HAPPY MONDAY! I’m trying to put a positive spin on today’s word-of-the-week… BULLY I once thought a bully was a big kid shaking down a weaker kid for lunch money. Now I know bullies are adults, too. They’re bosses, parents, teachers, spouses, neighbors, pastors, celebrities, and pro athletes. A bully is an insecure person who […]
Continue readingAuthor: Rich
A Better Way To Climb
Every tour seems to leave a few lasting impressions. I’ll remember TAOS to TUCSON for an improved approach to cycling up hills. I haven’t gotten much better—physically—at climbing. I’m still terribly slow. I need to change my workouts over the winter and see if improved training can overcome advancing age and yield faster results. What […]
Continue readingMy Story (Video)
During our last tour, Pastor Elwin Mack and the kind folks at Faith Assembly Church in Phoenix invited me to tell my story. When you’re the main speaker at a Sunday worship service, folks want to attach special words to what you’re doing. You’re preaching, or teaching, or giving the message. It’s a sermon, right? Except, of course, […]
Continue readingThe Difference Between Encourage And Cheer
When you help someone climb a hill, you end up at the top. On our recent trip I talked a lot about the word ENCOURAGE, which I define as “giving courage to someone else.” I used this photo of a hill to illustrate a challenge, and asked listeners to think of someone they knew who […]
Continue readingDrive Thru Prayer
The sign said: DRIVE THRU PRAYER. We looked and, sure enough, right next to the church driveway sat a guy in a folding chair under an awning. I made my typical sarcastic remarks. “I need my prayer supersized. Can I get fries with that?” We passed that church a few times during our days in […]
Continue readingCan You Fear Being Afraid?
“Why am I so afraid of everything?” She’s a college junior, perhaps 21 or 22 years old. From my perspective, it was a great question. “What are you afraid of?” She blurted out a list, a litany of seemingly everything that could possibly go wrong in this young woman’s life. “Whoa,” I chuckled, “you really […]
Continue readingStory
HAPPY MONDAY! Today’s perfect for this word-of-the-week… STORY Our recent southwest tour convinces me even more of the power of our own story. I thought a lot about story on the tour because telling our story was a big part of our purpose. Here are some thoughts and observations. I wish church folks didn’t call it […]
Continue readingDo You Pass By Or Stop By Or Jump In?
I’ve been sharing a parable from RELENTLESS GRACE in some of my talks along this trip. It’s the tale of An Unexpected Interruption. Cliff-notes version: a runner stumbles into a pit for which he’s completely unprepared and from which he can’t escape on his own. After several unsatisfying attempts at help from passersby, he “resorts” […]
Continue readingIs There Always A Reason?
“Do you believe everything happens for a reason?” The questions following our presentation at Teen Challenge/Tucson got progressively deeper and more intense. Then the guy in the front row took the discussion to a new level. I love the question. I’m just not sure I’m the right guy to provide the answer. But I’ve learned […]
Continue readingDo You Assume You Know Their Story?
Lonnie was a curmudgeon in a wheelchair. Some would say we were kindred spirits. Lonnie built a successful business after being diagnosed with MS. He was a smart entrepreneur and a hard worker, and he had one personal pet peeve. “Why do people assume, because I’m in a wheelchair, that I’m either ignorant or indigent?” […]
Continue readingCelebrate
HAPPY MONDAY! The end of a long, enjoyable journey brings us today’s word-of-the-week… CELEBRATE A relaxing 42-mile ride on Saturday closed out the 500 mile bike ride portion of TAOS TO TUCSON 2013. When you complete a big goal, you celebrate. It’s important to mark important milestones with parties, special meals, and joyful gatherings. For me, […]
Continue readingHome Of Hope
Last evening we were honored to speak to clients at the Teen Challenge HOME OF HOPE in Casa Grande. As Becky unloaded the trailer I looked at the sign and thought, “That’s what every home should be about.” Every home should be a home of hope. Hope isn’t a wish, like “I hope I win […]
Continue reading