ADVENTure Day 6

Last night, our family spent some time decorating for Christmas.  We set up the tree.  We hung the stockings.  We put up the window decorations.  And we set up the Christmas Victorian Village.  Later this weekend, we’ll decorate the tree with ornaments, and we’ll set up our Nativity.

After 17 years of marriage and many years of parenting, we have developed systems for setting everything up.  As the kids have gotten older, the process as definitely become easier.

Our time of decoration is part of how our family prepares for Christmas, and it reminded me of something worth pondering today.

How are we preparing for Christmas?

And more importantly, how are we preparing for the second advent?

The Bible reminds us that we do not know the hour or the day when Christ returns.  If we are a Christ follower, I don’t think this is something to get worried about, BUT it’s a reminder of the importance of being ready at all times.  This may mean having our own spiritual houses in order, and I think it points to the urgency of sharing the message of Christ with others who don’t follow Him yet.

As you head into the weekend, I hope you’ll ponder this thought and decide on an ADVENTure action (or activity) that seems appropriate.  Don’t wait!

 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Matthew 24:36

Ice Breaker – Jury Duty

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.

Today, I will be fulfilling my civic responsibility by reporting to the Montgomery County Courthouse for Jury Duty.  This will be the second time I’ve been called for Jury Duty.  The first time was a few years ago, and I actually was selected to sit on a jury for a couple of days.  This certainly wasn’t my plan, but it was an educational experience to say the least.  With this in mind, I present today’s Stretched Ice Breaker Question.

Question:  Have you ever been called for jury duty?  Were you ever selected to be on a jury?  When you were on a jury, what kind of case was it?

My Answer:  As I mentioned above, I was selected for a jury a few years ago for a slip and fall accident.  As I remember the details of the situation, a young woman was suing a local hotel for injuries she sustained when she slipped and fell down the stairs in the hotel on the way down to a banquet hall.  She blamed the poor lighting and carpet pattern for failure to see the steps correctly.  Her lawyer brought in a couple of “expert” witnesses to discuss light levels and carpet patterns.  We listened to testimony for two days.  During the trial, we learned that the young woman had been drinking with her friends prior to the accident.  Needless to say, we ruled on behalf of the hotel.

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!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

ADVENTure Day 5

Where has all the hope gone?

Seriously, if you watch the evening news or read the latest news websites or blogs, it’s easy to get discouraged.  There are shootings in schools.  There’s a mess in Washington, DC.  The local sports teams are struggling.  The weather forecast is bleak.  It’s bad news followed by more bad news.

Part of this is amplified by a news media that stalks on the misfortune of others.

And part of it is related to our own failure to recognize the positives and to stand up for stories that bring encouragement.

The whole story of Advent is meant to be a positive uplifting message.  God did not send his Son into our broken world to bring more despair and depression.  Christ came to be a shining light and a beacon of hope to this world.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

ADVENTure Activity:  Go on a hope hunt.  Find places in the world where hope is shining brightly.  Share your discoveries in the comments.

ADVENTure Question:  What gives you hope today?  How has hope helped you overcome despair?

The Cone of Shame Revisited

You would think he would learn.

You would think our dog would remember his previous missteps.  And you would think he would resist his urge to eat fabric.

Last spring, our dog, Iso, ate one of my dress shirts.  I talked about it in a post called The Cone of Shame.  He ended up at the vet where X-rays revealed a football-sized blob of “stuff” in his stomach blocked from passing by large pieces of my white dress shirt (it used to be white).  A few days and a large bill later, Iso came home wearing the cone of shame and sporting a large incision on his underbelly.

You would think he would remember this event from his past.

But he either didn’t remember or he just couldn’t resist the urge to check up the bottom of a fleece jacket.

Yep.  You guessed it.  He somehow reached up on the coat wall and chewed apart the bottom of a jacket.  He even chewed up and swallowed some of the zipper.  We spent the next few days watching and waiting to see if he would “pass” the jacket.  Thankfully, he seems to be doing okay, and his digestive system seems to be returning to normal.

Before I go passing blame on my four-legged friend, it’s probably a good idea to look in the mirror.

There are definitely things in my life that I shouldn’t do, but I do anyway.  Sin has a sneaky way of invading our lives and taking over our rational thinking.  Maybe it’s gossip.  Maybe it’s judging.  Maybe it’s lust.  Maybe it’s some other sin area.  Whatever it is, we all struggle with one thing or the other.  We keep doing things we shouldn’t do.

We are not alone.

The Apostle Paul talks about his own struggle with his sin nature in Romans 7:

We know that the law is holy. But I am not. I have been sold to be a slave of sin. I don’t understand what I do. I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate to do. I do what I don’t want to do. So I agree that the law is good. As it is, I am no longer the one who does these things. It is sin living in me that does them.

I know there is nothing good in my sinful nature. I want to do what is good, but I can’t. I don’t do the good things I want to do. I keep on doing the evil things I don’t want to do. I do what I don’t want to do. But I am not really the one who is doing it. It is sin living in me.

Here is the law I find working in me. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. Deep inside me I find joy in God’s law. But I see another law working in the parts of my body. It fights against the law of my mind. It makes me a prisoner of the law of sin. That law controls the parts of my body.

What a terrible failure I am! Who will save me from this sin that brings death to my body? I give thanks to God. He will do it through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So in my mind I am a slave to God’s law. But in my sinful nature I am a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:14-25

Do you see what I mean?  Even Paul struggled with his sinful nature.  But this isn’t the end of the story.  Sure we will continue to struggle with this until we get to heaven.  Yet we have a hope and a promise.  In the next chapter of Romans, Paul lays it out clearly for us:

Those who belong to Christ Jesus are no longer under God’s sentence. I am now controlled by the law of the Holy Spirit. That law gives me life because of what Christ Jesus has done. It has set me free from the law of sin that brings death.  Romans 8:1-2 (Read the rest of Romans 8 for more.)

I don’t know what’s going to happen to our dog.  He will probably continue to struggle with his strange appetite for fabric.  I don’t think you can call this sin.  It’s more like stupidity.  I’m thankful for him despite the fact he drives me crazy.  He reminds me of my own struggles and of the victory I have to sin because I belong to Christ.

I remain thankful for the grace of God.

Do you struggle with repeated sins?  What helps you in this struggle?

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ADVENTure Day 4

What are some things that younger people can do better than older people?

Younger people have more energy than older people (generally).  Younger people are more flexible and more athletic than older people.  Younger people tend to learn faster than older people.

Now flip the question.

What are some things that older people can do better than younger people?

Older people tend to have more wisdom than younger people (thanks to life’s experiences).  Older people tend to make better financial decisions than younger people (again thanks to the lessons of life).  Older people can do a lot of things better than younger people.

Now here’s another question.

What is something that requires audacious hope?

Finding a cure for cancer requires audacious hope.  Fixing the national debt requires audacious hope.  Bringing people out of poverty in countries like Guatemala requires audacious hope.

Another question.

Do you think it’s easier to have audacious hope when you are younger or when you are older?

Many people might say that audacious hope comes easier when you are younger, because you have not been “tarnished” by the realities of life.

As I was thinking about advent yesterday, I kept coming back to the story of Simeon and Anna in Luke 2.  If you remember the story, they were both older individuals who were waiting for the Messiah.  After nearly 400 years of silence in Israel (between the Old Testament times and the New Testament times), Simeon and Anna had an audacious hope that the Messiah would come in their lifetimes.  I want this kind of hope.

Many think that advent is all about getting ready to celebrate Christ’s birthday.  This is okay, but I think there’s something far more important about the advent that we now celebrate.  We should celebrate advent as a reminder to have audacious hope for Christ’s return – the second advent.  We don’t know the hour, the day, or the year when this will happen, but we can be confident in our hope that it will happen.  This is the kind of hope we need to have and that we need to share with others.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.  She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.  Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.  Luke 2:25-28

ADVENTure Activity:  Go visit a nursing home or an elderly neighbor.  Share hope with them.  Then take time to listen to them.  Grab their wisdom.  Ask them about hope.  Share your experience in the comments.

ADVENTure Question:  Answer the questions in the post above.

ADVENTure Day 3

Did you ever stop to think about your role in this whole hope thing?

Seriously, you are a vessel of hope.

At Christmas time, people around you are going through all kinds of things.  While the Christmas season is supposed to be a happy and joyful time, it can actually be very painful to those who have lost love ones or lost contact with people.  Christmas can be a reminder of what someone doesn’t have – friends, family, relationships.  Christmas can also be a time when people dampen life’s realities by spending more money than they have on things they don’t need.

This is your big chance.  You can bring hope to someone this holiday season.

You Help Other People Everywhere (H.O.P.E.)!

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.  I Peter 3:15

ADVENTure Activity:  Find one way to bring hope to someone today.  Don’t wait for tomorrow.  Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity.  Jump in and sprinkle hope into someone’s life today.  Let us know how it worked out in the comments.

ADVENTure Question:  Is Christmas a happy time or painful time for you?  How can you be better prepared to share hope with others?

Learner’s Permit Lessons

Parenting provides opportunities for many milestones.

I remember when Hannah was born.

I remember when Hannah came home from the hospital in her baby seat in our Toyota Corolla.

I remember when Hannah stepped onto the school bus for the first time on her way to kindergarten.

I remember when Hannah went to high school for the first day of her freshman year.

It’s important to remember these milestones.  Parenting teaches you how quickly life goes.  And these milestones are a great way to celebrate the next steps in the journey of life.  Despite the fact we’d like life to slow down a little bit, we want our children to grow up.  We want them to tackle new challenges and climb new peaks.

This week, we experienced another milestone.

Hannah got her learner’s permit on Saturday.  In Pennsylvania, you have to be at least 16 years old, you have to pass a vision test, and you have to pass a computer based driving information and safety test.  I will always remember this day.

We drove to the testing facility where she passed the test.  She was so excited!

On the way home, we stopped at the high school parking lot, and our driving lessons began.  I switched seats with Hannah.  We spent ten minutes or so going over the controls and safety features of our car.  We talked about the importance of being aware of our surroundings, of driving safely, and obeying the rules of the road.  Then we took several laps around the parking lot.  The first couple of starts and stops were a little jerky as Hannah adjusted to the sensitivity of the brake and accelerator pedals.  Then when it was obvious she was getting the hang of things, she took the car out of the parking lot and onto a road.  It was a little scary for both of us.  She proceeded up the road traveling safely below the speed limit.  And she arrived at the first stop sign where she stopped 15 feet behind the white stop line.  I can’t complain she was being extra cautious.  Next, we turned right onto the next street, and before we knew it Hannah had made a complete lap around the high school campus.  We repeated this a few more times until I felt comfortable enough to let her drive home.

I’ll confess there were times when I was clutching the passenger door handle a little tightly.  There were also a couple of times when I quickly reached over to the steering wheel to make sure she stayed of the shoulder of the road.  But all in all, it went pretty well for her first time driving with her permit.

Sunday afternoon, we went out together for another hour.  This time, Hannah had a bit more confidence (and so did I) as she eventually made her way to church and home again.

I’m sure we’ll have many more adventures like these as she continues to learn the finer points of driving.  This is an adventure and milestone I wouldn’t miss for the world.

I don’t know where you are at in the parenting journey.  Maybe you’re new to the parenting thing.  Maybe your kids have moved on to college or kids of their own.  Maybe you haven’t quite crossed the line into parenthood just yet.  Here’s something I’ve been learning along the way.  Enjoy each moment.  Remember each milestone.  Don’t rush through it to get to the next thing.  The next thing will come sooner than you can ever imagine.

Make the most of each and every opportunity – in parenting and in life.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16

What milestone(s) have you experienced recently?  What are you doing to cherish these moments and milestones?  What do you remember about getting your learner’s permit?

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ADVENTure Day 2

Yesterday, we kicked off a new ADVENTure series, and we talked about hopes and expectations. I hope you took advantage of the ADVENTure activity.  Did you create a list of all your hopes and expectations for this season? (If not, take a few minutes to make your list – see yesterday’s post for more instructions.)  It can be easy to be overwhelmed by our lists.  We want to accomplish so much.  It’s not that our hopes and expectations are bad, but they can cause us to have blinded vision to what is really important.

Today is an important day in your ADVENture.  Today, you must make a big decision about where your hope will lie this holiday season.  You can hope to get everything done – your Christmas shopping, your Christmas baking, your Christmas cards.

I’d like to challenge you to refocus your hope.

Put your hope in the Lord.  The prophet Isaiah reminds us (see below) that those who put their trust in God will find new strength.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:31

ADVENTure Activity:  Take a look at your list from yesterday.  Separate you list into three categories – Me focused hopes and expectations, Others focused hopes and expectations, and God focused hopes and expectations.  Now select one of the hopes and expectations (preferably from the God focused list).  Write down three actions you can take this week to move closer to this hope and expectation.

ADVENTure Question:  How is your life different when you put your hope in God?  Share one of your action items in the comments.

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November 2013 – Top Posts & Commenters Plus GIVEAWAY

Here are the highlights from November 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 from October (5.31%).  Traffic was up 44.70% compared to a year ago.  The top 10 posts again included three posts from 2012, one post from 2011, and two posts from previous months in 2013.  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 from November 1, 2013 – Ice Breaker – Favorite Candy Bar.

Top 10 Posts:

1. Ice Breaker – Giving Thanks at Thanksgiving  November 16, 2012 (522)
2. I’m Losing My Patience – 6 Ways To Rediscover Patience April 2, 2013 (116)
3. Ten Things Every Small Group Leader Should Know March 7, 2012 (106)
4. Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember February 27, 2012 (69)
5. 6 Ways To Make Your Thanksgiving Holiday Extra Special November 11, 2013 (60)
6. 5 Reasons The Church Should Engage In Short-Term Missions November 21, 2013 (48)
7. When The Treadmill Stops Suddenly – 5 Tips For Handling Life Stopping Experiences February 11, 2013 (45)
8. Sweet 16 November 20, 2013 (43)
9. The Power of the Next Question May 20, 2011 (42)
10. 5 Ways to Keep Your Love Life Going Strong November 6, 2013 (41)

Top 10 Commenters:

• David Paul Stolpe (66)

• Steve Y (36)
• Larry Carter (20)
• TNeal (11)
• Joe Lalonde (7)
• Caleb (6)
• Norman Stolpe (6)
• Matt McWilliams (5)
• Bill (cycleguy) (3)
• Dan Erickson (3)

As promised at the beginning of the month, I have randomly chosen someone from the top 10 commenters list to receive a copy of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars.  The winner of this book is…(drum roll)…Caleb.  Congrats to Caleb!

For the month of December, I’ll be giving away a copy of Chazown: Define Your Vision. Pursue Your Passion. Live Your Life on Purpose.  This month, the winner will be chosen randomly from the top 10 commenters.

Thanks to each and everyone for reading and for commenting.  I’m looking forward to November with The Stretched Community!  The month of December will include more STRETCHING posts and the new ADVENTure series.  If you’re interested in guest posting here, leave a comment to connect with me.  December should be another great month!

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 November?

In case you’re interested, here are a few other interesting stats about November (based on Google Analytics):

• Visits – Increased 6.98%
• Unique Visitors – Increased 17.01%
• Pageviews – Increased 3.99%
• Pages Per Visit – Decreased 2.94%
• Average Visit Duration – Decreased 26.83%
• Bounce Rate –Decreased 0.48%
• New Visits – Increased 7.59%

Don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

30 Days Of Thank You

A month ago, I set out to be intentional in my gratitude.  I posted each day with a “Thank You” post expressing my appreciation for something or someone in my life.  This has been a great discipline.  We rush through life so rapidly.  We often forget to stop to count our blessings.  My Mom always sings a song called “Count Your Blessings”.  I remember thinking this was corny when I was a teenager (sorry Mom).  But I’ve learned that counting our blessings is a great way to find contentment.  These 30 days have STRETCHED me, and they have helped to establish a healthy habit of thankfulness is my life.

Before we get too far into December, I wanted to recap my Thank You posts from November.

30 Days of Thank You

Here’s a list of the Thank You posts from the month of November.

• November 1, 2013 – Thank You – #1 – job
• November 2, 2013 – Thank You – #2 – teenagers
• November 3, 2013 – Thank You – #3 – music
• November 4, 2013 – Thank You – #4 – home
• November 5, 2013 – Thank You – #5 – running
• November 6, 2013 – Thank You – #6 – modern-day medicine
• November 7, 2013 – Thank You – #7 – ice cream
• November 8, 2013 – Thank You – #8 – weekends
• November 9, 2013 – Thank You – #9 – geocaching
• November 10, 2013 – Thank You – #10 – church
• November 11, 2013 – Thank You – #11 – veterans
• November 12, 2013 – Thank You – #12 – traditions
• November 13, 2013 – Thank You – #13 – you
• November 14, 2013 – Thank You – #14 – Leanne (my wife)
• November 15, 2013 – Thank You – #15 – routine
• November 16, 2013 – Thank You – #16 – beach (this actually didn’t post until November 17th)
• November 17, 2013 – Thank You – #17 – friends
• November 18, 2013 – Thank You – #18 – parents
• November 19, 2013 – Thank You – #19 – grace
• November 20, 2013 – Thank You – #20 – Hannah (my daughter)
• November 21, 2013 – Thank You – #21 – Isaac (my son)
• November 22, 2013 – Thank You – #22 – sports
• November 23, 2013 – Thank You – #23 – Guatemala
• November 24, 2013 – Thank You – #24 – dreams
• November 25, 2013 – Thank You – #25 – brothers
• November 26, 2013 – Thank You – #26 – vacation
• November 27, 2013 – Thank You – #27 – cars
• November 28, 2013 – Thank You – #28 – family and food
• November 29, 2013 – Thank You – #29 – God’s provision
• November 30, 2013 – Thank You – #30 – advent

What stood out to you the most in November?  How was/is gratitude STRETCHING for you?

Don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.