5 Reasons To Start Your Own Blog

To blog or not to blog?  That is the question.

I don’t know the exact stats, but if I had to guess I’d say that 50% of the people who follow my blog do not have their own blog.  They are either friends or family, or they somehow linked into The Stretched Blog by chance.

People (who aren’t bloggers) often ask me how I do it and why I do it day after day.  I’ll admit there is definitely a discipline that develops when someone decides to blog on a consistent basis.  I often hear people say that they could never do that – write their own blog.

I’ve been working on updating my About page which has me thinking about my reasons for blogging.  Obviously, I have personal reasons for writing The Stretched Blog, but I think that there are many reasons for you to consider starting your own blog.  Here’s a list of five good reasons:

1. Blogging forces you to think.  My brain is usually spinning with work and family focused functions.  It can be easy to limit my brain to my daily routines and responsibilities of work and home.  Blogging taps a part of my brain that might normally get less of a workout.
2. Blogging helps you remember.  Life happens so fast.  I seem to have an easy time remembering the more trivial stuff of life like when the Phillies won the last World Series and who won the last season of American Idol.  Blogging helps me to remember the things in life that really matter.  In my blog, I try to relate the real experiences of life to growth and stretching.  I can look back through the Archives of my blog and recall all the times God has stretched me.
3. Blogging gives you a chance to encourage others.  In Hebrews 10, we are called to spur each other on towards love and good deeds.  I hope that my blog is a place that encourages others to stretch.  People will relate to your life experiences and the lessons you are learning along the way.  A blog is a perfect place to share these experiences – not just for you – but for others as well.
4. Blogging provides an opportunity to meet new people.  I am blown away by the community of people I’ve met through my blog.  I’ve met Larry from Tennessee, Dustin from California, Chad from Arizona, Brandon from Florida, Dan from Washington, Eileen from Georgia, and so many others.  This tribe of people has encouraged me to stretch and expand my thinking.  They’ve provided great ideas and helped to promote my blog.
5. Blogging can be a significant part of leaving your legacy.  I suppose you could make your blog private which is okay, but I’m hoping my blog provides a record of me after I’m gone to family and friends.  I hope that they will see a man who embraces the stretch and who wants to bring glory to God.  Your blog is a unique place for you to tell others about you.  You have something to say.  You have something worth sharing.  Let your blog become part of your legacy.

Do you blog?  Why?  What’s your blog about?  Share a link to your blog.  If you don’t blog, why not?  What’s stopping you from starting your own blog?  How can I help you get started?

Growing is Unending

Today, it’s my honor to share guest blogger and fellow Phillies fan, Thomas Mark Zuniga (TMZ).  TMZ is an aspiring author with a story worth sharing.  He has just finished his first book, Struggle Central, which will be available on Amazon shortly.  Until then, you can get a copy of his book for free for a limited time by signing up for his newsletter (click here).  You can also follow TMZ on Twitter and Facebook.

Growing is Unending

Over the last couple years, I’ve endured some especially stretching moments: one vulnerable summer camp position in Milwaukee, another more exposing camp in North Carolina, and not one but two cross-country moves from Georgia to California on either side of those stretching summer camp romps.

That second cross-country trek stretched me even more than the first.

After completing the most impossible summer of my life in North Carolina, I returned to my parents’ home in Georgia. The previous year in California, I’d experienced my greatest year of growth: finding an amazing church, plugging into my first life group, and even getting baptized by said life group.

Stuck in the South, I knew I had to drive back West.

But how? My old roommates were gone. My savings were scant, at best. How could I drive 2,500 miles with nowhere to live, nowhere to work, and nothing saved up?

No plan?

I put off the inevitable for weeks. Two, four, six weeks passed as I grew increasingly sickened by my “backslide” into the way things used to be: living under my parents’ roof with no job, no church, no community, no sense of purpose whatsoever.

Eventually, I couldn’t take it.

I had to leave.

Leave again.

Leaving for California two years earlier was so much easier. After graduating college, I was beyond ready for the open waters of a new existence. Had a housing situation with friends already secured across the country with much saved from a lucrative summer job.

But this time was harder. The unknowns weightier, the waves far more perilous. I drove off my parents’ driveway the second time with saltier tears and a heavier heart from the first.

With so much stretching and growth in the two years separating these momentous drives, why was this second move so much more difficult than the first? Had I even grown at all?

After completing my drive across the country, I was inundated with struggle: an isolating living situation in the boondocks of an old married couple’s house, no work, and a car that died from thousands of wearied miles.

Additionally, I struggled to reconnect with my life group filled with old and new faces alike. It was the same amazing group who’d baptized me six months prior, and yet it wasn’t. I had changed, just as they had. And now we needed to start over and change together again.

The changing process would take months.

I’ve since learned that despite two momentous years of growth, capped by a summer camp that could have very well ended a triumphant feel-good movie, the process has really only just begun – my stretching and growing, still in its infantile stages.

Because growing is unending. And though struggles remain, redemption awaits.

I’ve recently broken ground on a project four years in the making: my first book. Since college, I’ve felt called to write, and this book in particular has long filled me with thrilling fear: a book of “messy memoirs” charting my struggles and the ensuing redemption of the last quarter-century.

Looking back on my quarter-life, I see the growth. See it so clearly. But I often wonder when the stretching will end. When will I be fully grown? A fully developed Mr. Miyagi or Gandalf with every arduous lesson learned, now able to impact any and all passersby?

At 26, I’m still very much learning the breadth and depth of this journey. Learning that this pursuit in stretching and growing is never done. That nobody this side of the grave has truly “arrived,” and the ones who impact most are the ones who realize this best. Truly, deeply know it.

I hope I come to know it, too. Know that despite the certain growth from a quarter-century on this planet, there’s more to the mountain than this.

When have you had to leap into the unknown? How was it difficult, and how did it affirm your growth? Have you ever felt like you’ve stretched or grown “enough” only to be shown otherwise?

Sensational – The Stretched Blog Visits Faith, Fiction, and Unvarnished Truth

Today, I’m guest posting as part of The Network for Deborah Anderson at her blog, Faith, Fiction, and Unvarnished Truth.  In my post (Sensational), I share some thoughts about what it means to merit great public interest and excitement.  Here’s an excerpt to get you started.

The events of the last week had many of us glued to our televisions, radios, newspapers, and news websites. Every twist and turn in the Boston Marathon Bombing was broadcast through the news and amplified through social media until Friday night when the second bombing suspect was captured. I’ll admit it. I was sucked into the story.

 

The story was sensational. The Boston Marathon Bombing caused great public interest and excitement.

 

What other events come to mind when you think of the word sensational?

 

I think of the Space Shuttle accidents, September 11^th, the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan, the death of Princess Diana, the wedding of Prince William and Catherine, the Super Bowl, natural disasters, and presidential elections.

 

In our media saturated world, it’s easy to quickly sensationalize an event. Within moments, people around the world know about events happening on the other side of the planet. It’s a natural human response to place our attention on these types of events. (Click here to read the rest of this post.)

If you’re visiting from Deborah’s blog, I’m glad you stopped by.  I hope you’ll check things out and become a regular part of The Stretched Community.  You can sign up to receive daily blog updates by adding your e-mail on the main page (I promise not to send you spam).  To help you get a taste of my other writing, here are a few of my favorite posts:

• Leap of Faith
• Less Like Scars
• Ten Things Every Small Group Leader Should Know
• The Power of the Next Question
• How To Respond To The Election Results

Courage – The Stretched Blog Visits From Carol’s Quill

Today, I’m guest posting as part of The Network for Carol Peterson at her blog, From Carol’s Quill.  In my post (Courage Through God’s Word), I share some thoughts about courage.  Here’s an excerpt to get you started.

When you think of courage, who or what comes to mind?

 

Maybe it’s the lion from The Wizard of Oz who fought through fear and insecurity until he discovered courage in the quest to conquer the Wicked Witch of the West.

 

Maybe it’s Maximus Decimus Meridius, the Roman general portrayed by Russel Crowe in Gladiator, who stood up to the Roman authorities and the competitors in the gladiator arena.

 

Maybe it’s Amelia Earhart who challenged the limitations and obstacles of flight and inequality to courageously go where no woman had dared to go.

 

When we think of courage it’s easy to think of the strong, the bold, and the heroic.  We often assign courage to those in the limelight – sports stars, politicians, movie stars, rock stars, and other celebrities.  It’s true that many of famous people have demonstrated courage in overcoming tremendous odds.  I don’t mean to diminish their accomplishments, but I think we can find deeper meaning for courage if we look to those around us and to those outside the spotlight.  (Click here to read the rest of this post.)

If you’re visiting from Carol’s blog, I’m glad you stopped by.  I hope you’ll check things out and become a regular part of The Stretched Community.  You can sign up to receive daily blog updates by adding your e-mail on the main page (I promise not to send you spam).  To help you get a taste of my other writing, here are a few of my favorite posts:

• Leap of Faith
• Less Like Scars
• Ten Things Every Small Group Leader Should Know
• The Power of the Next Question
• How To Respond To The Election Results

Ice Breaker – Share Your Blog Link

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.

This week has me thinking a lot about blogging.  On Monday, I reached a milestone with my 1,000th blog post.  And yesterday, Google announced the upcoming retirement of Google Reader (an RSS blog reader that I use to keep up on the many blogs I read on a regular basis).

Question:  If you are a blogger, share the link to you blog along with a brief description of your blog.  Then share the link to one of your favorite blogs and explain why it’s one of your favorites.

My Answer:  Well…you already have the link to my blog.  And trying to pick one blog out of all the ones I follow is pretty tough.  This one though has definitely earned my attention more recently:

http://www.mattmcwilliams.com/  This has become one of my favorites over the past several months.  Matt consistently features practical tips and advice for leaders.  Check it out!

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!  (Feel free to share links.)

Stretching Beyond My Comfort Zone

I am so excited to share guest blogger Eileen Knowles.  Eileen guest posted here back in July 2012 while I was in Guatemala (Living the Lessons).  Today, she shares about a recent STRETCHING experience in which she references a recent blog post – Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone…My First Vlog.  Please read her post, answer the questions, and stop by Eileen’s blog for more great writing.

(I’d love to share your STRETCHED story with The Stretched Community.  Let me know if you’re interested in becoming a guest blogger here by leaving a comment.)

Last week, I tried something new and scary on my blog. I stretched out of my comfort zone. I came out from behind my computer screen and recorded a video post. And, not only that, the Lord was prompting me to share a portion of my journey in recovery and freedom from addiction.

I’ve shared my story before on my blog, but never in front of a camera. I sometimes find it amusing how God decides to work when He prompts us to move beyond the familiar. He didn’t call me to simply show my face and talk about something lighthearted and safe.

If God had left it completely up to me, I would have LOVED to talk about coffee.  I love coffee.  Other people I know love coffee.  Wouldn’t being in front of a camera talking about something like this be a nice place to start when we choose to follow God out into unknown territory?

But, God had a different plan for me last week. And, His plan didn’t involve a small timid step. His plan involved a bigger leap of faith.

Eileen…share what I’ve done in your life. Encourage people to not give up. Remind them that they are not alone in their struggles. Tell them about freedom!

I was reminded last week that God never calls us out in order for us to play it safe. There will always be risk involved when He invites us to take a leap of faith. Yet, if we choose not to trust Him or to follow His lead, we risk something far greater.

As I stretched beyond my comfort zone last week, it was this beautiful what-if question that carried me forward.

What if by taking this risk God uses me to help just one person move from captivity to freedom?

God desires to use each of us in a unique way…and, most likely, the journey will involve some scary stretching!  [Click to Tweet]

Take a moment a think back on your most recent trip out of your comfort zone.
What was the result?
What did you learn?

Eileen Knowles is a small town Arizona girl who studied English at The University of Arizona a long, long time ago. She now lives in small town North Carolina with her husband, Roger, their nine-year old son, and one quirky dog named Bisbee. When she is not working part-time as a Virtual Assistant for eaHelp, she thoroughly enjoys drinking coffee, running, playing Scrabble, and writing about how cool it is to journey through life with Jesus holding her hand.

Eileen is passionate about leaving a legacy for her son and encouraging others along the way who might need a dose of hope poured into their weary lives.

You can find her taking at The Scenic Route

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cupojoegirl
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eileen.knowles.9

Google Reader Retiring

 

Google Reader will be retired on July 1, 2013.

 

This is the message that popped up when I went into Google Reader tonight.  Bummer!

What blog readers do you recommend? And what is Google thinking?

How To Use Milestones To Kick-Start A New Thing

See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  Isaiah 43:19

Yesterday was a big day on The Stretched Blog as we celebrated the 1,000th post.  Milestones like this are great as they permit us to reflect on where we’ve come from and what we’ve accomplished.  Thank you to everyone who shared thoughts and good wishes to help celebrate this big event.  It’s important to pause and commemorate achievements like this.

It’s also important to keep going – to start again (and again).  Milestones like yesterday should be a reminder that each day represents a new beginning.  I love the verse from Isaiah mentioned above.

While today is the 1,001st Stretched Blog post, it is also the first blog post of the new thing that God is doing in my life (and here at The Stretched Blog)  starting today.  I’m so thankful and excited for the new things that await me and The Stretched Community.

How To Use Milestones To Kick-Start A New Thing:

1. Keep track of what going on in your life.  Whether it’s a journal, a blog, a photo album, or a really good memory, documenting our past is such a great way to learn and to recognize growth.
2. Pause, commemorate, and celebrate.  Don’t rush my the milestones without taking time to reflect and to be thankful.  Just like the Israelites setup 12 stones when they crossed the Jordan River (see Joshua 4), it’s important for us to set up monuments to remind us of God’s mercy and provision in our lives.  Yesterday’s post was a “12 stone post” for me.
3. Keep going.  The Israelites didn’t camp out at the 12 stone monument.  They kept moving into the Promised Land.  Similarly, we need to keep going.  There is a new thing waiting for us as we head into our Promised Land.
4. Repeat.  Repeat.  Repeat.  There will be more milestones to celebrate.  And there will be more new things ahead.  Don’t stop.  Don’t rest on your laurels.

What milestones can you celebrate today?  And what new thing is God doing in your life?

1000 Miles – 1000 Blog Posts – Celebrating A Milestone

You’re reading the 1,000th Stretched Blog Post.

When I started blogging several years ago, I never envisioned that I’d write this many posts.  I simply set out to record my STRETCH marks.  My main goal of The Stretched Blog remains the same today as it was  when I first started – To process life’s experiences and to bring glory to God.  While that goal has been constant, other amazing outcomes have emerged.  Primarily, I have been so blessed to meet so many people from across the country and around the world.  The Stretched Community has been a huge blessing in my life.  Along the way, I hope I’ve encouraged and STRETCHED you.  Thank you for reading, for commenting, and for sticking with me along this journey.

Here are a few highlights from the first 1000 Stretch Posts:

• July 6, 2007 – The first post was actually untitled.  This post provided an introduction to The Stretched Blog.
• July 7, 2007 – D.C. Talk introduced our family vacation to Washington D.C.  It’s funny to see the picture of Isaac who would have been 7 years old on this trip.
• July 30, 2008 – It took a little over a year, but I made it to 100 posts with this one titled, In Search of Treadmill.
• October 21, 2011 – We celebrated the 500th Stretched Post with a guest post by Arny Sanchez – Field of Changed Dreams?
• February 27, 2012 – I wrote a post about my experience at a recent FamilyLife Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference.  This post has been the most visited post of all time – Ten Reasons To Attend FamilyLife Weekend To Remember.
• March 21, 2012 – It’s hard to pick out one favorite from among the first 1,000 posts, but this one stands out as one my favorites – Leap of Faith.
• November 7, 2012 – This was a day I won’t soon forget.  I posted How To Respond To The Election Results which drove the biggest single day of traffic on the blog.
• 328,000 words written to date!  Crazy!

Where do we go from here?

I plan to continue to write.  I don’t have a number of posts in mind, but I hope we can celebrate these kind of milestones every so often.  And I hope that I ultimately point people to Christ as I continue to share more STRETCHED stories and thoughts.

When did you start reading The Stretched Blog?  Which post stands out to you as one of your favorites so far?  How have you been stretched by being part of The Stretched Community?

As I was preparing for this milestone post, I came across this song by Mark Schultz – 1,000 miles.  I think the words speak well to where I’ve been and where I hope to go – not just here on The Stretched Blog, but for life in general.  Enjoy!

Short Film – 1000 Miles by Mark Schultz from Ben Salzmann on Vimeo.

Closed Mouth, Open Heart – Guest Post by Amy Mable

Today, I’m honored to present guest blogger, Amy Mable.  After you read Amy’s STRETCH story below, please join the conversation in the comments then head over to her blog – Pentriloquist.  For more information about Amy, see her bio at the end of this post.

(If you’re interested in sharing your STRETCH story here as a guest blogger, let me know in the comments, so we can connect.)

Closed Mouth, Open Heart – Stretching Towards A Deeper Understanding

For much of my childhood, I had God and the taxpayers of the U.S. to thank for providing a roof over my head and food on the table. A “treat” for us was an Archway oatmeal cookie on the way home from the grocery store and I remember take out pizza just once. We were well below the poverty level. I remember one winter we ran out of kerosene for the furnace and my mother had to call all our relatives to ask for help. To say I dreamed of a different life as a grown up would be an understatement.

Today, my life is very different. Having only bare necessities and nothing extra, every little bit of work improved my life. Having a warm home year round and cable television provided tons of motivation, and the work built endurance within me to face harder challenges. It set an example for my children and it made me stronger.

So, when I say I believe government assistance programs should be carefully administered – it isn’t because I begrudge anyone a warm home or food on their dinner table. I just know that having “almost” enough motivated me to do whatever it took to get “enough.” I don’t want anyone stuck in poverty without the hope of being able to make things better. I thought that without that hope, people would just give up. I believed in the mantra, “Leave no man behind!”

As a result, I aligned myself with fiscally conservative policies. I had no bitterness or resentment toward poor people, I wanted hope for everyone. And I wanted real help for those that couldn’t make it out – a safe and warm place to sleep, food on their table, the ability to see a doctor when they were sick.

I wanted people to understand, but they didn’t. The popular opinion was that people “like me” begrudged single moms and poor children the help they needed. No matter how loud I said, “That isn’t what I mean or feel,” it was the message that was coming across.

“So, stop saying it. You’re not delivering the hope I have for people, you’re hurting them.. just stop!” God convicted me of the message I was sending. It was the world’s message, not his, and it was hurting the very people I wanted to help.

“How important is it that you hold onto this?” I could feel God speaking to my heart. “Is it more important to be vindicated? Because, this isn’t my work for you. It’s distancing those in need from my love, provision, and peace. I want you to let it go. Stop being known by your politics, but as my daughter. Hold your tongue. Reach beyond the shame of your financial poverty and grab onto the real riches I provide.”

Initially, it seemed too “holy” for me. I’m a practical person, but it rang true. I knew He was the source of my peace. I had that peace even as a child in a poor family, but somewhere along the way… the farther I was removed from those days of poverty, the less I remembered the peace in the midst of it all.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  James 1:26-27

God has been stretching my muscles – literally. The ones under my chin. The ones pulled taut when my mouth is shut. It’s uncomfortable at times, but I can’t tell you how much better I feel after a good “stretch.” I’m never sorry. It’s improved the circulation of God’s inspiration, enhanced my flexibility (I was quite rigid in the past), and I can reach things that I could never grasp before.

How has God revealed a higher level of understanding that stretched you beyond your experiences?