Field of Changed Dreams?
Blogging continues to be a huge place for community. I am blown away by the friends I’ve met through Jon Stolpe Stretched and other blogs. One of my blogging friends is Arny Sanchez. Arny writes a blog called The Analogous Truth where he relates current culture to life and faith. I’ve enjoyed following Arny as he’s related things like Star Wars and The Lord of The Rings to my world. Today, I have the honor and privilege of sharing Arny with you as he related my favorite movie to a real life challenge.
Oh and by the way, today marks the 500th post at Jon Stolpe Stretched. What a great way to celebrate!
(If you’re interested in becoming a guest blogger at Jon Stolpe Stretched, drop me a line in the comment section. I’m always looking for opportunities to share.)
One of the best sports movies of all time has to be Field of Dreams – Jon’s favorite movie of all time as a matter of fact.
There is just something special about a guy chasing a dream that everyone thinks he is crazy for, and he is willing to sacrifice it all.
But, what if you had to give up that dream, or change it drastically? For the sake of another.
One of my favorite characters from the movie is The Mysterious Ghost of Dr. “Moonlight” Graham…
The scene:
Graham played baseball when he was young but only got to play one game in the Major League and never batted. Ray, (Kevin Costner) finds out Graham had passed away and never pursued his true dream again. Even the ghost of Graham tells Ray that he is too old to be chasing young dreams.
Well, on the ride back, Ray picks up a hitchhiker with a bag with baseball gear in it….he looks like a really young kid. They ask him his name and he says, “Graham, Archie Graham”. So cool, right?!
The next day, the team is out playing a round of baseball on the field of dreams. After teasing him a little, he hits the ball and gets out, but hits an RBI (runs batted in).
He looks so happy. He is living his dream. He is playing with the best Major Leaguers. Nothing could go wrong. But,
Moments later, Ray’s daughter gets caught in a commotion and falls off the bleachers. She is not breathing and turning blue fast.
Ray turns to the field, and he sees Graham getting closer to the side lines.
Without hesitation, Graham walks past the side line, and BAM! He turns into the old man, the Dr! He quickly comes and sees that she is choking to death. He pops her back a few times and out pops a piece of hot dog.
Living to Serve
Given the opportunity to grasp our dream one day, would we be hesitant to let it go or change it, for the sake of another?
Maybe Peter and the other disciples were living their dream of owning a fishing business.
Maybe Paul was close to his dream of being the most educated Jewish lawyer.
Maybe the people of the church in Macedonia had individual dreams of their own to pursuit.
But these dreams were interrupted by a man who showed them a different dream.
People.
Serving People.
Helping People.
Feeding People.
Healing People.
Crazy People.
Strange People.
Hostile People.
Sinful People.
Bad People.
Good People.
Big, Small, Young, Old, Black, White, Yellow, Green, Orange People.
Do You have a Dream that involves People?
Crossing Lines Across The Blog World
I have gotten away from posting on the weekend. I’ve learned to cherish this time as a time to spend with my family and a time to take a break. I thought I’d interrupt that break – just briefly – to give a quick shout out to a blogging friend of mine, Pastor Matt. Today, Matt featured my blog in his weekend highlights post. This may not seem like a big deal, but it is to me. Shout outs like this give our blogging communities a chance to expand and to grow not just in numbers but in depth as new readers begin to contribute to the conversations that go on daily thanks to so many great bloggers. So as I say thank you to Pastor Matt, go check out his blog. He has some great stuff to share.
Thanks, Matt!
What blogs to you regularly read that deserve a shout out?
September 2011 Top Posts
It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of another month. September was the best month by far at Jon Stolpe Stretched. Traffic on the blog increased 28%! Comments continued to roll-in. And new people joined in the conversation and community. The blog added a couple of new subscribers and the new Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook Page attracted several new followers in its first month. Here are the top 10 posts and top 3 commentors for the month:
Top 10 Posts
1. Top 10 Things To Do At Grove City College
2. The Birds and The Bees – Talking to Your Kids About Sex
3. It’s The People – Back From Grove City College Homecoming
4. Book Review: Hell Is Real (But I Hate To Admit It) by Brian Jones
5. Jon Stolpe Stretched Gets A Piece Of Toast Thanks To TentBlogger
7. Date Night
8. “Have You Ever Thought About Writing A Book?”
9. New Ways to Connect to the Jon Stolpe Stretched Community
Top 3 Commentors
1. Arny Sanchez
2. Ryan Knight
3. Brandon
I now have 18 regular subscribers. If you’d like to become a subscriber, see the “Follow Blog” window on your right. It’s great to see this starting to take off.
Thank you to all of you for reading and contributing to the blog and to the reader community. I’ve continue to grow a lot through this experience.
As always, I love to share other’s “stretching” stories on my blog, so leave me a comment if you’re interested in being a guest blogger on Jon Stolpe Stretched.
Finally, if you’re a blogger, how did your blog to this month? What was your top post? What was your favorite post?
Jon Stolpe Stretched Gets A Piece Of Toast Thanks To TentBlogger
One of the things I love about blogging is seeing all the crazy and creative things that other bloggers are doing. Today’s post is simply a tribute to one of those bloggers, John Saddington. John, a.k.a. Tent Blogger, quit his full-time job to become a full-time blogger. That’s right he writes blogs for a living. And from the sounds of it, he’s doing just fine.
A couple of weeks ago, John posted about these new stickers he was giving away – obviously to promote his blog. But I think the stickers will be a conversation piece that will help other bloggers like myself. The pictures here show one of the TentBlogger “toast” stickers on my journal. I’ll also be putting one on my coffee cup at work today. I carry these things around with me all the time. I’m sure I’ll be asked many times, “What’s the deal with the tentblogger toast thing?”
I can’t wait to explain. In the meantime, head on over to John’s blog. He’s got some great ideas about blogging and life….and you might even get a free sticker or two!
Besides your own blog, what are the top 2 or 3 blogs that you enjoy following and why?
New Ways to Connect to the Jon Stolpe Stretched Community
The conversation on the blog has been great! Thanks to all of you who continue to follow along and to contribute to Jon Stolpe Stretched. Today, I wanted to tell you about two more ways that you can connect with the blog and the blog community. First, I have created a Jon Stolpe Stretched Facebook fan page. This is a great place to see what’s going on with the blog, and it’s also a great place to connect with other great blogs. Consider clicking “Like” on the Facebook fan page, and I’d encourage you to recommend this page to others.
Second, you can connect with me on Google+. Yesterday, Google opened up Google+ to the public. Consider adding Jon Stolpe to your ‘blogger’ circle. I’ve been able to keep tabs on a lot of great bloggers who are already on Google+. This is another great place for the community to stretch and grow.
As always, keep checking in here. Keep contributing to the community with your comments. You’re the best! Thanks!
If you’re a blogger, what tools have you used to extend your blogging community?
“Have You Ever Thought About Writing A Book?”
I’ve had multiple people ask me recently if or when I was going to write a book. I guess I’m somewhat flattered. And if I’m completely honest, the idea has crossed my mind. After all, it would be an honor to follow in my dad’s footsteps as he as written some books to go along with his articles, studies, countless sermons, and other writing adventures. (I remember my dad typing away at his typewriter and old word processor in our basement as he diligently worked towards a publisher’s deadline.)
I’ve thought about what I would write about and several ideas have crossed my mind, but I haven’t settled on one thing that says, “That’s it!” yet. Here are some of my crazy ideas:
1. Stretched – This could kind of me a compilation of my blog posts along with other stretch stories. I’m not sure how it would all tie together, but it’s one thought.
2. Why? – This would be my side of the story related to dealing with mental illness in my family. Maybe this could be the story of discovering HOPE in the midst of HEARTACHE. This one scares me as it would force me to revisit areas of my life that consist of pain and fear and lots of emotional scar tissue.
3. Memoir – This would simply be stories of my journey. Would this idea really be all that appealing to anyone but my mom?
4. Something along my passion path – connection, community, leadership, integrity, grace…
When I think about writing a book, I have a lot of other questions. Like why should I consider writing a book? I write my blog for three main reasons: 1. To process out loud some of the stuff that’s going on in my head. My blog is for me. 2. To honor God. I want my writing to bring God glory. 3. To help other people. Whether it’s making people laugh or just giving some encouragement, I want to help people connect and move closer to God.
In writing a book, I would think that these reasons still apply.
Would people really read a book written by Jon Stolpe? Writing a book and trying to get a book published sounds like so much work. Am I really ready for that?
These are some of my thoughts. Maybe someday, you’ll order your copy of my book on Amazon. Until then, keep connecting here at Jon Stolpe Stretched. (Thanks!)
What do you think? Have you ever written a book? If you could write a book, what would it be about?
Top Posts For August 2011
I’m a big numbers guy. When selecting my major for college, I chose Mechanical Engineering, because it had to deal with math and science. When I run, I am constantly doing math in my head. So it’s no surprise that I would be tracking different statistics and figures related to my blog. August was a good month for Jon Stolpe Stretched. I saw readership grow. I found a consistent groove for posting worthwhile content. And I saw community blossom through this on-line connection. Here are the highlights!
Top 10 Posts for August 2011
1. (Tied for 1st) Locks of Love
1. (Tied for 1st) Reflect More, Risk More, Leave A Legacy – Start Blogging by Jason Fountain
3. Heart Broken – Guest Post at Big B
4. The Better Way by Terri Stone
6. Return to Blogging – My Wife is Back On-Line
7. (Another Tie) Leading Through Conflict
7. (Another Tie) The Gift of Camping
9. (And Yet Another Tie) That’s My Boy
9. (And Yet Another Tie) Finding Community On-Line
Top 5 Commentors
1. Beck Gambill
2. Michael Shaw
3. Brandon
I now have 13 regular subscribers. If you’d like to become a subscriber, see the “Follow Blog” window on your right. It’s great to see this starting to take off.
I posted 23 times, and my posts were limited to weekdays this month. Despite posting four less times this month than in July, I saw the most monthly traffic to the blog so far.
Thank you to all of you for reading and contributing to the blog and to the reader community. I’ve grown a lot through this experience.
As always, I love to share other’s “stretching” stories on my blog, so leave me a comment if you’re interested in being a guest blogger on Jon Stolpe Stretched.
Finally, if you’re a blogger, how did your blog to this month? What was your top post? What was your favorite post?
Heart Broken – Guest Post at Big B
Today, I have the privilege of presenting my first guest blog post over at Big B. Big B is the blog for an incredible young man named Brandon who is passionate about music, leadership, and God. I’ve connected with him on-line over the past couple of months, and I have been inspired by words. Please check out my post and please support Brandon by adding his blog to your regular reading.
Here’s an excerpt from my post:
It can be easy to fall into the trap of tunnel vision. We can all become so caught up in ourselves that we miss out on what’s happening to those around us. In many cases, we don’t even see those we walk by on the street or sit next to on the train. We live and operate in a world of me, me, me.
A recent family vacation to Canada took my family into Montreal for a day. There’s nothing like a vacation and a trip into a city to jolt one out of their routine and snap one to attention to things that matter. We had a wonderful time touring around Montreal. We saw many of the famous tourist sites including the market at Jean-Talon, the view of the city from the top of Mont Royal, Old Montreal, and the port. All these places were new and interesting, but I will always remember a brief encounter with a young man in a park near the home of the Montreal Canadians. Here’s how I remembered the encounter in my journal…
(If you’re interested in becoming a guest blogger on my blog, please leave me a comment. I’d love to connect with you. Also, I would certainly welcome other opportunities to be a guest blogger on your blog, so you can leave me a comment on that as well.)
Finding Community On-Line
I’m a big connection and community guy. I love to see people connected in meaningful relationships. I’m passionate about being in community with others. Over the years, I have been amazed to see where community can be found. I have found it at work in the office and on construction sites. I have found community through sports – on the basketball court and on the run. I have even found community around the poker table. I appreciate the community I’ve experienced through my kids – scouts, music, and school. I have enjoyed many years of community through camping. And I’ve experienced community through small groups of various kinds and sizes.
I’ve been most surprised by the community I’ve discovered on-line. For me, it all started a few years ago when Frank Chiapperino and a few other leaders from my church started blogging and then encouraged me to blog. Initially, I discovered a lot of amazing bloggers out there who had things to share about things that interested me like small groups and leadership. I followed at a distance and carried on with my own blogging without any ideas of potential connection or community.
A couple of years later, Frank introduced me to Facebook. I was immediately sucked into the whole social media thing. I’m not sure if that was a complete blessing or a partial curse. I’m thankful for so many renewed connections and several new ones that have come as a result of Facebook. It’s been eye-opening, enlightening, and sometimes enriching to keep up with friends on Facebook. It’s also been a bit addicting, and I admittedly struggle at times with staying balanced.
Somewhere along the line, I picked up Twitter and a few other tools. Twitter has definitely been an interesting tool for discovering new information about people and topics that interest me. I’ve especially enjoyed the “listed” option on Twitter where users can assemble lists of Twitter users with similar interests. I have discovered many small group gurus, leadership junkies, and several blogging buddies.
Next, I picked up Skype and Tokbox which allow for free live web video chatting. I’ve enjoyed using Skype with my family – especially my parents who live in far away Dallas, TX. A year or two ago, I decided to try an experiment with Tokbox. Tokbox was easier to use for multiple participants than Skype was at the time, so I decided to lead an on-line small group using Mark Batterson‘s recently released book – Primal. I was impressed by the depth of conversation that took place as this experiment launched. And I see a lot of potential for fostering community through this type of technology.
Most recently, I have discovered incredible community through interactive blogging. By actively participating in the dialogue that transpires in the comments that follow a post (on my own blog or on other people’s blogs), blogging becomes interactive. My life is enriched by these comments – by this community. I have discovered many new friends like Michael Shaw who blogs about the local town of Skippack, Jason Fountain who blogs about being intentional with life, and Beck Gambill who blogs about the ups and downs of life.
If you’re reading, you’re probably part of this community. I would encourage you to take the next step – either start your own blog or become active in the comment conversations that take place on your favorite blogs. (If you start you’re own blog, let me know so I can follow along.)
On a final note, while I strongly encourage finding community on-line, there’s nothing like face-to-face community. Find a group of people you can plug into your life. Lift each other up. Hold each other accountable. Meet regularly. Grow together!
How have you experienced community on-line and face-to-face?
Return to Blogging – My Wife is Back On-Line
My wife, Leanne, had taken an extended break from blogging over the past couple of years for all kinds of reasons. But I think she’s decided to get back to it! She has a lot to share. She is an inspiration to me, and I’m sure she has inspired and will inspire many others. Check out her first post in her return by clicking here. Her first post back is titled “What I Want to Be When I Grow Up.”
Check it out, and let me know what you think. Also, add her blog to your subscription list.