Ice Breaker – 6 Words
This week’s ice breaker moved to Saturday thanks to a great guest blogging opportunity at Some Wise Guy. If you haven’t done so already, please go over to K.C. Procter‘s blog and read my post titled, Don’t Blink!.
Today, I’ll ask this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker Question. It’s simple, but it should require some thought. As usual, I’ll answer the question in the post below, and you can answer the question in the comments. Ready? Here goes!
Question: Describe yourself in 6 words (no more, no less).
My Answer: Christian, Husband, Father, Friend, Leader, Son
That’s it! No more than six words. Now, it’s your turn. Let’s see your six words in the comments!
Ice Breaker – Cheese
This has to be one of the craziest ice breaker questions that I have ever asked here. The question is inspired by my son, Isaac. He often jokes around about how he introduces himself to others. He says, “Hi, I’m Isaac, and I like cheese.” I occasionally ask my family for ice breaker question ideas. So this question came directly from Isaac. Here goes:
Question: What is your favorite kind of cheese? (I told you this was goofy!)
My Answer: I’ve been to several places where cheese is a major food group. A couple of years ago, our family vacationed in northern Vermont. During our vacation, we visited the Cabot cheese factory. I had no idea that there were that many cheeses. I’ve also had the privilege of visiting France where there are so many different kinds of cheese. I like different kinds of cheese depending on what else I’m eating. For example, there is nothing like provolone cheese on an Italian hoagie or a corn beef sandwich. I like Colby jack cheese with Lebanon bologna. And I like cheddar cheese on my tacos. One of my favorite kinds of cheese to eat by itself is cooper sharp.
How’s that for a cheesy post? Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker by leaving your answer in the comments. I look forward to reading your cheesy answer.
(If you have an idea for an ice breaker question for our weekly post, let me know your idea. If your question is chosen, I’ll answer the question, and I’ll give you the credit for the question.)
Ice Breaker – Picnic
Happy Friday!
Friday means Ice Breaker here on the Stretched blog. Each week, I ask a question designed to help us learn a little bit about the Stretched Community. I answer the question in the post, and you answer the question in the comments. This is also a great opportunity to interact with other readers by commenting on their answers. Since we’re heading into the summer season, I thought it would be fun to pick a question that relates to a fun summertime activity. Here goes!
Question: What is your favorite picnic food or activity?
Answer: I love picnics and potlucks. I love picnic foods like watermelon, hamburgers, and pasta salad. But my favorite picnic food is probably homemade guacamole. I realize you can have quack mole any time of the year, but our recipe came to us during a picnic in the early years of our marriage. The recipe calls for avocados, red onion, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, salt, and lime juice. Dipping nacho chips in this guacamole is so delicious.
As for picnic activities, I love sitting around and relaxing with friends, but I also love picnic games – especially lawn games like horseshoes, bocce ball, and croquet. I have great memories of playing all three of these games at past picnics.
Okay, now it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question in the comments.
(It’s not to late to get in on the giveaway that I announced on Monday!)
Ice Breaker – Walk-Up Music
It’s not Friday, so don’t get too excited. I decided to move up this week’s Ice Breaker one day to make room for tomorrow’s May 2012 Review post. This week’s question was inspired by my three camping buddies with whom I spent my Memorial Day weekend. If you watch major league baseball these days, most players have a walk-up song that is used as they approach home plate for their at-bat. Since I’m a Philadelphia Phillies fan, my examples come from the Phils. Carlos Ruiz walks out to In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins. Chase Utley walks out to Kashmir by Led Zepplin. And Hunter Pence walks out to A Warrior’s Call by Volbeat.
I’d like to tie this into this week’s ice breaker question. For those who are new around here, an ice breaker is a question that helps us get to know one another. Each week, I ask a question which I answer in my post. Then, it’s your turn to answer the question in the comments of the post. Here is this week’s ice breaker:
Question: What would you chose for your walk-up song or music?
My Answer: The Theme from Chariots of Fire. This way I could run from the on deck circle to the batter’s box in slow motion. I know it’s not your typical rocking song, but this music by Vangelis is inspiring to me. Then after I hit my home run, I could run around the bases in slow motion as the music comes back on over the public address system.
Okay, now it’s your turn. Let’s hear your answer to the question. Leave your answer in the comments below, so we can all enjoy.
Ice Breaker – Relax
Today, I head out for my annual camping pilgrimage to the Poconos. I have been making this trip for the past twenty-one years (with only one miss) with the same group of guys who are originally from my home town in New Jersey. For me this is the perfect opportunity to relax. On this trip, I’ll go fishing, catch up with some great long-time friends, and I’ll slow down compared to my normally busy pace of life.
For today’s Stretched Ice Breaker question, we’ll continue this theme.
Question: What is your favorite way to relax?
(For those of you who are new here, an Ice Breaker is a question designed to help us get to know each other. Each week, I ask a question which I’ll answer in the post. Then I turn it to the readers to answer the question in the comments.)
I can’t wait to read your answer to this week’s question!
Answers To Your Stretching Questions
On Friday, I asked you to ask me any questions. Today, I’ll do my best to answer the questions. This is one of my longer posts, but I hope you’ll find in interesting and perhaps a little humorous. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my responses to your questions. Thanks so much to each of you for some wonderful and challenging questions (I may just have to do this again some time).
What would you go back and tell 16 year old you if you could time travel? from Larry Carter at Deuceology
Great question, Larry. I’d tell myself to buy stock in Apple. I’d tell 16 year-old Jon Stolpe to be confident in who God made him. I’d tell me that I am a writer. I’d tell me not to sweat the girlfriend thing, because God has an unbelievable wife in store for me for the future. I’d remind me that I am a leader.
Who is your favorite blogger? from Rob Shepherd at robshep.com
This is really a tough one as I follow so many great bloggers. Perhaps, my favorite is my dad, Norman Stolpe. My dad is a writer’s writer. He has been writing for years. He doesn’t blog regularly though he keeps a blog. But his weekly sermons have to be considered as some type of blogging. My dad has inspired me on many different levels when it comes to my writing. I don’t ever expect to hold a candle to his writing skill, but I hope that my dad will be proud that I’ve followed in his writing footsteps in some small way.
What motivated you to start blogging? from Rob Shepherd at robshep.com
I have a friend, Frank Chiapperino, who was my biggest encouragement to start blogging. Frank was our adult ministries pastor at the time, and he now pastors his own church in Minnesota. Frank still blogs fairly regularly about leadership, technology, and small groups.
What verse in the Bible challenges you the most? from Rob Shepherd at robshep.com
Colossians 4:2-6 is one of my favorite verses and probably one of the verses that challenges me the most. Making the most of every opportunity means so much to me. I need to make the most in sharing my faith with others. I need to make the most of the time I have with my friends, family, and co-workers. I don’t want my time here on earth to be a waste. I want to hear God say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Would you rather have spam for hands or mayo for a tongue? from Rob Shepherd at robshep.com
This ones easy for me. I hate (I strongly dislike) mayo, so I’ve got to go with Spam for hands. If I had a mayo tongue, I’d be throwing up all the time.
It’s a question I asked on my blog yesterday. If you wrote a cardboard testimony what would it say? from Eileen Knowles at The Scenic Route
“God love me – broken and bruised, impatient and imperfect, STRETCHED!”
Where do you see yourself in 15 years? from Joe Lalonde at jmlalonde.com
In 15 years, I will be 55. I’ll have two kids in their later twenties, and I will have been married for over 30 years. I hope to be 100% debt free including the house. I hope to be giving way more than I’m getting. I’d love to have written at least one book by that time – though I’m still figuring all that out. If I stay at my current job (which is definitely a possibility), I will have been there for over 31 years. I’d like to continue to grow in respect. I’d like to be known for investing in others like no other leader before me. I’m not sure if blogging will still exist in 15 years, but I’d like to use my writing as a tool to expand the Kingdom.
As a man of strong religious beliefs, what do you think is in general the greatest challenge today to people who seek to maintain their religious faith? And what is the greatest challenge to maintaining your faith personally? For example, is it that science has called into question many fundamental beliefs in the Bible? Is it rampant materialism in our society? Is it pressure from the mass media to adopt more secular values? When people who are hypocritical in their religious practice are exposed to the public, is that the greatest challenge to believers? Or is personal hardship and suffering a greater challenge to faith than all of these? from Michael Shaw at I Love Skippack
Wow, this is a pretty deep question which I may need to explore in more depth in a future post. My short answer is this: The greatest challenge today to people who seek to maintain their religious faith is the same challenge that has plagued people since the beginning of time. We are so bent on being in control. We’re self-centered, sinful creatures. We all struggle with ME, ME, ME. And we live in a culture where this pull towards ME is so strong. It’s so easy to be distracted by the things of this world that call to us saying “I can help you get ahead by doing this or doing that.” For me personally, it’s not much different. I get distracted by thoughts of trying to get ahead, trying to make a name for myself, and trying to keep up with the Joneses. The Bible talks about “seeking first the Kingdom of God” in Matthew 6. This can be a real challenge and can be nearly impossible without the support of family and friends of faith who spur me on. This is part of the reason I love this blogging community. While I hope my writing will spur other on, it’s often the Stretched Community that pushes me to keep the faith. For that, I’m grateful beyond words.
How much are you ready to stretch yourself in order to see your God-given dreams come to pass? from Joe Abraham at joeandancy.com
Appropriately, this question is rather stretching for me. I’m fairly certain that I’ve shared this here before – I hate change. I like things to be the same. I would eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day given the choice. So it’s no surprise that “stretching” to achieve my God-given dreams is not always easy for me. Honestly, there have been a few setbacks along life’s journey that have dampened some of my dreaming, but I’m relearning some of the skill related to dreaming big again. I shared some of this in a guest post over at Expect the Exceptional a few weeks ago, and I’ve been sharing some of these thoughts especially related to my leap of faith decision to go to Guatemala. I think I struggle most in this area in trusting God financially to provide should I decide to leave my career and pursue something else. I’m not convinced that this is where God’s calling me, but I think it would be the biggest challenge for now. I’m not sure this fully addresses your question, but I hope it’s a start. Thanks!
Wow! This was more challenging than I expected. Thank you to everyone who answered the call to question me. What’s your answer to one of these questions? Or better yet, what’s the one question you’re most afraid to answer?
Ice Breaker – Questions For A Stretched Blogger
It’s Friday again, and that means that it is time for this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker Question. Each week on Friday, I ask a question and open it up to the Stretched Community for a response. Typically, I answer the question first; however, I’m taking a different approach this week. I totally value your response to this question.
Question: What question do you have for me, The Stretched Blogger?
I’m serious. I want to hear your questions for me. I’ll do my best to answer them in the comments, but I may also use one (or more) of the questions for a future post. I look forward to hearing what you’ve got for me!
Ice Breaker – Blog, Blog, Blog
TGIF! It’s time for this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker. Each week I ask a question designed to help us connect as a Stretched Community. I start by answering the question and then it’s your turn. I’ll answer the ice breaker here in the post, and you can answer the question by leaving a comment.
The Question:
(1) What’s the first blog that you remember reading? (2) What blog are you reading that deserves the spotlight? (3) What’s your blog? (Please be sure to share the links, so we can all enjoy.)
My Answer:
(1) Let Me Be Frank by Frank Chiapperino (frankchiapperino.com). Frank was probably the biggest influence in getting me started with this whole blogging thing.
(2) This is a tough one, because I read so many great blogs on a daily basis. One that deserves the spotlight is Deuceology by Larry “The Deuce” Carter. Larry’s blog (deuceology.wordpress.com) celebrated its first anniversary earlier this week. In each post, Larry writes a post that makes you think twice about things that matter most.
(3) I guess you already know my answer to this question. Please pass this address along to your friends. Tell them to subscribe or follow on Facebook to become part of the Stretched Community. Thanks!
How’s that. I can’t wait to read your responses. Please leave your answer in the comments.
Ice Breaker – Star Wars
Due to a guest posting opportunity, this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker is moving up a day to Thursday. Tomorrow is May 4th which happens to be my Mom’s birthday – Happy Birthday, Mom! It also happens to be Star Wars Day – May the Fourth be with you! Get it? In honor of this special occasion, today’s Ice Breaker question will deal with Star Wars. Here goes….
Question: What is your favorite character or thing about Star Wars?
My answer: I saw the very first Star Wars movie (which was just called Star Wars and is now the fourth movie and referred to as A New Hope) in theaters when it first came out in the late 70s. I realize that I am dating myself here, but it helps to set the stage for my answer. I remember being drawn into the story, and I especially liked Luke Skywalker – of course. Over the course of time, I saw the next two movies Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (which are now the fifth and sixth movies). I still liked Luke and I still thought the first (or fourth) movie was the best.
As we all know, George Lucas decided to release three prequels telling the story of Anikan Skywalker and the beginnings of villain, Darth Vader. I strongly disliked Darth Vader in the original movies. After all, he was the villain. My view of Darth Vader changed dramatically when I saw the third movie in the prequel series (Revenge of the Sith). In this movie, Anikan Skywalker becomes Darth Vader. This may seem rather depressing, but it wasn’t for me. This movie provided the connection piece to the Return of the Jedi movie when Darth Vader comes to his senses right before he dies and turns from the dark side of the force. This connection allowed me to see the story of redemption that is told through the six movie series.
You see, I think we all start off innocent like Anikan did in the first movie, but at some point, we all mess up. We may not turn into Darth Vader, but our sin separates us from the life we were meant to live. Our sin can make us pretty ugly. The beautiful thing is that we all have a shot at redemption. I believe that God provided a path to redemption when He sent his Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life and to die for our sins on the cross. I believe that there is redemption for those who chose to believe this and decide to follow Jesus. It may seem crazy, but this is my favorite part of the whole Star Wars thing – the story of redemption.
This is a longer answer than normal, but I couldn’t help it. Now, it’s your turn. Answer the question in the comments. I look forward to reading your responses.
Ice Breaker – The Stretched Community’s Got Talent
Happy Friday!
It’s time for this week’s ice breaker question. I’ll keep it simple. In case you forgot, I’ll ask a question that helps us get to know one another. Then, I’ll answer the question. After that, it’s your turn to answer the question by entering your response in the comments. Here goes…!
Question: If you were to appear on America’s Got Talent (or another talent show), what talent would you bring to the stage? (And we all have talent, so there should be some great answers here this week.)
My answer: Dutch oven cooking. This answer may seem shocking to any of you who knew me as a kid. When I graduated from college, my culinary expertise was Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and microwaved hot dogs. Let’s just say, I’ve come a long way. I enjoy cooking (most of the time) although I don’t get a chance to do it very often. One of my favorite methods for cooking is dutch oven cooking over hot camp coals. I’ve cooked up some great breads, casseroles, soups, desserts, pizza, main dishes, and side dishes using my dutch ovens. I’m hoping I could win the judges over through their stomachs.
Okay. It’s your turn. Tell us about your talent in the comments.