On Purpose

We say goodbye to Rio this morning.

Rio is a 15 month old golden retriever/yellow labrador puppy dog, and he is moving onto the next stage of his adventure. If all goes well, he will be matched with a blind person after his official training at The Seeing Eye.

This is his purpose.

As I swept up his hair which seems to be all over the house right now, I couldn’t help but think about purpose.  Rio’s purpose is more than shedding hair all of our house.  It’s more than chasing our forever dog (Iso) around the house.  And his purpose is more than staying here as our family pet.

Rio was created with a purpose in mind – to give sight and freedom to those who are visually impaired.

Many of us go through life simply trying to survive.  We check the next thing off our to-do-list.  We head to the next appointment.  We wake up.  We chase after things that typically don’t matter that much.  We try to find happiness chasing various selfish pursuits.  We eventually find our way back to bed where we sleep for a few hours before we do it all over again.  We give little thought to the fact that we were made on purpose and for a purpose.

Your purpose may not be obvious to you which means you have some work to do.  As I say goodbye to Rio today, I challenge you to pursue your purpose.  Don’t rest until you’ve discovered it.  Then do everything you can to live your life on purpose.

What is your purpose? What makes your heart sing? What were you made to do?

Guatemala Photo Of The Day – Fernando’s Super Power

Fernando!

Fernando has an amazing super power.

Fernando is warm and inviting.  He has a magnetic personality.  His smile is contagious.  If you’re not smiling as you look at this picture, there might be something wrong with you.

Fernando is not the only one with this amazing super power.

You and I have the super power too!

All we have to do is smile.  It’s contagious, and it will spread to others.

Try it today.  Take time to smile!

Guatemala Photo Of The Day – Get Back To Work!

I’m sure Rosita and Fernando were glad to see us when we arrived back at the work site, but I kind of wonder if they were actually thinking “Get back to work!”

You can see they discovered some of our left over scraps of wood from our first day on the job, and they were using them to build some time of structure in their dirt floored backyard.

The new work day brings great expectations and hopes for accomplishing something spectacular, and we were so blessed to have these young children as cheerleaders (or slave drivers).

Guatemala Photo Of The Day – Mixed Feelings To Start The Second Work Day

This is how Betty’s house looked on the second morning when we arrived at the job site.  When we finally made the decision to tear down the back wall and start over, I have to admit I was feeling discouraged.

How in the world would our small team manage to complete this house and another one before we left just a few days later?

This picture is a reminder that God provides just what we need at the right time.  And this was true with Betty’s house.  Stick around for more photos and you will see amazing transformation.

Guatemala Photo Of The Day – Burden

This statue stands on the front steps of the Town Hall in Santo Domingo Xenacoj in Guatemala.  The statue depicts a familiar sight in the streets of Xenacoj.  Workers carry a huge load of firewood on their backs.  More than likely they spent a large amount of time cutting logs and splitting the wood at the beginning of the day, and they use the remaining hours of day light to carry the wood up into the village.

Firewood is an essential element for homes in the village.  The wood is primarily used for cooking.  Some ladies cook on open fires, and many cook on a wood-fired stove.

I am always amazed when I see the men (and sometimes women) carrying loads of wood on their backs.  The statue is another reminder of the strong work ethic of many of the villagers.  It’s also a reminder of the burden many villagers carry as they try to scratch together the funds to provide food and clothing for their families.

What burden are you carrying?

Ice Breaker – Summer Reading List

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

(I’m always looking for Ice Breaker question ideas.  If you have an idea, send me an email at jon@jonstolpe.com.  If I use your question, I’ll give you credit and share your links.)

Question:  What’s on your summer reading list?

My Answer:  I reviewed two books this week – Talk Like TED and The Disciplined Leader.  I’m also reading Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill, The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do by Jeff Goins, and Bleachers by John Grisham.  If the weather is decent tomorrow, I’m hoping to be on the beach reading a few pages in Ocean Grove, NJ.  (I have several other books on my nightstand or in my book pile that may get some attention as well as the summer moves along.)

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep Stretching!

Guatemala Photo Of The Day – Supermarket!

If you have never been to Santo Domingo Xenacoj, this picture probably means very little to you.  It’s a supermarket.  Here in the USA, we have grocery stores all over the place.  I can be at one in five minutes if I leave my house right now.

This supermarket opened sometime between our visit in 2013 and our visit in 2014, and it’s the first store of its kind in the village of Xenacoj.  Here you can purchase fresh fruit, refrigerated meat, and other household needs.  Prior to the construction of this store, villagers purchased foot from corner convenience stores or from street vendors near the center of town.

It’s my understanding that there was a lot of health issues in the year that led up to the opening of this store, and many street vendors were shut down while officials tried to gain control over the spreading health concerns.

The grocery store is also a sign of small advancements being made in and around Xenacoj.  Hopefully, this will be one of the advancements that benefits villagers for years and years.

We shopped here several times during our visit, and it’s where we picked up several edible gifts for the friends we have made over the past few years in Xenacoj.

Book Review: The Disciplined Leader by John Manning (@JohnMManning)

When Becky Robinson reached out to me to ask if I’d read and review the newest book by John Manning.  I couldn’t say no.  I’ve been writing about disciplines that stretch people like you and me, and I write about leadership here on my blog from time to time.  Manning’s book is all about becoming a leader who focuses on what really matters.  In The Disciplined Leader: Keeping the Focus on What Really Matters, John Manning details 52 disciplines or practices that every leader should follow.

In the first section of the book, Manning focuses on disciplines designed to help leaders lead themselves.  In the second section of the book, he focuses on disciplines that help leaders lead their teams.  And in the third and final section, Manning details disciplines for leaders to lead their organizations more effectively.

Each chapter is laid out in a simple and concise format with action steps which will help readers to practice what they have just read.  You can read the book all at once, or you may decide to go through the book in a year taking one discipline each week of the year.

As I read through this book, I was challenged to step up my leadership game in the various arenas where I lead – at home, at work, at church, and elsewhere.

I’m excited to add The Disciplined Leader to my leadership library, and I look forward to referencing it in the days, weeks, and years ahead as I seek to lead by focusing on the right things – on what really matters.

What disciplines have made you a better leader?   When you think of a great leader in your life, what disciplines come to mind?  Tell me about it in the comments.

(Please note:  I received a copy of The Disciplined Leader for free as a gift from Becky Robinson of Weaving Influence in exchange for a review.  I was not required to provide a favorable review.  I truly believe this book can be a helpful tool for taking your leadership to the next level.

Also to note:  There are affiliate links in this post.  Should you purchase The Disciplined Leader by clicking one of these links, I receive a small percentage of the purchase.  These funds are used to support The Stretched Blog and to extend ministry and missions to Guatemala.  Thank you!)

Guatemala Photo Of The Day – Hang On Tight

After breakfast, we headed out to the job site.  We used the van to travel several blocks to Betty’s house.  To get a different perspective, Hannah, Isaac, and Leanne climbed on top of the van for the ride from German’s house to the job site.  Speaking from experience, it’s not the most comfortable ride, but the view from on top of the van is always amazing.  As there are not any seat belts up on the luggage rack, you have to hang on to the side rails.

Going on a short-term missions trip to a place like Xenacoj means new and amazing perspectives, and it more than likely means you need to hang on to the side rails as you travel outside your comfort zone.

As you can see by the smiles, the journey outside your comfort zone is worth the risk.

Book Review: Talk Like Ted by Carmine Gallo (@cgalloacademy)

This book wasn’t even on my radar until I received a package from my friend Ellory Wells.  In the package, Ellory included Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds by Carmine Gallo with a note inside:

Jon,

I’ve never read this book, but I’ve heard wonderful things!  I know you want to be a speaker.  You ARE a speaker!  If you want to read this book together, let me know; I got myself a copy too. 🙂

See you on stage!

Ellory Wells

I’m glad Ellory sent me the book, and I’m thankful for the note in the front of the book as well.

Talk Like TED is an inspiring and educational read for anyone who does presentations or who wants to present to others.  In Talk Like TED, Carmine Gallo unpacks the research he compiled by studying the most successful TEDTalk speakers.  He shares stories and statistics in a way that will help speakers take their craft to the next level.

This was the perfect book for me as I consider future speaking opportunities.  Talk Like TED gave me nine “secrets” to improving my speaking, and it gave me hours of TEDTalk presentations to review to help me refine my skills.

If you are a pastor, a teacher, a manager, or a presenter of any kind, I’d recommend picking up a copy of Talk Like TED.  If you are a writer, I’d also recommend this book as I believe it will improve your blogs, books, and other writing endeavors.  If you have a message that needs to be heard, this book will help you package your message in a way that will get people to listen.

Here are a few of the quotes I highlighted as I read the book:

• “Ideas, effectively packaged and delivered, can change the world.”
• “Great communicators reach your head and touch your heart.”
• “People cannot inspire others unless and until they are inspired themselves.”
• “If you want to help someone, shut up and listen.”
• “Our brains are more active when we hear stories.”
• “An authentic presentation requires hours of work – digging deeper into your soul than you ever have, choosing the right words that best represent the way you feel about your topic, delivering those words for maximum impact, and making sure that your nonverbal communication – your gestures, facial expressions, and body language – are consistent with your message.”
• “Don’t take yourself (or your topic) too seriously.  The brain loves humor.  Give your audience something to smile about.”
• “You don’t need luck to be an inspiring speaker.  You need examples, techniques, passion, and practice.  You also need courage – the courage to follow your passion, articulate your ideas simply, and express what makes your heart sing.”

How do you feel about public-speaking?   When was the last time you spoke in public?  How did it go?  Tell me about it in the comments.

(Please note:  I received a copy of Talk Like TED for free as a gift from my friend, Ellory Wells.  I was not required to provide a favorable review.  I truly believe this book can be a helpful tool for taking your speaking opportunities to the next level.

Also to note:  There are affiliate links in this post.  Should you purchase Talk Like TED by clicking one of these links, I receive a small percentage of the purchase.  These funds are used to support The Stretched Blog and to extend ministry and missions to Guatemala.  Thank you!)