When you travel for Christmas, the drive home is always longer. You know the feeling, right? Same roads, same distance, but somehow the return trip, minus the anticipation and excitement, isn’t as much fun. The aftermath is always a bit of a letdown. I see it with the FREEDOM TOUR, all the months of buildup […]
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Holy Night Or Pie?
O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining… I love the song. Hearing it this morning got me wondering about “Holy.” On the FREEDOM TOUR we gather at the conclusion around a pile of stones, a sort of makeshift altar. Each stone represents a burden carried by a team member and a commitment to stop […]
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About Believing The Absurd
God came to us as a baby. Completely helpless and dependent. Poor. Hunted by the authorities. His birth was announced to a band of stinky shepherds. Three foreign “kings” were the only others who paid much attention. His family situation was somewhat unusual, given the whole virgin birth deal. Grew up in a nondescript, backwater […]
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You Can’t Murder Murder
“Two wrongs don’t make a right!” Anyone else hear that from mom or dad, perhaps while explaining the misguided nature of your efforts to confront some perceived injustice? It’s a principle. As much as we wish otherwise, the end doesn’t justify the means. Wrong in the pursuit of right is still wrong. I’m thinking about […]
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About Thirty Years
Thirty years is a long time, or it’s the blink of an eye. A few days after my injury I asked a doc for an honest prognosis. He said, “You’re 36 years old. You’ll probably make it to 40, but most likely not to 50.” Well, I wanted honest. I really didn’t mind his blunt […]
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About Signing Up
Why doesn’t everyone sign up? I’m thinking about (what else?) the FREEDOM TOUR, but we’ve all wondered. That amazing story, that worthy cause. It’s an incredible opportunity. If they’d only stop and listen it would be so clear. Whatever “it” is, it’s an offer no reasonable person could refuse. So… Why doesn’t everyone sign up? […]
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So, What’s Next?
Today’s kind of a big day for me. Thirty years ago…December 5, 1987…I was installing some Christmas lights. I fell about nine feet from a roof and shattered three cervical vertebrae. In the blink of an eye, everything changed. I love this picture. It’s a lot more than just an old bald guy, his dog, […]
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What’s In It For Me?
In our consumer culture, that’s what matters, right? We’re taught from childhood to get a good deal. Even if I endorse the notion of win-win, the central feature of any deal is what I get out of it. Great marketing highlights (exaggerates??) benefits. In a transaction-based world, people want to know: If I sign up, […]
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Lots Of Pie And Bike Rides
Whew! What a weekend. Food, family, football. And pie. Lots of pie. And thankfulness, of course. But now we’re past all that. Done with turkey and thankful; now, on to the shopping! Seems like that always happens with big events. I notice it on the FREEDOM TOUR as well. We binge for a few days […]
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Always?
In any circumstance… Education is always the answer. Not schooling, but honest inquiry that says, “I want to understand. Tell me more.” Relationship is always the answer. Not Facebook friends, but connection that breaks down walls and allows us to be authentically who we were created to be. Service is always the answer. Not helping […]
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When We Stare Down An Empty Road
We all appreciate a happy ending. Jesus taught difficult truths. His stories often reflected the nitty-gritty reality of a broken world that doesn’t guarantee happily-ever-after. The Parable Of The Lost Son, however, provides the ultimate feel-good ending. Son rejects dad, squanders family fortune on years of unsavory activity. Son becomes homeless, destitute, and desperate. Son […]
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It’s All Good (Or Bad)
Has to be one or the other, right? Ever wonder why? Ever wonder why you and I assess every moment, choice, or action as good or bad, up or down, worthwhile or waste of time? Ever notice the constant evaluation and judgement? Does it have to be good…or bad? Lots of folks traveled a few […]
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