From Duke University men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) : I’ve been a Coach K fan for a long time. My admiration has little to do with basketball success. I was elated when my cousin’s son, Tyus Jones, chose to play for Coach K. We celebrated Monday night as Duke claimed the NCAA National Championship. […]
Continue readingAuthor: Rich
Wax On, Wax Off
Do you have a favorite iconic movie character? I suppose we all remember different roles for different reasons. One of my favorites is Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid. In one memorable scene, Miyagi asks his student, Daniel, if he’s ready to begin his karate training. Daniel replies, “Yeah, I guess so.” Miyagi sighs. “Daniel-san, […]
Continue readingWhat Would Failure Look Like?
From the start it’s been clear what this is about. I’m a slow learner so it took a while for it to sink in. This crazy adventure wasn’t a bike ride and it wasn’t a fund raiser. # # # Toward the conclusion of the 2011 Mississippi River ride that started this craziness, a nice lady […]
Continue readingFreedom
HAPPY MONDAY! Something I saw (and can’t remember where) prompts today’s word-of-the-week… FREEDOM I’m grateful for freedom. I’ll bet you are as well. As a wheelchair user, I might be more aware of day-to-day freedom than a lot of you. I know first-hand what it’s like to not be able to go where I want (can’t use that door), to […]
Continue readingWhat If You’re Picked From The Crowd?
Simon didn’t plan on being part of the story. He was part of the crowd in town for the holiday. Maybe he knew about Jesus, maybe not. But he was going about his business and I’m sure he didn’t want to get involved with the horrible scene in the street. The Romans had beaten the man […]
Continue readingA Pilgrim Asks Questions
He’s on His way home, this leg of the journey nearly complete. That’s how the end of this week feels, and yet so much must have been swirling around in His head as He contemplated the road ahead. It wouldn’t be easy, but He didn’t come for easy. Honestly, there’s a lot swirling around in […]
Continue readingI’m In Favor Of…
A few days ago I was interviewed by some college students for a class project. They sent the questions in advance, but asked if it was okay to toss in follow-ups as we progressed. Of course I agreed. These folks did their research. They knew a lot about my background and were prepared with interesting, thought-provoking […]
Continue readingWho Should I Forgive?
You likely know the story–here’s the Cliff-notes version. Livi Petit and his OU fraternity brothers caught on tape in a hateful, disgusting, racist chant. Levi’s expelled, frat’s shut down, social media blows up in a frenzy of well-deserved denunciation. Then Levi steps up an apoligizes, owns his behavior, meets with the OU football team, reaches […]
Continue readingJust Stop Trying
Stop trying. Start training. It’s one of my favorite principles. It’s a principle because it’s timeless and applies in just about any circumstance. In about two months I’ll give a talk at a TEDX event in Loveland. If you’re not familiar, TED talks are different than most other presentations. For one thing, they’re very structured, […]
Continue readingBrief Glimpses
Once in a while we get a brief glimpse of what God’s up to. Most of the time we’re pretty sure we see God’s hand in short-term results that happen to align with our desires. I’m certainly no expert, but I tend to think He works in bigger pictures and longer timelines. I see His work when […]
Continue readingFact
HAPPY MONDAY! A philosophy question prompts today’s word-of-the-week… FACT I always told my students it was wrong to cheat on a test. More than just against the rules, cheating was intrinsically, morally wrong in all circumstances. In 35 years I don’t think anyone ever questioned that assertion. I guess I assumed it was a fact, a moral truth. […]
Continue readingWhy We Must Tell Stories
TMI–we’re buried in an ever-increasing flow of information. Perhaps as little as 100 years ago an educated person might know most of the important information accumulated by civilization. Today that’s ridiculous as access to facts increases exponentially. Funny thing…it’s a bit like drinking from a fire hose. There’s plenty of water, but you may not […]
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