ServeFest – Norristown Community House
Saturday morning after witnessing the Phillies‘ dismal performance on Friday night, I had a chance to lift by spirits by spending time with my family and the Bowersox family at the Norristown Community House. Our church was sponsoring a huge day of serving in our area, and we hooked up with the Norristown Community House thanks to a Grove City College connection with the Peter and Becky Bowersox, who are in charge of the House.
So what is the Norristown Community House? Good question. You can go to their website to get more details, but I’ll give you my take. The House is located in the heart of Norristown, PA which is the county seat of Montgomery County. Norristown is one of the poorest communities in the county. The residents of the House are young adults – primarily college students – who attend local colleges. By choosing to live in the House, they are agreeing to become part of a community where discipleship, serving, and reaching out to the community are expected. Peter and Becky (shown above with their 3 kids) act as their resident directors and guides. They make sure the House is running smoothly, and they meet with the young adults on a regular basis to participate in the discipleship process.
It really turned out to be a great morning as we helped them clean out a garage attic that was filled with lots of trash, some relics, and a few treasures. By clearing out this space which obviously hadn’t been cleaned out in years, we helped to make storage space for the residents of the house. We discovered an old salon style hair dryer, Vietnam War veteran documents, old clothes and suitcases, a box full of vinyl records, license plates, and lots of dust! Our kids enjoyed sorting through everything as we removed it from the attic.
This clean-up project was a great way to introduce our family to the Norristown Community House. I think we’ll be back to help out on some other projects and to rub shoulders with the young adults and the Bowersox family. Thanks, Becky and Peter for the opportunity to help out – and for getting my mind off the commencement of the Phillies’ golfing season.
How have you served in your community? What things have you done with your family to serve others?
Magic Boy and Super Sitter
It’s hard to believe how quickly our kids grow. This picture was taken the first day of school (this year), and I think they’ve grown another few inches since then. A couple of weeks ago, we took the kids with us to visit Grove City College for Homecoming and Leanne’s 15th Class Reunion. Leanne and I felt especially “older” as our kids were clearly the oldest kids among Leanne’s classmates.
One of the cool things about our visit was how our friends’ kids were attracted to our kids. When we were walking over to line up for the parade, one of our friends’ kids ran up to Isaac and said, “Hey Magic Boy, do a magic trick!” And he was completely serious. He had been to our home a month or two prior to homecoming and remembered Isaac doing magic tricks for the kids. Leanne and I often remark to each other how much of a performer our son can be. He loves to put on shows for people. He is the first to jump on the piano or to take out his trumpet when guests come over. We sometimes wonder what Isaac will do when he grows up. Perhaps, he’ll be the ring master for a circus, a musician, or a preacher or worship leader. It’s fun to imagine as we watch our son bloom.
At Grove City, most of the kids were attracted to Hannah. And many of the parents were putting bids on Hannah to come to their homes over the summer to watch their kids. Hannah is a leader and a care-giver. She knows how to take charge and how to have compassion. She had the opportunity to hold a baby, and it was fun to watch her as the baby fell asleep in her arms. She also was the leader for the preschoolers and elementary kids as they made up games and did crafts together. Leanne and I often say that Hannah will have an interesting future. Will she be a teacher, a missionary, a mom, or president of some organization? Like her brother, it’s fun to watch as our daughter matures and becomes a young lady.
As we watch our kids grow, we have come to know and realize that time goes so quickly. Each moment is precious as they fly by before our eyes. It’s for this reason that I often say that Paul’s call in Colossians to “make the most of every opportunity” was about sharing our faith, but it’s also a great reminder to take advantage of the time we have with our kids. Walking around Grove City College a couple of weeks ago with our kids was a huge reminder that our kids will be venturing to college before we know it. We need to make the most of these days we have with “Magic Boy” and “Super Sitter.”
What characteristics and gifts to you see developing in your children? What are you doing to make the most of the opportunities you have with your children?
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?
It’s The People – Back From Grove City College Homecoming
We just returned from a spectacular weekend at Grove City College. The weather was uncharacteristically perfect – sunny with few clouds. The campus was beautiful. We continue to be blown away by all the enhancements and new buildings that keep popping up each time we visit. The campus just keeps improving. The homecoming festivities were traditionally fun. We marched in the parade through campus and downtown Grove City with Leanne’s classmates. We enjoyed a reunion luncheon. And listened to the marching band march towards the football field during their pre-game ritual. It was fun to give our kids a tour of all the places on campus that we remembered and that were new. (Honestly, there was a bit more of a sales pitch going on this year than in other years.) It’s hard to believe that our oldest is five years away from college. (Did I just type that?!?)
All these things were great about our visit to Grove City College. But the best thing by far was visiting with friends. I got to visit with my friend, “Hack”, who roomed with me for two years and was the best man in our wedding. Our time was short, but it was like old times as we shared some of our college days memories and caught up on some of the recent happenings of our families. We also spent a lot of time with Leanne’s friends and their families. In the 15 years since they graduated, Leanne’s friends have been keeping in touch through a monthly newsletter and through a once or twice a year get together. The husbands of these ladies have become friends as well. I absolutely enjoyed catching up these men. And our kids had a blast hanging out together.
So while we enjoyed see Grove City College and its beautiful campus, the best part was the people. Friendships of this quality and type are worth remembering and are worth celebrating. I think the memories and the common Grove City ground help to bond these friendships, but I think it’s faith and the common bond of Christ that really has cemented many of these friendships that were formed more than 15 years ago.
As we finished up our time with Leanne’s friends at the hotel. We cleaned up after breakfast, and we joined together in a small worship service. We sang a few songs to the accompaniment of two guitars and a cello. The kids participated in an activity designed to keep them preoccupied but also to help them think about how God is growing and shaping them. And we finished with prayer together. It was during this service that I realized how important our Grove City College friendships really were. It was these friends who last year prayed every day at 1PM for Leanne and our family as we journeyed through some very difficult waters. It was these friends who prayed yesterday and thanked God for healing. It’s a wonderful thing to know that people have your back. This is why I love Grove City College and why it was such a blessing to go back this weekend!
Do you go to your college homecoming? How do you keep in touch with your friends from back in the day?
Top 10 Things To Do At Grove City College
Leanne and I are getting ready to head out to Grove City College for homecoming and Leanne’s 15th reunion. I’m excited to go back to the place we first met. My four years at GCC were extremely memorable. Since I’m thinking about it, here’s my Top 10 Things To Do At Grove City College:
1. Go to chapel (16 times a semester). As much as that may sound dull, we were blessed with some great speakers at GCC. I particularly remember John Guest, Tony Campolo, and R.C. Sproul.
2. Look to your left and look to your right. As Nancy Paxton would tell all freshman, your future mate may be in sight. As it turns out, I met Leanne at the end of my junior year. The rest is history, so they say.
3. Fries and cheese at the Gee. I still remember the GeeDunk lady screaming, “Fries and Cheese” into the microphone as students waited for their late night snacks. The GeeDunk has moved to another building since I graduated, but I’m sure many students from my generation will remember the Gee of old.
4. Shoe in the door and two feet on the floor. This was the saying that went with intervisitation – the couple of weekend hours when guys could visit girls in their dorms and girls could visit guys in their dorm rooms. Honestly, I didn’t participate in this much at all, but it’s one thing that I remember about Grove City. Grove City College kept guys and girls separated as far as sleeping quarters, so this couple of hours was considered sacred for many dating couples. The shoe in the door and two feet on the floor things was a phrase meant to explain that things during intervisitation were supposed to stay pure.
5. Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek. This is the chant you would often hear as engaged guys were carried down to the creek. They would receive a kiss from their girlfriend before their “buddies” threw them into the murky waters of Wolf Creek. Yes, I have my own Wolf Creek story.
6. Get off the Quad! When I went to Grove City College, the Quad was considered sacred ground. If anyone was seen running across the Quad, someone from Ketler would yell out the window, “Get off the Quad!” I had the privilege of living in Ketler right on the Quad my freshman year, so I had a front row seat to the ‘holy green grass.’ Now, I understand that they let students use the upper quad for light sports. What’s happening over there at GCC?
7. Intramural sports. I love playing intramural sports. While at Grove City, I played basketball, football, softball, and even bowling. It was a blast participating in these sporting events with my friends. One of my favorite moments in my intramural sports career was dunking in a game while Leanne was watching. My first ever dunk in a game situation. I was flying high for a week!
8. Study, study, and more study. Grove City College is known for very high academic standards. I spent many hours preparing for tests, quizzes, papers, projects, and final exams. You could often find me hiding in the stacks up in Buhl Library, in the lab in Hoyt Hall, in Ketler Rec Center, or in my dorm room. I’m so thankful for the rigorous academic programs at Grove City.
9. Salt Company, Warriors for Christ, and other on-campus Christian groups. It was truly a blessing to have these groups to lead and participate in worship and fellowship with fellow students. So much of my world view and spiritual focus was shaped and groomed during my four years at the Grove.
10. Meet life long friends. I was truly blessed to meet some incredible friends at Grove City. I met people through the engineering program, through my housing group, and through many on-campus activities. I met my best man and two-year roommate, John Hackworth. And I met my best friend and soul mate, Leanne, at Grove City.
Obviously, there are other things to do at Grove City College, but these are some of the top ones from my memory. I look forward to walking through the campus and the town of Grove City and remembering four of the best years of my life. It should be a blast!
What’s one thing you remember about your college experience that you don’t want to forget?
Race to Remember Recap
Yesterday, I ran the first ever Perk Trail Half Marathon. Okay, it wasn’t an official race. It was my own crazy idea that I shared last week. The race gave me a goal to help me get into shape but it also gave me a way to remember the 10th anniversary of September 11th, 2001.
As I ran, I spent each of the 13 (actually 13.1) miles thinking and praying for a different group of people or things which were tied to 9/11. I wrote these things on my arm as a reminder. As I approached each mile, I would pray on a more general basis for the first half of the mile. For the second half of the mile, I would personalize it by concentrating on specific people in my life:
1 – Leanne
2 – Hannah & Isaac
3 – Greg Bonderanko, Jim Callahan, Bruce Beck, junior firefighters from our scout troop
4 – Heather Roulle, John D’Orazio, Shannon Clark, Mike C.
5 – Mike G., John Rizzuto, Evan Flora, Tom Williams
6 – Barack Obama, Joe Biden, senators, Congress, state governors
7 – U.N., NATO
8 – My neighbors, Joe Giunta
9 – Mayor Bloomberg, Brian Willem, Forefront Church
10 – NCC, Journey’s Crossing
11 – Christ’s Church of the Valley, my parents as my dad just started at a new church
12 – tough work relationships
13 – Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan
It was a powerful experience to give these things to God as I passed over each mile. It was freeing to release these people and worries to the One who cares so deeply for us.
I also had a couple of interesting and unexpected happenings related to the Race to Remember. I guess I wasn’t shocked when I started the “race” on my own despite my invitation for others to join me. For one, it was early in the morning (7AM), and most people were probably still in bed. Secondly, my last-minute idea really didn’t give a lot of time for people to prepare and commit to running 13.1 miles.
The first amusing happening came at the first half mile marker when a cat jumped on the trail and started running with me. I’ve had dogs run with me before, but I’ve never had a cat try to run with me. Honestly, it was a bit freaky as the cat stayed with me for several yards. When the cat finally realized it couldn’t keep up, it stopped and started meowing loudly at me. I smiled as I continued running thinking that this cat was my first cheering section of the day.
The second interesting happening occurred five miles into the “race” when I caught up to Dave, a man who used to go to our church. I almost ran past him until I realized who he was. I asked him how far he was going and he said a few more miles, so we ran together for about two and a half miles catching up on running, our kids, and their new church. It was a great, unexpected diversion in the middle of my run.
After I left Dave, I continued back on the trail towards home. As the miles wore on, I could feel my legs starting to grow tired. With about three miles to go, I saw another familiar face. Scott, a friend from scouting, was waiting for me and ready to run the final three miles with me. Apparently, he read my blog and was inspired to come out and run with me. It was another great diversion at the perfect time. As we clicked off the final three miles, we talked about our boys who are in the same class in their first year of middle school. We talked about September 11th and our plans for the day. And we enjoyed each other’s company as we talked about various other things.
When we finished (and I caught my breath), Scott asked if we should pray. It was a perfect way to end the Race to Remember. In addition to praying for the things written on my arm, I thanked God for the reminder through Scott and Dave of those who had “run” alongside my family over the past year at just the right time when we needed a meal, a prayer, or even just a friend to talk with. I will never forget the “race” yesterday and the reminders of God’s faithfulness and of hope for the future.
I’m looking forward to running the 2nd ever Perk Trail Half Marathon – Another Race to Remember next year. Who’s with me?
What did you do yesterday? Did you do anything to remember the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001?
New Traditions
Here we are at the top of Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada after an hour and a half hike back in August. If it looks cold and cloudy to you, you are correct. We actually hiked into the clouds, and the temperature dropped noticeably as we made are ascent to the top. As we journeyed up the mountain, our kids repeatedly spoke of a new family tradition. You see, last summer, we hiked to the top of Sterling Mountain and Madonna Mountain when we were on vacation in Vermont. So two years in a row must make a tradition.
Family traditions like this can have a huge positive impact on our families. Traditions create fun expectations for everyone in the family. For example, my family always anticipates putting up the Christmas tree and listening to each other share stories as they hang up Christmas ornaments that have special significance. We also look forward to certain meals that have some tradition and family history tied to them. For example, I love to make, serve, and eat the Swedish Christmas meal. It brings back so many sweet memories of my grandparents, cousins, and parents.
This year as we rode the cable car down to the bottom of Mont Tremblant (yes, we cheated), our kids were already scheming and asking about where we could go next year on vacation that has a mountain we can climb. Despite the fatigue of climbing, I shared their excitement for continuing our new family tradition next year.
What traditions do you keep? Why? What is the special significance of these traditions?
Be Generous
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
Psalm 112:5
When Leanne and I were celebrating our 15th anniversary in Cape Cod, we met Bob (above). Bob met us one morning as we were getting off the boat on Nantucket. This meeting had been arranged by Bob’s son who goes to our church, and I want to make sure I never forget what we experienced. I don’t want to forget this day, because it was truly a great reminder of generosity. Here’s what happened.
Leanne and I decided that we should go to Nantucket on the actual day of our 15th anniversary. We arranged the visit boat ride over to the island from Cape Cod through Mary, our bed and breakfast hostess. We decided to take our bikes on the boat, so we could enjoy some biking and sight-seeing during our once in a lifetime day trip. As we unloaded our bikes from the boat, we met Bob. He was standing there patiently waiting for us in anticipation of starting the tour. Bob took us over to his yacht club where we dropped off his bike and proceeded to walk a few blocks up a hill to The First Congregational Church where our friend from church had been married. We walked up to the bell tower to enjoy spectacular views of Nantucket.
After walking back down to the yacht club, we jumped in Bob’s Suzuki Sidekick. From here, Bob took us all over the town where we saw The Oldest House on the island, the old windmill, and some homes of well-known business people and celebrities. The town is beautiful with its cobblestone streets and its blooming hydrangea bushes. As we traveled around the town, it was obvious that Bob knew many facts about this town and he was so happy to be able to share the place he loves with us.
When we got back to the yacht club, Bob offered to take us for a ride in his boat. At this point, I was beginning to wonder if I was dreaming – was I going to wake up back at home in Pennsylvania? Bob drove us around the harbor area of Nantucket and pointed out various homes and sites. He also shared stories about his family and about his business. You could tell he was particularly proud of his kids. The boat ride was so refreshing, and I felt like I was flying along the water as we motored across the harbor. It was a boat ride to remember. (Leanne even had an opportunity to drive the boat.)
Our time with Bob wasn’t over when we arrived back at the yacht club. Bob invited us to lunch at the club. It was an offer we couldn’t refuse – and I’m not sure he would have taken no for an answer. We enjoyed sandwiches and lemonades on the patio overlooking the tennis courts and harbor. Bob continued with stories of the yacht club. He told us about the boat races that he and his brother had won. He shared about how his kids had grown up at the yacht club every summer. He wasn’t bragging. He was celebrating. He was expressing thanksgiving for what he had experienced.
Following lunch, we said our good-byes. As Leanne and I walked to our bikes, we looked at each other and agreed that we would never forget our 15th anniversary, and we would never forget the generosity of Bob – a man we had never met before this day, a man who expressed generosity to complete strangers. I don’t anticipate the business success that Bob has had in his life (although I suppose that’s possible), but I want to be like Bob when it comes to being generous. Thanks, Bob for a great day and an important reminder to be generous.
Have you ever experienced generosity that blew you away?
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?
That’s My Boy
This is a big year for Isaac. In less than one week, he will start middle school. He’ll tell you that he’s excited and a little bit nervous. If you ask me, I’m excited and shocked at how quickly we have reached this milestone. It seems like weeks ago that we were welcoming Isaac home from the hospital. I can still hear his sister, Hannah, saying, “It’s Baby Isaac!” in her high-pitched toddler voice as we introduced her to her new baby brother. It seems like several days ago that we were taking Isaac to preschool for the first time with his friends Julia and Grace. I can still see Isaac dressed up like a farmer for Halloween one year with his big smile and straw hat. It seems like yesterday that we were sending Isaac off to school on the bus for his first day of kindergarten. I can still remember his excitement as he finally got to ride the bus with Hannah and all the other kids.
Isaac is a special kid. He’s funny – in fact, I think he’s inherited the “Stolpe” sense of humor that came down from his Great Grandpa (Far-Far) Stolpe. He’s smart – more so than I think he realizes at times. He’s musically talented beyond his years. He’s kind. He’s compassionate. And he has an amazing faith.
As I look ahead, I’m realizing that my time of influence is narrowing. I want to make the most of the time I have with my kids before they head off into the real world which will be here before I know it. Some of this involves being more intentional with our day-to-day conversations. And it also means being more intentional when it comes to planning memorable things like vacations and other family outings. And for me, it means stopping more often to just enjoy my kids. I love to watch them. I love to be with them. And I am excited to see them growing up. I just wish it didn’t happen so quickly!
How are your being intentional in your parenting? What has surprised you the most about parenting?