Stretch Full Throttle Starts This Week!
Many of you are scratching your heads thinking, “Doesn’t STRETCH happen everyday right here on The Stretched Blog? Why is he saying that STRETCH Full Throttle starts this week?”
Great questions!
If you’ve been around here for more than a year, you may remember that every year for the past several years, my church puts on a fun, free, and fantastic event for middle school students. The event is called STRETCH (I should get naming rights – just kidding). STRETCH is a three night event where kids can play all kinds of fun games, eat all kinds of crazy food, listen to great music, hang out with friends, and be stretched in their faith. This is the middle school event of the summer in our area!
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night this week from 6:30PM – 10:00PM each night on location at our church is the time and place. If you are entering grades 6 through 8, and you live anywhere near Royersford, PA, you’ll want to make plans to be there. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this incredible event. For more detailed information, click here.
To get you excited, here’s a promo video that our student arts director and students pastor put together just for this occasion:
2012 Stretch Full Throttle Music Video from CHRIST’S CHURCH OF THE VALLEY on Vimeo.
If you were a rapper, what would you rapper name be?
Learning To Count To Five – Guest Post by Kevin Haggerty
Today, I have the privilege of presenting a guest post by Kevin Haggerty. Kevin and I have become friends over the past few months thanks to the wonders of the blog world. His writing at The Isle of Man is generally humorous and he often shares thoughts in his daily posts that stretch me. I’m honored that Kevin would consider sharing his Stretching story here on the blog with The Stretched Community. I’ve included a short bio for Kevin at the end of the post. Please visit his blog, add his blog to your regular reading, leave him a comment, and tell him that I sent you. Thanks!
[If you’re interested in sharing your Stretched story with the rest of The Stretched Community, leave me a comment so we can connect.]
Learning to Count to Five
About a week ago, Jon asked me to write a guest post for his “Stretched” series. It was kind of comical to me, the timing of it anyway, because I’m currently going through a period of my life where I’ve never felt more stretched.
Here’s the brief rundown, for those of you who don’t know me:
- In October of last year, my wife, Kim, and I bought our first house, after being married for two years.
- In December, we received the incredible news that Kim was pregnant with our very first child.
- In March, I found out that I was not going to be offered a contract to teach next year at the school for which I’ve worked for the past six years. Essentially, I was going to be (and have been) laid off.
That’s the short version.
It certainly isn’t how I drew it up, but when does life ever work that way? We don’t get the 12-month forecast for our life. Though, that would be nice, and if that were a website, I’d totally add it to my RSS reader subscriptions.
Instead, we generally get hit with life-changing news, then we have to adjust on the fly, like a hockey line change.
You don’t get advanced notice. You just have to make it up as you go.
So, at 32 years old, I’m at a place where I’m having to really figure things out. It sounds torturous, and in a lot of ways, it is.
But it’s also an awesome opportunity.
I have the chance to start over, in a lot of ways. I have the chance to take all the things I’ve learned and experienced and use them to branch out in a new and exciting direction.
Currently, on my blog, I’ve started a series of posts called “When Life Karate Kicks You in the Face.”
It will feature multiple volumes and will go until I’m done. Yesterday was the beginning of the series and featured Volume 1. I’d love it if you checked it out. Tomorrow, I’ll be posting Volume 2. It’d be great if you were able to read that too, and maybe even share in the discussion as it unfolds.
In the meantime, I want to share with you some of the things that have encouraged me during this down period.
There are two things I’ve used to help me when I am tempted to give into the demons. Maybe they’ll help you too.
Advice from Jack Shepard
In the hit television series, LOST, one of the main characters, Jack Shephard, gave some advice on how to overcome adversity.
In the very first episode, Jack tells Kate (also one of the main characters) a story to help her deal with the fear she is facing, while she is in the middle of stitching up a wound on his back.
Jack can tell the story better than I can, so why don’t I let him tell you instead:
It seems corny and cliché, but there’s a lot of truth to it. Jack was faced with a circumstance wherein he could have run for the door, and allowed disaster to overtake him (and the poor girl on the operating table), or he could have got a hold of himself and fixed it.
In life, often, those are our only two choices. Fight or Flight. Sometimes, I run away. But I can’t run away from this one. My wife needs me. My unborn son needs me. I could run, but I’m not going to.
Encouragement from a Friend
During all of this, my friend Shawn Smucker has been an incredible resource and encouragement to me.
If you’re unaware, Shawn wrote a book, Building a Life out of Words, about his decision to walk away from his business as a contractor, to follow his dream of being a writer, all as a married father of two young children.
Shawn made it work for him, but it wasn’t easy. Not in the slightest.
Shawn has been aware of my journey. I’ve talked to him a lot, along the way. He’s given me advice and really helped me a lot as I’ve been trying to decide just what to do.
One day, he e-mailed me. He asked me how I was doing. It was one of my “bad days.” I was honest with him. I told him I was depressed. I told him I wasn’t doing well, and that I was considering abandoning my dream of being a writer to do something “safe.”
Here was his response:
Hang in there, man. It’s a long road. There’s no time for feeling sorry for yourself.
I saved that. It meant a lot to me. I’m so grateful he had the courage to reach through the internet, grab me and shake me when I needed it.
There’s no time for feeling sorry for yourself. Sound urgent, doesn’t it?
It was urgent. It still is.
What will it be for you today? Will you give into the fear? Or will you count to five, face the terror and then take the control back. It really is a choice.
What will you choose today?
Kevin Haggerty is a 32-year old husband and expecting father. He runs and writes for a humor blog called TheIsleOfMan.Net. For his full-time job, Kevin is a middle school teacher and basketball coach. He also writes for a mixed martial arts (MMA) blog called MMAMania.com. He’s the oldest of seven children, a continual skeptic and smart people think he’s funny (at least that’s what he tells himself).
May 2012 Top Posts and Commenters
May was another record-breaking month for the Stretched blog. Overall traffic increased 11.26% from last month’s previous record high. In addition, the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook fan page has added several new followers over the past month. The community and platform are growing, and I’m excited to see how God may use the Stretched Community to impact the world.
As always, I like to share the top posts for the past month. Most of this month’s most popular posts were posted in May; however, one post from March continues to be at the top of the charts for this month. Here are the top posts from May 2012:
1. The Power To Change A Family Tree (5/2/2012)
2. Leap Of Faith (3/21/2012)
3. Book Review: By Faith, Not By Sight by Scott MacIntyre (5/29/2012)
4. Writing – A Strange Discipline (5/24/2012)
5. My Mom (5/8/2012)
6. Ice Breaker – Star Wars (5/3/2012)
7. Perkiomen Valley Blogger’s Society (5/20/2012)
8. Ice Breaker – Questions For A Stretched Blogger (5/17/2012)
9. 10 Things To Avoid On Camping Trips (5/27/2012)
10. Foundations Class Starts Today (5/6/2012)
And here are the top commenters for May 2012:
1. Larry Carter (28)
2. Tom Tarver (19)
3. Joe Lalonde (15)
4. Michael Shaw (14)
Thanks again to everyone who stopped by and to everyone who left a comment. Your readership, comments, and friendship mean the world to me. In the coming month, I will be looking for more ways to extend the Stretched Community and to broaden my platform. I am looking to launch a contest for this month. I am also looking for new opportunities to guest post around the blog world. Finally, I will be starting to build a guest post backlog and interview backlog to post while I’m in Guatemala later this summer. If you’re interested in guest posting here or participating in a Stretched interview, drop me a note in the comments so we can connect.
Thanks again for a great month. Don’t forget to share The Stretched Blog with your family and friends.
If you’re a blogger, what was the top post on your blog this month? If you’re not a blogger, what was your favorite post here this month?
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!
Slow Down
Yesterday, in four or five conversations with different people the subject of busyness came up. The conversations went something like this:
My friend: “Hey, how are you?”
Me: “Okay, how about yourself.”
My friend: “Good, but I’ve been real busy lately.”
Me: “I hear you. I’ve been busy lately as well. It seems like I’m running from one thing to the next.”
Seriously, this conversation with minor variations was repeated several times yesterday. Why do we allow ourselves to become so busy. Do we like being busy, or do we just like the opportunity to tell others that we’re busy? In all our running around, are we making progress towards something that really matters, or are we just trying to keep up with the neighbors?
Staying busy for the sake of being busy is pointless. And even if our activities result in something good, we still need to analyze our list of activities. Are we participating in activities that match up with our gifts and passions? Are we leaving any space in our schedules for rest and reflection? Are we truly making the most of our opportunities – especially when we’re being pulled in a million different activities?
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve read a couple of blog posts and listened to a podcast or two that deal with this topic. Michael Hyatt talked about the importance of calendar triage in his blog in the past week. The FamilyLife Today with Dennis Rainey Podcast talked about the importance of simplifying our lives in an interview with Dr. Meg Meeker.
These are challenging messages to hear in this culture – especially in the Northeast where everyone seems so ME focused. So how can we change this? Here are four simple ideas that could make a huge difference in our journey to take control of our schedules:
1. Write it down. Take time at the beginning of each month and at the beginning of each week to write down and review the calendar. Seeing it in front of you on a calendar will quickly show you if there are any gaps in your calendar for rest and refreshment.
2. Prioritize and prune. As you list out your activities and commitments, consider prioritizing them. You may want to use a number system to assign a priority to each item on your calendar. Going to church is a top priority in our house, so it gets a 1. Other things might be a lower priority, so we can assign them a 2 or a 3. As you review your calendar, consider giving up one of the lower priority activities.
3. Schedule time for rest, refreshment, and reflection. Seriously, block off time on your calendar. Give this a top priority. Don’t let something else come along and take its place. This is something we’re still working on at home. We have tried to make Monday night open for our date night. This has worked most of the time; however, I must confess that the past couple of weeks we’ve let other things come in the way of this.
4. Practice sabbath. I was talking with my good friend, Michael Shaw, yesterday about this very subject. Michael, who is Jewish, holds the sabbath (sun-down Friday night to sun-down Saturday night) sacred. He literally shuts down each week during this time. God’s command for a sabbath was not just meant for us to focus on Him, I believe it was designed to create a regular rhythm of rest in our lives. It’s important that we find ways to practice the sabbath.
What is one thing that you need to trim off your calendar or schedule this month? What other suggestions do you have for slowing down?
Ice Breaker – Nicknames
It’s time for this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker. I ask a question that helps “break the ice”. I’ll answer it first. Then it’s your turn to answer the question in the comments. By answering the question, we get to know just a little more about each other. This is one way to keep The Stretched Community growing. Here we go….
Question: What is one of your nicknames? How did you get it?
My answer: You don’t have to go far to realize that one of my nicknames is STRETCH. I post about it on my About page. I picked up the nickname STRETCH when I was in high school. When I started my junior year in high school, I was 5’6″. Now, I’m almost 6’6″. I did a lot of STRETCHING over the last couple of year’s of high school and in college. I don’t remember who gave me the nickname although I suspect it came through my high school youth group. I liked this nickname a lot better than a few of the other nicknames I’ve had over the years like Pope, Stain, and even just Stolpe. STRETCH has now become a big part of my life as I blog about life’s STRETCH marks every day right here.
There you have it! Now, it’s your turn. I’m looking forward to hearing about your nickname(s). Leave your answer to today’s Stretched Ice Breaker in the comments below.
Finding Balance In The Busyness of Life
Finding balance in the busyness of life can be a real challenge – especially as the kids become more and more involved in activities.
Here’s a look at our families’ after-work and after-school schedule this week:
- Monday – (besides work and school) Isaac’s piano lesson, date night
- Tuesday – vet appointment for Irwin, Hannah’s talent show practice
- Wednesday – Isaac’s Boy Scout meeting, Leanne’s MOPS meeting, Hannah’s talent show practice
- Thursday – Graduate school open house for Leanne, Isaac’s band practice for church
- Friday – Hannah’s talent show
- Saturday – Hannah’s jewelry show fundraiser for Guatemala, Walnut Street Theater show
- Sunday – church, Isaac’s piano recital
This is just a small snapshot into our lives. As you can see, we keep busy. Each of these things is great, but it can become too crazy when we don’t have room for margin in our schedules or when we don’t have consistency in our routine.
Families often struggle with a chaotic existence – running from activity to activity, trying to jam down a quick bite to eat, squeezing in homework, rushing to catch the bus, wrestling with work, etc. We live this way day after day, week after week, month after month. In this midst of this hustle and bustle, our parenting takes on a survival mentality. Wouldn’t it be great if we could change this?
We send mixed messages to our kids when we aren’t consistent even in our schedules. For example, if we aren’t consistent in putting our kids to bed at the same time each night, they will probably develop problems with going to bed. If we aren’t consistent with meal times and snack times, our kids will develop unhealthy eating patterns. Meal times will also tend towards chaotic instead of connecting. Establishing a routine for your family helps kids develop healthy patterns for the future.
Despite the craziness of our schedule, we do try to maintain a rhythm to our weekly schedule. This helps us stay on the same page. Communication is also key. We keep a calendar in our kitchen that helps us stay on top of our family commitments. This helps to avoid over booking ourselves. We have actually started to carve out nights for dates and family nights. When we block these on our calendars, we show each other that our family and our marriage is important. Other things can wait.
What specific things have you done at your home to encourage a family routine? How do you find balance in the busyness of life?
Challenge Activity: Work together as a couple, as a family, or individually to come up with a schedule that works for you and your family. Be as detailed as possible. Be sure to include things like meal times, bed times, etc. Begin to implement the schedule before this week.
How Big Is Your God?
“My God is way bigger than me and my meager expectations.”
(My Facebook status 4/2/2012)
Yesterday, I posted on my blog about my upcoming missions trip to Guatemala with the high school youth group from our church. As part of the post, I asked The Stretched Community to pray about the trip, and I asked for the community to consider supporting the trip financially. I shared in the post how much money I needed to go on the trip, and I mentioned a STRETCH goal of $5,000 to help with a special project in Guatemala. Honestly, it felt awkward asking for these things, and I didn’t know what to expect.
My post went live at 5 AM EST.
At 11 AM EST, I received an email from an old college friend indicating that he and his wife wanted to donate the entire amount – the cost of the trip plus $5,000!
That’s right. In 6 hours, God provided for my “big ask.”
I was floored and flabbergasted. I honestly didn’t know hot to respond. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen everyday.
I really believed that $5,000 was a big STRETCH. When I spoke with our high school youth pastor about the goal, he said okay, but he indicated that he didn’t think that was possible. When I called him up yesterday afternoon to share the news, I think he nearly fell off his chair (I’m not sure if he was sitting or not).
I think sometimes we short sell God. Our faith in God is puny. It’s like saying, “God, give me a glass of water.” When in reality, God can give us the whole ocean. It’s like saying, “God, I need a few dollars.” When in reality, God owns the mint where money is made. It’s like saying, “God, help the Cubs win the World Series.” Oh maybe, this doesn’t always work out. Just kidding – of course.
You get the idea. I’m discovering that God has way bigger plans and dreams for us than we realize. We set the bar way too low when it comes to asking God the big questions and when it comes to believing what God can do in our lives. We need to learn to have great expectations!
Throughout the day, I received other messages of encouragement with indications of additional support. My shock continued throughout the day.
So where does that leave me?
I’m going back to the drawing board. I’ll get back to you with more details on how The Stretched Community can join together to do something great in Guatemala. Stay tuned for more details to follow.
In the meantime, how have you seen God respond to your “big ask” questions? In what ways do you need to expand your thinking to get in line with a God-sized response? How big is your God?
Guatemala – The Big Ask
Two weeks ago, I told you that I made a “Leap of Faith” decision to go to Guatemala this summer with my daughter and other teenagers and leaders from our church. I’m starting to get excited about the trip, the opportunity to hang out with my daughter, and the chance to serve others in Guatemala. This is a “leap of faith” decision for several health and logistics reasons, but it is also a “leap of faith” decision for financial reasons as well. I’ll share more about that in a minute, but I wanted to share with you first about what we’ll be doing in Guatemala. Check out this short video to get a small glimpse into how we’ll be serving this summer.
Sounds pretty amazing! Right?
Here’s where the big ask comes in. I need your support to make this happen. First and foremost, I need your prayers. Pray for safety at home, in travel, and on the ground in Guatemala. Pray for effectiveness in the ministry that we will have with the people of Guatemala. Pray for God to move in my life and in the lives of those on our team as we take this adventure. Second, I’d like to ask you to consider how you might be able to support this trip. I need to raise $1,300 to make this trip possible. This will pay for my airfare, food, and lodging. While this may seem like a big goal, I know it’s possible through God. In fact, I’d like to add a STRETCH goal to this. I’d like to see if together The Stretched Community can raise an additional $5,000 to support a special project down in Guatemala. I’ll have more details about that in the coming weeks, but I thought I should throw it out there. This is part of the STRETCHING experience.
So how can you help?
Consider advertising here on The Stretched Blog. All proceeds for advertising will be used to fund this trip and for this special STRETCH project. You can click on the Advertise Here links on the main page, or contact me about doing something different. You can also click on the Google AdSense links and Amazon Associate links that can be found on the main page. Every dollar earned through these programs will go to the trip and the STRETCH project. I guess another way is to consider donating to the project. I haven’t quite figured out how to make this work yet, but I’d certainly welcome any cash gifts that would make this trip possible. (Drop me a comment if you’ve got any ideas or want to pass along any donations.) In the coming days, I’ll add some time of goal thermometer on the main page to help you keep track of where we stand with the goal.
I know it’s a big ask. Honestly, it’s a bit awkward to even ask. But I know that with faith like a mustard seed there are mountains that can be moved. And so I throw it out there to the Stretched Community.
One more thing, pass this along to your family and friends who you think would be interested in making a difference for the people of Guatemala. Thanks!
What’s the hardest question you’ve ever asked?