Do you like living in fear? I didn’t think so. I don’t, either. I’m struck recently by how much we accept fear as a normal mode of operation. # # # As a beginning teacher I was taught to think of myself as a manager. Students were the workers; my job was to manage their […]
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What Do They Need?
Last night our small group did an interesting study. We looked at Acts 16:11-40, the story of the roots of the Philippian church. The story recounts the conversion of three diverse characters: Lydia, a wealthy foreigner; a demon-posessed slave girl; and a Roman jailer. Paul approached each person differently. He did what each needed to […]
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Happy Monday! An exchange around a tweet prompts today’s word-of-the-week… FIGHT My tweet simply said “Life’s not a battle…unless you choose to fight.” My friend Kristen raised a great counterpoint. I choose to fight. I choose to fight against apathy. I choose to fight against injustice. I choose to fight against all of the lies […]
Continue readingMore TagA Sure-Fire Formula For Failure
I have some great advice if you want to fail at just about any task. Last time I suggested Stop trying. Start training, using my invitation to join the team for FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR 2014 as an example. But this isn’t about bike-riding. The same formula works to derail accomplishing any big dream. It’s […]
Continue readingMore TagWhere’s God When…?
It’s probably the most common question about God. Even people who don’t believe in Him wonder why He allows bad stuff to happen. I’ve been there. I’ll bet you have as well. I became unsatisfied with platitudes. When you’re drowning in despair, “It’s all part of God’s plan” really doesn’t help much. So I put my […]
Continue readingMore TagJesus Isn’t About Fake Smiles
Ever have a week when you wish you could hit the delete button? I’ve spent most of the last few days feeling like the entire world is out to get me. Every little task seems monumental, every obstacle insurmountable. I’m just plain sick and tired of the whole thing…whatever that means. What’s strange is that […]
Continue readingMore TagWhy Trying Hard Gets In The Way
Last time I invited you to Start Training for our bike tour. I’m serious. We’d love to have you on the team. Whether you ride your bike or help with support, you’ll have a lot of fun and contribute to a great cause. I’ve talked to a lot of people about long-distance tours. One common […]
Continue readingMore TagMaybe This Explains Why We Wander
I’ve always admired poets. Poetry expresses ideas with an elegance I never quite mastered. I can’t create it, but I appreciate the manner in which a skilled poet weaves words and ideas to create an image. Recently I ran across this poem by a relatively unknown ninteenth-century poet named Sam Foss. It challenged me; I […]
Continue readingMore TagIt’s Time To Start Training
RICH’S RIDE is a blast! Here’s your opportunity to join the fun. Suppose you could bring hope and freedom to victims of human trafficking by riding your bike through beautiful country with a team of cool people. What could be better than that? FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR 2014 will tour through the scenic communities of the […]
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HAPPY MONDAY! Personal frustration leads me to today’s word-of-the-week… THEM You know who I mean. Them…the folks who aren’t us. Seems like we’re talking about them a lot lately. You and I likely know them in our workplace, our neighborhood, perhaps even our church. We probably accept them, perhaps even love them, but…and there’s the key. […]
Continue readingMore TagReal-Life Forgiveness
Happy Saturday! I’m rarely at a loss for words. Claire Davis was murdered in the senseless school shooting in suburban Denver. In this video, her father Michael talks about how he hopes we’ll respond to their horrific loss. I hope I’ll never face this sort of pain. I wonder if I’d be able to summon […]
Continue readingMore TagWhy You Should Ignore New Year’s Resolutions
Don’t start over on January 1st. Okay, so that’s not the conventional advice. And you’re wondering what’s wrong with a new beginning in a new year. Isn’t God all about a fresh start? But what if you forgot? What if New Year’s Day was football and junk food, and now it’s back to same-old-same-old? Did […]
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