Ice Breaker – Encounters with Famous People
After the last few posts, we need to lighten it up a bit. It’s that time of the week…time for an ice breaker question! For those of you who are new or who forgot, ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. I love hearing what other people have to say and how they think. So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Question: Who is the most famous you have run into face to face? Tell us about the experience.
My Answer: Here you go….
I know I’ve run into a few ‘famous’ people, but the only one that comes to mind today is Garrison Keillor. He is the host of A Prairie Home Companion, a weekly radio show that airs on NPR. I grew up listening to the show with my parents every Saturday night. I think they especially found the show amusing because of the shows focus on Minnesota/mid-west humor.
A few years ago, my wife and I were celebrating one of our anniversaries with a get away weekend to Ocean Grove (I’ve blogged about OG before). This beach town is known for its Assembly Hall which hosts weekly concerts and events. The weekend we were down there, A Prairie Home Companion was doing their weekly radio show from the Assembly Hall. Naturally, I was curious to see what was going on, so my wife and I grabbed some ice cream and took a stroll around the Hall.
To my amazement, we ran into Garrison Keillor. We said hello, and I asked if I could shake his hand. As I went to shake his hand I had ice cream dripping from my hand. I’m not sure if I licked it off or wiped in on my shorts, but it didn’t matter at the moment since I was meeting the man whom I grew up with every Saturday night in our kitchen or living room. My parents would be jealous for sure. Mr. Keillor, in his red running shoes, jeans, and blue blazer, had to be caught off card by this fan who was covered in ice cream. But he didn’t miss a beat. He was as friendly as could be expected. I told him that my parents had introduced me to him on the radio, and we wished him well for the evening’s show.
As my wife and I walked away, we couldn’t help but chuckle at the awkwardness of the meeting. We still talk about it when we head over to Ocean Grove for our summer time visits to the Jersey shore.
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….
Ice Breaker – Numbers
It’s that time of the week…time for an ice breaker question! For those of you who are new or who forgot, ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. I love hearing what other people have to say and how they think. So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Since today is 11-11-11, I figured it would be fun to ask a numbers question.
Question: What is your favorite number? Why? If you don’t have a favorite number, join the conversation anyway by sharing something else that is your favorite.
My Answer: Here you go….
My favorite number is 8! I was born on the 8th of December (yes, my birthday is coming up soon). This was also my Grandpa’s birthday. 8 is the perfect number. If you tip it over, it turns into infinity. Whenever possible, I would ask for this number on my sports shirts. Other famous players to wear the number 8…Juan Samuel (former Phillies 2nd baseman and current Phillies 3rd base coach), Willie Stargell (hit the longest home run at the Phillies old Veterans Stadium), Joe Morgan (played for the Phillies in 1983), Carl Yastrzemski (no connection to the Phillies), Yogi Berra, Kobe Bryant (from the Philly area – currently not playing basketball for the NBA), Alex Ovechkin, Steve Young, and Cal Ripken, Jr (part of the Orioles team that beat the Phillies in the 1983 World Series – Boo!).
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….
Ice Breaker – Hair
It’s that time of the weekend…time for an ice breaker question! For those of you who are new or who forgot, ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. I love hearing what other people have to say and how they think. So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Today’s question is prompted by my recent haircut. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Question: What’s the craziest haircut or hairstyle that you’ve ever had? Or What’s the craziest haircut or hairstyle that you always wanted but never got?
My Answer: Here you go….
Like I said in the introduction, I just got my haircut yesterday. Today, I wear a pretty traditional haircut for a 39-year-old business person. I don’t get my haircut nearly as often as I used to thanks to the ever slowing pace of my hair growth. I don’t think I’ll ever go completely bald but I’ve noticed a thinning patch in the middle of my head and the front seems to be marching back – I mean recently at a decent clip. Sorry for the awful pun.
My brothers definitely dabbled in the hair thing a bit more than me as they’ve both sported long hair down to the middle of their backs. My craziest hairstyle was probably the summer (or two) where I used Sun-In to bleach my hair. As a small kid, I was a toe-head – blond as can be, but as I started to get older, my hair went to dirty blond and then to brown. So the bleached hair was definitely noticeable. I’ll try to find a picture to throw up on the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook Page. Now, the gray is starting to slowing make its way into the color palette.
Growing up in the 80s, I always wanted to shave lightning bolts and my initials into my head, but that never happened. I don’t think I was brave enough, and I don’t think my parents were too fond of the idea.
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….
What Are We Doing Here?
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. I Corinthians 10:31
I’m always blown away by the conversations that emerge from my weekly MEAT (Men Eating And Talking) Meeting. And last night was no different. The conversation at the table in the diner went deep quickly. Without going into all the detail, the conversation eventually centered on the chief purpose of man. What are we here for? Why do we exist? How does God fit into this? How about Jesus? Are we doing what we’re supposed to be doing? These are all fairly deep questions.
As we talked, I was reminded of the verse above and something I’ve heard my dad tell several times before. I wish I could find the reference, but the general gist is that whether we lead a big company, preach at a church, pick up trash, or clean bathrooms, we should do everything for the glory of God.
Stop and think about that for a minute.
The first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism applies to this conversation:
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever. [b]
- [a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11
- [b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4
And so, MEAT once again left me with plenty to chew on. I’m looking forward to next week, when the conversation will continue.
What are you facing in the day ahead? How are you framing your activities for the day? How would things change if you really did everything for God’s glory?
Ice Breaker – Tattoos
It’s that time of the weekend…time for an ice breaker question! For those of you who are new or who forgot, ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. I love hearing what other people have to say and how they think. So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Question: Do you have any tattoos? If so, what are they and why did you get them? If not, have you ever thought about getting a tattoo? What would your tattoo look like?
My Answer: Here you go….
First off, I don’t have any tattoos, and most likely I will never get one. For one, I’m a wimp when it comes to needles, and I’m not sure I’d be happy over the long haul with leaving something permanently on my skin. But…
I’m intrigued by the whole tattoo thing. I often wonder what goes into the decision process in deciding to get a tattoo. I’ve definitely asked this question to many people before. IF (and that’s a big if) I were to get a tattoo, I think I’d consider getting a cross on my upper leg where no one could see it. I guess it would be more of a reminder to me of my faith, my hope, and my God. I haven’t taken this thought all that far to determine the design, but my guess is that I would surround it with a Bible verse reference that represents me and my faith.
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….
Ice Breaker – When Was The Last Time You Cried
This ice breaker thing is catching on. I’m moving the question for this week up a couple of days to save Friday for a special post that I can’t wait to share. I’ve been tossing this week’s question around for the past several days. A friend of mine appears to be in his last days here on earth as his battle with brain cancer has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. As I think about my friend, I’m reminded of a trip we took together to the Willow Creek Group Life Conference several years ago. This was really the first time that I spent significant time with my friend as we hung out with several other small group leaders from our church for a few days. I specifically remember sitting next my friend on the airplane as we flew home to the Philadelphia area. As we sat together, my friend opened up as he shared his story. I’m not sure if I actually asked him today’s ice breaker question, but I knew that our conversation had taken a jump to a whole new level of transparency as my friend began to cry as he described his family growing up. I will never forget the tears streaming down his face. I know there was pain in his conversation, but I clearly could see that there was also freedom in sharing and releasing the emotion that went with this discussion.
And so I ask this week’s ice breaker question. As a reminder, Ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Question: When was the last time you cried (I mean really cried) and why?
My Answer: Here you go….
I don’t cry very often. Just ask my wife. Occasionally, I’ll tear up when I see something moving on TV or in a movie. I’ve even teared up at Hannah’s recent cross-country meets as her teammates and the members of the opposing teams gather to cheer on the last boy as he approaches the finishes line well behind the pack.
When I think about the last time I really cried, I journey back to a time about a year ago. Actually, it’s been more than a year ago. Last September, my wonderful wife had to go to the hospital. Without going into a lot of detail, I remember doing everything I could to hold it together as I waited by her side in the hospital while we waited for things to be worked out with the medical staff. I even remember holding it together despite being stunned as I rode back home in the car with my dad after we left my wife at the hospital. Once we got home and I crawled up to our bedroom in the early morning hours, it wasn’t long until my tears began to flow. As my tears flowed, I was desperate for an answer from God. Why was this happening? What was next? How would I move forward? I like to have everything in order and under control, and the events of that evening chattered much of my world.
A lot has happened since then. My wife has experienced amazing healing. Our family has been mended together more fully. And we’ve had many, many happy moments and memories since this time of desperation.
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….
(Oh, one more thing. Could you please pray for my friend and his family? Thanks!)
Ice Breaker – What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up
Last Friday, I threw out an ice breaker question, and I loved the response. So I thought I’d try again. Ice breaker questions are used to help people get to know each other – to “break the ice” so to speak. As I stated last week, I love to hear what other people have to say and how they think. So for today, I’m throwing out another simple ice breaker question. I’ll answer it first, then it’s your turn. Answer the question by leaving a comment for us all to enjoy. Thanks!
Question: When you were younger (or maybe you’re still younger), what did you want to be when you grew up? How did it work out for you?
My Answer: Here you go….
What little boy doesn’t want to be a firefighter. I think I wanted to be a fireman up until 1st or 2nd grade. This never panned out; however, I did go through a pretty good stint as a pyrotechnics engineer – I mean pyromaniac. In fact, I almost burnt the New Jersey Pine Barrens down during a junior high camping trip to Bass River State Park.
I switched over to wanting to be an actor when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. My parents took me to see Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Fiddler on the Roof, so these provided some inspiration. But I really took on the acting bug when I had the chance to play one of the leading roles in our church’s production of The Music Machine. I have seen lots of pictures of my debut performance, but I think a video would be pretty hysterical. Speaking of videos, I had the honor of being the lead reporter in a video featuring our junior high youth group. The video was called Jerusalem Today, and it brought out some of the funniest outtakes I’ve seen. Needless to say, my acting career never really took off.
During high school, I thought for sure that I wanted to be a pharmacist. I loved chemistry, and it sounded like pharmacists made a lot of money. Honestly, I’m not sure what swayed me from this path. Perhaps, it was the knowledge that I would have to go to college for an extra year or two to fulfill this dream. I’m not sure, but I’m not a pharmacist.
As it turns out, I went to school for engineering. I became a project engineer and project manager in the building automation industry when I graduated college. Somewhere along the way, I realized that I wanted a more direct role in managing and helping people succeed, so I pursued my MBA. Now I work as an operations manager in the building automation industry. I love what I do (most days)!
So there you have it, my answer to the question. Now it’s your turn….