“Follow Me.” It’s the invitation of eternity. I believe Jesus wants to end our striving, seeking, and searching. I believe He wants us to accept His invitation—that’s obvious. Last time I argued that the path is about more than Avoiding The Mud. Following the path is active—it must be something more than removing the bad […]
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How To Avoid The Mud
“Follow Me.” Early Christians were called Followers of The Way. It’s easy to visualize following Jesus in terms of the metaphor of a path. Sadly, that path is frequently mischaracterized in ways Jesus never intended. Right versus wrong, good versus evil, moral versus immoral, the underlying message is often one of coercion and threat—you’d better […]
Continue readingPlease Explain Normal
Every so often I encounter the word “normal” in a context that baffles me. Yesterday I read about an amazing Paralympic athlete who “used to be normal” before an accident caused a spinal cord injury. So now, I suppose he’s, what–abnormal? I wrote these thoughts in November, 2011. # # # Before our latest ride […]
Continue readingTangible Results Of The Dream
It’s not all that often that you see a piece of the dream right in your own living room. I’ve always hoped RICH’S RIDE would create a community that empowers people who work together as servant leaders and offer hope to others. Yesterday a bunch of folks gathered at our home. Everyone was there because […]
Continue readingUnlimited
HAPPY MONDAY! A weekend gathering inspired today’s word-of-the-week… UNLIMITED We attended a going-away party for dear friends yesterday. As I looked around the room I realized how God surrounds us with the things we need most…in unlimited supplies. Grace, love, hope, courage, faith, smiles, forgiveness–they’re everywhere. It’s as though we were made of them, which is […]
Continue readingThe Paradox Of Hope
Hope offers an interesting paradox. Hope looks forward with confidence and trust based on faith, a faith that comes at least partly from looking back and knowing God has always kept His promises. So hope looks to the future based on past faithfulness. Certainly we live with confidence because salvation is assured, but hope isn’t […]
Continue readingWhy Justice Requires Level Ground
A few years back my friend Tim talked about a church strategy he called Y’ALL COME. The notion seemed simple. Open the doors wide, put up a sign, have people at the doors with big smiles, and we’ve done our part, right? Not so much. Tim claimed Y’ALL COME wasn’t good enough. He said we […]
Continue readingSomething I Learned By Riding A Bike
RICH’S RIDE has taught me a great deal. I thought the whole crazy notion was about me doing a big handcycle ride. My friend Dick Foth helped me understand that Rich riding a bike wasn’t worth the investment of time, money, and effort. He knew I’d reach the end and feel the sense of emptiness […]
Continue readingDiversity
HAPPY MONDAY! A friend’s reluctance to attend church prompts today’s word-of-the-week… DIVERSITY I know a man who loves Jesus with all his heart. He also happens to have black skin, and has reached a place where he doesn’t feel at home in church. I’ve had a difficult time understanding, but I think recent events in […]
Continue readingWhy Spinning Faster Isn’t The Answer
How do you get the most from life? The headline promoted another foolproof strategy for identifying what you want from life—and getting it. Who wouldn’t sign up for that? I’m certain God didn’t create us to spin the hamster wheel that for many has become the American dream—we go to work to get the money […]
Continue readingWhat Will You Pursue?
How important is happiness? Thomas Jefferson apparently thought it was a big deal. He listed its pursuit, along with life and liberty, as three basic rights with which God endowed us. Yesterday I did a training ride, and frankly it wasn’t a happy experience for several reasons that don’t really matter. I likely would’ve avoided […]
Continue readingAre You Disabled?
“How do you avoid repeating the cycle of despair?” It’s perhaps the most insightful question we heard on our recent tour, and it came up several times. Like most really good questions, I’m not sure I had a simple answer. Makes sense, though. When you describe a journey that resonates with so many folks, a […]
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