December 3rd, 2011 Week In Review…
We’ve come to another weekend, and I have to say that this week didn’t let me down. It was busy, it was challenging, and it was fun! I hope you had a great week as well. As I look forward to what is sure to be a great weekend, I just wanted to recap the week.
After a slower week last week due to the holidays, it appears that people came back to the Stretched blog as they’ve returned to their regular blog reading routines. It also looks like we may have picked up a new reader or two. As always, I’m thankful for all of you who stopped by and left a comment or just checked things out. Monday’s post was a recap of my Thanksgiving Marathon experience. I really appreciated the encouragement of so many of you who cheered me on despite being miles away. On Tuesday, I shared my thoughts about our recent visit to the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero. Wednesday featured my thoughts about seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway. Thursday, I shared my monthly recap post on what went down in November. Friday finished things off with another fun Ice Breaker about Christmas movies. This week we learned that It’s A Wonderful Christmas Story when you go on Vacation with an Elf and The Muppets. Check these posts out if you missed something this week.
Thanks a million for your contribution to the blog through comments. I’m hoping to catch up on returning comments this weekend. I love what you all contribute to this Stretched Community! I just wanted to remind you all to take the take to Subscribe to the blog, so you can have Stretched delivered daily to your e-mail inbox. Also, don’t forget to stop by the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook fan page. Become a fan to keep up with some additional Stretched stuff. Thanks!
A couple of my favorite posts from the rest of the blogging community this week:
How about you? How was your week? If you’re a blogger what happened over your way this week? Did you read any great blog posts this week? Share with the rest of us!
November 2011 Top Posts
We’ve reached the end of another month. November was another good month at Jon Stolpe Stretched. Traffic on the blog increased slightly since October! Comments continued to roll-in. And new people joined in the conversation and community. The blog added a four new subscribers, and the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook Page attracted several new followers in its third month. Here are the top 10 posts and top 3 commentors for the month:
Top 10 Posts
1. Paterno and Grace: Is There Any Chance They Go Together?
2. Ten Things Every Small Group Leader Should Know (#3 from last month)
3. Me and Grace: Is There Any Chance They Go Together?
4. Jimmy Buffett, Taffy, and Church Searches – Stretching Through Blogging Blunders by Larry Carter
6. Thanksgiving Marathon Recap
10. Ice Breaker – Encounters with Famous People
Top 3 Commentors (We blew by the 1,000th comment mark this month!)
1. Larry Carter
2. Arny Sanchez
3. Leah Adams
I now have 24 regular subscribers. If you’d like to become a subscriber, see the “Follow Blog” window on your right. It’s great to see this starting to take off.
Thank you to all of you for reading and contributing to the blog and to the reader community. I continue to grow a lot through this experience.
As always, I love to share your “stretching” stories on my blog, so leave me a comment if you’re interested in being a guest blogger on Jon Stolpe Stretched.
Finally, if you’re a blogger, how did your blog to this month? What was your top post? What was your favorite post?
Thanksgiving Marathon Recap
The race started and finished at the tortoise and the hare statue
As promised, here are some of my reflections on completing this year’s Thanksgiving Marathon in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York City, NY.
As I’ve shared before running a marathon is an ambitious task. Most don’t just get up and decide they’re going to run a marathon today. It takes time, energy, and lots of training. But something I’ve relearned through my experience on Thursday is that you can be a runner at any distance. People can get so caught up in the “I could never do a marathon” or “I’m not a runner” or “I admire people who can run, but it’s not for me.” What I loved about Thursday’s race is that runners could choose from a multiple of distances – 5K, 1/8 Marathon, 10K, 1/4 Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 3/4 Marathon, and Full Marathon. It was also clear that you didn’t have to be Ryan Hall, Jesse Owens, or Carl Lewis to get out there and run. There were runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. I loved it!
Regarding my experience, the day was perfect – sunny and cool. We arrived at the park in plenty of time to find a parking space at the Van Cortlandt Golf Course. As we walked through the park, we could see people gathering across a flat open field. I thought to myself that this is a good sign the course will be somewhat flat. Was I ever wrong! As we arrived at the starting line, I grabbed my runner’s bib. I love that they give all the runners number one for these holiday races. I stretched out and began to find my place at the starting line. Before the race started, the race organizer gave some instructions at informed runners that the marathon course had been changed due to the previous two days of rain. Now, we were running 8 hilly trail laps instead of 4 flatter trail laps. That didn’t sound too exciting, but there was nothing I could do about it besides get moving.
Coming off the trails for a lap around the field
As the gong went off to start the race, I started my watch and my GPS to track my time and mileage, and I started my marathon journey. About 1/2 mile into the race, we split off of the flat open trail and turned onto a gradual uphill trail that began to narrow. Every twenty or thirty yards there was a railroad tie to hop over. I’m pretty sure they were placed to control erosion, but they became quite an obstacle as the race wore on. The course proceeded to run up and down through the wooded and sometimes single track trails. As I popped out of the woods the first time, I was greeted by my own personal cheering section. It was such an encouragement to see Leanne and the kids throughout the morning as I made my way through the course. (Apparently, they were the only spectators for the race, and they received many thanks from other runners.)
Bringing me into the finish
Despite the challenging course, I was off to a good start. I ran the first half of the marathon on pace to finish at 3 hours and 20 or 30 minutes which would have beat my marathon PR by a huge margin. But… I kind of knew that this was probably a bit too fast for me – especially on this course. As the race continued, the uphills became more and more of a challenge. Eventually, I was walking most of the uphills and trying to run the downhills and the flats. It’s amazing how the body breaks down over the course of a marathon. I didn’t quit, but it was a real challenge to keep my body moving as fast as I wanted it to go. As the laps continued, I also realized that a marathon course that requires this type of repetition is probably not my favorite type of course.
The Gong - The privilege of the finisher
Nonetheless, I kept going until the finish. My daughter ran the last quarter-mile with me as I approached the finish line. You could tell that she was proud of her dad. What more could you ask for in a marathon experience?
If that wasn’t enough, Leanne and the kids reminded me to hit the finisher’s gong after I crossed the finish line. I collected my finisher’s medal – a 12″ serving fork! And I signed into the race log book where I entered my time of 4 hours 1 minute 0 seconds. Years ago, I would have been more disappointed that I didn’t break 4 hours but not this year. I was happy to run! I was happy to finish! And I’m already thinking about the next one!
Slow and steady wins the race
Hope all is well with the Stretched Community!
How was your Thanksgiving? How did you counteract the calorie intake?
Thanksgiving Saturday! Week In Review…
Another week went by with a blur. I worked on Monday, but I was off the rest of the week. My family visited NYC where we had a chance to see Ground Zero, Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, F.A.O. Schwartz, Mary Poppins, and The Hard Rock Cafe. I also ran a marathon on Thanksgiving Day. We’re back home now, and we’re getting ready to eat our turkey dinner.
It was a somewhat slower week on the blog which I’m attributing to the holiday week. Nonetheless, I’m thankful for all of you who stopped by and left a comment or just checked things out. Monday’s post was a tribute to our daughter, Hannah, who celebrated her 14th birthday last weekend. Tuesday was a quick post indicating that I needed a break. Wednesday’s post paralleled my upcoming marathon with life’s journey. Thursday, I shared our family’s Thanksgiving tradition of being thankful, and I gave a quick update on the marathon. Friday finished things off with a fun Ice Breaker about Black Friday. Check these posts out if you missed something this week.
Again, I just wanted to thank each of you for your contribution to the blog through comments. It’s a real blessing to get your ideas and thoughts through this Stretched Community! I just wanted to remind you all to take the take to Subscribe to the blog, so you can have Stretched delivered daily to your e-mail inbox. Also, don’t forget to stop by the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook fan page. Become a fan to keep up with some additional Stretched stuff. Thanks!
A few of my favorite posts from the rest of the blogging community this week:
- Top 9 Books of 2011 by Michael Perkins on The Handwritten
- Getting the perfect gift for the blogger you love by Ben Reed on Life & Theology
- Harvest Your Budget by Alex Humphrey on Entreprelife
As I look forward to this week, I’m sure I’ll be sharing some reflections on our recent trip to NYC. I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. Until then, I’m enjoying time with my family. Happy Thanksgiving!
How about you? How was your week? If you’re a blogger what happened over your way this week? Did you read any great blog posts this week? Share with the rest of us!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m so thankful for today! There are so many reasons give thanks. Our family has a tradition of using a table-cloth every year for Thanksgiving. Each year, we trace our hand prints on the table-cloth, and we write something we’re thankful for in each finger. So here are my five things this year:
1. Leanne – I am so thankful for her restored health. I’m so thankful for her friendship and love. She’s such an incredible mom and wife.
2. Hannah – I blogged about her Monday. It’s amazing to see how she is growing up.
3. Isaac – I’m proud of him too! He is kind, sensitive, and extremely talented. He makes us laugh, and he keeps us on our toes.
4. Blogging – This has been a big year for me when it comes to blogging. I have really enjoyed this outlet. And I’m especially thankful for all the friends I’ve met through the blogging community.
5. Job – I don’t want to take this for granted. I love what I do (most days). I love the fact that I can help people succeed.
If all goes well, I’m running the Thanksgiving Marathon today (I’ll report more on that later). Honestly, running could probably be another thankful point, but I’d have to grow a sixth finger on my hand. I’m looking forward to returning home tomorrow and enjoying our Thanksgiving feast on Saturday.
Happy Thanksgiving!
What are you thankful for this year?
Tomorrow Is Marathon Day
Tomorrow I’m running the Thanksgiving Marathon. I’m ready. I’m excited. And yes, I’m a little nervous. Training for marathon is a long process. I started training back in May or June. It has taken a lot of time and a lot of hard work to get to this point. I’ve logged miles on local streets and trails. I’ve run on trails in Canada. I’ve run the streets of Cape Cod, and I’ve run around Gifford Pinchot State Park. I’ve even run on the boardwalk along the New Jersey shore. I’ve run in the rain, in the heat, in the light, in the dark, and in the freezing cold. I’ve run when I wanted to and when I didn’t want to run. Tomorrow’s race will be the longest run of my training season. And as tough as it sounds, I”m picturing it more as a celebration of the journey. I don’t know for sure what tomorrow has in store, but I’m thankful for this chance to remember that life is a journey and a marathon – it’s not a sprint. Life takes work, and it’s not always easy. So tomorrow I’ll celebrate running, and I’ll celebrate life.
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
What have you worked hard for in your life? How has life been like a marathon for you? What keeps you going when you don’t feel like you can keep going?
It’s The Weekend! And What A Week It Was!
Wow! That seemed like one crazy and busy week. In real life, I literally had something going on every night of the week. Monday was my wife’s birthday which we celebrated at On The Border. Tuesday night, we volunteered with our H.O.P.E. group at our local nursing home. Wednesday night, I met with my M.E.A.T. group. Thursday night was an Awards Dinner for work. And last night was Isaac’s first basketball practice and Hannah’s sleepover birthday party. The weekend has several things going on, but I’m still hoping to catch some relaxation time.
It was also an exciting week for the blog. Monday’s post finished off the blog spotlight with the letters T through Z. Tuesday was an inspiring post about the Black and White notebooks that my daughter’s friends keep. Wednesday’s post examined some of my thoughts about Joe Paterno and grace. And I continued on Thursday by thinking out loud about grace and me. Friday finished things off with a fun Ice Breaker about our encounters with famous people.
I just wanted to thank each of you for your contribution to the blog through comments. It’s a real blessing to get your ideas and thoughts through this Stretched Community! I just wanted to remind you all to take the take to Subscribe to the blog, so you can have Stretched delivered daily to your e-mail inbox. Also, don’t forget to stop by the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook fan page. Become a fan to keep up with some additional Stretched stuff. Thanks!
How about you? How was your week? If you’re a blogger what happened over your way this week? Did you read any great blog posts this week? Share with the rest of us!
Running Partner
Jon Stolpe – Facebook Status
Saturday, November 6, 2011
20.87 miles 3 hours 10 minutes 40 seconds. The last 4 or 5 were pretty tough. I definitely could have used a running partner (or FIGILC – Joe will get this). I saw 68 people – 2 whom I knew, 6 deer, and a bunch of dogs. What a beautiful morning for a run on the (entire) Perkiomen Trail!
This was my Facebook status an hour or so after finishing a big run on Saturday morning. There’s a lot of different things you can pull from the update like the fact that I’m a big numbers guy (who counts people and deer while they’re running?), I must be serious about this running a marathon thing (who runs 20 miles for fun on a Saturday?), or that I was still positive after putting my body through over three hours of pure torture (did you notice how nice it was on Saturday morning?).
But I keep coming back to two sentences in this update. “The last 4 or 5 (miles) were pretty tough. I definitely could have used a running partner.”
I guess that would be expected. After Saturday’s experience and the soreness I’ve been dealing with since, I’m not sure the body was meant to run this long. For me, Saturday’s run was such a great reminder that we need people in our lives who will “run” the tough miles with us. Life will not always be easy. We will face times in our life when we want to give up, when we doubt ourselves, when we feel like we just can’t go on. These are the times when we need people who can push us, encourage us, and maybe even carry us.
While I didn’t have anyone with me for those last few miles on Saturday, I did have the anticipation of seeing my wife at the finish – that thought definitely helped. When it comes to the rest of life, I know there are people in my life who will “run” the tough miles with me. I’ve experienced this. When my wife and I went through tough times last year, we had family and friends who surrounded us with meals, prayer, and all kinds of support. I’m so thankful for these “running partners” in my life.
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
How about you? Do you have any “running partners”? Who’s got your back? Who in your life will “run” those tough miles with you?
October 2011 Top Posts
It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of another month. October was a good month at . Traffic on the blog decreased slightly since September; however, October traffic levels were higher than every other month! Comments continued to roll-in. And new people joined in the conversation and community. The blog added a couple of new subscribers, and the Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook Page attracted several new followers in its second month. The blog Jon Stolpe Stretched experienced its single biggest day of traffic on October 21st when Arny Sanchez helped Jon Stolpe Stretched celebrate its 500th post. Here are the top 10 posts and top 3 commentors for the month:
Top 10 Posts
1. Field of Changed Dreams? Guest Post by Arny Sanchez
2. Ice Breaker – Lunch Time Meet-Ups
3. Ten Things Every Small Group Leader Should Know
4. Ice Breaker – What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up
7. Top 10 Things To Do At Grove City College
9. How I Spend My Time Is A Moral Issue
10. A Rock Is A Good Place To Kiss
Top 3 Commentors (We are on target to see our 1,000th comment in the next day or two!)
1. Arny Sanchez
2. Larry Carter
3. Ryan Knight
I now have 20 regular subscribers. If you’d like to become a subscriber, see the “Follow Blog” window on your right. It’s great to see this starting to take off.
Thank you to all of you for reading and contributing to the blog and to the reader community. I’ve continue to grow a lot through this experience.
As always, I love to share other’s “stretching” stories on my blog, so leave me a comment if you’re interested in being a guest blogger on Jon Stolpe Stretched.
Finally, if you’re a blogger, how did your blog to this month? What was your top post? What was your favorite post?
Hope, Compassion, Love, and Faithfulness – Happy Halloween
Happy Halloween! I cannot believe that we are here at the last day of October. (I also cannot believe that we had snow this weekend, but that’s another story.) As I look back on the past month, I am thankful for God’s faithfulness and steadfast love. As I recall, I started this month with feelings of anxiety and anticipation as we continued through a season of difficult memories. Last year, Leanne came home from the hospital on October 1st and began extended care at a day program. As we went through October last year, we were definitely trying to find a rock to stand on – some sort of normal – some type of answer that everything would be okay.
So as we started this October, things had been moving along pretty well. We had started to hit a “normal” stride. There was nothing to say that was going to change. But I still carried some memories of last year. As October has revealed itself each day, I have been relieved and renewed to see God’s faithfulness. We’ve had a lot of things to be thankful for this month like: a family trip to the Apple Farm/Pumpkin Patch, spectating at several of Hannah’s cross-country meets, enjoying food and friends at our 1st ever Chilifest, having the opportunity to serve at the Norristown Community House and Cradles to Crayons, and having the opportunity to share at a Group Leader Meeting.
While I’ve been processing these thoughts these days, it was appropriate that one of my readings from this weekend came from the book of Lamentations. In this passage, I am reminded of hope, never-ending compassion, unfailing love, and enduring faithfulness that comes from God. This is a great way to leave the month of October!
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
Lamentations 3:21-33
How have you experienced God’s hope, never-ending compassion, unfailing love, and enduring faithfulness this month?