In Response To Ann Coulter

I don’t write about politics here on the blog (or on Facebook), but I couldn’t help but respond to Ann Coulter’s recent blog post, “EBOLA DOC’S CONDITION DOWNGRADED TO ‘IDIOTIC'”, which appeared on her blog August 6th. I don’t read her blog as a general rule, but I was pointed to this post by a missionary friend of mine, Caleb Suko. (For Caleb’s thoughts on Ann’s post, click here.)

Ann’s blog is not open to comments, so I figured the best way for me to respond might be through my own blog. While I seriously doubt Ann will read my post, I’m hoping you will read her post and develop your own opinion. Here’s mine:

For the record, Ann Coulter does not represent the opinions of all conservatives or all Christ followers.

Having just returned from a trip to Guatemala where I know we made a difference for at least two families, I can state certainly that our trip outside the US to Guatemala was exactly what and where we were called. And the trip may have made a difference in Guatemala, but it is making just as big of a difference here at home in Pennsylvania and the United States.

I agree that America is a mission field, but so is the entire world.

Wake up! Get your head out of your…., and go to a third world country. Your perspective will be altered, Ann Coulter. Maybe you will see that God created the whole world and not just the USA (although I am deeply grateful for my country). Maybe you will come home with a mission mindset far deeper than you ever imagined.

While I don’t know the whole story of Dr. Kent Brantly, I think it’s pretty bold for Ann Coulter to presume that Kent Brantly wasn’t following God’s calling for his life by going to Liberia.

Ann, I pray your eyes and your heart will be opened. Thank you for your compassion on those hurting inside our borders, but don’t forget the rest of the world.

Also, you might be a little surprised that God’s “rules of economics” don’t match up with your “rules of economics.”

Am I off target? What do you think? If you could speak with Ann Coulter about this post what would you say?

Ice Breaker – First Things First

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 is the first thing you did when you got up this morning?

My Answer: I stretched my left heel. For the past few months, I have had a stiff left heel every morning when I wake up. I’m not sure if it’s due to a change in running shoes, or it could be that I’m just getting a little older. Usually, it loosens up by the time I get out of bed and walk down stairs to get ready for my morning run.

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!

On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field is now available on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle. Click the link below to get your copy today.

As a reminder, I am offering a FREE pdf copy of the interior of the book to subscribers of The Stretched Newsletter. Head over to the main page of the blog and sign up on the right hand menu bar to get your copy today for FREE!

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Shower Time – Is Comfort Really The Right Target?

I’m nearly six feet six inches tall.

I kind of stick out in Guatemala.

I’ve learned that many things in Guatemala are not made for someone of my height. For example, last year, I slept on a bed that was 18 inches too short for me. When I sit in the passenger seat of many Guatemalan cars and trucks, I literally have my knees in my chin. And some of the bathroom facilities don’t actually fit my frame either.

This is the shower we used this year in Guatemala. It is essentially a concrete box, and it is six feet tall from the floor to the ceiling. There is just enough room in this little compartment to turn around. The pipe at the top of the shower is connected to a shower head better known as the widow maker. The shower head is wired to power which sometimes gives you a hot shower. The key word is sometimes. Most of the time you get a rather cold shower.

To save water and to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold water, I took military style showers while we were in Guatemala. This means I would turn the water on and get wet. Then I’d turn the water off and soap up. Finally, I would turn the water back on and rinse off as quickly as possible.

It wasn’t ideal, and it wasn’t all that comfortable, but I actually didn’t mind it so much as the week went along.

Being in the mission field isn’t about comfort.

You get dirty. You sleep in unfamiliar conditions with strange sounds. You drive on bumpy roads. You eat foreign food. Even going to the bathroom and taking a shower is a weird experience.

We live in a world and culture where comfort is king.

There is something healthy about being uncomfortable. The mission field teaches missionaries about sacrifice – it teaches that it just might be worth getting uncomfortable for something far more valuable.

Our trip to Guatemala reminded us that there is more to life than the pursuit of comfort.

I would challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone – to stretch yourself – by planning to go on a missions trip in the next year.

What have you learned by stepping into the uncomfortable? When was the last time you were really uncomfortable?

Building Dreams Takes A Community

I have always liked building things.

When I was a toddler, I started building things with my Playskool wooden building blocks. From there, I moved to Lincoln Logs. I build many log cabins with my Lincoln Logs. The natural next step was LEGO building blocks. My favorite thing to build with LEGO blocks was houses. I built one-story houses, two-story houses, and even taller houses. For a little while I built “dog houses” with pieces of scrap wood from my Dad’s workshop.

For me, there is something fun and energizing about building things.

When I was considering a possible career choice, I definitely considered architecture. As a fan and student of math and science, it’s natural I would pursue engineering as my career path.

My engineering career has brought me into some amazing building in the New York City and Philadelphia area. I’ve been in the top ten floors of the Rockefeller Center, the orchestra pit of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, the basement hallways under the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the roof top of Liz Claiborne headquarters. I’ve been in data centers, hospitals, schools, universities, shopping malls, and pharmaceutical laboratories. These are all buildings I’ve helped to build in some form or another.

When I had the opportunity to help build a house in Guatemala two years ago, I was definitely in my element. This experience two years ago in Xenacoj was the spark that reignited my passion and dreams for building. There was something truly special about building something for someone else. I still remember the feelings of watching a family as they received a new house. I want to participate in changing the lives of more families.

With this in mind, I dream of building 100 homes in Guatemala. (This is one of the dreams I shared in yesterday’s post about Guatemalan Dreams.)

This summer, our family had the opportunity to build two more homes for two families. There was something amazing about giving this kind of gift to a family. They were definitely appreciative.

Achieving this kind of dream doesn’t happen by accident, and it definitely doesn’t happen with the help of many, many people.

The two houses we built this summer were built by the generous financial donations of many friends and families. They were built by German Espana who coordinated the efforts in Guatemala. They were built by several local workers who helped with concrete work, roofing, electrical work, and framing. They were built by family members who helped on the job site by debarking the wood paneling and cleaning up sawdust. They were built by Gregory Espana who skillfully constructed doors and windows for the homes. They were built by other members of our team who dealt with blistered and sap-stained hands to make sure the wood for the walls looked as good as possible. And they were built by Dave Sgro, founder of GO! Ministries, who encouraged our family to pursue this dream.

It takes a village – a community – to make a real difference for others.

In order to make my dream a reality, I’ll have to find a way to build 97 more houses. This won’t happen through my efforts. It will take others jumping on board and joining the dream.

So here’s my question: Will you take part in my dream? What role might you like to play in making this dream a reality?

What’s your dream? What help from others do you need to make your dream a reality?

Guatemalan Dreams

“Without a dream you’ll not get anywhere.” – Kofi Annan

Where would we be without the dreams of people? The Wright Brothers dreamed of flying, and now we can fly around the world (or even into outer space). Thomas Edison dreamed of creating a better light source, and now we can flip a switch and turn on lights in any room of our house. James Salk dreamed of putting an end to polio, and now we live in a time when polio is not known.

Dreams aren’t just meant for big names and big things.

We can also dream. In fact, following through on our dreams can be the catalyst for all kinds of exciting things and changes.

During my visit to Guatemala last month, I started writing down some of my dreams for Guatemala. Sharing them is the first step in making some or all of these dreams a reality.

Guatemalan Dreams:

To build 100 homes in Guatemala (97 more to go!)
To come back to Guatemala more than once per year
To return to Xenacoj for the Christmas for Thousands
To bring a team from my office to Xenacoj
To bring a team of bloggers to Xenacoj
To bring a team made up of The Stretched Community to Xenacoj
To bring a team of families to Xenacoj
To bring a team of runners to Xenacoj
To bring a team made up of our H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) group to Xenacoj
To bring a team to Xenacoj on a regular basis to build homes and serve in other capacities
To learn Spanish
To gather tools and supplies to help teams build more homes
To correspond with German once a month via Skype
To keep coming to Guatemala as a family/couple.
To visit/serve in Xenacoj for ten to fifteen days in one visit
To have on-going relationships with the families who are getting the houses
To raise awareness in the United States of America for issues facing Guatemalans
To help Susie and German open their restaurant
To write a book about short-term missions and developing a mission mindset
To help move Guatemala from a third world country to a second or first world country
To help German start his church

This is just a start of my Guatemalan Dream list – I think. Over the next few days, weeks, and even months, I plan to elaborate more on these dreams. Will all these dreams come to fruition? I don’t know. But I know that any action and movement towards seeing these things realized starts with a dream. I’m learning to dream again. How about you?

What is one of your dreams? What is one thing you can do today to make this dream more of a reality?

July 2014 – Top Posts and Commenters PLUS BOOK GIVEAWAY

Here are the highlights from July 2014. 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 down from June (7.49%). Traffic was down 29.94% compared to a year ago. The top 10 posts included one post from 2011, one post from 2012, and one post from 2013. The guest posts which appeared while I was away in Guatemala last month all appeared in the top ten. This was a real encouragement for me! 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 a post related to my book project from July 25, 2014 – Ice Breaker – One Meal.

Top 10 Commenters:

As promised at the beginning of the month, I have randomly chosen someone from the top commenters list to receive a copy of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life by John G. Miller. The winner of this book is…(drum roll)…Leah Adams. Congrats to Leah!

For the month of August, I’ll be giving away a copy of Next Up: 8 Shifts Great Young Leaders Make by Jonathan Pearson. 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 July with The Stretched Community! The month of August will include more STRETCHING posts and will feature more posts unpacking my recent trip to Guatemala.

If you’re interested in guest posting here, leave a comment to connect with me.

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 July?

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

Users – Decreased 9.05%
Sessions – Decreased 8.27%
Pageviews – Decreased 1.33%
Pages Per Session – Increased 7.66%
Average Session Duration – Decreased 13.43%
Bounce Rate – Decreased 6.61%
New Sessions – Increased 0.67%

On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field is now available on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle. Click the link below to get your copy today.

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Iron Pigs

Isaac and I are enjoying our first Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game. They are the AAA club for the Phillies. It’s a fun way to spend time with my son.

When was the last time you went to a minor league baseball game?

Published via Pressgram

Language Barrier

“Yes. I’m fluent in Spanish. I just don’t comprehend it.”

These were Isaac’s words one afternoon last week while we were in Guatemala. It made me chuckle. Going someplace foreign where they don’t speak your native language can be overwhelming, confusing, and a little crazy. One of my goals over the next year is to start learning some more Spanish. I had it for three years in junior high and three years in high school, but I have a lot of work to do to better comprehend the conversations in Guatemala next time.

Do you know any languages beside English? Which ones?

Ice Breaker – Summer Bucket List

(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.)

Today marks the beginning of August. For most of us, this means it’s time to start thinking about school and the start of fall. While summer officially ends in late September, many consider Labor Day the official end of summer. This means we have one month left of summer. There are so many things I want to do with this rest of this season. Today’s Ice Breaker should get you thinking about how you want to spend the rest of your summer. At the beginning of the summer, our family created a summer bucket list. I’m happy to say we’ve accomplished most of the things on the list.

Question: What is one thing you would like to do or accomplish before the end of the summer?

My Answer: This year, our garden did not get very good attention. As a result, our vegetable production is very low and our weed production is very high. Looking out into our garden last night, I said to Leanne “It’s time for a garden makeover.” During the rest of the summer (and probably into fall), I’d like to redesign, reorganize, and redo our garden. This is the perfect time to get things in order for next year’s growing season. This will involve several truck loads of manure, many hours of weed pulling and excavation, and the installation of a higher (and more attractive) fence. I’m excited to start dreaming about what our garden may look like next year. After doing some research, I may even make it a little smaller which is probably a good thing.

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!

On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field is now available on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle. Click the link below to get your copy today.

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A Healthy Balance

In Guatemala, the mornings begin as the sky starts to lighten and the roosters calls echo throughout the village. “Chicken” buses move into position near central park ready to transport students and workers to larger towns and cities. Women slowly emerge from their homes where they sweep the streets clean of trash and animal waste from the day and night before. Men start to move around the streets on their way to work in the fields. Smoke wafts over the town as women light the fires which will warm up the meals for the day.

The morning streets begin to fill with young children on their way to school. And sweatshops start making jeans, pants, and shirts which will be sold in the United States at stores like Old Navy, Hollister, and Abercrombie & Finch. Shop owners open their doors for business and the day is fully underway in Santo Domingo Xenacoj.

Around one o’clock, there is a new buzz in the streets as people head home for lunch and a time of rest – a siesta. Younger children are finished with school for the day, and older children head to school for their daily time of learning. (The school year starts in January and goes until early October.)

At six o’clock, the bell at the top of the Catholic church in the center of town rings repeatedly marking the end of the school day (and work day for many). And the streets buzz with action again as people return home or walk to the center of town.

“Buenos Dias” turns into “Buenos Tardes” which turns into “Buenos Noches.” The morning coolness turns into afternoon heat which finally gives way to an evening chill. The village quietly goes to sleep.

And it begins again the next day. There’s a healthy rhythm of life in Guatemala. There is not a lot of racing around. There is not a lot of urgency. I don’t expect life in America to fully go to this, but I think we could learn a lot from the balance which seems to exist in Xenacoj.

Coming back home is an adjustment and a challenge. I desire the sense of community we felt in Xenacoj last week. I long after a healthy balance. What will I take from this? How will I change? How will my life be different as a result of last week in Guatemala? I’m not sure. It’s stretching me as I ponder these questions – and it’s a good stretch.

What does your typical day look like? What changes do you need to make to rediscover a healthy balance?

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Am I off target? What do you think? If you could speak with Ann Coulter about this post what would you say?

I kind of stick out in Guatemala.

What have you learned by stepping into the uncomfortable? When was the last time you were really uncomfortable?

I have always liked building things.

It takes a village – a community – to make a real difference for others.

What’s your dream? What help from others do you need to make your dream a reality?

“Without a dream you’ll not get anywhere.” – Kofi Annan

Guatemalan Dreams:

What is one of your dreams? What is one thing you can do today to make this dream more of a reality?

Top 10 Posts:

Top 10 Commenters:

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 July?

“Yes. I’m fluent in Spanish. I just don’t comprehend it.”

Do you know any languages beside English? Which ones?

What does your typical day look like? What changes do you need to make to rediscover a healthy balance?