Jon Stolpe
Jon Stolpe
Repost: Plans For Me
This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!
Today’s post was originally posted in October 2010. September and October of 2010 was a life changing and challenging time for our family. It’s interesting to look back and see how God was shaping me in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Today is the final day of reposts as we are returning from vacation. I’d love to hear what you’ve thought of this week of reposts. Thanks for allowing me the chance to take a break.
I feel like I have recently been in a mental wrestling match with myself about my plans, the future, and trying to live one day at a time. I like to have a plan for things. I like it when I can map things out and know where I’m headed. I have a quote hanging in my office, “If you fail to plan, you should plan to fail.” I think it’s important to have a plan, but I’m also learning that it’s important to be flexible and to trust. Trusting God for my future sounds easy and maybe it should be easy, but I must have the brain of a mule (stubborn). I still get hung up on the “what ifs” of tomorrow, next month, next year, etc.
As I’ve been processing this and meditating on the word ‘plans,’ Jeremiah 29:11-13 came to my mind:
11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
These verses point very clearly to that fact that God has plans for me that include hope for the future. He simply asks me to come to Him, to seek Him with all I’ve got, and to be open to His plan. I’m learning, and I’m thankful today for this reminder. With this in mind, I can let go of my anxiety and my personal wrestling match.
One day at a time…
What are you wrestling with these days? How have you seen God work wonders in the midst of your plans, uncertainties, and challenges?
Repost: The Prodigal Son – The Older Son
This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!
Today’s post was originally posted in April 2011. The story of the prodigal son can be powerful. Here’s my take from my perspective.
The painting above by Rembrandt depicts the story of The Prodigal Son. In the forefront, you see the lost son being embraced by the loving father. And I’m guessing that the middle figure in the back behind the father is the older son. Here are some of my thoughts about this story.
A couple of weeks ago at my men’s group, we were discussing different parables that we liked and disliked. We talked about different ones and what they meant. One of the parables we talked about more extensively was The Parable of the Lost Son (or The Prodigal Son). This story told by Jesus in Luke 15 is an amazing story about a runaway son who finds redemption, about a loving father who grants forgiveness, and about an older son who is conflicted by the happenings surrounding his brother and his father.
I love this story and I dislike the story all at the same time. I love that we all are offered forgiveness and grace. We have all screwed up, and our Father runs to us with open arms as we return to Him. I identify with the older son who seems to have done everything correctly, but who sometimes feels lost in the shadows as those around me celebrate the stories of people who have “returned home” following a path of drunkenness, debauchery, and destruction. I know this sounds selfish and shortsighted, and it is. But it’s also an honest response. I am so thankful for my upbringing, my early found faith, and my journey. And I really don’t want any turmoil or trouble in my life that could come as a result of straying from God. But there are times where I feel overlooked or undervalued because I don’t have a more colorful story of how I was lost but found Christ.
Just a window into my thoughts – enough whining! Whether you relate to the younger son or the older son, we can all be thankful for God’s grace and forgiveness. We can all experience redemption. And I think this is why I ultimately love this story. It convicts me of my own selfishness and jealousy, and it offers a clear hope for me. You see, I believe the Father would do anything for both of the sons. He loves both of them lavishly and completely. God, my Father, loves me despite my junk.
Do you believe that? How do you relate to this story?
Celebrating 16 Years!
Sorry, no ice breaker this week. I’m on vacation. Instead, I’m celebrating 16 years of marriage.
Today, I celebrate 16 years of marriage to my best friend and my soul mate. There’s been far more adventure than I could have ever imagined. I’m thankful for each day. And I’m so thankful that we are “stuck” together.
What were you doing 16 years ago on this day?
Repost: This Is Home – Now I’m Finally Where I Belong
This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!
Today’s post was originally posted in October 2009. The post was simple thoughts following a visit to Grove City College. The thoughts still apply. I’m glad to be home!
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Grove City College for my 15th Year Reunion and for Homecoming. It was so great to be back on campus. It brought back memories of fun times with friends, times of personal growth, challenging times of learning, and especially of meeting the love of my life. It was amazing to see how the campus continues to get even better with new building and added features. I was also inspired by how the focus of the campus and it’s leadership seems to be in the right place.
As I spoke with a good friend, Dave Johnson, it was fun to recount specific stories of the good times and rivalries that existed between our housing groups. We really had a blast while we were at “The Grove.” As our conversation moved towards our families, jobs, and church involvement, we both commented that we wouldn’t trade our present circumstances to go back in time to our Grove City days. God has truly blessed us.
On the ride home last night, I was listening to Switchfoot. I was struck by their song “This Is Home.” I’m so thankful for the memories. But I don’t want to go back. I’m finally where I belong. I’m so thankful for my wife, my family, my church, my job, and exactly where I’m at right now.
Here’s the first verse and chorus from the song:
I’ve got my memories
Always inside of me
But I can’t go back
Back to how it was
I believe you now
I’ve come too far
No I can’t go back
Back to how it was
Created for a place
I’ve never known
Chorus:
This is home
Now I’m finally
Where I belong
Where I belong
Yeah, this is home
I’ve been searching
For a place of my own
Now I’ve found it
Maybe this is home
Yeah, this is home
How about you? Are you home? Do you realize that your where you’re supposed to be for right now?
Repost: Joy Comes In The Morning/Give Thanks In All Circumstances
This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!
Today’s post was originally posted in October 2010 as two separate posts. Both posts were written at a pretty crazy time in my life. My wife was in the hospital, my blood pressure was spiking, and I was running on fumes. It’s great to look back to see where I’ve been and to realize how God has been faithful to me along the journey.
JOY COMES IN THE MORNING
Life is interesting and crazy and all other kinds of adjectives. I’m thankful for it, despite the roller coaster ride that I’ve been on as of late. If things could get a little crazier yesterday, they did. I was on my way to the doctor’s office yesterday morning for a follow-up checkup for my blood pressure (great timing), when my daughter calls me from her cell phone…”Dad, the basement’s flooded.” I told her, “OK, well I’ll check it when I get home. There’s nothing I can do about it now.” When I hung up the phone, I asked aloud, “God, I don’t think I can take too much more right now.” Needless to say, my blood pressure reading was a little high when I got to the doctor’s office. It’s nothing to get overly concerned about, but I have to go back again in three months for another follow-up.
At any rate, so far today has been fine. I’m relearning to take each day one at a time. This morning, I was reading in Psalms 30, and I was reminded of the joy that comes in the morning.
1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave;
you spared me from going down into the pit.
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 O LORD, when you favored me,
you made my mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What gain is there in my destruction,
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help.”
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
So as an addendum to my previous post, we spent the afternoon cleaning up the basement – throwing away carpet, using the shop-vac to soak up the water, drying out some things, and throwing some things away. Tonight, I had to laugh when Isaac prayed at dinner time, “…dear God, thank you that we got to clean the basement….” My kids loved it that we got to clean the basement. Isaac reminded me of a few verses in I Thessalonians 5.
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Learning to be joyful always and to give thanks in all circumstances isn’t always easy. I feel like my kids have been great examples for me. Their faith is amazing. Their ability to be thankful for things that drive me crazy is incredible. My kids remind me over and over to make lemonade out of the lemons of life. I am blessed beyond words.
What “disasters” are you thankful for today?
Repost: Lemons Into Lemonade
This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!
Today’s post was originally posted in September 2010. Most of the text comes from a devotional that we were using with our son, Isaac. The truths still apply today.
I just had to share the thoughts from Isaac’s devotion for yesterday:
Have you ever heard someone say, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade?”
As goofy as it sounds, this saying holds a lot of truth. First, it says that life will hand you lemons. It doesn’t say if, and it doesn’t say life might hand you lemons. It says when.
Lemons are the bad things that happen in life. Maybe a pet dies. Maybe your best friend decides not to be your friend anymore. Perhaps you’re not treated fairly by a teacher. Whatever it is, you’ll have to face your share of lemons in life.
The second part of that saying is the hardest to follow – “make lemonade.” In other words, take the bad things that happen and make the best of them. Look for the positives. Find the good part.
Sometimes finding the good part is really difficult. When a friend turns her back on you, it hurts. Sure, you can make other friends. But it hurts right now. Making lemonade is probably the last thing you want to do. That’s why it may be a good idea to add another sentence to that saying: “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. And God is the ultimate lemonade maker.”
God can take the worst situations in your life and make something good from them. At first, you may find it hard to see the good, but over time you’ll look back and see how God turned bad things to positive experiences in your life. And here’s the best part: while you’re waiting for God to make things better, you can hide in him. Use that time to get to know him better. Take comfort that God love you, cares for you, and can use bad things to make you stronger and more like him. When things get tough, look to God and take comfort in his strength.
Psalm 141:8 But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge….
What’s going on in your life that needs to be transformed from lemons to lemonade?
Repost: Zip It! Be Slow To Speak…
This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!
Today’s post was originally posted in September 2009. The post references some events that were current at the time, but the underline thoughts remain the same.
There are many examples of public figures speaking before they think. Last night, Republican Representative Joe Wilson from South Carolina put aside political appropriateness when he was quick to call President Obama a liar during his televised speech on health care reform to Congress. Several weeks ago, President Obama was called on the carpet after he accused the Cambridge, MA police force of acting “stupidly” in the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. I’d like to think that both of these men regretted opening their mouths before thinking after they said these things.
It’s easy to point the finger at these public figures – after all, leaders are expected to be above reproach, and they should know better. And they are easy targets. Upon further thought, I know we’re all guilty of this kind of speaking without thinking. I was reminded today of a time when I was in junior high, and I was at a dress rehearsal for a musical that I was in at our church. Believe it or not, I was selected to sing a solo (who would have thought). As a result, I was equipped with a wireless microphone. During one of our breaks while I was in the men’s room, I said some things that I later regretted. When I returned from the break, I discovered from one of the sound people that my initial words were shared loud and clear in the sanctuary thanks to the wonders of wireless technology. Thankfully, they quickly muted my microphone. But it didn’t stop the feeling of embarrassment and regret that swept over me when I found out.
In all the cases above (including mine), the regret came after being caught. Did we ever stop to think that God can hear us even if no one else can? Did we ever stop to examine our hearts. I’m reminded of two passages that speak to this. First, in the first few verses of Psalm 139, we’re told that not only does God know our words but he even knows our thoughts:
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
Secondly, in the first chapter of James, instructions our given that we should be slow to speak:
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, 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.
Sounds easy? I’m not so sure. I know that my thoughts and words are not always what they should be. So where do I go from here? I think it starts with being more in tuned to God, becoming more aware of times we think and say things that aren’t appropriate, and seeking God to help make a change.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Have you tasted shoe leather recently? How’s it taste? What did you do to get that taste out of your mouth?
Repost: Creating Community – The Power of Poker
This week, I’m going on vacation with my family. I thought I’d take this opportunity to republish some old posts from the archives. Feel free to leave comments here or on the original post. Enjoy, I’ll be back next week!
Today’s post was originally posted in January 2011. It created a bit of buzz and some great dialog in the comments.
A guy at our church has been “leading” a monthly Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Group connected with our church’s grouplife ministry. For some of you, this sounds sacrilegious and not quite right – after all, doesn’t the Bible discourage gambling? I guess I understand this viewpoint; however, I would argue that this is the type of group that Jesus would promote. From what we read in the gospels, Jesus hung out with prostitutes, cheaters, and punks. I’ve attended this poker group a few times, and it draws all kinds of people – people who are part of the church and people who are not part of any church. The group’s goal (besides playing cards) is to create an entry point for people to get connected with people from our church. From here, the hope is that they would come to our church and check out other opportunities to get connected and to grow.
Today, I was blown away when I saw one of the group’s attenders file into church a few rows in front of me with the group’s leader. He quickly received a hand shake and hello from one of the group’s regular attenders who was sitting right in front of him. I’ll be honest, I never expected to see this guy in our church. I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised. This is the group’s goal, and it’s working.
So what do you think? Would you consider this a valid part of your grouplife/connection ministry? What other types of groups might serve in this same manner?
I’d love to hear your feedback!
I’m On Vacation
I’m On Vacation
I am on vacation beginning on Saturday, July 7, 2012. I will be offline while I am away. No e-mail, Twitter, or Facebook.
Instead, I will be reading, relaxing, and enjoying time with my family.
I have scheduled blog posts to run while I am away. The posts are from my archives. After blogging for several years, there’s got to be some good stuff in here (I hope).
This is a huge step for me as I’ve been blogging nearly every day now for a year. I hope you don’t mind that I’m taking this break. Please come back for more great stuff on The Stretched Blog.
Thanks for being a part of The Stretched Community! See you next week!
What do you do with your blog when you go away? Do you ever take a break? How does that look?
Ice Breaker – Vacation Destination
This week has been a bit confusing with the holiday stuck right in the middle of the work week. Yesterday felt like a Monday despite the fact that it was really Thursday. Just to be clear, today is Friday. And you know what that means? It’s time for the weekly Stretched Ice Breaker. Ice breakers are questions designed to help us get to know each other. I ask a question and give you my answer. Then you answer the question by leaving a comment.
Since I’m heading out for a week of family vacation, this week’s question is related to vacation. Here goes!
Question:. Thinking back on your past vacations, what is one of your most favorite vacation destinations?
My Answer:. Hawaii was pretty incredible, but that was several years ago. One of my more recent favorites was Vermont. A couple of years ago, my family had the privilege of staying at Smugglers Notch. I’m assuming that this must be a pretty happening place during ski season. But we went during the summer, and we had a blast. We swam in the four or five different swimming pools, we hiked to the top of two of the three mountain peaks, and we road our bikes to Stowe. We also enjoyed factory tours of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory and Cabot cheese factory. Summer is a great time to visit Vermont!
Now, it’s your turn. Let’s hear your answer to this week’s ice breaker question. Leave your answer in the comments, so we can all enjoy!