Yesterday I spoke to a group of leaders at Dynamic Recycling in La Crosse. During Q&A time, we heard a great question. “On your Mississippi River trip, where was the tipping point? Where was the point when you knew you’d make it?” Interesting notion—where’s the tipping point? Where’s that instant where impossible transforms to inevitable? When […]
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Hope Described
Hope … Knows there’s light when all that’s visible is darkness. Believes in possibility when confronted by impossibility. Expects order to emerge from chaos. Reaches out in the presence of isolation. Seeks joy when surrounded by despair. Accepts freedom even when buried by guilt. Moves forward despite fear. Perceives a remarkable future beyond the immediate […]
Continue readingA People Magnet’s Look At Hope
I think I like Wisconsin. On a lot of our tours Rich rides on roads with traffic. Becky worries about that, but what bothers me is that I don’t get to run with him. When Rich gets ready to ride, I get excited. At home I always get to go along, so it’s really sad […]
Continue readingMine
HAPPY MONDAY! A casual compliment prompts today’s word-of-the-week… MINE When you visit a church with a trailer and an 80 lb. people magnet, a lot of people ask what you’re up to—usually after they pet the dog. After I explained the basics of RICH’S RIDE to one guy he exclaimed, “Your ministry is really cool.” […]
Continue readingDoors: Knocking Down Or Knocking?
I believe God keeps His promises. Jesus said, “Knock and the door will be opened to you.” So yesterday we spent much of the day trying to get through a door we were sure should open, and I was a bit disappointed when it remained firmly shut. Clearly, the gatekeeper didn’t get the memo. In […]
Continue readingWhat’s Hope Look Like?
How do you talk about hope without talking about God? It’s a common question as we travel and tell our story to audiences that aren’t always church-based. How do you tell a faith story without faith words? I think the answer lies in one of my favorite admonitions: Always preach powerful sermons. If absolutely necessary, use […]
Continue readingUnexpected Places, Unexpected People
We encounter some of the nicest people in the coolest places. We met these folks in Elroy at a quaint little converted railroad depot that’s now a bike trail stopover. They listened to our story and talked about friends who have quit trying. This story resonates wherever we go. People respond to the promise of […]
Continue readingA Place Where Messy Is Welcome
We spent Monday evening with the staff and some friends at Bridgepoint Church in Wisconsin Dells. Actually, we met in their newly-opened and still-under-construction coffee house, Bella Goose. It’s located next to their ministry center in a strip mall. They have the unique opportunity to work with more than 4000 international students who descend on […]
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HAPPY MONDAY! We’re on the road for today’s word-of-the-week… CHURCH We spoke at a church yesterday—at least they said it was a church. It used to be a house, before it was an office. The address? First building south of the gas station. We had to ask for directions. No pews, no stage, no fancy […]
Continue readingWill You Be An Ironman?
We were honored to speak on Friday to a roomful of folks preparing for Sunday’s Ironman Triathlon. These people are following a God-sized dream. On Sunday we watched as they hit the water at 7:00 am for a 2.6 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. The first […]
Continue readingWhen You Do The Simple Stuff
Some problems are complex. Want to end world hunger, stop human trafficking, or wipe out poverty? I wouldn’t know where to begin. But feeding a hungry child? That’s pretty simple—you provide some food. Hal Donaldson, co-founder of Convoy Of Hope, tells of meeting Mother Teresa in the early 1990’s. She asked him what he’d done […]
Continue readingHow Many Showed Up?
How do you measure success? For many speakers, lots of people = success and two people = not so much success. Yesterday we scheduled a speaking gig, sort of last-minute, at Crossroads Coffee House in Cross Plains. Everyone was invited, and we spent the evening with the owner and one of her baristas. Failure, right? […]
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