Author: Rich

The events of FLORIDA HOPE TOUR 2013 are oddly bracketed by two windows. On January 21 at one of our initial stops in Memphis, we gazed out the window through which James Earl Ray fired the bullet that killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Last Saturday we looked through a window on the sixth floor […]

Two months. A thousand miles of cycling—more or less. Twenty-nine speaking events. It’s been an amazing tour, an absolutely incredible experience. Who would have imagined that the very last question at the very last event would be perhaps the most challenging of the entire trip? We met Sunday evening with the youth group at Alsbury […]

“Why do people with the biggest challenges seem to take on the biggest challenges?” This insightful question followed a presentation to his church’s men’s group. He observed that those who’ve faced and overcome adversity often turn their efforts to some sort of extraordinary service. He went on to say something I hear a lot. “Your […]

I found myself thinking about our official theme song Thursday in the car. It’s a great song, and what’s the point of having a theme song if you don’t get it stuck in your head occasionally? If you haven’t listened lately, or even if you have, click here and enjoy some great music from Kristin […]

The generosity we encounter along our journey continues to astonish me. Authentic generosity is risky. Others might take advantage. Your efforts might be misunderstood or unappreciated or ridiculed. I’m humbled when someone courageously demonstrates no-strings-attached generosity. Generosity comes in many forms. Money, time, attention—people share in many different ways. The leaders who allowed us to […]

Curtis is a gentle giant. He says you should always try as hard as you can at whatever you do. He works on a supervised crew doing maintenance work. Mariah says people sometimes make fun of her. She’s learned to remember she’s one of God’s angels because it makes the words hurt less. Darrel’s proud […]

Sometimes it’s more important to rest. More important than just about anything else. This is such a time. We had a great day Monday speaking to two different groups. Tuesday morning brings an early wake-up call to drive and set up for a wonderful talk at Western Florida State University. I’m excited to see what God […]

Now that I’m out of the hospital, I can tell you the real story behind the infection. In the Everglades there’s a strange creature known as a skunk-ape. Some say it’s mythical like Bigfoot, but that can’t be true because there’s an actual Skunk-Ape Research Headquarters. It looks a lot like a typical bar and […]