Category Archives for "Uncategorized"

Book Review: The Lamp Maker and The Potter (Cindy Starr Stewart)

I’ve done many book reviews on the blog over the years. I’ve reviewed books on leadership, blogging, small groups, family, marriage, parenting, fiction, and Christian living. But I’ve never reviewed children’s books. Today, this changes as we look at two new books by a college friend of mine, Cindy Starr Stewart.

The Lamp Maker and The Potter are two books written by Cindy. The Lamp Maker originally released in paperback last summer. And both books will be releasing in hardback on August 1, 2013.

Both books are written poetically with beautiful illustrations by Dan Drewes. The books are written for kids, but the themes and messages of both books will spark deeper thought by adults.

The Lamp Maker tells the story of a lamp maker who makes lamps designed to shine his light. The book is a reminder that we are called to let God’s light shine.

The Potter tells the story of a potter who takes a lump of clay and turns it into something amazing. The Potter resonates with this blog as it talks about how we are STRETCHED and molded by God and by the difficulties of life until we are turned into a beautiful and useable vessel.

You can pre-order both of these books by visiting Amazon today. Click here to order The Lamp Maker, and click here to order The Potter.

What was the last children’s book you read? What is your favorite children’s book?

The Stretched Blog Visits Joseph Lalonde – Leading From Our Hands And Our Knees

Today, I’m guest posting as part of The Network for Joe Lalonde at his blog, Joseph Lalonde. In my post (Leading From Our Hands And Our Knees), I share some thoughts about servant-based leadership. Here’s an excerpt to get you started.

How are your hands and knees?

For so many, leadership is all about a position of authority. When most people think of leadership, they think of someone sitting in the plush corner office. They think of someone sitting on a throne. Or they think of someone who stands tall above everyone else.

Authority is an important aspect of leadership, but there is something else leaders should consider.

Leaders lead best when they lead from their hands and knees.

(Click here to read the rest of this post.)

If you’re visiting from Joe’s blog, I’m glad you stopped by. I hope you’ll check things out and become a regular part of The Stretched Community. You can sign up to receive daily blog updates by adding your e-mail on the main page (I promise not to send you spam). To help you get a taste of my other writing, here are a few of my favorite posts:

How could servant-based leadership impact your leadership effectiveness? What is one thing you can do this week to lead from your hands and knees?

April 2013 Top Posts and Commenters

Here are the highlights from April 2013. Thanks to everyone who read along and commented. Your readership and participation in the daily discussions are what make The Stretched Community. Thank you! Overall, traffic was up slightly from March (3.22%). I have continued to limit my posts to Monday through Friday. Taking the weekends off has given my more time with my family along with more time to process ideas for the coming week. The top 10 posts included two posts written in 2012 and a post written by guest blogger Thomas Mark Zuniga. If you missed any of these posts, I hope you’ll go and check them out now by clicking below. The post with the most engagement was Ice Breaker – One Thing, Right Now posted on April 26, 2013.

Top 10 Commenters:

As promised at the beginning of the month, I have randomly chosen someone from the top 10 commenters to receive a copy of Second Guessing God: Hanging on When You Can’t See His Plan by Brian Jones. Your chances of winning increased the more you commented and the higher you were on the list. This winner of this book is…(drum roll)…Carol Peterson. Congrats to Carol!

For the month of May, I’ll be giving away a copy of The Connecting Church 2.0: Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community by Randy Frazee. For my review of the book, click here. Again, the more you comment the higher your chances of winning.

Thanks to each and everyone for reading and for commenting. I’m looking forward to May with The Stretched Community!

How was your month? If you’re a blogger share a link to your top post in the comments? What was your favorite Stretched post this month? How were you STRETCHED in April?

Sensational – The Stretched Blog Visits Faith, Fiction, and Unvarnished Truth

Today, I’m guest posting as part of The Network for Deborah Anderson at her blog, Faith, Fiction, and Unvarnished Truth. In my post (Sensational), I share some thoughts about what it means to merit great public interest and excitement. Here’s an excerpt to get you started.

The events of the last week had many of us glued to our televisions, radios, newspapers, and news websites. Every twist and turn in the Boston Marathon Bombing was broadcast through the news and amplified through social media until Friday night when the second bombing suspect was captured. I’ll admit it. I was sucked into the story.

The story was sensational. The Boston Marathon Bombing caused great public interest and excitement.

What other events come to mind when you think of the word sensational?

I think of the Space Shuttle accidents, September 11^th, the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, the death of Princess Diana, the wedding of Prince William and Catherine, the Super Bowl, natural disasters, and presidential elections.

In our media saturated world, it’s easy to quickly sensationalize an event. Within moments, people around the world know about events happening on the other side of the planet. It’s a natural human response to place our attention on these types of events. (Click here to read the rest of this post.)

If you’re visiting from Deborah’s blog, I’m glad you stopped by. I hope you’ll check things out and become a regular part of The Stretched Community. You can sign up to receive daily blog updates by adding your e-mail on the main page (I promise not to send you spam). To help you get a taste of my other writing, here are a few of my favorite posts:

When you think of the word sensational, what comes to mind?

1000 Miles – 1000 Blog Posts – Celebrating A Milestone

You’re reading the 1,000th Stretched Blog Post.

When I started blogging several years ago, I never envisioned that I’d write this many posts. I simply set out to record my STRETCH marks. My main goal of The Stretched Blog remains the same today as it was when I first started – To process life’s experiences and to bring glory to God. While that goal has been constant, other amazing outcomes have emerged. Primarily, I have been so blessed to meet so many people from across the country and around the world. The Stretched Community has been a huge blessing in my life. Along the way, I hope I’ve encouraged and STRETCHED you. Thank you for reading, for commenting, and for sticking with me along this journey.

Here are a few highlights from the first 1000 Stretch Posts:

July 6, 2007 – The first post was actually untitled. This post provided an introduction to The Stretched Blog.
July 7, 2007 – D.C. Talk introduced our family vacation to Washington D.C. It’s funny to see the picture of Isaac who would have been 7 years old on this trip.
July 30, 2008 – It took a little over a year, but I made it to 100 posts with this one titled, In Search of Treadmill.
October 21, 2011 – We celebrated the 500th Stretched Post with a guest post by Arny Sanchez – Field of Changed Dreams?
February 27, 2012 – I wrote a post about my experience at a recent FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference. This post has been the most visited post of all time – Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember.
March 21, 2012 – It’s hard to pick out one favorite from among the first 1,000 posts, but this one stands out as one my favorites – Leap of Faith.
November 7, 2012 – This was a day I won’t soon forget. I posted How To Respond To The Election Results which drove the biggest single day of traffic on the blog.
328,000 words written to date! Crazy!

Where do we go from here?

I plan to continue to write. I don’t have a number of posts in mind, but I hope we can celebrate these kind of milestones every so often. And I hope that I ultimately point people to Christ as I continue to share more STRETCHED stories and thoughts.

When did you start reading The Stretched Blog? Which post stands out to you as one of your favorites so far? How have you been stretched by being part of The Stretched Community?

As I was preparing for this milestone post, I came across this song by Mark Schultz – 1,000 miles. I think the words speak well to where I’ve been and where I hope to go – not just here on The Stretched Blog, but for life in general. Enjoy!

Short Film – 1000 Miles by Mark Schultz from Ben Salzmann on Vimeo.

Return of Religion

When I was in 3rd grade, our family moved to New Jersey when my dad became a full-time pastor. I’m not sure if it was the spelling of my last name or that my dad was a pastor, but kids soon started to call me Pope. Growing up in a fairly sheltered Protestant area (Wheaton, Illinois) and family, I didn’t know much about the Pope. The nickname stuck for a year or two before kids moved onto other nicknames.

Last week, the real Pope resigned. His resignation was a pretty surprising and rare event in Catholic history. The last time a Pope resigned was over 600 years ago. His resignation got me thinking a little bit about religion.

What do you think about when you hear the word religion?

Structure. Organization.
Denominations. Hierarchy.
Church. Buildings.
Priest. Deacons. Elders. Pastors. Order.
Corruption. Manipulation. Hypocrites. Power.

Unfortunately, the term religion has come to carry a negative connotation. People are leaving the church and are being turned away from “religion” because of the inconsistencies and abuse of organized religion and of those who claim to follow Christ. I’ve been part of churches that stay away from the word religion and replace it with relationship.

When I was in Guatemala this past summer, Joshua Crabbs (our Casas por Cristo project leader) shared a couple of verses from James that talk about religion from a whole different and more positive perspective:

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:26-27

James’ definition of religion says nothing about church or organization. His definition is about action – about putting sneakers to our faith. If we as Christ followers pursue this type of action – if we would return to religion under this definition, “religion” would stop being a dirty word. It would be something that attracts others.

Part of our upcoming trip to Guatemala is about helping orphans and widows (H.O.W.). This is a real practical way for our family to practice the kind of religion that James writes about. (To find out how you can help our family on this trip, click here.)

How can you return to religion as prescribed by James? What can you do today to put sneakers to your faith?

Love Works Wednesday Linkup Week 8 – Dedicated

We continue the Wednesday series based on Love Works by Joel Manby. In today’s post, Bill Grandi (The Cycleguy) and I are discussing the ninth chapter (Dedicated: Stick To Your Values In All Circumstances). Check out Bill’s take by clicking here.

As a reminder, Manby’s premise is that leadership is best when it comes from a position of agape love based on I Corinthians 13 (“…[love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”). Since I already read the book, I thought it would be interesting to highlight some of the sentences I underlined when I read the book initially:

“One of the primary roles of a leader is to give hope.” (p. 150)

“A leader needs to clearly communicate how the organization will win in a competitive marketplace and then execute that plan.” (p. 150)

“We need to care HOW people achieve their tasks, not only IF they achieve them.” (p. 150)

“‘Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic.'” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (p. 153)

“Love and power must be harnessed together to get the most important things done.” (p. 153)

“The USE of power need not become the ABUSE of power.” (p. 154)

“Leading with love is more important than the temporary approval of your coworkers.” (p. 155)

“Many organizations talk about values, but few truly integrate those values into how leaders are evaluated and chosen and how organizational results are measured.” (p. 156)

“It’s critical to define the values that will drive our lives…. What kind of person do we want to be? What values will we uphold? What kind of integrity will we have when nobody is watching? How do we want to treat others regardless of how they treat us?” (p. 156-157)

“It’s one thing to TALK about values like leading with love, but it’s another thing to DELIVER on those values, especially in tough times.” (p. 164)

When we think of dedication, we typically think of someone who is committed to someone or to an organization. We think of someone who comes in early and stays late. We think of team members who consistently go the extra mile. Most managers I’ve encountered in the corporate world would be considered dedicated by this definition.

Joe Manby takes it to another level with his discussion in chapter 9. According to Manby, a dedicated leader is someone who leads out of solid values. There are several leaders I’ve encountered in the corporate world that lead out of a value-focused position, and there are many leaders who don’t seem to be concerned with values as much as climbing over whoever to get to the top and crushing the competition.

I thoroughly appreciate Manby’s take on power and love. Leaders can get a bad reputation when they misuse their power. I’m convinced that a love-based, value-focused use of power will not only improve leader reputation, it will lead to the overall enhancement and advancement of the organization, the employees, the customers, the stockholders, and the community at large.

When you and I hear the word “dedicated”, we must get past the hard-working, tunnel-visioned definition. Starting today, let’s define “dedicated” to mean so much more.

Over the next two weeks, Bill and I will conclude our exploration of love based leadership. I hope you’ll read along, jump into the comments, and maybe even change the way you lead. Consider getting a copy of Love Works for yourself, and see how this book might change you and your leadership.

What is one thing you can do differently this week to become a more dedicated leader? How have you been led with dedicated, love-based leadership?

What Matters – What Doesn’t Matter

Life can be pretty challenging, and it can be so easy to get distracted. We get our priorities out of whack. We focus our attention on things that just don’t matter.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss out on what really matters. With that in mind, I’d like to offer some ways to focus on things that really matter.

Six Steps To Focusing On What Matters:

Start with The Book – The Bible. God’s Word is the best place to start to discover what really matters. The Bible is full of hope and truth. It’s a book that provides instructions for how we should live. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Keep your eye on the prize. It takes discipline and focus. How do you go after a goal? You put reminders all around you. You always have the goal in mind. Make it your goal to discover and focus on what matters. “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
Find accountability. Recognize that you can’t do it yourself. You need people in your life who will spur you on toward truth – toward things that matter. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” Hebrews 10:24-25
Take out the trash. Get rid of distractions. What things keep you away from the things that really matter? Do whatever necessary to flee from these things. “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” James 1:21
Filter. Filter. Filter. Be diligent always. Constantly measure the things of your life against the gold standard. Don’t know what the gold standard is? Go back to Step One. “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9
Don’t be afraid to start over – again and again and again. Here’s the reality – we are all going to mess up – repeatedly. The beautiful thing is that we can start new. When you’ve been distracted, start all over. There are times in our lives when we need to accept grace for ourselves. “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.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

What would you add to this list? What are you doing that matters? How would your life change by focusing on what matters?

God With Us

I took this picture last summer at our family’s favorite beach town – Ocean Grove, NJ. This town was hit pretty hard by Superstorm Sandy which destroyed the town’s boardwalk and fishing pier. It also damaged many of the town’s homes and buildings. I’ve been following the rebuilding process through regular updates on Blogfinger, and our family is looking forward to returning there this summer.

This sign and the town’s response reminds me that God is with us all the time – in the ups and downs of life. I have no idea what you may be going through today, but I remain convinced that God is there with you.

How have you experienced Emmanuel (God With Us) this week?

Today, I’m hooking up with The Sunday Community, The Weekend Brew, and Sunday Stillness. Hop on over here, here, and here to see what I’m talking about.

Scars And Stretch Marks Revealed – Why Scars Are Meant To Be Exposed

SCARS AND STRETCH MARKS REVEALED

Some people may think scars are cool, but if we’re honest no one really likes their ugly spots, blemishes, and scars left exposed for others to see.

When I was a teenager, my complexion was fairly clear, but I did deal with a few zits from time to time. I was always self conscious of my “big” nose (thanks to the teasing of some of my peers), and it didn’t help went one zit left a scar right on the middle of my nose for a good portion of my high school days. I couldn’t cover it up. It was right there for everyone to see like a Dallas Cowboys fan in the middle of the stands at Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Philadelphia Eagles).

We all have scars. Some are physical blemishes like the spot on my nose or the two-inch gash on my left leg. Most of our scars run much deeper. They’re emotional scars created by personal blunders, dysfunctional relationships, and by some things outside of our control. (I wrote about some of these scars in my own life about a year and a half ago – Less Like Scars.)

We run away. We cover up our blemishes with make-up, masks, and masquerades. We put on an act. We pretend that nothing ever happened, and we hide our real selves. We go into denial, and we don’t deal with the pain.

Maybe our scars and stretch marks were meant to be revealed.

Here are 5 reasons I believe scars are meant to be exposed:

Our scars and stretch marks need exposure to accelerate the healing process. [Click to Tweet] If we keep a bandage on our wound, it will not heal. The wound needs air and light. Letting others see our hurts gives others a chance to be a part of the healing process.
Our scars and stretch marks tell a story. [Click to Tweet] They testify to the junk we’ve dealt with in our lives, and they speak to the healing that is possible.
Our scars and stretch marks bring glory to God. [Click to Tweet] If we truly believe that God is the Healer and Great Physician then we have to believe that God can work through the painful parts in our lives to create something far more beautiful than we could ever imagine.
Our scars and stretch marks represent hope for others. [Click to Tweet] Our blemishes help others relate to us. When people see us living life after we’ve been wounded, it will show them that life can go on.
Our scars and stretch marks help us identify with Christ. [Click to Tweet] “From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” Galatians 6:17 Jesus Christ died on the cross and was wounded for you and me. He was wounded and scarred for you and for me. My blemishes are a reminder that Christ bears scars for me.

What scars do you have? How has it helped to reveal your scars?

For other articles on this topic, check out these posts:

Less Like Scars
I Have A Confession

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Here are 5 reasons I believe scars are meant to be exposed:

What scars do you have? How has it helped to reveal your scars?