eBook Review: Community Wins by Bryan Allain

Stop over TODAY at Amazon to pick up a FREE copy of Bryan Allain‘s latest eBook, Community Wins.  After today, it will no longer be FREE.

If you’re a blogger, a writer, a product developer, or someone who is simply interested in building an on-line community, I would recommend you check out Allain’s eBook.  Community Wins is a short yet power-packed workbook full of wisdom and activities designed to get you thinking of building and strengthening your community.

This is a resource that I will go back to again for my own community building efforts and projects.  The book is broken up into 21 short chapters which each include an action step for readers to follow.  Some of the actions are quick and easy, but many of the actions will require more time, energy, and effort.

I appreciate the way Allain put Community Wins together.  He seems to understand the world we live in with shorter attention spans and big dreams.  It’s my honor to recommend Community Wins to The Stretched Community.  Go out and get it today!

Ice Breaker – Lights Out

Each week on The Stretched Blog, we 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.

We lost power for 85 hours at our house this week.  Power was just restored before lunch time.  With this in mind, I’m hoping you can help out with this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker.

Question:  (Keeping it clean of course) What’s a fun family activity for times when the lights go out?

My Answer:  Reading.  I actually did a bit more reading with the power out.  There was no temptation to turn on the television or to be on the computer.  I finished reading Bryan Allain‘s new eBook, Community Wins, and I almost finished reading Love Works by Joel Manby.  These are two books that I would definitely recommend – even if you never lost power.  Maybe having the power out isn’t such a bad thing.

There you have it – my answer.  Now, it’s your turn.  Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment.  I look forward to reading your response!

October 2012 Top Posts and Commenters

October 2012 was the best month so far here at The Stretched Blog.  Overall, traffic was up and comments were steady.  Most of all, I was pleased with the writing this month which featured several posts inspired by Servefest 2012 and a guest post by Sundi Jo Graham.  I was also honored to guest post at I Love Skippack and Wisdom of a Fool this month – both opportunities to STRETCH my writing.

Here are the top 10 posts from October 2012:

  1. Finite Disappointment, Infinite Hope (October 25, 2012)
  2. Guest Post:  Wondering by Leanne Stolpe (August 2, 2012)
  3. Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember (February 27, 2012)
  4. Ice Breaker – Halloween Costumes (October 19, 2012)
  5. Ice Breaker – Halloween Candy (October 12, 2012)
  6. Store Up…Collecting Things That Matter (October 23, 2012)
  7. Guest Post:  Stretched By Grace by Sundi Jo Graham (October 29, 2012)
  8. Servefest Starts – Whatever You Do For The Least Of These… (October 22, 2012)
  9. Help for the Homeless (October 8, 2012)
  10. The Power of the Next Questions (May 20, 2011)

Special thanks to the Top 5 Commenters this month:

  1. Tom Tarver
  2. TC Avey
  3. Larry Carter
  4. Leah Adams
  5. Bill Grandi

I’m excited and thankful for the month ahead as I anticipate new things to share and write about here on The Stretched Blog and around the blogging community.  As always, thank you so much for continuing to stop by, to read, and to add to the conversation here on the blog.

How was your month?  If you’re a blogger, what was the top post on your blog this month?  What was one of the top posts that you read around the blog world this month?  What was your favorite post on The Stretched Blog this month?

The Stretched Blog Visits I Love Skippack

Today, I’m honored to guest post over at I Love Skippack for my friend, Michael Shaw (A.K.A. The Skippack Blogger).  In today’s post, I share about our family’s experience with the 4H Seeing Eye Puppy Club.  Here’s a teaser for my article.  Please head over to I Love Skippack for the rest of the story.

A Puppy With A Purpose, In Skippack

Dogs terrified my son and daughter. Big dogs, little dogs, fat dogs, skinny dogs — it didn’t matter. When a dog crossed their path, my two children would scream and crawl up my legs into my protective arms or seek similar protection from my wife.

When our children were very young, their fear was understandable. As they grew out of toddlerhood, it became more troublesome. Friends and family had to quarantine their dogs when we came to visit. My wife and I felt it was time to help our children face their fear.

We thought about getting a puppy, but didn’t feel ready to make the necessary commitment. We did research, visited pet stores and dog breeders, and became more convinced that we were not ready for puppy ownership.

Acting on a recommendation from a friend, we found a solution that didn’t demand we become full-fledged pet owners…[Click here for more!]

If you’re visiting here from I Love Skippack, I hope you’ll stay around for a while and consider becoming part of The Stretched Community.  I write daily about life’s STRETCH marks.  My blog posts are often about family, faith, and a few other things that stretch me on a regular basis.  Here’s a sampling of some of my posts:

Powerless

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  2 Corinthians 12:9

We’re still without power at our house.  It’s an interesting feeling being powerless.  The house is getting colder, and it is so quiet with out the noise of the lights, computers, and other electric-powered things in the house.  We’ve been told by PECO that we may not have power for a week.  It’s kind of a powerless feeling.  I certainly don’t have the tools or the skills to fix the power on our street, and I can’t control the schedules of the electric repair teams.

Honestly, we’re blessed.  We’ve had so many friends reaching out to us with offers of refrigerator space, meals, generators, and warm places to sleep and hang out.  Others in our area have not been so fortunate.  In a town near us, a family lost their entire house in a fire Monday night during the hurricane.  I can’t imagine the feeling of loss and despair.

For some reason, this song by All Sons & Daughters keeps coming to my mind – All the Poor and Powerless.  “All will sing out, Hallelujah…”

I don’t know how you made out in the storm, but I pray that you and I will remember to praise God through the storms of life.

How were you impacted by Hurricane Sandy?  When was the last time a storm left you feeling powerless?

All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
All the thieves will come confess
And know that You are holy
And know that You are holy

And all will sing out
Hallelujah
And we will cry out
Hallelujah
All the hearts who are content
And all who feel unworthy
And all who hurt with nothing left
Will know that You are holy

And all will sing out
Hallelujah
And we will cry out
Hallelujah

Shout it
Go on scream it from the mountains
Go on and tell it to the masses
That He is God
We will sing out
Hallelujah
And we will cry out
Hallelujah

In The Dark – Hurricane Sandy

This morning, I awake to darkness.

We’ve been without power since 10:30 last night.  Sleep has been touch and go as I wonder what I’ll see when I go down to the basement.  Our sump pump was running most of the day yesterday, so I expected the worst.  To my amazement, the basement is dry when I checked it a few minutes ago.

I’m not sure what the day has in store.  I’m heading into the office, but it will be an interesting day if the power is down there or if there are a lot of down trees on the way there.

As Americans, we take so many things for granted.  We have computers.  We have power.  We have cell phones (which is how I’m writing this post).  We have the internet (thanks to Al Gore).  Today, I’m thankful for my family and for safety.

Assuming power is restored, I will be guest posting over at I Love Skippack (www.iloveskippack.com) later today.  I’ll let you know the details as soon as I can.

In the meantime, stay safe and have a great day.  Also, pray for those who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

How did you survive the storm?

Guest Post: Stretched By Grace by Sundi Jo Graham

Today, I have the honor and privilege of presenting Sundi Jo Graham.  Sundi Jo blogs regularly at Lead.Love.Laugh., and she is the author of a new eBook, Liar Liar.  Please check out Sundi Jos’s post and leave an answer to her question.  Afterwards, go check out her blog.  Her contact information along with a short bio can be found at the end of the post.  Thanks!

Today I am stretched in the area of grace. Grace for myself. It’s much easier for me to forgive others than it is myself. My flesh strives for perfection in certain areas of my life.

There are days it seems like I take two steps forward and three steps back. I immediately think of ways to beat myself up. I believe the lies that I’ll never be good enough. I tell myself that if I’m seeing myself this way, then eventually other people will see me the same way.

When I take a step back in my life versus moving forward, I tend to shut God out for a period. He never leaves me, but I put this roadblock between He and I, convincing myself that I need this time of punishment. I feel His grace trying to sneak through the cracks of the wall around my heart, and I try to seal them up.

Someone remind me why I must make my life so difficult. Usually when it’s all said and done and I feel like I’ve punished myself enough, I find myself weary, crying out to God for help. Yep, there He is – still waiting.

Do you ever convince yourself that grace is for other people, not for you? That when God was creating our very existence, He wrote your name down on a napkin and said, “Everyone but you will get my grace.” I’m yet to find that in Scripture, but so easily believe it to be true.

We can quickly convince ourselves of a truth that does not exist. Perhaps because it’s a lot less work to believe the lie. It’s easier to wade in the shallow pool of disgrace rather than forcing ourselves to jump in the deep end of grace, where we’ll have to work harder to stay afloat.

Today is a new day. Another moment to put the roadblock aside and receive God’s grace. Another day to allow myself the grace versus convincing myself it’s not for me. Tomorrow will be a new day too. Then the next.

In what area of your life do you need to give yourself grace?

 

Sundi Jo is a writer, speaker, and small business owner, making her home in Branson, Missouri. She is the author of Liar Liar, a manifesto that will challenge you, change your heart, and lead you in the right direction to believe the truth about your true identity. You’ll find her engulfed in the social media world, spending time with friends and family, hanging out in a pair of jeans and flip-flops, or writing. Find Sundi Jo on Facebook or Twitter (@sundijo).

Martin Luther Quote

“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”
Martin Luther

Community

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42-47

I witnessed this on a smaller level this week.  It’s amazing what can happen when a group of believers unite together for something good.

How did you experience community this week?

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