I have a difficult time with the days before Easter. For most of my life I think I minimized the suffering and death of Jesus. I figured it wasn’t quite as horrible for Him since He was God. I somehow thought that provided some sort of protection, as though He suffered but not really. Now […]
Continue readingMore TagAuthor: Rich
Finding Friendly Eyes
When I speak to a group, I try to connect with eyes. No matter the size of the audience, I usually find a few sets of eyes that seem responsive and in tune with my message. When I need a little reassurance or a sense of how things are going, those friendly eyes become my […]
Continue readingMore TagShould I Laugh Or Cry?
One of my most profound childhood memories happened the night before my Grandpa’s funeral when I was twelve years old. A large collection of family and friends gathered in Grandma’s small apartment. There were enormous quantities of food and an endless supply of adult beverages. Elmer was a colorful character who lived a big, full, […]
Continue readingMore TagFred And Joan
RICH’S RIDE is about people, and we’re blessed to meet interesting folks in a variety of settings. Fred and Joan wondered about the trailer, the dog, and the odd-looking bike. We’d stopped by the beach for a food/water break on day 2 of the Florida tour. Monte was still trying to make sense of the […]
Continue readingMore TagEbenezer
Happy Monday! A tweet about a cool place inspires today’s word-of-the-week… EBENEZER One of the last stops on last summer’s IJM Freedom Tour was Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse in Washington, DC. Ebenezer’s is a very cool place, a symbol of hope in many different ways. It’s operated by National Community Church on the site of a former […]
Continue readingMore TagMeet Coach Rick
Even in the sprawling park, the SAINTS weren’t hard to locate. We didn’t have much trouble spotting a hundred kids in yellow t-shirts. As we pulled beside the picnic shelter, a big guy with a broad grin walked toward us with a half dozen munchkins in tow. He stopped to remind them about being safe […]
Continue readingMore TagAre You Watching THE BIBLE?
Are you following THE BIBLE series on The History Channel? I listened to an interview with a pastor who served as an advisor to the producers. He provided a helpful perspective. The series tries to tell the big, overarching story of the Bible in a relatively brief time frame. The challenge-which events, characters, and stories […]
Continue readingMore TagBetter Than I Expected
One common joke among guys of every age is “we’re trying to figure out what we want to be when we grow up.” The real joke, as any woman will happily tell you, is most of us never actually get to the growing up part. Once in a while I manage to chip away at […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat About Lent?
I’ve never really made internal sense of Lent. I get the symbolism, abstaining or fasting from something meaningful to honor Jesus’ forty-day wilderness temptation. I’ve tried the abstaining thing a few times, but honestly I’ve never noticed much change. I’ve talked to friends who observe Lent. It appears to mean a great deal to them, […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat Do You Learn On The Journey?
A guy takes a bike tour. At the end of the tour he’s learned an important lesson. His story can make a difference. It seems like a bold statement, but he’s pretty sure he has something important to share. That might seem sort of silly for someone who’s been writing and speaking for several years. […]
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Happy Monday! I’m often too literal, which leads in a roundabout way to today’s word-of-the-week… STUDY I’m not very good at poetry. I seldom understand the imagery and symbolism until someone explains. Then I nod appreciatively while I think, “How was I supposed to see that?” I think my literal brain explains why I struggle […]
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Yesterday I talked about visiting a church last Sunday and some lessons from a sermon titled The Still, Small Voice of God. In the story from 1 Kings 19:10-19, there’s an interaction between God and Elijah that begins when God asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” It’s sort of an odd question. God obviously […]
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