No Regrets

“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”  C.S. Lewis

What do you regret?

We’ve all done things we regret.

To get you thinking, here are four different kinds of regrets.

• Foot in the mouth regrets.  I can’t tell you how many things I’ve said something I regret.  It’s not that I like the taste of show leather.  It’s just that I don’t always think before I speak.
• Lack of words or action regrets.  How many times have I kept my mouth shut when I should have spoken up?  This happens when I don’t speak up or stand up for someone or something when I could have made a difference.
• Bearer of bad news regrets.  This is typically started with a phrase like, “I regret to inform you that….”  This is a regret that we are in a position of responsibility to share difficult news.
• Regrets from sinfulness or poor decisions.  We’ve all done something that’s wrong.  We’ve lied.  We’ve stolen something.  We’ve cut someone down physically or verbally.  When we come to the realization that we did something wrong, we are left with regret, embarrassment, and the consequences of our actions.

We’re all human.  We all deal with regret.

Dwelling on our regrets leaves us in a position of hopelessness.  When we stay in the land of regrets, we fail to grow, we get depressed, and we demonstrate a lack of faith in God.

I don’t know what you have in your past.  I don’t know what you’ve done (or not done) that leaves you with regret.

It’s time to move forward.  You need to know that God still loves you – even when you mess up.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

How do you move forward after doing something you regret?

3 Essentials For Times When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

I’ve been staring at a blank page for a while.

I’m struggling to find the words for today’s post.

Do you ever struggle to find the right words?

Yesterday brought a reminder that life doesn’t always make sense.

Have you ever felt like life doesn’t make sense?

Here’s all I could come up with.

3 Essentials For Times When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

1. Trust God.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Lean not on your own understanding.  Acknowledge Him in all you do, and He will make you paths straight.”  I think this is a good reminder that our understanding isn’t the answer.  We need to trust God.  In God and His Word lies ultimate truth.
2. Pray.  I think we sometimes overlook the power of prayer.  Prayer may not bring all the answers, but it’s a great place to start.
3. Lean on friends.  When life gets crazy, it’s so important to lean on friends.  Friends will carry you when you can’t carry on.  Friends want what is best for you.  Friends may not always be able to provide clarity, but they are great for listening.

What do you do when life doesn’t make sense?

Don’t Stop Believing – Building Again in Guatemala

“I’m dreaming of making a big difference in a village in Guatemala. I dream of helping to build 100 homes for widows and orphans in this little village. So far, I’ve built one. 99 more to go!”

These were my words I shared in the comments in response to a recent blog post by Matt McWilliams.  In the post, titled How William McGirt Made $2.7 Million In 3 Years Doing What He Loves, Matt asked readers the following question:  What dream are you not willing to give up on? Whose dream can you support today?

Over the weekend, we were blessed with a visit from Dave Sgro, our missionary friend from Guatemala.  During his visit, we talked about our family’s plans for our return trip to Guatemala this summer.  We talked about helping with the feeding program for kids in and around Xenacoj.  And we talked about helping to start a jewelry project for the widows in Xenacoj.  Finally, we talked about building a house for a widow in the community.

Once we started talking about this, our daughter’s eyes lit up.  She was so excited about the prospect of building another house in Guatemala.  Apparently, she shares my dream.

The house we will be building costs $1,500.  It involves installing a concrete floor.  The walls start with 3 layers of concrete block on the base with wood on the upper parts of the walls.  The roof is made of corrugated metal.  This is a huge improvement over the dirt floors and cornstalk walls that make up many homes in Guatemala.

We hosted a fundraiser recital over the weekend.  The recital was a big success in helping us reach our goal of getting back to Guatemala and building a house.  We still have a little work to do to get back, but I’m confident we’ll get there.

Here’s the cool thing.

We are not going build a house in Guatemala this year.

It looks like we are going to build TWO houses in Guatemala this summer.

Yes, I said TWO houses.

Someone stepped up to donate funds to build a second house during our trip.

When I responded to Matt’s question in his post, I typed my answer of building 100 houses in Guatemala.  It’s a goal I’m not sure I completely grasp.  Honestly, I don’t know if it’s even possible.  But I know the goal can only happen by building one house at a time.  This summer we’ll have the chance to get two houses closer to the goal.  Don’t stop believing!

If you want to find out how you can help fund future homes or if you want to help us fund the rest of our trip (we need just $750 more), let me know.  Send me an email at jon@jonstolpe.com, and I’ll get back to you with details.

What dream are you not willing to give up on? Whose dream can you support today?

5 Things I Learned By Climbing 1,088 Steps

On Saturday morning, I tried something new – something crazy – something adventurous.  I participated in the Fight for Air Climb in Philadelphia, PA.  The Fight for Air Climb is a 50 floor (1,088 step) stair climb from the street level of Three Logan to the top.  The event raises money for the American Lung Association.  After climbing to the top, I felt like I might need a new lung.

Here’s what I learned during this crazy experience:

1. The climb is not completed all at once.  It’s not like taking the elevator to the top.  It took me just under ten minutes to complete the stair climb.  Ten minutes may seem like a short time, but it seemed like an eternity when my legs and lungs were burning twenty floors into the climb.  We live in a culture where we expect immediate gratification.  Life is hard work.  It takes effort and time.
2. The climb is completed one step at a time.  I’m nearly six feet six inches.  For a short period of time, I can skip three steps at a time.  This is not sustainable for most people.  The first several floors, I skipped every other step.  With a little more training, I may have been able to keep this up for most of the climb.  In reality, I had to go one step at a time.  If I missed too many steps, I would lose my balance and rhythm, and I would begin to slow down.  In life, it’s important to proceed one step at a time.  When we skip steps, we miss out on key details required to complete the overall journey.
3. The climb requires focus and determination.  While I was climbing up the stairwell, I had to keep remembering that the end would eventually arrive.  Without this focus, it would have been easy to give up.  I could have stopped on the tenth, twentieth, thirtieth, or fortieth floors where race volunteers were offering water to the climbers.  I knew it was important to keep moving.  I had to stay focused on the end at floor fifty.  Life can be pretty challenging.  In the middle of life’s ups and downs, we can lose heart and give up if we don’t keep our eyes on the prize.
4. The climb is better in community.  I was part of a team in the Fight for Air Climb.  We joined together to raise funds as a whole, and we started together at the bottom and finished together at the top.  Actually, we started in fifteen second intervals.  Two of my team members were in front of me, and two of my teammates were behind me.  As formal Climb participants, my teammates gave me valuable tips on how to go about my climb.  When I made it to the top, they cheered me on and supported me as my lungs and legs recovered.  We need people in our lives who will cheer us on and who will give us tips for how to handle life.  We might be able to go about things alone for a little while, but life is so much better in community.
5. The climb is temporary.  My legs felt like jello, and my lungs felt like fire while I was completing this “adventure.”  But it was only temporary.  After the climb was complete, I caught my breath.  I took the elevator back down to the street, and I headed over to the post climb party with my teammates.  Soon I was talking about doing it again next year.  We all go through challenges.  Some challenges last longer than others.  If we follow Christ, we have the promise of a future.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that things will be easy in this life, but things will get better.

This is an experience I won’t soon forget.  The climb left me with a new appreciation for people with lung problems.  It also gave me great respect for first responders who climb up skyscrapers with eighty pounds of gear to help rescue those in need.  I’m thankful for another stretching experience.

Have you ever climbed a lot of stairs?  How many steps have you climbed this week?  What did you learn along the way?

Don’t forget to sign up for the Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.  Subscribers will get a special deal on the upcoming release of On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field.

Second Chances – Liberty for Prisoners

God is a god of second chances.

This was so obvious last night when our H.O.P.E. group traveled to “downtown” Schwenksville to hang out at Liberty Ministries for an evening of sharing and games.  Liberty Ministries is an organization focused on rehabilitating men who have recently been released from prison.  Men stay in the program for one to three years where they are gradually provided more freedoms and responsibilities.  Along the way, they are discipled and given tools for succeeding outside of prison.

Frankly, I didn’t know what to expect.  I was tired after a day of work (and a day of laryngitis).  And I just wanted to be at home for the evening.

I think God had other plans.

Our group showed up with prepared to lead the men in worship.  Our kids all prepared a verse to share with the group.  And one of our H.O.P.E. regulars shared a thought for the day.  From there, the floor opened up for more sharing.  This is when things got interesting.

The men began to share their stories.  They shared stories of despair turned to redemption through Liberty.  They spoke directly to our kids commending the for what they shared earlier and encouraging them to stay strong in God’s Word.  All of us listened intently as each man shared their story of second chances.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus talked about visiting prisoners.  These men are now free, but they are dealing with a gradual reintroduction and acceptance into society.  We had the chance to serve Jesus by being there last night. (Matthew 25:31-46)

And they definitely ministered to us.

God is a god of second chances!

Our church started a series this past weekend about second chances.  I’m excited to see what happens through this series.  If you live anywhere in the area, I would especially encourage you to be there on March 30th when Pete Rose will be visiting.

How have you experienced a second chance?

Laryngitis Lessons

I started to lose my voice on Sunday night, and it continued to get worse yesterday at work.  By the time I arrived home, I could only squeak out a few words.  I had lost my voice.

The voice is a powerful thing.

Our voices let others know we are here.  Our voices tell others about us.  And our voices help us stand up for what we believe.

Many of us use our voices to promote worthy causes.  We proclaim to others the things that matter most to us.

There are many people in the world who don’t have a voice.  Sure they can speak, but they are not heard.  They do not have the power to standup for what they need, what they deserve, and for what they believe in.  How can this be in a world and time when everyone is supposed to have something to say?  How is it that people’s voices are muffled?  Why is it that people are shut down because they are poor or fatherless or without a husband?

It makes me sad to think that people do not have a voice.

And the sad thing is that many people who call themselves Christians stand by and let it continue.  We allow injustice.  We don’t stand up for those who can’t stand for themselves.  This is so contrary to the teachings in the New Testament.  In the book of James, we are taught about religion that is true.

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 1:27

As Christ followers we have a responsibility and a privilege to look after those who don’t have a voice.  You personally can be the voice for someone in need.  Don’t sit on the sidelines.  Don’t settle for your comfortable existence.  Stand up.  Be a voice.  Take action today.

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.  Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.  Psalms 116:1-2

Hopefully, my voice will come back in the next day or two.  It makes life so much easier.

How can you be the voice for someone today?

Second Chances – Does Pete Rose Deserve A Second Chance?

Is there anyone who is beyond a second chance?

Think about it.  Who would be on your list of people who don’t deserve a second chance?

Jeffrey Dahmer?  Dahmer, a serial killer and sex offender, raped and murdered 17 people in the Milwaukee area between 1978 and 1991.

Ted Bundy?  Bundy, another serial killer and sex offender, murdered several people during the 1970s.

Richard Nixon?  Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, who resigned in light of the Watergate scandal.

Bill Clinton?  Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, who had sexual relations (despite lying about it) with a White House intern during his presidency.

Timothy McVeigh?  Charles Manson?  Adam Lanza?  Lance Armstrong?  Barry Bonds?  Jose Canseco?  Michael Vick?  Jerry Sandusky?

Alex Rodriquez?  Rodriquez, New York Yankees third basemen, suspended from baseball for a year for breaking rules regarding performance enhancing drugs.

Justin Beiber?  Beiber, Canadian pop singer, recently arrested for drag racing and driving under the influence.

Lindsay Lohan?  Lohan, actress, repeatedly arrested for drug and alcohol related offenses.

Pete Rose?  Rose, all-time Major League Baseball hits leader, thrown out of baseball for betting on baseball.

We could go on and on with names of people in the limelight who have made critical errors.  Do these people deserve a second chance?  It’s a great question.  Each of these people have committed crazy crimes or done something pretty stupid.  Each of them is left with the consequences of their actions.  Some face death.  Most face public ridicule at a minimum.  Others faced fines, jail time, or other punishment.

Here’s the deal.  Just like this people above, we all make mistakes.  We may not have killed anyone (at least I hope not).  We may not have been caught for breaking the rules or doing something so stupid.  But we all mess up.  And we all have consequences to our actions.  Do we deserve a second chance?

What yard stick are we measuring ourselves against?

Sure our “sins” make seem quite minor compared to the “sins” of those on the list above.  But what happens when you compare our sins to God’s holiness?  Suddenly, we begin to much worse.

The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  It goes on to say that “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)  With this in mind, none of us deserve a second chance.  We have all screwed up.

If this was the end of the story, it would be pretty depressing.  Don’t you think?

But there is more to the story.

The Bible tells us in John 3:16 that God loves us so much, he sent His son for us.  In Romans 10:13, we are promised that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  This sounds like a second chance to me.

Our church is doing a series about second chances.  On March 30th, Pete Rose will be on campus all three services to be interviewed.  It’s hard to argue with his playing skill, but many could argue about his place in baseball and in life based on his past.  I’m excited to hear what he has to say.  If you live anywhere in the Philadelphia area, I’d encourage you to make your way over to Christ’s Church of the Valley in Royersford, PA to hear what Pete Rose has to say and to see how are pastor responds.  I think you’ll be challenged and surprised.  For more information, check out our church’s website at moviechurch.com.  If you plan on coming, let me know.  I’d love to say hello.

How have you been given a second chance?  What did you do with your second chance?

I Want To Save Lives

I hate needles.

Seriously, ever since I was a little kid, I have had a strong dislike for anything sharp that is meant to penetrate my epidermis.

Yesterday, I visited our local Quest Diagnostics to have some blood taken from my arm.  This is one of the great “benefits” of being on a cholesterol reduction medication.  I must have my blood work done on a regular basis to make sure my cholesterol levels and sugar levels are healthy.  The medicine I take has definitely helped over the years to lower my cholesterol levels, and I’m pretty sure my diet modifications over the past couple of years is making a huge difference as well.  Based on my last blood test results, there is a chance I may be able to stop the cholesterol medication.  We’ll see.

Enough about my cholesterol health.

Since I have such a disdain for needles, I always let the phlebotomist know I’m squeamish when it comes to taking blood out of my arm.  (Who wants a 6′ 6″ 200 pound man fainting in their office?)  To help cut the tension, I usually talk and look the other way as they proceed to prick my arm.  It’s a way to keep me distracted.  As the phlebotomist was drawing my blood, we talked about my family, and she asked about my job.  She asked, “Are you a doctor?  You look like someone who saves lives.”

This wasn’t just a pickup line (at least from what I could tell).  She was serious.  For some reason, she thought I was in the business of saving people’s lives.

I told her I was an engineer.

As I walked out of the office with the band-aid on my arm, I couldn’t help but thing of her question and statement.

I know I don’t have the stomach to be a doctor, but I want to be in the business of saving people’s lives.

What does it look like to save someone’s life?

It could mean giving someone CPR.  It could mean donating your blood or your organs to someone.  It could mean pushing someone off the tracks to avoid an oncoming train.  It could, but I think it could be simpler yet more life changing.

Saving someone’s life could simply be a matter of introducing them to Jesus Christ.  It could be through words.  And it could definitely be through actions that lead to words.  Ultimately, this is the way to really save someone’s life.  If I really want to save someone’s life, I have to be alert, prepared, open to the opportunities, and intentional to step through the open doors.

One of my favorite verses is found in Colossians 4:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.  Colossians 4:2-6

This is what it looks like to save someone’s life.  This is the kind of live saver I want to be!

Have you ever saved someone’s life?  Explain.

Secret

When you hear the word secret, what comes to mind?

I think of sneaking around without being caught.  I think of something hidden I don’t want revealed.

“Be sure your sins will find you out.”

This is a phrase which echoes in my head from time to time.  It’s a phrase my mom used to say to my brothers and me when we were kids.  My mom was always right.  When I did something wrong (something I wanted to keep secret), it would typically be brought into the light one way or the other.

I remember having the strong sense that God was watching me as a kid.

“He sees you when you’re sleeping.  He knows when you’re awake.”  These words are part of a popular Christmas song and are attributed to Santa Claus.  For me, these words went with God (and still do).

No one can keep a secret from God.  He’s all-knowing.  This is part of my theology.

God, investigate my life;
    get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
    I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
    before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
    then up ahead and you’re there, too—
    your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
    I can’t take it all in!

Yesterday, Dallas police helped recover my brother’s bass guitar from a local pawn shop.  I don’t know many details yet.  If you read yesterday’s post (Violated), you know his guitar and laptop were stolen when burglars broke into my parents house.  I’m sure the Dallas police are working to find the thieves and to determine the whereabouts of my brother’s laptop.  I don’t know if they’ll find the perpetrators or not.  But I know this.  The burglars may think they have a secret, but God knows who did it.  We’ll see what happens!

What if secrets were good?

As I was thinking about secrets today, I kept coming back to this thought:  “I want to be in the secret place.”

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”  Psalm 91:1-2 (NKJV)

I want to be in the secret place of the Most High.  This is where there is protection.  This is where there is comfort.  This is where there is relief from struggles and pains of life.

What’s your secret?  Where’s your secret place?

Violated

Burglars broke into my parents house this weekend in Dallas, Texas.  They pried open the locked front door in broad daylight while nobody was home.  The robbers grabbed my brother’s Apple Macbook Pro and one of his bass guitars.  They left without leaving a thank you note, without saying goodbye, and without locking the front door which they destroyed upon entry.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt (including the two dogs who were closed in the bathrooms in the house).  Nothing else was taken.

But I’m sure my parents and my brother felt violated.

The natural reaction to this kind of incident is anger, disappointment, and fear.  What would drive people to break into someone’s house and take what is not their property?  How do we prevent people from violating us like this?  Will they ever come back?  Will they be caught?  The list of questions and thoughts could go on for quite a while.

I was mad when I initially heard the news.

And then something hit me.  This verse came to my mind from the book of Romans:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Romans 12:14

I changed one word in the verse as I thought about the burglars – Bless those who violate you; bless and do not curse.

Really?  Bless those who broke into my parents house?  Bless those who stole my brothers stuff?  That’s easier said than done.  But it has to start somewhere.  And so, I prayed.  Here’s my prayer.

A Prayer For Those Who Violate Others

I pray the burglars would be caught.

I pray they would be rehabilitated.

I pray the robbers would recognize the error of their ways.

I pray they would feel remorse.

I pray for a transformation in their lives.

I pray for a bright future for them that differs greatly from the past which led them to robbing people’s homes.

I ultimately pray they would find God – that they would know the love of Christ and the power of His forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

This is my prayer for those who violated.

How have you responded when you’ve been violated?  What suggestions do you have for those who have been violated?